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.

for dead ends. “He seemed to react when Ryan got mad-like he was mad too, but he was probably just helping out his best

finally says, I honest to God thought she’d fallen asleep again. We both turn at the 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

baggy clothes, some tight jeans or a skirt,

locked in my room forever while Ryan

I’m going to beg your mom to let you stay at my house Sunday night. Things have been so hard.” She starts to fake tears. “After pop -pop

falsehood! You don’t even have a

name was

have been in drama,” I

her hair. “I

right?”

when she not only says yes, but asks if she can send flowers

not sure if I should be proud of

lot of arguing on my end when Sadie

applies

that’s what

My only mission?

Gauge Easton’s reaction.

comes up with about a dozen scenarios, all of them

school and getting out

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

going to

teeth. “You’re doing

doing this,” I repeat in a weak voice that lacks any sort

easy

Aren’t most things?

costume. I could be anyone !

of myself, a self that Easton hated, one Blake drunkenly flirted with, and

murder once he

walk through the

weirdest

Literally nobody stares.

walk down the middle of the hall as they silently appreciate your efforts. Nope, everything is

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

tail. Sadie went easy on the makeup, only adding a bit of powder, gloss, mascara, and eye liner, so all

I mean, sort of.

way

feel this need to grab the nearest freshman and pry the sweatshirt from their scrawny little

far, so good.” Sadie winks as we make our way over