Chapter 1 - Harper

It's not every day you see a pretty girl get bullied.

Well, I, Harper Dawson, the girl with a model-type body and long dark brown hair, is actually told to die every day.

It's usually some girl with straw-like hair and glasses that people make fun of, and that's true. It happens every day at our school. 

But with me, it's different. It mostly the girls who hate me because of my looks, but the jocks are trailing behind them so they can get some later. But if it weren't for those bitches, maybe they would just leave me alone, and I would have less people to beat up later.

But, of course, they didn't. They kicked me and slapped me until they thought I was totally done for. In the end, though, I usually served a tough punch at Kayla Hamilton. 

Right now I was cornered by Kayla and her group of sluttiesh friends who acted like they owned the school. They would have never been so popular if they didn't crave sexual desires and the dumbass football players. Banging with the jocks was the only way they were so familiar to everybody.

"Oh, look, it's the ugly whore." Kayla laughed, the nasal sound ripping out of her throat. Her friends followed her lead, cackling harshly as they stared at me.

"Excuse me, remind me who the whore is here?" I spat, sarcasm dripping off my tongue like ice cream on a sunny day. "I might not be a virgin, Kayla, but atleast I don't get horny 24/7."

Her friends tilted their heads as if they couldn't believe what I had just said. Kayla crossed her arms and smirked, venom dancing in her eyes.

"You're just jealous that I can get all the boys you can't."

I chuckled, pushing her underweight friends off me. I grabbed the collar of Kayla's tiny crop top, causing the other bitches to gasp, but they made no move in helping her. They knew they couldn't fight me; I was stronger than all of them combined.

"Listen to me, Kayla." I said ferociously, tightening my grip on her. "I have a boyfriend that I would never cheat on, unlike you. If the reason you hate me is because I can keep a boy, why don't you fucking try it out yourself?"

A loud cough came from behind us. I spun around to face my older brother, Matt, standing behind me with his hands shoved into his pockets. I felt my chest tightening, causing me to do the same with Kayla's shirt.

"Uh, Harper, I would really mind if you let go of my girlfriend." He said slowly, his words strained. I looked back at Kayla once more, sending her a sharp glare, before dropping her on the ground.

"You're lucky he was here to save you," I stated angrily before stomping away.

"Hey, Harp, wait up." I heard heavy footsteps behind me and I sighed sadly before turning around. I really didn't want to deal with this.

"Go, away, Matt. I don't want to talk to you anymore." The words came out much harsher than I expected, by he deserved it. He deserved to die after what he did to me.

"Please, Harp, I just-"

"Harper."

He sighed, running through a hand through his dark brown hair that was the exact same shade of mine. His features were sharp like mine, and even the stupidest person in the world could figure out that we were siblings. The only difference there was between us was our eyes - mine were blue, and his an entrancing shade of hazel.

Matt had been the kindest older brother that anyone could have. He'd stood by me my whole freshman year, before he signed up for football and got caught up in the group of jocks and sluts.

During my junior year, when the football players and Kayla harassed me, he would just laugh along, only stopping them when the beating got too harsh. He would have the tiniest hint of sympathy in his eyes as he watched them shove me into the lockers until I was bleeding, but that would slowly die away each day. This was the fourth time he had tried apologizing, and I wasn't having it. He could rot in hell for all I care.

"Harper, just listen to me for a second." Matt grabbed my arm, and I shrugged out of his weak grasp. The look on his face was of confusion and hurt, but I shook my head and walked away before he could say anything else that could stab me even more.

 The tears escaped me as I climbed into my car. I slammed the door shut, wet drops sliding down my cheeks as I grabbed my phone and texted my best friend, Allysa Moore.

No answer.

I went ahead and texted my boyfriend Logan. He didn't reply either, leaving me to go find him somewhere.

Logan Hearts was a sweet, caring mess who I'd been dating for almost a year now, after he asked me out in homeroom. We'd swore an oath that we'd be together forever, maybe even get married. I wasn't completely sure that would happen, but I wanted it to.

 I threw my car into drive, heading to Logan's house. He usually skipped class around this time of day, but he never got in trouble. Probably because his parents were rich and saved him from getting in trouble. 

The drive to Logan's house was short, since he lived close by. His neighborhood was like your dream fantasy - perfect white, shiny mansions that had amazingly huge backyards. It was completely and utterly perfect to have a boyfriend that wasn't so snobby and awful even when he lived like this.

I headed towards the front door, fishing his spare key that he had given to me out of my pocket. Unlocking the front door, I stepped inside, greeted by the warm smell of cinnamon and vanilla. The house was suprisingly quiet. Maybe he went somewhere?

