Unwritten Rules (Rules 1)

When did I-hate-the-East-Side Kass find time to talk to Will?

“What? Why? Where are we going?” I yawn, running a hand through my knotted morning hair. Thanks, Mother Nature, for the “she’ll look like a troll every morning” curse.

“Fake girlfriend hunting. Kendrick called his mom this morning, and guess what? She’s dying to meet her. Thanks for putting us in even more trouble than we thought possible, by the way.”

“Thanks for not telling me calling him was dangerous and forcing me to throw my new phone in the toilet.” I smile slyly. “We’re even, don’

t you think?”

Alex apologizes like the overly nice guy he is while Will completely ignores me and comments on the posters hung up on my wall.

“Okay, out. Both of you.” I get up and push them out of my bedroom, into the hall. I slam the door in their faces.

“You have fifteen minutes,” Will says from the other side.

Yesterday, I was on a “date” to seduce a guy into doing me a favor, and today I’m casting a fake girlfriend for my cousin who got beat up because of me.

Another regular day in my life.

“THANK YOU.” ALEX SMILES POLITELY AND shows the redhead the door. She smiles back, her eyes full of hope, and leaves like the ten other girls we’ve seen today. Alex’s living room has been operating as a casting room for hours now, and we’re not anywhere near close to finding a girl that’s right for the job.

“How many other girls do we have?” I ask, leaning back into my seat.

“Four,” Alex says. “The next one just texted me that she’s on her way.”

When the boys called up a bunch of girls they know and got repeatedly turned down, they had no choice but to opt for the last resort: the wonderful world of Craigslist. Unfortunately, they weren’t very specific, and the girls are either too old, too young, or terrible actresses.

“I need a break,” I tell them. They nod. I get up and step out onto Alex’s impressively big balcony that overlooks the pool, basketball hoop, garden, and waterfall. The billion family pictures scattered all around his house make it clear: Alex has it all.

Kind of makes you wonder what on earth pushed a kid who grew up in the definition of a “good family” to take part in illegal street fights. According to Kendrick, Alex’s entire life has been mapped out for him. He’s to be a lawyer like his father was before him and his grandfather was before that. I think back to what my step-father always says: The more you try to lock your kids into a cage, the harder they’ll try to get out. The more lines you draw, the more they’ll want to cross them.

I lean forward and rest my arms on the railing surrounding the wood-built balcony. I let my mind wander to the complete madness I’ve been thrown in during these past few weeks.

Kassidy’s prehistoric phone is officially registered to my number. It is as basic as it gets. It’s also very old. And not the “didn’t come out this year” kind of old—it’s the “you can’t even downloads apps on it because it can’t take the server updates anymore” kind of old.

It serves the main purpose of a phone, which is to call and text, but that’s all it does. Realizing I haven’t checked it all day, I turn it on and unlock it. I have seven unread messages.

Haze: Is this your way of telling me you don’t want to be friends anymore

Haze: But it was going so well

Haze: Hi

Haze: Bonjour

Haze: Hola

Haze: Aloha

Haze: I’m running out of languages to say hi which means you should probably answer soon.

I mentally curse when I realize I’m smiling. He’s still texting me? He’s right though. I never answered him. If he only knew why.

Winter: How obnoxious can you possibly be?

It only takes a couple of minutes for my phone to light up with a response.

Haze: 1. Very. 2. You answered ;)