Chapter 90

Amy wasn’t at our usual spot outside the school the next morning. I panicked, wondering if she made it home last night. I shouldn't have left her by herself at the library.

But then I saw her standing with a small group of Beta girls a few yards away. I hurried over to talk to her.

“How was the rest of your evening?” I asked. “Did you find Justin?”

“He was on the second floor, doing some research in the microfiche room,” she replied.

“Why didn’t he tell you he was going upstairs?”

“He did, but I was so involved in looking for a book for his paper that I didn’t hear him tell me he was going up there.”

“Well, I’m glad everything worked out for you. And I still want to meet Justin.”

Amy looked me over. “Wow, why are you all dressed up today?”

I didn’t think I was very dressed up. My skirt, top, and sandals came from Gisele’s, but the outfit wasn’t over the top for school.

But I looked different because I had my contacts in and was wearing my hair in loose waves around my shoulders.

“Victor’s taking me to my father’s office after school again,” I explained. “So I wanted to look nice.”

“How many balls are you attending this weekend?” Amy’s grin told me she was teasing.

It was a relief to see her relax and act normal. Her behavior last night made me worry that she was mad at me for something.

“None. There’s not one ball being held this weekend,” I replied. “But Victor and I are attending an art gallery opening tonight and a party at an ambassador's home tomorrow night.”

Amy nudged me and jutted her chin at a group of Alpha girls standing a few feet away. They were staring at me with strange expressions on their faces.

When they noticed I was looking at them, one waved at me. I knew her name was Amber.

“Hey, Daisy,” she said. “I love your outfit, and your hair looks terrific.”

“Thanks,” I said. It was the first time Amber had spoken to me, and I wasn’t sure what else to say.

But she had things on her mind. “I heard you buy your clothes at Gisele’s Villa.”

I nodded. “I do. Gisele has the coolest stuff in her shop.”

“That skirt and top you’re wearing are super cute together,” Amber commented. “Are they from Gisele’s?”

I grinned. “Yeah, I kinda went on a shopping binge there last week.”

“Well, you look great,” Amber admitted. She and three of her friends moved closer to me. “I heard you’re attending the party at the ambassador’s house. I'm, like, so jealous.”

“And the art gallery opening tonight is supposed to be pretty amazing, too,” a redhead named Mia added.

“How about it,” Amber gushed. “I’d love to have your social life, Daisy.”

“And your wardrobe,” Mia chirped. “I heard all about the gown you wore at your ball. People said it was straight fire.”

They sounded sincere, and I blushed from all the compliments.

“Yeah, things are pretty great right now,” I said.

To my surprise, that statement was true. I never thought I would be enjoying the good life. But everything I’ve been learning and the new things I was experiencing were fantastic.

“And how about Victor?” Amber giggled. “I’d love to have a hottie like him escorting me everywhere in his sports car.”

“You are so lucky,” Mia agreed.

“I am lucky,” I said as the bell rang for homeroom.

It was a surprise when Amber and her friends crowded around me as I walked into the school.

They weren’t the only ones to react positively to me that day. Many Alpha kids greeted me or tried to start a conversation with me throughout the day.

And when Amy left before lunchtime for a doctor's appointment, Amber and her friends sat with me at lunch. I missed Amy, but Amber, Mia, and the other girls were treating me great. I felt like I fit in at last.

They asked a lot of questions about the balls and parties I attended. They were eager to hear about the men I danced with and the clothes I wore.

And then they asked me about Amy.

“Who’s that girl you hang around with all the time?” Mia asked. “She looks like a Beta.”

“She is a Beta, and I don’t care,” I announced and prepared myself for nasty comments.

I don’t know what they were thinking, but none of the girls said anything terrible.

“Amy and I have been best friends for a long time,” I added in a softer tone. “She’s great.”

I didn’t care what they thought about me for being best friends with a Beta. Amy means too much to me.

“I saw her at the movies last weekend with some hot guy,” Mia said. “He doesn’t go to school here.”

Wow, they didn’t say anything mean about her and knew she was dating a hot guy.

“Yeah. She has a new boyfriend.” I finished my chocolate milk. “But I haven’t met him yet.”

“Have you heard from William James lately?” Amber asked. “I know you hang around with him, and he hasn’t been to school for a while.”

I felt sad and empty when I thought about William. I missed him, and I hated not knowing when or if he would come back.

I thought about calling Mrs. James and asking about him, but I was afraid of how she would react.

The rest of the day was pretty much the same. Victor was waiting for me at the gate after school, and we went to my father's offices together.

“A lot of the Beta kids were really nice to me today,” I told him as we pulled into the underground garage. “They seemed to like me.”

He found a slot and parked.

“You can never have too many friends. You always have your best friend, but as you grow older, you can grow apart. But you’ll meet other people who will brighten your life as much.”

“You’re not much older than me,” I said slyly. “How did you get so wise?”

“I was born this way,” he said with a wink. “But I’m glad the other Alphas are beginning to accept you.”

We took the elevator upstairs, and Victor took me to the big office that would soon be mine.

He grabbed some files from the desk, and we sat on a leather couch while he explained donations and expenditures.

He opened a file and showed me something he called a balance sheet. “Since your father donates the office space with the utilities, your overhead is minimal.”

“That means more donations can go to the people who need them, right?” I said.

“Exactly,” Victor replied. He showed me another file. “This is your payroll. It’s the salaries of the people who work out front and your personal assistant.

“I have a personal assistant?”

“Yes, her name is Debbie,” Victor answered. “She is in the office to your left.”

“What does Debbie do?”

“Anything you need her to do,” Victor replied. “She’s been with the company for over ten years. She was promoted last year.”

“Who was running the foundation between my mother and now?” I asked. If Debbie worked for the company this long, it made me wonder if she would resent me.

“I know what you’re thinking, but don’t worry about it. The last administrator retired last month,” Victor assured me. “Debbie knew she never had a shot at the job, but she likes to work for the Foundation.”

Victor went over the rest of the files with me, and by the time I had to leave to get ready for the art opening, I understood a great deal about how the foundation functioned.

“You learn quickly,” Victor said. “I’ll help you until you feel confident enough to handle things yourself. You can rely on Debbie to motivate your employees and arrange events to increase donations.”

“I’m nervous about being in charge of something so important,” I told him. “But I think I can do it.”

“I know you can,” he said. “You’ll gain confidence over time.” He stood and stretched. “It’s time to get you home to prepare for this evening.”

I sprang to my feet. “I can’t wait to see the paintings. The artist’s website makes them look fantastic. And her bio says she also had a rough start in her life. It’s nice to see her succeed now.”

Victor took my arm on our way to the elevators. “Life has a way of correcting its mistakes.”

“Thank the Goddess,” I said with a grin.

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