Queen EJ

Note: All characters in this story are 18 years old or older.

-CHAPTER ONE-

It was the first day of the final semester of their high school lives at Rosewood Academy. As usual, Eun-Ji found herself sprawled out on the Tanner Family's worn basement couch, her feet tucked beneath her as she stared at the popcorn ceiling. Tanner's basement had been the unofficial clubhouse of this trio for years, by default. Growing up, Eun-Ji's parents were always fighting, which eliminated her place. Nowadays, she didn't want to be there because of her new stepfather, Daddy, as he wanted to be called, and her stepbrother, Miles. Carlos, well, he just didn't want Tanner around his twin sister, Camila. Thus, here they were, yet again, after classes.

"I can't believe Brock is dating her now," Eun-Ji lamented, "like, what does he even see in Tiffany, anyway?"

Carlos and Tanner exchanged a knowing glance; they had been hearing EJ rant about Brock for a month. Ever since, Brock did not ask EJ to the Winter Formal and instead asked Tiffany. The whining had faded over the Christmas break, but the rant was reignited, with Brock and Tiffany showing up as a couple today.

"Seriously," she groaned, suddenly sitting up from her comfy slouch, "what does she have that I don't?"

The silence lingered as Carlos and Tanner silently debated whether EJ was being rhetorical or not.

"Well, Tiffany is the hottest girl in school," Tanner decided it wasn't rhetorical.

"As if!" Eun-Ji immediately snapped defensively. "She's a freaking idiot."

"So is Brock," Carlos snapped. He'd heard enough about Brock.

Which was true. Brock was so hot, though. Tall and assertive, and a key player on the basketball team. Eun-Ji had spent weeks tutoring him in Calculus, and he still barely passed. She thought her hard work and the one time they fooled around would get her an invite to the Winter Formal, but she was sadly wrong.

"Well, yeah, but still," she whined. "I'm hot, too."

Both boys stared at her silently, unsure how to proceed. They tried to stay clear of discussions about EJ's looks. Not because she wasn't attractive; she was. She possessed a delicate beauty from her Korean heritage and a slim, athletic body, which she had maintained through her years on the cross-country team. However, you had to look closely because she had hidden it well. Her thick-rimmed glasses covered most of her face, and her long black hair was always up in a loose bun. Her clothing was chosen for comfort, not attention. Any idle thoughts she had about showing off were squashed from her shyness.

Additionally, her focus was on her future at the University of California Berkeley, studying paleontology. As a child, she knew what she wanted to be when she grew up, a dinosaur. Paleontology was the next best thing. Even this Brock infatuation had seemingly come out of nowhere. Carlos and Tanner never knew her to be into anyone besides that fling last summer with a boy named Oscar, from dinosaur camp.

"Come on, EJ," Tanner said, chuckling softly. "You're awesome, but be realistic."

Eun-Ji glared at Tanner indignantly. "If I actually tried..." she began, then trailed off with a frustrated sigh. She sank back deeper into the worn cushions, pulling a plush Naruto into her lap and hugging it. "I can't believe he didn't even take me on a single date."

"Brock's a loser. Honestly, EJ, I bet you could be the hottest girl at school if you really wanted." Carlos said, reassuring his friend.

Eun-Ji tossed Naruto aside and pointed emphatically at Carlos. "See!"

Tanner sat forward, eyes glinting mischievously. "You said 'bet,' Carlos?"

"You have a problem, dude," Carlos said.

Tanner ignored the comment and scratched his head in deep thought. "How would you even decide that? The hottest girl at school?" 

EJ immediately went back to playing with Naruto. Tanner was about to get way into overthinking something stupid, and it was time to tune out.

"A poll seems impossible; it's not like Tiffany, Esmeralda, or Camila would agree to it." Carlos winced at the mention of his twin sister on the hottest girls at school list, but Tanner continued without any consideration for his friend. "Hmm... but what about prom queen? That may work?"

"Prom Queen?" Carlos repeated.

"You really think our EJ here can win Prom Queen?"

Eun-Ji's ears perked up, and she realized what was being said about her. "You boys are ridiculous. Of course, I could be Prom Queen."

Tanner gave a dismissive laugh. "EJ, come on. You're the valedictorian chick who spends her time with us doing geek shit. Nobody thinks of you as a Queen."

Her cheeks flushed as she retorted, "Hey!"

Carlos stepped in, trying to defuse the situation. "She could win. Maybe if I helped her?"

What the fuck, Eun-Ji thought to herself, but she was too bewildered by this conversation to interject. Instead, she sat back, not finding the words to speak up.

Tanner's smile broadened. "Challenge accepted. How much?"

Carlos hesitated, "Well, um, all my money's being saved for college, you know that."

Tanner groaned dramatically. "No money, no problem." He then paused and looked around, seemingly searching for stakes. When his eyes landed on EJ, his face lit up. "Fine. When EJ doesn't become Prom Queen, she has to do whatever I want for a month."

Eun-Ji's jaw dropped. What kind of stakes were those? She didn't want to be Tanner's errand boy, but then again, she did want to shut up her smug friend. Who was he to doubt her? A small part of her felt a small thrill from the idea of being told what to do, but that was stupid.

Carlos looked at EJ and saw her reaction, which was not outrage. He wasn't sure what to make of that or what to put up himself until Tanner jumped in.

"And, if she somehow does the impossible and becomes Prom Queen, she'll do whatever you say for a month," he said to Carlos.

Eun-Ji found her voice again. "Hey! So even if I win, I have to be punished? Ugh, so I have to become a maid to one of you for a month?"

Tanner clarified, "Well, if you win, it's because of Carlos, so he deserves a reward, no?"

Carlos turned to EJ, "You can win, EJ, I know!"

Eun-Ji stared at her two closest friends, unable to believe the absurdity of their wager. However, a part of her was intrigued by the idea of becoming Prom Queen. This was her final semester; she'd already secured her spot at UC Berkeley. Her last semester lacked the challenge that the previous ones had, and she always craved a new one. Also, imagine if she beat Tiffany? She could put Brock in his place! She could show him he made the wrong choice. Maybe he'd even reconsider...

The reactions of her family would be interesting, though. Her mom would probably support her; she always did. Daddy and Miles, she still hadn't figured out. They'd only been here half a year.

She didn't know how much of a help Carlos would be as a coach or whatever. Although he was outstanding at producing data and probability. He also seems to pay more attention to the social goings-on at Rosewood than she does.

Plus, how bad could a month of doing chores for her friends be? She didn't mind doing chores. She enjoyed being given a task and completing it. Maybe this was crazy, but maybe this was the time to do something crazy?

Finally, she stood up, brushing nonexistent dust off her school slacks and adjusting her thick frames. Turning decisively toward Carlos, "Teach me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."

A short while later, EJ was gone, and Carlos and Tanner were left alone, comprehending their new wager.

"I can't believe that just happened," Carlos muttered softly. "EJ wants to be Prom Queen?"

Tanner leaned back casually in his gaming chair, hands behind his head, a smug grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, right? I can't believe EJ is going to do whatever I want. Every. Single. Night! For a whole month!"

"Wait, what?"

Tanner laughed, "Come on, Carlos. What do you think 'do whatever we want' meant? Doing laundry or some shit?"

Carlos' face went red. He stared at Tanner in disbelief.

"Dude," Carlos protested weakly, "She's our friend."

Tanner rolled his eyes dramatically, leaning forward to clap Carlos on the shoulder. "Yeah, our friend. Don't pretend you don't remember our beach trip with her. You telling me you wouldn't hit that?"

Carlos did remember that day vividly. He remembered feeling awkward and guilty as he'd struggled not to stare at his friend in that swimsuit. He'd always had a crush on her, but that was the day he fell in love with her. But this? That's not cool.

"Come on, Tanner..." Carlos began, his voice faltering as Tanner waved him off dismissively.

"Well, if you win, you can do whatever you want with her, but when I win, well, I'm going to have fun."

"When I win," Carlos corrected, trying to sound confident. This friendly wager was getting more serious now. If he didn't win, poor EJ was going to be at Tanner's mercy.

Tanner scoffed openly, amusement dripping from his voice. "Dude, you seriously think you can 'She's All That,' EJ?"

Carlos grimaced, realizing just how daunting the task was.

"Shit," Carlos muttered, grabbing his school bag and standing abruptly. "I need to do some research."

"Good luck with that," Tanner said to his friend as he left, already opening up his laptop to play another round of online poker before dinner.

-CHAPTER TWO-

Eun-Ji glanced around the dining room table at her odd little family. Her mother, Dr. Ji-Hye Song, was enthusiastically recounting a small breakthrough in her renewable energy study at Portland State University. Eun-Ji couldn't wait until she was the one sharing her stories someday. Except her stories would be from the dig site. Her stepfather, Peter, sat politely, nodding. Sitting across from her, Miles poked at the bibimbap awkwardly. She knew they still hadn't warmed up to Korean food, even after six months, but she didn't care. It was her turn to cook today, and she made one of her and her mother's favorites.

"When I finally saw the calculations line up for our solar grid model, Eun-Ji, I legit did a hop in the middle of the lab!" Her mother beamed, holding her chopsticks triumphantly.

"That's amazing, Eomma," Eun-Ji said with a smile. "You worked so hard. I can't wait till I'm published, too."

"You will, honey," her mother said warmly. "Berkeley will be lucky to have you."

"Thanks, Eomma."

"What I'm really thankful for is that we solved it before the site visit. I can't believe tomorrow I'm leaving you all for a whole month."

