Lahat ng Kabanata ng Her Hockey Stepbrother, Her Worst Enemy, Her Beloved: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

TALIA’S POVI woke up in what I can only describe as a crime scene.My head was hurting like there was a party going on inside, my mouth tasted like expired energy drink and bad choices, and worst of all—I wasn’t wearing what I left the house in.I blinked, sat up slowly, then paused. I stared at my reflection in the mirror across the room and gasped.“WHAT THE HELL—”I was in his hoodie. Him, Maxton Carter’s. It was black, oversized, smelled like pinewood and arrogance. I looked around like maybe someone snuck into my room and was playing a sick prank.How did I get into his clothes? I wanted to believe that maybe Deej had followed me home and had changed me.“Deej?” I called, already panicking. “CHRIS?!”But no one answered.There was no Deej or Chris.Just me, my aching head, and the hoodie of the boy I swore on seven different cursed objects I’d never let touch me.“What… happened last night?”I threw the blanket off like it personally offended me, and that’s when I saw it on my n

TALIA’S POVChris’s voice came at me like a car alarm — loud and impossible to ignore.I blinked.Deej’s mouth was wide open from the passenger seat, like she had just witnessed me walk out naked. Chris leaned out the window, staring at the hoodie like it was a ticking time bomb.I tugged the sleeves down over my fingers and gave them a tight-lipped smile.“Good morning to you too.”“Oh no! No! No! You don’t get to do this,” Deej snapped, opening the door and twisting in her seat like a disappointed mom. “Get in this car right now and explain yourself before I lose my mind.”I sighed, slid into the backseat, and shut the door behind me.Chris turned all the way around to look at me.“That is Maxton Carter’s hoodie. You said you hated him last night.”“I do hate him!” I defended, voice breaking under pressure. “It’s just a hoodie!”“Yeah, and I’m just a pineapple,” Deej muttered. “Talia. It’s his hoodie.”Chris narrowed his eyes. “Did something happen? Did you two…?”I blinked.Deej’s

TALIA’S POV“Attention students! Just a reminder—tomorrow is Picture Day! Come dressed to impress. Yearbook staff will be stationed in the gym from 9:00 a.m. sharp. That’s all!”The speaker clicked off with a crackle, and within three seconds, the hallway was buzzing.Girls were already comparing gloss shades. Guys were adjusting imaginary ties in their reflections. Someone whispered something about wearing a crown and making it their “royal debut.”“Not them giving runway vibes for a yearbook and I.D. cards,” I said, rolling my eyes as I yanked open my locker, ignoring the sudden fashion frenzy forming around me.Picture Day.One day in a year where everyone pretended to be their best self before going back to chaos the next. And as if I didn’t have enough going on already, it was finally here.I took out my literature textbook from my locker, trying to ignore the slight headache in my head. My mind was still messed up from the drama that had happened in the cafeteria two days ago. S

TALIA'S POVThat night, I barely slept. Not because of Picture Day nerves, or whether my earrings matched Deej's "Slay Strategy" checklist. It was because of Zeke. His apology, though not sure if it was sincere or not, but the fact that he likes me was now clear as day, and also the real truth I hadn't said to him. What will he do when he finds out? He will flip out.Sigh! He was right. Not about everything though, and certainly not about how he treated me or how he lashed out but about Maxton. About the fact I claim to hate a guy, yet I'll follow him out, and even attend school wearing his hoodie, it's not exactly an "I hate you" vibe. And yet the kiss was something I didn't regret. Guilt raked my mind but then my phone's screen lit up. I took it and couldn't believe it was morning already, 7am to be precise. I saw a message on the phone's screen. It was from Deej.'Rally at mine. Time to serve our face and make it look exquisite.'I dragged myself up, brushed and went to the shower.

TALIA'S POVI don’t know how long we sat there in the bakery after Bambi left. Deej kept poking her fork into a cinnamon roll like it had personally insulted her. Chris was halfway through his second cookie, muttering something about sugar being cheaper than therapy. And me? I was silent. Staring out the window like I could maybe see answers in the cracks of the cloudy sky.“She doesn’t know anything,” Deej said suddenly.I blinked. “Who?”“Bambi,” she snapped. “She acts like she knows people. But she only knows how to twist things. Her whole life is a damn performance.”Chris nodded, chewing. “She’s like… if toxic energy were a perfume, that perfume is Bambi.”That actually got a small laugh out of me. Just a chuckle, and for that moment, I had a bit of joy. But the thoughts of what happened earlier made me feel so uneasy.I couldn't even bring myself to eat the cookies. Finally, I couldn't bear it anymore, I exhaled. “Do you think Zeke hates me now?” I asked, I needed some assurance