Chapter Two

"We are most definitely going to that party." Destiny gushes in my car after school. I told her about the party knowing that she would love to go with Erika. I didn't expect her to try and badger me into going along with them.

"No, we aren't doing anything you are," I say, making a turn out of the school. "You know parties aren't my scene especially not private school parties around complete strangers."

"Come on Scar, you're looking at it all wrong," She smirks at me. "You know what's at private schools?" I am about to answer with STDs, but she cuts me off clearly not wanting my response

"White boys. The same ones in all those books you read and you and I both know that the main girl always meets her man at a party. This is your moment, Scar."

I have no words. Not because she's right or I'm considering going, but because she thought that would reel me into her plan. Those books I read aren't real and she knows that better than anybody. I can want something so badly and still not believe that it'll happen. It's like believing the Tooth Fairy is real, of course, I want to believe that a fairy breaks into my house and gives me money for my teeth, but I'm also smart enough to know that my parents made the story up.

"Yeah, still a hard pass, but good try."

"Fine, but don't be mad at me when in 30 years you're pissed because you're single and missed your Prince Charming all because you didn't go to a damn party." She huffs, dramatically.

"I think I'll manage." She turns up the radio to the new Cardi B song and a few minutes later she's out of the car.

I decided to go grab a burger from Shake Shack since I didn't eat lunch. I would've invited Des to go with me, but she has to babysit her next-door neighbor which really means that she'll switch on a movie while she raids the parents' fridge.

There aren't many people here, which is rare considering I've never seen an open table at first glance before. I order a vanilla shake with a bacon burger and cheese fries all of which are to die for even though it's expensive as hell.

I'm waiting for my food to be called when a group of Elkridge boys walks in. It's not very surprising considering this is the closest Shake Shack in a 30-mile radius. They are all fairly good looking and I do admit to staring at them for a little longer than necessary, but it's not my fault. We don't have these kinds of boys at Turner.

They finally call my name a few minutes after the boys order their food and stand a few feet away, talking loudly about some girl at their sister school Riverside. I grab my food and sit down, a few minutes later the loud boys sat at the table in front of me.

I study them for a second, eyes not leaving the book in my hand, but ears open to hear their conversation. They were talking about a birthday party. The biggest one of the year, apparently. It was for a Riverside girl with 'massive tits and a skinny waist' At that point it was harmless, boys at Turner talked like that every time. Then they started talking about the cars their dad was going to get them when they turned 18 or what Ivy they were going to. Three said Harvard, two said Yale, and another said Columbia.

They talked about things that the kids in my school wouldn't even dream of. They spoke of something better than this place, the farthest Dondre wants to go is the college down the street. I hear what happens in the hallways. Kids grow up with bad role models and have a distorted vision of what their future will look like. It seems like I'm the only one eager to leave this place behind. I don't want to settle for this city, in-state college when in my heart I know that I'm destined for something better.

Something more than what I've been given.

After I finish my food, I go to my car, leaving the Elkridge boys behind. I ran to my car braving the cold winter wearing only a hoodie to keep me warm. I quickly get inside my car and turn the heat on waiting for the cold air to stop blowing.

I look outside my window and watch the snowflakes fall. It reminds me of when Brielle and I would go outside on days like this and make snow angels until our bodies were numb. Then we would go inside and our mother would have hot chocolate for us in the kitchen and our father would be waiting in the living room with a Christmas movie no matter what time of year it was.

That was before everything changed. Slowly, we grew distant and grew up, we had less and less in common with every passing day. And my older sister felt like a stranger.

When I get home after twelve horrible minutes of waiting for my car to heat up, Brielle is outside in a short leather skirt and a red crop top with only a see-through cardigan to keep her warm.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked as I walk by her on the way inside the house

"Better to be cold," She takes out her compact and slowly applies her lipstick before snapping it closed. She glances over my body before looking me straight in the eye. "Then lonely."

A raggedy all-black truck with tinted windows pulled up. A shifty looking dark-skinned man with grills grinned at Brielle, eyes hidden behind glasses that remind me faintly of Usher. "See you, sis," She muttered with a wink before running to the car.

My phone dings with a text from Erika when I get to my room.

