Unwritten Rules (Rules 1)

“WHAT ABOUT THESE?” KASS INTERRUPTS THE foreign thoughts spinning around in my head for the billionth time today. I look at the heels she’s holding up in front of my eyes.

“I tried walking in heels once. I made a new friend—the floor.”

She doesn’t laugh, instead she looks at me sharply.

“Think of how great you’d look.”

“Maybe, but my feet would never forgive me. I tried yesterday at the party. It’s not worth it.”

I glance around the crowded mall and wonder why on earth I let her convince me to go shopping. I guess I needed something to take my mind off the whole Haze mess. Shortly after Kendrick sent him that very kind text message, Kassidy walked into the house with a cheeky smile on her face. Kendrick left almost immediately after. I followed him outside to beg him not to do anything he might regret. He nodded briefly before taking off.

Do I feel better? Not even a little bit.

I grimace at the pain emanating from my neck and adjust the silk scarf I’m wearing. I am not risking Kassidy seeing the handprints on my skin and losing her mind, too.

I tried to get her to tell me where she was all night, but she sticks to her obviously false story which is that she was at a friend’s. She seems lighter than usual, happier, less controlling, less moody.

Less Kass.

It’s a boy. It’s got to be.

After a good thirty minutes, I end up convincing her that she’s bought enough clothes for the day, although I practically have to drag her out of the mall. Resting my head against the car window, I watch the passing houses in the rearview mirror. We come to an abrupt stop, and Kassidy sighs, stretching her neck in an attempt to see the reason behind the blocked circulation. That’s when she hits me with the one sentence I did not want to hear.

“So… About the party.”

“What about it?”

“Rumor has it you slept at you know who’s?”

I chortle. “You can say his name. He’s not Voldemort.”

“Haze,” she says, anxiously glancing around as if she fears he’s going to come out of one of the cars next to us in traffic.

“Yeah. I did.”

But it’s actually a funny story, you see? My life was in danger, and that’s why Mr. I’m-too-handsome-to-be-human slash don’t-look-me-in-the-eyes had to come to my rescue. Not to mention that his psycho brother ended up attacking me.

Ah, memories.

“What’s the deal between you two, Winter? He’s dangerous.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” I mutter under my breath.

“I’m serious. You need to be careful. I can’t believe you let him take you to his house. You need to stay away from him.”

“I’m trying to.”

“Oh, really? Is that why you keep hanging out with Kendrick and his trouble-magnet friends? They’re involved in… some stuff.”

I pretend to be surprised when in fact, I already know exactly what she’s talking about.

“Stuff?”

“Stuff.” She makes it clear she is not willing to discuss this any further. “Do you know what happened yesterday? I was already gone, but I heard it caused a panic.”

I look down. “Cops.”

I hate lying to her.