Chapter 8// "Cress, you look like a zebra"
I slam my locker door shut and I let out a hopeful sigh. Another horrible day of school, over.
I turn to my right but end up coming face to face with someone else. I jump in surprise and let out a squeal. This makes a small smile crack on his golden face.
He stands there leaning against the locker next to mine. His eyes meet mine and he smiles even brighter.
"Can I walk you through the school?" Carter asks kindly.
I give him an odd look and raise one eyebrow.
"I know my way through the school pretty well, I've been here for 5 years and I'm going to the library anyway"
"Okay, I'll walk you to the library then" He shrugs.
"I bet you don't even know where it is" I laugh.
"Then lead the way"
I throw my backpack over my shoulder and walk beside him, seeing as he's being so persistent.
"So it's the winter formal on Friday" He states nonchalantly. I have no idea where this conversation is going.
"Yes, I know" I shrug. It's no big deal, I mean we have one every year.
"Crescent would you like to be my date" I look up at him in shock but he's looking straight ahead. I realise that we've stopped walking.
I stand there surprised. Words can't even form in my mouth.
"Carter I don't even know you" That is the lamest thing I have ever said. "You could be an axe murderer for all I know"
That my friends is the stupidest thing that has ever come out of my mouth. Of course, I know Carter, he has been one of my brother's best friend's since forever. We used to play together in kindergarten.
"Well, you can get to know me now. We can go as friends" He gives me a reassuring smile. Then I realise what people see in him.
He isn't acting like the usual cocky Carter that everyone knows. He's acting almost kind, I mean, all I ever usually see is his annoying cocky superior outer shell.
Hundreds of questions arise in my head. Oh darn it that smile is too cute.
"Okay," I answer. Maybe there's more to the golden boy; Carter Dickson.
"Pick you up at 7?" He stops in front of the library door.
"Okay" I repeat still acting cautiously.
"Don't give me that look, Daniel will kill me if I let anything happen to you. Anyway, I'm not Elliott, I won't hurt you"
***
After 2 hours of studying in the library, I feel a sense of relief to return home. I chuck my school bag in a corner in the hallway, happily skipping to my room, knowing I've done enough studying for the day. That is until I stop in my tracks.
"Elliott" I ask.
He has a surprised expression on his face as if he was caught doing something he shouldn't be doing. So probably his expression 99% of the time.
He completely ignores me and carries on walking.
"What have you done this time? Have you made a hole in the ceiling again? You'd better not have had sex in my bed again" I joke around.
"No " he answers moodily.
"Last time you said no my cat ended up in the fridge"
"That was a mistake" he snaps.
I furrow my eyebrows, why the fuck is he having a go at me? I grit my teeth, in annoyance.
"Sure" I snap back as I leave the hall to my bedroom.
I wonder what crawled up his arse today.
Vincent is sprawled out on my bed asleep.
I decide to take a shower and let my body relax.
The warm water hits my body with force and I rub the shampoo through my hair. When I'm finally done I wrap a towel around me and grab my tinted moisturiser.
I apply it over most parts of my body. I shake the bottle and realise it was full all of a sudden.
I shake the thought out my head and get dressed soon I lay next to Vincent and grab my favourite book off my shelf and begin to read.
"Cress have you seen the..." Daniel enters my room and stares at me wide-eyed.
"What?" I ask.
"Cress, you look like a zebra"
"Go away. I'm not in the mood for your jokes" I roll my eyes.
"No look at your legs" He points. I look back at my legs and almost faint.
I jump up off my bed in terror, this causes Vincent to wake up and he begins scratching my duvet.
I lift up my sleeve to check if it's anywhere other than my legs; under my sleeve, my skin is partly tanned and other parts are a dark brown.
I stand there horrified.
"I'm going to kill him" I grit my teeth.
"Crescent your face has turned purple. Do you need a glass of Water?" Daniel asks, but I can see the humor in his eyes. I can't blame him, I am covered in brown and gold stripes.
"I'm going to put his head on a stick and hang it from the chimney"
"I think you need some alone time, and a shower, you stink of fake tan" I grab my cushion and thrash it at him as he closes my door.
I grab my phone and scroll through my contacts. I choose the one I want and press the caller button
"Hello," he answers.
"Alec how do you feel about breaking into someone's house?"
****
"Do you have the kumkum powder?" I ask outside my front door.
"Yeh" he holds up a tub filled with pink coloured powder. "My sister won't know it's missing. Do you have the worms and spiders"
"Yup" I smile devilishly holding up the tub of insects. I take the pink powder from him and pour the insects in it.
"We'll find his underwear drawer and pour it in. And we will leave as fast as we can"
I pull up my black hood in excitement. We quietly walk to the bottom of the street. Elliott Grayson, you won't know what hit you. Or I mean, what crawled on you.
"How's the tan" Alec scoffs.
