Authors: Chelsea Ballinger
“Yeah?”
“So do you think we should go to
Cancun for Spring Break?”
“Um I don’t know” Personally I
don’t want to go anywhere for Spring Break, especially not with Naomi.
“I have to go to the restroom,
Claudia will you come with me?” Jade says pulling me from the table, before I
can respond.
We enter the bathroom and I watch
Jade as she looks under each stall and kicks each door open to see if anyone is
in here. I can already tell she is about to give me another lecture.
“You seriously need to chill.”
“What?”
“You and Donovan’s googly eyes
are starting to become real obvious to the people that observe.”
“Like you?” I say with a grin.
“Yes! I get it you’re happy and
I’m happy that you’re happy, but you do realize if any of this gets out it will
be hell on earth”
“Yes, I know” I cover my face with
both hands. “It’s like we’re in our own world sometimes and I can’t help but
say in my head screw everyone.”
“I get that sweetie, but because
I know you and your dad, I can’t usually give my fuck everyone else motto. I
just want you to be careful. It’s okay that me and his little short friend know
because obviously we are the trust worthy people here, but if anyone else finds
out like Eric, Naomi, or his bitch of a sister, we are seriously dead.”
We both are interrupted by the
swing of the bathroom entry door.
“What are you doing with my
brother?” I instantly turn around to see Ella Pierce with her usual “I hate you
stare” only this time it’s worse.
“What?” I try to act nonchalant.
“Are you seeing my brother?”
Oh shit.
Chapter
7
“Trouble In Paradise”
Donovan
“You are an asshole!” I sit up on
my bed seeing my sister bursting in my room like some mad woman.
“What the hell Ella?” I say
taking out my headphones.
“You’re seeing Henry Stonem’s daughter!”
I jump off my bed and run towards
the door closing it. I turn back to her.
“Keep your voice down okay?”
“Keep my voice down? Sure, as
soon as you tell me how long.” I sigh and continue staring at her. “How long
Donovan?!”
“Alright!” I look back at my
door. “A month.”
“Are you kidding me?” Her eyes
widen. “How could you? Do you have no loyalty to this family? To dad?”
“Don’t” How could she say that?
“You know damn well I would do anything for our family”
“Except when it comes to your
dick obviously.”
“It’s not like that”
“What? It’s real? You actually
care about her?”
I can’t even answer her question.
It is real. It’s the most real thing I ever felt.
Ella’s eyes widen some more as
she sees the expression on my face.
“Donovan you’re insane. She is
using you. Probably to piss off daddy.”
“Ella you don’t have the full
story.”
“Well tell me!” Ella is clearly
angry and hurt by this and I really am sorry.
“I met her the night Christian
died.”
Her anger turns into shock and
disbelief.
“What?”
“She is the one person who can
put me at that party. I met her and we didn’t know who each other were and we
just clicked. When I left, I thought I’d never see her again, but than I did. It
just happened.”
“You probably didn’t know, but
she did”
“No she didn’t”
“How do you know?”
“Because I know her.”
“No. No you don’t. You know me.
You know mom. You know dad. You don’t know her Donovan. She is a Stonem.”
“So what.” I say annoyed.
“So what?”
“She is nothing like her father.”
“Oh that’s sweet. Just sweet. Why
don’t we invite the whole Stonem family for Sunday dinner?”
Obviously she is being sarcastic.
“How do you even know? Did Emile
tell you?”
“Emile knows?” She stares off
into space fathoming what I just said. “That little shit”
“I made him promise not to tell
anyone.”
“Oh like she made her sidekick
too.”
“Wait? How do you know Jade
knows?”
“I could see it on both their
faces when I confronted her in the bathroom.”
“What the hell Ella.” No wonder
why Claudia hasn’t text me back yet.
“I mean it was obvious by the way
you two were staring at each other today.”
“You have to promise not to tell
anyone.”
“You know she is probably doing
this to get back at me.”
“What? Why?”
Ella hesitates. What the hell
does this have to do with her? She continues being silent as she bites her lip.
That means it’s bad.
“Ella!”
“Okay. I didn’t want you to know
because I knew you would be pissed, but I slept with Eric Anderson while they
were dating. I told her which caused them to break up. It really doesn’t matter
because he always cheated on her.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“It’s no big deal”
“It’s no big deal Ella? That’s
bull shit. Why would you do that?”
Not only has this douche slept
with Claudia but he also slept with my little sister. This has to be a
nightmare.
“Ella, answer me!”
“Because I hate her! Okay?! I
hate her and so should you!”
“Well I don’t! I love her!”
I say it, before I could even
stop. What the hell is wrong with me?
I see the shock and hurt in
Ella’s face.
“You love her? You are out of
your mind.”
“Listen, just don’t tell anyone
okay?”
“Don’t worry because I wish I
never found out. Christian would be real proud.”
She leaves my room with that
hurtful sentence. If Christian was alive, he would probably kick my ass.
Claudia
Today is not a good day at all.
I’ve been paranoid out of my
freaking mind since Ella confronted us in the bathroom. She accused me of
seeing Donovan and all I could do was stand there. She knew. She immediately
left out leaving me and Jade there in a panic. I’m waiting on Donovan because
we were supposed to see each other tonight, but I really want to know how many
other people know.
“Hey” I turn around to see him
standing in the middle of the vintage living room. By the way he says hey and
the way he looks at me I’m guessing Ella talked to him.
“Hey”. I say quietly back.
“How are you?”
I shrug. “Freaking out of
course.”
“Yeah I talked to Ella.”
“Yeah I figured that.”
