Welcome to the Masquerade

"Then There Was You" by Trombone Shorty (feat. Ledisi)

AN:  So, I'm a little later in the month than I anticipated.  However the actual chapter is 5k+ words so there's that.  So I had a very specific reason for choosing Mrs. Roberts name and it has to do with the fact that I am an enormous Disney nerd.  Please let me know if figure it out in this chapter (I put the reason way at the bottom). Also a shout out to topy0848 who very kindly did Beta duty on this story.  Also, Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I've been having a rough time lately and all the votes and follows and comments are such a huge, huge encouragement that I cannot explain the depths of their effect. You could read anything and I do not take the time you spend on my story for granted. So one more time from the bottom of my heart --THANK YOU.  By now you know what comes next! --> Standard disclaimer! I only own Lory. Everything else is the property of C.L.Stone. Constructive criticism is welcome and even requested, but flames will be used to make s'mores. I love votes and views. Please let me know your favorite lines and moments. Happy Reading.

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Lory was cranky. Just her luck, she'd had to have a meeting with Phil long before she got a hold on herself. So she arrived at his office still all flushed and flustered. Which meant she was off her game and Phil got her to explain why she was so red-faced and who had caused it. Which of course prompted one of the three most uncomfortably embarrassing conversations in her life. I mean who really wants to have an in-depth discussion on their love life and birth control choices with their grandfather? The only ones that topped it were the birds and bees discussion with Sean when she was thirteen (that she had desperately tried to get out of) and discussing exactly what she was expected to do and what she should expect to see while undercover as an underaged dancer at a strip club. She often wonders why she isn't more traumatized by how exposed she'd been over the years.

Then he also insisted on a full check-up before she left the hospital. A FULL check up. They did well woman exam, a full blood workup, checked the expiration on her implant, went over all her immunizations, et cetera, ad nauseum. Ugh.

The part that really mortified the hell out of her though was that, after the nurses were done playing vampire, she saw Marc and Axel heading down the hallway away from Phil's office. They didn't see her and she only caught part of the conversation, but it was enough. Marc was asking Axel if he knew why Doc Roberts had required their entire team to go have full blood workups. When she asked him, Phil just gave her a look and said nothing. Ugh. Nosey man.

Now it's lunchtime and she is starving. And as previously mentioned, cranky. After texting to see what the others wanted for lunch, she finally made it to school. But now she was struggling to figure out how to get the sandwiches she picked up to the courtyard without getting mobbed.

"Need a hand?" Came a voice from behind her.

"Oh, hey, Jay. Yeah, if you don't mind," Lory said and waved at the food with a small grateful smile. "I think they forget I only have 2 arms. You'd think the guys would come help. After all it's their lunch, too."

"Look, normally I wouldn't ask," he began as he picked up a bag and a carrier of drinks before starting towards the school, "because it's none of my business. But there's a ton of rumors going around about you. And North and Silas are mixed up in it. Sang causes enough unintentional damage. I don't want more trouble for them. What's going on with you and them? Why are you hanging around them?"

My respect for this boy goes up a notch. He may not be close with my brothers but he's very much acting like a friend. So I tell him the truth. (What a novel concept!)

"North and Luke are my brothers. My bio dad is their Uncle who has adopted them so that makes them my brothers. Anyway, I met Mr. Blackbourne and Dr. Green a long time ago, before they met the others. They sort of adopted me as a little sister, so that's how I met the boys. My dad found out about me and now I live with him, North, and Luke," Lory shrugged as she picked up one of the bags of food.