Chapter 4
Not for the first time this week I was awoken by a flash of light.
"Seriously?" I mumbled with my eyes still shut.
There was another flash. This time I forced my eyes open.
"Okay, I'm awake!"
Cole was laughing wildly as he stared at the camera screen.
"Even twice, this is still hilarious!" He exclaimed with the happiness of a 3 year-old receiving candy.
"Where the hell am I?" I asked, finally noticing that I wasn't by the pool anymore.
"My room, hence the name on the wall," He replied casually; pointing at the wall to his right. Sure enough, his name was imprinted on the wall in a thick, black font that directly contrasted the bedroom's white and blue theme.
"And how exactly did I get here?"
"Why, I carried you here of course."
"You what?"
"I carried-"
"I know, I heard you... But... no... how?"
"Well, if you really need to know. I just kind of-"
"Not literally... I mean, wasn't I heavy..."
"No such thing!" He shouted; dramatically flinging his arms in the air.
I stopped talking and just stared at the ceiling. I thought about asking him what time it was but noticed that he had an alarm clock on his bedside table that displayed the digits 15:47. I had been asleep for three hours!
"What did you do after you brought me here?" I asked
"I slept some more." He replied.
"Oh..."
I was still wearing my black bikini top and blue mini-board-shorts. I wasn't surprised when I found that his bed was damp from my swim suit and moved to get up. I crossed the room and opened what I guessed was the door that would lead me into a hallway and not his bathroom.
"I want a sandwich. Let's go." I said half-way through the exit.
Cole chuckled and followed me down the hall.
"How do you already know your way around this place? You've only been here twice," He asked.
"I don't." I replied with a smile.
We continued walking down the never-ending hallway until the staircase came into view. It was split down the middle where two different stairways descended into a spacious foyer.
After another five minutes, and a hell of a lot of wrong-turns, we walked into the kitchen. I'm sure you're wondering why Cole didn't just tell me where to go but I guessed it was because he enjoyed seeing me make so many mistakes and it was a good way to waste time.
He grabbed the bread from a counter as I opened the fridge and scavenged for some fillings. Another thing I learned about rich people: they always had a fully stocked fridge.
"You like mayo?" I asked him.
"Fuck no," He replied, clearly disgusted. "Why, do you?"
"I don't even know why it was created. Tastes like shit."
I continued gathering a random assortment of fillings: tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, ketchup (you never know) and some ham and chicken slices. We arranged the items on the island and I started picking out the fillings that I wanted.
"Your mum know you're here?" He asked me.
"Ya. I know she has this thing against me and boys so I just said I wasn't the only person coming." I shrugged and took a bite out of my sandwich. I noticed that Cole had gone back to the fridge and pulled out a yellow bottle, squeezing the murky liquid onto his sandwich. "You like mustard?! That's just gross!"
"Hell ya! It's so good!"
I just shivered and directed my attention back to eating my sandwich sensibly. It took all I had in me not to just eat the whole thing but I gave up on being sensible when I realized that I didn't actually care what Cole thought. Sure, I liked him and all but it just wasn't worth it.
"Wanna see who can eat their sandwich faster?" I challenged him.
"You're on," He replied with a grin. "One... two... three!"
Obviously I won. It was probably because I had already finished a majority of my sandwich at the time but I didn't tell him that.
"Monopoly!" I randomly exclaimed. "Let's play Monopoly."
He agreed and we started our search for the board game. He led the way this time and I just scanned through drawers and cabinets whenever we stopped in a room.
"It's probably just in our game room," He casually uttered. Yah, 'cause we all have freaking game rooms, I thought sarcastically.
Sure enough, Monopoly was tucked underneath a pile of other board games in his 'Games Room'. It was in the same fun-filled room that we had played Grand Theft Auto.
Forty-five minutes later and I'm already kicking his ass. I seriously had no idea a person could actually suck at Monopoly. Seriously. While I held my title of winner with eleven properties and three hotels, he was struggling with only five properties and nearly no money. What can I say? I'm vicious when it comes to taxpaying.
I had lost count of the amount of times I laughed at him about fifteen minutes ago, with just a sore throat and a hoarse voice as evidence.
I was just about to buy yet another 'house', when every piece on the board was wiped away.
