“Are you serious right now? Do you know who paid the electric bill last month? Me. Do you know who deposited money into your account to cover the mortgage every month for the last six months? Me. I don’t know if you’re really this clueless, or if you’re just so far in your own head that you have no idea what’s happening in real life, but without me putting all my wages into your bank account, we would have lost the house months ago. You think it’s a fun game to play with the rich folks, have at it, but don’t forget that they’re them and we’re us. Sebastian flashed his winning smile and his parents’ money at you and you’re basically handing him my virginity on a platter, even though I’ve told you over and over that he isn’t my boyfriend, that he thinks he owns me and he’s not giving me a choice.”

Mom’s lips part and for a minute I think she’s actually heard me, that she’s listening to what I’m saying, but then she scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Wow, whatever you pair are arguing about must be quite the teen lovers tiff for you to be so dramatic this early in the morning. Sebastian is smitten with you and you’re smitten with him, I was young and in love once, I recognize the look. Go to school and make up, hopefully you’ll be in a better mood when you get home later, because Miranda has invited us for dinner.”

Tears well in my eyes, but I blink them away. What use are they when my mom, the woman who’s supposed to be my biggest supporter, is so blinded by him, his family and the wealth that surrounds them? “Have a nice day,” I say quietly, grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator and a granola bar from the cupboard. “I’m going to look out for Court.”

“Have a good day, honey,” Mom calls, but I ignore her, hoisting my backpack over my shoulders, stepping outside and then sitting down on the front steps to wait for my friend.

I’m early and she won’t be here for at least ten minutes, so I pull my cell from the bottom of my backpack and call my dad. His day starts about three a.m., so I know he’ll be awake, hopefully he’ll be at the helm and not pulling in pots.

“Starling, is everything okay?” he asks immediately when he answers.

“Hey, Dad, everything’s fine, I just had a little time to spare.”

“Oh well that’s nice, darlin’, how’s school?”

I contemplate telling him about Sebastian, but decide against it when he’s a three-hour flight or a twenty-five-hour drive away. There’s nothing he can do. Hell, he might end up as taken in by him and his family as Mom and Court are, and right now I don’t think I could cope with losing him as well.

“Same old, same old. A bunch of rich kids all talking about their summer in the Hamptons or the Caribbean. Hopefully I can go to public school next year and be around normal people.” Dad knows I don’t love GAA, but he also knows it’s paid for and that it would be wasteful to attend a run-down, no-opportunity public school while my tuition to GAA is there.