"GOOD MORNING, MOM."
"You're going to leave the house dressed like that?" was how I was greeted.
I glanced down at my attire. "What's wrong with these clothes?"
"Sweetheart, I buy you so many nice clothes. Please go change into one of those."
"But I—"
"Don't argue, just go."
I rolled my eyes and went back to my room to change. I slipped on a pair of light blue jeans and a dusty pink silk blouse on top. I decided to do something about my hair before Mom could make a remark about it too. I brushed out my dark brown waves and pulled my hair into a tight high bun. Just to add the cherry on top, I even redid my mascara to ensure there were no critiques regarding my appearance.
God, I hated Mom's obsession with perfection.
"Now you are looking like a prim and proper lady," Mom said as I re-entered the kitchen, and it took all of my willpower to not mock her. "My opponents are not only keeping watch on me, but on my family as well. So it would be nice for you all to play the part by dressing and behaving well," she continued.
Alex made a face from where he was seated, eating his cereal. "Does that mean I have to start wearing a suit and tie to school?"
Mom grabbed a napkin and wiped off his milk moustache. "No, honey, you look just fine." She kissed the top of his head before reminding us to be on time for dinner.
It wasn't until she was out the door did I take out the bun that was cutting off circulation to my brain. I ran my hand through my hair as I let it rest at my shoulders.
"I liked your hair," Alex remarked. "You looked like a ballerina."
"Then you make yourself a bun." I flicked my hair tie at him. He dodged my attack but unfortunately for him, the elastic fell in his bowl of cereal.
My baby brother glared at me as he pushed his bowl away. "I'm going to Isaiah's after school."
"What am I supposed to do with this information?" I asked.
"Don't pick me up, duh."
"Alex, don't make your sister feel like an idiot," Brenton said as he joined us. "That's my job."
I cocked an eyebrow. "You're literally the dumbest person in this house, Brent."
Alex pointed his spoon at Brenton accusingly. "You made me do your geography homework last year."
"Well how am I expected to get enough sleep, eat right, play lacrosse, ace my other classes and know the capital of every goddamn country? There's, like, a thousand of them!" Brenton exclaimed.
"One hundred ninety-five," Alex corrected, shaking his head in disappointment.
"I would hate to be his brain cells," I murmured.
Alex snickered. "What brain cells?"
"Not bad, kid." I reached over to give him a high-five.
He was about to high-five me back but stopped when he remembered what I did to his breakfast.
Brenton frowned at us. "Have I ever mentioned how much I hate you guys?"
~*~
"But it's not fair!"
"Life's not fair!"
"Why do you have to be such a bitch?"
"Why do you whine like a little bitch?"
"Dan—"
"No means no."
"Come on!"
"Once you start paying, you can start driving."
"Unbelievable."
I waited for the pedestrians to move before I turned into the school parking lot to look for parking. "I know, it must suck not being able to get whatever you want whenever you want. Poor you and your first-world problems."
"I'm just asking for one night with the car," Brenton said in a more levelheaded tone, taking a different approach.
"Last time you said that, it turned into you hogging the car for months," I reminded him. I was a fairly reasonable person, but not when my bank account was going through a drought to pay for our shared gas.
"It'll be different this time, I promise."
"I don't believe people can change."
Brenton let out a groan. "How am I supposed to show up to a date with no car?"
"Who are you taking?" I was silently praying it wasn't Amber. If this was why she left in a hurry the other night I was going to behead my twin and then her.
"Katy something, I can't remember. Back to the matter at hand..."
I mentally let out a sigh of relief that it wasn't Amber. "I'm sorry, but it's a no. Start paying for gas and you can borrow the car."
"Help a twin out!"
I opened my mouth to speak but stopped when a realization occurred to me. "When you were begging me to come to Holden's party — which sucked, by the way — you promised to pay for gas for an entire month."
Brenton brushed that off like it was nothing. "I have no recollection of that. And even if I did say that, it was all part of my ploy to get you to come out and have fun."
"But I didn't have any—"
He slapped his hand over my mouth to shut me up. "The past is in the past, Daniella."
Being the disgusting sibling I was, I licked the palm of his hand to get it off of me.
Brenton gawked at me, frantically wiping his hand on my sleeve. "Maybe this is why you're still single."
"And with that jab, you're not seeing the driver's seat of this car until you're thirty." I made a left turn as I continued to look for parking. "Why is every damn spot full?"
"If I were driving I would've made sure to come earlier to get a spot."
I didn't spare the idiot a glance as I continued searching for a spot. "Like hell you would. Mom had to wake you up four times this morning."
"Just park across the street."
I shot him a look of incredulity. "And get a ticket? This is why I don't let you drive."
As if a gift sent from above for putting up with Brenton at this early hour, I noticed an empty spot. "Thank God, it only took forever."
My luck ran out before it even started when I drove closer to it. The spot was occupied by a motorcycle.
"Way to go," Brenton grumbled. "I'm going to be late for homeroom."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "You have a free period."
"Yeah," he scoffed. "And it's the only class I'd never miss."
