HARD GIRL BREAKING

✿MOANA✿

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

Like I was nothing. I shouldn’t be feeling this type of way because we weren’t an item and now that Dylan is my step brother, it’s never going to happen but it just increased whatever feelings I have for him.

“Girl, you look exhausted.”

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

“Rough weekend?” Lalissa asked.

I closed my notebook. “You could say that.”

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

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

“My mom got engaged,” I 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?”

I 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 followed, both of them staring at me like I was crazy.

Then Lalissa’s jaw dropped. “Dylan Dickson? Basketball team captain, 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 my 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 me. “No secrets. That’s the deal. So spill. What happened? Is he still being a dickhead at home?”

My 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 I rolled my 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 fucked her.”

I stayed silent for a minute, my silence already confirmed their suspicion.

“I heard them,” I said quietly. “I heard her moaning. I heard everything.”

“Oh, honey.” Lalissa reached across the desk and squeezed my 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,” I said quickly. “He’s just my stepbrother. That’s it.”

Lalissa and Octavia exchanged a look.

“What?” I demanded.

“Girl,” Lalissa said slowly. “You have always been fantasising about him, even though you mask it with that 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 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,” I snapped, but my 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.” My hands clenched in my 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 worst,” I muttered.

“We learned from the best,” Octavia smirked.

The bell rang, cutting off whatever I was about to say. Students started filing into the classroom.

I opened my notebook again and stared at the blank page, refusing to let my friends see the tears threatening to spill over again.

I’ve always been a hard girl.

But why am I hurting over this shitty situation?

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

When the bell finally rang, I packed my things quickly.

“Cafeteria?” Octavia asked.

“Yeah. Let me just pack my…”

A hand closed around my wrist.

My head snapped up.

Dylan.

Standing in front of me, his green eyes locked on mine, his grip firm but not painful.

“We need to talk,” he said.

“I don’t have anything to say to you.”

“Too bad.”

He started walking, pulling me along with him.

“Let go of me,” I hissed, but he didn’t.

My heart pounded. My wrist burned where his hand held me. And I hated that even now, even after everything, my body still reacted to his touch.

“Dylan…”

“Not here,” he said, his voice low and rough.