s i x


BY THE FOLLOWING morning, everyone knew of the activities that occurred during the party. Especially the one involving Chase, myself and our locked lips. If looks could kill, I would be six feet under right now. Almost every girl in this school had put me on the top of their hit list as I walked through the courtyard; alone might I add. 


Vera has been the only female apart from the teachers to acknowledge me. I never expected to click with someone as much as I do with her. We're basically the same person with our sarcastic comments and inappropriate humour that gets us many uncomfortable stares from surrounding students. 


I felt the pressure of the intrusive gazes lift off me when I walked into my art class. Art was possibly the only thing I take more seriously than measuring how many cheesecakes I can devour in one sitting. I began to draw and paint when I was around five years old and the fridge was always covered in my spectacular finger paintings.


 It's the one part of my life where everything else simply becomes irrelevant and all I can focus on is the movement of my paintbrush against the blank canvas. 


I was mixing the different shades of paints on my plastic paint pallet when I pondered the idea of videoing it and posting it on social media because it was so satisfying to watch. When I finally had the right shade I was hoping for, I place my paints back into their respective containers and turn around to return to my easel. 


Except I wasn't anticipating the presence of a whole other human being behind me and my pallet flips back towards me. The other girl was holding a cup of water which splashed violently over the both of us. We were both surprised, obviously, and I stumbled back against the bench behind me. 


We bursted into laughter at the sight of each other, we were not only wet but our arms and legs were covered in blues, yellows and greens. Thankfully due to the paint stained aprons, nothing got on our uniforms because acrylic paint is a bitch to wash out. 


"Girls!" Ms Rowan, the art teachers, hisses at us through the otherwise silent classroom. We both sober our laughters instantly, "Go to the bathroom and clean yourselves."  


We do as she instructs, nodding our head obediently and quickly exiting the class. The second where out in the empty hallway, we begin laughing once more as we run to the nearest female bathroom. We burst inside and run the taps, scrubbing the quickly drying paint off our skin. 


"I'm Hayden, by the way." I smile at the petite redheaded girl through the reflection of the mirror. 


"I know." She glances up at me with a warm smile, "That whole school knows who you are." 


"Really?" I question, instantly dreading her answer as she nods. I sigh and roll my eyes, grabbing a few paper towels  and placing them under the cool running water. 


"I'm Penelope Owens." She introduces herself with a small shrug, "But I usually go by Penn." 


"That's a cute nickname. I don't have one really, I mean my mom calls me Hay sometimes and my asshole of a roommate calls me Jones." I explain, my tone turning annoyed very quickly at the end of my sentence. Even speaking about him puts me in a bad mood, how the hell am I going to get through the year. 


"Chase Everett." Penn hums amusingly, a small smile on her pink lips. 


"Do you know him?" I question as I wipe the paint from my thighs with the damp paper towels. I glance up at her as she shakes her head, her fiery red hair flipping back and forth with the movement. 


"No." She explains, "I'm really shy and even the thought of being in the same room as him sends my anxiety into overdrive." 


"Well then it's better I'm living with him instead of you right?" I snort as she giggles lightly, "And it's fine to be shy anyway. I was really shy when I was younger and I wouldn't speak to anyone but my mom." 


"What happened?" She inquires, generally interested. 


I shrug and throw the used paper towels into the plastic bin under the sinks, "I got super tired of everyone walking all over me and told them to fuck off. Bare in mind I was nine and had quickly developed the mouth of a sailor." 


Penelope laughs along as we turn off the taps and exit the bathroom, en route to our art class. 


"Hey, do you wanna sit with me at lunch?" I question suddenly as Penn glances up from the ground, slightly shocked, "You don't have to if you have other plans. It's just a friendly offer." 


"No, I'd really like that." She beams brightly and I realise she mustn't have many friends. Especially in Caldwell where everyone looks like they either talk shit behind your back or talk shit to your face. There is literally no in between. 


We return to our classroom and I sit back down at my easel smiling, proud of myself that I seemed normal enough to make yet another friend. 


