"Well, well, well, I must say you and Paisely make a very cute couple."

"What do you want? I was hoping you weren't here because you fell off your yacht - and straight to Hell."

"Oh, Chris," Erika sighed pleasantly. "I vacation there."

Mr. Fitzgerald had taken a break on the continuous auction and everyone had immediately sprung out of their seats, either trying to bribe auction winners into giving away their prizes, or catching up on the gossip they'd missed.

Erika Felix had come strutting out from one of the intricate wooden french doors leading out to the outdoor fountain - and as usual, the Queen was the most beautiful girl there. Her hazel eyes glowed thanks to the light mascara and eyeliner, lush pink lips and auburn beach waves bordering her face. Not to mention the gigantic 55 million dollar 637 carat Incomparable diamond necklace adorning her chest, a Kay Unger lace white gown to match.  

Her appearance was perfect for a lioness about to go in on her prey - who just so happened to be Chris Edwards; dressed in a white Burberry suit, red hair slicked back, and grabbing a plate of cheesecake from the refreshments table.

"I am so happy we're back to hating each other," Erika said sweetly all the while keeping an eye on the Felix men across the ballroom. If Matthew saw her, he'd have her hanging off the edge of his million dollar crystal clear yacht.  "It was awfully boring when you were brainless and horny."

Studying her meticulously, Chris tried to bypass her but Erika did not move, blocking his way into the opulent crowds. "Not so fast, Edwards," She cooed, pulling out the small - but deadly - USB drive from her white Balenciaga clutch, pressing it into Chris' chest. "I know your birthday isn't until December but I thought I'd give you a nice gift."

Chris only looked at her, obviously trying to figure out what she was pulling.

"Take it," Erika insisted. "You're going to love it. I promise."

Glaring at her, Chris caught the USB just as it was about to clatter to the floor, staring at it in puzzlement. "What is this?"

"I was hoping you'd ask," Erika grinned. "Usually I'd tell you to wait until the big B-day but I'll give you a hint," Then leaning into him so no once could hear, "Its your infidelity on video."

The plan was complete. She and Veronica had teamed up to run Chris Edwards to the ground. So Veronica Conrad had used her vindictive streak to seduce the arrogant Lacrosse player - and just so happened to be filming it too.Veronica had stayed true to her part in the plan, sleeping with Chris - her face was blurred on the video, of course -  in return for access back into Erika's kingdom.  It was the perfect way to show Paisely how fake the 'great thing' she and Chris had going was.

Plus, Erika just hated to fall second to.....Chris. It was like Selena Gomez falling second to Hailey Baldwin or gingham patterns losing to  plaid. Then there was the other reason that maybe -  Erika rolled her eyes to herself, realizing there was no point in denying her feelings anymore.

She liked Paisely and although she'd probably never get the balls to do something about it, it still bothered the hell out of her to watch the girl with Chris of all people. She also just hated the guy's guts.

"You can keep it," Erika shrugged, taking her distance again. "I've made copies."

Erika had expected Chris to mirror a look of horror - the priceless expression of a model having a nip slip at fashion week - but the boy only smirked, slipping the USB into the chest pocket of his suit. "Sweetheart, I think you're confused."

Erika raised an eyebrow because she hadn't been expecting that response. He was supposed to be on his knees, begging her not to ruin his life. Despite being a Legacy, Headmaster Vanderbit would definitely not be able to give Chris slack for a sex tape - it was a miracle she and Paisely had been laid off for the Huffington hacking.

"You've forgotten who you're dealing with," He chuckled, taking a bite out of his cheesecake. "You see, I have a present for you too, a surprise you could say."

"Really?" Erika leered, not liking one bit where this seemed to be going.

Handing his plate to a passing waiter, Chris leaned towards her then, so close that his breath was on her ear. Erika resisted the urge to step back. "You may act like this superior goddess," He played with a curly lock of auburn hair. "But I know your secret."

Erika locked up, freezing in place. For the first time, she was baffled - even more stunned than Paisely's outrageous outburst in the bathroom.

