I shivered slightly, and hugged myself, causing the clank of metal to reverberate throughout the room. I closed my eyes trying to forget the past night, but the conversation replayed in my head, forcing me to live through it again.

Simon met me outside that night, at our usual time and place. I could not meet his eyes, I was too full of the information I had learned about him. Before he could say so much as hello I said, rather bashfully, "I am sorry that I insulted you and your family last night."

"Oh, that’s okay –" Simon realized what he was saying. Recognition flashed across his face, I had trapped him. He was a member of the hierarchy.

Now I looked up at him, on the verge of tears. Why did this have to happen? The one nice boy I had met and he was born into the worst of families. How could this happen?

Does it matter? He’s nice to me.

Yes. It does.

To cover up my deep hurt I just started talking, not really knowing what I was saying, "So who owns me," I sneered, "you? Or is it your cousin? Your aunt? Your mother?" It was all too much. I was crying now, but I scarcely cared, "How could you? You pretended to like me, to care what I thought about things, making me act a fool. What were you really doing, research on slave behavior? Was I a good subject? Will your studying me make it a smoother transition for new slaves?" It was the first time I had included myself as a slave. “I trusted you,” I breathed.

“Please, Nye.” He sounded hurt. Lost. Good. He could not possibly feel a tenth of what I did. I was alone so utterly alone. Just like Teddy always said. I got up.

“Please Nye,” he repeated, “Just sit for a minute, let me explain. I just wanted you to get to know me first, before all of this.” What he meant was: If only I had known him longer, maybe I could forgive his ancestry.

“I trusted you, and you lied to me.” I said quietly, trying to calm down. Ineffective, but an attempt none the less.

“It’s not like you’ve been so open about your past.” He replied harshly, “Keith didn’t exactly break into the mayor’s house to pick you up.”

“What?” I gasped. How could he know? For a moment I was lost. Joel in a pool of blood, broken glass, the drugs, Teddy, – No. Not now. Not ever, if I could help it. I shook my head to clear it and realized I was tracing the burn on the inside of my arm, noticing Simon’s eyes I dropped my hands.

He sighed, "I am sorry I didn't tell you. I never actually lied to you, I just didn't tell you.” He traced the inside of his sneaker for as he spoke. “Look, I can't help how I was born. What I can say is that I really do like you and I certainly wasn’t studying you as an example of slave behavior.” He looked up, teasing, “You wouldn't have been a very good example for me to study, anyway."

I was not ready for teasing right then. I would never be ready for teasing again. I curled up into the fetal position, grabbing my knees and tucking my toes under me. I wept shamelessly into my nightshirt.

I found Simon's arms around me. My anger fizzled as I unreasonably cuddled into his arms. "I was actually starting to like you," I told him. But my voice sounded strange, childlike. I tried again, "I thought that you could be a good friend, I should have known that it was too good to be true.”

I wiped me nose with my nightshirt. “So who really does own me," I was all cried out, but I had to know, "you?" The answer on his face was enough for me, It was him, sure enough.

I felt a cold calmness, like ice sliding over me. It helped me think more clearly. Men were not to be trusted, I knew that. Even outside of his being in the hierarchy, I had gotten to close to him. I should look at this as an opportunity. False comforts would do me no good. I shrugged out of his arms and stood up. He followed suit.

"Listen," he started, "can't we go on as before? There was nothing wrong with our situation as it was." He was almost pleading.

A small piece of me pitied him, as much because he could not recognize that it was over as for anything else. "I don't see how. How could I have a discussion with you knowing that you’re my master? If I say something to upset you then maybe you'll beat me or cut out my tongue.” I said it calmly, explaining my reasoning, knowing whatever he said I had to stop this, and soon. “No, things cannot go on as before."

Simon brightened for a moment, "You are certainly saying things I don't want to hear right now. Do you notice me doing any of those things to you?" I had unwittingly opened up the floor for debate. It was the last thing I wanted to do.

I shook my head, my course was set, I had to get away. I had thought that I could bide me time here, playing slave, I was wrong. Although, my past held no great triumphs to return to, I had to leave here. I had to get away from this man. My mother’s voice cut through the confusion, the best way to end a situation quickly is to agree with the other party. Unbidden, my father’s response rose in my mind, especially if you never have to deal with what you agree to.

To my surprise, he beat me to that tactic. "You're right," he said. "We can't continue on like this.” I raised my eyebrows, this was not what I had expected. “Starting tomorrow you will come and live in my house and be tutored with the members of the family."

My head screamed, no. What in bloody hell was he thinking? He could not think that this would work. I took a breath to fight back my hysteria. "You are the master," I demurred.

His eyes turned to slate, angry. I was lucky he doesn’t have anything to throw at me. "Don't say that," he said, his voice breaking. Not angry, sad, I corrected. "I'm not the master," he was crying now, “not yet." He caught his breath, a deer in headlights.

"But you will be," I said bitterly. It made sense. Last night he had been far too willing to insult the mysterious heir. "You had better start getting used to people saying that to you." I cursed my lack of control. Now he would be suspicious of my plans. In truth, I hadn't made any real escape plans, but I knew that the guard was weak toward the Northwest side of the compound. I made up my mind, "I'm going to bed now."

He let me go. Not really what a slave master would do, but I ignored it.