Eun-Ji didn't like to be reminded that she'd be left alone with her step-family for a whole month. In the silent window that followed, she nervously cleared her throat. She might as well take this time now to share her news.

"I've decided to go for Prom Queen."

Her mother blinked. "What's that, honey?"

Eun-Ji felt her cheeks warm slightly. Koreans didn't have Proms, let alone Prom Queens. Daddy and Miles looked at her, both surprised and vaguely amused by the news. That made her blush even more. She adjusted her glasses. Thinking of an explanation that would get her mother on board with this.

"Um, Eomma, Prom is the final event at school. Kind of a celebration of the last four years. They vote on a queen, like a class representative, kind of. It sounds silly, I know, but I really want to try. It'll be fun to campaign."

Her mom nodded slowly, considering it. "I don't know, honey. I know you want to be valedictorian. Won't that be too much? I don't want your grades affected."

Eun-Ji quickly shook her head. "It won't interfere, I promise. I have a light class load this semester, and I don't think Mei-Ling can catch me!"

Miles snorted. "Wait, you're serious?"

Eun-Ji narrowed her eyes at her stepbrother's condescending tone. "Oppa, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Miles shrugged, lazily pushing rice around in his bowl with his fork. "I don't know."

Eun-Ji opened her mouth to respond, but her stepfather cut in first. "Yeah, EJ, shouldn't you stick to the books?"

"Peter!" Her mother's voice was sharp and protective. "My daughter is the smartest, most beautiful girl in Oregon. If anybody should represent Rosewood Academy, it should be her."

Eun-Ji's cheeks reddened further from embarrassment and gratitude. Her mother would always support her, but Daddy's dismissal stung. Miles chuckled again under his breath, "Prom Queen."

Peter quickly followed suit, leaving Eun-Ji alone with her mother. She reached across the table and gently took her daughter's hand. "If you really want to do this, honey, promise me something, okay?"

"I really do, Eomma."

"Then win, okay?"

A surge of confidence flooded Eun-Ji's chest, pushing away the lingering doubts and insecurities. Winning prom might be stupid, but it was still a goal, and she didn't back down from goals.

"I will."

The next morning, the hallway at Rosewood Academy was buzzing as students gathered around their lockers, preparing for classes. Eun-Ji was pulling out her Environmental Science textbook while Carlos leaned against the locker beside her, playing on his phone and looking clearly stressed. Tanner stood nearby, barely paying attention as he eyed the students passing by.

Tanner did a double take as Esmeralda strutted past, as did most of the guys checking out her ass in her skirt that Eun-Ji thought violated the school dress code.

Although Rosewood Academy had rules about uniforms, the teachers were a bit lax now that they were seniors. Esmeralda had clearly taken as much leeway as she could to the delight of anyone attracted to women or who just appreciated a good butt.

"You should pick your tongue off the ground before Carlos trips over it," Eun-Ji teased, elbowing Tanner playfully in the ribs.

Tanner finally tore his eyes away from Esmeralda, feigning innocence. "Just checking out your competition, EJ."

"Likely story," Eun-Ji snorted sarcastically.  

Carlos chuckled, shaking his head. "You're hopeless, dude." 

Tanner shrugged, "She knows exactly what she's doing with that skirt."

As Eun-Ji decided against teasing Tanner further, it would amount to nothing, she returned to the locker to double-check that she had everything she needed for first period. Convinced she was well prepared, she turned around just in time to see Brock and Tiffany strolling by hand-in-hand. Ugh, Eun-Ji thought, feeling herself deflate slightly. Their smiles were both huge as Brock whispered something that made the bubbly blonde erupt into a round of giggles.

After they were out of earshot, Carlos told EJ it was okay and to forget them.

"They are going to feel really stupid when I'm crowned Prom Queen!"

Carlos opened his mouth hesitantly, his expression conflicted. "About that..."

She raised an eyebrow curiously, turning fully to Carlos. "Yeah? When do we start planning?"

Carlos shifted awkwardly on his feet, "I've, um, started doing some research, EJ. Actually, you should come over tonight. There's a lot to discuss..."

"A lot?"

Carlos nodded, "Well, yeah. I just mean, it's going to be, well, pretty difficult."

"Carlos, getting into UC Berkeley was difficult. Getting a 1475 on my SATs was difficult. Prom Queen is just another challenge."

"Fair enough."

She smiled brightly, "Perfect."

"It's a date," Carlos said and then instantly regretted it. Luckily, EJ and Tanner did not react. It's just a regular expression, he thought, calling himself an idiot.

"Yay!" she said with glee as she adjusted her thick glasses before bouncing a little on her toes and heading off to her Environmental Science class. "Later, boys," she said playfully as she almost skipped down the hallway.

"Maybe I'll order a French maid costume for her," Tanner teased.

"Shut up, Tanner."

After school, Carlos and Eun-Ji walked home in their jackets, happy there wasn't even a drizzle today. Their voices echoed loudly through the quiet suburban neighborhood. Their heated discussion continued as they entered Carlos' family home.

"I'm just saying Grimlock is the best Transformer," Eun-Ji argued.

"But Optimus Prime has the Matrix of Leadership, EJ," Carlos countered.

EJ opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted by a mocking voice.

"Hey there, lovebirds."

They both turned sharply to see Camila preparing some kind of bright green smoothie. Carlos' twin sister was a little different from him. It was like Camila inherited all the cool genes while Carlos had what was left over. Looks-wise, they weren't too dissimilar, but it's amazing what some confidence does to someone. Carlos immediately blushed bright red from embarrassment. "Shut up, evil twin," he mumbled defensively.

"Oh, little brother," Camila teased mercilessly, smirking at his discomfort, clearly enjoying herself. "Nothing to be embarrassed by. EJ's a nice girl. Heck, I like her more than you."

He hated how she always called him "little brother," she was only a few minutes older than him, but luck had it a day before.

Eun-Ji, meanwhile, couldn't resist grinning at her friend's obvious discomfort. "Thanks, Camila," she teased, nudging Carlos with her elbow, making him turn an even deeper shade of red.

"So, what are you two nerds up to, anyway? Don't you usually go to the other one's place?" Camila asked casually as she finished adding the oat milk to round out her smoothie. Carlos did get some amusement that she could never remember Tanner's name. Camila's eyes glanced between them as they tensed up. Something was up.

"Well, actually," EJ admitted quietly, "we are having our first strategy session. I'm, um, I decided to run for Prom Queen."

Camila's eyebrows shot up dramatically, and Eun-Ji tensed up, awaiting the same dismissive laugh she received from Miles. To her surprise, though, Camila was just surprised.

"Oh, really? You?"

Eun-ji crossed her arms defensively, "Why not me?"

Camila paused awkwardly, clearly realizing she might have offended her brother's best friend. "I just mean, you know, I didn't think you'd be interested in that kind of thing."

"Well, I thought, maybe. Are you running Camila?"

Camila burst out laughing, shaking her head emphatically. "Fuck no! I don't need that drama. Tiffany would kill me if I ran against her."

Eun-Ji swallowed, feeling her confidence waver slightly. Nervously, she bit her lip, asking softly, "What... What do you think my chances are? Be honest."

"Honestly? I'm sorry, EJ, but it's pretty slim."

A short silence followed. Eun-Ji knew it would be difficult, sure, but hearing it from Camila was discouraging. But she was Eun-Ji Song; she would overcome.

"Well, good thing I've got a great coach then!"

Camila stared blankly for a second before Eun-Ji indicated she actually meant Carlos, and then she broke into laughter.

"Carlos?" she managed between giggles. "You're seriously taking advice from my clueless little brother?"

Carlos groaned, "You are literally the worst."

Camila's laugh faded. "Oh my god, you are actually serious, aren't you?"

Eun-Ji nodded resolutely.

Camila shook her head, letting out a small sigh. "Well, whatever. If you two ever decide you want some real advice, you know where to find me."

With that, Camila turned around, her long dark ponytail bouncing, as she turned on the blender, the sound taking over the kitchen, signaling the end of their conversation.

As Eun-Ji followed Carlos up to the stairs, away from the sound, she teased, "So, shall we get to work, little brother?"

"Please, EJ, don't you start, too."

It had been a while since Eun-Ji had entered Carlos' bedroom. Most of the time spent at Carlos's place was spent in their study. She was glad to see the room hadn't changed much since the last time she was there. The Empire Strikes Back poster, the anime figures, and the comics were all still there. One change was the series of books on statistics, probability, and actuarial mathematics, which he used for his college prep work.

Eun-Ji settled onto the bed and connected his laptop to his dock to show her his research. She was amazed at how much he accomplished in just one night. Graphs, probabilities, and he had determined the likelihood of every student voting for her. She had no idea how he even found all the seniors' social media accounts. She didn't even have social media, herself. Her mother called it a waste of time.

"Twelve percent, seriously, that's it?"

"I'm sorry, EJ. That's if all the expected people run; a wildcard could throw off my numbers. It's just a snapshot of now, like, things can change."

His process seemed legit, so it's hard to argue. Eun-Ji would get the votes of the cross-country team, and a segment of the female students would likely side with her, but that wasn't enough. With no guys she didn't have a connection with, even considering her, she really had no chance.

"So, what can I possibly do? I can't just give up; I agreed to those stupid stakes with you and Tanner."

"Yeah, um, well, I guess you'll need to appeal to the male demographic..."

Eun-Ji scrunched her face, the face she made when she was trying to figure out a problem. "Well, should I bake cookies?"

"Cookies?"

"Well, the way into a man's heart is through his stomach, right?"

