Chapter four

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Dylan came down the stairs Monday morning, his gym bag slung over one shoulder, expecting to find Moana in the kitchen. Maybe they'd ride to school together. Maybe she'd still be pissed about Saturday night. Either way, he needed to see her.

But when he walked into the dining room, only his father sat at the table, coffee in one hand and his phone in the other.

"Morning," Richard said without looking up.

Dylan grabbed an apple from the counter. "Morning. Where's Queens?"

"Moana left for school already. She followed Rosa early in the morning for a meeting while she went to school." Richard finally glanced up.

"Oh." Dylan turned the apple over in his hand. "I'll be going then."

He headed out before his father could ask any questions he didn't have answers to.

The drive to school was longer than usual, traffic crawling, and Dylan's mind kept circling back to Saturday night. He'd gotten home around eleven to find Moana's bedroom door locked. Not just closed. Locked. He'd stood in the hallway for a solid minute, staring at that door, before retreating to his own room.

Sunday had been worse. He'd barely seen her. She didn't even come down for meals, he hadn't heard her voice either. It was like she'd vanished.

And he didn't know why.

Sure, he'd gone into that bathroom with Becca. Sure, he'd let Moana think whatever she wanted to think. But that was the point, wasn't it? He's playing a game and till he gets what he wants he won't stop. He has always had his eyes on Moana, he likes her fierceness and teasing her is fun but now that she's his step sister there are lots of things he can't do to her… but who cares, she isn't his sister by blood and even before his Father's stupid engagement he has always felt whatever he feels for her. 

Now she was avoiding him, and it bothered him more than it should. He did what he did on Saturday night purposely just to confirm something but nothing only did he confirm what he wanted, there's so much more to it.

Dylan pulled into the school parking lot and killed the engine. He sat there for a moment, hands on the steering wheel, before grabbing his bag and heading inside.

The hallways were packed, students clustered in groups, talking and laughing. Dylan navigated through them until he spotted Asher his best friend who's also a fucker like him leaning against a locker near their usual spot.

"Yo," Asher said, straightening. "You look like shit."

"Thanks."

"Rough weekend?"

Dylan shrugged. "Something like that."

They started walking toward the senior hallway, and Asher shot him a sideways glance. "You gonna tell me what's up, or do I have to guess?"

Dylan exhaled. "My dad got married."

Asher stopped walking. "Wait, what? When?"

"Well, not married yet. Engaged. They moved in this weekend. Her and her daughter."

"Her daughter." Asher's eyebrows shot up. "You have a stepsister now?"

"Yeah."

"Is she hot? With big ass and big boobs? You know you like big boobs though only the one on the Queen's chest and I know you know she wouldn't let you ...."

Dylan's jaw tightened. "Shut up."

Asher laughed. "Oh shit. She is hot . Who is it? Do we know her? Did you fuck her already? Sorry she's your step sis you can't possibly shove your cock inside her."

Dylan glared at him, shutting him up immediately.

“Sorry” Asher raised his both hands “just answer me already”

Dylan didn't answer right away. They'd reached the row of lockers where they usually killed time before first period, and he dropped his bag at his feet. "Moana Queens."

Asher's eyes went wide. "Moana Queens? As in sassy and sexy Moana, cheer captain, ice queen Moana Queens?"

"That's the one."

"Dude." Asher let out a low whistle. "You're living with Moana Queens. That's insane."

"Tell me about it."

"Wait." Asher's grin turned wicked. "Aren't you two, like… rivals or type shit? And you have a thing for her… I'm not saying love but it's…you know something going on between you too”.

“Just shut the fuck up Asher ."

"And now she's your stepsister." Asher laughed. "This is the best thing I've heard all year. How's that going?"

Dylan ran a hand through his hair. "It's complicated."

"Complicated how?"

"Just complicated." Dylan grabbed his bag again. "Come on. We're gonna be late."

Asher didn't push, but the smirk on his face said he knew there was more to the story.

---

Twenty minutes before first period, Moana sat in her usual spot near the back of the classroom, her notebook open but untouched. She hadn't slept much. Every time she closed her eyes, she heard those moans. Saw Dylan walking into that bathroom with Becca like it was nothing.

Like she was nothing. She shouldn't be feeling this type of way because they weren't an item but now that Dylan is her step brother, it's never going to happen but it just increased whatever feelings she has for him.

"Girl, you look exhausted."