♤♤♤♤


I had decided to skip my last period class which was ironically Good Behaviour. I was still slightly hungover from last night and had retreated to my dorm to read a juicy gossip tabloid a I swiped from the Administrations office and lie sprawled across my spacious, king single bed. 


My concentration of the latest Brangelina scandal is interrupted as the door swings open and Chase strolls in, dropping his bag to the ground and instantly kicking his shoes off. He glances over at me, a disgusted and annoyed expression flickering across his face. 


"I forgot you were here." He groans as he flops onto his unmade bed, "Shouldn't you be in class?" 


"Shouldn't you?" I question, my head rolling to the side on my pillow and narrowing my eyes on his relaxed frame. 


"Wow, I have a comedian as a roommate." Chase laughs to himself, leaning back on his hands as he perches on the edge of his bed. 


I shrug and return to my magazine, "That's just the type of person I am; fucking hilarious." 


Chase sighs and stands as I begin secretly hoping that he's going to leave and I'll be left alone in peaceful quiet. But instead he strides across the room, places both hands on either side of my head and looms over me. I lower the glossy tabloid and glance up into his hazel eyes. From this close, I could see the tiny specks of gold. 


"Are you also the type of person to kiss your roommate on the second night?" He questions with a cocky smirk. Shit I was hoping he was too drunk to remember that. 


I lift my chin, "It was a dare." 


"It didn't feel like a damn dare." Chas explains darkly, his jaw clenched incredibly tight and I felt the urge to run my fingers over it. Instead, I kept them latched to the pages of the magazine and my eyes locked on his. 


"What would you know?" I roll my eyes and scoff, trying to bring my magazine back up and signal that this conversation was now over. 


"If there's one thing I know," He lowers his face closer to mine and I gulp so hard I almost swallow my damn tonsil, "It's fucking kissing."


I open my mouth and then close it like a damn goldfish; lost for words. My gaze remains levelled with his, neither of us daring to look away. It's only when the door bursts open that Chase pulls away from me like he suddenly caught fire. 


"Ooh, am I interrupting something?" Noah questions, his tone eager and curious as he pauses mid step. He wriggles his eyebrows at me as I sit up, closing the magazine and Chase returns to his side of the room. 


"No. No you weren't." I shake my head and clear my throat awkwardly, "What's up?" 


"I was just wondering if you folded your laundry in the common room?" Noah question, throwing a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the common room. I frown in confusion as Noah continues, "Because you left your bra in there." 


"My what?" I question, double taking as I process Noah's words. Slowly my gaze rotates to Chase who was sitting on his bed and shrugs. My eyes widen with realisation, "You asshole!" 


I leap from my bed and race out into the hallway, sprinting down the stairs and almost slipping in my socks over the varnished wooden floors. There was a small crowd of guys in the room surrounding the pool table and they were laughing at something. 


I elbow my way through angrily and pause when my eyes land on one guy who was holding my lacy black bra up like a trophy while others took pictures of him. What are they? Fucking six? 


I reach up and snatch it out of his hands, "Seriously?" 


He shrugs nonchalantly as I sigh and shake my head, turning around quickly to get the hell out of there. 


"Hey why don't you leave your underwear as well next time, Hayden?" Someone scoffs as others laugh and I lift my middle finger over my shoulder as I march out towards the double doors of the common room. Noah follows me as Chase leans on the wall next to the exit, arms crossed over his broad chest and a cocky smirk stretched across his lips. 


"I know it was you, asswipe." I hiss at him as I stop in front of him, pointing a stern and accusing finger at his face. 


He shrugs, feinging innocnece, "And why on earth would I do such a thing, Jones?" 


I can't even be bothered replying to him at the moment. Instead, I shove past him and angrily make my way back to my dorm, stomping up the wooden stairs as loud as I could. 


Game on, Everett. Game fucking on. 



yay! this story is finally getting into swing. 


i'm so excited to show you guys what i have planned but you'll just have to wait ;). 


but trust me, it'll be worth it. 


are you guys liking the story so far? what's your opinion on hayden or chase or any other character. i would love to here from you. 

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