Scarlet (complete)

Twenty two

Chapter name: picture perfect

Two days since that detention. Two days of people nagging at me and telling me to do better. Two day's of BULLSHIT.

"What...?" I looked at my father with a dumbfounded expression painted on my face. "You heard me." He responded, still angry from the detention I got. He was always acting different now. He shaved today, but other days he has stubble, like he let himself go, like he hasn't shaved in days. He never lets my brother and I in the room. His breath always smells like alcohol too. If he is drinking... I'm just hoping it isn't all the time. I don't know if I could handle it or not.... him being an alcoholic.

"This is what your mom wants. So we are taking it." Dad spoke about the family picture. "What about Bennett?" I asked, bringing up the fact that my brother is in jail and won't even be here to be in it. "He is in jail. So what?" He responded, shocking me. I stopped in my place after he said that. Does he not care?

He suddenly turned around and sighed, "It's not like that... he made his grave... now he has to lay in it." He responded, quoting the line every movie and tv show has. "And how did the gang not get caught?" I questioned, crossing my arms over my chest with an irritated look overtaking my face. "We have Zander and Bee for that." He responded, rolling his eyes at me. "Why couldn't they get Bennett out?" I asked. If they are so good they could've hacked the computer and gotten Bennett out... or something.

"Please just go annoy Dakota." My father told me with a stern tone, warning me to back off. "Whatever dad." I turned around and walked out of his office, leaving him there to fill out paperwork. We take a family picture every two years. We have always done it. But... without Bennett it seems weird... wrong. He should be here.

"Dakota..." I was faced with a Dakota about to walk into my dads office. "What are you doing?" I asked him. "He called me to his office earlier...." Dakota replied in an awkward tone. "So there's no time for a hookup?" I teased, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He smirked at me. My eyebrows went up as I felt his hands reach around and firmly place themselves on my ass, he used his body to press me against the wall, moving one of his hands down my leg to lift it up a bit. "If there was you'd already be screaming." He whispered in my ear, slightly arousing me.

"You two literally had sex three days ago. Untangle yourselves." Naomi stood beside us, her hands on her hips, letting us know she wasn't playing around. "We just wanted another go." I playfully told her, one of Dakotas hand still squeezing my ass as the other still has my leg lifted up, my arms still around his neck. "Get. Off." She demanded. I sighed and we untangled like she wanted. "Ok well I'll be in the office." Dakota casually says, leaving is there as he walks into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Now we need to go get your dress." Naomi told me as she took my arm and led me down the hall towards my room. "Why would I even need to get dressed up for this?" I asked her stupidly. "You do this every year apparently. I've seen so many pictures of you and your family." She replied rolling her eyes at me.

She dragged me into my room and immediately went to my closet. I sat on my bed, listening to her go through my clothes, pushing some out of the way, making the metal hangers ding. "Having fun in there?" I asked her, picking Cocoa up and setting her in my lap.

"Very much so." Naomi answered. She reminds me of what my mom used to do. Every morning for school or whatever event we had to go to. My mom would be in my closet looking for something to put on me.

I played with my dog as she pulled out a long blue dress for me that I didn't even know I had. "Woah woah woah." I stood up, placing my dog on the bed as I backed away from her. "You know I don't do fancy!" I complained. I picked cocoa up and extended her out towards Naomi. "Get her!" I ordered the three month old puppy. She just... was there. Being held. Not even attacking. "Attack Naomi!" I told Cocoa, bringing her closer to Naomi. Still nothing.

"Ok stop playing and put the dress on." Naomi put the dress on my bed and crossed her arms. "Did mom put you up to this?" I glared at her, bringing Cocoa to my chest. "Maybe. Maybe not." Naomi smirk. That was a full giveaway that my mom put her up to this. Great. Now I have a bone to pick with my mom.

I sat cocoa down so she'd stop chewing on my hair and sighed, complying to Naomi.

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Now everything is ready. My hair was curled, the fancy dress was tight around my body, the makeup felt disgusting on my face. Everything is picture perfect. We stood in the room where we would be doing it in. Mom, dad, Oliver, Dakota, Naomi, and myself. Dakota and Naomi werent the ones going to be in the picture, they are just forced to follow me everywhere I go. Especially since I took my own car here, and brought extra clothes for me to change into.

I sat a chair in front of the camera as the photographer positioned himself behind it. "Ok now turn to the side, put your back straighter, and get your hair off of your shoulders." He directed. I did as I was told. Oliver and my parents were all standing up as I had to sit down. Talk about bullshit.

"Ok now... 3...2...1..." He counted down then there was a blinding flash taking over my vision. I closed my eyes for a second and then immediately opened them again, continuing to be blinded by the flash.

"Ok thats all the photos we need." The photographer smiled at us. I sighed, relieved that I don't have to take anymore pictures. "Hey Dakota can you go get my clothes and my makeup wipes?" I asked him, tossing him my keys. He nodded and he left the room. "Where are you going?" Mom asked me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"I have a job. My team has a job." I explained. The job was working the club but I wasn't going to tell her that part. Dad told me not to. She nodded and took her hand off my shoulder.

I smiled as Dakota came back in with my outfit and makeup wipes. "Thanks." I smiled as I took the items from his hands. "I'm surprised you're actually wearing something like that." Dakota glanced at the outfit I had picked out. "Why?" I asked, lifting my eyebrow up. "Because there's lots of pervs there." He replied, shaking his head. I shrugged and smiled at him, knowing that I could beat anyone's ass if they touched me.