Sophia's P.O.V.
The shopping trip wasn't as dreadful as I had feared. No one lost a limb, so that was a definite plus side to it. Nicolas tagged along, despite the deep-seated hate he had for shopping malls all over America. "This could've been a park," he said while strolling through the mall, pointing at random things and saying how it could've been a swing, a pond. The list went on for forever.
Brooklyn rolled her eyes as he went on and on about the inhumanity in our society and how humans ruined nature. We were inside of a clothing store now, searching through the different tops and skirts they had.
"Do you think this would look good on me?" Brooklyn asked, flatting a sheer white blouse against her chest. "It's cute."
"It's a little risky," I said with raised eyebrows. "You'd have to wear a tank-top underneath."
"I know. I'm going to, but do you think it'll look good with the white platforms I have? I want something that matches the shoes I got."
"It'll look nice." I nodded and handed her a long black skirt. "You could add this to the outfit."
Brooklyn titled her head, puzzled. "Are you blind? I wouldn't wear that unless I'm going to some funeral."
"Oh, uh—" I stammered, quickly I reached for the denim skirt I had seen earlier. I thought it was cute. "How about this?"
"That's the ugliest thing I've ever seen," she giggled, moving over to the next rack. "You can wear that if you want though. It goes with your style anyway."
Brooklyn walked to the other side of the store, looking at the dresses they had. Nicolas rested his hand on my shoulder. "I don't get how you haven't punched her yet."
"She's your cousin," I reminded him. "Don't say stuff like that."
"Yeah, and as her cousin I can say I'd punch her right in the nose if she talked to me like that," he said without a hint of regret in his tone.
"Nicolas, you know Brooklyn more than I do. She's always like this. It doesn't matter if we're fighting over what to watch or fighting over clothes, she finds humor in making fun of people." I shrugged and started to look through the rack of tops in front of me. "It's not something I should take to heart."
"But it is," he said. "You need to tell her."
I sighed deeply. "You're always telling what I need to do. That I need to tell Remy about how I feel. That I need to tell Brooklyn about what I think. Do you want to have my life?"
He paused to ponder on the thought. "Hmm, I think I could get more things in life if I had boobs. Free drinks, free food. Why not? Give me your life."
I suppressed a chuckle. "My life isn't full of free things. You think being a girl is easy."
"Yes, it is easy," he challenged. "Besides periods and pushing a baby through your cave, you have it made."
"Cave? It's not a cave," I chuckled uncontrollably.
"That's what I've always called them. The actual word is too clinical."
"How do you expect having a girlfriend if you—" I stopped myself, remembering that Nicolas wasn't going to have a girlfriend anytime soon. "Oh, right. I forgot."
After Nicolas had found out about Remy and I, I had felt drained once I answered his questions about us. He could visibly see how vulnerable I'd felt and he had revealed to me that the girl he always talks about named "Hannah" was actually named "Hank" and that he was his boyfriend. Brooklyn didn't know about it so we kept that secret between the two of us.
It was a pretty good deal. A secret for a secret.
Since I entered college, I've grown closer with Nicolas. Brooklyn and I have drifted apart, unintentionally. I was a little afraid that it would get worse. Brooklyn was one my oldest friends and I would hate to have something rip us apart.
•••
By three o'clock, we were done with all of the shopping for the day and we decided to grab something to eat at the food court. Brooklyn bought the sheer blouse and a pale white skirt, matching her shoes. She'd be in all white for the party. I, on the other hand, bought high-waist jeans to go with one of my crop-tops I had at home.
Brooklyn said I was "playing it safe" over and over again, until Nicolas promptly told her to shut-up. Nicolas was the only one who could talk to her like that since they grew up together.
"You're lucky I love you," Brooklyn said while sending him daggers with her eyes. Her hard frown suddenly softened when a small cluster of people walked past our table. I followed her mesmerized gaze and found Conner Blackwell and his friends, walking up to a table across ours.
"Hey Conner," Brooklyn breathed.