“She’s pretty upset, but I don’t
think she is going to say anything.”
“You don’t think? Donovan I know
she is your sister, but if you haven’t noticed she hates me”
“Yeah, I know. Especially since I
found out she slept with Eric.”
Just great.
“So she told you”
“Yeah. Why didn’t you?”
“Because she’s your sister
Donovan.”
“God I hate that guy.”
I laugh a little. I don’t blame
him.
“So what do we do?” I ask him.
He looks back at me confused.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean Donovan maybe we should
slow down a little.”
“Do you want to slow down?”
No.
“I don’t know”
Liar.
“Listen, I know that we should
probably stop staring at each other in public,” He laughs. This isn’t funny,
but his laugh is so cute and sexy. “But we can’t stop.”
“I know, but Ella has always been
out to make my life a living hell”
“Listen I know she can be mean,
but Ella went through a lot. The thing she did with Eric is not like her,
besides Eric is the type of guy who uses a girl. I mean he could have every
girl apparently.”
“Yeah I know, but your sister did
it to spite me.”
Okay I’m getting an attitude. I
can feel it. I know that’s his sister and all, but he’s been gone for a year,
people change.
“I know but..”
“But what?” I interrupt him.
“Okay maybe we should stop
talking about it because I can sense you’re getting a little mad”
“No I’m not. I’m just saying
they both are to blame and frankly I do blame your sister more.”
“How?”
“Because Donovan, she knew Eric
was my boyfriend. She did it anyway which shows her character if you ask me.”
“So you hate my sister?”
“Maybe”
He gives me a disapproving look.
Wait he got a lot of nerve.
“Wait you have a lot of nerve.
Don’t you hate my father? Doesn’t your whole family hate my father?” I snap at
him.
“Well doesn’t your father hate my
whole family?”
“Well, yeah, which means you
shouldn’t judge the fact that I might despise your sister.”
“Well maybe I hate the fact that
you do. Maybe I hate the fact that she despises you and she would sink so low.”
“Well take that up with her then.”
“I have”
“Okay, then enough about it, its
pissing me off all over again.”
“So you’re not over it? Are you
over Eric?”
“Of course I’m over Eric.” I walk
closer towards him. “I’m not over the fact that your sister did and that he
made a fool of me.”
“Well I feel like you should, I
mean we’re together aren’t we?”
“Yeah, but…”
I pause. I want to say this right
because I see the fear and anger in his eyes.
“But what? Is Ella right? Are you
with me to get back at her?”
What? Did he really just say
that?
“Are you serious? When it comes
to you, she is far from my mind. I can’t believe you said that to me.”
“Look I’m sorry, I’m not thinking
right.” He says trying to grab my hand. I snatch it away from him.
“Yeah obviously you’re out of
your fucking mind. If you want to accuse me of foul play, I can easily accuse
you of using me to get back at my father.”
“Oh come on Claud you know that’s
not true.”
“How? How do I know any of it’s
not truth? Maybe you did know I was a Stonem, maybe you planed it all along.”
I stop myself when I see the hurt
in his eyes. Why am I doing this? I know it’s not true. God I’m a psycho.
“Fuck you and your family” Without
hesitation I slap him across his face. I slapped him so hard my hand is still
stinging. I can’t believe I just did that.
“No, fuck you because you are a
complete son of a bitch for even thinking that of me. I hate your sister and
right now I hate you.”
I quickly leave our isolated
paradise and drive off.
The messed up thing about all of
it is that all I want to do is turn back around and kiss him.
I think it is official I am a
complete psycho.
Donovan
It’s been one week since we spoke
and I’m going out of my freaking mind. I am an idiot. I can’t believe I said
that bull shit to her. I can’t believe she slapped me. It hurt like shit and it
took everything in me not to strangle her but I was always raised to never hit
a woman.
I’ve left her messages every day.
She won’t return any of them. She is all I think about and it’s driving me
crazy. I got lucky with the answers to that calculus test today because I
didn’t know shit.
I just want her to talk to me. I
miss her so much. I can’t lose her not over this. I know she didn’t know who I
was; I just let Ella get in my head because everything was too perfect for me
and usually something ruins it so I mess up. Even though I’m pissed at what she
said to me I get why she was upset at what I said. Also, I can’t hate her for
not liking Ella.
After our fight, I talked to Emile.
He told me all about the drama between Claudia and Ella and that my sister was
usually the one who initiated all of it. I would talk to her, but I probably
don’t have a right. Besides she isn’t speaking to me. Mom noticed and asked us
about it. Ella lied and said nothing. I’m grateful to her for that. She’s a
good sister and I’m a horrible brother.
Is it crazy that I don’t care
anymore who knows? I just care about Claudia and her happiness and I know it
would hurt her if people knew. It would damage her relationship with her
father. I hate the guy, but I love her. I love her and I’m scared to tell her.
I don’t want to lose her.
“Donovan!” I hear Emile yelling
my name from outside my room. He opens my door in a panic.
“What?” I rise up from my bed as Emile
tries to catch his breathe.
“You need to come outside.”
We get outside and walk towards
his car where I see Jason sitting in the passenger seat. I get closer and I see
his nose bleeding and lip busted.
“What happened?” I say as I squat
down to Jason looking at his face.
“It’s nothing”
“Emile what the hell happened?” I
say still looking at Jason.
“Eric Anderson and his guys beat
him up outside of Warren Gregory’s party. I was on my way there when I saw him walking
on the side of the freaking road. I called Ella, but she isn’t answering. I
think they’re at a movie or something.”
“Jason, look at me.”
Jason looks up at me. I see in
his eyes this has brought out his past.