“None.”
Before he can answer, I walk over to Violet and kick her with the edge of my shoe.
“Violet, wake up. We’re in Mischa’s room.”
She stirs and opens her eyes slightly. “How did we get in here?”
“We just got home, remember? We need to get in your room before your parents wake.”
I bend down and throw her arm over my shoulder. She’s smaller than me by almost five inches and at least four sizes. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and beautiful. All the things guys go crazy for.
“You guys wanna go to a party tomorrow night?” Mischa says, hopping off the bed and sprinting across the room towards me.
“Yes!” Violet’s eyes pop open and she smiles as if she’s been awake for hours and not recently passed out.
“Whoa!” I cry out.
“Shhh!” She sprays my face with the smallest bit of spit, and I wipe it away with a look of disgust.
“Say it, don’t spray it.”
Her eyes are glassy but she still manages to slur out some words. “Let’s go.”
“You guys wanna go to another party tomorrow night?” Mischa sticks out his bottom lip causing the cutest dimple to show in his left cheek. I can’t say no to that face. His eyes sparkle with amusement, as if he knows exactly what he’s doing to me.
“Mischa…I have a date tomorrow night.”
“With who? Some little boy? This will be more fun.”
Violet joins in with him by placing her arms in front of her in a pleading pose. “Is it with that jerk Aaron? Why do you put up with him?”
With an exasperated sigh, I drop my shoulders. “Because my dad won’t let me date unless he picks out the guy, you know this, Vi.”
“Well he picks entitled assholes. Did you know that?”
Mischa spins around and falls back on his bed. “Well, bring him along.”
“We’ll see.” There’s no way I’m putting Aaron and Mischa in the same car. Too much male testosterone.
Violet and I sneak back to her bedroom, locking the door behind us. After flopping down on her twin-size mattress, I curl up next to her and close my eyes.
“Cody?”
I can’t open my eyes. Sleep is so close. “Huh?”
“Do you wanna sleep with my brother?”
I’m not sure what to tell her. She knows I’ve had a little bit of a crush on him since middle school, but she doesn’t know the extent.
“Why do you ask?”
“You two were flirting back there.”
“I thought you were asleep,” I accuse. “Why? Would you be mad?”
She doesn’t answer right away. “No, but it would be weird.”
Don’t worry. I’m not about to become another notch on his bedpost. I don’t know why everyone thinks he’s so hot.” Lies, all lies. I know exactly why all the girls love him.
“I know, right?” She makes a gagging noise.
“He’s average.” Maybe I’m trying to convince myself more than convince her. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter. And with those last words, I roll over and try and savor the one solid hour of sleep I’ll probably get.
CHAPTER TWO
As expected, I’m awoken a few hours later by Tom Sawyer blasting through the speakers of Violet’s father’s record player. I hold a cotton pillow over my head but it does little to block the bass vibrating the small house.
“I hate your parents,” I mumble. Longing for the comfort of my own bed and my own room, I roll off the bed.
Violet doesn’t stir; she’s used to sleeping over the music. I creep down the hallway, careful not to run into Violet’s mother. The entire house smells like pot, which means both parents are up. I sneak through the hallway, but check the living room before I walk past. There’s a stranger in there with Violet’s dad who is weighing something out on a digital scale. When I’m certain no one is looking, I hurry past through the hallway littered with clothes and empty beer bottles. I’m almost in the safety of the bathroom when Violet’s mother steps out of her bedroom across the hallway.
“Cody! Don’t you think that it’s about time? I always swore it would be, but I don’t know where to go.”
My mouth is open slightly, unsure of what to say, so I smile and nod. Violet’s mother is slightly schizophrenic. I’ve caught her talking crazy to herself on more than one occasion. I still can’t get used to being in the same room with her. I don’t know if she’s talking to me or herself.
Once I’m in the bathroom, I pull off my clothes and start the shower. In my bra and undies, I pull my toothbrush from one of the drawers and squeeze a bit of toothpaste on it.
Midbrush, the bathroom door flies open and Mischa comes barreling in with only a pair of boxers on.
“Get out, I gotta piss.”
I should move, but I’m in such a state of shock at Mischa opening the door I could of swore I locked, I can’t.