"I know why you don't give any guy a chance," He whispered in her ear. "You don't play for that team, do you?"

Then just like that, Chris had taken a step back, smugness oozing off of his satisfied expression. Erika stared at him, not even trying to glower. Her dirty little secret, the one she hadn't been so accepting of herself, was now in the hands of Chris Edwards; the boy who hated her guts.

"So do you want to post that video now?" He smirked.

Erika tried to find her voice, realizing that she was speechless. Chris Edwards, of all people, had rendered her speechless. 'You are Erika Felix,' She chided herself. 'If you can get out of a shoplifter identity, you can get out of anything. Plus, defeat doesn't suit you.' With that in mind, Erika was finally able to return Chris' smug smirk with one of her own.

"Awww, were you trying to blackmail me?" Erika gushed. "Cute."

Chris only shook his head, smiling knowingly and looking up at one of the angels hanging directly over them.

"Thank you for amusing me, Chris, but I have business to attend to," She said in the tone she just loved to use. "With your girlfriend." Erika moved to walk past him but Chris swung her back around to face him.

"If you even think about showing anyone that video, I'll just tell everyone whats really up with Erika Felix."

Erika regarded the boy's anger with a batting of the eyelashes, shrugging. "It seems you're confused Edwards," Then she pecked him on the cheek, not even caring that she had just made contact with the boy. She was winning after all. "I'm the real bitch around here."

Then she moved out of his grip, sauntering through the sumptuous crowd, making her way to Paisely Mont Vernon. The girl was dressed beautifully in a floral long-sleeved ERDEM valentina gown, blonde hair calculated loops on her head, accented by Ana Khouri earrings. She was actually listening intently to two celebrity hair stylists although it was obvious the girl was lost.

Erika simply walked by, slipping the second copy of the USB drive on to the girl's plate.

                                                                        ⓇⒾⒸⒽⓀⒾⒹⓈ

Damon figured it was official; a sword was no longer hanging over his head. Juvenile Hall - a.k.a peasant integration - was not in his future. Mr. Carter was sold on a position for Damon at Princeton and Matthew Felix couldn't stop praising him. All was finally well in Damon's world - or so he thought.

All his relieved thoughts were obliterated when Mr. Carter paused their conversation to have a word with Bill Clinton, his evil sister appearing out of nowhere as if she were some gremlin with super powers.

"Didn't Dad tell you not be here?" He groaned, wondering where the ruthless Matthew Felix was at that moment so Erika could get another nail added to her coffin. Mr. Felix hadn't been particularly pleased with the news that his daughter was not only a shoplifter but a hacker accomplice too.

Damon couldn't help but think the tables were turning. Erika, who had once been on top, was falling painfully down to the bottom and everything he wanted was finally falling back into place. Justice was being served - and if Justice could be bought, he'd pay millions for it.

"So this is what has Daddy so proud of you," Erika raised an eyebrow, sneaking a glance at Mr. Carter who had moved to the refreshments table, mingling with politicians now. "You're playing Golden Boy with a Princeton recruit. You've outsmarted me, big brother."

"Didn't take much," Damon met her dismay with a smug smile because despite the fact they both hated each other's guts, their sibling rivalry couldn't be a public affair.

"Oh, but the game isn't over yet, Damon," She said in a shrill sing-song voice, giggling profusely. "Not until I say it is."

"You've already lost."

She shrugged knowingly. "Medusa isn't dead until you chop off all the snakes."

Damon only scowled. "Are you ever going to find someone else to torture?"

"I already have, I'm just very good at multi-tasking," Erika smirked, reminding Damon of how much he hated her. "Now I think I'm going to find Mister Carter and-"

Damon interrupted her with another scowl but not towards her. Just past Erika, he could see the one commoner who had managed to get into the Auction - and it wasn't Connor Royce. Moving past Benny Costa and Brett Richers arguing lowly at a table, the damn Bell Boy made his way towards him, an easygoing smile on his face.

