BRIANNA
I got up from the living room, my stomach hurting from all the laughing. The bowl in my hand was about to slip, I know it but I held onto it. I refilled the popcorn and grabbed us two new cans of soda.
I sat down and handed it to her, she smiled in appreciation. While she was talking I observed her.
Her hair was braided down into cornrows. Two beads at the end of each one. She had different colors woven into them. Her eyes were a light surface hazel, it complimented her lighter skin tone. Her lips were small, tight and pink. They looked like her mothers. So far she looked nothing like her father so it was a win for me.
She took a sip from the soda can while I finished my story.
"He's such a prick! I already hate him and I haven't seen him." She exclaims grabbing a handful of popcorn.
"He is who he is. I can't change someone." Even if he changed me.
It's been two days since Storm initially came around. She had a big fight with her parents about coming over so she came over anyway. She brought a whole load of clothes and mother had no choice but to let her stay. I decided to tolerate her because mother told me to be nice.
But it turns out that I actually like her. She may be the spawn of that devil but she's nothing like him, neither am I. It's a win for us. We both seem to have strained relationships with him. He can never seem to do anything right but in my head, I excused it because she is a teenager and parents can never seem to do anything right.
Carter on the other hand hasn't even tried to speak to me. I told him not to but I was expecting on text. I hadn't realized that I missed him until I started to Storm about him.
"It's always the ones you can't change. He's hot, he's mean and he changes you but you cannot even try to change him because he's too much." She sighs and eats another handful of popcorn.
I seriously hate him but I miss our small makeout sessions. He was an okay kisser. He would always wrap his arms around my waist and pull me to him because he wants me as close as possible. I want the small fire I felt inside me everytime he would look at me. I missed him and his blush everytime I called him by his last name. I missed having to tease him.
I always thought he was crushing on me, that he couldn't even see that he was clearly head over heels for me but I was wrong. He never did. He used me and I used him. It ends there.
"Enough talk about shitty people, how is it going to your punk baby?"
Storm had a boyfriend who was actually her drummer. They had to keep their relationship under wraps because even though her father allowed her to go and make music, he would have a stroke if he found out she dated this soon. When I was eight, he would tell me not to date anyone until I was out of highschool.
We're both disappointments.
We went to sleep that night in my bed, whispering to each other, our crazy thoughts. I was almost asleep, my eyes began to be heavy and my lips would not move to respond. I turned my body to my side, her forehead touching mine.
"Thank you,' she whispered, "for not shutting me out."
I wanted to say thank you but I was on the brink of sleep. I didn't let it go unnoticed so I raised my eyebrows. She exhaled a breath of humor.
"You are the best sister in the world." Her only sister.
☾︎•༄𖦹♡︎𖦹༆•☽︎
I wake up and wear my new everyday outfit, sweatpants and a zip up hoodie. I walk into the bathroom and disarm my hairbrush. Inside is three small packets of my emergency stash. I take one of them and lock the bathroom door. I slowly inhale it all, feeling the rush in my head. I've been doing this for the past two days. It felt relaxing but what I enjoyed was sitting the bathroom stall at school and coming down from it. It was the strong stuff.
I wore my sunglasses and walked out of the bathroom. Storm shook her head and we both went down for breakfast. Mother also likes Storm. She always did, she told me to separate her from her father, it's been working out. I was tempted to tell her about how her father left me to raise her but everytime I try to say it, mother interjects.
I don't want her to feel bad but I want her to be aware of the man her father is.
Once I enter school, I see a crying Hailey. My whole mission is complete. I have made Hailey's life at school a living hell.
"Hailey doesn't actually like you, did you think you would stand a chance with her? She's using you so that she would look good on her application." I whispered to one of the student volunteer presidents, in charge of assigning jobs to us teens who want to. He had a late night dinner with Hailey that I heard from one of her friends who now, thanks to me, hates her.
I got up after I consoled him and no doubt his friends came rushing when they saw him distraught.
That was easy and such a small piece of the pie.
Sneaking into the secretary's office was harder than sneaking into the principals office. I sat down in her chair and searched for the volunteer programs and to which learner it would be assigned to. I switched Katherine's and Hailey's. Katherine was going to work at an animal dump in the pig sty they had. Katy wouldn't survive.
Hailey was working with the elderly. So I switched the programs and wrote down extra hours for her.
That was a disaster, ask me, I was there to watch.
She hates farms and pigs and animals. This was perfect for her.
One of chicks noticed she was carrying a bowl of corn in her hand. they came closer to her and she freaked out. She ran away and one of them chased her. She eventually let go of the bowl but tripped over a haystack and into the pigs food.
She got up and tried to walk out to clean herself but didn't see one of the chicks in the way. The hen next to it started attacking her, pecking her legs with a harsh beak. She cried and fell, the pigs came over and started nibbling on her back. She shooed all the animals away from her and when she got up, her face was covered in mud and dirt from the ground.
I pressed the send button and typed, 'do with this what you will.' I guess they chose the viral side. She went viral for her video.
That's why she is crying and with no one by her side. I won and was satisfied with a lonely crying Hailey. I walked to my locker and opened it. I got my stuff out and when I closed it, Katy and Ryan were standing next to me.
"Farm video was it. How did you manage to make her cry infront of everyone else?" Ryan glanced back at her then back at me in excitement.
"I don't care how you did it, I'm just loving the show." Katy shakes her head in pity.
"She should just never mess with me. I was going to do more but I won't. I have bigger problems to deal with."
