Lindy gags behind me. I pale as the image of him making out with the brunette plays on repeat in my head before a flood of every other girl I’ve seen him with starts playing right along with it.
“Yes, Lindy, your brother is hot!” I snap at her as my emotions boil over. “Get over it!”
The girl looks around me at Lindy. “You’re Kellin’s little sister?”
Lindy nods. “We’re his roommates.”
“Both of you?” she repeats.
I slide her books back at her. “Yes.”
She looks between Lindy and me. Lindy is the kind of girl that dates guys like Jordan, and I’m, well, invisible.
For now.
I turn to Lindy, “Shopping?”
“Did you have an aneurysm?”
I look at the ceiling, then back down at her. “More like an epiphany.”
Chapter 12
“So are you going to explain what all of this is about?” Lindy asks as she holds the door to the mall open for me.
“I may have asked Tyler out on a date…and he rejected me.”
And I’m insanely jealous of any girl I see your brother kissing…
Lindy is silent for a moment, and all I can hear is the sound of her heel’s clicking on the ceramic tiles and noise of my too big jeans as they drag on it.
“No shit,” Lindy replies, and I look at her bubble gum pink sweater, floral tank, and skinny jeans.
I bite my cheek before looking straight ahead. “Apparently, you’re more his type.”
“Like I’d ever go for that,” Lindy replies, her lips curling under as she sticks her tongue out. “So what is this, a makeover?”
“Exactly.”
The smile grows on Lindy’s face as she looks me over. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
I nod. “I know exactly who I am, and it’s time for me to show it.”
“So are we going for preppy?” she asks as we begin to walk again.
I shake my head. “Not at all.”
“What are we going for then?”
“I love you, Lind, but I am definitely not you,” I answer as we walk past Express and Lindy’s head stays fixed on a mannikin in a set of dark wash skinny jeans and a tight black v-neck tee. It’s perfect. I stop, and she slams into me. “Think Kellin’s type.”
“Softcore rebel without a cause?” Lindy asks as I turn into the store and grab my size in the jeans and the smallest version of the shirt I can find.
“Exactly, except I love the music he plays,” I reply.
Lindy shakes her head at me, taking the pants and putting them back down and grabbing a smaller size. “Right, then you’ll want pants that are actually your size.”
“How do you know what size I am?” I ask.
“I’ve seen you in a bathing suit. You’re tiny beneath all that cotton.”
I take the pants from her and head into the dressing room. When I come out, Lindy has a pile of jeans for me just as skinny as the ones I’ve slipped into but in a variety of colors including a pair of ripped ones. I grab them from her hands and smile.
“Perfect,” I reply.
“Reese, you’re going to make Tyler have a heart attack,” Lindy says as she looks me up and down with the widest smile I’ve ever seen on her.
“This isn’t about Tyler,” I reply as I turn to the full-length mirror.
“Who is it about then?”
My heart stutters for a moment as Kellin’s face comes to mind. I shake my head, before looking up at the girl in the mirror and smiling. “Me.”
“If I know you well enough this shirt is going to be right up your alley,” she says, draping a black t-shirt with silver scroll and skulls over my shoulder.
I take a deep breath. “How did you know?”
Lindy shrugs. “I knew you were hiding a rebel under there; now we just need some band t-shirts.”
I turn to her. “And dye.”
“Dye?”
I nod. “And I’ll need to get contacts…and make-up.”
“We don’t want you to overdose on makeover here, Reese,” Lindy replies, chewing on the inside of her lip as I smile at her.
“I know exactly who I want to be, now are you going to help me or not?”
“Lead the way,” Lindy replies as she shakes her head with a laugh.
~~~
“What the hell is that?” Kellin asks as we walk passed him in the garage. His guitar hangs in front of him and his fingers hover over the frets as the strings reverberate.
“Nerd’s not the word anymore!” I call over my shoulder as we walk into the house.
