you?

nine.

The first person I see when Jimin and I enter the living room is Jang Won Young. She's wearing tight jeans that are ripped at the knees and a halter top that bares her midriff. Her eyes are glued to Taeyong, whose back is turned as he leans against the wall chatting with another guy.

As if she can see me making a mental connection between her and Taeyong, Won Young swivels her head toward me. She doesn't wave or say hello, but her eyes meet mine briefly before she turns to talk to her friend.

The music is blaring, and everyone is drinking or dancing or making out in various corners of the room. Beyond the French doors I glimpse a large kidney-shaped pool, its bluish light casting shadows on the faces of the teenagers standing around it. There are people everywhere. It's loud and hot and I already miss the quiet safety of the staff quarters.

"Do we really have to be here?" Jimin murmurs.

I catch Jaemin watching us from the oak bar across the room. He's with Jeno, and they both nod in warning when I meet their gaze.

"Yeah, we do."

She looks resigned. "Fine. Then we might as well get the bullshit out of the way."

Jimin is a godsend. She links her arm through mine and takes me around the party, introducing me to random people, then whispering details in my ear.

"That chick Da In? She's screwing Lee Jeno. She likes telling people she's his girlfriend, but everyone knows Jeno doesn't do girlfriends."

"Daniel? Raging cokehead, but Daddy's a senator so Daniels messes are always cleaned up."

"Definitely stay away from Jungwoo. Ugly central over there."

I swallow a choked laugh as she guides me toward another group, a trio of girls in assorted pastel minidresses.

"Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo, this is Ji Woo." Jimin waves a hand between us, then leads me away from the Pastels before they can even open their mouths. "You ever wonder if some people are born without brains?" she asks me. "Proof of it right there. Girls give new meaning to the word airhead."

I'm not going to lie—I'm enjoying the introductions, or rather, the gossip that comes with them. I do notice that nobody says much more than a muttered "hello" to me, before shifting their gazes to the Lee brothers to check their reactions.

"All right, easy part is over," Jimin says with a sigh. "It's time to slay the dragon."

"The dragon?"

"My cousin. AKA the Queen Bee of Gangnam Prep. Be warned—she's crazy possessive about the Lees. I'm pretty sure she's hooked up with all of them, even the twins."

Speaking of the twins, we pass Mark on our way to the pool area. I know it's Mark because he's wearing a black T-shirt, and earlier I heard Taeyong call the white T-shirt-wearing twin Haechan. A petite redhead is draped around Mark, trailing kisses along his neck, but his gaze stays fixed on me as we walk past.

"Little Lee's girlfriend," Jimin tells me. "Mina or Muana, something like that. Sorry, I'm not knowledgeable about the sophomore circles."

But she's knowledgeable about almost everyone else, it seems. For a girl who likes to hide in the corner, Jimin is a bottomless well of gossip, but I guess that's the best way to gather information, watching from the shadows.

"Brace yourself," she warns. "The claws might come out."

The claws in question belong to a gorgeous brunette in a silky green dress that barely covers her thighs. She's draped on a plush lounge chair like she's Cleopatra or some shit. Her friends take up similar poses, each one in similarly skimpy dresses.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and I turn my head to find Jaemin and Jeno sliding through the French doors. Jaemin's eyes lock with mine. His tongue comes out briefly to moisten his bottom lip, and my heart does an irritating flip. I hate this guy. He's too attractive for his own good.

"Yeji," Jimin greets her cousin. "Awesome party, as always."

The brunette smirks. "I'm surprised to see you out and about, Jimin. Don't you usually like to cower in the attic?"

"I decided to live on the edge tonight."

Yeji studies her cousin's flushed cheeks. "I see you have. Drunk much?"

Jimin rolls her eyes, then tugs me forward. "This is Ji Woo. Ji Woo, Yeji." She points a finger at each of the other girls and rattles off names. "Yuna, Lia, and Chaeryeong."

Only one of the friends spares me a look—Yuna. "You met my sister earlier," she says coolly. "Won Young."

I nod. "Yeah. Cool chick."

Yuna narrows her eyes. I think she's trying to figure out if I'm being sarcastic or not.

Yeji speaks up, her almond-brown cat eyes gleaming. "So. Ji Woo. Lee Soo Man is your new daddy, huh?"

I notice the entire backyard has grown silent. Even the music pouring out of the living room seems to have quieted. I feel everyone's eyes on us. No, on Yeji. Her friends' expressions are almost gleeful.

I brace myself for an attack, because obviously that's where this is leading.

Yeji sits up and crosses her long legs seductively. "What's it like, sucking old man cock?" she asks.

