by Dawn Martens
She hates that shit. And it’s true, she might dress the part and look the part, but she’s far from a stuck-up bitch.
“You tell her off?” I grin, knowing she probably didn’t. She’s usually too shy for that.
“Sort of, and then she smirked at me and said to me ‘I think I’m going to like you’ or something like that. It was weird. She’s so pretty though, Bryce, she’s perfect, short but perfect in every way. I think I might try and talk her into modeling some of the new lingerie I’m making for my shop,” Alana says, sounding excited.
I dig into my food and listen as she tells me about her classes and her professors. I’m glad she had a good day.
After supper, we’re sitting on the couch, flipping through the channels.
“I asked my dad about seeing if he would invest in your shop, but he keeps saying that it’s something you need to do for yourself. I’m sorry, Bryce,” she tells me. Considering he is going to help her invest in her own shop, I call bullshit on that. The deal was she went to college to learn all she can about business, and he’d help her out.
I pull her close to me. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t even know you asked him. So, it doesn’t matter. I’ll figure something out.” One thing I don’t want, and never wanted, was a handout from her father. We already catch shit talkers saying I’m only with Alana for her money, and that’s not even close to the truth.
I don’t ask anyone for a damn thing. I try to earn my way. It may take me longer than others, but I will get where I want to be by working for it. I hate that she even asked, pissed actually. I’ve told her time and time again, I didn’t want her father’s money. But I let it go, not wanting to start a huge fight before bed.
Kristi
I wake up to the sound of my sister giggling. I groan as I roll over in bed. Checking the time, I realize I’m going to be late for my shift at the grocery store. Forcing myself to get out of bed, I crawl from underneath the warmth of my Monster High blankets. Emma must hear me waking up because she peeks her head into my room and narrows her eyes at my bed.
“Really?” she asks amused.
I smirk at her. “Yup.”
She makes a really face. “But those are kid blankets.”
“Guilty pleasure,” I say, shrugging my shoulders.
She stands in the room, arms crossed. “If you ever want to bring a guy here for sex, you might want to rethink that bedding.”
I sigh, shutting my dresser drawer after taking out a blue tank top. “That’s not going to happen. I don’t have time for that stuff right now.” And I don’t, after the pregnancy scare I had a year ago, after a one-night stand, I’ve avoided guys.
“You keep saying that, but really, last night when we were watching Magic Mike, you were totally getting a lady boner. What with your shrieking and panting,” she says, grinning at me.
“That’s a movie, it’s not real. I have time for fake stuff. Besides, Channing Tatum and Matt Bomer, together in one movie? I’ll gladly dedicate my life to watching those two while using my vibrator any day over getting into a relationship,” I say, walking passed her into the living room.
Her nose scrunches as her lips screw into a pout. “That was a really gross visual.”
I shrug and grab my bag and head off to work. Last night, Emma told me about how she’s secretly been dating Seth for six months. Shouldn’t really surprise me, since she’s always been about sneaking behind Dad’s back. Although now that I know the guy she is with is Seth, I’m okay with it. He’s a good kid. I went to school with Seth’s older brother, who was the ultimate player, and nothing like his little brother. Seth is more of a one woman type of guy, serious about his schooling and shit like that.
Arriving to work with not even a minute to spare, I quickly get signed in and start at the cash register. My shift is only three hours this morning, which is good because I have to get over to Haylix Salon before class later this afternoon.
My shift goes by quickly, and I see that I really don’t have a minute to spare, hopefully I can get done quickly at the salon so I at least have a few minutes to myself today.
Doesn’t take me long to get to the salon, I’m here to help update Alix and Hayley’s website, since they both seem to be a bit clueless how to do upkeep on their site.
“Woot, Kristi is here,” I hear Alix shout. Alix is on the chunky side, but she still looks stunning, with her black hair streaked with red and blue. After she had her kids, she just kept gaining, and only gets pissed off about her weight if Hayley starts teasing her about being a short fat cow.