Erika: Can't wait for Friday (wink emoji)

Yeah, don't count on that

Erika: We both know Destiny is going to get you there

Not this time

_________________________

Remember when I said I wasn't going to that party. Well, I kept my word and didn't go. Instead, I went to the movies, but first I made a little pit stop.

I went straight back to the Teen Fiction section and there it was... the sequel to One of Us is Lying. I snatched it up and headed to the children's section for a few minutes of uninterrupted reading before the movie started.

I groaned when I saw the same boy sitting in my seat yet again. I'm not in the mood to start another argument, not that there was a need for one anyway seeing as I had acted rash the last time.

He looked up just as I sat down in the same plush chair like last time. He shut his book and straightened his posture.

"Nice to see you here again, glad you're not going to harass me like last time." He said with a smug smile. This guy is making it really hard to apologize.

"I will not fight you today. I shouldn't have argued with you last week and for that, I am truly sorry. Valentine's Day just puts me on edge," I paused for a second and I can tell he wasn't expecting that response. "That was out of character for me, especially the whole 'judging you' thing." The arguing thing isn't out of character for me, people piss me off a lot.

He was silent for a moment and I just stared at him awkwardly as his slick black-rimmed glasses slowly slid down his nose.

I remembered when I got glasses in middle school, I begged my parents because I wanted to be like those nerd girls who got with the popular football jocks. The want was short-lived when I realized that being a metal mouth and four eyes weren't something I wanted to carry into high school. I switched to contacts, summer before freshman year.

When they arrived at the edge of his nose he pushed them up and cleared his throat making our silence even more awkward.

"Thank you for the apology. I admit arguing with you was out of character for me as well." Disgusting. He said as well like a preppy rich private school kid which I assumed he was.

"What book are you reading?" I inquired. He perked up instantly and started telling me about the novel he was reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

I had already read the book for my summer reading assignment before my sophomore year, but it was fascinating listening to him talk about the bases of the plot. He was so animated when he talked with all the hand gestures and restless nature, his leg was always bouncing or arms moving. His voice was magnetic, proud, but dignified. This must be how I sound when I'm talking about a book.

He looked down at his watch, an all-black Rolex, before a look of panic took over his face.

"Oh shit!" He grabbed his book and stood up quickly. I looked down at my phone and cursed. The movie was going to start in five minutes. I followed him out of the store leaving my book on a nearby shelf.

I noticed we were heading in the same direction so I asked, "What are you late for?"

"A movie, I thought I had enough time to read a

little and buy a book, but I got carried away," He looked at me cautiously like he was afraid I was going to run away. "Sorry, if I took up your time." An apology, I didn't expect that.

Shaking my head I say, "No you didn't!" I rush out. "It was time well spent, I liked hearing you talk. I never met somebody who talked about books the way I do." For some reason, I wanted to reassure him. Let him know that he didn't just waste his breath on somebody who didn't care.

"Oh, thanks..." He pauses. "I don't know your name." He held the door for me like a gentleman. We walked inside the theater and I unzipped my coat to reveal my Hamilton t-shirt that I got when I saw the show on Broadway for my 16th birthday.

"Scarlett. And yours?"

"Jace. It's very nice to meet you, Scarlett." He smiles warmly at me.

"I'm late for a movie too, it's the new Harley Quinn," I say, lingering by the door.

"I guess we're in the same movie."

"I guess we are," I say, cooly before remembering the time. "But we won't see the movie if we don't walk a little faster than this." We sped up the pace and gave our online tickets to the ticket taker person. They really need names for these things.

"Do you want to sit together?" He asked and I pretended to think about it. I didn't usually willingly hang out with strangers, but us book lovers have to stick together. Also, I'm a little curious, why a guy as attractive such as himself didn't have a date for Valentine's Day.

"Depends, do you talk during the movie?" He hesitated

"Maybe, but would you hate me if I said yes?" I grinned brightly at his response

"I was hoping you'd say yes." Our voices turn to whispers as we walk inside the theater where the movie title is being displayed across the screen. Good, that means we didn't miss any of the good parts.

I found us a seat in the middle, but the only available seats on that row were on the edge. I could tell Jace wasn't happy about it, but he was nice and opted to take the aisle seat.

