Raelynn
"You did what?!" I almost choke on my matcha drink that I picked up on the way to her house as I look up at her.
"Well what? He deserved it," Stella stares at me with her innocent doe eyes and just shrugs it off like he isn't the worst type of guy to get into these stuff with. Not that I'd question the past.
"You give me a speech on Aiden for 20 minutes and then go home and slap his best friend and pretend that it's nothing?! And look at me. I ain't givin' you no speech," I blur out in my bossy voice.
"Rae... you BROKE HIS NOSE. It's different!" she states like it's disparate. Well, not to me. Physical attempts are simply physical attempts.
"I see no difference," I say sassily as I sip my matcha tea. Why does it taste so sour? I always take my drinks from that shop. Maybe it's this 'Aiden and Jacob comparability on who got more hurt' that ruins my appetite. But I make a mental note to confront the vendor the next day I go anyway.
She buries her face in her hands and gives out a defeated sigh. "And on the contrary, I heard from my infirmary spy that his nose didn't even break that much. It was just a tissue that cracked and it's gonna be fully okay within a week- I mean it already looks almost normal so DON'T give me that side eye every time Aiden enters the convo," I add in a matter-of-fact tone.
- Infirmary... spy? What the hell is that supposed to mean?
- Oh it was just Jessica who got hurt during her cheerleading practices and ended up being there at the same time as Anderson and basically eavesdropped the entire conversation between Dr. Sam and him. And her knowing how much I hate him and 'hey! girls support girls! yay!' she told me the entire thing.
And for the first time I stepped into her house, I get a tiny bit appreciated by her. I'm sitting in Stella's cozy living room surrounded by simple antique decor and high tinted glass windows. The walls having vintage posters and arts all over it just makes it even more cozy. I swear to god I feel sleepy every time I step into her house.
Today is our usual meet-up Sunday and I decided to make it a feel good home-spa day with all DIY masks and facials, mani-pedis, our favorite movies, food and music. To basically give our minds a much needed rest from the previous calamitous days. Her mother would leave sometimes later and we'd have the whole house to ourselves considering her father's went on a business trip to Europe just today morning and her brother's in med school.
I'm still telling her the list of movies I selected when the doorbell rings. Stella is standing up when her mother shouts from the other room "Honey, can you open the door? It must be Jacob."
What. The. Hell.
She freezes midway and stares at me in horror. She never told me they'd be here and considering her reaction, she didn't know it as well. Well, maybe he just came to deliver something, knowing their families are close, right? Or maybe it's something important he had to tell Stella's mother? It can't be about him barging in on murdering Stella from their last night interaction when her mother clearly knew about him coming today. 2 minutes passed. Another ring.
"I'll go," I say and walk towards the door. I open the door and see the devil himself.
But wait, who's that behin- FUCK NO. Nonononono. With that satiny light hair, it won't even take me 5 seconds to identify him. Out of every person I had the probability to see with Jacob right now, I have to meet the guy I just broke the nose of - what like a day ago?! Looks like god has taken me as his pawn in the chess today. But they're gonna go away right? It's not like they're going to stay.
Why am I worrying? Stop panicking, Raelynn.
"Are you going to let us enter or wh-" Jacob starts with that cold voice when he's interrupted by Stella's mother all grinning and happily inviting them in.
I cannot but notice he immediately plasters his face with a huge smile when Mrs. Suzette arrives in front of us.
So does Anderson. Hahaha.
"Oh! I see you brought Aiden too! That's amazing, seems like I won't have to worry while I'm away," Mrs. Suzette says beaming with joy.
What the fuck does she mean?
"Mom?" I see Stella stride beside me trying to compose herself and avoiding Jacob's gaze.
"Oh, yes Stella darling! I have to leave in 10 minutes and I'll be back by tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, Jacob and Aiden are going to stay with you girls. Can't believe what I'm hearing on the neighborhood these days, do you know that Mrs. Gonzalez's husband got a hit to his head last night and got robbed? He had a serious concussion, still in hospital! I didn't want to leave you girls alone just after an incident like that but oh well, your grandma's really sick and I've got some urgent business to sort out in Claremont, so I can't but go but look at the bright side, all 4 of you are together! Ah, I remember my teen years, so yes excuse me, I've got some packing left to do," she hurriedly finishes and before Stella can say all the possible reasons on how we're, oh, 'big girls' now and can take care of ourselves, her mother is out of sight marching up the staircases.
Oh, I'm doomed.
By the way Mrs. Suzette, the 4 of us indeed have a lot of memories, but the thing is they are... unfortunately similar to the incident of Mr. Gonzalez and the said intruder/murderer/kidnapper/robber. Well, shit.
Stella and I exchange glances and I don't dare look at Aiden. Part of me feels guilty for hitting him and then the other part of me gives me all the reasons I should've hit him. I'm torn apart between my feelings.
After her mom leaves, me and Stella hurry off to her room leaving the boys downstairs and shut the door.
