Headmaster Ervin hadn't changed, not that I was expecting him to. He'd looked exactly the same for the entirety of my four years at Carthowa. But, considering that my best case scenario involved my working as his assistant for the foreseeable future, I dared to hope he'd somehow evolved.

I wasn't so lucky; Dr. Ervin's watery, puffy eyes inspected me from beneath white brows, bushy enough to pass for some sort of rodent. Hunched back in my chair to avoid eye contact, I remained nestled in my Trench Coat, despite Evrin's imploring me to remove it.

"Well, Jean, I can't deny that your test scores give you a lead..." Ervin admitted, scowling at the screen built into his desk, displaying the ranks of Carthowa's class of 2500. "Your brother couldn't have hoped to score as high in academics. Nice boy, though. How is Donald?"

Of course. Because why would he want to talk about me during my interview? "He's doing well, Sir. He recently got engaged."

"Oh, did he?" The headmaster picked up his glass of amber liquid. "A toast to the boy and very lucky girl. May Donald have the best. He deserves an obedient wife—needs one. If that boy had one flaw it was that he was soft. He won't be able to control a very headstrong girl."

"I think his fiancée will be just fine," I mumbled, deciding that perhaps Ervin was right about one thing; while his choice of wife shouldn't be effected, Donald was softer than the standard Trujohnese male. I loved my brother all the more for it.

"Onto your interview," the headmaster continued. "Do you recall what I said when I first met you your freshman year?"

I thought back for a moment. With ease I remembered our first meeting precisely: I'd darted into Ervin's office to fetch a file for my Calculus Three teacher. I was getting used to my unofficial four year internship as errand-girl for all my professors, an unwanted job shared by all the Learned Females. This was to be expected of course; since our education was a joke our missing large periods of class was of little consequence. "You said 'you must be my new assistant. Refill my scotch and find me a new belt somewhere before I withhold your pay this week.'"

"Exactly. Wouldn't be surprised if that was word for word!" He scratched his mustache. "And who would have guessed that you'd one day be applying for that exact position."

"Practically prophetic, headmaster," I said.

"Indeed," Ervin agreed. "But why exactly do you want to be my assistant?"

"To repay my family and cease burdening them." If I hadn't taken the Mark, I'd already be married and would no longer be Dad's responsibility. It wasn't fair that I continued to mooch off his gracious hospitality.

"Uh huh. Why do you think you're worth me hiring you? And what tasks can you accomplish for me if I gave you this job?" He raised a bushy eyebrow. "What sort of orders are you willing to fulfill?"

I swallowed. "Well, I have a very good memory, which means I can efficiently keep things organized and fetch things for you. I'm determined to do a good job. I'm punctual and..."

Doctor Ervin had begun twirling the electronic-cigarettes on his desk, clearly not paying any attention.

Then make him pay attention, Andi urged.

I could practically hear Elaine's voice in my head. You want this job, don't you? Then play the damn game and get it.

Fine. Time to play.

Biting my tongue, I slipped out of my trench coat, letting the fabric slide off my shoulders, revealing only the black tank-top I wore underneath; I hadn't been expecting to remove the coat.

Ervin's watery eyes drifted back towards me, lazy and hardly focused. Better. But...

I pulled a thin tube of clear chapstick from my pocket. After applying a light coating and rubbing my lips together I replaced the cap. I moved to return the tube to my pocket, but it slipped from my grasp, skittering across the floor.

"Excuse me." In a flash I stood, turned my back on the headmaster and bent at the waist. I stood so sharply the hair I had scarcely managed to tame decided to tumble defiantly in a wavy heap down my back.

I smiled apologetically as I sidled back into the metal stool before the desk, studying the wooden grain in an effort to conceal my smirk. While I wasn't proud of the method, and had a profound urge to flee the room, I had managed to fully recapture the old man's attention. A half-smile contorted his wrinkled face as his eyes roved over me.

My avoiding eye contact became less because of the formality and more to avoid squirming in my seat.

Elaine was right; if I wanted something, I'd play the game and get it. Even if that meant enduring Ervin's leers. Better that then being invisible at home, excluding the moments when Dad noticed me, only for me to immediately repulse him with my presence.

