GABBY
"No." I stare my stepmother in the eyes, daring her to challenge me. "I am not spending my summer with Leo Hamilton. Actually, I take that back. I will. When Hell freezes over."
Janice brushes a strand of red hair behind her ear and rolls her eyes. "Quit being so dramatic, Gabrielle. It's not the whole summer, it's a month. And he's just a boy."
I pause for a moment, considering this. Just a boy? Impossible. "Correction: he is Satan."
"We're going, Gabby. It was very nice of Vanessa to invite us up there."
"But--"
Janice's eyes widen and her lips thin, and I know to be quiet. I have been baited by this woman too many times to know that this expression is never a good sign. I may be angry, but I don't have a death wish. I stomp my foot entirely aware that I look like an adult toddler. "God! Fine!"
"Get packed." She raises a brow at me before returning to sending emails on her smartphone. My stepmother is strictly stay at home, so I have no idea who she is always rigorously communicating with, besides my dad who she is disgustingly in love with. They've been together for three years. I like Janice, she's the mom I never had.
"Get packed." I mimic, spinning on my heel and marching to my room. I start to yank things out of my closet and throw them into one of three suitcases. If I'm spending the stupid summer in the stupid Hamptons with stupid Leo, I'm not packing light.
I must be making a ruckus because Bianca comes into the room, giving me a glare. She looks fresh off the runway which both disgusts and infuriates me. "Can you stop stomping everywhere, you diva? I'm trying to read." My older sister crosses her arms and purses her lips. She's going to be a freshman in college after this summer and I'm going to be a senior, so of course she assumes she's in charge.
"Too bad, so sad." I roll my eyes. "I'm allowed to pout, okay? This was supposed to be my and Camille's bucket list summer. Now I have to spend it with Leo, and you know how I feel about that prick."
"What the Hell, Gabby?" Bianca places an elegant hand on a dainty hip. "Do you hear yourself? We're spending summer in the Hamptons. Do you know how privileged we are?"
"Oh my God, stop being so high and mighty!" I groan, throwing my head back in exasperation. "Seriously, Bianca, you volunteered at the homeless shelter once, Bianca. And it was only because you had to for school. Stop talking about privilege like you've ever experienced being anything less than it. Jesus!"
Bianca frowns at me. Ever since she started dating this guy, Juan, she's been pretending to be an intellectual. That's who she is--she changes herself for guys. She dated pretty much our entire school's football team and for the longest time she was a ditzy blonde who gave hand jobs under the bleachers. She dated my best friend Camille's brother, a creative type named Kingston, and all of the sudden she was a starving artist. Now, she's an activist that attends poetry slams. I give it another week before Juan dumps her.
"Whatever." She pouts. "Just keep it down."
I continue to pack, making sure to be extra loud. Let Bianca and her big, intellectual brain take that.
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Janice's Range Rover is packed to the brim. Dad couldn't come. He's the CEO of Hampton Enterprises, a tech company, so he hardly has any free time much to my chagrin. In lieu of my father, Janice has our pit bull mix, Layla, sitting up front with her.
She got the okay from Leo's mom, Vanessa, to bring Layla along. I personally love the mutt, but my sisters tend to hate anything that walks on four legs and are keeping their distance.
Haley, Bianca, and I are stuffed together in the second row since the third row is cluttered with suitcases, makeup boxes, snack bags, Layla's chew toys, dog beds, and whatever else Janice felt like packing. I think I even see a hatchet in the back somewhere, but it could be my mind playing tricks on me.
Kurt, our step brother, is driving separately because he has one last lacrosse game, so luckily, we have one less body to haul. Thankfully, the Hamptons is only a couple hours' drive from Manhattan, so I don't have to listen to Bianca prattle on about Juan and Haley belt along to whatever horrible country music she is feeling at the moment.
During the car ride, I try to read but the roads are so curvy, and I'm so crammed that I feel too sick to keep my eyes trained on the words. Instead, I sit in silence for two hours, mentally preparing myself for the Hell that this summer is going to be.
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I almost kiss the ground when we arrive at the Hamilton's mansion. Unlike Manhattan, the Hamptons have real, live space in between houses. The New York City sounds that have become a constant in my life are gone, leaving behind only the sounds of birds chirping and waves crashing.
The mansion itself is breathtaking, but I would expect nothing less from the Hamilton family. The stone building is painted a beautiful ivory color and is adorned with vines that seem to go on forever. The front lawn is immaculate, the grass is an unnatural shade of green. A crescent-shaped driveway loops across the front of the house. An over the top fountain sits in the center of everything, looking as if it was placed by the Heavens themselves. Large, glass windows litter the house walls. Two large, oak doors sit in the center of the building.
The infamous Hamilton mansion is beautiful, there's no denying it. In fact, if it hadn't been tainted by Leo Hamilton, this might have been my dream home.