“I call dibs!” Hayley shouts back. I swear these two, every time I come in, they fight over who is going to touch my hair. Sometimes it can get rowdy. Last time I came in, Alix ended up throwing bleach on Hayley’s long black hair to get her to back off, and that started a full out brawl between the two of them.
“I know, you asshat! I know. You said that since you found out she was coming last week, so suck my dick.”
I let out a laugh. These two never cease to amaze me.
“Ladies, let me update the site first, and then you can rock me out,” I tell them, sitting down in their back-office room.
As I work on the updates, I hear Hayley going on about some new trick she learned with her husband. “I swear to God, it was the best anal sex of my life. I gushed like a fucking fountain.”
“For fuck’s sake, Hayley! I don’t want to hear this shit! Nasty whore!” Alix shouts at her.
“I don’t know how Jordan stays with you. You don’t like blow jobs, anything to do with anal, refuse to let Jordan kiss you after he’s gone to munch town, and you fucking gag over cum. I’d say you should just go lesbo but you get grossed out looking at your own vagina.”
“Why the fuck are we talking about this in front of customers?” Alix snaps.
“Because, it’s who we are, and these ladies probably come just for this chat.” Hayley giggles. “Come, ha, see what I did there?”
Alix groans and quickly apologizes to her client.
I swear these two could sell tickets to this shit.
After an hour of going through everything, I hit complete and the website is perfect, once again.
“All right, ladies, it’s done. Everything is up to date, I was even able to add the book appointment online app to it. You’re good to go.”
“Oh, Kristi, that is so awesome, thanks a bunch!” Alix says, smiling.
“No problemo. This works for me, I get free hair, you get a free website. Win, win.”
“Hayley is just finishing up with her client, she shouldn’t be much longer. But if you tell me what colors you want this time, I can get it all set up for her.”
I shrug. “I was sort of thinking a black base with every color possible that you have. Plus, I need it shaved again, it’s starting to grow out.”
“Coolness, you are seriously like our favorite person because you never get the same thing twice.”
Shrugging, I tell her, “I get bored easily.”
Three hours later, and lots of laughs, my hair is done. I look smashing, and I have exactly one hour before I should be in class. I decide to spend that time reading. With Emma at my place, she doesn’t shut up long enough for me to even read one damn page.
Chapter 5
Bryce
I head to my shop and notice my brother, Vinny standing by the door. He’s wearing a beanie and flicking his Zippo open and closed. “What do you want?” I ask him.
He shrugs shoving his lighter in his pocket. “What, I can’t come by and say hey to my big brother?”
We haven’t really gotten along since he joined Satan’s Law MC. It’s always been a sore spot for us. “Haven’t talked to you in a few years, so you aren’t here to just pop by and say hey.”
He moves from the spot he was leaning against and crosses his arms. “I came by to tell you that everything’s different now. Satan’s Law is no more. I knew that you’ve always hated me for joining the club, figured now that shi
t is different we could put it behind us.”
I snort. “I already knew about that shit. Mom told me about it. Also told me how you knocked up Lilly and that bitch, Kayla.”
He clenches his jaw. “Don’t fucking talk about Kayla like that, you know she wasn’t a bitch. Plus, if you must know she’s fucking dead.”
My eyes bug out. “When? How?” I feel like a huge dick now. She may have hurt me, but I never wished her dead.
“A few months before Hilary, didn’t think to tell you when you came for her funeral. But for some reason her mother told me I should let you know,” he says sounding confused. “Not sure why you’d care about Kayla being dead, though.” Hilary’s death hit everyone hard. I never had feelings for her, she was just a friend, but her husband, Mason, sure didn’t think so, he thought she was cheating on him, hell at one point he thought she was cheating on him with me. That asshole got his shit together too late, and lost her for good. Last I heard though, he has moved on and treats his new wife better than he ever did Hilary.