"EJ, cookies aren't going to win you enough votes," Carlos stated. "You don't get it. You don't know what it's like being a guy."

"So, what then? How do I get their support?"

Carlos paused for way too long, "Well, um, about that. I don't really know how to say this..." he trailed off.

"Come on, just spit it out. I promise I can handle it."

He took a deep breath and spoke without having his eyes meet hers. "It's just, well, look. You're beautiful, EJ," he stumbled over his words, turning a deeper shade of crimson. "But the thing is, almost none of the boys can tell because, well, you don't exactly show it. They don't even notice you."

Eun-Ji raised an eyebrow. He wasn't wrong; she did not show off her body at school at all. School was for studying. However, she gets what Carlos is saying. If she needs the male vote, she needs their attention, and high school boys are led by their hormones. Maybe she would need to make some changes? It wouldn't hurt, would it? She had a good toned body. She did say she could be the hottest girl in school, didn't she?

"So, what are you suggesting?"

Carlos paused way too long before finally answering, making Eun-Ji feel uncomfortable.

"A skirt, maybe some, um, more makeup?"

"And you think that is necessary?"

"That would definitely help."

"Okay, if that's what it takes. I trust you, Carlos." A huge wave of relief flashed over him with those words. "But I don't have a school skirt."

They sat in silence for a moment, addressing the issue. Until Carlos clearly had a thought. "Well, I do know someone who can help you out until you get your own."

Before Eun-Ji could react, Carlos moved toward his door, encouraging her to follow him.

"Wait, Carlos, are you serious?" She raced to catch up to him and follow him down the hall.

Carlos stood awkwardly in the hallway, leaning against the wall just outside Camila's bedroom. After explaining the situation, he was told to wait outside, and the door was shut right in his face. He was thankful she agreed to help out EJ, and he had fantasies of EJ in the school skirt, which he couldn't wait to see.

That had been... a long while. Carlos wasn't sure how long, but it felt like forever. For a moment, he got annoyed; he was supposed to be EJ's coach, not Camila's. His twin sister always took over everything. He hated that about her.

He jumped when the door finally creaked open, and EJ stepped out. To his utter disappointment, she looked the same as she did when she entered the room. What were they even doing in there, just making fun of him? Then he noticed her hair was now loose from her bun. Gosh, she was beautiful, he thought.

"So?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"You'll have to wait till school tomorrow," she said with a mischievous smile.

With a teasing wink, she strode past him down the hall. "I'll see you tomorrow, coach."

Carlos watched her go as Camila emerged, catching him staring at EJ.

"You got it bad, little brother."

Carlos was startled and only managed a faint "Shut up."

Camila grinned, "Don't worry," she said, straightening up and giving him a knowing look. "You won't be disappointed."

Then she turned back into her room and slammed the door. Charli XCX blasted through the walls, leaving Carlos alone in the hallway with nothing but his thoughts and a new anticipation for school tomorrow.

-CHAPTER THREE-

"Damn, sis."

Eun-Ji froze in mid-step at the top of the staircase and clutched her school bag tight in surprise. She'd hoped to avoid Miles this morning, but the extra time on her hair and makeup had thrown her schedule off. A bun was so much easier and quicker than all the brushing it took to make it fall just right.

She knew she should have just continued to the kitchen for breakfast, but instead, she turned around and caught her stepbrother clearly sneaking a glance at her. The swishing on her thighs from the hem was a new sensation, not altogether an unpleasant one. It was a little large for her since she had borrowed it from Camila, but it was the first time she hadn't worn the slacks version of the Rosewood Academy uniform, and she felt awkward.

He clearly enjoyed the view, based on his smirk. Eun-Ji thought maybe that was a good sign. She didn't want her stepbrother looking at her like that... and yet, wasn't that kind of the point?

"Pardon?"

Miles cleared his throat. "What? You look hot," he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Eun-Ji did want to look hot, so instead of anger, she was slightly grateful. "Thank you, Oppa."

This was an awkward exchange, so Eun-Ji bailed immediately. In the kitchen, her mother was double-checking her luggage by the front door. Daddy was grabbing his keys, a coffee tumbler in hand.

A huge smile erupted on Dr. Song's face when she saw her daughter. "Oh my goodness, honey, you look so nice!"

"Thanks, Eomma. Just trying something new..."

"You know, honey, all those years trying to get you to wear a dress, and now look at you! Is this your new style now? Where did you get that skirt?"

"Um, Camila, you know, Carlos' twin sister."

"Well, Peter, make sure you pick her up some new uniforms. She can't be borrowing clothes."

Eun-Ji opened her mouth to clarify that this was a trial run and not a permanent shift, but she didn't find the moment.

"Of course. Are you ready, babe?" Peter said, between sips of coffee, occasionally glancing at his stepdaughter.

Dr. Song looked at her watch and made a face, then turned to her daughter and came in for a hug. "I'm going to miss you so much!" She said, holding her tight. "You be good." 

"Of course, Eomma."

Dr. Song then kissed her and turned to Peter. "We better get going. Meal plans are laid out." She gave one more look at her daughter. "I'll see you in a month. Love you, honey." Miles had now joined the kitchen. "Everyone get along, and Eun-Ji, don't let the boys drive you crazy." With that, the adults had left the house. The sudden realization that Eun-Ji would be spending a month with just Daddy and Miles started to sink in. Her mother was the buffer, but she was gone. She wasn't sure what to expect.

The two step-siblings eyed each other before each grabbing their own breakfast. Her mom's meal plan had bindae-tteok listed, already prepared in the fridge. She started to warm them, but Miles grabbed a box of Cheerios instead. She didn't bother pointing out he was off-plan. Instead, they ate in silence.

"So, you serious about being Prom Queen?"

Eun-Ji shot him a glare, "Obviously."

"You might need a shorter skirt."

Eun-Ji went beet red, but she didn't respond. She imagined herself in a shorter skirt, all eyes on her ass...

She quickly finished her last bite and gathered her belongings as Miles disappeared upstairs.

"Hurry up, or we're going to be late for school," she called up as she slung her bag over her shoulder and adjusted her skirt. She hated how she had already been thrust into her mother's role, herding Miles like some spoiled brat, even though he was a full two months older.

In anticipation, Carlos arrived at school way too early. Embarrassed, standing in the empty halls, he looked away from the janitor and took out his phone to adjust his Prom Queen algorithm he wasn't happy with yet. The numbers were dire, though, and no algorithm would change that.

Eventually, the hallway started to fill in with the usual pre-class hum, and Carlos started to worry. By this time, EJ was usually here. She wasn't one to be tardy. She was nowhere in sight, though.

Was she not here because of last night? Before his anxiety took over, Tanner showed up, giving a big smack to Carlos' shoulder, snapping him out of it.

"How was your date last night?" Tanner grinned, pulling open his locker and tossing in his coat.

"It wasn't a date. I was just, you know, coaching her."

"Coaching, you say," he said, teasing. "I don't know how you're going to get her to be Prom Queen."

Carlos shut his locker a little harder than necessary. "You'll see." He glanced toward the main hallway. First period was creeping closer, and EJ was still not here.

Shit, Carlos thought. He began to wonder if she chickened out or maybe it was Camila; who knows what she said? Was EJ having second thoughts?

"Where is she?" he muttered aloud, still scanning the halls.

Tanner shrugged, "Don't get your panties in a bunch, dude."

Before his thoughts spiraled too far, EJ appeared rounding the corner in a rush, her school bag slung over one shoulder, her hair down, and her skirt swishing around her. Was she wearing makeup? His breath hitched just slightly. She looked gorgeous, well, in a nerdy schoolgirl kind of way. She also looked pissed!

"Late, EJ?" Tanner joked.

EJ stormed right to her locker. "It was Miles. Took forever to get out of the bathroom. He wanted his stupid hair to flop just so."

Frustrated, she opened her locker with more force than usual. Quickly she was reaching inside for her notes, bent at the waist just enough that Carlos and Tanner got a nice view of her ass. Way nicer than in her baggy slacks.

Carlos' eyes flickered downward, then away. Then, despite himself, back again. On the other hand, Tanner leaned toward his friend and muttered under his breath, "Good job, Carlos." Annoyed, Carlos mouthed back, shut up, just as EJ stood back up and was ready for class, slamming her locker.

"I need to go; I can't be late," she said, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear and adjusting her thick glasses.

Carlos stepped aside to let her pass, and as she hurried down the hall toward class, both boys watched her go in silence.

That evening, Eun-Ji had mixed feelings.

She had spent all that extra time getting ready this morning and even wore a stupid skirt the entire day, and what did it amount to? Nothing! The only boys who seemed to have noticed were Carlos and Tanner, and those weren't the boys' attention she needed.

She even bumped right into Brock during her free period, and he had the audacity to ask her for help on his biology assignment? Did he even notice her hair? Her legs? Did he even check her out?

Nope. He didn't even try to objectify her.

Not that she wanted to be objectified, she reminded herself sternly, cheeks flushing. She sighed deeply and collapsed onto her bed. Maybe Carlos was wrong. Perhaps she couldn't become Prom Queen after all?

Seriously, the only person who had even seemed to notice was Mei-Ling.

"New look, Eun-Ji?" She started off sweetly before changing tone, "Is this how you are going to beat me, sleeping your way to better grades? It's probably the only way."

What a bitch, Eun-Ji thought. They'd been so competitive throughout their time at the Academy, and now, in the final semester, Mei-Ling could just not handle losing. It's not like I needed to suck dick to beat her to be valedictorian, she laughed to herself.

