Page 40 of Daddy's Protection
“A couple of them have been here,” Iris noted. “But their little ringleader, Tanya, is brand new.”
“Maybe she just brings out the brat in others,” Lana suggested with a shrug.
Cami thought about it some more as she continued to drink her juice. “You know, I didn’t know how to act when I first got here.”
“Yeah,” Iris said, “but you didn’t treat people like garbage. You were just quiet.”
“Until you and Lana came up and included me in the game you were playing,” Cami said. “It meant the world to me. Maybe this Tonya girl just needs someone to include her.”
The theory didn’t fully hold water, Cami knew, as Tonya had a whole gaggle of friends around her. She didn’t seem lonely like Cami had felt her first day at the nursery. But she still wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Apparently, the other girls did, too, because Iris said, “You’re right. I used to dream about having Little friends. Back when life was a lot tougher than it is now. The first time I was invited here I felt so out of place! Like everyone knew I didn’t have any money and was sort of down on my luck. But once I realized no one was judging me and that everyone is welcome… well, this place started to feel like home! It became my home for a coupleof nights since I stayed here. But still… being welcomed went a long way in helping me feel accepted.”
Lana nodded. “You’re right. Inclusion iseverything. Let’s go try again.”
The trio finished their juices, got up, and left the playground. After tossing the boxes in a trashcan, they went inside and found Tonya and her group of six friends sitting in a circle in the main parlor.
“And that’s when Brad Pitt asked me out,” Tonya finished saying as she flipped her obviously bleached-blonde hair over her shoulder.
“You met Brad Pitt?” another young woman— also looking to be in her mid-twenties—asked in amazement.
“Sure did. He was eating at Dan Tana’s. It’s just down the street here. Surely you’ve been. So many celebrities hang out there. I’m a regular.”
Cami felt an intense dislike for this woman surge through her, but she tried to ignore it and remember what the girls had just agreed on.
Inclusion was everything.
Be fair. Give her a shot. Maybe you’ll make a new friend today, Cami.
“What did you tell Brad Pitt?” another Little in the group asked.
Tonya scoffed. “That I was already going out with Austin Butler. That’s what.”
The others were amazed.
Cami doubted any of this—the offer from Brad, the dates with Austin—had ever actually happened. But maybe Tonya just didn’t know how to make friends, so she felt the need to lie in order to impress.
It was common with some. Especially around Hollywood, Cami had noticed.
“Sorry to interrupt,” she said cheerfully. “But we wanted to know if you all wanted to play with us. Or maybe make Halloween decorations.”
The group just stared at her as if she were an alien with green skin.
Tonya eventually rolled her eyes and said, “I’ve heard about you. Talked to some of the other Littles around here. Aren’t you the girl who—” she chuckled— “paints windows for a living?”
The others laughed.
“Hey! That’s a good job!” Iris spoke up. “And you’re not being very nice.”
“Yeah, you would say that,” Tonya said. “You were homeless until Auntie Athena felt sorry for you and took you in.” She rolled her eyes again. “That’s right, sweetie. I asked around about you, too.” Looking at Lana, she said, “I guess you’re a little better. At least you work at a movie studio. But you’re not, like, a celebrity or anything.” After another exasperated sigh, she held up her purse. “See this handbag? I paid three thousand dollars for it. From a store in Beverly Hills that doesn’t need you or anyone else to paint their window.” She laughed and turned her nose up haughtily.
“Who the fuck pays three thousand bucks for a damn handbag?” Cami blurted out. Covering her mouth sheepishly, she said, “Oops. Please excuse my language. And don’t tell my Daddy.”
“Who pays that?” Tonya continued. “I’ll tell you who—people who aren’t gross and poor. And you three are gross and poor. Go.” She shooed them away with her hand.
Cami felt awful. But she wouldn’t cry. Not in front of those brats! She looked at Iris to see tears welling in her eyes.
Cami didn’t blame her. So life had been tough. That didn’t mean Iris was any less of a person. In fact, her experiences had given her empathy. She was one of the kindest, biggest-heartedpeople Cami knew! Shaking her head at the ugliness, Cami took Iris’s hand. “Come on, Iris. Let’s go.”