“Actually, I do care, considering she was my girlfriend the whole fucking time she was in college,” I blurt out.
“Wait what?” he asks me, shocked. Shit, I forgot he probably didn’t know that.
I run a hand over my head and sigh. “Yeah, we didn’t hook up right away, I moved away after Hilary lost her baby, mostly because I couldn’t be in the same damn town Mason was in, otherwise I would have killed him. I ran into her. We dated a good long while, and then I found out she was only dating me because she was still in love with you. I broke up with her, she moved back home.”
“She never told me,” Vinny says, looking down at his motorcycle boots. “I guess that’s why her mom has been on my ass, asking why you didn’t go to her funeral and shit.”
“Why would you even care? Thought you loved Lilly?”
“I do, but I still cared for Kayla. Hell, she had my child.”
“This whole talk is stupid, what are you really doing here?” I ask him.
He pulls off his beanie, scratches his head, and looks up at me. “I know Mom was a bitch and took all your trust money, and I know you’ve been struggling with this shop, I was hoping you’d let me help you out.”
“No.” I move past him, opening my shop.
He follows me inside. “Why not? You need it, I want to help you out. You’re my brother, man.”
“Look, little brother, I don’t want your fucking handout, okay! I can do this on my own.”
“Why don’t you tell me the truth, huh? I know that’s not it.” He glares at me as he flips his lighter open and closed.
“I've already told you. I don’t want your fucking handout!” I shout.
He puts his hands up in surrender. “Fine, man.” He walks toward the door, stops, and looks back over his shoulder. “I don’t know why you want nothing to do with me, I’m your brother, and fuck, man, I love you. Even when you’re being shitty.” With that he just leaves.
I know I should have taken him up on the money, but I also know my mother. If she found out I was taking handouts from Vinny, she’d have my head.
She’s always been such a damn bitch when it comes to Vinny, although it only started when he started dating Lilly. Mom fuckin’ hated that, since Lilly represented her ‘lost love.’ Sam didn’t even like my mom, even I know that my mom is a whore. She will sink her claws into anything that will have her.
What Vinny and Alana both don’t know is that I’ve been talking with a lawyer friend of mine, and I’m taking my mother to court over the money she stole from me. I highly doubt she’ll be able to pay anything back, but the lawyer I spoke to said she’d most likely would go to prison for it.
I can’t believe Vinny showed up here like that. We haven’t been close in years. Sure, I saw him at Hilary’s funeral seven years ago, but otherwise we’ve never had anything to do with one another. I’m surprised our mom didn’t contact me about Kayla since she knew we dated. This is why I hate this fucking family, no one tells each other shit all.
Kayla and I weren’t serious, not really. We ate together, slept together, but nothing like what Alana and I have now. Kayla wasn’t terrible, but I was pissed at her on Lilly’s behalf that she kept her affair with Vinny going, knowing he was never leaving Lilly. It didn’t overly surprise me, considering I had found out after a year of being together, she was only screwing with me because I looked like my brother. Kayla had been obsessed with him since we were all kids. How Lilly is still is with him, I’ll never know. She has to live with Kayla’s child, being reminded day in and day out what her husband did to her.
Scrubbing a hand over my face, I blank the family shit out, and get behind my desk to sort out my work day.
I really should hire someone soon.
Kristi
Packing my laptop into my bag, thankful my web design class is over, I yawn. I just got finished last night, helping my friend, Hayley, and her friend, Alix, with putting together a product selling and appointment setup with their new online website. I’m so proud of the product I made. Not only are they making me keep my logo on the site, but they both told me to make sure I use the website in my portfolio. I designed their first one years ago but it was just a demo, couldn’t buy anything or do anything, just showed pictures of the staff and all that. It was sort of lame, but thankfully I’ve learned so much more since then and have been able to help even more.
I walk out the door and head over to Tim Hortons for a donut and hot chocolate. The line moves surprisingly quickly, and for once, I’m so early for my next class, I just find a seat at the table in the courtyard of the campus.