She stared at the ceiling, clutching her Stegosaurus stuffy, still feeling a little disheartened from the day. The real capper happened on the way home. She decided to take the shortcut through the woods; it always made her feel better. However, her skirt snagged on a branch and tore a very noticeable hole in it.

She took too long to make an apology text, but Camila didn't even seem to care. "LOL EJ chill it was a gift anyways"

A sudden forceful knock at her door jolted her upright. Before she could respond, the booming voice of her stepfather called out.

"EJ?"

Immediately, she scrambled off her bed, dropped poor Steggy, smoothed her hoodie, and opened the door. Peter stood in the doorway, tall and imposing. He stepped into the room, forcing her to take a cautious step back.

"Doc said you wanted these," he said bluntly, shoving a Rosewood Academy tote bag toward her.

Eun-Ji blinked at him, confused at first.  

"Your new school uniforms. Now gather up your school slacks."

"Um?" she asked blankly. "Why?"

"I spent good money on these things," he said curtly. "I won't have that go to waste."

Without thinking, her body responded, and she quickly began pulling her uniform pants from her dresser drawer. She handed him the neatly folded pile without question or a word. He turned abruptly to leave but took a pause.

"No, thank you?"

Eun-Ji's cheeks burned. "Oh, sorry. Thank you, Daddy."

He grinned at her response. "Good girl."

As soon as he left her room, she reached for the bag. Inside were four Rosewood Academy blue and green plaid skirts, some sheer leggings and knee-high socks, and a pair of heels. Why did he get me all of these? Her eyes went to the skirts, but something felt off about them compared to the one she borrowed from Camila.

Size one, and what was with this length? What the fuck! She couldn't wear that to school. Imagine what Mei-Ling would say or her teachers?

Eun-Ji was a size two, and the skirt Camila loaned her was a size three, and it wasn't as short as these. Eun-Ji's heart started to pound, and she raced down the stairs, where she found Peter with a pair of scissors in hand, slicing through her uniform pants.

"Oh my god, Daddy, what are you doing?"

"We needed new rags," he said, continuing to cut them without looking up.

"But, um, the skirts you bought," Eun-Ji stammered. "They are, well, really small."

Peter glanced at her, "You're a size one, aren't you?"

"I'm a size two," she admitted quietly.

Peter merely shrugged. "They'll still fit."

"They're also, um, very short."

He stopped cutting the slacks for a moment, "Look, EJ, they were out of everything else in stock." He resumed cutting through the last pair as she stood there helplessly. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to make due."

She was stuck now; would these new skirts even fit? Maybe if they were too revealing, she could mend Camila's skirt until she could buy something else out of her own money. She hated to waste money; she needed that for Berekely. And when would the store even restock?  

She opened her mouth to object again but closed it immediately, realizing any protest would be pointless. Quietly, she turned away, retreating back to her bedroom with a heavy sigh.

Back in the safety of her room, Eun-Ji stared at the skirts again. They seemed impossibly small. Would they even meet regulations? Her face turned as red as a beet thinking about it. What would people say? Then again, she needed some male attention to win, and these would certainly get attention. Could she bring herself to do it?

With her mother's sewing kit in hand, she tried to fix the hole in Camila's skirt, but couldn't make it work; which made the choice for her.

-CHAPTER FOUR-

"Where's your stepsister?" Peter asked, setting down a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast in front of Miles. The heavenly aroma filled the kitchen, and Miles couldn't stop himself from shoving the bacon immediately into his mouth.

Between bites, Miles answered, "She said she wasn't feeling well or something. She didn't even leave her room."

Peter sighed, "Unbelievable." He scraped his chair back and stormed upstairs.

Inside her bedroom, Eun-Ji was spiraling.

She stood in front of her full-length mirror, tugging nervously at the hem of her school skirt. Her anxiety was taking over with each fleeting glance at her reflection.

She looked ridiculous. She looked hot. She looked slutty. She couldn't look but couldn't look away either.

How could she possibly walk the halls of Rosewood Academy in this? What would her teachers say? She twisted slightly, trying to get a better look at herself from behind. She couldn't tell if it was within the dress code or not. It's not as short as Esmeralda's or even Tiffany's, so it has to be okay, but damn! Everyone would know she was wearing black panties with dinos on them when she walked up the stairwell. She would get attention that way, and the boys would notice her. The thought made her cheeks burn.

Earlier, she yelled at Miles through the door, claiming to be sick. Just a little white lie to buy herself some time. She needed a day to figure this out. Before she could formulate a plan, her bedroom door flew open without warning.

Her stepfather appeared, arms folded across his broad chest. His eyes narrowed with suspicion as he looked her up and down. "EJ, you don't look sick."

She opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again. Her mind failed to find an excuse. Should she fake cough? Pretend her period was especially rough this month? The way Daddy stared at her made her realize that lying wasn't going to work.

"I, um, can't go to school," she said meekly.

He raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Why not? Don't you have perfect attendance?"

Eun-Ji flinched at the reminder. The Perfect Attendance Award! She'd forgotten all about it when she made up the sick excuse. Daddy knew her better than she knew herself sometimes; why had she thought he'd believe her fake illness?

"Daddy, I don't think I can wear this to school."

"Why not?"

Was he serious? Hadn't he looked at her? She felt scandalous just standing here. Imagine the looks she'd get at school. If she had to bend over, they'd see everything. Is Daddy blind, or maybe he didn't realize the issue? It's not like he wore a skirt before.

She tried again, "Well, just, um, look at me."

Peter did exactly that, lingering longer than she'd expected. The problem should have been obvious, but his gaze slid down her slender legs in her knee-high socks, and the pleated fabric barely brushed mid-thigh. She shifted uncomfortably under his attention, her cheeks flushed.

After taking her all in, he met her eyes. "I don't see a problem."

Didn't he? Eun-Ji bit her lower lip, uncertain. He was a man; maybe he simply couldn't imagine what it felt like to be a teenage girl wearing something like this, especially for the first time. Or, maybe, she admitted reluctantly, she was overreacting.

Taking a deep breath, maybe she needed to demonstrate the problem. "It's just, um, it's so short. Look!" Determined, she crossed her bedroom, bending at the hip to retrieve her backpack from the floor. She felt the skirt rise; she felt exposed. Turning back, she gauged Daddy's reaction. He didn't seem alarmed.

"It's fine, EJ, as long as you don't bend over like that. You should be focused on classes anyway."

Her mouth opened to protest, but she hesitated. Maybe Daddy had a point. Why would she ever bend over so dramatically at school? If she stayed upright and, well, careful, she'd be covered enough. Why was she getting so worked up anyway?

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she said quietly, ducking her head in embarrassment. "Maybe I was just, I don't know, shy."

"Don't be. You look great, EJ," he reassured her gently. "I'll see you downstairs."

As she was left alone, Eun-Ji returned to the mirror, her heart still fluttering. She twisted slowly, admiring herself from new angles, some excitement mixing in with the nervousness. Maybe she really was overthinking it. She looked good. Sexy, even. Hopefully, it's not too sexy.

Peter returned to the kitchen, finding Miles finishing off his scrambled eggs. Miles looked up curiously as his father approached.

"She's just feeling a bit self-conscious today about her outfit."

"Outfit?"

"It's just the new skirts I got her. Be nice. I don't want her skipping school. Doc would never let me hear the end of it."

Miles chuckled softly, nodding his understanding. "Got it."

He almost forgot his father's instructions upon Eun-Ji's entrance. He had never seen his stepsister dress this way. She looked hot, but he had to hold his tongue and offer a casual greeting, even if he couldn't help his eyes lingering too long.

"Hey, sis, you feeling better?"

Relief washed over her; maybe she was being too self-conscious; Miles was acting almost normal.

"Um, yes. Thanks, Oppa."

She made her way to the kitchen counter carefully, well aware of the hem of her skirt shifting lightly against her thighs. She felt their eyes on her with every movement, but she took a calming breath and focused on her breakfast routine. Boys would be boys, right?

Today's meal plan called for a smoothie, and she busied herself gathering the frozen fruit from the freezer and other ingredients, feeling more confident that her day may pass without too much humiliation.

With a shrug, she reached high up for the immersion blender, stretching onto her tiptoes. Behind her, Miles sucked in a sharp, involuntary breath, watching as EJ's skirt rose tantalizingly, revealing a quick glimpse of her panties and her ass, which was surprisingly plump. His father quickly gave his son a firm nudge, silently warning him to keep his composure.

"Miles, go grab your stuff. You don't want to keep EJ waiting."

"Right, right." Miles forced himself to dart his eyes away. "I'll need like ten minutes," he said as he disappeared up the stairs.

Peter gave his stepdaughter a reassuring smile. "See? Everything's fine. Have a good day, EJ."

"Thanks, Daddy," Eun-Ji said softly, returning his smile. All alone, she blended her purple smoothie and took a deep breath. With her first sip of her breakfast, she started to think that just maybe everything would be okay.

The walk to school with Miles was surprisingly pleasant. She'd braced herself for the teasing, the looks, for something, but instead, he was not only nice but actually kind of fun to talk to, especially when they gossiped about classmates.

His spot-on impersonation making fun of Ming-Lei actually had her in stitches, and before she even knew it, they were in the parking lot of Rosewood Academy.

She almost forgot what she was wearing until she reached her locker, and Tanner almost undressed her with his eyes.

"Damn, EJ, you are taking this bet seriously."

"Shut up," she muttered, turning quickly to her locker and when she reached to grab her notes, being careful to squat instead of bending over.

