Page 55 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 11

Wednesday

My mom straightened the collar on my blazer. “You look beautiful, Scarlett. Your new uniform fits perfectly.”

“Thanks, Mom.” But it wasn’t just the new uniform that had me standing a little taller.

My mom had finally convinced my dad to let me get contacts.

It was the first day I was wearing them and they were just as amazing as I’d always imagined.

Well, my eyes felt a little dry every time I blinked, but that was beside the point.

What mattered was that this was the first time I’d be walking into Empire High glasses-less. And with a short skirt like the other girls. But I had a feeling that if my dad saw me this morning, he wouldn’t be so happy or encouraging like my mom.

I peered up the staircase. “Is Liam ready to go? I don’t want to be late.

” I didn’t have Mr. Hill first period this year, but I had a feeling he’d still be able to tell whenever I did anything wrong.

The last thing I needed was for him to hate me any more than he already did.

And if I could get out of the house before my dad saw me, even better.

“Liam!” my mom called. “It’s time to go!”

My little brother came down the stairs, his hair still a little messy from just rolling out of bed. I wasn’t sure what his secret was, but he didn’t look nervous. I always got jitters on the first day of school. And the night before. I’d barely slept at all.

Liam looked at me and laughed.

“What?” I touched the side of my face. Had I only put eyeliner on one eye or something? One time last year I’d stayed up late studying and had done exactly that in the morning. I thought I’d never live it down.

“Dad’s going to be so pissed,” Liam said with a laugh.

Oh. He was referring to the contacts and skirt. And probably the makeup too. “Which is why we need to go. Now.” I grabbed Liam’s arm to try to pull him toward the door.

“Not so fast,” my mom said. “I need a first-day-of-school picture.”

“Mom…”

“It’s tradition. It’s your senior year, Scarlett. We can’t break the streak now.”

I sighed and stood next to Liam, forcing a smile onto my face. God, my dad would be down here any minute and I needed to get the hell out of here.

“One more,” my mom said. “I can’t believe it’s your last year at Empire High.” She gave me a big hug. “And Liam.” She turned to my little brother. “Your first year. Are you nervous?”

Liam shrugged. “Nah.”

“That’s the spirit, I guess,” she said with a laugh.

“Great, can we go now?” I asked.

“Yup,” my dad said as he grabbed his keys off the hook.

Crap.

“I’m taking you today.” He turned to me and his smile faltered.

“That’s really not necessary,” I said.

My dad just stared at me. “What are you wearing?”

“The uniform.” I tried to laugh it off, like he was being ridiculous, but my laughter died in my throat as his eyes narrowed.

“She grew another inch so we had to get a new one,” my mom said with a smile and a wink at me.

“Then why is her skirt six inches shorter?” he asked.

“Is it?” my mom said. “I don’t think so. You’re probably imagining it.” She patted his chest and then turned back to us. “Time to go, kids. How about you two race to the car?”

“I don’t think so,” my dad said. “Go change, pumpkin. Now.”

“Dad! We’re going to be late.”

“Go put on your old uniform now. And wipe that makeup off your face while you’re at it.”

Liam started laughing.

“James, be reasonable,” my mom said and grabbed his arm, pulling him into the kitchen.

I couldn’t make out their heated whispers, but I knew the gist. My mom wanted me to be allowed to wear whatever I wanted. She knew how hard it had been for me when I was literally the only girl at school who didn’t break the dress code. And my dad wanted me to dress like a nun.

“Told you,” Liam said.

“Shut up.” I lightly shoved his shoulder.

“Why do you even want to look like everyone else?” he asked. It was a serious question. And I didn’t understand how he could possibly mean for it to not sound sarcastic.

“I don’t want to look like everyone else. I just want to look like I’m not living in a convent.”

“You don’t look like you’re living in a convent, Scar. And I’m sure plenty of the girls at Empire High wear dress code length skirts. Just change. You’re gonna give Dad a heart attack.”

“How would you know what the other girls wear? It’s your first day. And honestly, most of them wear skirts shorter than this. They barely cover their asses.”