Conner looked at who had spoken, but he turned back to his friends just as quickly and continued to laugh at whatever story they were sharing. His arm wrapped around a girl's shoulder and he pulled her in close.
I gazed at the girl for a moment, wondering if I'd ever seen her before. She had dusky brown skin, long black silky hair that went far past her tail bone. If I had to guess, I would say she was of South Asian descent.
"Who's that?" I whispered.
Brooklyn gulped. "I don't know, but she's glared at me really hard just then." She instantly dropped her eyes to the table, digging her long nails into the plastic coiled around the edges.
Disappointment graced Brooklyn's face when they sat down at a table. For the next couple of minutes, she stared at them as they ate their food. She couldn't take it for long though. Eventually, she got up from the table and excuse herself to the restroom.
I nudged Nicolas. "How long should I wait before going after her?"
"She walked into the unisex restroom. I think she'd want me to go." He threw his napkin down on the table and went in the same direction his cousin had gone.
If you didn't already know the 4-1-1 on Conner Blackwell and his family, I'll tell you. I went to school with him from Kindergarten to 8th grade. His father was friends with my dad before my mom kicked him out. They were good pals for the most part. After my dad left, Conner's dad moved his family from Los Angeles to San Francisco around the same time. I didn't see Conner again until freshman orientation at Lincoln University.
When I ran into him on Move-In day incoming Freshman, Conner and one of his friends were kind enough to help me bring in a few things into my dorm room. My mom wasn't able to make it, so I was left alone to tend to my luggage and room decor until they arrived.
In the past, his mom had tried to reunite the two families when they moved back to L.A. but my mom kept rescheduling it and pushing it off. She preferred to think my dad was never involved in our lives because of Rio's accident. Any reminder of my father was completely off limits.
Conner and I weren't necessarily friends while growing up, but our parents did like to force us to hang out. They would do whatever business work they had in the living room and they'd usher us into the backyard, telling us to "get to know each other." It was painfully awkward, to say the least.
Because of that, I didn't expect him to say anything to me in the food court. Nicolas wasn't done talking Brooklyn out of the restroom so I went up to the soda fountain to get a refill. While pulling the top off, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I glanced over at whoever had touched me—and to my surprise and dismay, it was Conner. "Um, hey."
"Hey." His bright eyes settled on me with such intensity. I purposely looked away. I didn't understand how Brooklyn could spend so much staring at him and not feel intimidated by his mincing gaze. It came off so effortlessly that I didn't think he knew what he was doing.
"What's up?" I questioned and pressed the button for a diet coke.
"I was going to tell you this earlier..." he trailed off.
I twisted around when he wouldn't get to the point. "Yeah? About what?"
"Your friend."
"Brooklyn?" I guessed. A leap of hope sprouted in my heart.
"I don't know her fucking name," he said bluntly. "It's that weird girl who keeps staring at me and my friends. Can you tell her to stop? I didn't want to walk up here and tell you this, but she's really pissing off my girlfriend."
He motioned to the table. One of the girls watched us with a permanent scowl. I recognized her as a Junior named Kelsey Jacobson. I only knew a couple of things about her, and none of them were good things.
There were only rumors about Conner doing bad things, but there were actual police reports to support the fact that Kelsey could rip someone's throat out if she wanted to. She had gotten into a lot of physical fights at parties and was notoriously known for her short-temper.
I gulped. If she had known they were together, Brooklyn would've hidden her crush a lot more. "I didn't know you were dating Kelsey."
"I didn't know I had to tell you if I started dating someone," he scoffed and started to walk backwards to his table. I was hoping he'd trip and fall. "Just tell your friend to stop being a creep."
He turned back around and nearly ran into Brooklyn. Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. The look on her face told me she had heard him call her a creep. She bit the insides of her cheek and rushed to our table, picked up her things and headed for the door.
"I'll wait for you guys in the car," she said before going to the exit.
Conner's table burst in laughter, high-fiving Conner and patting him on the back for making Brooklyn storm out with tears streaming down her face. They called her every name in book without knowing a single thing about her. That sight alone had compelled me to run up to them.
