"Dios mio. He's eating with us!" Alejandro exclaimed as I sat down with my bowl of soup. He sat at the end of the table, like he had been the man of the house since day one.

"Don't get use to it, Al." He glared at my use of his nickname. My mother sat down across from me, we sat in the two chairs next to Alejandro. Heather jabbed her spoon in the air like a sword at me while saying, "We need to talk."

"Don't we always?" I replied, raising a spoon to my lips. Heather's hair was frazzled and coming out of her ponytail. She was wearing a nightgown that seemed to match with the black of her eyes and hair. I noticed her tight grip on her silver spoon—she was not a happy camper.

Mother narrowed her eyes at me. "Yes, we do. I was hoping you would grow out of your bad habits, yet it's only getting worse. It's not fair, Duncan. I've done everything for you, but you can't behave every now and then for me." Her voice had turned from angry to tired and frustrated.

Alejandro's eyebrows furrowed, but he stayed out of the conversation overall.

"Que nunca ha sido pegado," I heard my stepfather mutter. I looked back over at my mother to see her waiting for an answer. Her hand with the spoon had lowered back down to the table.

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks. I'm not meant to be a gentleman. I belong on the streets. Of course I appreciate what you've done for me, you're my mother," my typical excuse rolled off my tongue. "I try my best-"

Heather cut me off. "No, it's more than that Duncan. You can't get off with that spiel this time. Her father is my boss. He needed a boy to accompany her when she was learning to dance. I volunteered you and I got more pay to raise you. If you scare her off and make it seem like you're a wild animal, he'll know what kind of parent I am. If I can't handle my own son, how am I going to handle the town?"

I paused, leaving my spoon in my half-full bowl. I already knew she was using me, but now she basically admitted it. "So you're saying you only need me to get a pay raise? Otherwise I'm nothing to you. Thanks, mom." I pushed myself away from the table and ignored Lady Heather's calls while going upstairs.

I woke up far earlier than I normally did, just as I hoped. My tutor would be back today from her visit to France. Eva always arrived earlier than we woke and would wait without moving in our living room, taking cup after cup of tea from Beth. She was strict and never let me go until I understood. That didn't stop me from forgetting as soon as she left.

I looked out at the pink sky, the sun would be rising soon, and that meant Hell was on her way. I tossed the lock off my window and just looked around. The town was really beautiful when know-it-all aristocrats weren't parading around in thousands of expensive layers. The sun shined off the roofs making them look red-orange. The cobblestone shined even with coats of dirt on it. I could hear birds calling instead of the click-clack of horseshoes on the road.

Just as I made that thought, I heard them: Eva's horse carriage. I carefully shut the window behind myself, leaving it open just enough for me to get in again. I ran across the roofs, enjoying the solitary sound of my shoes thudding on the roof tiles.

Once I had made my way to my destination, I peered carefully down. The girls were still there, which surprised me, but everyone had changed back into their normal street clothes. Owen was sleeping on his back, Izzy curled up on his belly as though she were a cat. Sierra was spooning with Cody, holding him close to herself, his arm lying lazily away from the pair. Geoff still didn't have his hat and he was curled up under one of the blankets I had brought for them a while ago. Katie was the same, staying safely near the wall.

For a moment, I felt bad that I had slept in a bed all night. I never realized how different our situations were. I was so spoiled. But that moment quickly passed and I quietly walked down the fire escape. Izzy opened an eye and watched me sneak down the metal stairs. There was no sneaking around Izzy.

The redhead crawled down from Owen's belly as he snored and rolled over. "Why are you here so early?" She whispered from her crouch on the ground. It was an odd sight: Izzy being calm.

"I'm not quite sure," I whispered back. I held out a hand as I told her to get off the ground. She took my hand and complied, dusting herself off.

We both stood in silence for a moment, looking at our sleeping friends. Izzy interrupted the silence. "Isn't it nice?"

I looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate. When she didn't, I asked her, "What's nice?"

She shrugged. "No one realizes where we are and how we live when we're asleep. When we're asleep, we can be the kings and queens."

Izzy's out-of-the-ordinary observation struck a chord in me.

I pointed at his head. We were probably 6 or maybe 7. He was the strangest thing I had ever seen.

At the time, I tagged along with a group of teenage boys. They didn't tell me to go away, but they didn't acknowledge me much either. The group had left to cause some ruckus and I had slept in, so I missed out on the fun. Yet, missing out on the fun that day was probably one of the best things that had happened to me. I turned to see a boy my age. He had the blue eyes and blond hair of a rich man and he was dressed up like one too. His hair looked like it had been brushed every day except today. And on top of his head, was a ratty hat that almost covered his eyes.

