I've heard hangovers are the worst aftermath of a night of drinking. I've especially heard of the strange concoctions people swear by to get rid of it. Waking up to a door rattling as the person behind it pounds their fist into it while having my first hangover just makes the entire situation worse. It sounds like the banging is in tune with pounding in my head. The sound and feeling so in sync that it’s driving me crazy. I grab the nearest thing to me, a pillow, and hold it over my ears "Get the fuck up!" The angry voice shouts on the other side. It's a familiar deep tone that has my brows furrowing. With a groan, I press a hand against my temple and roll over. "It must've been a good lay," someone else chuckles from outside the room."Shut the fuck up!" the first one snaps back.Once the voices register in my head, my body jumps up out of instinct, eyes wide. I'm full of instant regret as the ache in my temple worsens. I recognize both of those voices. Stone is probably angry tha
On Monday, I wait for Stone to leave first. I can't run into him after seeing what I did. How can I face him after that? Would we just ignore it and never bring it up? I would, but I don't know if he'll want to talk about it. Accuse me of being a pervert for just standing there, watching. Just like the girl in the library when I found her with Haeden.I liked watching.I shake my head and peek through the window once more, stiffening when I see him walk out. Once his car is out of sight, I begin my walk to school. I never realized how many students walk the same path I do, but now that they all throw different things at me, rocks or rolled up paper, it becomes clear that quite a few people walk to school. It's hard to ignore them when we're walking to the same place, but when I don't react, eventually most of them get bored and stop. Luckily I don't see Haeden, Kingston, Ivy, or Stone. I may not have seen Kingston or Ivy when I left yesterday morning, but I'm sure they were brough
Seeing the courts empty, I smile. It brings a little peace knowing I’ll be alone. And if not that, there's not enough people to drive me away. I walk under the bleachers, avoiding the mass collection of gum in one particular spot, and take off my sweater. I lay it on the ground, tossing my bag to the side and sitting down. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I set an alarm twenty minutes from now just in case I fall asleep again.I take out the project I worked on at Lucas' yesterday and continue on with my essay. We agreed to work on the presentation together once all our essays are finished. The more I do as soon as I can, the less time I have to spend with Lucas. Especially at his house.Loud laughter pulls my attention from the paper on my lap, and I cringe. Damn it, so much for being by myself. I glance up, squinting as the sun glares at me from above. My heart picks up pace when I see Stone, Ivy, Haeden, and Kingston making their way to the other bleachers across from me. “Plea
TRIGGER WARNING!!I drift back and catch Kingston looking at me. I freeze, is he upset at me for witnessing that? Is he going to come over here and demand that I mind my own business? However, he doesn’t move. He smiles, except it isn’t a nice smile. It sends shivers down my spine.“Ariella.” I stop walking down the hall, my shoulders slumping because… fuck, I'm just a few steps away from my locker when Mr. Williams calls from behind me. I hold in my groan and turn around, a fake smile lighting my face. “Yeah?” I ask, glancing back at my locker. He can take a hint right? “Step into my classroom for a minute.” He nods to his open door, strands of his brown hair falling into his face. And no, of course he can't take a hint, who am I kidding? This is the guy who gave me the word psychopath to define in front of the whole class. His glasses sit high on his face, and I tense. Looking around me, I hesitantly step inside. He doesn’t close the door all the way, much to my relief.“I want
TRIGGER WARNINGLupe and Maribel don't let me go, and they stay exactly where they are. If anything, their grip on me tightens.Kensey smirks. “Psycho or not, even you can’t overpower them. They are them, and you are…” She pauses and gives me a once over. “Well you’re you.” Her nose scrunches up in disgust. “Are you, perhaps, offering yourself up to them? Did you suck their dicks in exchange for one night of protection? To get away from your shitty life? Honestly, I'm just trying to understand because it doesn't make any sense."My face burns, from both embarrassment and anger. She doesn’t know anything. She doesn't know that Ivy came to me and offered her help. She doesn’t know that the guys want nothing to do with me. The image of me and Haeden kissing comes to mind, but it quickly burns away.If anything, he was playing with me. Why not mess with the vulnerable girl who's desperate for positive attention again?“It’s not like that,” I attempt to say, but pain explodes in my left ch
He tugs me, and when I start to follow, he drops my wrist.I jump in the back seat of the truck while Stone gets in the driver's seat and Haeden in the passenger. The leather on the seats are still intact, and the fabric for the roof is ripped off, revealing the metal ceiling. "Is there a reason why you both are skipping too?" I ask, eyes stuck to the way Stone’s bruised knuckles tighten on the steering wheel. I bet they would look so pretty around my throat. He pulls out of the school's parking lot, taking a left instead of a right, in the direction of our houses."Does it fucking matter?" Stone asks with a shrug."I guess not." I frown, looking out the window. I debate whether or not to bring up that he's going the wrong way, but he knows that. "What about Kingston and Ivy?" I ask, noticing their absence."Kingston can't ditch as much as we can. His dad won't let him." Haeden chuckles, but it lacks any humor. He kicks his feet up on the dashboard and sparks up another rolled join