"Dude, seriously! I was just about to buy a house that could score me 300 every time you land on it!" I shouted, still looking at the board.
When I shifted my gaze to his face, I couldn't help but laugh. His eyebrows were scrunched up and I could instantly tell that it was because he was frustrated.
"Yah, well, I don't like that game anyways. Can we go do something that's actually, I don't know, fun?"
"Somebody has a sore spot for losing," I muttered, more to myself. "Okay, what exactly do you want to do then?"
"Mall?" He suggested with a shrug.
I found myself nodding and following him outside and up to a large, black sports car.
"First of all: you have a freaking Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4? What-the-hell, this thing came out this year! I'm so jealous right now... and second: you drive?" I couldn't help but shriek from excitement. How the hell had I missed his car the first time I came over?
He just shrugged and clicked a button on the keys so that the doors could open. They swung up - yes, I said 'up' - and I sat down in the plush, leather chairs.
"These things weren't even on the market for another eleven months!"
"My dad knows a guy that knows a guy that knows a guy." He explained before turning on the car and pulling out of the driveway. "Besides, it's temporary. My dad wants me to drive it around and show it off 'cause he has shares in the company and I'm his form of advertising... Not that I mind. This car is fucking awesome. I'll have it just until I'm done fixing up my other one."
"And when will that be?"
"I'm just about done cracking the issue with the engine and then all it will need is a good old cleaning and, soon, I'll be using it."
"Why don't you just hand it into a garage to fix?"
His teeth glistened as he exposed them in a breathtaking smile. "What fun is there in doing THAT?"
I turned away from his smile as he focused on the road and stared at everything in his car; wide-eyed and too scared to touch anything in case I accidentally broke it. Just hearing the engine hum rhythmically had me freaking out in my seat.
"Oh, and I'm sixteen... remember? So, I'm legally allowed to drive." He added as a side note.
"Isn't your sister also sixteen? Are you guy's twins?" I already knew the answer but I didn't want to seem like some stalker so I asked anyways.
"Her birthday's in a month."
After a relatively quiet ten minutes, we pulled up outside the mall. I personally didn't think much of it because it was just a large building made of mostly glass with plenty of shops. Fun! I mean I love shopping and all but there's really nothing special about this place.
As the doors opened and I stepped out of Cole's car, I couldn't help but notice how I wasn't the only person that was entirely awestruck by his sports car. When the doors slid closed, Cole and I walked up to the large, glass doors of the mall.
"Oh my God! I love this! What d'you think?" I asked Cole, watching through the mirror as he rolled his eyes.
"It looks fine, now can we go?" He sounded slightly exasperated.
I shook my head and attempted to take off the shirt I was trying on - don't worry, I had a spaghetti strap on under. When the shirt was finally over my head, I huffed and turned around to face him. I could have sworn his cheeks were the slightest shade of pink; probably because my spaghetti strap had gone halfway up my stomach while I tried taking the shirt off. Now it was my turn to blush.
"And why exactly do I have to be in the changing room with you?" Cole didn't meet my eyes as he asked this.
"Because I said so! Plus, it's easier than calling you over every two seconds." I replied with a shrug. "Ok, fine. It's your turn to choose something fun to do."
"Can we get some food, I'm hungry."
"But we ate, like, an hour ago?"
"I don't see what your point is."
I rolled my eyes. Boys...
I paid for the shirt and followed Cole out of the shop and over to some escalators since the food court was a floor above.
"Pizza Hut, Bitch!" I exclaimed, earning some confused stares from a few people.
After a seriously unhealthy looking - but delicious, might I add - pizza, Cole and I left the mall. I still wasn't over the fact that he had a freaking Lamborghini and couldn't stop fidgeting with, well, everything; obviously over my previous cautiousness.
He dropped me off in front of my house and just as I was about to walk to my gate, he said "Emma's hosting this wild party tomorrow night, you should come. Starts at 8, ends when you want it to end."
I just nodded, smiled and left; trying my best to look casual. When his car turned the corner, I fist pumped the air and shouted some happy words.
"Rachel, you have to get over here! I was just invited to this uber cool party tomorrow and I want you to sleep over since I'm making you come with me." I said once Rachel had finally picked up the phone. "Plus, I have so much I haven't told you yet!"