Emerging from the double doors and onto the immaculate lawn comes a willowy, brunette woman. She's wearing a white gown that leads me to believe she's going to a gala and not greeting an old friend. Janice, the woman's complete opposite what with her messy hair and sweatpants, runs to the otherworldly woman and embraces her.
"That's Leo's mom?" I turn to Bianca and Haley who look entirely unfazed. They're used to being surrounded by beautiful people. I'm not used to being around people, period.
Vanessa Hamilton and Janice break their embrace so that they can turn to us. Mrs. Hamilton's eyes find Haley, my younger sister, first, as is customary. Out of the three of us, Haley's appearance is the most attention-grabbing.
"My goodness, Haley, how you've grown! You look breathtaking!" Mrs. Hamilton steps to my youngest sister and wraps her in a bear hug. Haley is only a year younger than me, but what she lacks in age she more than makes up for in beauty. She's all legs, curly blond hair, green cat eyes, and an elven nose. She knows she's gorgeous, too. I try not to resent her for it.
"You look beautiful. Absolutely radiant." Mrs. Hamilton tells Bianca, wrapping her in a hug. Bianca is a classic kind of beauty, with big hazel eyes and rosy cheeks and dirty blond hair. She has a beauty mark above the corner of her lip and looks like a young Cindy Crawford's twin.
Finally, her eyes land on me.
"Wow, Gabrielle! You look so...nice!" Mrs. Hamilton takes a step forward and gives me a halfhearted hug, stepping back quickly.
I know she doesn't mean to be rude, but I'm able to pick up on when a person finds me particularly disgusting. Like when they describe my sisters as beautiful and radiant and breathtaking and I just look 'nice.' Or when they go in for a huge hug with a tight squeeze to my skinny, pretty sisters and then give me a one-armed embrace before quickly pulling away.
She likely doesn't realize she's doing these things, but I do. And it hurts. It's the fat girl's curse.
"Where's Kurt?" Mrs. Hamilton questions, putting a hand on her dainty hip. "I was so looking forward for him to get acquainted with Leonardo. I think they'd be fast friends. Both superior athletes, handsome, quick on their feet...what better pair?"
"He'll be here after lacrosse." Janice promises, before turning to us. "Let's unpack, ladies!" Layla lets out a happy bark, and the girls shriek with excitement to be in the Hamptons--where the wealthiest of the wealthy vacation. I let out a sigh. A long, exaggerated sigh. And no one notices.
They never do.
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That night, we eat dinner in silence until Haley finally speaks up.
"Where's Leo?" She questions, cocking her head in curiosity. Mrs. Hamilton gently sets her fork on her plate and wipes her mouth with a silk napkin.
"A very good question, dear." She smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Probably out in the town, chasing after pretty girls like he does every summer. I haven't told him about your family coming to stay with us for the month. He'll be very pleased." Mrs. Hamilton purposely eyes Haley and Bianca, no doubt weighing up the two and deciding which she would like to see on her son's arm. She doesn't so much as glance at me, and I don't mind. I hate Leo Hamilton more than I hate my birth mother, which says a lot.
Just then, as if on cue, the door to the dining room bursts open, and in comes Leo with a pretty brunette wrapped around him. She has a golden tan and yellow eyes, full lips painted an interesting purple, a perky nose and perky breasts which are very noticeable as she is wearing a bikini and nothing else. When Leo sees us all, his eyes widen. He clearly hasn't anticipated guests.
"Mom?" Leo frowns. "I didn't think the dining room would be occupied. We just wanted to get a snack..."
"Who might this be, darling?" Leo's mom asks, her smile unwavering. Her eyes flick to the young girl on her son's arm and her smile tightens.
"This...is Phoebe." Leo speaks after some hesitation. "We met at the beach."
"I can see that. Did she forget her clothes?"
"I..." Leo is clearly at a loss for words. I turn to see my family's reaction, but Bianca and Haley are just looking at him with heart eyes and Janice is on her phone, presumably texting my dad about how much she misses him and how positively boring life is without him. Barf. I turn back to witness the drama.
"--and then join us." Mrs. Hamilton finishes. I blanked out on what she was saying, but the girl is very nearly crying, and Leo looks very sheepish. He nods and he and his girl turn to leave. Before he exits, though, he turns back one more time. I expect his eyes to land on Bianca or Haley who both stare at him adoringly, but he only glances at them before his eyes land on me.
And then he smiles.
The asshole who has made high school a living Hell for me looks me right in the eyes and he smiles.
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That night in bed, I can't stop thinking about Leo. Or, more specifically, how he's treated me.
I remember when he moved here sophomore year. There was a split second where I thought maybe he could have been a decent guy, but all hopes of that were quickly squashed. Practically the second Leo learned my name, he told everyone to call me "Flabby Gabby."
That stuck all throughout sophomore year. He and his friends would never full on bully me, of course, but they'd make snide remarks whenever they saw me. It wasn't like they pursued me to make fun of, it was more of a thing where if they saw me, they'd have at it.
