I scramble every corner of Quinn's kitchen. There's no food, plate, cup or even spoon. My stomach grumbles and I yawn on top of it. The elevator opens and a muscular guy with a weather beat face steps in. "Mr Nickel asked me to pick you up." He is direct with no formalities. "Who are you?" "His family driver and bodyguard." He stays at one position. "Where is he?" I ask. "He apologises, he had errands to run." Not a muscle on his face moves as he speaks. "Alright, I will pick my bag." "I will be waiting for ma'am." He says. Ma'am? "Call me, Cara," I say as I leave and he nods. The ride to school makes me realise that Quinn's apartment is closer to school compared to mine. The ride is consisted of me trying to have a small talk with the driver/bodyguard, which he just nods and never speaks. He is gone the moment I step out. Few glances are directed at me at the parking lot, the scandal of Quinn and I are still a hot topic despite the one facing his family. I sling my o
NB: Zac is Oliver. He changed his name after the tragedy. Ten years ago I can't fall asleep. I move Zac's leg from my body and step out of his bedroom. He recently has been having trouble sleeping alone. Just like how recently things have been changing. My mother has turned into a zombie, a drunk zombie. We are strangers to her, strangers living in the same house. Silent and stolen gazes along the hallways. Holding her bottle close to her chest, like it will fill the emptiness in her eyes. She misses him. We miss him. It is eight months since we buried my father. The wound is still fresh, with the blow that we faced two days ago. The court dismissed the murder charges we pressed on the Nickel's. There wasn't enough evidence to show they had the motive or killed my father. I am on the last step of the staircase when I hear noises in the kitchen. Probably my mother, opening the cabinets to find more alcohol. I deter from my mission to walk in when I hear manly voices. "The order c
I blink severally and open my eyes wide. I look around, my attacker is lying on the floor. He painfully groans he is still alive. "We have to go!" Andre says in a tone I find rude. However, I am not leaving until getting answers from my assailant. I slowly move to him. Andre shot him at his abdomen."Who sent you? The Nickels? The Coopers', I mean my aunt and uncle? Who?" I scream at him. He has a scary face, it looks like it is sculpted with blunt object leaving uneven edges. His jaws are so prominent and pronounced. He is like one bucket of ugliness.He opens his mouth revealing his bloody teeth and gives me an evil grin before shaking his head. "Careful kid with who you trust." He shuts his eyes in pain. I shake my head, "What is that suppose to mean? All I need to know is who send you.""Neither of those people have anything to do with this. Just don't trust blindly." His hand goes to his wound. Andre is getting impatient and he looks like he could kill. He's wearing a wife-b
My jaw goes slack, I am mortified. "Take that back!" I point at Oliver. He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, "You aren't remotely close to who Dad was, a ruthless beast to anyone who crossed him.""He was a businessman, he ought to have been ruthless otherwise..." I say. "He made me watch him beat a man that had betrayed him. I was only four and that was just the beginning of the horrific incidents he forced me to be part of. And you think I would want that life again?" He shakes his head. My father was a gentleman, he would never hurt a fly. A man that read stories to me, he played house with me, he tucked me to bed with a kiss... No. "You are lying." My voice comes out unsure.He paces at one spot before looking down at me, "Of course it is understandable why you would think that. When Dad and I came back. He no blood spot on his white shirts, he smelled good and a diamond from Tiffany for his princess. While I returned more broken than I left. He protected you, you were
"That test was Greek, nothing close to what we are taught." A student banters as they walk towards me. I think it was a walk in the park. Derivatives and bonds are my strongholds so are going to ace it. I pull a strand of my hair. Am having a bad hair day and Quinn is nowhere to be seen. I will not be surprised if he turned me down for his fiancee. After all, they were all over each other in class. The group walks out; Courtney, Roxanna, Quinn and Ryan. This is going to be awkward. Courtney and Roxanna are looking at something in a tablet. Quinn is looking straight at me. Ryan facial expression tells it all. He is torn. He wants to be okay with me but still wants to stay mad. Courtney and Roxanna walk past me without a single glance. If Roxanna expects me to apologise, she better be prepared for the four seasons cause it will never happen.My lips form a smile as Quinn approaches. He never returns it, he walks past me like we never made arrangements. My face falls until a shadow bl
"I can't believe you brought a bunch of posers to my apartment!" Oliver pours a drink to one the guest. She takes a sip and pours the rest on the floor. "Disgusting!" The despicable guest spits and staggers away. "I am being humiliated in my own house and on top of that I get to be the help of his despicable beings."Oliver throws me a dirty look and looks down at his now stained carpet. I had no other choice but to use Oliver's apartment as mine and host a house warming party. I couldn't use Quinn's Penthouse, he made that very clear. "I will make it up to you," I promise. Oliver grunts and walks away with a tray full of drinks. "We are now patronizing with low life helps." Roxanna walks up to me. I decide to ignore her snide remark about my brother. Only Quinn know him. She doesn't take the hint, she continues to talk, "He is cute though and a bit younger than you. I won't mind having a taste after you." I grit my teeth at her comment. Like I would let a vulture-like her
The next morning, Quinn picks me up. Theo is with him. The kid looks distraught. His focus is fully on his phone. "I heard your brother was picked up by the cops for questioning. What happened?" He starts the engine of his Lamborghini. My brother's confession from last night is still fresh in my head. He confessed that he was stealing money from the shop to finance Nimo's lifestyle and his new apartment. He also revealed he was fired a week before the fire incident when Robert found out. But swears he never burnt down the shop or kill him. Which I believe. "The mechanic shop he was working at burnt down. So they needed him to clarify some of the things." I say. "If you need any help am here," Quinn says. Courtney crosses my head but I push the thought away am not planning on doing anything with him. Am here because am fond of Theo. "Want to play some game kiddo?" Quinn asks him through the rearview. I can't believe he is a father and I must admit he is good at it. Theo doesn't b
I go back to check when she tweeted. Thirteen minutes ago. I decide to send her a direct message.When you make some confession at thirteen to a total stranger you never imagine at some point in the future that innocent confession will be the beginning of the end. Petra was her name. I meet her in the streets months after our house was burned down. I was angry and mourning. I just needed to let it all out. She was a meth addict, never sober. I told her everything, She nicknamed me sour honey. I just needed someone to talk to and I was sure she would not remember the next day. And there's only one way to see if she remembers. I message her; Do you remember me?The reply is instant, of course, sour honey."We are almost done," Quinn says to me. I shake my absentmindedly focused on my phone. I decide to play it cool to see how much she remembers, How are you? Petra: Am clean now, and started my rehab centre. Are you still sour, honey? It is a simple question but with a lot of weight?