Stone is quiet when he walks over to us. He stands behind my left shoulder, holding two shot glasses in his hands. He hands one to me. "Help for what?" I ask when he doesn't elaborate. I stare down at the brown liquid, watching as it sloshes against the wall of the glass. The smell is strong, and makes my mouth water in anticipation of the burn. The only time I ever drank was when I accidentally took a sip from dad's flask when I was eleven. Behind me, Stone tilts his head back and downs the alcohol. He hisses, eyes squeezing shut, and he walks over to the stereo. Haeden pokes a little at my eye, the swelling having gotten worse. "There doesn't happen to be any ice in the chest, is there?" He shakes his head. He lays his hands on my thighs, his touch burning my skin despite the layer between them. Behind me, the artist Jelly Roll begins to play. "I’m a fucked up person, Ella." He shakes his head, a sigh escaping him. He lifts a hand from my thigh and runs it through his hair. "Y
No, I shake my head and narrow my eyes. I won't let myself back down. I have to do this."Okay, Ariella." I puff out my cheeks as the air is exhaled from my lungs. "Starting from now, this is a new you!" The words lack the conviction I wish I had.Just as I'm about to give up once again and change back into what I wore before, grandma calls me from downstairs."Coming!" I shout. I take one last look in the mirror and shrug, it's the best I can do. I grab my backpack and head downstairs."- down soon. Can I get you anything to drink?" Grandma's voice reaches me when I'm halfway down. Standing on the other side, away from me in the living room is a woman with her blonde hair pulled back into a sophisticated bun. A few loose strands lay against her neck, grazing the gray blazer she wears. Under her grey slacks are a pair of black leather shoes with a skinny heel."I'm fine. Thank you," she answers back. Grandma gestures for her to sit, and after a small hesitation, she does."Grams?" I
!trigger warning!He wheezes out, tries to pull his hand to cover his neck but he's already tied up.This would be so much easier if Stone and Kingston had come with me, but Stone needed to stay with Ariella, which I didn't fight. My little killer needs someone with her right now. She's too fragile, too broken. And it's all Lucas' fault. Meanwhile, Kingston is out with Ivy, taking care of her own business.So it's all on me to take care of this loose end. This dumb fuck who can't follow basic directions. The dumb fuck who screwed everything up. I bite my lip, I can't say it out loud, but maybe this is going to be her breaking point. Maybe this is going to be what makes her snap. And fuck I'm going to hell because that makes me happy.I smile, "I just hate that it had to happen that way." I murmur."What?" Lucas croaks out. I ignore him and tie his ankles together. I shove Lucas on his back and crack my neck. Then I step back and smirks, "There. So much better." "Let me go you fuckin
Haeden My jaw clenched so hard my teeth ached. When Lucas saw Ivy, his eyes widened in panic. When his eyes drifted over Kingston and then me, his hands began to shake. He knew he fucked up. "Shit," He scrambled to his feet, his junk hard and swinging. There was no remorse on his face. No sign or regret. Well, probably regret for getting caught.And then he ran. The mother fucker ran like he thought he could get away with it.While Ariella ended up in the hospital with an officer full of skepticism to take her statement, Lucas only got an ankle braclet slapped on him. It wasn't fair.So now here I am, crouched behind some fucking bushes so I can make it fair. So I can show him just how fucking bad he fucked up. I let out a breath of excitement when Lucas' dad finally exits the house. The police uniform on him is nothing but a joke. This man doesn't protect the innocent. He doesn't serve justice. When he drives away, I clutch my duffle bag and beeline to the house.I toss the ba
Kingston is about to go after him, but he must think twice about it because he stays where he is. "When the phone when quiet, I was so scared you died." She whispers, her voice hoarse. "And then," She breaks into a sob, "I'm sorry, I can't go through it again." She stands up and leaves too. "Ivy," My voice cracks as I watch her go. I turn to stone and Kingston, "I need to know." I whisper, eyes red and puffy. "God damn it." Kingston mutters. He steps forward and then stops himself from getting any closer. I can't thank him enough for that, don't know if I can handle a guy touching me. It doesn't matter that they did nothing wrong. I just find myself cowering away. "We heard him. He started saying awful things about you, about your body. I don't really remember what it was he said, but they were vile." "I stepped so hard on my gas peddle, Ella. You have to believe me." Stone whispers, his voice hoarse. I stare at his red rimmed eyes, noticing the first time that he's crying. "I be