"Sophia." Nicolas grabbed my arm, stopping me. "Don't even think about doing it unless you want to be on the side of a milk carton."
"They're laughing at her," I grumbled. "We have to say something."
"Would Brooklyn walk up to them if they were talking badly about us?" He didn't wait for my response. "No, she wouldn't. Knowing her, she'd probably laugh along with them and join in."
"That's not true," I said without conviction and pulled against his hold on me, but he had a good grip.
"You're not going to get us shanked in the middle of a damn mall, Sophia. I'm too pretty to die."
I rolled my eyes. "You're so self-centered."
He shrugged. "I never said I wasn't."
We collected our things and went to my car in the parking lot. Nicolas wasn't going to let me talk to Conner or his friends for laughing at Brooklyn. I had to ignore my nagging thoughts. A lot of me wanted to defend her, but there was a small portion that was grateful that I hadn't. Kelsey Jacobson looked like the kind of girl who would skin someone alive with a smile on her face.
•••
Nicolas didn't complain when he drove us to the Annenberg's lake house that weekend. Remy had called me earlier when I was getting ready, saying that he would be a little late and that he would meet me at the party. He seemed quite excited and not as nervous as I had expected.
Tonight I wanted Brooklyn to know about Remy and I. Originally, I was going to tell her in the car, but I figured it would be better if she saw for herself.
Nicolas' car was a lot nicer than my scrap of metal on wheels. That was the main reason why we had taken it to the lake, but after seeing the kind of luxury cars that lined up the street, I knew that his '84 BMW would stick out like a sore thumb. Alongside the Ferrari's and Porsche's, it looked like we were driving in a bucket.
"Why do I suddenly feel underdressed?" Brooklyn unclicked her seat belt and opened her door. Everyone was dressed in usual party clothes. Skirts, short dresses, and jeans. It was casual wear. I didn't understand what she was freaking out about.
"Stop buggin'," Nicolas said and turned his car off. "You look fine."
"Do you think Conner is going to be here?" she asked, but then shook her head. "I shouldn't care."
"I wouldn't be surprised if his girlfriend got invited," Nicolas told us. "Jacobson's are close family friends with the Annenberg's."
I already knew this bit of information about Kelsey. No one understood why she associated herself with dangerous people when she came from such a high-status family.
"Kelsey isn't his girlfriend," Brooklyn said through tight lips. "Don't call her that."
"Well it's not like you're his girlfriend," Nicolas stated and exited the car before Brooklyn could swing a punch at him.
My eyes remained on the house as I ducked out of the car and on to the front lawn. The fellow partygoers blurred past me as the nausea seemed more and more present in my body the closer I got to the house.
I want to go.
I want to go to this party.
I kept reminding myself. The more I thought it, the more it sounded like I was convincing myself that I was thrilled, not terrified.
Up until this moment, Reina Annenberg was the star of most of my nightmares, humiliating me in front of hundreds. She was known for her money and good looks. Having a good heart wasn't one of her qualities.
My guts went into knots while I scanned the people inside of the house, in search of Remy. He had just walked outside with his friends. I held Nicolas' arm and walked my two friends to where Remy was. There was a circle of his friends around him, rambling about some unknowing topic. They were hanging out near the lake with cups in their hands.
The smile on Remy's face dropped when we locked eyes. "You made it."
"Yeah, I did," I said and went to kiss him. Instead, he stretched out his hand and shook mine. I stepped back, muddled and taken aback.
"Aren't you going to introduce us, Sophia?" Nicolas spoke up in a stern voice and narrowed eyes. He didn't like Remy before this party, and Remy surely wasn't winning him over now with that handshake.
"Remy, this is Nicolas and Brooklyn," I said, gesturing to my two friends.
"That's Craig, Norman, and Brent," Remy named them, pointing at each of his friends.
"Nice to meet you," I said and waved at them. "Remy's my bo—"
"Biology partner," Remy added.
