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

the pillows. Her brown eyes are super blood shot, her face splotchy. “What harm would it do to, oh I

jeans or a

locked in my room forever while Ryan tells my parents?” I

girl.” She grins. “You just leave that to me.” She stumbles out of bed and goes to the door. “Be right back, I’m going to beg your mom to let you stay at my house Sunday night.

falsehood! You don’t

was Frank.” She

should have been in drama,”

tosses her

right?”

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

I should be proud of

morning comes soon enough and after a lot of arguing on my end when Sadie

she applies some light makeup,

least that’s what

My only mission?

Gauge Easton’s reaction.

brain comes up with

we’re at school and getting out of

but Sadie

likely going to leave a

teeth. “You’re

I repeat in a weak voice that lacks any sort of

was easy

Aren’t most things?

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

I’m walking into school as a new version of myself, a self that Easton hated, one Blake drunkenly flirted with, and one

would murder once he

through the

weirdest thing

Literally nobody stares.

movies where the makeover happens and everyone starts to clap or people part and let you walk down the middle of the hall as they silently appreciate your efforts. Nope,

to look good but not so good that it brought too much attention. I’m wearing black,

vintage crop top that leaves about 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 all in all I feel like a refreshed version

I mean, sort of.

way

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

Sadie winks as we