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Tiana →

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"There you are!" Mae found me in the kitchen where I was pouring myself a drink with a blank look on my face. "Whoa, J... how much have you drank?"

My shoulders sagged as I looked at her. "Not much. Don't worry, I'm still... myself."

"We were waiting for you to come back, but everyone kinda scrambled off. Hey, who's Nico by the way?"

I groaned, rolling my eyes. "He's no one. Just my friend from gym. The only reason I'm still here is because of Kari. We came together, and I want her to have some time with Sage before we go."

"You might have to stay the night. Both of you had alcohol, and I've no doubt she's gonna be blackout drunk before the night ends."

I shrugged. "Well there's one good thing in all this. Tiana likes you back." I nudged her with a tight smile and she clasped her hands.

"Speaking of Tiana... I promised to meet up with her. Will you be okay? I can stay if you want me to."

I shook my head. "Of course not, go have fun."

Mae squealed, pecked my cheek, and strutted away. I picked up my glass but before I could drink it, I felt a touch on my shoulder so I turned around. I'd have dropped the cup were it not for my tight grip.

"Kris?" The smile on his face was captivating as usual, but then he leaned in and I could smell his mesmerizing scent wafting up my nose.

"Mind if we go somewhere private?"

"Um, o-okay." I couldn't say no, obviously. He gently took my cup out of my hand, placing it atop the counter before taking my hand. I couldn't breathe at that action. He was holding my hand! His was so soft, warm and gentle. So this was what it was like to be held by him. It was more than I dreamed it'd be.

I followed him upstairs, and he led me like he had the map of the entire house etched into his mind. He probably did. We walked into a big room that was much like a home library, and he shut the door before switching on some dim lights. At this point, my heart was pounding in anticipation of what was he was planning to talk about.

"What's this about?" I questioned.

"I just thought you might wanna talk. About... everything."

I stumbled for a response before I settled for a pathetic shrug. "N-no, nothing really."

"Okay. Then I'll speak." He took a step closer to me, and I heard him take a breath. "I shouldn't have been mad about something so trivial. I mean, I didn't really think setting me up was the right thing to do-"

"I'm sorry about that. I wasn't trying to hurt you, I-I wanted to expose Corbyn's true colors."

Kris raised his eyebrows in concern. "Why, Jaden?" He didn't seem curious for the answer. In fact, his tone implied that he knew already; he just wanted to hear it from my mouth. But how could I bring myself to spill the truth, to confess that I wanted them to break up so that I'd have a chance?

I turned my head away, folding my arms in refusal to give him a reason. "I'm sorry, Kris. Please, can't my apology be enough?"

"Play a game with me," he said, moving to sit on a couch. My eyes followed him before my feet did, then I sat next to him.

"What game?"

"A game of honesty. I ask you a question, you answer with the truth. You ask me a question, and I return the favor."

"And if I absolutely can't answer?" Something told me that this wouldn't end very well, just like the game we played in the hot tub.

"Then you don't have to. What do you say?"

Again, I couldn't say no to him, so I promptly agreed. "But I go first," I decided. "Why did you stick up for me in front of everybody the way you did?"

"I said I'd defend you. A promise is a promise, and I got to hear you play the violin... you're amazing. Better than I thought you'd be."

I blushed at his compliment. "Thank you."

He smiled happily, facing me fully and resting his arm against the head of the sofa. "Okay. I was admittedly surprised when you said Nico was your crush. I'm assuming he's the guy from our gym class, the one that always talks about the devil..."

We laughed at that then he sighed. "Is it true? He's really your crush?"

Yup, I was right. Not gonna end well. More than anything, I wanted Kris to trust me and that started by being honest. So... here goes nothing.

"That wasn't true. I just couldn't say it in front of everyone."

Kris nodded. "No, I get that. I kind of lied too. I mean, sure, Corbyn was my crush before we ever dated but I've got another." Our eyes met directly, and his seemed to search mine. "I feel guilty. Like I'm somehow cheating on him. I'm trying to fight my crush but it's a losing battle. What's worse..." he lowered his voice. "I'm okay with losing."

