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  “This is why I want normal friends,” Aria said, appealing to me for sympathy. “What do you think about them, Brynn? Honestly.”

  I wasn’t anticipating the question, and I stalled for time by anxiously clearing my throat. Unfortunately, I was hyper-aware of Alex’s mindful gaze, and I blurted out the first words that came into my head. “It’s like we’re in a drama or something.”

  Aria laughed at my observation while Alex relented a smile, his eyes inspecting me carefully. I swallowed hard because my face was hot, and I was embarrassed from speaking so loosely without considering the consequences. It was characteristic at this point, and I always said the wrong thing which left behind a poor impression. “Well,” Alex remarked, “I’m glad that you aren’t afraid to speak your mind, Miss Starr.”

  “It’s a good thing, so don’t make her feel bad,” Aria scolded Alex. “She shouldn’t feel honored to talk to you.”

  “I never insinuated such a thing,” Alex said, tossing me an easy smile. “Forgive me, Miss Starr, if I made you feel uncomfortable.”

  “Now you’re just being dramatic.” Aria sighed, opening her notebook at the sudden introduction of our teacher as he finally entered the room. “What’s with the ‘Miss Starr’ thing?”

  “It suits her,” Alex said, and I realized that his smile could easily ruin a girl if he wasn’t more careful.

  ***

  “Are you alright, Brynn?” Aria asked me later on after we found an empty table at the front of our second period class.

  “I’m okay,” I said, choosing my next words more carefully. “Is he always that formal?”

  “I wouldn’t call it formal,” Aria said. “He’s mostly just conceited.”

  “Are you two close friends?” I asked, detecting her barely-concealed fondness for Alex, even if she seemed reserved in expressing it openly.

  “I like to think so,” she said. “But I always try to be nice to V’s friends.”

  “The golden rule.”

  “Exactly,” Aria agreed, reaching into her bag for a textbook. “If you don’t mind me asking, Brynn,” Aria ventured. “Do you have a boyfriend here? Or is it too soon?”

  I shrugged. “I’m not comfortable with a relationship.”

  “Neither was I,” Aria said, reclining back in her chair. “But V is ridiculously handsome, you know?”

  I pursed my lips in consideration. “No offense, but all of his friends seem really popular. The girls around here go crazy for them.”

  “They’re all very smart and insanely talented.”

  “And arrogant,” I added, wincing when I realized that my words could be easily misconstrued.

  But Aria only laughed in response. “They act that way on purpose you know,” she explained. “Beckett and Alex are the worst.” She paused here, carefully studying the room around us before leaning in closer. “Over the summer, V and I actually counted how many different girls Alex brought back to his art studio.” She paused for effect, smirking mischievously. “Twenty.”

  “Twenty?” I whispered, unable to process the conspicuous insinuation.

  “V was like that before I started dating him,” Aria continued. “When we met at the music competition, he was way too proud of himself.”

  She suddenly seemed lost in the memory. “I saw right through him, and he was brought down a peg or two when I beat him in the guitar competition. Apparently, it was the first time that he had ever lost.”

  “I would’ve liked to see that,” I admitted. “It’s always fun to watch them squirm.”

  Aria nodded her agreement. “He wasn’t so proud after that, and I turned him down when he offered to take me home.”

  I frowned. “That was awfully forward.”

  “It’s how he was.” Aria shrugged. “But then something changed. Now, if only I could find the same results with the rest of them. Honestly speaking, Chrystian isn’t really that bad. In fact, he doesn’t seem as interested in causing trouble like the others.”

  “Chrystian?” I repeated his name, and I recalled his handsome countenance.

  “Chrystian Bowman,” she said. “You might have met him? I think he’s in your writing class.”

  “Yes,” I agreed quickly. “I met him yesterday.”

  “What was your impression of him?”

  “He was definitely different from the others,” I admitted, suddenly feeling unusually timid while answering her questions.