"Would you believe it's gotten darker" I sigh. I am not going to let Elliott away with this.
"You know I thought he'd grown up and gotten over everything," I tell Alec honestly.
"I could probably guess why he did it"
I look at Alec in surprise " Why?"
"That's his window up there" Alec points completely changing the subject.
"Okay give me a boost" I jump on to Alec's back and grab the first branch of the grand tree that stands next to Elliott's windows.
Alec wheezes out "You weigh a ton. Does fake tan make you heavier?"
"Ha ha very funny. You should grow up to be a clown" Alec pulls a ridiculous face at my words, and I snort with laughter, quickly covering my mouth with my hand trying not to wake the whole neighborhood.
I carefully climb up branch by branch. Alec swings up like a monkey, shaking the whole tree at the same time as I cling on for dear life.
"Alec stop showing off" I whisper loudly. He winks down at me and I stick my tongue out and eventually reach up to him
"What took you so long. I nearly fell asleep" he exaggerates. I gently shove him and crawl to the edge of the branch.
I knew his windows would be open. He couldn't sleep unless it was half open.
We carefully creep into the dark bedroom. I can make out a big lump on what looks like the bed.
"Where are you Alec?" I whisper.
"Here" Suddenly he bumps into me.
"And I thought I was clumsy" I whisper.
Eventually, we find a drawer filled with boxers. I pull off the lid from the container ready to pour the continents in the drawer.
Until I hear a thump and realise something just jumped out the closet. My mouth hangs wide open and a deafening shriek leaves my throat.
My instincts jump into action as I throw the container in the direction of the monster who has just jumped out the closet.
The lights flicker on and my eyes take a moment to adjust to the light.
I look ahead of me and see Elliot who is completely covered in pink dust. My mouth hangs open in shock; my body trembling from the scare.
Beside him stands an identically shocked Aiden.
Elliott looks down at himself.
He lets out a very feminine shriek. There are tiny insects crawling all around him.
He whips his top off and chucks it across the room and practically jumps out his grey jogger bottoms, now standing there only in his boxers. Well damn.
Aiden casually uses his hand to wipe the creatures out his hair and carelessly flicks one off his shoulder.
A tiny giggle manages to escape my mouth.
Elliott's eyes glisten at me with rage.
"You bitch. You fucking bitch" he swears at me.
Oh shit. He's practically shaking with rage and the fact that he's half naked doesn't help.
He steps right in front of me and I have to lean my head upwards to be able to look him directly in the eye. His chest is nearly pressing against mine, and heat is radiating off his naked chest.
I slightly push him away. "I'm the bitch, you poured fake tan in my lotion"
"I have spiders in my hair" He shouts back.
"I look like a fucking zebra" I shout louder.
"Doesn't that happen to girls when they're on their period" he smirks.
"Elliott are you dumb. You went into my room and poured tan into my lotion. What kind of dickhead does that?"
"Fuck that, you broke into my house and now my hair is pink" He shouts back, equally as loud as me.
I don't know why but it is obvious he was very angry with me for some reason, but somehow beneath all that anger, I swear I can see he is hurting for some reason.
"How did you know we were coming?" Alec asks scratching the back of his neck.
"We saw you climbing up the tree" Aiden answers.
"So did you decide to play seven minutes in heaven in the closet" I ask smugly.
Elliott continues to glare at me. "We were going to surprise you. I didn't think you'd be carrying a pot of worms" Aiden answers.
"What's your problem?" I ask Elliott who won't stop staring at me.
"Nothing" he snaps. Well, clearly there is something, I wait a few seconds in case he decides to explain himself, but he doesn't open his mouth again.
"Well then if you don't mind I think I'll leave now" I snarl walking out of his room. Alec scurries behind me.
When Alec leads me out of the house he let's out a laugh. "That was the best thing I have ever see"
A smile plays at my lips "Did you see his hair?"
"So you and Dickson then," Alec asks.
"Wow word must travel fast and it's nothing much it's just a dance" I shrug.
We walk along the quiet road "You know he did it cause Carter asked you to the dance" Alec whispers quietly.
"What?"
"He's just pissed"
"Well, he shouldn't be. He's not my brother or my father, neither is he my boyfriend " I huff.
"Maybe he just cares about you" Alec suggests.
"Is that some kind of bro code that means something else?" I ask. "Elliott doesn't care about anyone. He just wants a toy to play with. Someone to entertain him till he moves on to the next girl"
"He doesn't want Carter to hurt you" Alec adds.
I turn and smile at Alec "The only person who has ever hurt me is Elliott. Especially when he once pushed me out a tree"
"You and Elliott are so much alike that where ever you two go trouble follows"
His words surprise me and I realise he's right, hopefully, I can get through the winter formal in one piece.
The cover is by @sum001.
Edited. Bro why do I have so many chapters in this book. I'll be 90 before I finish even attempting to edit it.