Anomalies ✔

Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: MEDUSA

Nothing makes you feel more naked than someone identifying a desire you never knew you possessed. 
-Jeff Zentner

For some reason I still don't know, we're going clubbing.

By this I mean I'm going to watch the people around me get tipsy, dance inappropriately and end up carrying Noelle home. Circe has never got drunk and never will but she's long discovered that the gene that lets us get addicted so easily doesn't affect her.

It's the same way with Atlas but so far the rest of us seem to be affected.

As the other person in this twin pair, I feel like I got the short end of the straw just a bit too much.

One moment Vivianna and Jasper are talking about making each other get dressed properly, something I've never had problems with, and the next the weirdo is squinting at him and saying, "Sometimes I forget just how goddamn loaded you are, Mr. I live and own a fucking Castle."

And that sounds kinda important.

Like he's someone important.

Which, given, doesn't change how much of a fucking dork he is at all, but I'd like to be clued into these things.

"Okay, first off, we're well past establishing that." Jasper pointedly keeps his eyes on the floor, as if ashamed. "And second, a castle really doesn't even cover it."

"Whatever," She pouts, then pops back to her peppy self. "Still, though! Being able to hang out in that giant library that looked straight out of a fantasy movie was fucking awesome."

I notice stupid Max Mitch staring at the musician like a fish out of water the same time Jasper himself notices, making me frown as he starts to stammer.

"W-what?"

"You're like..." The redhead pauses. "Super rich?"

It was a question I could see made Jasper uncomfortable almost instantly.

"Urm," He nervously rubs the back of his neck, never glancing at me once as his eyes flit around the space. "Kind, kind of?"

"His family owns two private islands." Viv deadpans, which, admittedly, does make my eyes widen but I manage not to react too much.

Mama got cut off from her parents really young, so while she's been able to do good stuff with her money we're still just a middle class family.

We still rely on her income from the Grey Estate franchise, even if we don't necessarily rely on Papa's bakery.

I've never thought I'd actually meet someone who owned a private island.

It's not as exciting as I thought it'd be, it actually sounds kinda...stupid now that I think about it. I mean, what's the point of owning a place like that if you don't go to it often -or live there.

This must be the introvert in me but if I was rich enough to own a private island I'd move there and never speak to a single dumb person again.

"Wait-" I hear Max gasp, snapping his fingers in Jasper's face breaking me out of my thoughts and making him wince -which instantly makes me mad. "You're -you're an Astoria, aren't you?"

What the fuck is an Astoria?

Is that his family name, or the rich side of his family's name?

Cool.

Jasper frowns, mumbling something about his mom.

Okay, he's starting to look really uncomfortable and pressured.