Shannon flips her bleach-blonde hair over one shoulder. “I’ll invite our next-door neighbor myself. The motorcycle guy.”
My dad wipes his face with a napkin while pinning Shannon with a stare, then tosses the napkin on his plate before standing and heading toward his office. “Yeah. Sure.”
“I’m sure he’ll love attending a pretentious barbecue, Shannon,” I say while trying not to roll my eyes.
“Oh, I’m sure he will,” Shannon replies with a wry smile.
Good luck, Neighbor.
CHAPTER 3
JESSI
Rachel nudges me in the school hallway and raises her eyebrows. “Rumor is you’re having a birthday party. So, do I get an invite? We have to celebrate your birthday! Besides, I hear everyone is going.”
Rachel is the one friend I’ve made over the last month since moving here. She’s fun to hang out with, but I know deep down that her main motive for befriending me is to have a direct line to Austin. It bothered me at first, but now I’m used to it—as long as she acts like my friend most of the time we’re together.
Austin, of course, had no problem fitting in or becoming a star football player on the varsity team. Everyone worships him, and all the girls want to date him. But he never commits to one girl. Instead, he fools around with whoever he wants—and by fools around, I mean fucks around. The guy probably has every STI known to man by this point.
I can acknowledge that some people would find my stepbrother attractive, even though his attitude, behavior, and the fact that he is now related to me make it hard for me to see. He is six feet tall, 220 pounds, and built like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. A god among teenagers. His wavy blond hair, hazel eyes, and washboard abs add to the persona. And peopleeat it up. I swear he spends more time on his hair and outfits than he does in the gym, and that’s saying something. I’ll never understand the girls who worship the ground he walks on and serve themselves up on a platter with the delusion that they will be the one to lock him down.
Rachel will use any excuse when we hang out to be around Austin. Some people might hate getting used like that, but I don’t. Mostly because she does hang out with me when we’re together too. And one friend is better than none.
Austin has made it almost impossible for me to have a social life, and even more impossible to find a boyfriend. Whenever anyone shows interest, Austin threatens him within an inch of his life to stay clear of me. After the last month of him spreading rumors and making fun of me, most people would rather stay away from me than handle any heat from him.
“Rachel, you know I don’t like parties, especially one where I’ll be the center of attention. I haven’t invited anyone either. Shannon and Austin have been doing all of that. I would skip it entirely if I could.”
She pouts. “Jessi, come on. All of your dad’s friends and their rich, successful, hot sons will be with them. Don’t you ever want to get laid? I do.”
I wrinkle my nose at her. “Um, no, Rachel. I don’t want to lose my virginity to some random hot guy I don’t know. I would hope you feel the same.” I narrow my gaze and continue walking down the hall.
She trots next to me. “What about David? You know David has had his eye on you since you showed up here. Girls would kill to be you, having David drooling over them. You know him. And he’s hot. Perfect virginity-taker for you.”
I choke. “David’s a man whore.”
“He’s a man whore because he can’t get you to date him.”
“I would end up being another conquest for him, and I’m not interested. I don’t see the appeal in guys who think they’re gods. They peak in high school and at best end up working for the kids they treated like shit. David and Austin are going to end up in jail if they’re not careful. They’re selling pills at parties, and I overheard them talking about using David’s computer skills to hack into cameras. I’m not into any of it, and neither should you be.”
Rachel’s face falls. “You always kill the fun. Let’s live a little. It’s our senior year!”
“Fine. You can come to the party, but I don’t want to hear a word about David again. I don’t like his ego, his drug dealing, or anything to do with him.”
“Yes! Thank you!” Rachel jumps, claps, and runs off.
Fuck my life. I better not regret this.
CHAPTER 4
JESSI
“Ilook hot as hell in this dress, don’t I?” Rachel says after spending the last two hours getting ready. She’ll never admit that she wants Austin’s attention, probably out of fear that I wouldn’t hang out with her anymore—but I see through her front. What she doesn’t know is that I’m in the same camp. If I call her out, I run the risk of losing my only friend. Therefore, both of us will keep pretending.
She really is pretty, in a seductive way. Her red hair corkscrews down her back in dizzying curls, and her cleavage heaves out of her shirt. I think she’s trying too hard. No amount of primping will get Austin to date her.
Still, I beam, embracing my role as her supportive friend. “You’re beautiful.”
She smirks. “Well, you look hot as hell too.”
