After dinner, my dad rounds up all the guys for washing dishes and kitchen cleanup and my mom and Gigi go out on the deck, leaving Kara and me alone. I chew on my bottom lip and shoot a cautious glance her way. I blow out a breath and ask, “Um, do you want to go to my room?”
She lifts an elegant shoulder in a non-committal gesture but says, “Sure.”
I lead her to my room nervously. She looks around at the band posters and art print replicas on my walls, runs her finger over the books on my shelves, and then finally turns back to me. She scans me from head to toe and sighs.
“I’m sorry, I don’t think we can be friends.”
My brow furrows and I cross my arms. “Why not?”
She sits down on my bed and crosses one leg over the other at the knee, making her pants hang straight. Her non-wrinkled pants. How the heck can anyone wear linen pants and not get wrinkles from sitting in them?
“You’re just too… nice.” When I look at her in confusion, she elaborates. “You’re like a Pollyanna, a Mary Sue.”
I gasp in outrage and throw a hand to my chest, demanding, “You take that back!”
A small smirk forms on her lips so I scowl and say, “Bitch.” It comes out high-pitched and kind of snobbish.
She shakes her head sadly and twirls her finger in a circle.
“I don’t know what that means.”
“It means, try again, Mary Sue.”
I roll my eyes up to the ceiling and dig deeper, finally hitting her with, “Bitch!”
Amusement dances in her eyes. “Better… if you were a fabulous gay man at brunch.” She waves a hand to the armchair, inviting me to sit. “It’s fine. We’ll work on it.”
I move to the chair but halfway there, realize she’s inviting me to sit in my own damn room. I also remember who I am and come to a stop, turning to her.
“We won’t. This is who I am. I like being a nice person, and I’m not going to change that for you or for anyone. So…” I point to the door, “If that means we can’t be friends, you can go.”
She cocks her head to the side as the first real smile I’ve seen from her spreads across her face and what I think is a look of approval in her eyes. She pulls a cell phone from her pocket and opens the note app.
“Do you know someone named Leslie? Apparently, she’s been stalking my brother and I’m going to ruin her life. Care to help me with that… nice girl?”
I drop into the armchair and nod my head because I might be a nice girl, but I’m not a freaking saint.
“Leslie peaked in high school and she gives major Regina George vibes. Let me show you her Instagram.”
We lean our heads together over her phone and by the end of the night, I’m equally terrified of her evil ways and half in love with her. I hope I get to keep her.
Chapter 9 - Julian
I sink the eight ball with a smirk, catching the second win in a row. Atlas curses good-naturedly and hands off his cue stick to Gage for the next challenge as Torrin and Mars trash-talk his poor pool skills. Reid sits at the closest high-top table where our jug of beer and glasses wait, scribbling in his journal. He’s not much for pool but he enjoys just being with all of us when we go out like this. I head his way as Gage racks up the balls for the next game and lean on an elbow next to his journal.
“Making any progress?”
He looks up and blinks at me through his dark wire-rimmed glasses, coming out of his fog of creativity, grinning.
“Yeah, I think I figured out the chorus. Will you take a look at it later?”
“Of course, but I already know it’ll be a winner just from what you’ve told me so far.”
His amber eyes soften at my praise. He’s a puppy like that. Reid deserves all the encouragement and support. He’s had a hard life with shitty parents. His mother in particular is one ofthe world’s biggest cunts. She gets off on tearing him down with her constant criticism and the sharp barbs she throws his way. I’d love to stab that bitch. Especially after what went down when Reid and I were thirteen.
My own parents, who happen to be best friends with his, aren’t much better, but their brand of abuse falls more under the neglect and indifference category. Vapid, self-centered narcissists with an obscene amount of inherited oil wealth that should never have had children, describe our parents to a tee.
I’ve been watching over and protecting Reid for as long as I can remember and I don’t see that changing anytime in the future. He’s more than my best friend, he’s mine. Mine in a way I can’t even explain. All I know is he’s the most important person in the world to me. Reid has a beautiful, delicate soul that needs to be protected from life’s cruelties, and it’s my job to act as his shield to make sure that happens.
