Adrian gave Scarlett a final withering stare as they heard a knock at the door. She smiled, took his hand, and thanked him profusely before he pulled the door open and left.With a grimace, she turned back to Riley. "I hope they don't kill each other," she said. It was a major overreaction, but her worries were valid."Oh, you don't have to worry about Adrian." Riley chuckled. "He'll eat her alive and use her bones to pick his teeth afterwards.""You haven't met Sienna," Scarlett said."I've met plenty of Sienna’s," he said, looking her up and down with narrowed eyes."I'm nothing like her!" Scarlett cried. "If my Mum had called me something normal like Rebecca I wouldn't even be in the damn popular group."Riley looked like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. She knew what he was thinking: until her wolf made an appearance, she was basically a human girl. A late bloomer her mother said. It wasn’t at all uncommon to remain shiftless until the age of eighteen. Most wo
"Dance for me," he said.Scarlett giggled, but the laughter become soft and tapered off as she took in his facial expression."I can't dance," she said. "I'm... terrible. I have all the style and grace of a greased up, three-legged warthog on an ice-rink."Maybe it was the vivid mental image that made him snort with laughter. He looked her up and down with suspicious eyes."Adrian said you are a cheerleader," he sternly pointed out."Oh God," Scarlett covered her head with her palm. "Only because Sienna forced me. Little Miss Gymnastic gold champion has to take every opportunity to show off her limber frame. Meanwhile, you have me in the background, tripping over my own feet like a hopeless lummox. You’d think I’d have some sort of natural grace!"He burst into laughter again."Show me a routine," he demanded, staring up at the ceiling.When Scarlett dropped her shoulders in defeat, about to begin the silly cheer, Riley sat up on the bed and waved his arms."Woah, woah, woah, sweet ch
After changing back into her regular clothes, Scarlett scoured the internet for memes that were funny or relevant enough to share on her social media. It was a full-time job, taking up more of her time than homework, but somebody had to drudge through the sea of endless posts to pick out the gems.There were a lot of memes about men, due to the trending hashtag #notallmen. Scarlett steered clear, careful not to take a stance one way or another. She couldn't deal with people arguing on her posts. The only valid response was a laughter emoji.It wasn't long before the dreaded message appeared in her inbox. She was going to have to deal with Sienna’s bitching for weeks, maybe even months if she still wanted to hang out here with the same frequency. Deep in her heart, Scarlett almost hoped that her bestie would stop hanging out here so much. Yes, it was a normal teenager thing to do, but sometimes she wished to be… herself. Abnormal. Animal.Scarlett’s brow shaped into a confused frown as
Scarlett closed her eyes and prayed, but it did no good.His response was innevitable, she realised, seeing the cruel sneer materialise across his lips. "I only went out with you because my stepsister begged and pleaded with me," he revealed.Sienna's previously smug face dropped immediately. She slowly turned to Scarlett, eyes smouldering like lasers. Anger radiated off her in waves, almost visible and hot."Seriously?" Damien asked with a mouthful of food, choking on his salad."Yeah," Adrian told him. "She fucking begged on her knees with tears in her eyes because she was so worried her so-called best friend would blame her if I said no."As Sienna stared into the eyes of her best friend, she could see her rage and pain. Little tears formed before she threw her tray full of food at Scarlett's feet and ran from the cafeteria. Everyone turned to stare at Scarlett. The entire student body. She'd never felt so exposed and open. Staying out of the limelight was important--her mother
Sienna looked at her face in the mirror, inspecting her otherwise flawless skin for red blotches. Seeing speckles of pink beneath her eyes, she applied a final layer of concealer before fixing her makeup with powder. Her mother always bought her the best brands so it should last the school day. She didn't want anyone to know she'd been crying nonstop since yesterday—not even her remaining friends.Covering the marks didn't mean she couldn't still feel them. The skin of her cheeks was taut and sore, and her eyes stung despite using drops.Her chest rattled as she breathed in a shaky breath, giving herself a final once over before exiting the bathroom.She stood in the hallway as the students milled about her, chatting, and louting about as they made their way to the canteen or the picnic area. When she saw Adrian, her heart fluttered. It felt like it might burst, the rush of adrenaline being too much of a load to bear. Everything about him was perfection, from the shape of him to the
Sienna felt her cheeks burn with shame. Yes, it was cringy and humiliating, but it had worked for Scarlett. If begging was the only card she had to play, she was willing to give it a shot. It wasn’t as if she had any dignity left to covet at this point. He would probably tell people, but she couldn't care about that right now—it was a bridge she would cross in the future if it came to it."What?" he asked, one brow raised. "Are you for real?"Sienna nodded without looking up, feeling her hair tickle her face. She tucked it behind her ear, glancing up at him to read his reaction."Well, you're welcome to try it," he said, looking amused.She didn't feel hopeful. Something about his expression, the cruel curl of his lip, suggested he was making fun of her. Still… any hope was better than no hope at all. As she explored his face, she knew there was no way she could go on without him. He was just too perfect. Life would be devoid of meaning if she couldn't make him her own. The life she h
Sienna neared her home after taking a shortcut through the park and a walkway loving known as 'dog shit alley' by her friends. She was careful, staring down at the uneven paving slabs as she stepped, knowing from experience that the name they'd assigned was apt.As she neared her front door, she got a message but left it until she was inside. It was probably just Tamara or Rose checking up on her for the millionth time. It was sweet of them but completely unnecessary--everything was perfect in her world now.Her heart pounded when she saw Adrian's name on her screen. That instant burst of adrenaline made her eyes swim, making it hard to read the text."Come over. You need to apologise to Scarlett. You will come to my room after," she eventually read.An unconscious little smile formed on her lips as she pulled her clothes from her wardrobe, getting dressed in a blind panic.She wanted to look hot enough to make him swoon, but at the same time, she didn't want to keep him waiting. Shov
Sienna swallowed and obeyed him without question, stripping out of her jeans and top and folding them into a neat little pile on the bed."Underwear too," he prompted, giving her a sideways glance.After only a second’s hesitation, she obliged, adding her bra and briefs to the pile. She had to fight the urge to cover up using her hands, holding them firmly at her sides.‘Your body is beautiful,’ she told herself, forcing her usually confident persona to the surface. She got the feeling he wouldn't be happy to see her acting modestly.He didn't tell her how amazing she looked or how beautiful her body was. He barely even looked at her. The look in his eyes said he’d seen it all before. She was nothing special to him. Usually, guys would gush at the sight of her, becoming excited at the chance to sleep with such a stunning beauty. This experience was… different, to say the least. It left her with a feeling she’d yet to experience. One she couldn’t define in words.The sun shone through