  “He’s really sweet,” Aria told me. “He was the first one to welcome me into the group. The others were more careless, but I can’t blame them. I’m not naive, and I know I’m not the prettiest girl. They probably thought that I wasn’t good enough for V.”

  Aria scowled, and I was taken aback by how much it didn’t suit her gentle features. “Sometimes I still don’t think that I’m good enough.”

  I sighed because I had never been an adequate counselor when it came to stimulating confidence, but I still tried for a deep breath to counter my inexperience. “Listen, Venir and his friends should be grateful because you can actually stand your ground.”

  “Oh, you sound so cheesy right now, Brynn,” Aria said, reaching over to squeeze my hand. “But I appreciate the sentiment.”

  I looked down at my empty notebook. “I’m better with words when I can write them down.”

  “You should show me,” Aria said, reminding me again of Chrystian with the simple request. “I’m a very good judge of character. Even if I couldn’t see it at first, I knew that it was hidden, V’s chivalry. I had to dig for it, but I’m glad that I found it.”

  I was impressed by Aria’s words. “You remind me a lot of my older sister. I mean, you’re both really wise.”

  Aria offered me a grateful smile before she surrendered her attention to the start of our lesson. Meanwhile, I considered Aria’s words, wondering if I had been too presumptuous with my initial impression of Venir and his friends. If I were to believe Aria, then I should give them all a chance to prove themselves. Unfortunately, recalling the rumors surrounding the four mysterious boys only made me wonder if it was Aria whose forgiving manner had driven her astray.

  ***

  After class ended, I walked to the dining room alone. It was an intentional decision because Aria had invited me to eat with her and Venir in the Student Council lounge, but I hastily declined. A potential confrontation with Chrystian and Alex was a terrifying prospect considering our previous encounters, so I decided to join my sister instead. After all, when Nicole wasn’t trying to gossip about the student population, she was fairly charming with the passionate way that she spoke about the things she loved.

  She also loved talking with new people, but I was still annoyed when I noticed another student already sitting at our table. Actually, it wasn’t an entirely random selection but Skyla Riles, one of our new team members. I recalled from our prior introductions that Skyla was a freshman like my younger sister. She was also one of the girls who had spoken in favor of the Student Council, filling my sister’s ears with the same rumors that I tried to avoid when I walked through the crowded hallways. I would probably listen to another unnecessary monologue about those conceited guys, but I had no other acquaintances, which meant that I was forced to reluctantly sit down in the booth next to Nicole who greeted me brightly. “You don’t mind if Skyla eats with us?”

  “No,” I said curtly, flipping through the pages of my notebook. “I should be writing instead. I didn’t finish my assignment from last night.”

  “Okay,” Nicole assented, returning to her conversation with Skyla and that was perfectly fine with me. While they chatted in the background, I focused on drowning out their voices, choosing instead to lose myself in my current story. The assignment was simple enough. We were to write a movie scene and it needed to end on a cliffhanger. Yet, despite its simple premise, I was having trouble with the conclusion. I had grown close to my main character, and I felt immensely guilty about having her adventures end so prematurely. Plus, every cliffhanger I came
up with seemed cheesy and ridiculous. It was obvious that I wanted to be definitive without writing a suitable ending:

  She was acutely aware of his presence as she stepped into the dark, crowded corridor. She could sense him all around her, but the darkness crippled her vision, leaving her a prisoner to his whims. He could do anything he wanted. Circle her pretty neck with his fingers and break it with a delicate twist.

  Addison whimpered, stepping backwards, and her steps were careful and calculated. If only he knew how much she actually cared. If only she knew how much he had captured her heart.....but there it was. She could hear it from somewhere behind her current position. Loud, storming steps belonging to someone with a heavy stride. She felt his fingers on her shoulder and while holding her breath, she turned around to face him....

  “Honestly, it shouldn’t be this difficult,” I mumbled to myself, erasing the last line. “The setting is cheesy.”