I tightened my grip around the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white. This was ridiculous. What entitled motorcyclists to park their electric bicycles in a spot that could've gone to better use for an actual car? I couldn't help but stare at all the free space surrounding the bike. That minuscule hunk of metal should be parked where bicycles are chained, not out here where the real cars go.
"Dan, why aren't you driving?" Brenton asked in a bored tone.
"That stupid bike needs to move."
"Well, it's already parked so turn around and find another spot."
I wasn't entirely sure what came over me. Perhaps it was rage combined with the doomed impulsiveness we Parker offspring possessed. Despite what caused it, it was an act of pure folly that I was bound to regret in about seven seconds.
Without even fully registering what exactly it was that I was doing, I pressed my foot down on the gas pedal. The car accelerated forward, colliding with the poor excuse of a vehicle. One hit wasn't enough for me. I reversed my car before changing the gear shift to drive, ready to strike again. Fortunately Brenton was with me, and he grabbed the steering wheel.
"What the hell? You could've killed us!"
Just like a lightbulb turning on, something clicked in my head. "Shit, what did I just do?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out!"
We got out of the car to inspect the damage. For the most part the jeep was fine, but the same couldn't be said for the motorcycle. Let's just say the only part still in tact was the seat. Aside from that, the rest of the bike just became a fresh junkyard delivery.
"Who does it belong to?" I asked Brenton.
"No clue, but I'm not sticking around to find out." He glanced at the crushed bike before looking at me. "Good luck."
"Brent, wait!" It was no use. He sprinted faster than I'd ever seen him run on the field.
I didn't know whether I should stick around or go to class. Homeroom was about to start in a few minutes and Mom would kill me if I skipped. Then again, I did destroy someone's motorcycle...
I decided to make a compromise. I opened my backpack and ripped a sheet of paper out of my binder, took out a pen and decided to write down an apology note. I'd rather the owner of the bike crumple up the paper instead of me. I placed the note under the broken handlebar so the wind wouldn't blow it away. Taking Brenton's advice, I came to the conclusion that I'd park my car across the street. A ticket was much better than the wrath of an unsuspecting stranger. Of course, as I'd come to eventually learn, luck didn't come easily to me.
Just as I had opened my car door to hop inside, I heard a voice behind me.
"What the hell happened to my bike?"
My eyes widened and I involuntarily gulped, recognizing that voice a little too well for my liking. Please don't be...
"You."
He was so close I felt the hairs on the back of my neck move.
"I should've known you were trouble from the start."
I contemplated all of the potential things I could do at this moment. I could turn around and apologize. Or I could blame him for parking his bike here. Or I could suggest taking this to the principal. Or I could run...
Ding, ding, ding we have a winner!
I had a plan. I lifted my leg to spring out of here, but that idea was foiled when his hand clamped down on my shoulder.
"I know exactly what you're thinking. Your ass is staying right here while I call the cops." He shook his head in disbelief. "Two felonies in the span of a week? I'm starting to think you really are a drunkard."
"I'm so sorry it was an accident," I squeaked.
"And what is this shit?" He reached over and picked up my note.
I awkwardly fidgeted with my sleeve, already mortified enough for one morning. "You really don't have to..."
He held up a hand, silencing me. "'Dear owner of this vehicle — rather, what's left of it,'" he read aloud, making me cringe. "'My anger regarding my personal problems got the best of me and I let it out on your motorcycle. I am really sorry. I'd give you my name and contact information, but I'm not too good with confrontation so I'd rather not.'" He spat his gum into the note and crumpled it up before chucking it into the distance.
"You shouldn't litter."
"And you shouldn't try to commit hit and runs!"
"It would've been successful if I didn't stay to write the note," I said under my breath.
He gave me a stern look. "I'm calling the cops."
If he called the police then I would be charged and have a criminal record. If that happened, it'd be linked to Mom and potentially cost her the election. The last thing I needed was for something else to worsen our already fragile relationship. I could not let this incident get out or she'd lose the elections and I'd probably lose the car.
Let's be real. Jail time I could handle, but Brenton taking my car I could not.
"Can we please make some kind of compromise? I can't get the police involved."
He folded his arms across his chest. "Give me the money to repair this."
I took my wallet out of my pocket and leafed through the bills. "Okay. How much is it, a couple hundred?"
Yes, I know, I was the privileged rich girl who carried hundreds in her designer wallets. For the record, this designer wallet was my ratty old Hello Kitty one from the sixth grade.
James scoffed, bringing me back to reality. "Try a couple thousand."
I slowly put the wallet back in my pocket. All I had in there was about three hundred dollars, a rewards card for the local sub shop, and a wrapped piece of gum. "Oh, never mind then."
"Look," James sighed as he looked at the remnants of his motorcycle, "I have no choice but to call the cops. Don't worry, I'm sure your mommy can pay this off."
"No one can know about this," I blurted.
He raised his eyebrows, looking intrigued. "Give me an interesting enough story and I may reconsider."
"My mom's running for mayor of Stone Creek, and putting a criminal record to my name could jeopardize her entire campaign."