"Hey, thanks for inviting me to the auction. My Dad couldn't make it though, he's been having a hard time with-"

"Ew, that is not an Armani suit!" Erika exclaimed as if she'd just spotted a slimy bug - which was exactly what she was seeing -  jumping away from Blake. Thanks to the H&M logo on the wretched suit, Blake's bank account status was painfully obvious.

Blake took in Erika's reaction with a laugh. "No its not really even a brand."

"Even worse," Erika cringed. "Who are you and how the hell did you get in here? This place needs better security."

Before Blake could answer, Damon interposed him. "He was just leaving," Then to the poor bell boy, "You might want to get out of here before someone thinks you snuck in." He also needed to leave before Jac saw him because it'd only make matters worse - as in Damon wouldn't be that "nice-guy-giving-advice" anymore.

Blake's brows furrowed in confusion. "Oh well I need to find someone. Her name is Jacqueline-"

"Ew, you know Jac," Erika spat in shock and disgust. "What are you? Her charity case? Just in case you didn't know, the school says we're only allowed to take in peasants from rural countries not straight off the streets."

Damon had to give the guy props for putting up with Erika's vile words as Blake only chuckled. "So you do know Jac?"

"I'm her boyfriend." Damon said inexpressively, looking around and noticing how Blake stuck out among the crowds in designer clothing that probably cost more than his salary. Others seemed to notice too as the poor bell boy began to receive disgusted stares and whispers.

Blake's face fell slightly. "Oh I didn't realize-"

"You should probably leave."

"Now," Erika added snidely.

"I'll leave as soon as I can, I just need to talk to Jac." He said more desperately. "Its really important."

"Then you should have said it while you were blowing up her phone last night," Damon snarled, realizing his hands were clenched into fists. 

"Blake?"

They all turned to see Jac weaving her way through the crowd, puzzlement on her face. Damon took in her evening appearance with admiration - and then he noticed Blake mirrored the same look. So before he even knew what he was doing, he punched the guy directly in the face, sending him to the glossy floor with a thud!

The Greystone Mansion fell deathly silent, so silent in fact that you could hear a hundred dollar bill fall to the floor.

It was almost as if everything happened in slow motion; Blake lifting his head from the glossy gold floor, blood spewing from his nose. Erika's shocked - and scared - face, no longer the smug bitch she had been earlier. Jac immediately pulling Blake up while trying not to get blood on her beloved dress - and worst of all, Matthew Felix glaring at his son from the front of the stage, not even paying attention to the beautiful African-American model on his arm, nearly breaking the wine glass in his hand.

Then there was every other guests gaping at the spectacle. Even the orchestra stopped playing a 20s cover of ' Crazy in Love' to stare. This definitely beat drunk designers and cheating businessmen.

Damon could only get one thought through his head; 'I'm fucked.'

"What is wrong with you?" Jac was the first one to hiss, supporting a disheveled - and dazed - Blake.

Erika didn't say a word, only staring smugly.

"Jac-" He tried but she furiously interjected him.

"Do you always have to be such an ass?" Jac snapped.

"You force me to."

They both didn't say a word then and Damon became painfully aware of all the eyes on them. He could see the main headline for the rumor mill now; 'Trouble in Paradise,' and 'Who the hell is Blake?'

Jac rolled her eyes and before Damon could stop her, she helped Blake make his way through the onlooking spectators, Blake looking back at him with an apologetic expression. Damon decided his sympathetic look was bullshit.

Erika sighed in satisfaction. "Excuse me while I just go inform Mister Carter of all the reasons you're not a Princeton candidate - besides the fact that you have some serious anger issues." Then she sauntered off.

 It seemed that 'on-top-of-the-world' feeling was easy come, easy go.

                                                                          ⓇⒾⒸⒽⓀⒾⒹⓈ

Jac cringed when Blake winced, tilting his forward - even though she had thought you were supposed to tilt your head back when your nose was bleeding. Although she felt sympathy for Blake - he'd had the crap knocked out of him after all - she still couldn't understand why he was even here. She had blown him off, ditched him for Damon. She had been cruel and yet he was still here.

