The Stepbrother

prologue

I stared at my reflection in the mirror as Ronnie, my personal hair stylist and sometimes, psychiatrist, glided the straightening iron down my silky black hair.

"You're going to look beautiful tonight, darling." he said to me in his chirpy voice.

Sighing, "Yeah, right. I'm still going to be boyfriend-less by the end of tonight."

I saw him roll his eyes through the mirror, "Darlin' be optimistic for once!"

"I've never even had a date in my entire life!" I exclaimed"Do you know what it's like to be 17 and still not have had your first kiss!"

Ronnie sighed dramatically, since dramatic was his middle name, "No! You're joking?Then I'm not even gonna bother askin' about your virginity!!"

We both chuckled and ronnie said, "well, tonight's gonna be different"

I started fidgeting with the straightening iron cord,just thinking about tonight"I hope my mom doesn't marry another jerk like Toby was"

"I doubt it darlin'"he said,parting most of my hair to the left"I think her 6th husband just might be the one!"he joked skeptically.

"I hope so," I mumbled. I didn't feel like putting up with "post-divorce" mom. She would get extremely depressed and cry to me, then suddenly cheer up,travel to some foreign country and bring home some guy she claimed "was the one," and whom I usually wouldn't meet until her"engagement party" which was tonight for this guy named Peter. My mom wasn't a bad mother. She just believed too much in fairy tale endings. Which in my case,I doubted would ever happen."I also heard this Peter guy has a son."

"Mmm, is he single?" Ronnie asked teasingly.

I chuckled,wringing my hands nervously. For some reason I was extremely anxious, although by now, this being the 5th engagement party I attended, I would've thought I would be used to this."I have no idea. He might be older, younger, or the same age as me. I don't even know his name!"

"Well you'll meet him tonight hon! And you'll also meet your prince charming because you look absolutely beautiful!"

I stood up and looked at myself in my large mirror. My long hair looked shiny as it cascaded down my back, the eyeshadow and eyeliner made my jade green eyes stand out, and my light caramel skin looked bronzed, and I had to admit, the strapless black dress I was wearing accentuated my body and my long toned legs that were usually covered in dirt covered jeans and my miraculous full breast also covered with t-shirts.

So why was I single? I wasn't ugly, yet I wasn't beautiful. Sure, I didn't have that natural glamour the average sleek, cool blonde here in the Upper East Side had(or like my sweet best friend Alexis had),but come on, I wasn't unnatractive! Most guys only saw me as a "cool girl that had skills playing soccer." And I would forever be known here as a tomboy who had"cool skills"

*sigh*

"Thank you so much,Ronnie"I said hugging him.I spun around excitedly and ended up crashing into my chair.

"Darling,maybe the 4 inch stilettos are a bit too much"Ronnie said concerned.

"No!!"I argued, regaining my balance. I hated being a huge klutz. "I wanna be tall, even if my feet will be in agonizing pain all night!" I was only 5'3 which isn't very tall here in the upper east side when you have glamorous women towering you at over 5'7 and with heels, they were even taller.

"Well you can trip all you want but that will not take away the fact that you look sexy!" he squealed, clapping his hands excitedly.

"Thanks"I said,blushing,"I'm getting nervous to meet the future husband of the grand Lorena LaDolce."

"Well lets hope he loves your mother for her and not her multi-millions"Ronnie said while he spritzed me with Chanel number 5.

"I hope he loves her," I said softly, not wanting the events of my mothers last 4 failed marriages to repeat." I just know that they met in Germany while my mother was "soul searching" and Peter was doing business."

He nodded but he still seemed skeptical. "Let's hope so sweet Serena, or your dear mother is going to be single very soon again and I don't think I could tolerate anymore Gilmore girl marathons while she digs her face into a bucket of Ben N' Jerry's."

I groaned "Ugh,I don't know why.She doesn't need a husband to be successful!"

Ronnie rolled his eyes, "Sweetie,say that to any man and you will immediatly turn him off."

I rolled my eyes now,"Nothing wrong with having a few feminist beliefs"

He chucked skeptically,"Well listen to me on this, if a hot guy comes up to you and asks to make out,you better do it girl!"

I burst out in disbelieving laughter. "Oh Ronnie, like that'll ever happen!"