I agreed to Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers' proposition. Not for myself, but I did not believed it was just to devastate the livelihood of two other people. At the Rodgers' insistence, Aunt Monica and I relocated to their mansion. It was requested that I call my new parents, Mom and Dad. I didn't feel comfortable with that out of respect for my parents, but I decided to call them Pops and Mommy M. Ian and Lillian adopted Aunt Monica, as well. The Rodgers expected them to obey her as they would their own family. When we refer to all three, we called them the guardians.
My life changed from an urban youth to jeunesse dorée instantaneously. Mommy M commandeered my educational prerequisites and my physical transformation for my high societal début. The first year, I was home schooled, matriculated by highly compensated tutors in every imaginable subject, including etiquette training to represent myself with confidence and self assurance to the crème de la crème. I even received instruction in Martial Arts and weaponry like Lillian and Ian.
Money may not can buy you love, but it sure can purchase beauty. I didn't notice the physical changes, but suddenly I was considered beautiful. The year before, I had bad skin, over processed hair, forty pounds overweight, and a chipped tooth. After several magical visits from the elves of "Pops' Money Land", my mahogany skin was flawless and glowed, my hair held a healthy sheen and coiffed into a shoulder length bob, my dental work was Hollywood worthy, and not an additional ounce hung to my petite 5'2" curvaceous frame. Manicures, pedicures and hair appointments was no longer extravagances, but part of my weekly regime. It was hard work, but I astounded myself and others with my progress. Aunt Monica was my constant companion to "keep my head out of the clouds and my feet on the ground" she says. I excelled in each challenge introduced to me as I wanted to please her and my "parents". I rarely saw Lillian and Ian at all during this time, even though we lived in the same house.
Senior year, I was academically up to par with the other students at Lockwood Preparatory Academy. Lillian was excited that I was finally attending; Ian, not so much. As previously stated, the twins were the antithesis of one another. Consequently, Ian was the popular man on campus, and Lillian was barely noticed, unless a girl wanted to get next to Ian.
On the first day of school, I literally heard the gasps of the snobbish progeny of Chicago's privileged as I stepped out the Rodgers' limousine with my sister and husband to be. Ian glared at me with disgust and walked off, but angelic Lillian softly elbowed me in the side, and muttered under her breath, 'Liv, don't let them bother you. We will protect you. Are you ready?' We! It was only she and I. Nodding my head yes, we moved toward the meddlesome assembly to start my initial escapade as an adopted Rodgers.
The invisible hand of Robert Rodgers III expanded to the administrative offices at Lakewood. Each scheduled class I went to, either Ian or Lillian was there. All my instructors were egotistical academic assholes that wanted to debase the underprivileged lowlife who dared to cross the threshold of their illustrious establishment. However, they were immediately self-reprimanded by my precise retorts and intelligential arguments. Pops made sure that I was adequately equipped to handle the class work and those arrogant stuck-up sonabitches, his word, not mine. Upon seeing that I was not an easy target, Lakewood resumed its normal bigotry, accepting me as a temporal member above the surface.
During this time, Lillian and I grew close. She shared who her secret crushes were, how to leave the mansion without being detected, and her hopes and dreams for the future. She refused to go to any party that I wouldn't go to, so I went to them all as I did not want her to miss out. She shared everything with me: her friends, shopping excursions, and late night snacks. She literally claimed me as her sister to anyone and everyone. I disclosed gossip about my old neighborhood, introduced her to the latest hip-hop videos and dances, and tutored her in Statistics. She appreciated our budding sisterhood. Lil is truly the person she portrayed, and a defender of her family and friends. I am lucky to be one of them.
To say that I was loved would be an understatement. I was part of a family again, and I had everyone's attention, except Ian, who blatantly ignored me. I didn't think he noticed me at all, until our summer pool party following our sophomore year in college. I was still relatively shy with this crowd, and I would have not came down to participate if Lil and I didn't shop for the perfect swimsuits and she made me promise. I wanted a one piece, but she hoodwinked me into buying a muted tangerine bikini set and matching high heeled strapped sandals by saying "she never asked me for anything." She was right, she didn't. She gave and gave to make sure that I was comfortable in her home and environment. The least I could do was to honor her request.
