Masters's Son

Eighteen

"With this geezer, you could get your own set of strings in no time." She picks her guitar up by the neck and walks to where I sit.

As she gets closer and sits down, I see my breath as a shiver runs through me.

"I don't want to ask him. And we don't know each other, it'd just be rude. Billionaire or not, he just spent a lot on me today." I say messing with a suspender. She shrugs.

"Well I like what he did with your hair." She puts me in an armlock, messing it up a bit by giving me a noogie.

I try to fight her off but I admit defeat and accept the fact I'll have to lie and say I fell asleep messing up my hair. She laughs at my pain.

I groan and finally she pushes me away grinning.

In vain, I try to fix my hair to some extent. I stand and go to my dresser for a brush. It'll help more than my fingers most likely.

"How did you know where I was? Amity isn't too close." I comb my hair through, frizz starting to show.

"Wasn't that hard. I just asked around and totally didn't hypnotize anyone." I turn to her with an eyebrow raised in suspicion. She avoids I contact and lays on the bed.

She strums a few chords, I recognize the tune. It's her Remember Me song.

"So Babypop," I sit on a spin chair at my desk, "ever used that tv?" She jabs her thumb into the direction of the bigger than my future, untouched, flat screen tv. I shake my head 'no'.

"Well you are now." Before I can stop her, she scoops up the remote from the nightstand and clicks the tv on.

The first thing that showed up was the news. Ember didn't seem to be interested and instead changed the channel to an old, comedic show.

I check the time on my new, and expensive, watch. Bought by the only person here who has money.

"I have to go to dinner downstairs." I stand up and head to the door, "Please don't make too much noise and the tv volume low. I'll see you later." I open the door waking her goodbye.

I walk the corridors eventually reaching the stairs. The godforsaken stairs.

I'll try to slide down later. Maybe with Ember.

I walk in the dining room. Vlad doesn't seem to be here. Great, I'm early. But at least I won't have to wait for food when he sits down.

I myself sit in my usual place. This is my unsaid assigned seat now. Unless Vladimir has visitors, then it'll be my room.

It doesn't take long for Vlad to walk through the arch in his familiar attire of a black and white vertically striped suit. He carries a white, thin cardboard box that is wrapped neatly in a midnight blue ribbon.

He sees me and begins talking.

"This, Daniel, is your new school uniform. That being said," he sets the box a few seats down so it doesn't disturb our dinner time as I start to sip on my glass of water, "you'll be starting school tomorrow."

Tomorrow?! I inhale my water sharply and choke a bit before holding my breath to keep my water in. I cough trying to play it off like I didn't almost die again.

"Tomorrow?" I ask, voice hoarse with my previous (almost) spit take.

"A bit early considering that you just arrived, but I felt it best the sooner you start."

Que pasa? The fuck?

I figured it out. He wants Jack and Maddie's inventions and wants me to suffer so he can get to them faster.