Bianca is a popular senior, or was before she graduated, but she never tried to stop the bullying which has persisted. Haley, in the grade below me, was too scared to stand up for me.
I hate Leo Hamilton.
But most of all, I hate how no one cared enough to stick up for me.
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The first week and a half has been fairly uneventful. Bianca broke up with Juan, much to my surprise (she's usually the one being dumped,) and went after Leo. Leo went for her but, unsurprisingly, he dumped her and went after my younger sister, Haley. I thought she was smarter than to fall for his charms, but she was head over heels for him until he dumped her too.
Now that they've gotten Leo out of their system (or so they insist), they stick to hanging out with one another. I've always been the odd sister out. As much as the two refuse to admit it, Haley and Bianca are both incredibly judgmental about looks. Whether they realize it or not, they judge me because of mine.
My stepbrother, Kurt, has just discovered weed so we don't see much of him. He got here after lacrosse and pretty much stayed by himself getting high, only coming down to curb his munchie cravings. I can't believe Janice hasn't noticed, but maybe she has and chooses not to care. Kurt is kind of a lost cause.
I have no idea where Leo is, not that I'm eager to see him anyways.
Janice spends her time with Mrs. Hamilton or texting with my father, so I am left alone.
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On the Monday of week two, I decided that I'm done lounging around inside all of the time. This is my senior year summer, damn it, and I will do something productive!
I decide to braid my hair, swipe on some lipstick, and tan by the pool. I put on a skimpy black one piece and walk through the summer home, enjoying the sound of my feet padding along the stone floors until I reach the porch.
At first, I'm awestruck, because the curtains are billowing down at all four of the porch's corners and so it looks as if it has walls. White, flowy walls with light coming through. It's really beautiful--something out of the Buchanan's house in The Great Gatsby. I push my way past the curtains and promptly freeze. There, right before my eyes, is Leo Hamilton.
I've managed to avoid him ever since that first encounter in the dining room, which was easy as he sleeps until noon most days and then goes out at night to get shit faced and laid. Today, it seems, I have no such luck.
He's lounging on a lawn chair, not wearing a shirt, so his abs are in full display. His wavy black hair is slicked back with pool water and his baby blue eyes are scanning me up and down. This large, sexual man is watching me with the intensity that a predator would its prey.
The muscles in his chiseled jaw clench and he bites a full lip. Is he...is he checking me out? No, that can't be. Leo's the one that started the Flabby Gabby nickname. He finds me repulsive.
I roll my eyes. Is he sizing up his newest insult, considering testing the waters? I jump to the punchline. "Yeah, let's all just look at how fat Flabby Gabby is, huh?"
He studies me and my stomach clenches. There's something different about him, the contempt that is usually in his eyes when he sees me is gone. "You look beautiful." He smiles softly, his deep voice relaxed. My eyes widen. What is he up to?
He must be trying to pull a prank. Well, I can play along too.
I go and sit on the edge of his pool chair. He straightens up, the muscles in his body tightening with the movement. I try to keep my eyes on his face. "Well, Leo, aren't you just full of surprises?"
"Wouldn't you like to know, Gabby Hampton." His crooked smile makes me momentarily lose my breath, and I resent him more than ever.
This isn't a prank, then. He'd have pulled something by now if it was, surely?
I momentarily break my calm and collected facade. I have to know why he's being so kind all of the sudden. Just a few weeks ago, he and his friends were screaming in the halls because a 'beached whale' was in the school. "What are you playing at? Is someone going to jump out of the bushes and pie me in the face or something?"
He leans so close that I can smell his minty breath as it fans my face. "Why don't you come a little closer and see?" He shuts his eyes and moves to close the gap between our lips. Before he can, I lurch back and giggle.
"What?" Is all I can say. I'm at a loss for words, so I just giggle some more. "Are you kidding me? You make my social life a living Hell and now you want to kiss me?"
His beautiful face darkens. "Just forget it." He glowers, looking away.
"No, screw you! You've been nothing but a bully to me. You're the reason everyone bullies me about my weight. And you think that just because you're hot you can kiss me? You haven't spoken with me this entire vacation and now you're trying to play mouth hockey. Did you somehow forget that you've messed with both of my sisters in the past week, too?"
He sputters like a fish out of water, looking everywhere but into my eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't know what--"
"What came over you? Stupidity. Simple as that. Listen, I don't know if you assume that just because I'm fat I'm easy, but I'm not. Especially not with you. So how about we go back to pretending one another doesn't exist until this shitty month is over. Thanks."
With that, I stagger away and back into the house, a million thoughts racing through my mind.
Mainly the thought that a part of me, a bigger part than I'd like to admit, wants him.
And I was so close to kissing him... I have a feeling that if he tries again, I won't be able to say no.
A/N: I know these next few chapters go really fast and it feels like Gabby is forgiving Leo too quickly but that's just because I wanted to fit this all into a few chapters. It takes her longer to forgive him but I had to be choosy with what I added. So, yeah. You're only getting a snippet of what summer was like.
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