Someone snorts. A few titters tickle my back.

My throat tightens with embarrassment. These people are laughing at me. I realize the Lees had gotten to their friends, probably long before I showed up. Nobody here ever planned on giving me a real chance.

I'm horrified to feel tears stinging my eyes. No. Screw that. Screw Yeji and screw all of them. I might not come from a family who "deals in hotels," but I'm better than this bitch. I've survived more than she ever could.

I blink, pasting on an indifferent expression. "Your dad's not bad, if that's what you're asking, but I find it super creepy that he wants to pull my hair and have me call him Daddy. Is everything okay at home?"

Jimin snickers.

A shocked gasp comes from one of Yejis friends.

Yeji's eyes blaze for one brief moment before the mocking glint returns and she lets out a husky laugh.

"You were right," she calls out to someone behind me. "She's trash."

I don't need to turn around to know she's talking to Jaemin.

Beside me, Jimins features tighten. "You're a real bitch, you know that?" she tells her cousin.

"Better a bitch than a casual," Yeji answers with a grin. Then she waves a hand at us. "Get out of my sight. I'm trying to enjoy my party."

We've been dismissed. Jimin turns on her heel and I follow, but when we reach the doors, I veer away from her and march up to Jaemin.

His blue eyes reveal nothing, but his jaw twitches slightly when he sees me.

"There. I've done my Royal duty,"

*****

 It's after one a.m. when we leave the party. Jeno finds me in Jimin room upstairs, the two of us sprawled on her bed watching So You Think You Can Dance. Jimin downloaded an entire season and forced me to watch a bunch of episodes, insisting I need to try out for the show. I declined yet again.

Jeno announces we're leaving, then stands there rolling his eyes while I hug Jimin goodbye and tell her she'd better find me at school on Monday.

Outside, I realize Taeyong and the twins already left in one of the Range Rovers, which means I'm stuck riding back with Jeno and Jaemin. Jaemin gets behind the wheel, his brother slides in the passenger seat, and I sit in the back while they carry on a whole conversation like I'm not even there.

"We're gonna crush Suwon Prep," Easton is saying. "Half their O-line graduated last year, so it's pretty much a straight path to Donovan."

Jaemin grunts in agreement.

"Then we're looking at Wuncheon High—easy fuckin' peasy. Their QB's hung-over half the time, and that butterfingers receiver corps of theirs is a joke." Jeno babbles away, his voice animated, his shoulders free of the tension I'm used to seeing. Either he's drunk, or he's finally starting to accept my presence in his life.

I try to join the conversation. "What positions do you guys play?"

Just like that, his shoulders are stiff again.

"Quarterback," Jaemin says without turning around.

"Defensive end," Jeno mutters.

They go back to ignoring me. Jeno is now telling his brother about the blowjob he got tonight.

"It's like she's only giving forty percent now," he gripes. "Used to be a solid hundred, y'know? Going to town on my dick like it's made of chocolate, and suddenly it's a few licks and then let's cuddle? Eff that."

Jaemin snickers. "She thinks she's your girlfriend. Girlfriends don't need to put in an effort."

"Yeah, might be time to cut that one loose."

"You guys are pigs," I say from the backseat.

Jeno twists around, his blue eyes mocking me. "Well, aren't we all high and mighty, Ms. Sex Worker."

I grit my teeth. "I'm not a sex worker."

"Hmmm." He turns back in his seat.

"I'm not." A helpless feeling lodges in my throat. "You know what? Screw you both. You don't know me."

"We know everything we need to know," Jaemin says.

"You know shit." I bite my lip and focus my gaze out the window.

We're only about halfway to the Lee mansion when Jaemin abruptly stops the car on the side of the road. I meet his eyes in the rearview mirror, but his face has zero expression as he snaps, "Last stop. Get out."

Shock smacks into me. "What?"

"Jeno and I have somewhere else to be. We're going that way—" He points to the left. "The house is that way—" He points straight ahead. "Time for you to start walking."

"But—"

"It's only two miles, you'll be fine." He seems to be enjoying himself.

Jeno is already out of the car and opening the back door for me. "Get a move on, sis. We don't want to be late."

I'm a tad dazed as he yanks me out of the car and pushes me toward the side of the road. Are they seriously ditching me here? It's one o'clock in the morning, and it's dark.

Neither of them care. Jeno hops in thepassenger seat, slams the door and gives me a little wave. The SUV zooms forward and Jaemin makes a speedy left turn, leaving me in his dust. I can hear their laughter from the open window.

I don't cry. I just start walking.