“Huh?” What does that mean?” Kellin follows us in, and when I don’t reply he continues, “Reese! Explain!”
I toss the bags on the couch and turn to look at him.
“And what happened to your glasses?”
Lindy plops down and signals for me to explain. “Go ahead, Reese – show him!”
I grab a bag and go to the bathroom, slipping into a real bra, which is surprisingly more comfortable than the flattening sports bras I’ve always worn, and then into the skull tee and ripped skinny jeans. I look at myself in the mirror and take a deep breath. I finally feel like me. I pull my hair out of the ponytail and let it fall over my shoulders and down my back.
Me. I take a deep breath. It’s nice to have my outside reflect my inside. I feel confident and good. When I come out, Kellin has his hand in his hair and his foot taps as if this whole situation makes him nervous. His eyes race over my body until they find my face and his jaw goes slack. Suddenly my heart is hammering out of control as I look back at the boy, now a man, that I’ve grown up with staring at me. His green eyes flash over my face before his head jerks toward his sister.
“What the fuck, Lindy!”
She throws her hands up, just as shocked as I am. “It was Reese’s idea, did you think I was going to stop her?”
“Kell, what’s wrong?” I ask as my heart stops hammering and jams itself in my throat.
Lindy shakes her head at her brother, standing and grabbing the box of dye out of the bag from the pharmacy.
“What’s that?” Kellin says, grabbing for the box.
“No!” Lindy replies, hiding it behind her back. “You don’t get to see it until it’s done.”
She slips by me, stopping to whisper. “I’ll get this ready. Change back into your crap clothes and come into my room when you’ve calmed down Kell.”
“You’re dying your hair, too?” Kellin asks, his biceps bulging beneath his black t-shirt sleeves as his hands go behind his head.
“What’s the big deal? Lindy does it all the time.”
“Lindy is Lindy, though. That’s her.”
I bite my lip. “Maybe it’s me, too.”
Kellin flops back on the recliner, running his tongue over his teeth. “Why didn’t you ask me to help? I know you pretty well, too.”
“Wouldn’t that be weird?” I ask.
He looks up at me. “Is this about some toolbox guy? Showing him you’re hot enough for him?”
I shrug. “No, but that’s kind of what made me realize I needed to do this.”
He takes a deep breath, tracing the tattoo running up his forearm before looking up at me. “You didn’t need to do all this for that. We could’ve come to an arrangement to make this kid jealous.”
“An arrangement?”
Kellin pulls his lip piercing into his mouth, smiling like the devil as he nods and stands. “Then again, you doing this could make it even better.”
“What are you thinking, Kell?”
“You and me.”
“You and me?” I repeat, and the blood rushes from my head, making every other part of me tingle.
I’m lightheaded, and he shouldn’t be having this effect on me. He’s like a brother to me, and I’m like a sister to him. No one here really knows that though, after all, Lindy and I have only been at college for a few weeks. Kellin has been here for three years.
“Exactly. We pr
etend to be dating.”
I choke as I look up at him. “Us – pretend to be dating?”
“Why not? It’ll make that guy jealous, and just about every other girl.”
The look on Tyler’s face when I walk in looking like this with Kellin holding my hand flashes in front of my eyes.
“Alright, I’m game.”
“Perfect. No strings attached, we can keep seeing whoever we want and no one gets hurt.”
“As long as you don’t fall in love with me,” I tease.
Kellin’s smile fades a bit, and his eyes dart away from me. “No problem, Ree. Now, I think we need to do something about your hair besides the color.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, and when our eyes meet again he’s composed. I can’t help but wonder what the look in his eyes meant. I figure it’s just my imagination running away with itself.
“Do you trust me?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“Stop straightening your hair, and just use Lindy’s beach wave thing to enhance your curls.”
“How do you know I straighten it?”
“I do notice things even though I have a cock.”
