CHARLOTTE Taide was growing out his hair. I sat on the edge of my bed, watching him lean over the mirror on my dresser. His hands combed through his dark hair, smoothing it back and letting it fall forward again. It was longer than I’d ever seen it, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it yet. S
CHARLOTTE I pulled my curls into a bun as I walked down the stairs, my feet moving slowly against the wooden steps. The house was quiet, too quiet, but that was normal these days. My thoughts were scattered until a flicker of movement caught my eye. A flash of black streaked across the foyer. I st
24 HOURS AFTER JUNIOR YEAR GRADUATION PRESENT DAY CHARLOTTE Whoever said a person’s world couldn’t go up in flames in the blink of an eye deserves an award. It’s the best lie ever told. I’m standing alone, even though I’m surrounded. By the same people who set out to destroy me ever since I sh
SIX MONTHS EARLIER CHARLOTTE 8:34 am. Goddess save my soul. Like I need any more reasons to be laughed at and treated like a pariah at Lupin Prep, my alarm chooses today of all days to not go off at the set time. I shove my cell phone in my backpack, adjusting my uniform as best as I can withou
CHARLOTTEI’ve been cursed.There’s no further explanation for it.One year. One whole year of torture, torment, the most bitter form of mental exertion brought upon me by the same three boys the moon goddess has now destined to be my… fated mates?My life companions?My other halves?All three of t
CHARLOTTE“You always do this, Sean!” The sound of a curling iron hitting the sink counter travels through the closed bathroom door, as Madeline yells on the phone.It’s another one of those days. Another one of those endless arguments she always gets into with her on again-off again boyfriend, Sean
CHARLOTTEI screamed as water filled my ears and nose while sinking deeper into the pool. The sound of water splashing like a cry out to the lingering guests standing by the poolside."Oh my gosh!" One of them cackled, as I flopped flailingly into the water, struggling to breathe. I thrashed in the
CHARLOTTEGetting back to the dorms, there was a huge silence between Mads and I.I huffed, as I climbed to my bed, my damp bikini sticking to the blankets, and forming a wet map made from my boobs and panties. Laying flat on my stomach, I couldn't care less if I was butt naked– I was wearing a biki
CHARLOTTE I pulled my curls into a bun as I walked down the stairs, my feet moving slowly against the wooden steps. The house was quiet, too quiet, but that was normal these days. My thoughts were scattered until a flicker of movement caught my eye. A flash of black streaked across the foyer. I st
CHARLOTTE Taide was growing out his hair. I sat on the edge of my bed, watching him lean over the mirror on my dresser. His hands combed through his dark hair, smoothing it back and letting it fall forward again. It was longer than I’d ever seen it, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it yet. S
A childish part of me felt like defending that Emma had started it, but why did it matter? It shouldn’t matter and I tried to make myself believe that. Taide’s attention shifted away from the menu to me, and I cleared my throat before turning my gaze from Caeson and down to the menu like I had
CHARLOTTE After a short drive, Taide pulled up in the parking lot of the small restaurant that was a hotspot amongst students in the area. The main area was rowdy and full of students eating and talking loudly, but Taide led me past there and into a quieter, more ambient area. It was still c
CHARLOTTE Taide held the door open and shot me a knowing look. But I didn’t move, I remained in one spot, crossed my arms and pouted. “But Taide—” “I don’t want to hear it,” he cut me off, his expression deep and serious. My lips snapped shut, I sensed that there was no point in arguing. So, wi
I pulled them both back into the house and then to the kitchen. With a small exhale, I let go of their hands, immediately missing the comfort and warmth their touches gave me. “I need to find Madeline,” I told them. “Do you know if she’s back?” Just like Taide, she’d been gone almost all day. Rei
CHARLOTTE Caeson walked further outside, his hands buried deep in his pockets as he eyed the three of us with distaste. He drew closer and said with a slight bite to his tone, “Don’t let my interruption stop you,” then lowered himself onto the bench and met my eyes. “But then, you didn’t seem to
CHARLOTTE I thought about how a whole day had passed since the big sibling swap, and I still hadn’t fully processed it. As I sat in the living room, lost in thought when I heard a noise coming from the backyard. Curious to see if it was who I’d been waiting for all day, I got up and walked thro
CHARLOTTE My life… might have been in danger. It echoed in my head, but like a muted siren. Maybe it was because I’d been overloaded with more information than I knew what to do with. Maybe I was just having the world’s slowest reaction to the scariest possible news a person could ever hear.