After grabbing her stuff, she saw the attention was not just from her friend; a few side glances from other nearby boys were directed toward her. A small flicker of pleasure sparked inside her.

Suddenly, she noticed something odd. "Where's Carlos?"

"He's out sick," Tanner replied, shrugging lightly. "Probably faking it.

How ironic, Eun-Ji thought. She was slightly disappointed, though, as Carlos was the usual buffer who kept Tanner in check. Without him here, his looks were rather brazen. More so than normal, which oddly reassured Eun-Ji that maybe she was doing something right.

"It's a shame he's missing out. Maybe we should send him a little pic. Of, you know, your outfit?"

"A picture?" she said, stiffening.

"Yeah. Show him you are taking his, um, coaching seriously." Tanner had already fished his phone out of his pocket.

To her own astonishment, a smile curled at her lips. This idea somehow was fascinating to her. What was she thinking?

"Um, okay, then," she said before she could second-guess herself.

Tanner's eyes widened, surprised himself. He was not used to his stupid off-hand remarks being followed. "Seriously?"

She nodded, biting her lip shyly. "Just a quick one, okay?"

With a giant grin, Tanner lifted his phone, setting up the shot. EJ stood awkwardly by her locker, unsure of how to pose, her heartbeat rising.

"Smile," he commanded, snapping a few photos where Eun-Ji tried to model. "Perfect." Quickly shared them with Carlos. "God, he's gonna die when he sees these."

Eun-Ji blushed deeply, weirdly enjoying Tanner's delight despite her embarrassment.  

"You should really start an Instagram, this pic would do well."

The idea was not altogether unpleasant. In fact, it gave her a thrill. Maybe it was something to think about?

After the moment passed, she realized how vulnerable she felt, and quickly grabbed her things and hugged her books tightly to her chest. "I, um, should go," she stammered, pushing past Tanner toward Environmental Science.

The school day had been... interesting.

Eun-Ji hadn't been pulled aside; she received no detentions and no warnings about her skirt length. Not even a passive-aggressive comment from Mrs. Glass, who was nicknamed "The Uniform Nazi" by annoyed students. She'd kept looking over her shoulder, expecting some authority figure to say anything, but there was nothing.

Well, not nothing.

For the first time in her high school life, she had been seen as more than just the brainy Asian girl.

She wasn't the center of attention like Tiffany was, but eyes did follow her when she traversed the halls. She saw some double takes and nudges by the boys. She even swore she caught Mr. Coxwell checking her out.

The whole day left her rattled and, well, flattered.

She wondered if she deep down wanted to be Prom Queen because she wanted to be seen as a woman, not just a genderless tutor like Brock saw her. Sure, they made out one night, but when it came to dates, he went for Tiffany, not her. Fuck him. She was proving she should be desired, too.

After school, instead of heading straight home, she made a quick detour to The Bean Hive, the cozy local café a few blocks from the school that she and Carlos enjoyed. They had his favorite cookies, these oversized double chocolate ones with sea salt on top. He hadn't been at school, and she wanted to cheer him up.

She wasn't thinking about the photo Tanner sent him. No, she wasn't wondering what he thought about it. Definitely not that.

She decided to cut through Jefferson Park to get to Carlos' place. On the way, she daydreamed about the looks on Brock and Tiffany's face when she was announced as Prom Queen. She pictured a gorgeous gown she was wearing; she needed to get a gown, she noted. The moment the crown was placed upon her was interrupted.

A group of college-age guys lounged near the bleachers by the tennis court, sharing a joint. They were loud, laughing and giving her looks.

Then she felt a new sensation; the sudden silence between them, as she approached, made the hairs on the back of her neck stand.

Then, it started. The whispered words. She overheard, "Yo, is that a high school uniform," and "Jailbait."

A low whistle startled her.

"Hey girl, you look like you're from Bob's secret hard drive!" he called at her, punching a boy probably named Bob.

Another called out, "Where you going, babe?"

She didn't even look. Instead, she sped up with the rate of her heart. Her skirt suddenly felt much shorter, and she felt completely exposed, and oddly, she was aroused. What was wrong with her?

Why were guys so ridiculous?

She wanted to be furious. She was furious. She had never been catcalled before, and it was so strange. She didn't know how to handle this new kind of attention.

When Eun-Ji arrived, Camila was sprawled on the couch, half-watching YouTube. She glanced up lazily when she saw her enter. Her eyebrow raised, and a huge grin engulfed her face. "Oh my God, don't tell me that's the skirt I gave you?"

"Um... no."

Camila burst out laughing. "Bitch, you look hot as fuck."

Eun-Ji ducked her head, mumbling a soft "Thanks." She stood there awkwardly, trying to build up the courage to ask what she wanted. "Camila, have you ever been, you know, catcalled?"

"Only, like, all the time."

"So, how do you, like, deal with it?" She looked down, avoiding eye contact.

"Oh, EJ. Here's the thing, boys are idiots. They see a hot girl, and their little hormones override their brains, and they just spout nonsense. It sucks, sure, but it just proves how women are the superior gender."

"I guess..."

"Just remember you have the power, not those losers." She said sweetly.

"Thanks," she forced a smile.

"Is Carlos in his room?"

Camila rolled her eyes. "Yeah, the idiot spent all day holed up in front of his computer. You should probably knock; who knows what my little brother is up to."

Eun-Ji grimaced, "Trust me. I always knock," A memory of walking in on Miles whacking off taught her that lesson the hard way.

Up the stairs, she knocked lightly on his door. There was a shuffle, then the door cracked open.

Carlos peeked out, his black hair disheveled, and he was still in his pajamas. The room behind him was dark, stuffy, and smelled musky.

"Hi Carlos, you okay?"

He scratched the back of his head, clearly embarrassed. "Yeah, just... couldn't do today, you know?"

She knew Carlos always had issues with anxiety. She wished she could help more, but all she could be was a good friend. As a good friend, she noticed, weirdly, that he didn't open the door all the way, and his body was angled in the doorway, blocking the view of his room.

"You should really open a window," she said, wrinkling her nose playfully.  

Carlos laughed under his breath, "Sure."

She reached into her bag and handed him a small white paper sack. "Here. I got you this."

He looked surprised, "From Bean Hive?"

"Your favorite," she confirmed, smiling.

He took the bag from her carefully. "Thanks, EJ. Seriously."

She nodded, stepping back. "Well, I'll let you rest. Feel better soon, okay?"

She turned to leave, but then inspiration overcame her, and she paused and turned around.

"Oh, by the way, my stupid stepfather got me a bunch of new uniforms."

Carlos' eyes flicked down instinctively, then back up again. "Yeah, I've noticed..."

"I got some attention today," she admitted with a grin, "from the boys, you know, like we discussed. A good first step, no?"

Carlos smiled sheepishly, blushing. "Yeah, well... that'll definitely help. You look, um... amazing, EJ."

"Thanks, Carlos. I really want to win."

She turned and walked away, and behind her, she heard the door click shut, then a beat later, lock.

-CHAPTER FIVE-

By the time Friday's Phys. Ed. class rolled around, and Eun-Ji was starting to feel a little more comfortable. Eventually, you stop checking if your skirt's covering everything, and just accept it.

Life was full of changes and surprises, and last night was certainly one of them. She had a pleasant evening with Daddy and Miles. Eun-Ji even got them to watch a K-Drama she loved. Sure, Miles complained at first about the subtitles, but by the end of the night, they were all rooting for Young-woo, and that made Eun-Ji so happy. Maybe, just maybe, there was some hope for her new family after all.

Usually, she'd go hide in one of the stalls to change into her gym clothes. Eun-Ji was also too shy to change in front of everyone and she felt so awkward. But today? Maybe there was something to exposure therapy, but she stayed with the rest of the girls and started to slide down her skirt.

Putting it on the first time seemed like a huge deal, but this morning, it was a lot easier. Just knowing what to expect helped. Plus, the little waves of heat, seeing those eyes drawn to her, was kind of nice.

It was a little embarrassing, sure, but Carlos said she needed that attention to have a chance with her campaign. She also really needed some buzz before she announced she was running, but luckily, she had time. She loved a challenge so much, and becoming Prom Queen, even though it started off as some weird bet, was a challenge she meant to overcome.

The ones who truly should be embarrassed were Carlos and Tanner for all the times they so poorly hid their attempts to check Eun-Ji out. Well, Carlos tried to hide it; she didn't think Tanner even made an attempt. It was kind of cute, she thought. She wondered if they had always done it and she had just not noticed or if this was a new phenomenon.

Sitting in the locker room with her classmates after years of ignoring it felt, to her shock, somewhat normal. Not only that, it was kind of fun. One girl, Abigail, with purple hair, who was on the cross country team with her, even joked around with her.

Tanner had mentioned studying her competition before, and what better opportunity than in gym class? She sat across the room from Tiffany Stewart; the girl Brock chose over her.

Trying to take casual glances at Tiffany, she didn't know how much she could blame Brock. Compared to her, Tiffany was effortlessly cool. From her shiny, perfect, blonde hair, Eun-Ji wondered if the new products she was trying would help her hair get that nice, down to her perfectly tanned and toned legs; Tiffany was gorgeous.

The locker room emptied out as class was about to start, leaving just her and Tiffany. Eun-Ji was tightening her ponytail when Tiffany approached her.

"Hey EJ, you ready for class?"

"Uh, mmh," she squeaked, making a weird noise that Tiffany took as a yes.

"Nice," Tiffany said, smiling. "By the way, I just wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?" Eun-Ji blinked, confused.