I had to completely ignore the fact that he admitted to having another crush, and I tried to calm my hopeful heart. Was it just me or did it become very tense in here? "Are you two okay?" I queried, squinting at him. "Your relationship seems strained."

"He's so unhappy lately. I know he's not the optimist, but something's really going on. He won't tell me, but I feel like he's taking it out on people. Corbyn's not this evil monster that everyone says he is, and I'd know. Nobody believes me."

"Well, it's kinda hard to believe he's a good person when all he does is terrorize students." I didn't mean to sound so harsh because Corbyn's behavior was clearly troubling Kris.

"I understand, I really do. Absolutely nothing justifies being mean to people. I just think that there's a real reason behind it, and that's better than him doing it for kicks. Maybe if I can find out what's going on... I can get him back."

"Get him back... you mean the boy you fell in love with," I inferred.

"No." Kris shook his head. "I mean the boy who was my dear friend."

I slowly nodded. "It's your turn to ask a question."

"Right. About the play... are you excited? You got the part you auditioned for, over my boyfriend no less. I don't think that's ever happened before."

I chuckled, my cheeks heating up yet again. "Rehearsal starts Tuesday and I honestly don't know what to expect. Is it still a musical?"

"A very mild, minor musical. Maybe two or three songs in the entire thing, but it's not a very long play. What're you looking forward to the most?"

The kiss. The goddamned kiss. It was one of the two reasons I auditioned in the first place, with the second being that the lead was my longtime crush. "I guess I just hope I remember my lines."

He laughed, and it was a beautiful sound. I smiled just listening to it.

"You know, there'll be multiple kissing scenes," he brought up. I gulped, nodding.

"I-I know."

"How do you feel about that?"

I bit my bottom lip, trying to think of a proper response. "I've never been kissed. A part of me really wants my first one to be real, you know?"

"Then... Hopefully, whoever your true crush is will give you your first kiss before our scene comes."

"Yeah... hopefully," I quietly agreed. I caught him staring at me again, but instead of looking away as he did before, he just sent me a small, gentle smile.

~Corbyn's POV~

I'd expected Kris was inside of my room when I saw a dim flood of light underneath my door. I opened it and walked in, only to catch someone who definitely wasn't my boyfriend.

It was him again, the obnoxious demon who seemed to appear everywhere that I turned, and this was the last straw.

He was holding my journal, his head buried in it as he rapidly read the words. I slammed my door shut, fixing the meanest glare I could muster, which wasn't difficult at all.

"What... the... hell are you doing in my room?!" I yelled, approaching him furiously. The fact that he didn't even look like he'd been caught red handed pissed me off further. Instead, he lowered my journal and lifted his lips into a smug, conceited smile.

"Really interesting stories you've written in here. Man, the details."

I balled up my fists. "How did you get past my gates let alone into my room!" I demanded.

"Does it matter?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "But, fine, if you really must know. I warned you. There's not much you can't do as long as you've got Lucifer on your side-in fact, you'd be surprised. He has quite a lot to say about you."

"You are delusional."

"That's fine with me." He shut my journal and waved it. "But this right here... it holds some juicy information that I can't wait to share to the world. And to think I believed you only wrote poems. Hey, look on the bright side, you're likely to go viral being the mayor's son and all."

"Look, you can't!" I stopped him. He frowned, directing an impassive stare to me.

"Of course I can. I do whatever the hell I want. I get whatever the hell I want."

"Y-you don't know what being me is like!" I blurted. "I have a dad who..." I swallowed, deciding not to finish that statement. "My mom can't even look me in the eyes without crumbling into pieces. My face alone traumatizes her. My sister is the devil incarnate and as much as we get along, she is never afraid to bring it up to make me feel worthless. And don't you think I know I'm worthless? I could say that I'm better than everyone, as I often do, but the reality is everyone is better than me." Using my acting skills, I managed to quickly bring tears to my eyes.

