Page 24 of River of Deceit

“It’ll be less tedious than talking to you.” Sam sniffs loudly, an expression of distaste that’s so familiar from my classmates at the elite prep school I’d gone to that I start grinning.

Yeah, she’s definitelyone of the richer kids.

“Okay. I’ll talk to you later!” I say, waving to her as I walk into my room.

“You won’t!” Sam shouts back.

What an interesting turn of events. I’ll have a constant source of entertainment in my prissy little suitemate, but she seems like the kind who would snitch if I broke the dorm rules.

Snitches get stitches, I think, then smile when I remember Papa’s affronted expression.

“Snitches getmurder,Frog. Get it right.”

I set my backpack down on my bed and glance around the room. I’ve unpacked, but it’s still missing the homey touches. I need another table where I can set up a few decorative items.

As long as I can be sure Sam won’t go running to the RA when she sees exactly what kind of decorations I want to install.

Speaking of.

I pull out my phone and dialDaddy.

It only takes a few seconds before he answers with his deep, calm voice. “Pandora. How was your first day of class?”

Of course he knows it was my first day. He probably has my schedule printed out and memorized. Out of all my parents, he’s the most organized and most detail-oriented.

He isn’t really related to me by blood, but he raised me like I was his own daughter.

“It was great. Kind of boring since it was only the intro stuff. Going over the syllabus, reminding us about their phone policies, that kind of stuff.” I sit up to pull out my tablet and access the syllabi. “Nothing weird. I think I’ll like all my classes.”

“Phone policies,” Daddy repeats. “I don’t think that existed when I would have been going to college.”

He never did go, but he’s always hesitant to talk about his life before meeting Papa.

There’s a rustling sound on the other end, and I smile because I know exactly what’s about to happen.

“Yo, Frog! You called Damien but not me? I’m hurt,” Papa sayswith faux emotion. The call quality has changed, and I know I’m on speaker now. “I should have been first on your list.”

“But if I’d called you, you would have answered even if you were busy,” I say with amusement. “That’s why the rule is to call Daddy first.”

“Of course I’d answer! You’re my favorite little tadpole!” I can’t see them, but I can already imagine Daddy’s exasperated expression.

“Okay, favorite tadpole or not, you do still have a real job last I heard.” I can’t help the grin though.

I love Daddy, and Uncle Slayer, and Mama, of course, but Papa is my favorite.

He’s the one who really gets me.

“My real job is boring, and my favorite frog is a lot more important,” Papa responds. “And… oh, Mama, you want to talk to Pandora?”

“What kind of question is that?” Mama asks. “Pandora, are you staying out of trouble?”

“Of course she isn’t,” Uncle Slayer says before I can answer. “She’s going to have enough stories to make your hair turn gray by the time the first week is over.”

Before the first day is over, apparently. Mama definitely doesn’t need to know about all that, though. She already has a hard enough time with the knowledge that I’m sexually active.

“Hi, Mama! Hi, Uncle Slayer,” I greet. “It’s been fun. I went to a party, met a few people. First day of class was boring, of course.”

“That’s why I never bothered with the first week,” Papa says. “Better to spend your days getting laid than?—”