I pointed at his head again. "What's that?"

He walked up to me and I could see he was sad. His face was red and puffy. He smiled at me before he spoke though, "A cowboy hat. When I was in Texas, a cowboy gave me his hat."

I wrinkled my nose at it. "What's Texas?"

He sat down in front of me and crossed his legs. "It's part of 'merica. Cowboys got cows and guns and all the pretty ladies. And they're always happy because they got a great life."

I didn't react to his answer. Instead I asked another question, "Where're your parents?"

His smile fell and he grabbed his hat from his head and started playing with edge of it. He waited a long time before answering, "There was a fire last night. Nanny got me out, but not my family. They was gonna put me in a orphanage so I ran away."

I remembered seeing the smoke before I fell asleep. I never thought that someone was dying at that time. But death wasn't an odd thing for me even at that age. I just can't remember any before the boy told me about his family. "Oh."

"Where's your family?" He asked me, a grin back on his face.

I looked up at the blue sky. "Pro'ly in heaven with your parents. I dunno."

We were silent again.

"When I was in Texas, the cowboy pointed at me and my little sister and said were the luckiest kids he ever did see. He told us that we should always be happy while we're alive, just like cowboys are. And then he gave me his hat," The boy put the hat back on his head. "So I say, we're gonna stick together and not let anybody get in between the boys; no adults are gonna tell us what to do, alright? We're gonna be the kings! I, Geoff, swear upon it." He spit on his hand and eagerly held it out to me.

"Kings, huh?" I looked over at Izzy to see her biting Owen's hand in a desperate attempt to wake the fat boy up.

Courtney's P.O.V.

"Do you think your father will think I look good in this?" My tutor, Mildred O'Halloran, asked. I looked up to see her wearing a ginormous red dress with the sleeves falling off her shoulders.

"Just as much as he'll like every other dress he doesn't see you in because he's never home," I sighed, flipping a page of my book.

Mildred smacked my hand. "Put that book away, what are you, crazy?"

She glared at me with disgust.

"Men won't find you attractive if you're always reading. Let alone if you can read. How many times do I have to tell you that shows independence? Men want a woman who will be completely dependent on him. He has to handle the house and the money, and you can stay home to take care of the cooking and the cleaning and the children." She looked back into the mirror, gazing at herself.

"No, I won't do any of that. The maids and the nannies do that. I just look pretty at tea parties."

"Now you've got it!" She grinned and tossed my book into the trash.

I sighed and got up. "Alright what are we doing today, Mildred?"

She groaned as she hurried over to her basket. "Please stop with that name. I'd like it a lot better if you would call me Blaineley, or if anything, Miss O'Halloran." She held up two identical white cloths. "Tell me what the colors of these are?"

I hated this drill. When in my life would I need to know the difference between eggshell and cream? And why would that impress any of the other ladies I would need to speak to? Why was that knowledge okay, yet reading not? Ladies are smart about some subjects to make them feel better about themselves, even though what they know is of no importance.

"Eggplant and maroon." I replied, looking at her straight in her cold, blue eyes.

Mildred groaned dramatically. "What do I have to do to get you to understand how to be a lady like me? Your father chose me specifically because he knew I was the most ladylike and he wants you to grow up to be like me."

I gagged at the thought of being as self-absorbed as Mildred O'Halloran was. She glared at me, tossing the cloths onto my dresser. "Fine, we'll take a break today. Tell me about your social situations. Where did you go with your friends yesterday? You cancelled our lesson, so it better be good." She plopped down into a rocking chair and tossed a high-heeled foot over her leg.

"Just meeting some…gentleman from the party," I shrugged, sitting up on my bed. I glanced at the book in my trash.

"Did you meet with Justin? He's good-looking on the eyes and the heir to a major fashion company. Your father needs to build up in this town. You're lucky Justin decided to come to that party," Mildred babbled.

"No, I didn't meet with Justin. Actually, do you remember the boy I learned to dance with when I was 13?"

"That street rat Lady Heather picked up? Yes…You met with him? How disgusting, he still messes with the town with the other mutts." Mildred wrinkled her nose. "You should really never see him again."

"He doesn't seem disgusting," I muttered under my breath.

"Trust me, doll. Heather's son would have fun with you for one night, but Justin can give you a life of luxury. Why do you think I'm still running after your father after all these years? I need a life of luxury."

Thank you all for reading it too. Please review it with all the good things and bad things if you have a moment, I'd really appreciate it. :)