"Yeah. I think Brock would've failed Calculus last semester without you. You're a lifesaver."

Eun-Ji stared, unsure if she was being sincere or setting her up for something.

"Um... you're welcome?" she offered cautiously.

Tiffany looked her over, then gave a smirk. "Brains and beauty," she said playfully. "I better keep my eye on you." She winked, then turned and walked out to the gymnasium.

After school, Eun-Ji was back to the familiarity of their clubhouse. The week had been intense, and it was nice to be in their old routine.

When the trio left school, Eun-Ji mentioned changing before heading over, but the disappointment in both boys' faces had her shrug off that idea, so she stayed in her uniform. Boys are silly.

Eun-Ji had just spent a difficult week really trying to get attention and was very curious about the results. "Carlos, can you pull up your algorithm?"

"What?"

"I want to see my progress. Dressing like this had to make a difference," she said as she crossed her legs, trying to keep her dignity.

Tanner perked up, "Wait! You calculated the odds?"

Carlos blushed as he pulled out his laptop. "I mean, kind of, yeah. It's more of a predictive model based on social media and..."

Tanner interrupted him, "Nerd!"

Carlos ignored him and opened his laptop. He closed his programs, pulled up the algorithm, and then plugged it into the dock to display it on Tanner's large monitor. He flipped through various sheets of the Excel file, ignoring some graphs and data, and moved to one that simply read "Eun-Ji Song: 15%."

Eun-Ji shot up. "What? Fifteen? That's it?"

"You were at twelve at the start of the week. You've gone up," Carlos tried to sound encouraging.

"I wore this," she gestured down at her skirt, annoyed, "and I'm spending so much time on my hair and makeup, and what? I only gained three percent?"

Carlos looked again, "2.7%, but these things take time. It is working. It's only January; Prom isn't for months."

"Plus, you finally stopped dressing like my Aunt Beatrice," Tanner teased.

Eun-Ji scowled, "Hey. I wasn't that bad!"

"Not anymore," Tanner said with a smirk as his eyes swept over her body.

Eun-Ji bit her lower lip, looking down shyly. "So, you do approve?"

The boys exchanged glances. Carlos avoided eye contact, his face turning red.

Tanner nodded, "Of course, you look hot."

"Look, I'm a feminist and am going to be valedictorian, and I'm headed to Berkeley, but," her voice dropped a little, "It's kind of nice, being noticed for something besides my brain, you know."

"I knew it," Tanner said, triumphant.

"If you're comfortable with it," Carlos interjected.

Tanner shot him a look. "Relax, man."

"Um, thanks," Eun-Ji said, barely audible.

"I have an idea," Tanner said suddenly.

Carlos raised an eyebrow, "Oh yeah?"

"Well, EJ, maybe you could practice some things here instead of jumping right to doing them at school?"

Eun-Ji blinked, not sure where this was going. "Practice?"

Tanner turned to Carlos, "You're coaching her, right? You don't want her embarrassing herself in front of half the senior class. So, why not try things out here? Just between friends."

Carlos was suspicious. "We have a bet, remember? You don't want her to become Prom Queen."

"I also don't want her to humiliate herself. I mean, come on. She's our friend."

"So, this is purely from the kindness of your heart?"

"Of course, even with my help, she's not going to win. I hope you are ready to follow orders for a month, EJ."

Eun-Ji stayed quiet, watching them argue. Something about two men, even if they were her geeky friends, discussing what she should do was exciting. At first, the stakes of the bet sounded ridiculous, but the idea was growing on her. She needed to win, though, and it might be nice to try things out in a "safe" environment.  

"But what kind of things would I be practicing?"

Tanner looked at Carlos, "I don't know; what is next, coach?" Now, EJ looked at Carlos, too.

He disconnected his laptop from the main screen and began typing vigorously. "Well..." he began, eyes flicking toward EJ and then away. "If the goal is still, you know, getting the votes from the boys, then we should, um, lean into that, you know."

"What are you suggesting?"

"I don't know exactly. Can I sleep on it?"

Tanner spoke up with glee, "I have about one million ideas."

Eun-Ji sighed, "I won't like them, will I?"

Practice, it turned out, was a little bit like studying.

After leaving the clubhouse, she was given her "homework" by Tanner. He said it jokingly, but she took it seriously. She was a diligent student, and every new topic she was assigned was a new challenge to master.

It was a series of videos featuring models on the runway, along with tutorials on how to mimic their walk. At first, she rolled her eyes because it seemed really dumb. She knew how to walk!

A few videos in, she walked around the room and noticed the difference. Compared to the women in these videos, she walked like a Neanderthal.

Heels were a difficult task, but by the end of Saturday, she was feeling more okay in them. It turns out Carlos and Tanner were supportive tutors.

Walking home, listening to the new Jennie single, she caught her reflection in a window and did a double take. She wasn't even thinking, but she was doing the walk she practiced. Her initial intention was to only try that at school, you know, to get attention and eventually votes. Muscle memory took over, though, and as her hips swayed, she thought it was kind of hot, so she shrugged and kept it going.

Once home, she peeled off her clothes and then grabbed her favorite oversized shirt, the gray one with a T-Rex handing out ice cream on it. She didn't bother with pants; the shirt was large enough to cover everything. Heck, it covered more than her school uniform.

She spent the evening doing her school homework, spending several hours perfecting a paper. She then followed it up with her new routine, which consisted of squats and the products Camila had recommended to her. It was kind of nice to pamper her face and hair.

In her full-length mirror, she inspected her hair for signs of improvement. It wasn't Tiffany's yet, but the products were helping tone down the frizz. Her eyes trailed down her body, and she smiled. When she lifted her arms, the hem of the shirt pulled up enough to give a slight peek of her ass.

She turned and then turned again.

Then she hiked up the shirt just a little, exposing more, and checked herself out.

It looked... really good.

"Why do I always hide this?" she murmured to herself.

She was now parched. Her clock read "11:13 PM."

Her eyes shifted to the neatly folded pajama pants on her vanity. She then looked back at the mirror and shrugged to herself.

Everyone was probably turned in by now. The house was quiet. It was just a short trip to the kitchen for water. Who needs pants?

Decision made, she opened her bedroom door just a crack and peeked down the hall. No lights, no sounds. She crept into the hallway and started to saunter downstairs. The gentle sway in her hips came out naturally now.

In the kitchen, she kept the lights off. After hydrating, she placed the glass in the dishwasher carefully and turned to head back to her room.

"Miles?"

A groggy voice came from the living room. Her stepfather's.

Eun-Ji froze.

She peeked around the corner. Peter was stretched out on the couch, half asleep. A copy of Tampa by Alissa Nutting opened on his lap. He was also wearing a T-shirt and boxers only. The idea of wearing the same outfit amused her.

"Daddy?" she said, stepping slightly into the room.

He blinked, then smiled at the sight of her.

"Oh, EJ..." he mumbled, rubbing his eyes and sitting up a bit straighter.

"Good book?" she asked.

"It's fine," he said, closing it and sliding in a bookmark. "I guess I fell asleep." 

He scooted up, patting the cushion beside him.

"Hey, EJ. Come sit down."

She hesitated momentarily, then walked and sat down, carefully tugging the shirt down over her lap.

"I know it hasn't been easy with Doc gone, but I want you to know you can talk to me about anything."

Since he moved in six months ago, Daddy had not been a father. Not that her real father ever had, either...

"Thank you," she said quietly.

He smiled. "You're becoming a fine young woman, Eun-Ji."

His eyes lingered on her face a beat too long.

"I know how boys your age are. And I also know how girls who look like you can be, you know, a distraction."

She had no idea where he was going with this.

"You're smart. A good student. I know you've got a bright future ahead of you. Just... be careful, okay?"

"Careful?"

Peter reached down beside the sofa and picked up a tote bag. He handed it to her.

She looked inside and saw a box of condoms. Not a small pack even, but a massive 36 pack.

Her eyes widened. "Um... what?"

He shrugged, "Have fun, but play smart." he said, patting her on the back. His hand lingered as it moved slowly down her back before resting there.

Eun-Ji didn't know what to say. Her fingers tightened around the bag.

"Um... thanks?"

She suddenly stood up and offered a good night, and with a tote bag in hand, she noticed Daddy adjusting his boxers as she hurried up the stairs.

-CHAPTER SIX-

"I can't believe I've been gone a whole week," Dr. Song said into the hotel phone.

Eun-Ji sat cross-legged on her bed, the afternoon light barely filtering through her blinds. She held her cell phone loosely to her ear, enjoying hearing her mother's voice.

"I know, I miss you!"

"Have the boys been treating you well?"

There was a pause before Eun-Ji answered, surprised by her own answer. "Yeah. Oddly. We even watched Attorney Woo together the other night, and they got into it."

"Oh!" her mother exclaimed. "I wish I saw that! I'm so happy to see my family getting along together."

"They aren't following the meal plan, though," she added quickly.

"Oh, no," her mother said, laughing. "Don't let Peter get fat!"

"Eomma," she groaned.

"What? Your Eomma has needs, too."

"Ugh, no. I don't need to hear that."

"I'm kidding," she paused. "Mostly."

"Can you not say things like that, please."

In the awkward moment, Eun-Ji had something she wanted to bring up. "Did he talk to you?"

"Peter? We talk every night, sweetie."

"I meant, um, about me?"

"What do you mean, honey? Is everything okay?"

She wanted to ask if she knew he had bought her a truckload of condoms, but instead, she chickened out.

"Oh. Nothing. I don't know. Never mind."