“Really?” His eyebrow quirked up.

“Perv.” I tried to ignore him so I could eavesdrop on my parents. I hoped my mom would win this one. I had a whole plan for today and this new skirt was a huge part of it.

“Why didn’t you just bring the shorter one to change into? Like how you bring a second dress to every party you go to?”

“How do you even know that?”

He shrugged.

I looked up at him. Over the past year he’d gotten taller than me. And he would probably blend into a high school party just fine. But I didn’t love the idea that he was at the same ones I was. “Honestly, that’s a pretty good idea. Maybe I should go change and just…”

“Okay,” my dad said and came back into the foyer. “You and your mom win this time. But just for the record, I think you look beautiful in glasses, pumpkin.” He pulled me into his side and kissed the top of my head. “And in appropriate length skirts.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”

“And your mom also informed me that you used to roll up your old one anyway, so that this was an argument I couldn’t possibly win.”

I felt my face start to redden.

“But let me make myself very clear. If I see that one rolled, you’ll be grounded,” he said and released me from his hug. “For a month.”

I wasn’t planning on rolling it up. But even if I did…

it would be at school. So it wasn’t like he was going to see it.

Although I didn’t trust Liam to not rat me out.

He’d probably just told me about knowing I brought a change of clothes to parties to hang over my head as leverage.

I just had no idea what he wanted yet. I’d liked him better when he was shorter than me.

“Come on,” my dad said. “You don’t want to be late for your first day.”

I looked over at Liam, who somehow in the last few minutes had gotten tired of his blazer.

It was tossed over his shoulder and his dress shirt underneath had the sleeves rolled up halfway on his forearms. He was literally not wearing any of the uniform correctly.

Why the heck wasn’t my dad threatening him with being grounded?

Liam could do whatever he wanted. And I’d been forced to wear thick glasses and frumpy clothes for the last 17 years because my dad was trying to ruin my life.

But none of that mattered now, because today was my fresh start.

“Have a good day,” my mom said with a wave.

“Thank you,” I mouthed silently at her. I followed my dad and brother into the elevator and down to the parking garage. I had no idea why my dad wanted to drive us. He was a professor at a university across town and I was pretty sure he had an 8 a.m. this semester.

My phone vibrated as I climbed into the back seat of my dad’s car. It was a text from my best friend and cousin, Sophie: “How did Operation Too Hot to Handle go? Did you escape?”

I quickly typed back. “The first phase of Operation THTH was a go. My dad actually conceded. I got to wear the skirt.”

“Score! Contacts and a skirt that’s above your knees? This is your year, Scar.”

I smiled down at my phone. This was definitely going to be my year.

Another message came through. “Especially if a certain someone finally notices.”

I looked out the window and exhaled slowly.

Axel Stevens. I’d been in love with him for as long as I could remember.

And for the first time in years, he was actually single.

It wasn’t just going to be my year. It was going to be our year.

I could feel it. I just needed to get out of the friend zone first. And fast, because Axel was never single for very long.

It felt like today was my first and only chance to make him look at me like more than a friend.

Just thinking about him turned my stomach into a pit of nerves. And my heart was beating so quickly that I could feel it in my throat. Please let this plan work.

My phone buzzed again. “Ready for phase two of Operation THTH?”

I took a deep breath. This was my one and only chance. And it was going to work. It had to. “I was born ready.”

“Atta girl, Scar. We actually just pulled up to school. See you in a few!”

“Wait, who was driving?” Sophie always drove herself to school so she could flee whenever she wanted. “Don’t tell me Uncle Rob insisted on driving you like my dad did?”

“What? No. RJ wanted to drive.”

“He doesn’t even have his driver’s permit.” And he’s only 14!

“So? I was watching him.”

“You were texting me.”

“We made it here alive didn’t we? I’m a great teacher. Just like I’m going to teach you how to win over Axel. See you soon!”

There was so much wrong with what she’d just said.

If I let Liam drive, my dad would literally kill me.

He wouldn’t just ground me for life. I’d be dead in a ditch.

But there was one point that she was right on.