He tapped his chin as he pretended to think about it. "Not interesting enough. I'll just take matters to her and deal with the finances in private."
"You can't do that either," I said.
He heaved an annoyed sigh. "And why is that?"
"If she finds out I hit your motorcycle then not only will this jeep go to my undeserving brother, but I will be banned from leaving my house until I'm old, pruned, and wrinkled beyond repair," I cried.
He made a disgusted face at the mental image I provided. "That sounds unfortunate. Tough luck."
He began to walk away but I grabbed onto his arm, preventing him from going any further. For those wondering how his arms felt: wow! But that was beyond the point.
"Please help me out! Come on, be a good neighbour!"
He yanked his toned, beautiful arm away from me. "Say that when I break into your house."
"I'll do anything," I said out of utter desperation.
"All I want is for you to stay the hell away from me."
"Done!" I exclaimed a bit too quickly.
He stopped to reflect. "The weather is still pretty cold, and walking to school would be brutal."
I didn't like how this sounded. "What are you suggesting?"
"You have to give me rides to and from school every day until my bike is fixed."
My jaw dropped. "What happened to wanting to stay away from me?"
Sure this boy was the best eye candy I had seen in this town, but no amount of hotness could make me put up with him.
"And," he continued. "You are not to talk to or look at me during these rides. If you can manage, try not to even breathe near me."
"Are you joking?" There was no way his demands were actually serious. This had to be some kind of unfunny joke.
He stared at me dead in the eyes. If looks could kill I would've been killed, resurrected, and killed again. "Does it look like I'm joking?"
"N-no," I stammered, feeling his hard gaze burn holes in my eyes.
A pleased look flashed in his eyes at my evident fear. "I will see you in six hours. Be prompt."
As I watched his retreating figure, I couldn't help but regret not driving away when I had the chance. Damn that stupid note.
~*~
I was just leaving the cafeteria with Amber when Brenton and his posse of jockstrap-wearing meatheads passed by. Much to my misfortune, they stopped right in front of us. I could practically smell the testosterone surrounding these morons and their idiot of a leader.
"I have practice tonight," he said.
"Hi to you too."
"You can go home without me," he continued, ignoring my greeting.
"Don't have to tell me twice."
"By the way." He took a step toward me and lowered his voice. "What happened with the you-know-what?"
"You don't need to whisper, Brent. I hit a car, so what?"
A group of freshmen girls standing near us looked horror-stricken as they stared at us with their mouths agape.
I rolled my eyes at them. "Okay, maybe we do need to whisper."
"What happened?" he prodded.
"I gave a heartfelt apology and the driver pardoned my mistake."
He snorted. "Seriously?"
"What can I say, I can be quite charming."
"Once again, seriously?"
I smacked his arm. "Don't look surprised, I'm great at negotiating."
He snickered at that. "Since when?"
"Goodbye, brother. I hope you get concussed during your practice."
Brenton placed a hand over his heart. "Golly, sis, aren't you the sweetest?"
"Gee whiz, shut up before I punch your face." I glanced at Amber. "Let's go before he continues talking."
As Amber and I walked away she nudged me. "What happened?"
"Oh nothing," I said with a wave of my hand. "I happened to destroy a motorcycle, just the usual."
"What is wrong with you?"
I let out an overdramatic sigh. "I wish I knew myself. These online diagnosis quizzes don't give much insight..."
"Dani, this isn't a joke."
"Damn right it isn't! Those quizzes need more accuracy. Where is the taxpayers' money going?" I continued to ramble, hoping she'd sense what I was trying to do and drop it.
Amber looked at me concernedly. "Are you okay?"
"I'm perfectly fine. Are you okay?"
She furrowed her eyebrows. "Of course, why wouldn't I be?"
I narrowed my eyes at her. "I don't know, maybe because you haven't even gushed once about your evening with Brent on Saturday."
She played with the ends of her recently dyed auburn hair. On a completely unrelated side note, Brenton's past three flings were all redheads. "I just figured you weren't really up for hearing me talk about him."
"Hasn't stopped you before."
Amber sighed out of frustration. "Can we not do this? I don't like fighting with you."
"Who says we're fighting?" I asked innocently.
She frowned. "I hate it when you do this."
"I'm not doing anything."
"Fine." She paused. "Want to hang out after school?"
"I can't," I said, suddenly remembering the deal I made with the devil this morning.
"Why not?" Amber demanded.
"I have to do something."
"And who are you doing this something with?"
"Someone."
"Oh, okay I get it." She gave me a flat look before walking away.
"Amber, don't leave all moody!"
I was about to run after her but the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. I knew Amber well, and I knew she wasn't one to hold grudges. She'd come around eventually and if not... Well, I hoped I would annoy James enough on the ride home to the point where he'd strangle me to death.
As I turned around to head to my next class, I happened to make eye contact with the aforementioned potential murderer of mine. His face was rested in a scowl, but when he saw the glum look on my face the corners of his lips slightly turned up.
Great, I was going to be alone in my car with a potential sociopath.