"Okay," she said, concerned. "If something's bothering you, you know you can tell me, right?"

"I know." Wanting to change the subject, she brought up the field study, to which her mother went off in excitement, going over calculations and discussing the future of green energy.

After finishing her joyous rant, her mom brought it back to her daughter. "How's that Prom Princess thing going?"

"Prom Queen, actually."

"Oh! Even better."

"It's going okay, I guess," she said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "But it's not like I can even officially start yet; it's too early."

"Well, I think it's great you're doing it. I know trying new things can be scary. Especially when they're so far outside your comfort zone, but don't be afraid to feel uncomfortable. You never know how satisfying something might turn out until you try."

"I'll try."

The next day, in the Rosewood Academy Cafeteria, Brock Wheeler sat with his feet up like he owned the place. He leaned back, surrounded by members of the basketball team, laughing at something one of the juniors said.

Students walked by, getting in line for lunch; most were ignored by the group until a short-skirted, long-legged Asian girl walked by. No, she strutted by.

Brock raised an eyebrow; he thought he knew every ass in school. "Who dat?" he asked.

Nobody knew, which drew him to stand up and follow her. The team laughed at him and then looked around to make sure Tiffany, his girlfriend, wasn't there.

Eun-Ji stood patiently in the lunch line, clutching her tray.

The walk had accomplished her getting more attention. Even from the basketball team, and more importantly, Brock. Being seen like this was terrifying and hot.

As the lunch line lurched, it happened.

Smack!

Her eyes went wide. Her ass stung. She spun around, her tray raised up to use as a weapon, "What the..." She stopped herself when she saw Brock standing behind her with his gorgeous smile.

"Brock?"

He blinked, caught off guard. "Oh my, wait, EJ?

Now, he looked embarrassed.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were somebody else."

She didn't speak, she couldn't. Her brain hadn't caught up yet.

Brock rubbed the back of his neck, then looked her up and down properly. His casual smile returned.

"You're looking good," with that, he walked away.

Eun-Ji stood frozen, blushing.

How should she feel? Outraged? Flattered? Embarrassed? Horny?

The person behind her in line made a motion, and she saw that the line was moving. She apologized and followed the other students toward the food.

Her mind couldn't get over one thought, Brock noticed her!

"Why are you all smiles?" Carlos asked as Eun-Ji slid into the seat beside him, her tray onto the table. Tanner was across from them, playing poker on his phone, his burger halfway finished.

"Oh, just Dora, the lunch lady. She had mustard on her shirt," she said, grabbing her fork. "She didn't even notice."

Tanner, unimpressed, said, "True story?"

"Shut up," she said and stabbed a tomato, trying not to think of Brock's large hand on her ass.

Her phone buzzing took her out of her daydream. Eun-Ji glanced at the screen, expecting spam, but it wasn't. It was Oscar.

Her face twitched.

Carlos paused, "You okay?"

"Yeah," she said too quickly. Unhappy with her response, she took a softer tone, "It's just... Oscar."

"Oscar?" The jealousy in Carlos' eyes was evident to everyone but Eun-Ji.

"You remember my ex?"

Tanner perked up. "The dude from Dino Camp!"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, from Dinosaur Camp last summer. It was more of a science camp. Dinosaurs were just one part."

Oscar was not some random boy from camp last summer; he was the guy who took her virginity. They haven't spoken since last summer, though. She read another text to figure out what he wanted.

"His cousin's getting married here this weekend. He'll be in town."

Carlos stiffened, and Tanner put down his phone. She looked back at her phone, reading another text. "He wants to meet up this Friday."

Tanner grinned, "Why don't you invite him to the clubhouse?"

"You guys are okay with that?

"Of course. I'd love to meet your ex," Tanner said, shooting Carlos a sideways glance, who was now staring very intently at the table, chewing his burger with a little too much focus.

"Don't worry, we'll be cool," Tanner said.

Eun-Ji hesitated, then shrugged. "Okay."

-CHAPTER SEVEN-

"Where is he? Does he not own a watch?" Carlos muttered, arms crossed. He hated that this boy from Dino Camp was invading their Friday night and their clubhouse.

Eun-Ji glanced down at her Fitbit, tapping the screen. "He's only three minutes late, dude."

Carlos didn't reply; he just looked down at his phone, doom-scrolling.

She didn't get what was up with him lately. He'd been weird all week, quiet and sulky. He wasn't going to hamper her week, though, which had been excellent. She got an A+ on her Environmental Science report. Her home life had been surprisingly decent. At school, she was enjoying the glances.

Tanner casually flipped a deck of cards in one hand. He shuffled them like a pro, bridging them, fanning them out. He was clearly well-practiced.

"Can we play poker tonight?" he asked, eyes not leaving the cards.

"I can't lose any money," Carlos grumbled.

"Me neither," Eun-Ji added.

"Lame."

The moment was interrupted by a new voice awkwardly walking into the basement. "Um, hello?"

All three heads turned as a tall Latino boy walked into the basement, his eyes lighting up when he saw Eun-Ji.

Eun-Ji stood up from the couch. "Oscar." She walked toward him, and he put his arms out slightly, and so she gave him an awkward hug. Stepping back, she studied him. In her mind, Oscar was the hot boy at camp last summer. Looking at him now, he was slightly attractive in that nerdy way. He was no Brock, though, he looked more like Carlos.

Tanner stood and offered his hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, man. Have a seat," he gestured to the couch.

They made awkward conversation. Oscar talked about his flight from Iowa, his day in Portland so far, and how much cooler it was than his home.

As the evening moved on, oddly, Oscar and Tanner built up some kind of rapport. They had the same sort of sense of humor.

"Oscar, before you arrived, we talked about poker, but these two losers are broke," Tanner said with disappointment.

Oscar shrugged with a lopsided grin. "Same here."

"Drinks? What do you guys want?" Tanner asked as he stood to walk to the side room.

"Whatever's cold," Eun-Ji said. The other two nodded in agreement, and a few minutes later, he returned with four cans of beer.

"You know," he said casually, "we don't have to play for money."

Carlos looked up, "What do you mean?"

Tanner smirked, "What about, you know, strip poker?"

"Dude, we just met; you want to get me naked already?" Oscar jabbed.

"Well..." Tanner's eyes trailed to Eun-Ji, then Carlos and Oscar followed.

Strip poker? She'd never played anything like that before. She was okay at poker, though. However, Tanner would eat her alive. Which meant, what? She'd be sitting in her underwear in front of all of them? I guess Oscar's already seen me, but the other two? It's not worse than a bikini, is it, and they'd seen her in a swimsuit. Not quite a bikini, but it was something. Plus, she wouldn't be alone. That part, she didn't know if it made it better or worse.

"It could be fun," Oscar added, "If Eun-Ji's okay with it?"

She took a long drink from her beer. She was slightly buzzed and turned on by boys at school looking at her all week.

She looked at Tanner and studied him, then chugged the remaining of her beer.

"I'm gonna need something stronger than this."

"Atta girl." Oscar and Tanner were overjoyed, while Carlos looked like he was about to throw up.

"What the fuck, man," Carlos muttered to Tanner when they were alone in the side room, grabbing stronger drinks.

"Pardon?"

"Strip poker? Seriously?" Carlos snapped.

Tanner shrugged, "What do you want to play Pictionary?"

"Well, no, but I don't want to get naked in front of everyone."

Tanner patted him on the shoulder, "I'm sorry, bro. It's not like you're fat, you'll be fine."

"I feel like we're taking advantage," Carlos said quietly.

"EJ? She agreed, didn't she? It's not like I had won a bet, and she had to do whatever I said," he smirked and walked back carrying some vodka and mixers.

Carlos thought about walking out. He really didn't want to do this, but he couldn't leave EJ alone with those two, so he followed Tanner back into the clubhouse.

They all kept drinking as Tanner shuffled about preparing the table.

Oscar had been stuck to EJ's hip all night, and the two sat together laughing, her knee brushing against his. He hated being the third wheel, and he hated that Oscar wasn't altogether a jerk. Weirdly, as much as he hated Oscar being here, he did feel weird confidence that they looked similar. Sure, Oscar was taller and more svelte and more confident, but they looked close enough that he wondered if maybe he was EJ's type.

"All right," Tanner finally declared, pulling out his chair to sit. "Let's fucking go!"

They gathered around the table, and each spot had a stack of twenty tokens.

"Texas Hold 'em rules," Tanner explained. "If you lose the tokens you have there, you can buy back in with ten more, but it will cost you a piece of clothing. If you're really feeling bold, you can sell some clothing mid-game for the extra tokens."

Carlos made a face.

"Fair?" Tanner asked, to which Oscar nodded. Eun-Ji bit her lip and nodded, too. Carlos followed them, reluctantly.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this," she gave a half-nervous laugh.

"It reminds me of the third night at Camp," Oscar said while nudging her elbow, to which she burst into laughter.

"Oh my god, don't even."

The first few hands were light. It was filled with banter, casual bets, and lots of laughter. Eun-Ji lost a few chips and jokingly pretended to toss in her shirt but only raised it up enough to show off her midriff before wagging her finger at the boys. Carlos folded too early, and Tanner mocked him. Oscar enjoyed the banter but spent more time leaning toward Eun-Ji, trying to have a private conversation.

Things picked up on the fourth hand. The flop came down: 2 of spades, 7 of diamonds, and 2 of hearts. Oscar leaned in, scanning the cards, then, without warning, shoved all his tokens to the center of the table.

"I'm all in."

"You're serious?" Carlos balked.

Oscar shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

Carlos folded immediately.