Sighing, I was about to open the front door and leave when I heard a noise come from upstairs. I chuckled softly to myself, climbing the stairs. Logan was a really clumsly person. He had probably dropped something in his bedroom.

I had just reached the top when I heard the moans.

"Oh, Logan, oh..." The voice sounded so familiar, but I just couldn't place it. Could he seriously be cheating on me? 

Taking a deep breath to prepare myself for what I was about to see, I threw the door open without a second thought.

There, tangled in a mess of sheets on the bed, was Logan on top of my best friend. 

Their heads snapped up, their eyes widening at my presence. I stared, too hurt for anything to come out of my mouth, at their position on the bed and the mess of sheets. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I forbidded them to come out. I didn't want to break down in front of these liars.

"Oh." Allysa grabbed a blanket to cover her naked body, smirking. "I see the slut has found out about our affair, Logan."

I gritted my teeth. My best friend, of fucking three years, had been sleeping with my boyfriend. I stared her down angrily, biting my tongue to hold in the long list of words I was tempted to call her. I hesistantly switched my gaze to Logan.

"Is it because I wouldn't sleep with you?" I asked sharply. 

Logan didn't answer, instead turning his gaze back to Allysa. Leaning down, he kissed her fully on the lips, causing her to moan. I couldn't stand watching anymore.

"I hope you have a good life," I whispered, shutting the door behind me. That's when I finally let the tears fall out.

 

 

 

I stormed into my room as my phone chimed again, vibrating in my pocket. I didn't even look at it, knowing it would be like the other five messages. Calling me a whore. A slut. 

I looked at myself in my vanity, wiping my wet cheeks with my hands. My eyes were red and puffy from crying, ruining my olive complexion. My dark hair was a bird's nest tangled around my head. My clothes were rumpled, wrinkles visible all over them.

I sighed once again as my phone buzzed again, signaling that one more person knew about the rumors that Logan and Allysa were spreading about me. I slid my phone out of my pocket and set it on my nightstand, not bothering to read the text.

Allysa had started a rumor that I had cheated on Logan and she was trying to help him when they started growing feelings for each other. Since Logan was a popular, well-known football player, he had received all the sympathy that I hadn't.

I screamed, letting the sound rip from my throat. Why me? Did I really deserve this? Did I want to live like this?

I opened my closet door, finding my small suitcase and a stack of dollar bills I had saved from babysitting. I couldn't live like this any longer - not to mention feeling the stares when I went to school. It would only scar me more to see Logan and Allysa together.

I threw my clothes off their hangers, sending them flying into the suitcase. Stashing the money into the bottom, I grabbed anything that I would need to survive a life away from this place.

I couldn't live here anymore. This house was a haunted memory of the past, when my parents were still alive, when Matt was still the perfect brother, when I was important.

I angrily stormed around my room, searching through my belongings before finding it.

The picture of Logan and me, on our first date, kissing. It had been such a desirable and sweet kiss, something that had shocked me so much. If only I'd known what he would become.

I made sure that everything I needed was safely packed into my suitcase, keeping the picture tightly grasped in my fist. Trailing the suitcase downstairs, I passed my parents and Matt's room. The doors were both closed, closed forever. They would never open again.

I walked outside, glad to get some fresh air. I opened the trunk of my car and tossed the suitcase inside. I ran back inside the house and grabbed a lighter from one of the kitchen drawers. Sighing, I grabbed one of Matt's old T-shirts that was tossed, aimlessly, on the floor. I turned on the lighter and drew it close to the picture, letting the tip of the fire catch onto the Polaroid. The flames started swallowing the picture, and I let it drop onto the T-shirt. That would be my last memory of that asshole. He could rot in hell for all I cared.

Slamming the door behind me, I ran out of the house, knowing where I was headed.

 

 

 

The bright lights of Las Vegas nearly blinded me as I drove through the traffic, my window rolled down so I could feel the light, but humid, breeze. It had taken me most of the day to get here from Phoenix, and I was hoping to find a hotel to rest at. So far all I could see were tall buildings and drive-ins, plus a lot of palm trees.

I sighed at pulled over at MTO Cafe to do a quick go-through of my phone. There were a few text messages from unknown numbers but none from Matt. The asshole of a brother was probably to busy screwing some slut to even know his sister had most likely burned his old house down. 

 My eyes slowly started closing, my muscles aching to get out of the cramped drivers seat. I sighed and jumped out of the car, stretching my aching body. I grabbed my phone, sliding in into my pocket, and headed into the cafe for a snack. My stomach was grumbling from not eating lunch.

I stepped inside, greeted by the warm coffee and sugar smell that wafted from the front. A few heads turned to look my way, which I ignored, heading for the ordering desk. I hoped that caffeine and a snack would keep me awake for the next thirty minutes while I was looking for a hotel to sleep at.