Rachel has been my best friend ever since I moved to the Sodarian Islands four years ago. You're all probably wondering where she's been this past week or so. Well, her family believe in that whole bonding thing and she was forced to go camping for a whole month of the summer break. She came back yesterday night at about midnight and this is the first time I'm talking to her because I had fallen asleep at around ten yesterday.
"Oh my God! Finally, real human contact!" She screamed down the receiver.
"You do know that your family is human right?"
"Never say that again or I swear to God I'll punch you."
I laughed. "That's not the reason I called you. I was invited to a party that you're coming to."
She shrieked. Literally, shrieked. "What are you gonna wear?"
"Were you not listening to a thing I said at the beginning of this conversation? You're coming over to my place so we can decide together. As in, sleeping over."
"Wait, lemme ask my mum." I heard some shuffling as she unsuccessfully tried to muffle the phone reciever. "MAAAA! CAN I SLEEP OVER AT KADEA'S PLACE TODAY?" Her mum replied. "THANKS MA!" Then she started talking to me again. "She said I could come."
"Yah, I know. I heard."
"Ahhh."
"Well, what are you waiting for! We need to do some serious prepping. Get over here!" Sometimes I really wonder what goes on in Rachel's head.
"Don't get your tampon in a twist, I'm coming."
Five minutes later, I heard her car rumble to a stop in my driveway. My mom must have opened the gate for her.
I walked down the stairs to find her in my foyer.
"Dude, seriously. Do you ever knock?"
"Bitch, please. You know me better than that."
"Okay, whatever. There's still so much I have to te- "
"I'm seriously hungry right now. D'you have any food?" She walked into my kitchen and started looking through the fridge. It was because of things like this that I thought Rachel was Attention Deficit but she always swore they had checked and said she wasn't. Bullshit, I would always say.
"No we don't."
Surprisingly, she managed to pull out some cheese and butter before finding the bread. She skilfully, and I only say skilfully because I can't do this myself, spread the butter on the bread and placed the cheese in between. She placed the sandwich on a pan and then put the pan on the cooker.
"What were you saying?" She asked when she was done.
"Umm, nothing. Anyways! Guess whose house I've been going to for the past three days?" I screamed, joyously. I didn't give her time to guess though because I just screamed again. "Cole Johnsons, bitch!"
"No fucking way!" She screamed back, wide-eyed.
"Fucking way!"
"Holy shit Kadea!"
"I know! Okay, dude. We seriously need to stop swearing."
She chuckled. "Yah. Anyways! What were you doing at his house? I hope to God he actually invited you over."
"Of course he invited me over, dumbass. Sorry. Remember Brigit Marty's birthday? Anyways! I- "
"Damn, I really wanted to go to that party!" She turned and flipped her sandwich before looking at me again.
"Shut up, Rachel. Anyways! I got bored and decided to walk down the beach and then I saw Cole and he invited me over and we played video games and -"
"But you suck at video games?"
"Rachel, shut UP... anyways! Then I nearly kicked his ass but he ended up winning -"
"I told you, you suck."
"I swear to God, if you interrupt me one more time I won't hesitate to punch you in the face. Okay, where was I... Oh yah, he beat me then his mum told me I could stay over for dinner so I did. Did I mention how huge his house is? It's HUGE, Rachel. Oh, and I had to kiss Dylan Strodmire. Not something I want to remember. EVER. Anyways..."
The rest of the story telling went like this; with a lot of 'anyways' and, dare I say it, interruptions from Rachel. No worries. I didn't punch her. By the end of it, Rachel had finished her sandwich and we had somehow made it back to my room.
"I am so jealous right now! Not only did I have to spend an entire month with my estranged family but I also missed all of this. Fuck my life." She looked sad. Only for a second though because next she said. "The party! Do we even have outfits for this thing?"
I looked through my mental closet and found a dress and heels I could wear. Sadly, Rachel was a size 4 so I probably didn't have anything that would fit her. "Yup, I have the cutest dress ever! I don't think I have anything that would fit you though."
"Nonsense!" She ran to my closet and started throwing things across my room. I cringed at the thought of having to pick everything up. Stupid laziness.