Sophie was a much better flirt than I was.

I was pretty sure she’d only ever been turned down by one guy.

I could use all the help I could get when it came to Axel.

But I really should tell her to not let RJ drive her to school…

“I have a surprise for you guys,” my dad said.

“Is the surprise that you’re going to drop us off from school a block away so no one sees you?” Liam asked.

My dad laughed. “No.”

“So…is that a no you won’t do that? Or…”

“It’s a no I won’t do that and a no that’s not the surprise. Am I really that embarrassing?”

I looked up from my phone. Reprimanding Sophie before she helped me with Axel wasn’t the best idea. “It depends on the day.”

He smiled at me in the rearview mirror. “I let you wear the skirt, didn’t I?”

“Only because mom and I teamed up. And have you even looked at what Liam’s wearing this morning? He looks like such a slut.”

Liam laughed. “Sick burn. What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

“It’s all wrong. Your forearms are showing. And your tie isn’t even straight.”

He looked down and tried to straighten it. He gave up and looked back at Dad. “So what’s the actual surprise?”

“It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you,” my dad said, ignoring what I’d told him about Liam’s uniform.

Typical. Just because Liam was a boy, he could get away with murder. If Liam’s vision was as bad as mine, my dad definitely would have let him wear contacts. Hell, my dad wore contacts. It wasn’t fair.

“You’re really not going to tell us?” Liam asked.

My dad turned into the parking lot of Empire High and pulled into a spot.

“Don’t park the car,” Liam said, forgetting he was trying to figure out my dad’s surprise.

“Seriously, are you two really embarrassed by me?” my dad asked.

“I’m not,” Liam said. “I’m just looking out for Scar. She has a very fragile social status.”

“I do not,” I said. By association, I was actually popular. My three best friends, Sophie, Axel, and Jacob practically ruled the school. And I…was friends with them. So, yeah.

“She needed to change her whole appearance to fit in,” Liam said in a whispery voice but not at a whispery volume. “Clearly her status is on the fritz. And having a little brother at the school that is way cooler than her is going to drive her nuts.”

“Twerp,” I said and lightly hit the back of his head.

He laughed. “See you in there,” Liam said, opened the door, and climbed out without a care in the world. It was his first day at Empire High. I kind of thought he’d ask me where his first class was. And let me take him under my wing. But instead he just slammed the door closed.

I decided to wait a minute before following him. I’d suddenly decided I didn’t want anyone to know I was related to the little menace. Take him under my wing my ass.

“Scarlett?” my dad said from the front seat.

I looked up at him.

“Don’t let him get under your skin. But he’s right about one thing. Despite what you think, you don’t need different clothes, or contacts, or more makeup. You’re beautiful just the way you are.”

If only Axel thought so. “Thanks, Dad.”

“You should get going,” he said. “You don’t want to be late. And neither do I.”

I pulled my backpack over my shoulder and glanced out the window. So much for avoiding Liam. He was standing with Sophie and RJ laughing about something. Or at something. Probably me. “Have a good day,” I said to my dad.

“You too, pumpkin. See you in a bit.”

I climbed out of the car and joined them on the steps leading up to Empire High.

“Hey, Scar,” RJ said as I joined them.

“Hey, RJ.” I gave my little cousin a quick hug. It was so weird having Liam and RJ here.

Sophie ignored her little brother. “You look amazing, Scar. Ready for phase two of Operation THTH?” She put her arm through mine, linking us together, which automatically gave me more confidence.

“What’s Operation THTH?” Liam asked.

“Something for adults,” she said. She reached up and patted him on the top of his head, not realizing the irony of the fact that she had to reach up to do it.

Liam pushed her hand away.

“Now scram,” Sophie said. “We’re on a mission. But find us at lunch if you need a place to sit.”

Yes, our little brothers were annoying, but it was hard not to look out for them. They had no idea what they were walking into.

“Yeah, definitely not going to do that,” RJ said. “Later.” He and Liam walked up the steps and into the school as if they owned the place.

“Axel’s already inside,” Sophie said. “Let’s do this thing.”