As the movie went on, we spoke in whispers only loud enough for us to hear. We also laughed out loud while everybody else tried to suppress it. I won't lie, I would've stayed quiet too, but Jace didn't. He laughed even when nobody else did and he made me want to do it too. He wasn't embarrassed and around him, neither was I. His energy was something I couldn't describe, and usually, I was amazing at that, but I couldn't figure this kid out. This stranger, a random private school white boy who for some reason, I wanted to know everything about.

After the movie ended we walked outside, nearing midnight. I needed a coffee just to survive the long ride home.

"Hey, do you want to grab a coffee with me?" I asked. He nodded and as we walked toward the Starbucks.

When I was younger, my sister told me that the easiest way to judge a person is through their shoes. I looked down at his feet. Balenciaga's. Brand new Balenciaga sneakers.

"What school do you attend?" I shudder at the thought of telling him about Turner, where the closest thing to Balenciaga's these kids have are... nothing. The only way anybody is getting Balenciaga's is if they're slinging or stealing.

"You wouldn't know it, what about you?" It's far away from anywhere that you came from.

"Elkridge Preparatory Academy." I mentally rolled my eyes at how he straightened his posture when he said the school name.

"Oh, so you're rich?" He holds the door open for me and we walk inside Starbucks.

"Not everybody who goes to Elkridge is rich." He mutters. Okay, money may be a sore subject for him. Daddy issues, perhaps? Mommy issues?

"But the majority is?" I walk up to the cashier who waits for me patiently. "I'll have a Venti Caramel Frappuccino." I reach into my purse for my wallet when Jace gets in front of me.

"I'll have a Venti Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino." I am about to protest when he hands the cashier his card. When he's finished we sit on the high tops waiting for our orders and continue our conversation.

"What's the answer?" Leaning towards him, I notice the bags under his eyes. Trouble sleeping?

"Yes, the majority is well off." He begrudgingly admits, pushing the stray curl away from his face.

"Rich," I add just to rile him up.

"Whatever, not everybody is."

"So, you're not rich?" I don't understand why we went around the bush for such a simple yes or no question.

"I didn't say that." Jace is making this harder than necessary

"Okay, rich or not rich. I don't care enough or at all to sit through this back and forth thing with you," They call his name for both drinks and we grab ours. "Thank you again, Jace."

"It was my pleasure," We walked outside, and were met by the cold air, sending shivers throughout my body. "Where are you parked?" We pointed to opposite directions

"I had a nice time tonight, you're the first person I've met who doesn't yell at me when I

talk through a movie." He laughed, his body shaking and curls bouncing on top of his head.

"All the same to you Scarlet, I'm glad we met," I nodded awkwardly, not knowing what else to say. "I hope to see you in my spot again soon." He winks at me with a small smile, showing me a flash of perfect white teeth. He must've been a former metal mouth too.

I return his smile, shivering as the breeze passes us by. I send him a small wave before making a dash to the car to try and escape the cold, leaving him alone. I warm up my hands before putting the car in drive and heading off.

When the neighborhoods around me started looking familiar, I spotted Brielle on a street corner, a few blocks over from the house. She was dressed in the same clothing as earlier and making out with a boy, outside of a night club. His face is covered by the darkness but I can spot my sister anywhere.

I ignore the pang in my heart at the sight of Brielle until I'm hiding behind the doors of my bedroom. Only then, do I think about what could've happened if I was there to keep her tethered to her old self? I wonder sometimes where did it all go wrong? When was the moment when she stopped being the loving big sister who climbed into my bed at night and became the girl on that street corner. Was it just one moment or was it all them combined? All the late-night hangouts with her new friends that didn't care about her wellbeing like the ones she ditched after middle school did.

There are nights where I grapple with the huge what if... What if I stopped the change before it got too far? But I didn't stop it and now she's lost herself. The pictures on my wall from the summer before freshman year feels like a distant memory.

After I showered I came back ready to stay awake and binge watch a new Netflix show when I get a text from Destiny. Actually, there are three texts and a picture of her and Erika posing with a white girl who I've never seen before.

Destiny: Look at how much fun we had!

You should've been hereeeee!

What you do?

Scarlet: I hung out with a guy

Destiny: Shittttttt... no fucking way