"Chicken," Oscar grinned.

"I'm not," Eun-Ji said. Her eyes locked on Oscar's. She pushed her entire stack forward.

"Now we're talking," Tanner cheered.

He dealt the turn, which was a Jack of clubs. Then the river, an Ace of spades. The room fell silent.

Oscar grinned as he laid out his hand; he had another 2.

"Boom. Three of a kind," he boasted.

"Damn," Carlos said under his breath.

Oscar cockily reached for the pot.

"Not so fast," Eun-Ji stopped him. "Good hand, Oscar, but not good enough!"

She flipped over a pair of pocket 7s. "Full house."

"Well done," Tanner said as Eun-Ji smiled and grabbed the pot.

Oscar blinked, processing his loss. "I didn't know you were a shark."

"Never underestimate a girl," she said smugly.

Oscar nodded, then reached over and tossed his socks off to the side. "Rules are rules."

Tanner leaned back, grinning. "Well, let the game begin."

The game rolled forward, this time more serious and with more drinking. Although Carlos really seemed to be nursing his beer.

Tanner only lost one hand, a small pot. The smug bastard was fully dressed, casually twirling a poker chip between his fingers. He was really in his element. Eun-Ji had lost her socks after a failed one-on-one with Tanner, and her chip stack was running low. Carlos and Oscar were down to just their boxers and shirts. Although Carlos looked completely embarrassed, Oscar seemed okay with this.

The next flop showed a 4, 5, and a 7. A hand that made Carlos lean forward, and when it was his turn, he called "All in" and pushed his tokens ahead a few inches.

"You have the straight?" Eun-Ji asked.

"Maybe? But since you don't have enough chips to match me, you'll never know."

"Wait, how many chips?"

"Fourteen."

She glanced at her pile. She only had four. She bit her lip and then looked at Carlos.

"I can't let you just take it," she said, standing up. She hesitated and then hooked undid the buttons of her jeans. All three boys froze.

Seeing their looks and urged on by the booze, Eun-Ji turned her back to them and slowly slid her pants down. She bent as she went, dragging the motion out, giving them all a very nice view.

Tanner let out a low whistle.

"Have you been working out?" Oscar said.

Eun-Ji stood back up and around, tossed her pants to the side, and gave a playful shrug. "Maybe, a little." She quickly sat back down, realizing her shirt didn't cover as much as the other night when she was alone with Daddy; her panties were clearly visible. She was excited and a little terrified. She grabbed her new stack of ten chips and, with the remaining ones, shoved them into the pot.

"You shouldn't have done that, EJ," Carlos said shakily.

Everyone awaiting the turn card, the 9 of clubs. The river then revealed the 10 of diamonds.

Carlos lit up.

"EJ, what do you have?" Tanner asked excitedly.

She flipped her cards over with a confident smile. She had a 3 and a 6. "That's a straight, boys."

"I'm sorry, EJ," Carlos said, flipping over a 6 and an 8. Another straight, but higher.

"Damn," she said and dropped her head back with a groan.

Tanner was even more excited now. "Well, EJ..."

"Come on, Tanner," Carlos said, cutting in. "She only has to if she wants to buy back in. We can just end the game here."

"You're such a prude," Tanner scoffed.

"I'm not," Eun-Ji said, standing up and, without hesitation, pulling off her shirt. She tossed it straight at Carlos, who fumbled it.

She now stood in just her bra and panties; her cheeks were flushed. She couldn't believe she just did that.

For the first time, Carlos and Tanner had a great view of their friend. Her body was even better than they dreamed. Slim, toned, and plump in the right places. Her breasts were full and perky. Both were stunned silent.

"Ten more chips, please."

The next few hands went by more slowly; everyone was being cautious.

Eun-Ji couldn't believe she was sitting here in just her underwear, alone in the clubhouse with three boys, and she was buzzed. If this was a bad life choice, at least she picked the right underwear. Black, lacy, and matching.   Honestly, it was her sexiest set. She wondered exactly why she put them on, to begin with, but it didn't matter. Past Eun-Ji was smart.

A few rounds later, Oscar went all in again and lost all his chips. "Well, damn," he muttered with a laugh, then dramatically yanked his shirt off his head and twirled it around like he was a stripper.

Eun-Ji remembered Oscar did judo, and he had a nice body. The drinks and her state of undress were getting to her. She was horny. Here was a guy she had sex with in the past, she thought; maybe after poker, she could get some action.

She crossed her legs, squirming in her seat.

Soon, Carlos lost again.

"Fuck this," he exclaimed, tossing his card down with frustration.

"Shirt?" Tanner asked, grinning and fully clothed.

Carlos shook his head, irritated. "No. I'm out!" Let's just end this. It's getting late."

He wasn't wrong. Oscar and Eun-Ji were down to their underwear, and a quick glance down at her Fitbit revealed it was past eleven.

"Maybe you're right," Eun-Ji added.

Oscar checked his phone, too. "Yeah, crap. I do have my cousin's wedding tomorrow. I probably shouldn't be out all night."

"Party poopers," Tanner groaned, but he was already beginning to collect the cards. "We were just getting to the fun part."

The three of them stood awkwardly, collecting their clothes. It felt weird now that the game was over. They quickly dressed, said their goodbyes to Tanner, and headed up the stairs and to the cool air outside.

"Want me to walk you home?" Carlos offered, stepping toward EJ.

"Fuck," Oscar cursed.

Eun-Ji turned away from Carlos, "What is it?"

"I drank too much. I can't drive back to the hotel yet..."

"Idiot," she rolled her eyes. "Fine. I've got coffee at my place. Let's go."

She turned to Carlos, "I'll see you later."

"Nice meeting you," Oscar added as he took Eun-Ji's hand, and they took off down the street.

It was a slow and pleasant walk, with Eun-Ji pointing out the sights of her neighborhood. Oscar's palm was nostalgic and nice.

"So, I got into Berkeley."

Oscar squeezed her hand. "That's amazing. Seriously! I knew you would."

"Thanks."

"I'm still weighing my options. There's some good schools out there, but something about leaving Iowa feels wrong."

She nodded politely, not getting that sentiment.

By the time they reached the front door, she was nervous. What if Miles and Peter were home?

"Don't mind the mess," she mumbled, unlocking the door. The lights were off, and the house was quiet. A small wave of relief passed through her.

"How do you take your coffee again?"

Instead of answering her, he moved forward and started to kiss her. A nice and warm kiss. She leaned in; she didn't even realize her hands were on his chest until he pulled away.

"You want to head to my room?"

Oscar nodded.

She led the way up the stairs, careful to step lightly just in case. At her door, she let him in. "Make yourself comfortable, I need a few minutes."

She slipped into the bathroom and closed the door. Brushing her teeth, she ran a hand through her hair and checked herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her hair was a mess, but not too bad. The walk home sobered her up, enough.

When she opened the door again, she nearly squeaked.

Peter was standing in the hallway, right outside the bathroom.

"You have the condoms I gave you?"

She blinked, caught off guard, then gave a slight nod.

"Good girl. I'm going for a long walk, and Miles is staying at a friend's. Be as loud as you want," and with that, he turned and disappeared down the stairs.

It wasn't long before Eun-Ji and Carlos were making out like they used to last summer. They were good at making out; he was a good kisser, and his touch was soft. Last summer, this make-out session would have her so moist, but now, she was just wishing he'd be more aggressive. Was he always this passive?

On the bed, she tried to kiss him hard, hoping he'd receive the message. He should rip her clothes off, pin her down, and just fuck her already.

Finally, he grabbed her tit through her shirt, and she moaned.

"Is this okay?"

Fuck. She wanted to scream at him to be a man, but instead, she nodded, pulling him closer.

The kisses were nice, and her nipples started to harden, but she wanted more. She needed more. She tossed him over and straddled him, grinding against him. She reached for his jeans, pulling them down. Now she grinded on his boxers and instantly felt his hard cock.

"You sure you're okay," he asked again.

To answer, she kissed him, got up, and tossed off her clothes. She bent her ass toward him. "Slap it," she whispered. Badly she wanted to relive that moment with Brock in the cafeteria, but there was hesitation, and when Oscar's hand finally collided with her ass, it was nothing but a faint thud.

Seriously?

"Harder."

He tried again, but it was still too light. She gave up and pulled off her panties, leaned back, and showed him how much she wanted this.

When Oscar fumbled with his boxers, he asked again, "You sure?"

She literally rolled her eyes and then tore his boxers off for him. She tossed him a condom. When they were protected, she guided him straight into her. The size startled her; she needed this.

All of the eyes on her tonight, and honestly all week had made her so horny, and finally, one of them was fucking her. But fucking her was not the right word, Oscar was making love to her.

Was this what it was like last summer? She remembered it being so hot, such a turn-on. Now, as his cock filled her, the rhythm was not rushing her toward an orgasm at all.

She laid back and focused on the motion, hoping it would carry her to the breaking point, but after a few minutes, he started to stiffen.

"Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!" he yelled as he filled up the condom. Eun-Ji was nowhere near a climax.

He collapsed beside her and held her hand. "That was very nice," he said. "I missed you."

She didn't answer; what could she possibly say to him?

Soon, he found his clothes. "I should probably get going."

"Yeah, of course."

They kissed goodbye at the front door, and after he left, she knew she would never see that man again. She quickly hurried up the stairs and hoped her fingers could get the job done before Daddy got home.

To be continued...

Thanks so much for reading. Please rate and comment below, I'd love to hear your thoughts. This is going to be a long story and your feedback helps.