She pulled out a tight, black dress that I had bought in eighth grade. I wasn't any skinnier back then but I had bought it four sizes too small in the hopes off one day becoming a size 6. Due to my obvious laziness, I wasn't a size 6.
"Told you. But why, exactly is it a size 6? Last time I checked you were, like, a 14?"
"You're not the only person with hopes and dreams, Rachel."
"Ahh. This thing is short. But I think it'll work. What dress are you wearing?"
I walked up to my closest and started shifting through the hangars. I spotted it and pulled it out.
"Oh my God, I love that!" Rachel exclaimed. It was navy blue with only one shoulder. The amount of cleavage I would be showing was quite a lot but, truthfully, I had nothing to show; being a B and all. "We are going to look freaking hot, Bitch!"
I put both of the dresses back in my wardrobe.
"Anyways, back to the matter-at-hand. Cole seems to be trying to woo you my friend. Maybe you'll get married! Maybe -"
I cut her off. "Rachel, you have really got to stop reading your mum's romance novels or, I swear, it'll be the death of you. Besides, it's not like that with Cole. He doesn't like me... sadly."
"Oh, that's right! Because you had a huge crush on him before didn't you?"
"I still like him, you know."
"I totally have to set you guys up!"
"I swear to God Rachel, if you do anything like that..." I left the threat open.
"Ok, ok. Fine!"
I woke up the next day with an excited smile on my face. Rachel and I hadn't done anything particularly fun the rest of the day. We watched both Mean Girls 1 and 2 then had a steamy debate about which one we thought was better. I personally liked the second one but she insisted that the first was, and I quote: "So much better because it had Lindsay Lohan." I then argued that Lindsay Lohan couldn't possibly make a movie any better but she only asked: "What about parent trap?" After that, I just gave up on the argument with a disbelieving look on my face before falling asleep but not before I heard her say: "I thought so." Some people just don't get it, I had thought with a smile.
"Wake up, Bitch." I slapped her face once, twice then three times. How the hell could someone sleep so deeply? I walked to the bathroom and filled a cup with freezing cold water. I walked back into my black and white room where Rachel was still fast asleep.
"Ra-chel..." I cooed before tipping the cup so that water spilled across her face. It didn't even bother me that I had completely soaked my bed.
"WHATTHEFUCKWASTHATFORKADEAISWEARTOGODI'MGONNAKILLYOU!" She was so mad that everything she said came out as one fluid word. Her face was a deep shade of red. Shit! I thought before leaping off my bed and running down the stairs, out of my house and then the gate. I knew she was following me because I could hear her footsteps close behind. I had completely forgotten that I was only wearing a baggy shirt that just about covered my ass until I passed a bunch of boys on skateboards that were staring at my legs and whistling. My face instantly turned bright red.
There was a corner up ahead that I turned down. I dived behind the bush of someone's garden and tried to calm my breathing. I heard Rachel ran past the bush and then stop. I peeked out of the bush and watched as she looked around frantically. I was extremely happy when I saw that she was also indecently dressed in just a baggy shirt.
"Kadea! Come out, come out wherever you are!" She said in a sing-song voice.
I didn't even breathe. She started walking back with a determined look of her face. I saw her stare at the bush I was hiding behind before shifting her gaze to the house across the street. I let out an inaudible sigh. I looked up and realized that I was facing the window of a house where I noticed the two most beautiful eyes looking at me. Beautiful eyes that were attached to a beautiful face that was - judging by the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt - attached to a beautiful body. The right corner of his lip twitched upwards and I couldn't help but blush when I realized I wasn't wearing any pants.
"BOO!"
I screamed so loudly that I was sure everyone in China heard me.
Rachel looked at me with a smug look. "Look who I found."
I looked up at the window again but didn't find those eyes this time; those beautiful purple eyes. Yes, I said purple. Maybe I imagined things. Yup, I definitely made him up.
"Come on Kadea, I think I got my revenge. We need as much time as possible to get ready. Since we both slept so damn much, it's already 4 pm."
"You're only wearing a shirt, Rachel."I didn't even bother responding to what she said.
"So are you, hypocrite."
"Can we go eat ice cream first? Four hours is so much time!"
"Fine but we have to go and put some pants on first."
We walked back to my house where I found some skinny jeans.