After another day of staying in the hospital, the doctor got a sample from my coochie for 'evidence', I'm allowed to go back home. Grandma treats me like I'm fragile glass. She opens doors for me and hovers over me like a pesky bee. I don't say anything, I find it gives us both comfort. She leads me to my room and stands near the doorway."Get some rest and tonight we can have popcorn chicken bowls." She says, and the thought of my favorite comfort food has my mouth watering. I don't tell her that I think I rested enough at the hospital, but I keep it to myself.When she does finally leave me alone, I let out a sigh. I sit on the edge of my bed, going through everything that happened. Luca really did it, tears prick at my eyes. What happened to him hating my guts? What happened to me being a crazy psycho that he wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole?Shivers wrack through me as I whimper. I drag myself to the bathroom and turn on the hot water. I can feel his phantom touches still on
After a while, my sobs turn into hiccups. I wipe at my bleary eyes and sniff. I take the time to look around the room, notice Ivy and Kingston standing a few feet away from my bed. Grandma sits on the chair on my right side, hand clasped tight in her lap. On the other side is a woman on a white coat.The monitor beeps beside me, filling the silence.When Ivy meets my eyes, she gives me a watery smile. She came for me. I remember dialing the first number on my call log, her name flashing in my memory. "Thank you." I burst into tears again. Grandma reaches to hold my hand, but pulls away when she sees me flinch."Don't." Ivy says, her voice hoarse as if she's been crying for a while too. She looks away from me, "We didn't make it in time." I break down again, knowing it couldn't have been avoided. All Luca had to do was get me unconscious. He didn't need me awake to rape me. He just needed a limp body to do what he wanted. And he did. The pain between my thighs is a throbbing reminde
TRIGGER WARNING PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION***I gasp for air, my hands clawing at his neck. "I'm going to ease off, okay?" He stares at me, his eyes dark. "If you scream again, I'll just knock you out and take you that way." He must see the horror on my face because he smiles. "You wouldn't want that, would you?" I shake my head, a sob escaping me. I don't want him touching me at all, but the thought of him doing that to me, limp and unconscious, sends cold ice through me."Good." His hand slowly releases my neck, as if testing to see if I would scream again. Satisfied with my silence, he lets go fully and trails his hand over my chest. "God damn rats, can't believe you let them defile you." He shakes his head at me like he's disappointed. His nose is on my neck again, his hands trailing over my waist and hips. With shaky breaths, I slowly lift my hand and reach into my back pocket.
TRIGGER WARNING! TRIGGER WARNING. PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION***The drive to his house is short, however every once in a while, I feel his gaze on me. It's unnerving. Usually he's spewing hateful words to make me feel like shit."What? If you have something to say, fucking say it." I eventually snap at him. Lucas isn't one to hold back, he isn't afraid to speak his mind. So what the fuck has got him so silent.He chuckles, the sound foreign to my ears, "Relax, shit. I was just gonna say you look like your in a 'fuck it all' mood." I snort."How'd you guess?" I droll out, turning to glare out the window. What I would give to be anywhere but here. I wonder what Ivy is doing? She's probably with the guys. I wonder if the missing item has anything to do with why they're not around."Your shit attitude." Lucas snorts back, bringing me from my thoughts.He pulls up into his driveway and turns off the engine. "Let's just hurry up, I need to get home after this." I slam his car door shut an
I wipe at my tears, all my woes replaced by suspicion. I grab a notebook and pen and begin to write down all I know about the notes. They are always left at school, in my locker. I haven't found them anywhere else.Everything about this stalker is led by the school. Then whoever is giving them to me must go to school there too. But it still doesn't make sense. Why are they sending me these notes? Because they're fans of my dad? Because they want to scare me? Or is this just all some stupid prank? So someone can get their kicks out of making me paranoid?I tap my pen, which is it? Finding myself going no where, I grab all the notes from the drawer, completely ignoring my dads letter. I lay them out on my bed, side by side and evaluate them. The hand writing is all the same, so I know its all from the same person. I go through everyone who hates me, and list them down as potential suspects. Starting with the same people on my revenge list; Kensey, Lucas, Henry and Melanie. I think
The drive to my house is quiet. I glare out the window with my arms crossed, and Kingston doesn't try to talk to me. Which is fine by me. There's so much shit I want to say to him, but I keep my mouth shut. He pulls up to the side of the road when we reach grandma's house. "When the others are back with us, we can clear up exactly what it means when we say you belong to us." Kingston tells me, his hands tight on the wheel. There's no apology for asking a question that is beyond personal. There's no apology for holding me against him even though I fought it. With a huff and a roll of my eyes I leave the car and slam the door shut. I don't care if it's the most expensive car that I've ever seen. I hope I chipped something.He doesn't leave until I'm inside, I can hear the screeching tires through the closed door as he takes off down the road."Stupid jerk," I mutter."Ariella, is that you?" Grandma's voice is firm. I hold in my groan, and walk into the living room. She sits on the so