Page 23 of Unpredictable

“Always. Society or not, please keep my number. If you ever need anything at all, call me. I will be here for you, and I will help you in any way I can.”

We sit in the park for a while longer, talking about many other topics, but not once do we discuss the society again.

Day 75

I gained perspective today. Not everything is always as it seems. Sometimes a picture-perfect family can be more fractured than an openly broken one.

???

Poppy Sinclair, senior, olive skin tone, crazy curly hair colored blonde, brown eyes.

I’ve known Poppy for forever. We’ve been in the same class since kindergarten, but I’ve never known her that well where she ran around with psychotic Ingram who was behind Sage’s assault. When I saw her name as a candidate, I was shocked. I would have tossed her resume away due to the association with my cousin’s psychotic niece, but for some reason, her name stuck with me. So instead, I decided to make her one of my finalists.

I’m pulled out of my musings when she walks into Mama’s House. I watch her look around before spotting me. I stand and wave.

“Hey, Poppy.” I greet her with a smile and a hug.

She hugs me back. “Hey, Victoria, how are you?”

We both slide into our own sides of the booth right when Sage comes over.

“Hey, welcome to Mama’s House. What can I get for you?” Sage asks.

Poppy gives her order without needing to look at the menu, chatting with Sage for a moment. I hadn’t realized they were friendly.

Once Sage walks off, Poppy turns to me and we have a mini stare off.

“I want this, Victoria—no, I need this,” she says with conviction.

“What is it exactly you need?”

“I need an in with the group at hand. I need a part of this life to be mine,” she tells me without hesitation.

“Why?”

“Honestly? Because soon I’m going to need their help.”

“What kind of help?” I ask, making a mental note to report back to Marnie.

“My father died three years ago. Ever since, my mother’s been holding my trust fund over my head. She can’t take money out, but she can prevent me from gaining access to it.” Poppy sighs. “Then there are the shares in our company. They are mine, but she can make most of the decisions until I turn eighteen. In all honesty, it’s a shit show. She’s blowing through money like it’s nothing. She has new men in and out of the house at all times. I love her because she’s my mother, but she’s ruining the legacy that my father built. I’m going to need the help of the society to get what’s mine. I know it, and this is my last shot in.”

“That’s a lot of pressure on you,” I murmur while watching her carefully.

“It is.” She nods. “But it’s worth it.”

“Why haven’t you slept with anyone yet? I know the crew you used to run with. What makes you sure you can go through with it? We’re talking about being very public for your first time.”

Poppy waits to respond while Sage sets down our drinks and appetizers.

Poppy takes a drink as Sage walks away before responding, “I know I can go through with it. I don’t care about it being public. Because that one time holds the keys to my future. As to why I haven’t already well… it honestly wasn’t on my radar. I’m too into school, making sure my resume is just right to get into Yale like my father did. Boys and sex? They could come later for all I care.” She shrugs. “As for the ‘crew’ I ran with, that was only another one of my mother’s tools to control me. She’s close friends with Ingram’s mom. If I stepped out of line, Ingram would spill to dear old mom, and I wouldn’t get to eat for two days.”

“That’s terrible. I had no idea.”

“No one did. That was the point. I don’t want to be under her thumb anymore.”

“Sounds like your mind is made up.” I pop a fry into my mouth while considering her.

She grabs a fry of her own and asks with an arched brow, “And what are my chances for getting what I want?”

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