  Suddenly, I was aware that my little sister and her nosy friend had grown quiet, and that couldn’t mean anything good from the two of them. “Braelynn?” I heard his voice intonate the syllables of my name with an undercurrent of friendliness. “You promised to show me your writing.”

  Frowning, I looked up into the memorable honey-brown gaze of Chrystian Bowman. “Don’t call me Braelynn!” I grimaced, but then I remembered that I wasn’t alone. “It’s just Brynn.”

  Chrystian nodded, wearing that ridiculous smile. “Well, Brynn, I assume that you’re working on something?”

  I quickly closed my notebook, wincing at the childish gesture. “It’s not finished.”

  “Isn’t the assignment due next period?” he asked, tilting his head to the side. “You don’t have much time.”

  “I know!” I groaned. “Thanks for the reminder. You can go back to your friends because I need quiet.”

  “Maybe I can help,” he said, asking his next request of Skyla who appeared utterly shell-shocked. “Do you mind if I sit next to you?”

  “Not at all,” Skyla agreed immediately, scooting further into the booth.

  I let out an irritated sigh when Chrystian sat down, casting Skyla and my sister friendly smiles. Nicole let out a little sigh and I elbowed her roughly. “Hey!”

  “Look, Chrystian,” I said, commanding his attention once again. “I appreciate the gesture, but I work better on my own.”

  “Really?” he asked. “Then you would’ve finished that by now.”

  Nicole giggled, and I elbowed her even harder. “I didn’t have much time last night. We had the afternoon practice slot.”

  “All the more reason to let someone help,” Chrystian reasoned. “I’ll let you read mine if you’d like, Brynn.”

  I silently cursed his reasonable tradeoff because I couldn’t deny my interest. “A trade, then?”

  Chrystian chuckled. “A trade.”

  “Fine,” I said, trying to appear indifferent while sliding my notebook closer to him. “Let me see.”

  Chrystian nodded before reaching into his bag for his familiar blue notebook, carefully handing it to me from across the table. “I appreciate and welcome all feedback.”

  “Duly noted,” I muttered sarcastically, flipping the cover to the very first page, ignoring the way his eyes lingered on the movement. “This is a lot,” I exhaled, despite my best efforts to remain unaffected, reading with more enthusiasm than I thought possible.

  “Are you impressed?” he asked, grinning at my reaction.

  I cleared my throat. “It’s alright, but it doesn’t have a title.”

  “Perhaps you could think of one?” Chrystian suggested, a sly grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

  “It’s not my story,” I declined. “Anyway, you’re supposed to be reading mine.”

  “It’s not much of a cliffhanger,” Chrystian teased.

  “I know that,” I told him gruffly. “I was trying to work before you interrupted me.”

  “How’s this?” Chrystian asked, sliding the notebook in my direction, tapping his pencil on the table surface.

  She was acutely aware of his presence as she stepped into the dark, crowded corridor. She could sense him all around her, but the darkness crippled her vision, leaving her a prisoner to his whims. He could do anything he wanted. Circle her pretty neck with his fingers and break it with a delicate twist.

  Addison whimpered, stepping backwards, and her steps were careful and calculated. If only he knew how much she actually cared. If only she knew how much he had captured her heart.....but there it was. She could hear it from somewhere behind her current position. Loud, storming steps belonging to someone with a heavy stride. She felt his fingers on her shoulder and while holding her breath, she turned around to face him....

  His breath tickled across her face, warm and familiar. He leaned in close, his voice barely a whisper. “And how would you feel staying with me?”

  “I don’t know,” she replied, one of her hands coming to cradle the back of his neck, unable to let go. “What’s happening?”

  “Freedom is right there through that door,” he said, turning her head in the direction he spoke. She cringed when his grip tightened.“Stay here with me and you will know nothing but this darkness.”

  She felt his fingers creep around her neck and knew what her answer needed to be.

  “It’s so much better now!” Nicole remarked from over my shoulder, and I fixed her with the meanest glare that I could manage, one that was usually reserved for my archenemies.