Moana glanced up to see Octavia sliding into the seat beside her, all long legs and perfectly done edges. Lalissa followed, dropping her designer bag on the desk in front of them and turning around to face Moana with a raised eyebrow.

"Rough weekend?" Lalissa asked.

Moana closed her notebook. "You could say that."

" And you didn't even bother to call us, check the group chat, you didn't even reply to our texts. Now spill," Octavia demanded. "And don't leave anything out."

Moana hesitated. She'd been dreading this conversation, but there was no point in putting it off. They'd find out eventually.

"My mom got engaged," she said. "We moved in with her fiancé this weekend."

Octavia's eyes widened. "Wait, what? You moved?"

"Yeah. I'm still coming to school, just in a different house."

Lalissa leaned forward. "Okay, and? Why do you look like someone kicked your ass?"

Moana took a breath. "Her fiancé has a son."

"So you have a stepbrother now," Octavia said. "That's not the end of the world."

"It is when the stepbrother is Dylan Dickson."

Silence.

Then Lalissa's jaw dropped. "Dylan Dickson? Basketball team, playboy extraordinaire, your academic rival, your crush or crusher Dylan big Dickhead?"

"That's the one. Except I'm not crushing on him"

"Bitch." Octavia grabbed Moana's arm. "And you kept this from us since Saturday?"

"I wanted to tell you in person."

"No, girl, you broke the rules." Lalissa pointed at her. "No secrets. That's the deal. So spill. What happened? Is he still being a dickhead at home?"

Moana's throat tightened. "Actually our meeting was really some sort of drama, during dinner I thought it would be awkward but the dude is playing game. He took me out Saturday night. He said he wanted to show me around the neighborhood. We ended up at this ice cream place, and this girl who works there was all over him."

"Of course she was, everyone knows Dylan is a hot dick" Octavia muttered and Moana rolled her eyes 

"And then she spilled his ice cream and offered to help him clean up in the bathroom."

Lalissa's eyes narrowed. "Please tell me he didn't."

Moana's silence was enough.

"That bastard," Octavia hissed.

"I heard them," Moana said quietly. "I heard her moaning. I heard everything."

"Oh, honey." Lalissa reached across the desk and squeezed Moana's hand. "What did you do?"

"I left. Ordered a ride and went home."

"Good," Octavia said. "He doesn't deserve you."

"I don't care about him," Moana said quickly. "He's just my stepbrother. That's it."

Lalissa and Octavia exchanged a look.

"What?" Moana demanded.

"Girl," Lalissa said slowly. "You have always been fantasising about him, even though you mask it with those I hate you thingy."

"I do not."

"You're sitting here looking like someone broke your heart," Octavia pointed out. "If you didn't care, you wouldn't be this upset."

"I'm not upset. Okay I'm upset he took me out to fuck some ugly slutty ass bitch of a girl"

"That's a big name for a girl you didn't care if Dylan fucked her doggy…but you look like shit," Lalissa said. "And that's okay. But don't lie to us. Don't lie to yourself."

"Shut up," Moana snapped, but her voice cracked.

Octavia smiled "Babe, it's okay to admit you like him. Even if he's a complete asshole."

"I don't like him." Moana's hands clenched in her lap. "I hate him and he's my step brother now."

"Sure you do hate him," Lalissa said. She flipped her hair “I'd fuck my step brother if he's hot though”

“You two are the worse” Moana muttered 

“We learned from the best.” Octavia smirked.

The bell rang, cutting off whatever Moana was about to say. Students started filing into the classroom, filling the empty seats, and the noise level rose.

Moana opened her notebook again and stared at the blank page, refusing to let her friends see the tears threatening to spill over again. She has always been a hard girl but why is she hurting over this shitty situation?

The period dragged on. Moana took her note, her hand moving across the page while her mind replayed Saturday night on an endless loop. She didn't look up. Didn't participate. Just existed in her own bubble of misery.

When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of class, she packed her things quickly, shoving her notebook and pens into her bag.

"Cafeteria?" Octavia asked, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Yeah," Moana said. "Let me just pack my…"

A hand closed around her wrist.

Moana's head snapped up, and there he was. Dylan. Standing in front of her, his green eyes locked on hers, his grip firm but not painful.

"We need to talk," he said.

"I don't have anything to say to you."

"Too bad." Dylan started walking, pulling her along with him.

"Let go of me," Moana hissed, but he didn't.

Moana's heart pounded. Her wrist burned where his hand held her. And she hated that even now, even after everything, her body still reacted to his touch.

"Dylan…"

"Not here," he said, his voice low and rough.