"Let's go." I didn't think it was necessary to change my shirt. I was just happy that today I wore a bra when I slept otherwise my ass wouldn't be the only thing that those skate boarders would be staring at, if you catch ma drift.
We left my house and walked up to a local ice cream shop that was a five to ten minute walk away from my house, depending on how lazy I am at the time. I continuously licked my bubblegum flavoured ice cream while Rachel ate her pistachio flavoured - I don't know how she could possibly like that flavour - ice cream as we walked back home. Sadly, the skateboarders from earlier were walking the opposite way and instantly recognized me.
"Hey, baby! Wanna give me your number? I won't bite... unless you ask me to." One of them shouted, winking and waggling his eyebrows suggestively. All of his friends - three of them - high-fived him and laughed. He had bleached hair, piercings on his right ear and left eyebrow, baggy navy jeans and a hoodie. He looked to be about 18. Most girls would instantly say that he was 'Oh my God, freaking hot' but I just ducked my head and hoped to God he left me alone. He seemed really creepy and I just wanted to get back home without injury. "You can invite your hot friend too." I just ignored him, grabbed Rachel's hand and walked faster.
When the group of guys were far enough behind, I slowed down and looked up as Rachel spoke. "What the hell was that about, Kadea?"
"You're telling me that you didn't pass them when I was running away from you?"
"No, this is the first time I've seen them. Ever."
"Yah, well. They got an eyeful of my legs and ass when I was trying to get away from you, so."
Rachel burst out laughing. Not a chuckle, might I add. Full on hysterics; like this was the funniest thing she'd ever heard.
She finally calmed down a bit but when she saw the scowl I had on my face, she started laughing again.
"Go die, Rachel." I left her in the middle of the street, laughing her ass off.
I walked through my gate and then into my house to find my mom in the kitchen.
"Uhh, Kadea... what exactly are you holding? It's dripping all over my floor."
I looked down at my left hand to see what was left of my ice cream cone. I had squished it and now the melted ice cream was dripping down through my fingers and onto the floor below.
"Hey Mrs. Gennings," Rachel said with a smile as she walked through the kitchen door.
"I told you that you could just call me Emily." My mum responded with a smile.
"Can I call you Emily, mum?" I asked with mock hopefulness.
"You already know the answer to that, Kadea."
I just shrugged and grabbed Rachel's hand. I sent her a glare before pulling her up to my room.
"Ok, chica. We have a total of two and a half-hours to get ready - excluding driving time of course - because we somehow managed to waste a whole sixty minutes doing God knows what." I said once my door was firmly closed.
"Does your mum know we're going for the party?"
"Shit. Ok, one second. Stay here."
I ran down the stairs and back into the kitchen. "Hey, mum" I said with what I hoped were puppy dog eyes.
"What do you want this time, Kadea?" She asked without even looking up from the vegetables she was cutting.
"Can me and Rachel go to this party today?" I widened my eyes, stuck my bottom lip out and blinked rapidly.
"Kadea, stop doing that, it makes you look ugly." She replied, finally acknowledging my presence. "Will there be alcohol at this party?"
"Yes and no." I replied truthfully
She just raised an eyebrow.
"Yes because there will be alcohol and no because you have to trust me not to drink it." I smiled at her.
"Fine, but if you come back drunk I'll have you locked up in your room for the remaining two weeks of summer. Understood?"
"Yup!"
"Details?"
"Starts at eight but has no particular finishing time."
"I want you back home by preferably twelve; two AM latest."
"Yes! Thanks mum! Love you." I hugged her and ran back to my room.
Rachel was idly lying on my bed, flipping through the music on my phone.
"Go shower, Rachel! We don't have that much time and everyone knows you take ages in the shower."
"Fine, Ms. Grumpy-pants." She grabbed her towel and left the room.
I was just about to grab our dresses from my wardrobe when my phone chimed, signalling a text.
Picking you up at 7.45 The minute I saw that it was from Cole, my heart tripled its pace.
I'm going with Rachel - does your car have a spare seat? I replied.
Nope, but I can use a different one
Sounds good, C ya
L8r
I put my phone back down on my bed and walked up to my closet. I took out the dresses and placed them on the bed.
An hour and forty-five minutes later, we had both showered and changed into our dresses. The navy blue dress I was wearing reached half-way down my thighs. It was a skater dress meaning it hid my slightly protruding stomach but accentuated my non-existent bust. I looked pretty good.