They sat together on the stage steps, shielded from the other guests by large mahogany-colored curtains. Burlesque dancers finishing off their performance and coming down the steps to join the guests, sneered at them as they went. No matter how many times they entertained the wealthy, they would never be them.

Blake didn't say a word, eyes on the black solid steps under him.

Sighing, tired of the silence, Jac spoke, "I'm really sorry about that. He can be," She paused to find the right word to describe Damon. The guy who just punched another because he was jealous. A part of her felt guilty for actually liking the fact he would do that for her. Being angry, however, was the right reaction but not the one she really had. "He can be-"

"Its fine," Blake finally said, looking up to grin at her. Then he quickly covered his bloody nose. "It wasn't my place to-"

"No, its okay-"

"Not really," He admitted sheepishly. "You just had me thinking about what you said a few days ago...."

"Oh?"

"We don't understand each other," He said. "We're from two different worlds but.....but its only been one date and I think I've fallen for you."

Jac could only stare, pretty sure her eyes were wide as she took in his words. 

"I'm sorry-" Blake was about to say sheepishly but Jac cut him off with one word, "Why?" Because she had been taught that if anyone who didn't share the same lifestyle as you started insisting they liked you, it was most likely that they liked you for what you're worth.

"You're different," He went on with a tentative smile. "You're sarcastic and quirky, you're poised and graceful, and you're kind of outspoken at times." Then they both found themselves chuckling softly because Jac's lines putting down Blake were cringe-worthy memories.

Jac couldn't help but think of what Damon would say? What did he like about her? For some reason, she couldn't help but think his reply would be, 'Your insanely good looks,' or something like that.

Blake smiled wryly. "You should probably find your boyfriend. What I said was completely inappropriate."

"No, no, it, uh, it wasn't." Jac stammered.

"But you really should go find him, he seemed pretty angry."

Jac studied him but there was no bitterness in his brown eyes. Blake was truly a nice person and he certainly didn't deserve to get knocked out like a trend going out of style. "Are you sure? I could stay here and make-"

"I'm serious, Jac, go," He insisted. "I don't want to ruin anything between you and him."

Meeting Blake's sad smile with her own, Jac leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. She figured that was innocent enough. When she pulled back, Blake almost leaned into her, so close that they could have kissed. However, he pulled back too, shaking his head as if he were dazed. "Sorry."

Jac forced herself to nod, unsure of what just happened before leaving him on the stage steps, retreating back to her parents talking animatedly in a tight-knit group at a center table in the venue.

"Jac," Jeffrey said when he seen her, guiding her into the group of adults dressed in lavish brands. He gestured to Stella Singh - the evil woman who'd had a part in all of Jac's wardrobe being sold to wannabes - dressed in a black Donna Karan off-shoulder dress, still wearing those tacky glasses of hers. "Stella here says that you have the perfect look that a lot of designers are looking for." Jac's father beamed.

"Oh," was all Jac said because at the moment she hated both her parents with a passion.

"Diane Von Furstenburg has been asking about you all night," Stella said happily.

"Thats nice."

Eve gave her daughter a quick agitated look, the look that said 'behave' but it had no effect on Jac. She was too busy searching the gold-lit ballroom for one particular guy - who was nowhere to be found. Jac thought it was ridiculous that he was getting angry over her talking with a guy when he had done so much worse.

She had thought that Damon was self-entitled and cocky but maybe - just maybe - he was just as insecure as she was.

Her thoughts were broken when the orchestra stopped playing abruptly again, the auction chatter coming to a deafening halt.  The only voice heard, a whiny yell over the lingering whispers. "Can I please have everyone's attention?"

'Please don't let that be who I think it is.'

She followed everyone's gazes to an old friend - turned enemy - standing on the stage in a Carmen Malc Valvo dress. Steve was wearing a dress, ears adorned by chandelier-like earrings and red Sephora lipstick shining on his lips. 'Why the hell is he dressed like a girl?' Jac felt like sinking into a hole in the floor and never returning. Steve looked like Addie Anderson if she were a man.