"Where were we?" I chirped, voice light and sunny, as if I could not conceive of a person I'd rather converse with.

Hardly this cheerful with my favorite people.

"Yes, yes." Ervin licked his hairy lip. "And what bra size would you say you are?"

"Headmaster?" I spluttered.

"Standard questioning, dolly." He waved me off with his hand. "I usually only consider male assistants so I know the work will be taken care off. If I'm looking into a girl she might as well let me know what exactly I'm looking at."

Play the game, Jeanie, Elaine's voice warned.

Relax, Ross said. It's just standard questioning. You needn't be surprised.

I took a deep breath, letting a coy smile play across my lips and just barely raising my eyebrows. "Doctor Ervin, I'm sure you would agree that nothing so subjective as appearance can be summed up by a single number. After all, I am more than adequate in a multitude of areas." I came no where near to answering his questions, darting around it like it was an open flame. Playing with fire, I dared not glance up to see if my feeble reply was met with any success.

Thankfully, Ervin seemed to be satisfied with my haphazard response. "I suppose you have a point, girl. I trust you'll do anything asked of you, should I choose to employ you?"

I swallowed. "Sir, I promise you won't regret hiring me."

The headmaster snorted, taking a deep sip of whatever alcoholic beverage he was currently guzzling. "If I take a chance on you, you better damn well hope I don't. If I choose to hire you, you'll hear from me in a week or so, and in two weeks exactly, you'll start the job. I'll be supervising an invitational summer class with only the top students of your class and the class of twenty-five-hundred-one."

So, Summa Cum Laude doesn't qualify as a top student? I bit my tongue to resist asking why I hadn't been invited to this prestigious class, but it wasn't as if I didn't know the answer.

You might have out-tested every single one of those supposed top students, Andi consoled, but, you're still a girl.

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Dad must have somehow expected I'd have moved into Carthowa directly after the interview. When I turned up on his doorstep after another stressful walk from the Tram, he'd demanded an explanation.

I'd tried to tell him that I wouldn't hear back from Ervin for at least a week, but his anger didn't ebb. He wanted me gone.

"Every time I see your face I think only that I'm defying the Father by not turning you in," he'd declared. "You bring shame upon me and are a constant reminder that I have failed Trujohn out of idiotic mercy on you. Mercy you don't deserve! I have half a mind to report you to the nearest Patri member, but after—" His tirade broke of suddenly. "Enough shame has befallen this family already that I have no desire to make public your transgressions."

I knew he wouldn't turn me in. It wasn't as though Dad hadn't known about Elaine's promiscuity, yet he hadn't denounced her. Still, he was far harsher with me. Whether it was because he'd given up on Elaine, hadn't expected it from me, or my taking the Mark had already sealed his contempt, after just two days back at the house, Donald invited me to stay at his new apartment.

Don's living quarters were hardly lavish: one bedroom, a single bathroom and a tiny kitchenette. I was required to reside on the arm chair that served as the entire living room. But at least with Donald, I was free from Dad's reproach.

Instead I needed to make do with Nikki's frequent and incredibly awkward presence.

Any groom-to-be took ownership of his own home just before his wedding, in part because the bride was no longer considered a central member of her family and, apparently, to increase the odds of quickly conceiving a child. I had no idea if there was any data supporting such a theory, though Mally had certainly found herself with-child very soon after her wedding.

Until then, Nikki was allowed to visit, though always with supervision. It was extremely unnecessary. Nikki wouldn't even let Donald kiss her until their wedding.

Though demure, she was a nice girl. I didn't necessarily see what it was she found attractive in Don, but he was clearly enamored with her and she didn't get much say in the matter.

"Jeanie?" she asked over our lunch of Waverun oven meatloaf. "Donald and I were wondering if you'd be willing to be our maid of honor?"

I blinked. The wedding was in less than a week. "No one from your family is doing it?"

Nikki smiled, letting a good-humored puff of air through her pointed nose. "My parents got lucky—I'm their only daughter."

My head swiveled to Don, avidly instatexting with Micheal. "Dad won't be happy."

