The Rules Series

house, and both ladies immediately closed their mouths. “Do not speak. Just get out!” This time, when security appeared, Laurette followed them out of the room.
I knew without a shadow of a doubt; those maids would never step foot in our home again.
Blinking innocently, Nina turned to me. “What was that all about? What does xiǎo hēi guǐ mean?”
I got up and plopped down on the seat next to her. “I don’t know, but it can’t be good.” I couldn’t contain the frustration in my voice. “What I DO know is that you’ve got to start paying closer attention to what’s going on around you and more than just that doll.”

Chapter 4
The Teen Years
“Stop moving around and let me pin this up correctly.” Laurette spoke through an almost closed mouth except for several pins sticking out from it.
“I’m not moving.” Nina wiggled.
I lay on her bed going over chapter sixteen in my chemistry book. The test was going to be difficult, and I wanted to be ready for it. I didn’t glance up until the two of them fell into a fit of laughter. I’d seen this scene over and over except this time instead of playing dress up, Laurette was helping Nina get ready for some dance at our high school. It was her first one.
Laurette’s smile faded somewhat, and her eyes softened as she looked over at me. “You should be going to the dance too, Gina. You study so hard. It’s okay to have fun every now and again.”
I shrugged. “No thank you. I’m good. That’s one rite of passage I can skip.” I turned the page in my book and continued to read the words in front of me. I wasn’t even remotely interested in going to that dance.
Laurette’s heavily accented voice broke through my thoughts. “There—all finished. Turn around for me.”
Nina twirled around and around in a circle. She wore her hair bone straight now. I guessed in an attempt to fit in with the other girls at school. I hated it. Still, she was a beautiful vision. Her soft skin against the wine-colored dress was breathtaking. It was form fitted and flared out at the bottom like a mermaid.
Laurette clasped her hands together and brought them to a spot on her chest near her heart. When she spoke, her voice was thick. “You are stunning. You will have all the boys dying for a dance.”
I snorted. “Right. Dying. I’m sure that’s exactly what will happen if anyone other than cousin Joseph tries to dance with you.”
“Gina!” Laurette turned angry eyes on her. “Why would you say such a thing?”
“Why is everyone looking at me like I’m crazy? We all know Chang can do some heinous shit.”
“Uggghh. I hate when you’re like this, Gina! You’re always so negative. You’re just jealous that I’m going to have a great time hanging out with my friends, and you’ll have your book for company.”
I sat up pissed. “Are you kidding me? Jealous. . . of what? Those people aren’t your friends. They smile in your face and talk about our black asses behind your back. Guess what? You straightening your hair isn’t going to change that fact. I might be a lot of things, but I promise you I’m absolutely not jealous! I have no desire to spend my time with superficial idiots.”
Laurette snapped her head around, and her sharp intake of breath at my words meant I’d probably gone too far. The next thing I knew I saw stars. Laurette had never raised her hand to me and was always the one who intervened when Chang did, but not today. Today, she’d smacked me hard in the mouth.
“Gina! So, we’re cursing and being disrespectful now? Watch your mouth and you better apologize to your sister!”
My hand immediately went to my face. Shocked didn’t even begin to describe what I was feeling.
Nina’s eyes went wide, and her mouth formed a perfectly shaped O. She was just as surprised as I was.
My eyes teared up. “Apologize? For what? Telling the truth?” I was devastated that Laurette would lay a hand on me, but I held those tears back. “Nina needs to pull her head out of her ass, yes, I said ASS and get a clue. She’s almost seventeen years old!”
Laurette wasn’t backing down. “I said, apologize right noooow young lady!”
I wasn’t backing down either. I slammed my book closed, because there was no way an apology was coming out of me. She hurt me, and I wanted to hurt her too. “I will not, and you can’t make me! If I understand finances correctly, Chang pays your salary, and you are not my mother . . . you’re just the damn maid.”
The color on Laurette’s face drained away. She turned ashen, and I immediately regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth, but my pride wouldn’t allow me to apologize. I got up and left the room.
*****
That evening, I was alone in the house except for our staff. Nina hadn’t made it back from the dance yet, and Chang was still overseas on a business trip. He was always gone.
What little conscience I had was bothering me. I needed to apologize to Laurette. I’d never been so disrespectful to her and honestly didn’t know what had gotten into me. After huffing and puffing about it and losing the internal battle, I finally crept down the stairs to find her in the library curled up in a chair by the fireplace reading a book. She was probably waiting for