“Whatever.” He lifts the toilet seat and as the sound of him peeing fills the room, I quickly spit out the toothpaste and rinse my mouth out. I want to peek. I should peek, but I don’t. Chicken shit. I throw my shirt back on before Mischa can sneak a peek.
“How did you open that door?”
“There’s only one bathroom in this house. Better believe I can get in whenever I feel like it. Though I figured Violet was in the shower. Sorry, but it was an emergency.”
I cross my hands in front of my chest. “You’re a boy. Go pee outside.”
“Yeah right, and give everyone in Betty a free view of the goods?
“Get out!”
“Yes, mam.” He gives a friendly salute, but his eyes still travel over my curves.
“Now!”
He slips out the door, and I relock it behind him. Afraid someone else might be able to sneak in, I jump into the shower with my underwear still on. It’s hard to wash with the fabric covering me, but somehow I manage to clean the necessary parts. I step out, and with the towel around me, shimmy out of my bra and panties. Safely back in Violet’s room, I get dressed.
“Did you know your brother can get into the bathroom while it’s locked?” I pull my shirt over my head.
She stretches her hands over her head, still half asleep. “Yeah, he does that sometimes. Sorry. Did he see anything he wasn’t supposed too?”
“Well he caught me in my underwear.”
“Want me to beat him up?”
“It’s okay.”
She snickers and sits up in bed. “Speaking of peepshows, wasn’t last night wonderful?”
“I suppose for you,” I mumble. I throw on a maxi dress and pull my brown wet hair into a bun on top of my head.
She spent the entire night making out with some random guy, and I spent most of the night watching over her to make sure she didn’t get raped by some random guy.
“I’ll drop by after dinner. See you later.”
I swing my bag over my shoulder and blow her an air kiss before making my way out into her living room.
“Leaving so soon, Cody?” her dad asks. He’s hunched over the coffee table that’s covered in empty sandwich bags. I can only imagine what’s he’s gonna fill them with.
“Yup, my parents just called.”
He motions toward the chair so I sit for a minute. He talks a bit more about something I don’t care about. I pretend to be interested, but instead my thoughts keep drifting toward how much Mischa and his father look alike. Same tall build, long hair, beautiful eyes, but (insert nickname) has not aged well. Drinking, drugs, and stress will do that to you. His eyes are that same clear sea green as Mischa’s. It’s no secret that Mr. Cromwell broke a few hearts in his time, and Mischa is well on his way to breaking his father’s record.
“Here’s some new product. Why don’t you try it and let me know what you think?” Mr. Cromwell hands me a baggie of pot.
“Thanks,” I say with a wide grin. Best thing about being friends with a Cromwell. Easy and free access to drugs.
As the bag is transferred to m
y hand, a pounding shakes the house as a bunch of men in black outfits and and large guns stream in through the front and back doors. Mr. Cromwell (nickname) scrambles to grab his drugs from the coffee table while I fall to the ground in a panic. I squeeze my eyes shut, scared that if I open them I might see someone get shot.
Bang!
Pop!
I whimper as the guns go off, so close that my ears begin a numb ringing. Gathering all the bravery in me, I open my eyes expecting to see a bloodied mess. One of the cops points a riffle at my head and begins yelling something incoherent.
“I don’t live here!” I scream repeatedly. “I don’t live here!”
The cop answers by swinging the gun across my temple, and a flash of light explodes across my vision before I hit the ground.
“Don’t fucking touch her! She’s just a kid!” Strong arms, which I immediately recognize as Mischa’s wrap around my waist and pull me from the ground.
“Let me see, baby.” He forces me to look at him as he examines my throbbing head. Blood trickles down into my eye, which he wipes away with the sleeve of his shirt.
“I’m so sorry, Cody. My stupid messed up family. I’m so sorry.” His green eyes are full of remorse as he turns back to the cop and starts yelling. I can faintly hear the cop fighting back with him, but my head hurts too much too stand. Leaning against the wall, I watch as the scene unfolds. Past the cops, past the living room, all I can see is the blood soaked kitchen floor.
To The Steadfast releases on August 31st.
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Books by Briana Gaitan
Hollywood Timelines series
#.5 Bash
#1 The Last Thing
#1.5 Maria
#2 The One Thing
#2.5 Just Caspian
Ethereal Underground Series
Ethereal Underground
Mark of Deceit
Falling
Haven and the Hunter
Finding Flynn Page 19