Stunned, Jac looked to her father to see he was just as appalled.

"Hi," Steve giggled, waving to the bewildered crowd - even the waiters had dropped some of the dishes but no one blamed them. Steve's appearance was ludicrous. "Okay, so I don't know if any of you know me.....but I used to be the Lexington butler." Then he winked at each member of the family - flipping a middle finger at Eve, blowing a kiss to Jeffrey, and high-fiving the air towards Jac.

"Also, do you guys like my dress?" He asked in his shrill voice, twirling around so that the gorgeous dress flew with him. "I got it from Bergdorf on sale. It was a pretty good price."

Everyone was far too speechless to answer and Jac felt like fainting again.

"Anyway," He rolled his eyes. "I got fired by the most prejudice, disgusting, homophobic, ugly woman ever.," He paused for emphasis. "Eve Lexington. Although she produced a beautiful daughter so she's not that ugly." He winked again at Jac.

Jac took that eye contact to mouth, 'Stop'. However, the former butler ignored her. "I was fired because I am in love with a man." Jeffrey, who Jac couldn't tell was blushing or red from embarrassment., was immediately bombarded with knowing snickers.

"Yes, thats right, you heard it!" Steve shouted, pointing an angry finger at a shocked Eve. "Love prevails over all! Even cold-hearted bitches! Eve thought I was stealing her margaritas while she was sleeping," He tittered. "Well I was actually stealing her man!"

"Whose the little superior bitch now huh? 'Cause its not you! " He shouted louder.

Jac realized gawking wasn't going to stop Steve's embarrassing revelations so, picking up the hem of her gown, she hurried up the stage steps where Blake was still sitting, gaping at Steve. He didn't say a word as she hurried on to the stage, snatching the mic from Steve's pink-painted fingers.

They quickly fell into a tug-of-war, Steve trying to pull the mic and Jac trying to take it away from him. "Let....it ....go!"  Jac gasped, surprised at how strong the guy's grip was.

"I have to speak my mind, Jac!" He cried desperately, trying to pull the mic back.

When Jac had managed to get a good grip on the mic she hurriedly turned to the wide-eyed crowd, "I'm so sorry for that, I really-"

Steve grabbed hold of the mic again.

"Can you not?"

"'m trying to help you!" He shrieked, pulling back the mic, turning to everyone again. "Jeffrey Lexington, I love you! I love you so much! We understand each other's imperfections and we have a connection! A connection I've never felt before in my entire twenty years!"

Jac ran a hand through her perfect waves in disbelief. This whole episode certainly didn't feel like reality. In fact, it felt like a silly scene straight out of a E! Network show. This couldn't be her life. When she had wanted Steve to help her, she didn't mean ridiculing everyone in the family - not to mention himself.

"And I don't care what anyone has to say about it!" Steve exclaimed.

"Steve, please." Jac pleaded.

Then to her dismay, the scene only got worse. Jeffrey with a huff, came up the stage steps, looking like a determined businessman and not a gay used-to-be plastic surgeon. He walked past Jac without even a glance in her direction, eyes locked on Steve - 'Okay, I am officially puking inside.'

Everyone stared on in awe, Eve's hands shaking as she took a sip of her wine glass. All attention was glued to the two men on the stage, no one daring to say a word.

"I love you too," was all Jeffrey said and then the two men kissed - and Jac nearly lost her grip with sanity.

As the kiss grew longer and longer, slowly, the silence was filled. The silence was filled by claps. People were clapping and cheering. They were clapping and cheering for her Dad and Jac had to admit that he looked happy, more happy than he ever looked before.

------------

A/N: *dies from exhaustion*

Major insomnia is helping me finish these parts! So far its looking like 4 parts!  I don't have the last two parts WRITTEN like this one but I have the outline so it won't be long before the update! - unless my fever burns me out again but thats unlikely, I think.

So any thoughts? And thank you for the support! <3