The door chimed once again, and I turned around from where I was seated to see a group of teenage boys enter. They were all muscaler and built, some almost as tall as the door. A group of girls sitting in a booth in the back of the store immediately started giggling. I rolled my eyes at their stupidity.

But then again, I had been stupid enough to think that Logan Hearts was the right guy for me.

I bit my lip to keep the tears from coming out, trying to erase the awful memory of them rolled up in Logan's bed. I wiped my eyes when I heard my order and walked over to grab it.

 The cashier looked me up and down, causing me to shiver in disgust. I glared at him before he smirked and handed me my order. I settled down at my table and sipped my coffee, watching the group of boys. By the varsity jackets slung over their bodies, they probably went to Las Vegas High School. I turned away before they thought I was some type of creepy stalker.

After finishing my food, I tossed my garbage into a nearby trash can. I started my way out of the cafe, hearing the sounds of girls giggling and boys laughing. That had been me and Logan once. I groaned, causing the group of boys to turn my way. I quickly fished out my phone, pretending to be busy with it.

Still, I could see their eyes roam over my body and the quiet whispers that passed through their table. I looked over at them, hoping to steal another quick glance, when one of the boy's eyes connected with mine.

He had dark black hair that was shaggy but not too long, and dark blue eyes that went perfect with his tan skin. He saw me checking him out and smirked, causing me to blush a light shade of red. It didn't really stand out - thankfully - against my olive skin. 

 I gave him a sharp nod before walking towards my car, which was still blatantly parked in the lot. I sighed at the vibrations coming from my denim shorts pocket. I brushed my hair back and huffed before opening my car door.

I looked back at the cafe to see the dark-haired boy still watching me. His eyes roamed me over my body, and I smirked in satisfaction at the way his gaze stayed on my legs before flickering back to his friends. Two weeks ago I would've felt like a slut letting another guy look at me like that. Now I just didn't care.

I was going to forget Logan and Allysa. I was going to start a new life. A life which they couldn't ruin anymore.

Chapter 2- Xavier

 I stepped into the club, my eyes nearly going blind at the bright lights shining from above. I nudged my best friend, Josh Anderson, whose eyes were wandering to a group of girls dancing seductively together. He glanced at me and hissed, "What?"

I rolled my eyes. "Stop staring at those babes and tell me how you never get tired of this club."

Josh snorted. "How can you? Almost everybody in Las Vegas has gone here, dumbass. Just because you think you're some type of bad boy doesn't mean you can't party once in a while."

I shrugged and headed to the bar to grab a beer. Josh and his girlfriend Nicole had forced me to come me to this club party when all I wanted to do was hang around at home and mess around with some chick. Well, I could probably do the same thing here, seeing that all the girls were staring at me. They started to giggle and pull their dresses up even more, causing a smirk to spread on my face. 

Two hot girls managing the bar passed me a couple of beers and a tray of shots. I threw one to Josh, who caught it easily while trying to pry a blonde chick off of him. Nicole, being the jealous girlfriend, grabbed the blondie by her hair, and dropped her on the ground. Josh chuckled before wrapping his arm around her and they walked off to the dance floor.

My father, a rich -but dumb- man, owned more than half of the clubs in Las Vegas. I was only in high school, but he had told the workers that since I was a senior, I could drink and hang out here.

I sighed, looking at the people dancing and making out nearby, chugging down my beer. I looked at the people sitting on the stools near the bar and only saw dudes with girls on their laps, either kissing or fully making out. I stepped onto the dance floor, setting my beer on the counter. Walking over to a brown-haired girl, I put my hands on her waist and started grinding against her.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of dancing, I headed to the bar once again, hoping to get drunk and hop in bed with a girl. I asked for a bottle of tequila, which a woman named Shelly - who had tattoos and piercings running up and down her body - granted. She headed to the back to grab it, but instead of giving it to me, she tossed it to a younger girl in the back.

I watched as the girl - a really hot girl, to be exact - started my way, a small smirk on her lips. I let my gaze roam down her body, then her face, and it hit me.

This was the girl I had seen at the cafe yesterday. Same cheekbones, same long eyelashes, same perfect, curvy body. I could tell she realised this too because one of her eyebrows arched as she handed the bottle to me. 

"I know. I met you." She said out of nowhere, shocking me. I had always been the one to say something first, the one who started all the flirting. Even then, girls blushed under my gaze.

"You were the one at the cafe, right?" I said, flicking open the top of the tequila bottle.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 28.04.2016

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Widmung:
I dedicate this to Lillian, my BFF who I will love forever. Thank you so much for helping me create this book :)