Ugly girl

Chapter 3

I walk through the door of my new home after having to catch the bus. The bus. Can you believe it? I’ve gone from millionaire mobster princess to catching public transport. This would have never happened in my old life, though aunt Shaylee and uncle Ben have promised that my own car will be coming soon.

I shouldn’t complain. They didn’t need to take us in and on such short notice, but they have and their whole lives are being turned upside down. We were lucky that we found them in the first place.

Blake and I haven’t exactly had an easy life. The first few years, we started just like everyone else and it quickly went south. Our lives were filled with all sorts of horrors that I’m so damn pleased Blake wasn’t old enough to remember. Me on the other hand, I relive the memories nearly every night despite thirteen years having passed.

Shit went even further south when we ended up with a new family. How we got there wasn’t exactly done legally and our brand-new ‘parents’…well, they’re the kind of people who should be rotting behind bars until the day they die.

I walk through to my bedroom that not a week ago used to be Shaylee’s home gym and dump my bag on my bed. I don’t know how I made it through the day without causing any more trouble, yet here I am. Maybe it’s for Blake’s sake that I kept my mouth shut or maybe I simply didn’t intercept any more dickheads.

Slade made his case known and I guess no one else is willing to step in. I’ve been declared his enemy and anyone else attempting to take me down is classified as a traitor to Slade’s desires. He wants to be the one to scare me off so I guess that means I’m safe from the rest of the morons at Aston Creek High.

Blake waltzes down the hallway behind me and braces his hands against the top of my door frame, reminding me just how tall he’s gotten over the past six months. He’s shot up and for the past few years we’ve always met eye to eye, but now, he looms over me like some kind of giant. I wonder if our dad was tall like him or if he gets it from our mother’s side.

“You got any plans for tonight?” he asks, leaning into my room.

I shake my head as I open my closet doors and remember that I don’t have an endless supply of clothes. “Nah, I was just going to chill here. It’s not like I’ve got friends to hang out with.”

“Yeah, well whose fault is that?” he chuckles to himself. “Are you alright here if I go and chill with the boys?”

“What boys?”

Blake rolls his eyes. “The boys on the team.”

I stop what I’m doing and turn to face the giant hovering in my doorway. “Will Slade and Damian be there? You need to be careful around those guys. They’ll try and use you to get to me.”

“I don’t know,” he groans, always hating being questioned. “Maybe they’ll be there, maybe they won’t. It’s not like I’m heading over there to suck their dicks and be their little errand boy. I’m not fucking stupid, Sky. You come first, I’d never betray you to someone who’s out to hurt you.”

“I know you’re not stupid, but neither are they. If there’s something they can exploit, then don’t doubt that they will.”

“Okay, I’ll be careful,” he promises, dropping his hands and striding into my room. He flops down onto the end of my bed and instantly lays down, snuggling into the comfort of my bed. Guilt pours through me. Shaylee and Ben didn’t get time to clear their second bedroom so Blake has been sleeping on the couch ever since we got here.

I insisted that Blake should take my room and I take the couch, but he likes me to feel safe, to feel protected, and demanded that I take the room as the door comes fully equipped with a lock. Hopefully, this is the kind of home where I’ll learn not to need a lock at night, but old habits die hard. I’ve never been so grateful to my little brother; he’s sacrificed everything for me. I just wish there was some way I could pay him back.

“You’ll be alright though?” he mumbles into my pillow as he squishes it under his head. “You know, here on your own.”

“Dude, when did you become my big brother? I’m fine. I’m the one who’s supposed to be looking out for you.”

Blake smothers a chuckle. “Never going to happen. I like looking out for you too much. Besides, you wouldn’t be able to look out for me even if you wanted to. I’m a free spirit, Sky. You can’t rein this in.”

I grumble under my breath and launch a cushion across the room, laughing as it smacks him in the face. “You’re a dirty turdy,” I tell him. “Where are you going anyway?”

“One of the guy’s places. I think someone said it was Fischer’s place, but I could be wrong. I think I learned too many names at once. They’re all starting to smoosh together.”

“Tell me about it,” I murmur. “Just don’t be home too late. You have practice tomorrow.”

“Are you seriously putting a curfew on me?”

“Damn straight I am. You’re my responsibility whether you like it or not. 10 pm on school nights, 1 am Friday night and on Saturday night I don’t really care as long as you check in and let me know you’re still alive. Oh, and please don’t go anywhere without taking protection with you. If you’re going to keep fucking around all the time, I want you to be safe.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Blake mutters darkly, sitting up on my bed.

I shake my head. “I’m serious. I know you think you’re some kind of adult, but you’re only sixteen. You have too much ahead of you to screw it all up now. I want you to make it big and it’s not going to happen unless you learn a bit of self-discipline.”

Blake lets out a frustrated huff as we hear the front door open. “You’re lucky I love you.”

“And you’re lucky I haven’t busted your balls about your new girlfriend,” I tell him, narrowing my eyes. “She’s not going to be there tonight, is she?”

Blake shrugs as a cheesy, excited grin rips across his face. “Probably not, but I might see what she’s doing.”

“Goodluck,” I mutter under my breath, earning myself a confused stare from my little brother, silently demanding I explain myself. “Maze mentioned that she was a big clinger. She’s probably the type to steal a used rubber and impregnate herself.”

His face drops as horror seeps into his eyes. “You’re lying.”

“Nope. Maze said so herself. What you want to do with that information is your business.”

“Fuck. I don’t want no clinger.”

“Then fuck around with someone else, better yet, don’t fuck around at all.”

“What about Maze?” Blake questions as a devilish grin slowly spreads across his face. “Did you get her number today?”

“Don’t even think about it,” I warn him. “She’s the only person on my side at this damn school. Don’t fuck that up for me because of your sick need to constantly get your dick wet.”

“Okaaaay,” Shaylee’s disturbed groan comes from the door of my bedroom. “I’m going to do my damn hardest to pretend that I didn’t just hear that.”

Blake cringes and throws a sharp glare at me for always needing to run my mouth. He gets up off my bed and stalks toward the door. “Well, this just got too awkward for me. I’m out.”

Blake stalks past Shaylee and she laughs at his back before bringing her questioning gaze back to me. “Where’s he going?”

“Chilling with some of the boys on his team, but don’t worry. I gave him a curfew. He’ll be home by ten.”

Shaylee raises a brow, looking doubtful. “Will he really?”

I nod. “Yeah. Blake might be a brat at times, but he’s respectful and doesn’t like me to worry. He’ll be here, though he might push the boundary by fifteen minutes.”