Dear Love, I Hate You (Easton High)

We fall backward onto the hood of the car, and I’m shocked by my own actions when I start playing with the buckle of his jeans. What. Are. You. Doing? He grunts at my initiative. I’m about to unbuckle his belt when the universe slams the brakes with a signal we couldn’t ignore if we tried. The loudest, most deafening noise rings throughout the garage.

We just set off the car alarm system.

Chill, Universe, I hear you.

The alarm is so aggressive it shouldn’t be long before Finn, and possibly the whole party, comes rushing into the garage to investigate. Breathless, Xavier and I unglue ourselves from each other, and my phone pings in my pocket.

It’s my mom again.

Mom: Fifteen minutes. Tick-tock.

Her previous threats to unleash the cops on Dia’s birthday party flash in my mind, and I plummet back down to earth. I can’t believe I’m about to leave Xav hanging, but I’d rather my best friend not get charged with underage drinking on her birthday.

“Shit, I have to—”

“Go,” Xavier cuts me off. “Find your sister before your mom rats us out to the sheriff.”

How much of that phone call did he hear?

I slide off the white car, whose alarm is still pounding in our ears, and dash to the door to swing it open. My feet halt at the threshold, stopping me from running away.

I feel like I should say something.

Acknowledge the most memorable kiss of my life. So, I cast a glance toward Xav, slapping on an apologetic smile and giving him a squeaky “Xavier, I… I’m so sorry.”

And I really am, for leaving him stranded like this.

But he seems to peg my apology as me regretting what just happened because the last thing he says before I storm out is…

“I’m not.”

Aveena

I’ve spent my entire life thinking I was worthy of the “big sister” title. Believed being someone’s big sister made me a bigger person in general.

I was the wise one, the experienced one, the one in charge of protecting my younger sibling from harm.

Then I walked in on Ashley making out with a shirtless basketball player in Finn’s bathtub, and suddenly… I didn’t feel so big anymore. I felt pretty damn small, actually.

She ended up in that bathtub, straddling Easton’s ultimate player, moaning in his ear while his mouth bruised her neck because she’s hurting.

Because I betrayed her.

I’m in no position to blame her for trying to forget.

We all need an escape sometimes.

I just wish she hadn’t found it in Theodore Cox’s mouth.

“Theo? Really?” I wince after five minutes of driving in utter silence. Ash hasn’t said a word since I practically manhandled her out of the bathtub and into my passenger seat. She might not care if Mom calls the cops on Dia’s party, but I do.

Heaving a childish laugh, she says, “Is that what his name is?”

“What would you have done if I hadn’t showed up, huh? Slept with him?” I hound her, the images of Theo shoving his tongue down her throat too fresh to erase.

I sure hope this was a onetime thing. Theo wouldn’t be caught dead in a serious relationship, and Ashley doesn’t need another heartbreaker wreaking havoc in her life.

She shrugs. “Probably.”