Chapter 4

• Mom wouldn’t stop asking me silly questions, suddenly wanting to know all the details of my first day. I hate it when she tries to act like she is a concerned mother, that woman abandoned my father and I when I was just a year old, she was gone for six months before they made up, and that was just the first of the many times she did that.
• Saying I hate her is a stretch, but she was definitely not in my favorites and sometimes I wish it was her that died in place of my father.
• I was in my bedroom when I heard the roar of an engine arrive at the mansion. It was a massive vibration that crawled under my skin, like a low growl that turned into a full blown snarl as it approached.
• I looked outside my window and there was the infamous Adonis Queen, just returning from school. The engines revved as he twisted the throttle; Black leather jacket and a bike, how cliché!
• I stood there staring down at him as he turned off the bike, and then suddenly he looked up towards my window, I immediately hid my face, my heart racing.
• Did he see me? I hope not! The last thing I want is to give him the impression that I am impressed by him and his silly bike, he is not all that!
• Okay, maybe that was me just trying to convince myself, he really is all that, but he is still a jerk and he doesn’t like me, so it is only fair that I hate him back.
• I quickly took out my books and began doing my assignment; one way to stop myself from thinking about him.
• **
• Later that evening, I went downstairs. Mom and John had retired into their bedroom to do God knows what. I hate to even think of it, not only does it cringe me out, it annoys me as well.
• I had just collapsed onto the couch with a bowl of cereal and my favorite hoodie when I heard the front door shut. Heavy, casual footsteps echoed down the hallway, and I already knew who it was.
• Adonis Freaking Queen! My inconveniently hot stepbrother!
• I pretended not to notice when he entered the living room — shirtless, of course, because apparently wearing clothes indoors was too much to ask. His blonde curls were still damp from a shower, a single silver chain hanging from his neck, and that damn eagle tattoo peeking out from beneath his jawline.
• “Hey Rat girl,” he grinned at me while casually grabbing a bottle of water from the mini fridge near the TV.
• Of course I didn’t respond to him, even though I ached to serve him back. I hated that he called me that, but I said nothing, with my eyes glued to my cereal like it was the most fascinating thing on Earth.
• He dropped onto the other end of the couch like he was some royalty claiming his territory; still I said nothing nor looked his way. He pulled out his phone, and for a blissful second, I thought maybe we could coexist in silence.
• Nope.
• He snorted, then Laughed.
• And then said, “So… you made quite the impression today.”
• My spoon froze halfway to my mouth. “Excuse me?” I muttered with a mouth full of cereal.
• “Oh, I am just saying. Usually girls like you are shy on their first day, but you are literally making a wave of impression.” He smirked.
• With that he turned the screen of his phone toward me. “It seems like you are going viral, Princess.”
• It was me in the video, standing in that cafeteria, throwing sass like daggers, while Jenna the Blonde Bully blinked at me in defeat. Someone had added dramatic music. And a slow zoom on my face right after I delivered the Regina George line.
• The caption?
• “New girl just ended Cheerleader in under 30 seconds ”
• 7,082 likes.
• Comments blowing up.
• My soul nearly left my body on seeing that.
• “Who filmed this?!” I squeaked, snatching the phone out of his hand.
• “Half the cafeteria, apparently,” he said, clearly enjoying this. “You’re kind of a thing now.”
• I looked at him, really looked at him, expecting further mockery, judgment, something smug and maybe that annoyingly cute smirk of his.
• Instead, his eyes met mine and… held. “I will confess, I didn’t think you had that in you,” he said, voice low, almost amused.
• “Well,” I said, setting his phone down carefully like it might detonate, “I don’t really like bullies.”
• He leaned back, running a hand through those annoyingly perfect curls. “Noted.” He chuckled in sarcasm.
• For a moment, we just sat there in silence, my heart racing with nervousness. It was easier sitting with him when we were either arguing or at least chatting like normal human beings, the silence was killing me.
• Then he said, “Jenna’s not going to let that slide, you know.”
• I smiled. “I’m not scared of her.”
• He laughed cockily. “You should be.”
• I scoffed and turned to face him. “Why do you care? You seem to know her too well. What is she? A friend? Girlfriend perhaps?” I smirked.
• Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have pushed it.
• He turned to me, those grey eyes burning into my skin. “Why? Are you jealous?”
• I felt my heart skip. Why would he think that? Wait, was I right? Was he dating Miss Blonde?
• “Nice talk, goodnight.” I quickly ended the discussion and stood up to leave.
• But he also got up and grabbed my arm, pulling me to his chest. “You don’t just walk out on me, Princess.” he growled softly in my ears.
• I felt my heart shudder, my legs grew weak at the sound of his voice up close, nervousness took over. I was literally flaming up but somehow I managed to hold it together.
• “Let go of me, Adonis.” I said almost in a whisper.
• “Or else what, Princess?” he grumbled in my ears again.
• Fuck! Goosebumps took over my skin, my cheeks were flushed and my heart racing. What in God’s name are you doing to me, Mister Queen?
• TBC!