  “Do you like it, Brynn? Will it meet your standards?” Chrystian asked. “I know that you don’t want any assistance for our class. Your writing must be more advanced than what you’ve let me see.”

  I regarded him warily. “You’re just going to let me use this ending?”

  “Why not?” he asked. “I come up with hundreds of endings every day.” The bell rang overhead, providing an effective end to our conversation. “Just in time, right? I’ll see you in class.”

  I watched him leave, aware of Skyla and Nicole both gaping at me shamelessly. “He’s so cool,” Skyla said and, for once, I had to agree with my sister.

  Rose

  The average academic schedule seemed to last longer during the tedious process of trying to settle into a new routine. It didn’t help that our practice slots frequently changed in conjunction with the men’s team, occupying the gym late at night when we exchanged the coveted afternoon session. But there were often days when I felt mentally exhausted from the demands of my new classes, slowly trudging to practice even though I wanted nothing more than my bed at home. Accordingly, it had only been a few days since our first encounter with Arlington Academy's elite, and Friday meant a much-needed weekend was approaching. I tried to maintain an optimistic outlook when I walked into the gymnasium, but I discovered that the men’s team was shooting around at the goals.

  My teammates stood on the sidelines, and they were far more interested in watching the men practice as opposed to our daily warm-ups. I approached our group cautiously, aware that everyone seemed perfectly confused by this unexpected situation. “Coach,” I said, finding her busy with a clipboard. “What’s happening?”

  “We’re sharing the court with the guys today,” Miranda replied. “Stay here while I go talk with Coach Andrews.”

  I offered my consent, watching my coach disappear into the side office before I went into the locker room to change clothes. Upon my return, I noticed that my teammates had wandered onto the court with the boys. Perhaps they were hoping to figure out the mystery behind our concurrent schedules? In actuality, after I started listening to their exchanges, I realized that both teams were positioning themselves in a confrontational standoff which wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Thankfully, Aria had decided to remain at the back with Nicole and Brynn, whispering in low voices.

  “Rose!” Sydney called out my name, drawing literally every pair of eyes in the gymnasium. She smirked in a self-satisfied sort of way. “Come over here. Since we’re going to be co-capt
ains, we seem to have a situation.”

  I walked over to her with uncertainty, aware that two problems were starting to arise. One arose from Sydney’s obvious displeasure with our team vote from yesterday, where it was agreed that we would both captain the team. The other involved Ryder Ainsworth and Beckett Arlington standing in front of their teammates. I had only briefly considered Ryder in passing, but Nicole was more than happy to provide details when she caught me staring for far too long in his direction during practice yesterday. The senior point guard was considerably more quiet than his comrades, and his darker features painted him as a reclusive type.

  In any case, I surmised that Ryder and Beckett were probably both co-captains as well and this was just a chance to communicate well-intentioned advice between our two teams. “What is it?” I asked, coming to stand next to Sydney.

  “It’s a tragedy!” Sydney began dramatically. “They think that they can beat us in a shooting competition. Our best shooter against theirs.”

  “For what?” I asked the two boys who were both smiling widely, mirroring the stance that I shared with Sydney. My stomach knotted when I met Ryder’s intimidating gaze.

  “Bragging rights,” Sydney said, brushing it off nonchalantly. “Shall we accept?”

  I swallowed hard, looking back at Ryder’s challenging stare. Something in his posture threw me off, and I found myself nodding in agreement. “Why not? Aria-”

  “No!” Beckett interrupted, surprising both me and Sydney in return. Ryder also looked taken aback as he studied his teammate. “Not Aria.”

  “Why not Aria?” I asked him. “If it’s our best shooter, then it has to be Aria.”

  “One of the captains,” Beckett continued, eyes frantically refusing to meet mine. It was an unexpected reaction to Aria’s relatively unknown shooting abilities. I knew that she was good, the best on our team by far, but was Beckett actually afraid that she would beat their best shooter?

  “Needlessly dramatic.” Sydney sighed. “I guess I’ll take the challenge.”