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CHAPTER ONE
TEMPERANCE
Ihatedschool uniforms.
Hated them.
Part of me—okay, most of me—always knew I would. It basically stripped anything that made someone an individual. Their personal sense of style. The little ways they could change their clothes to be unique to them.
They weren’t even cute.
Their idea ofoptionsconsisted of allowing the students to pick whatever colors of the same horrible clothing they wanted to wear. Boys’ pants were either black, navy, or khaki. Girls’ knee-length skirts were either black, navy, or black and navy plaid. The boys long or short-sleeved button-up shirts could be black or white, while the girls were stuck with only white.
The girls had to wear knee-high socks or full-leg stockings that were either black or white. The boys had the option to wear ties, but it wasn’t required, and they could also wear those vests that go under suit jackets as long as it was black. Again, optional.
Basically, the boys could come looking slick as hell in a three-piece suit while the girls were in shapeless, baggy uniforms. Staring in the mirror, I realized I had never hated clothing more. Once I’d seen the boys’ uniforms when moving into the dorms, I contacted the office and pleaded with them to let me wear the boys’ uniform.
Ilovedsuits! I could totally rock coming to class in some black pants and boots, black long-sleeve button-up, black tie, and one of those black vests. On girls, they hug the curves and accentuate the chest. I might be straight, but I couldn’t deny how good women looked while wearing them. It wassexy.
However, my hopes were dashed. More like destroyed. They’d refused.
Assholes.
Staring in the mirror, I couldn’t help but sigh. The skirt hung off my hips straight down. There was absolutely no shape to it at all. The shirt was my size—I’d double checked—but it still looked two sizes too big. There was no curve in the sides either, so it looked oversizedandboxy. And since it was a girl’s shirt, it was missing the two top buttons and left no option to wear a tie. Not that I even knew if I was allowed, but they also didn’t say Icouldn’twear them either.
I groaned as I put on my hideous, clunky black shoes. I’d never in my life felt less comfortable in my own skin, which was hard to do because I was a pretty confident person. It took a lot to shake that.
“I look ridiculous,” I said as I took in the image in the full-length mirror.
The only thing that saved it was that my long hair was straightened and down, and my makeup was my typical go-to smoky eye. I saw no rules in the book about not allowing smoky eyeshadow. It only said it was to look professional and well done.
My makeup skills were pretty epic, so it was blended perfectly. Well done? Check. And I’d seen professionals wear smoky eyes plenty times. Professional? Check, check.
I neededsomethingto make me feel like an individual.
After grabbing my backpack, I headed out of my dorm room and locked up. Living alone was weird. I was alone but also not, because the dorms had so many students in them. Rick had paid for me to have a private room, and I couldn’t be happier. Last thing I needed was to be stuck rooming with another version of my half-sister, Harper.
No thanks.
As I made my way down the dorm hallway, I heard laughing behind me. I turned to see Harper walking toward me, not even attempting to hold back her amusement. My eyes ignored that and went to settle on the fact that she looked gorgeous. Her uniform fit perfectly and accentuated everything she had.
Her white, short-sleeved shirt fit snuggly around her breasts without the buttons puckering. The sides curved in to show off her hourglass waist. The black and navy plaid skirt was several inches shorter than mine and seemed to hug her hips and flare out in a way that accentuated the way her thighs tapered down. If someone were to draw out the stereotypical “perfect” female form—it would be exactly what I saw approaching me now.
Why the hell did mine look so bad?
“Holy…shit. I thought you looked horrible before, but this?” She motioned up and down my body and laughed again. “This is perfect. I love this more than words can say. You look fucking awful. I can’t wait to see what happens when you walk into the cafeteria for breakfast looking like that.”
“Wow. Thanks, Sis,” I said sarcastically. “I’m sorry you’ll have to miss that show. I’m skipping breakfast. I need to find my locker and shit. Also, how the hell does your uniform look so good?”
All amusement fell from her face. “Call me that again around here, and we’re going to have even more problems than we already do. I don’t give two fucks that people knowing you’re Rick Avery’s long-lost daughter could get your life subscription canceled. The only thing I care about is you fucking things up around here for me. You’re lucky we’re alone. Call me that shit again, and you’ll wish you’d died in that church with your hillbilly fuck parents.”
My left brow raised. Rage seared through me, but I kept control. I wasn’t about to let her get the best of me. “You make itsoeasy to love you, though.”
Her eyes narrowed, her nostrils flaring as her jaw flexed. “Watch it,princess. You don’t have Daddy to save you anymore. This is Crestview.” A dark smile spread across her lips. “You’re onmyturf now.”
“Turf?People still say that?” I asked. I knew I shouldn’t antagonize her, but she really pissed me off with the comment about my dead adoptive parents.
“Jesus hell, you’re infuriating,” she said before stomping around me. “Stay out of my way.”