"I can't believe my mom asked Jacob to what- babysit me?! I'm not twelve!" she screams just like she's 12.
"Well, that doesn't stop us from having the best spa day ever. Come on, which movie do you want? And we can work while watching," I say taking the remote from her bed and switching to Netflix. Well it's not like my mind is not going crazy mad right now, but what can I do?
- I don't know... The Notebook?
- Ah always that. Classic.
I turn up the volume and we get on working to make our face masks. It doesn't matter that the two people we hate the most are downstairs. Me and Stella can transform anything into a fun night when it's us.
It's almost midnight when we're all done with spa and everything. Fortunately, we weren't interrupted in our work a single time by the 2 devils who are supposedly downstairs. We're just blasting music and dancing with all we have and right then, the power suddenly goes out.
"It's probably just the normal outage, let's wait for some minutes," Stella mumbles. But we wait for 10 minutes and the power still doesn't come.
"Ugh you know what, let's go downstairs and I'll check the fusebox. Maybe it's a short circuit," Stella loses her patience and I follow her lead downstairs in the dark. The only light was the ones that came from our phone. I look around for the guys but they're nowhere to be seen. Maybe they're in Stella's brother's room. That should be the least of my worries.
I stop behind her at the garage checking my phone while she inspects the box. But then something happens. What- It happens so fast that I hardly get the chance to make a noise.
Someone covers my mouth with hands and lifts me up and drags me behind with him... or her. I try to make a noise with my feet but it's too damn low for me, that person's basically carrying me from behind. GOD. I can hear my muffled screams. Oh no. Is this person the one who hit and robbed Mr. Gonzalez who is now half-dead? FUCK. Am I going to die tonight? What. No. NO WAY. This can't be happening. I- I can't even think properly for god's sake! Whoever this is knows the house well.
Has he been stalking the house for a long time? Fucking hell.
He's taking me to Stella's now abandoned art gallery where she hung all her pictures.
GODDAMMIT.
Someone sits me in a seat in the middle of that room. Exactly like I thought where this person would take me. I don't even bother screaming because this room is fucking sound proof. It was the previous owner's office and he didn't want his precious daughters to hear his yelling and shoutings with the clients but fuck that. I don't even get time to get up and throw my hands when two hands from each side tighten my hand with the rope attached to the chair. Oh gods. There's two of them. But why do their hands look so- familiar?
And just as the lights come back, the two figures finally come to my view. What. Is. Going. On.
"Seemed familiar?" that sugar coated voice- except it's not that sugar coated anymore but amazingly devilish says and it's Aiden fucking Anderson and none other than Jacob Grayson.
"Get me out!" I yell at him and I see Jacob snort beside him. Asshole. Atleast I won't get killed today but really I shouldn't rule that out so easily when I just physically assaulted him a day ago.
"Not that easily. This is just a little warning for you, Skylar. A small snippet of the things I can do if you do against what I tell you to. Simple." This bastard.
"Warning for what exactly? I really should've broken your nose wholly and beyond repair that day." Actually, I really do regret it right now. It's gonna be moments before Stella realizes I'm missing. And she'll be going nuts.
"Shut up, you and your sassy talks," he says as he takes a step towards me. He squats down with his elbows resting on his knees so that he can directly look at me with those shitty emerald eyes. But there's no warmth in them. Only darkness.
"You. Don't even think about coming close to me or my friends. Or in that matter, even fucking looking at us. And if I get your hands on my body a single more time, which looks like you can't really help, I'll let the whole school know about your beautiful, sweet past." He tilts his head at me like a dog, but in reality he's a fucking wolf right now. A furious hungry wolf. For the first time tonight, I'm a bit shaken by him. That incident... Fuck No. No one can know about that.
"You're not gonna do that," my voice freaking cracks on the last word.
"You've no idea about the things I could do," he says lifting my chin up to his eyes.
"Fuck off! You had no right tearing my book! At least I had a purpose for my actions!"
Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.
"Consider that as a sweet gesture." He smirks and I'm on the verge of breaking down at the reminder of my past. But I mask my impression to a disgusted and hatred one. I'm pretty good at that since... well the incidents. I put all my emotions in a little corner of my brain and try to act tough.
Aiden stands up and starts walking to the back door without giving me one fucking glance. Without knowing how much he broke me with only that one word: Past.
Jacob unties my hands with an absolutely uninterested expression while Aiden gets out by the back door. I have half the urge to run after him and rip his heart to pieces. I could even punch Jacob the same way now. But I don't have any energy. It's like Aiden drained all of it with just that awful word. Inch by inch.
They exit the room and don't utter a single more word. I open the door and the second I'm in the view of the living room, I spot Stella frantically searching for... well, me. She sighs with relief, with teary eyes and runs towards me and the moment she's there holding me, I break down at her arms.
Just like I have hundreds of times before.
___
Please do vote and comment, it means a lot! Also, for character aesthetic reels and light scene spoilers, check out my Instagram @wrxlerain
Thanks for reading <3