"What the fuck?" Nicolas blurted before I did.
What the fuck was the right thing to say, because that was what I was shouting at the moment. The last time I had a biology partner was in High School. "I don't have a biology class," I said. "Pretty soon I'm not going to have a boyfriend either."
My second statement was low enough for only Remy to hear me.
Brent, however, was close enough to catch on to what I said. He was smiling smugly at his cup.
"Is something funny?" I snapped.
His eyes shot up to mine. "Oh, nothing. I just thought I heard you say 'boyfriend' as if you were dating Remy."
"How is that funny?" Nicolas boomed.
I decided to rip the band-aid and say: "We are dating."
His small chuckle transformed into a full on laugh in the matter of two seconds.
"Why are you laughing?" I asked.
"No offense to you, but the only reason you'd be with him is to get your papers. You don't belong here."
I turned to look at Remy, but he was staring in the opposite direction, watching the lake. He didn't acknowledge the fact that his friend blatantly insulted me.
He couldn't even pretend to care.
"I was born in California." I defended myself. "And if I go back in my bloodline, I have ancestors who were actually born on this very land you're standing on. If there's anyone who doesn't belong, it's you."
My blood boiled the longer Brent stared at me. In that fraction of a second, I understood why people did violent things. The only thing I wanted to do was slaughter this guy for even questioning my feelings for Remy.
"Wow, you're English is a lot better than I thought it would be. Congrats." He mused with a drunken smile.
"That's messed up, Brent," Craig said. "She speaks English good."
"I speak English well," I corrected them.
"No, I think I'm right," Craig huffed.
"I actually know I'm right," I pressed on. I would've added on to my sentence, but a firm grip on my arm stopped me. Someone yanked me from the circle of people.
Remy excused us and took us to the other side of the lake. I fought against his hold on me. He let me go when we were far enough from our friends. We ended up on the boardwalk, glaring at each other under the pale moonlight.
"What the hell was that?" he sneered.
"What the hell was that?" I repeat his words with wide eyes. "That was me defending myself because my so-called boyfriend wouldn't. Did you expect me to just let them insult me?"
"They weren't insulting you."
"What the fuck was that then, Remy? They sure as hell weren't complimenting me."
His hand went up to his blond hair, combing it. "They're just getting used to the fact that I'm dating a—"
"Another human being." I supplied.
"You know what I mean," he said with a defeated gaze.
"It's not like your screwing a koala bear named Timmy. You're dating another living, breathing person. What's so hard to understand? Reina's dating Raj."
He shook his head. "Not anymore. My dad made them break-up. And they were never exclusive like us. I love my sister, but I don't think she's ever taken any relationship serious. She was dating two other guys at the same time."
Our argument was nowhere near complete or resolved. It was cut short as Brent and a huddle of people stalked over to where we were standing on the boardwalk. Reina was in the center, blinking at us with deep distain.
A different group of people were holding back Nicolas, pushing them back as he tried to go toward us. I was too far away to hear what Nicolas was trying to say to me, but he looked furious.
Remy moved himself in front me, blocking me from his sister. "What do you want?"
"I just want a little chat with your girlfriend." Reina said calmly and patted Brent's shoulder. "He just told me."
"Go back to the party," Remy told her.
She sidestepped around him and she instructed two boys to grab Remy.
"What's your name?"
"Uh, Sophia." I gulped. She motioned for me to say my last name. "Sophia Álvarez."
"That's a pretty name," she said and flicked one of my curls off my shoulder. "Where do you live?"
"On campus."
She puffed an airy laugh. "I mean your family."
"Why do you want to know?"
Her eyes closed for a brief moment. "Just answer the question."
"They live near Sulker Street."
The huddle of people found this amusing and so did Reina. "Okay, this is the last thing I have to ask."
"What is it?" I sighed.
"How good of a swimmer are you, Sophia?"
"I—" I started to say before she pushed me backwards.
Cold moisture slammed against my back as I fell into the lake.
If Reina would've waited for my answer, she would've learned that I didn't know how to swim.