Jason E. Dean: {Fe}male, [the Lady Prince book 1]

Chapter 3 - Waking up before six is the Devil

I looked the Vivian girl straight in the face. To say I was shocked would have been an understatement, especially considering that there had never been anyone who could have told I was a girl by first glance, other than the Dolls, and that was pushing it since Gene was really the only one out of the four of them who knew the moment she saw me.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Vivian.” I responded. She looked at me curiously but didn’t say anything, instead choosing to walk away.

“Well, come on Jason. Let me show you to your room.” Mr Chandler finally spoke. His voice was like a bell, shaking us out of some sort of trance-like spell that held us all in place. I nodded, following him up the stairs. I was almost to the top when I heard someone speak.

“Well, this is going to be fun.” The unfamiliar voice said. I didn’t get to see who spoke the words as Mr Chandler hurried me along the long hallway.

“We’re here.” He sang, when we finally stopped in front of a wooden door.

“I’ll leave you to it.” He told me, leaving me standing in front of the door. I pushed it open to reveal the gloriously huge space that made my bedroom at home look like a sweatshop. The new room was almost as large as Princess’ room, but not quite. Gene

I dropped onto the bed in my new room, feeling strange. It had finally registered that I was, not only away from home, but I was also in a foreign country. The longest I had ever spent away from home before had been a week, and now here I was finishing my last two years of school how many miles away. I closed my eyes and sighed.

“Two years.” I mumbled.

After a second of brooding and feeling sorry for myself in the room that made my poor little bedroom at home look like a sweatshop I drifted off into sleep as the jet lag finally caught up with me.

“Jason.” Mr. Chandler called from the door the next morning.

“Mm?” I groaned out. He began to laugh and called me over and over again until I finally sat up.

“What?” I asked, trying not to sound too hostile about being waken up this early in the morning.

“Come on, get up. We’re going running. Do come with.” He said. I stared at him, then at the clock on the bed side table. 5:16 a.m.

That was so wrong.

I dragged my form from off of the bed, only just realising that I had on the same thing I did the day before.

“Come on. Change up and come downstairs. We’re leaving in five.” He said with a sort of energy that was foreign to me at this hour of the morning.

I had never been one to wake early and I didn’t know anyone, except the Dolls that awoke before eight. Yagomi and Amanda got up before eight when we were out of school because they both said it was good for the soul and something about Zen. And then there was Bellanova who did wake early because she had to ‘pre-set her face’. And finally Gene who woke last because it was her job to wake me. Now that I think about it, I was the lazy one out of the five of us.

I changed into a pair of long track pants and a baggy t-shirt before dragging myself downstairs. I passed a window on the way down and saw that it was still dark out.

“Too bloody early.” I growled but continued down the staircase. But when I made it down to the ground floor, I nearly fell flat on my face. Because before me stood the Chandler brothers, plus seven other guys, looking like they belonged in a bloody Calvin Klein Ad.

“Definitely too early.” I muttered, shaking my head. There was too much sexy in too little clothes in this room. I thought about going back to bed but decided against it.

“Oh hey, Jason.” Jack said when he saw me.

“Good morning, Jack.” I replied, attempting a smile at him.

“You ready to go?” Jack asked me. I shrugged but followed him out the door. Mr Chandler, his sons and the other guys walked with him behind the house, then they started to run along a path. I tried my best to keep up, but it was to no avail. I figured that I should have stopped and turned back, but just as I was about to, I saw Jack waiting on me.

“Not accustomed to running, huh?” He asked me.

“You noticed?” I asked him, trying to keep my sarcasm in check but it didn’t work so I changed the subject. “Do you know where we’re going?” He shook his head.

“Nope, we change the path every week.”

“You do this every week?” I asked, almost horrified to think that I would have to spend every Sunday morning. Jack laughed.

“No way,” He said, laughing. I breathed a sigh of relief, “Every morning.” My heart stopped. Luckily for me, by that time I had already given up on running so I didn’t trip when I froze.

“Tell me you’re joking.” I begged. Jack started to laugh.

“No. I’m not.” He said smiling. He had the kind of smile that you had to smile back, so I did.

“You should smile more often. You’re adorable.” I said laughing then I noticed Jack staring at me.

“What?” I asked him with a raised eyebrow. I saw a slight reddening of his cheek when he realised I caught him staring.

“Nothing,” He said softly, “come on, let’s go.” I followed quietly behind him for about a half an hour before we made it to a clearing. I heard the male laughter before I saw any of them.

“Hey, Jason.” Jack said, stopping suddenly.

“Yeah?” I asked. He looked at me as though he wanted say something, but shook his head.

“Nothing.” He replied, walking out towards the other men. I walked out behind him.

“Pretty boy!” Charles shouted when he saw me, drawing the attention of most of the faces around me. I rolled my eyes.

“Yes?” I asked him feeling an emotion that was a cross between exasperation and frustration.

“Had fun?” He asked me. I tried to ignore him but he was a persistent bastard.

“Not particularly.” I muttered. Charles grinned.

“Tried?” He asked. The devil grin was still on his face.

“Yes.” I growled out. He smirked.

“Great. We’re going back down.” He said grabbing my arm. Before I could protest I was being dragged back down the path I had just struggled to go up. Not to mention the fact that I was now running and in pain.

“Let me go, Charles.” I attempted shouting at him, but my body did not have enough oxygen to fully make enough noise. And then, for some reason, I had the sudden feeling that something big was going to happen.