I roll my eyes. I’ve been straightening my hair every day since…forever. I have no clue when or how he noticed the natural waves it has if I don’t. The idea of not straightening it makes me nervous, but I trust Lindy can teach me how to use a curling iron.
“Alright, and what else?” I ask.
He grabs my hand and pulls me up the stairs and into our bathroom. He opens a drawer, pulling out a pair of scissors.
“What are you going to do?” I ask, stepping back slightly.
One of Kellin’s brows rises into his forehead, and he steps forward with his lips pressed into a stern line. “You said you trusted me. It’s better to cut them now and not waste the dye on them.”
“On what?”
“Your bangs.”
“Bangs?”
He nods and steps forward, tilting my chin with his finger. “Trust me, Ree.”
I close my eyes. “Just do it.”
I keep them closed as he runs a damp comb through my hair and moves a sheet of it in front of my face. Then I hear the snip-snip of the scissors as he trims off what can only be five inches of hair.
“Keep them closed. I’m not done yet,” Kellin replies, and I press my eyes closed even tighter.
He pulls my newly cut bangs up, and I feel him tilt them to one side before trimming them again.
“Perfect, now I’m hoping this color you chose is plum.”
I look up at him through my newly angled bangs. “How did you know?”
He slides his hand into mine and squeezes. “I know you.”
“Since when are you a hair stylist?” I say, elbowing him in the ribs as I turn to look at myself in the mirror. The bangs perfectly frame my face, angling down to my chin.
“I’m in a metal band. Most of my band members have long hair. I’m the exception to the rule.”
“So you cut their hair?”
He shrugs as we head down the stairs to Lindy’s room. “I was drunk. I learned it on YouTube and tried it on Schmit. Came out perfect. That’s our little secret, okay?”
“Are you sure you don’t need me as your girlfriend to cover something else up?” I joke, looking up at him.
He stops, barring my entry into Lindy’s room with his tattooed arm as he sucks in the lip piercing, so the ball pulls in a distracting way into this skin. My mind slips, and I imagine running my hands up the back of his neck into his faux hawk and pulling the ball into my mouth.
He raises an eyebrow as if he knows exactly what I’m thinking, and I duck under his arm, my whole face burning as I try to shake the thought from my mind.
Like a brother, Reese.
He’s always been like a brother to me, hasn’t he?
“You two flirting again?” Lindy teases, and I swallow as my breath catches in my throat. Again? Have we always been like this, and I just haven’t noticed it?
Kellin chuckles from the doorframe.
“I gave her bangs a trim. Color her up and then show her how to use that beach wave thing. Oh, and Ree, our arrangement starts tomorrow, so we’ll be going to school together.”
Lindy narrows her eyes at me. “Arrangement?”
“Don’t ask,” I mutter as my face turns another fifty shades of red. My mind skirts to the one topic I want to think about–him.
Kellin.
Mine.
Even if it’s just for show.
Chapter 13
My skin tingles as I look at myself in the mirror. I take a deep breath as I pull on the hot pink and plaid button-up over my black tank top. I feel good, but I can’t help the way my hands shake as I button it up halfway.
Makeup.
Lindy’s meeting Billy on the green early, and I heard her car pull out already. I’m on my own, and I’ve never done my makeup before. My eyes drop to the hundred-plus dollars worth of makeup on my vanity before picking up my cell phone and looking for a tutorial. I’m just putting on mascara when Kellin knocks on my door.
“You almost ready for your big reveal?” he asks as I open the door for him. His eyes drift, and his jaw goes slack.
I cock my head at him. “Are you?”
“I’m not sure,” he stutters, and my face burns. “You look so beautiful.”
“Aren’t you lucky I’m your girlfriend, then?” I ask, and my stomach twists as his eyes come up to mine.
He holds out his hand. “Extremely.”
“So how are we going to tell Lindy?” I ask as I jump up into his truck.
Kellin shrugs. “Let’s see how long it takes her to notice.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean you saw how she flew off the handle when I skipped out on that blind date,” I remind him, and he takes a deep breath.
