You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Chapter 17 

Harper 

I don‘t know how long I stand outside after Ryan and Easton are gone. All I can do is breathe in and out, in and out, as I mentally replay 

HARTER 

“Don‘t waste your time, Ryan. A little costume doesn‘t hide the fact that it‘s Harper– it also can‘t hide the horrible personality either. Let‘s go shoot some hoops.” 

Maybe if we hadn‘t kissed twice or if he hadn‘t touched me and made me feel the things he did. But, the truth was, even with the costume, 

even with the darkness, that was all me, Harper, the same Harper that Easton just said couldn‘t hide. 

It‘s like he knew exactly what to say and how to say it to make me want to cry until all the tears made my heart feel better. 

“Hey.” The cafeteria doors slam behind Sadie. “What happened? Is Ryan super pissed? Do I need to go talk to him?” 

I remain quiet, not sure how to answer. 

“God, I‘m going to kill him! I refuse to crush on him anymore! You hear that, Ryan?” She starts yelling like he can actually hear her.  

“We‘re through, you little–” 

“Shhh.” I tug on her arm. “Can we just leave?” 

Her eyes widen in shock. “You want to cut class?” 

No, I want to cut Easton , then tell him how badly he‘s cut me, then kiss him and confess everything and wait for him to laugh until he cries. 

That sounds really fun. 

Why is high school the worst? 

I almost feel numb at this point as I shake my head. Somehow, my legs aren‘t taking me to my locker or to class – no, I‘m walking 

toward the gym where Ryan and Easton just

I doing and what sort of entity has taken over my body and somehow convinced my

cleaner fill the

laughing while Sadie, just behind me, quietly tries to grab my arm and pull me away like she knows

shrug her off. “T‘ll

to notice me. Ryan does first, his expression unreadable, and then there‘s Easton. Beautiful, gorgeous, godlike Easton,

before I can stop myself, my

crosses his arms, his crystal blue eyes laying into me with indignant

don‘t have the right to have feelings? To stand up for myself? To once and for all face him, despite making me want to hurl when I

going to be gone in a poof of smoke and even though

did you just say?” His voice is

wait for more

his lips. “Hey, Ryan, did your sister suddenly find out she has balls instead

chucks the basketball at Easton‘s junk.

and starts to laugh. “I was kidding, it‘s kind

that‘s my sister.” Ryan uses a tone that says he‘ll kick Easton‘s ass if he keeps talking about me in that kind of way.

could I possibly forget?” His eyes roam me up and down. “She‘s like you but with boobs and “– his

back of the head with his hand.

but he still has that stupid grin on his face. “Anything else you need

Sad twin? 

the sad

teeth ready to blast him with an insult. Something that will hurt him, but the bell rings, reminding us it‘s time to go

turn on my heel and grab Sadie‘s arm, marching out of the gym. Whatever, I said my peace, let him deal with his guilt and idiocy. And, maybe one day, I‘ll just announce to the world that it was my tits he was obsessed with, my pussy, as he called it, that

Me. Me. Me. 

horrified face when he discovers that the one girl he can‘t

struggles to keep up with

instead I pretend

her seat in front, and I grab my seat in back.

the classroom, stopping in front of the desk behind me, the last row. “Yo,

typical of a guy who complains about everything, including the temperature in the classrooms. “Why? This has