Rachel, on the other hand, looked freaking hot! The black dress exaggerated her green eyes and made her red hair stand out like a sore thumb. You know those red-heads with the amazing green eyes and the ability to tan while still having a light dusting of freckles? Yup, Rachel's one of those. Even without Photoshop, she was effortlessly beautiful. I know, damn her.
According to the tag, the black dress she had on was labelled as 'Body-con' and it made her long legs seem endless while somehow making her B's look like C's. The hem of the dress was about five inches above her knees; considering she wasn't tall - she just about reached five-foot-three -, this length somehow looked sensible. She had paired the dress with a pair of red three-and-a-half-inch-spike-heels I didn't even know I owned. Thank the heavens we were the same shoe size.
I had paired my navy blue dress with some black, three-inch boot heels that I had fallen in love with the minute I bought them. The heel was thicker than Rachel's yet she somehow she found it easier to walk than I did.
The only thing we had to work on was our hair and make-up. Rachel would only be wearing some black eye-liner because of her flawless skin but I would have to pull out all the guns just to make my army of pimples look sensible.
"If you feel up your boobs one more time, they're gonna explode." I told Rachel, looking at her through the mirror.
"I'm sorry! It's not every day I have freaking C's." She smiled excitedly.
"I think it's funny how you're still smaller than me even when you're wearing heels." It was true, I wasn't wearing my heels but I still stood at least an inch taller than her.
She scowled at me. "I'm gonna ignore that."
She had finished applying her eye-liner and was working on curling her hair.
"We better hurry up, Cole will be here in twenty minutes." I told her.
Turns out there was no point hurrying up because I had miscalculated and it was only seven-thirty when we were completely finished getting ready.
"I hate you so much right now, Kadea."
"I hate me too."
We were in my sitting room watching reruns of Johnny Bravo. Yes, that's how much time we had.
"To be fair, Johnny Bravo rocks," I mumbled, distractedly.
"Agreed."
We continued staring at the screen until I heard a knock on my front door.
"I'll get it." I said, as if Rachel would have gone. Please, she's as lazy as I am if not more.
I opened the door and couldn't help but smile.
"Sup, Kadea?" He said.
"Rachel! Our ride's here." I screamed into the other room.
She joined us at the door.
"Rachel, Cole. Cole, Rachel. Good, now let's go."
I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as I noticed Cole subtly check out Rachel. Not that I was surprised but I still felt bad.
He looked quite sexy actually. He was wearing a pair of loose light grey, almost white, skinny jeans - not Jonas Brother's style, I promise -, a black v-neck t-shirt that showed off his muscle and thick, black high-tops. Stupid, Rachel.
Our ride wasn't quite as amazing as the Lambo but still really cool. It was a Mercedes S500.
"You really know how to drive in style." I said.
"Yup! It was my sister's car. Ok, who wants to sit where? Do both of you just wanna sit out back?"
"I'll sit in the back; Kadea will sit up front with you." Rachel quickly told him.
I sent her a questioning look. "Umm, okay."
"So, who's up for some Elvis?" Cole asked us.
"You listen to Elvis? I love him. Play 'Heartbreak Hotel'." I exclaimed happily.
The music instantly enveloped the entire car and I smiled.
Ten minutes later, we were parked a few houses down from Emma's since the closer parking spaces were taken. The music was just as loud; even five houses away.
"Come on guys, don't wanna be too late." Cole said to us.
"What time are you leaving the party?" I asked him.
"I have to be home by one."
"Cool, what time should we meet up then?"
"Be here at twelve-thirty, okay? No Later."
I nodded as we walked past multiple cars. Her house was sure to be packed with people and judging by the fact that only about a third of my class's population is actually old enough to drive, a lot of the people are bound to be older than me.
We walked up to her door and Cole knocked.
"Hey dude, come on in." Dylan Strodmire answered the door and let us in but not before shooting a glare at me and checking Rachel out quite visibly. Stupid, hot Rachel.
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U guys really need to tell me if you like my book or not! :P I personally think it's getting a bit better than how it started...
So... Vote or comment or fan... ANYTHING so that I know :)
L8r!! :D