“You’re probably right, but we have Family Day this weekend, so I think we should wait a bit. You know how Lindy gets any time it’s the holidays — it’s going to be the same thing except worse,” he replies, and I blanch as my gaze goes to the side mirror and settles on my purple hair. Kellin reaches over and squeezes my leg. “Don’t worry, you look great.”
“But my hair…”
Kellin winks at me as he puts the car in park. “It’s just hair dye; it’s not permanent.”
“And our parents will follow that logic, too?” I ask, and I blink at him rapidly. “They don’t know about you.”
“That’s different,” he cuts me off before getting out of the truck and coming to open the door for me.
“Do you think you’ll ever tell your parents?” I ask as Kellin threads his fingers with mine.
His eyes are distant as we walk towards the green. He pulls me behind a tree just as Lindy looks up from making out with Chem hottie. I laugh, breathless as I look up at him. He smirks down at me, and our previous conversation disappears from my thoughts.
“I thought the idea was to be seen,” I say, and my voice is barely audible as I try to calm the way my heart is hammering out of control.
Kellin reaches up and tucks my bangs behind my ear. “Hiding this from Lindy kind of gives it a fun edge, don’t you think?”
“And here I thought you just looked like a bad boy,” I reply.
He raises his eyebrows. “Just admit it, you love this.”
My body is pressed tightly against his, and I do love it. I love everything about this feeling; the way my whole body feels like it’s on fire, and the way I can hardly breathe and most of all, how right it feels.
It’s a lie.
I swallow hard, and Kellin’s playful expression hardens as his brows furrow.
“Are you having second thoughts about this?” he asks, and he starts to step away, but I tighten my hands on his biceps.
“Of course not,” I reply just as I see Mia coming around the corner.
“Kellin,” she says, and he turns.
His hand slips down my waist, wrapping around it so he
can put his fingers in my front pocket. My body tenses and then immediately relaxes.
Kellin nods at her. “Hey.”
Mia’s eyes move from Kellin to his hand and then up to my face. Her lips tilt downwards as her face sours.
“Who’s this?” she asks.
I look up at Kellin, and he smiles at me, leaning down and giving me a peck on the lips.
“My girlfriend, Reese,” he replies when he looks back over at her.
She shifts uncomfortably. “Oh, I didn’t realize you did that.”
“Did what?” he asks.
She bites her lip, shaking her head. “Nevermind.”
“Nice to meet you,” I say, smiling.
“Have we met?” she asks me, and I shrug.
“Not sure. I’m a freshman,” I reply.
Her eyebrows go up, and she looks back at Kellin.
“We should probably start heading to class,” Kellin says to me before nodding at Mia. “See you around.”
“Sure,” she says, and I can feel her eyes burning into my back as we turn.
“That was fun,” Kellin says, and when I look up at him, warmth spreads from my chest.
“I think you’re going to shock people as much as I am,” I reply with a smirk.
“Whatever do you mean?” Kellin asks just as we reach my English Comp class.
I lean back against the wall, and he places his hands on either side of my head. I reach up and put my hands around his neck, lacing my fingers together.
“Kellin Lake going steady with someone,” I say, and he leans closer. “What will you tell everyone?”
“That for the right person anyone can change,” he replies. His eyes drift to his watch on his wrist, and he heaves a sigh as he steps back. “You should get in there. I’ll see you in a few hours?”
“Thanks,” I reply. “I really appreciate your willingness to help with this.”
Kellin shakes his head before kissing my cheek. “It’s nothing.”
I watch him walk away, and he glances back at me, winking before disappearing down the stairs into the crowd of people. When I walk into the class, all eyes move to me, and Tyler’s eyebrows shoot up. I take my seat in front of him, and he pokes me in the back with his pencil. I turn and cock my head at him.
“What?” I ask with a sugar sweet smile.
Rebel Cause (Boys of Fallout Book 3) Page 7