AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lincoln: Especially not about you.
Lincoln: I’m not fucking playing, Doll Face.
The one that just came in leaves me sad and sick to my stomach.
Lincoln: Callum… what the fuck?
Quickly, I back out of the messages and grab my backpack. I open my door, only to run smack-dab into a strong muscled chest. I look up, taking a step back to eliminate the contact between us. I connect with pools of liquid honey eyes. The midnight dark hair wet from a shower.
“What’s up,sis?” Heath winks. This is all I have ever wanted. The interaction, the teasing, but I can’t even enjoy it because he still has no clue who I am. I nudge him out of my way, walking down the hallways filled with doors leading to different bedrooms. “You can’t ignore me forever. We are family now!” Heath yells after me.
You have no idea.
I take the wooden steps down the side staircase. Hoping I can sneak out through the kitchen. But that proves to be futile when I see Mom and Richard sitting at the table. Coffee cups almost to their lips as they watch me.
Mom breaks the spell first. Placing her coffee cup down, a huge smile on her face. “Love.”
“I’m going to be late.” I look to my feet, hurrying out the door and to my car.
The drive to school is extra long since we moved across town. I could have easily transferred schools, but I could only handle so much change. Plus, the school year is almost halfway done.
Halloween is this week. One of my most favorite holidays. I love the horror-themed decorations, the carving of pumpkins, and fallen leaves. What I don’t care for, and this will get my spoiled rich-girl card taken away if anyone finds out, is pumpkin spice. I hate the scent, the flavor, the way it takes over all things fall. It’s disgusting. However, I do love all things Halloween. But I’m not exactly in the spooky spirit this year.
I stop by my favorite coffee shop, a small family-owned business. Starbucks is overrated as well. I refuse to go there. I place an order through the drive-through, telling the barista to surprise me, before I whisper, “Except pumpkin spice.” I order a cranberry orange muffin too. Once I get my coffee, a marshmallow expresso, and muffin, I make the rest of the distance to school.
I sit in my car, staring at the school. Knowing everything has changed.
* * *
“Earth to Callum.”Bethany snaps her fingers in my face.
I jerk my gaze from the courtyard, looking over to my friend and her coffin-shaped nails. “I finally got them,” she says. She stretches her lips down, exposing the fangs with a diamond.
I smile, trying to not let my dark clouds block out her excitement. “Those look bougie, babe. I love them.”
“What’s up with you, Cal?” Macy asks, stuffing cinnamon cake into her mouth, eyes staring me down as if she can read my every thought.
“I’m just not feeling too great. I think I may go home.” I push the spinach salad around its container.
“Before you go to teacher hottie’s class?” she asks.
She knows about the journal, the fantasies. She has no clue he made them all come true. Or the fact that he is my uncle, whom I fucked. The vomit comes back up, burning my throat. I push it down, nodding. “Yeah.”
“Damn, girl. You must be really sick,” Macy mumbles.
“You have no idea,” I whisper.
After lunch I head to the counselor’s office, sitting in Mrs. Lucas’s office.
“How can I help you, sweetheart?”
Where do I even start? “So, my mom got married over break and turns out, she married Mr. Boyd’s brother.”
She nods, adjusting her glasses. “Okay…”
“So, I don’t think it’s right for us to technically be family and I be in his class or be his TA.”
“I see what you’re saying. Unfortunately, with the semester coming to an end, I cannot switch you out of his classes.” My shoulders sag. “However, next semester I can transfer you to the other economics class and allow you to select some electives in place of being his teacher’s aide?” She smiles, all warm and full of kindness. It lifts my spirits a little.