I pull out my laptop and start working on my personal website. Setting up logos and the like. “Oh wow, that’s really good. Did you design that?” a cheery voice asks from over my shoulder.
“Yes, it’s my major,” I say, trying to ignore the peppy girl.
“You mind if I sit here?” she asks politely.
“Go for it. No one else is.” Probably because most people avoid me like the plague. “Why are you wanting to sit near me, anyway?” I ask, looking up from my laptop, narrowing my eyes at her.
She smiles while looking confused. “Am I not supposed to?”
“Most people avoid being near me at all costs, in case you haven’t noticed,” I tell her, swiping my hand down at myself, wearing a cut up skull skirt, and a tank top that shows off the tattoos covering up all my cleavage that’s showing, then realizing this is Barbie from class on Monday.
“Thankfully, I'm not most people. Like I said before, I don’t care what someone looks like, or what they’ve done in the past. I only care about the kind of person they are on the inside. So unless you are a raving madwoman, serial killer, I think you’ll do just fine.”
I shake my head. Chick is fucking nuts.
“Anyway, are you dating anyone?” Alana asks me.
“Nope, I’ve never been into the dating thing.”
“Well that’s too bad, sex is good and all, but having sex with the one person you really care about, is the best feeling in the world.”
“How do you know I’m not a virgin?” I ask snottily.
She shrugs. “Girl like you? You’re beautiful, plus you don’t blush when sex is talked about. Virgins blush.”
I laugh, “That’s true, I suppose.”
“I have a feeling there is a story, but you don’t have to tell me.”
“It’s not a big deal really. When I first got to college I was partying hard. Got too drunk a few times, woke up next to two different guys and some chick. Swore to myself after that I was done. That’s when the rumors about me being a whore started. Both guys apparently had girlfriends, blah blah blah, usual bullshit. Then I had a pregnancy scare, thank God, my period showed up a few days later, or I really would have been in shit. But that’s it,” I tell her honestly. It’s not like I hide my story from people, just from my sister and my dad. Don’t want to give my sister power over me, and don’t want to disappoint my
dad.
She looks at me with sympathy and I’m trying so hard not to roll my eyes, until she gets a weird look on her face. “I’ve always wanted to try a threesome with another guy, but I don’t think I would like to have a penis stuck up my butt.” I stare at her in shock, then burst out laughing.
For the next two weeks, Alana is practically everywhere I go. Basically, forcing me to be her friend. I was almost worried that she was stalking me. If I went to Tim Hortons for a hot chocolate, there she was. If I went to the library to work on class assignments, there she was. But she was there before me each time, so I couldn’t accuse her of stalking. It’s just weird, no one has ever gone through so much trouble to try and befriend me. Especially with girls.
I don’t know what it is with Alana, but the bitch is growing on me.
Chapter 6
Bryce
I post up the help wanted sign in my shop window, hoping someone will see it and want to work here. I just need someone that can run the front part of the shop until I set up the back. Just as I walk back to my desk to finish an order for some parts, the chime on the front door goes off.
“Are you sure you want to keep doing this, Seth? Every time you compete with your brother at the skate park you always end up in the hospital because you broke something,” I hear a voice say.
“Emma, shut it, it’s just part of riding.”
“Hey, man, what can I help you with?” I say, greeting the young couple. The girl is wearing a bright yellow polka-dotted sundress and her man looks like he stepped out of a punk rock band. Interesting duo.
“Need some new tires, man. Some punk at the skate park got pissed I showed him off doing a backflip, sliced my tires,” he informs me, bringing his bike forward.
“Sure, I have some eighteen inchers in stock actually, over on the racks over there. Take a look, see which ones you’d like,” I tell him.
The girl with him stares at me for a few moments, sizing me up, before walking off with him. Minutes later he comes back with a set of tires. “You hiring, man?” he asks.