"So why the hell don't you see a therapist instead of hurting people who did nothing to you? It doesn't matter. I think everyone would love to know all about your dirty little secrets." He waved my journal again with a smirk.

"Says the one preaching about not hurting people."

"Never said I was the nicest, Starr. I'm not exactly an angel of the lord here, descended from the mighty heavens to serve and protect you. I'm a sinner who's going to hell, so I might as well embrace it while on earth."

"Fine. Go ahead; I don't care what you do with the information in there."

"I think you do. I think you'd care if the entire school knew everything."

I walked up to him, a sinister smile on my face. "You care about Jaden, don't you? I know you two are close friends."

"He has nothing to do with this."

I faked a pout. "Oh but he does, and he will. Because if you ever hurt me, I will quite literally invent ways to hurt him tenfold. Don't underestimate me because I'm a thousand times worse than you'd imagine. You might be a meaningless agent of Lucifer or whatever you call yourself, but I'll be the devil himself when necessary and you know it."

He swallowed and hesitantly gave me back my journal. "Is it true? What you wrote in there?"

I flung the book across my room. "Not a word. Think of that journal as... a decoy, in one sense of the word. I mean, come on. You really think I'd be so stupid as to put my darkest secrets in a useless book that anybody can find?"

"Yes," he deadpanned.

"Well I didn't. I'm not that sentimental. My secrets are mine to bear alone." I held up a finger as he tried to walk away, stopping him. "Maybe it's just me, but... I have an inkling you really do like Jaden despite what you claim. Especially if you're willing to keep silent about my useless journal."

"I don't like anybody," he plainly stated. "It kinda goes against my nature."

"You can cut the sociopathic crap. You're nothing close to one and I've met a few. Look, my boyfriend seems to find Jaden appealing for whatever reasons, and I can't tolerate that. I'm just making an assumption here, but you probably don't like the attention Jaden is receiving from someone other than you."

"What the hell are you getting at?"

I played with the necklace around my neck and smirked. "You and I. I can make Kris jealous, you can make Jaden jealous. Although I doubt you can since he's head over heels for my boyfriend, but... worth a shot right?"

"For the last time, I don't like Jaden." He folded his arms. "Actually, I think I like you."

He might've expected that to throw me off, but it only made me smile more. "Well then. That should make this a lot easier for you, don't you think? Besides, it's like you said: we'll be seeing a lot of each other. We're both understudies for the same play."

He grunted. "Should've never auditioned."

"I wished the same thing just a few minutes ago. Would you look at that? You came in handy afterall. Tell me if you need a monetary incentive. Now, please, see your way out."

"I hope you realize that even if I do help you, it won't end well. You can't expect to make someone jealous and think it'll work in the long run."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. I'll see you Monday." I pointed to my room door and he scowled.

"I'll help you, but you leave Jaden out of this." He jabbed at my chest in warning before taking his leave.

🎻🎻🎻

~Monday Morning~Jaden's POV~

"Thanks for letting me practice so early, Ms. C," I appreciated my orchestra teacher as I placed my violin and bow in its case. "I'm starting to get that new number down for recitals this semester."

She smiled at me through her glasses. "Of course, Jaden. You're probably the most determined of all my students."

"Yes, well, if I want any chance of getting into Juilliard or any good music school for that matter, I need practice. I've still got so much to learn."

"Do you still play with your mother?"

I sighed, approaching her desk. "Not really. Before she and my dad split, playing music was our favorite way to bond."

"She was so gifted, your mom. I'm sure that's why you learned so much from her. She could've been very successful."

I nodded. "She's actually been staying over for the past several days. It's almost as if... as if we got her back. I mean, she's wearing her long, flowy dresses with her hair tied up, her skin looks better, she's getting sleep. And she's even sleeping in the same room as my dad." My eyebrows lifted. "I couldn't believe it. She promised to come to the opening night of my play."