"That's the idea," he chortled.

"If I get the Carthowa job I might not be there..."

"Come on, Jeanie." Don snorted. "It's been like a week. Don't you think you would have heard something by now? But, if by some miracle, Ervin wants you, I can ask Mally. Micheal told me she's interested, but I don't really need to further inflate her ego."

"Two daughters?" Nikki's dad, George Wilbur glanced up from his tablet. "My sympathy to your father." He always accompanied Nikki's visits with Donald, and thankfully, didn't say much. He simply read reports from the Patrione, often snorting whenever Don or I opened our mouths.

Three daughters. Donald and I locked eyes but didn't correct Mr.Wilbur. Elaine had been Blacked-Out. She ceased to exist as anything but a living memory, and a black mark staining the reputation of our family.

Donald swallowed. "Unless, of course, you have a different maid of honor in mind, Mister Wilbur, Sir."

"No, not at all," he chortled. "Why not make something as purely economical as a wedding into a family affair and let your Marked sister stand next to my daughter. She's already living with you, so why not. I'd expect nothing else from you, boy."

Mr.Wilbur resented Donald for being soft. The very quality I loved best in my brother had nearly lost him his fiancée. Lucky for Don, Mr. Wilbur's desperation to pawn off Nikki out weighed his disregard for Donald.

"I'm sorry, Sir." Don studied the table, refusing to meet Mr.Wilbur's harsh gaze.

"Whatever." He got to his feet. "Let's go, Nikki. I bet your mother hasn't even started dinner yet."

"Yes, Sir." Nikki scrambled out of her chair. She paused until Mr.Wilbur turned to snatch himself a beer for the road, then grabbed hold of Donald's hand. "See you later, Peter." She squeezed his hand once before hurrying after her father, Trench Coat trailing after her.

I waited until they'd shut the door behind them before raising an eyebrow. "Peter?"

Donald kept his eyes on the door a moment longer. "That guy's a jackass. Not gonna lie, he scares the shit out of me. And, yeah. I asked Nikki to call me Peter in private."

"And why would you do that?"

"'Cause I'm not a fan of my name. Mom wanted to call me Peter, but Dad got his way," he explained. "But, I don't know. I moved out. I'm getting married. I don't need to be Donald Bennett anymore. Besides, even though Dad got final say, Mom used to call me Peter when we were alone. She hasn't for awhile, so now Nikki does. I know it's stupid."

"Yeah," I agreed, laughing. "But I guess it's sort of sweet."

"Thanks, Jeanie."

"No problem, Peter." I smiled. "Damn, that'll take some getting used to."

"For me too," he agreed. "You don't need to use it if you don't want to. But I like it. It's different. Felt right. Who says you need to keep the name your given? Why can't you pick who you want to be?" He paused. "Speaking of Dad, I should tell you, he lost his job a few days ago. I've been working overtime, but..."

My stomach clenched. "What? Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner?"

Donald... or, Peter... shrugged. "You were freaking out about Ervin not calling. Didn't want to stress you even more."

"Why'd they fire him?"

He scoffed. "Didn't you hear? The Bennetts are a family of criminals and radicals. Hardly anyone wants that working for them."

Dad had worked with that company since before I was born... if he got fired, what chance did I have of ever finding work? But with Dad out of a job, who was providing for John? Don couldn't hope to support our family, plus a wife and soon children of his own. Unless Dad found a new job in a matter of weeks, it all came down to me. I needed that Carthowa job. It wasn't just about freedom anymore.

((Hey! Sorry it's been forever. Probably will be a long time before the next update because my little free time has been going to Crown of Thorns lately. I've got a bit of writers block with 2500.
Sorry for the numerous typos in this one. Trying to proof read, but haven't had time for a good edit. Consider it unedited for now, but I wanted to get out a bit more content in hopes of busting through this block.

Anyway, Peter? What do you think?

Steven Bennett out of a job? With a wedding in about a week?

Thanks for reading!

Dedications

DanGarrett : I'm trying to think of a new reason for dedicating this to you, but I've got nothing original. You deserve it and I'm forever inspired by you.