When I sneaked outside, I tried to blend into the party. I didn't want to draw anyone's attention. Lil ran to my side like a hyperactive toddler, laughing excitedly over my overall appearance. I didn't pay her exhilaration much thought, that was just normal Lillian. The DJ saw my entrance and played Nelly's track telling us to shake our tail feathers. Digging the beat, I started to dance, swaying and popping my hips to the music. You can remove the girl out of the South Side of Chicago, but you can not remove the South Side out of the girl. The DJ was hot. I just knew that all I would hear that day was hard rock and punk, but he mixed it up. Lillian joined me, awkwardly working it like I taught her how we do it cross town. I was in my element now, and we were having fun, continuing her choreography lessons.
The uncanny thing that happened, Ian's three friends, Josh, Brent and Terry stopped playing pool volleyball, stared at me hungrily, their eyes followed every swing of my hips. Their reaction shifted Ian's focus to our musical floor show. In my nervous mind, I wanted to escape, but the etiquette training actually worked. After the song ended, everyone, except one, screamed for an encore performance. Listening to Sisqo's Thong song, and watching the debutants dance offbeat to it, I smiled, posed like a 1950's pinup model and finger waved at the guys, before Lillian and I sauntered to the lounge area with our friends. As usual, Ian was mad for no apparent reason and jumped out of the pool. I thought he was going inside to cool off, but he stomped toward me.
"Olivia, can I speak with you for a moment?" he sneered under his breath.
I ignored him. I have lived here for four years and he had not been welcoming at all, civil, but definitely not friendly. Besides, I was basking in the compliments from Lillian and my friends on my bathing ensemble, my dances moves and getting teased about some of the boys' reactions. Fuck Ian.
He did the most mind-boggling thing. He whispered in my ear and ran his tongue over the tip of my earlobe. I felt my nipples hardened, which surprised me because I couldn't stand his ass.
"If you don't get your pretty ass up, and walk inside to talk to me, I'll carry you there over my shoulder."
No one noticed his inappropriate behavior, so I added my practiced smile and spoke softly to him in his ear. "You don't get to touch me yet, motherfucker. Keep your thin white boy lips to yourself," and laughed as if we shared the funniest joke.
The truth was, his lips weren't thin, but beautiful, but his arrogant ass will never know it from me. Ian walked away to discuss something with the DJ and I experienced triumph in our little discourse, and leaned back on my chaise lounge to enjoy my non-alcoholic margarita.
I was flabbergasted by his retreat, because Ian Rodgers was used to getting his way. He wasn't spoiled like most rich kids, his father wouldn't allowed that. It was one of the reasons that his corporate offices were in the Midwest, looking for a more wholesome environment for his family. Since he was 16 yrs old, Ian worked nights and interned summers with Pops, so that he will be ready to take the reins, learned the ropes, or any other quaint colloquialism for being in charge you may be familiar with. Lillian and I will be given our own division, but Ian will run it all. As a result, at 20, he already had managerial staff catering to his demands, which might explained his autocracy, maturity and conceit. Fuck him, again. I don't work for him.
For the second time, Ian became my shade on this nice warm afternoon. "I dedicated this song to you," and nodded to the DJ to commence. "Tell your friends goodbye, Olivia.", he scooped me up and tossed me over his shoulder and strutted inside.
Here I was, trying to fit in, and he was making a spectacle of me. Everybody laughed and pointed at me, just enjoying the good time at the party, especially since Josh spiked the drinks. Although party antics were common among this group, I was mortified and speechless. I believed my mouth was opened, because he told me to close it. I finally took note of the selection, the DJ, who probably was an unemployed comedian, played... Trick Daddy's Take It To Da House.
He dropped me to my feet once we were indoors, and dragged me by the arm upstairs to my bedroom suite. I didn't have anyone to scream to for help, the guardians were not at home because they wanted us to have fun, and gave us our first taste of freedom. and the staff did not interfere, as Ian was the recognized heir apparent. As he slammed the door, I went to sit on my bed. Our roles switched, now I ignored him.
