You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Chapter 15

Harper

“I hate him! No, I loathe him. No, that’s not right either. I want to rip his spleen from his body and run it over with his precious car and then, then, I’m going to…” I scream into my pillow for the tenth time while a hungover Sadie pats me on the knee.

We’ve been sitting in my room on our phones, watching Netflix all day and I’m still pissed off.

I’m hurt.

I’m ready to start a war.

And I can’t even tell anyone why it bothers me so much. I mean, I could confide in Sadie but something about those stolen moments with Easton feel precious-like they’re mine-even though he’s so mean to me should get a medal for not killing him.

Why is he so horrible to me?

“I mean, what have I ever done to make him so angry?” I throw my hands up. “So what, I’m Ryan’s twin, is that a crime? I’m not at popular so that makes me not worthy of his attention? I don’t get it, Sadie. It’s one thing to ignore someone completely, but now it’s

like he’s going out of his way to be mean!”

“Huh?” Sadie jerks awake and I glare at her. “I’m so sorry. It’s just, you’ve been talking about this off and on for the last three hours and I got sleepy.”

“Help me fix this,” I say. “Please.”

“Well,” she yawns behind her hand, “you could try making him

jealous.”

“Oh yeah, great idea Sadie, let me just stroll up to school in my brand new car with my model boyfriend and perfect designer body and make the most popular boy in school jealous. Where do I sign

up?”

She falls back against my bed sighing

I join her and stare up at the ceiling. “It’s hopeless.”

“It’s never hopeless, let’s just think about this from his point of view.. he started being mean after the bikini issue, right?”

I should tell her.

But would it matter? And how would that conversation even go?

Guess what, he actually does want me, but only in the dark. Gee, maybe we can be secret boyfriend/girlfriend?

Great start, Harper. Perfect.

front of my face and start searching for dead ends. “He seemed

same time, our cheeks pressed against the pillows. Her brown eyes are super blood shot, her face splotchy. “What harm would it do to, oh I don’t know, just attempt to put yourself together a bit for school on Monday? You know,

baggy clothes, some tight jeans or a skirt, add some

while Ryan tells my parents?” I finish for

you stay at my house Sunday night. Things have been so hard.” She starts to fake tears. “After pop -pop died, I’ve

a complete falsehood! You don’t even

name was

should have been in drama,” I

tosses her

right?”

is going to see right through it, but I’m shocked when she not only says yes, but asks if she can send flowers in pop- pop’s

not sure if I should be proud

arguing on my end when Sadie shows me my

see myself after she applies some light

that’s what it

My only mission?

Gauge Easton’s reaction.

that can happen, but every single time my brain comes up with about a dozen scenarios, all of

and getting out of

nearly make a run for it, but Sadie has a death

going to leave

clenches her teeth. “You’re doing

a weak voice

easy

Aren’t most things?

a costume. I could be anyone ! wanted to be, anyone but boring, smart,

walking into school as a new version of myself, a self that Easton hated, one Blake drunkenly

murder once he

through the main

weirdest

Literally nobody stares.

part and let you walk down the middle of the hall as they silently appreciate your

good but not so good that it brought too much attention. I’m wearing black, ripped skinny jeans, matching

an inch of skin showing and my glossy, brown hair is pulled into a high pony tail. Sadie went easy on the makeup, only adding a bit of powder, gloss, mascara, and eye liner, so

I mean, sort of.

still way

and pry the sweatshirt from their scrawny little bodies

far, so good.” Sadie winks as we make