"Like?" Ryan cast a worried look to me. My eyes were hidden behind my sunglasses and I'm glad they do so because Katy would've seen me.
"My schoolwork. Mother thinks I've been neglecting it and now I have to try harder, or show her that I'm trying harder."
"Are you going to deal with him?" Katy points behind me. Stupidly I look back and Carter walks in with Jaxon by his side. He looks great, nothing like me. He was smiling and laughing.
He looked at me and his smile faltered a little. I look back at Katy and Ryan but they were still looking at them.
"I don't have to deal with him because I don't want to and I don't care."
"His hair got longer." Ryan nods and looks back at me. He smiles apologetically.
"He's not wrong." I know he isn't, Katherine.
Carter's hair got longer, his smile got deeper and his grey eyes got darker. He had small circles under his eyes. I can't stray away from his hands. They got more rough, the veins got more prominent.
"We're going to his game this Friday, right?" Ryan asked and I shook my head before walking away.
I was okay with watching from a distance but up close and for a long amount of time, I couldn't do it. Ryan halted my movements while Katy stood infront of me.
"No," she said sternly, "you are not hiding anymore. We want the same Brianna Jackson that ruined Hailey."
"She's on hiatus." I say quickly and try to move out of his grasp.
"Tell her to come back. We have a basketball game to get to." Ryan kissed me on my cheek before walking away. Katy hugged me and walk to her first class.
I dread my first class, bio. I sit next to him.
I walk into the classroom and notice that he wasn't there yet. Knowing myself I wouldn't be able to control myself so I take a seat in the front. A seat he originally rejected. I don't mind sitting in the front, it's nice for my education.
☾︎•༄𖦹♡︎𖦹༆•☽︎
Katy and Ryan insist we all go to the game together. I wasn't complaining but I knew they would try to get me out of my clothes. I was arguing with Katy and Ryan while they picked my outfit. I sighed as Katy gave me a pair of my favorite jeans, a t-shirt and black sneakers. I just don't want to look hot in a place of depression.
"Katy, I'm not changing." I cross my arms. She pulls me up from my bed.
"You can keep one of your clothes on but the rest we are changing." She compromises. I think over it and look down at my outfit.
"I'll keep my hoodie." I shrug but both Ryan and Katy look at each other in horror.
"No, you are banned from hoodies." Katy scolds.
"Banned!" Ryan repeats after her.
"Fine, I'll wear whatever." I shrug.
Katy claps merrily and Ryan smiles at me. They gave me an outfit and I walked into the bathroom. After I got ready, I had to say goodbye to Storm, who had to go to her next city for her tour. I was sort of proud of her like any big sister was.
"I'll call you when I land and then go MIA." She chuckled and gave me a hug.
She waves her goodbyes then gets into the taxi.
When we got inside the gymnasium, it was packed. People overflowing some still had to find a seat. I hadn't even been in here for two seconds and my eyes are searching for him. I see him listening to Coach but as if he can feel my stare, he looks up. We look at each other, no smiles, no furrowed brows. Just pure staring, empty minded staring. I averted my gaze back to finding a seat. I see an open space near the front in the middle column.
"Let's sit there." I tell them. We take a seat and Hailey comes by to us, smirking like a red head with a crush.
"Oh hello." She greets with a small wave and twinkle of her fingers.
"Why are you wearing that?" Katy asks bitterly and I look at Hailey, what's wrong with her outfit?
"I'm here to support Isaac." She defends and I realize that this is Carters jersey, with his number on it.
"By wearing his jersey?" Katy asks quietly but loud enough for her to hear.
"You look good in Jaxon's jersey, the first to ever wear it." Katy glanced down at her jersey.
"I would say thank you but I don't want to." Katy didn't even look at her. I smile, feeling proud. Hailey walks away to sit in the front seat.
Jaxon rushed up the bleachers. Katy got up and hugged him. "I'm glad you decided to come."
I smile at him. He gives Ryan and I a fist bump, then runs back down the bleachers. Carter meets him at the bottom, they share a few words then he looks around the bleachers. I guess Jaxon told him about me.
I sink lower into my seat and clear my throat. "He's looking here."
"Okay, now look back." Ryan shakes his head and rolls his eyes. I nudge him on his side.
The game starts and Katy starts cheering for everyone on the team, specifically her man. I don't know alot of basketball, I don't know any basketball.
The last ten seconds of the game has me at the edge of my seat. Carter caught the ball and was prepared to throw it to Ethan but the opposing team was quick. Jaxon side stepped someone and was open. Last five seconds, he quickly grabbed the ball, spinned around to the hoop and shot the ball and on the last second it went in. And he was standing outside the three point line.
They won 32-15
"I'm going to go down there." Katy squealed and ran down to Jaxon. He waited for her at the end of the stairs and caught her as she jumped for him.
Behind them was Carter and he looked at me looking at him. A small smile graced his face and he came up the stairs. I felt my heart hammering against my chest as he neared. I didn't know what to do so I looked at the boy behind me and kissed him.
Shit.
I push him away slightly and give him a look in his eyes. I lean to kiss him again but with no panic. After our little moment I look back and Carter is still standing there but with a crazy look. He was glaring at the guy I kissed. I wished I hadn't done that.
I smile at him and push past him to get down the bleachers. I run down and out of the gymnasium.
A U T H O R ' S N O T E
Having a great time, might not update tomorrow but we'll see. Hope you loved the chapter!