"That's great news, J. What about your recital; will she come to that?"

"I hope so. When are the recitals?"

Ms. C hummed in thought then grabbed a folder, pulling out a little flyer. "Ah, here are the dates. Your last name starts with a B so you'll be Day 1. That's November 18."

I took the flyer. "Okay. I need to mark the date. Anyway, I gotta to head to theater. We're having a cast meeting before rehearsal begins tomorrow."

She chuckled. "Alright, good luck on it."

I smiled at her before heading out and making my way to the theater/auditorium. I bumped into Tiana on the way, so we decided to walk together.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, noticing her worrisome expression.

She inhaled deeply then expelled the air. "Not really. Corbyn kicked me out of his inner circle."

"That's what's troubling you? I'd say you're quite lucky to be out his clawy grasp."

"That's not the point, J. I needed intel; that was my way to crush him."

"We've got Mae. And she really likes you, remember? What wouldn't she do for you?"

"But cheerleading comes first for her. Corbyn is so manipulative that if I'm not around to keep her sanity, it might not end well."

"I think she'll be okay... I mean, it doesn't seem like it, but she's a tough girl."

"And Ivy?"

My eyebrows knitted together. "What about..."

"Ivy goes to our school now, Jaden."

"Oh. Wow, why?" I remembered her talking about her private schooling when Kari and I eavesdropped on her. "And why do you look so scared, Tiana? She's like the sweetness to Corbyn's bitterness; at least we'll be getting some balance around here."

Her eyes remained wide, as if I was in for a very rude awakening. She didn't even have to say anything and my heart literally dropped to my feet. "Oh, no... please don't tell me..." I breathed out.

"Sorry, J. But yeah, she's not exactly here to be the rainbow to Corbyn's storm of a personality. Think of him as thunder; it's loud and obnoxious. It even scares you, but it does no real damage. Now picture her as lightning; silent but deadly. And when it strikes you, it's sure to leave a mark."

"Wow. No wonder you're an author."

The next hall that we went to had a crowd of students hovering around the exact people we were speaking about. "I really miss being invisible," I reminisced. "Now it's like everywhere I go, I see Corbyn and his stupid minions."

"Poor Mae," Tiana sympathized as we looked at our friend, wearing an expensive outfit and heels with her hair in a curly updo like a model. Brooklyn and Corbyn were talking to a few students while Ivy was practically signing autographs--how pathetic.

"Alright, guys. I have somewhere to be, please scram," ordered Corbyn, and the students did as they were told, going back to what they were doing.

"Ooh, look who it is!" Ivy's eyes met mine and she didn't delay in walking up to me. She was a tall girl with long, spotless legs that she had no problem flaunting. Her lipstick was blood red and her eyeliner was winged, making her eyes appear slightly squinted.

I didn't know if I should speak, especially after Tiana's clear warning.

"I feel like I know you from somewhere," she said with that honey-like voice of hers.

"I'm Jaden. From the party."

"Ah, yes! In the hot tub."

Corbyn joined us, leaning an arm on his older sister's shoulder. "Is it just me, Corb, or did he look much better when I could barely see his features in the hot tub?" Ivy analyzed my face and I glanced at Tiana. I shouldn't have been shocked, but I was.

"I'm right here." I pointed out. "And you were a lot nicer in that tub."

"Oh, was I? I must've been drunk." The smile she gave me was so confusing. It wasn't a malicious one, but a very friendly smile. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was genuine.

Wow. At least Corbyn was upfront about hating a person. Even when this girl was belittling you in your face, she was still putting up a facade. That was what I called a good ass mask.

"Man, it's so good to be here," her smile grew larger and she side-hugged her brother. "I really was wasting my time at that private school. I need an interesting senior year, and this is the way to get one."

"Why are you here, Ivy?" Tiana inquired.

"Well it's like they say." Ivy leaned a little closer. "Two 'Starrs' are brighter than one."

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