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Penelope
I stand in the mirror and study my outfit. The red leather mini dress hugs my body like I was sewed into the material. My heels are sky high with lace around the ankles. My long hair is curled and teased. I glue a pair of fake eyelashes on and add some red lipstick before grabbing a white zipper hoodie and heading out of my French doors that lead to the balcony. I use the iron spiral staircase and head downstairs and sneak around to the front of the house. When I open the front gates Lauren is sitting in her car waiting for me. As I slip into the passenger seat Lauren eyes my white zipper hoodie. I roll my eyes. “It’s coming off.”
Lauren chuckles. “I was wondering what was up with that.”
My shoulders shrug. “I figured if they see me on the surveillance cameras with the hoodie on I can say I was just going out for a jog.”
“You’re kidding right?” Lauren’s perfectly shaped eyebrows rise in question.
“What? It seems legit.”
Her head falls back against the seat in laughter. “First of all you don’t jog. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you jog in your life. Second of all, don't you think they might notice your shoes are not the proper attire for jogging?”
I glance down at my heels. Clearly, I didn’t think that through.Oh well, by the time I make it home I’ll be grounded for the rest of my life—which will only last forty-eight hours max anyways because my parents always give in. “Well, no one ever said that I was a critical thinker.”
Lauren and I drive along under the city lights with the windows down and the music blaring through the speakers of her car. Everything from Lady Gaga to Pink gets us hyped up for the upcoming night. It’s Saturday night in Hampton Falls and it’s time tomake some noise and flirt with some boysas Lauren and I like to say. I have a smile plastered on my face and if anyone looked at me they would assume I’m having the time of my life, but in reality, I hate this. It’s the same dumb crap every weekend. We pull up to one of the clubs we frequent. Club Rage is hot on the Ocean Boulevard and we can get in because of how we dress and the fact that we have enough money to pay the bouncers to look the other way.
We make our way up to the front of the line. Lauren’s long legs strut as if there is no tomorrow. Richie, the tall, dark and handsome bouncer who usually works the door spots her and instantly his face lights up. Once we’re close enough she leans over and presses a kiss to his cheek. Within seconds we are ushered through the front doors. The thumping music and dancing strobe lights give me an instant headache. Everywhere you turn there are bodies pressed against one another moving to what they call music. Lauren disappears for a few minutes, only to show back up with drinks in her hands.
We make our way around the club before we spot two very familiar faces. My brother, Chadwick, and the one and only Duke Parrish. My heart skips a beat and for once it has absolutely nothing to do with the thumping of the music and everything to do with the boy standing upstairs in the VIP section with my brother.
As Lauren and I climb the stairs I try to calm the pounding of my heart but Duke Parrish is literally the first and only boy I have ever loved, not that he’s ever noticed me. To Duke I’m just his best friend’s annoying little sister. The one that can’t seem to follow any of the rules. Duke though, is gorgeous—even if that is a strange term to use for a guy. He’s tall and lean but still strong. His skin is beautifully tanned and his hair is sun-kissed from the time spent out on the ocean on his boat. As we reach the top of the stairs his blue eyes land on me and I swear I see a flare of something there as his eyes roam over me from head to toe. When he realizes I’ve caught his slow appraisal he quickly looks away. Some part of me is disappointed but the other is doing a little dance because Duke definitely noticed me tonight.
Chadwick, of course, has to ruin the moment by stepping in front of me. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Rolling my eyes I say, “Having a good time. I thought that would be obvious.”
His eyes narrow into a glare. “How did you even get in? You’re not even eighteen. They never let you in illegally unless you’re at least eighteen. Eighteen and money is how you get in here. Unless you’re twenty-one.”
Lauren and I exchange a look. “We have our ways.” I shrug my shoulders and move around Chadwick to take a seat on the black velvet couch. Duke is standing off to the side, maybe three feet away but he’s watching my every move.
“You need to go home,” Chadwick announces as he stalks towards me.
I shake my head. “I don’t need to do anything. Besides, what’s your problem?”
Chadwick growls in frustration while pinching the bridge of his nose. While he is throwing himself a small panic attack at my appearance, I take a moment to drink Duke in. His dark gray slacks hug every inch of his long legs. A burgundy button up dress shirt is tucked neatly inside to show off his Gucci belt. The long sleeves of his shirt are rolled up to his elbows and his Rolex dances under the strobe lights.
“Penny!” Chadwick basically screams while snapping his fingers in front of my face. “Do you realize you are like two steps away from getting sent off to an all-girls boarding school in a foreign country?”
His words are like ice cold water. The air in the room seems to lessen even more. “What?” I manage to croak out.
He nods his head. His dark hair flopping around with the movement. “Yeah, mom and dad are fed up. You have to start playing by the rules.”
Rules… it’s always about the damn rules. Anger quickly chases away my fear. I stand up and meet Chadwick the best I can. “I don’t give a damn about the rules.” Before I can think about it I turn and stalk away from my brother, Lauren and Duke. Once outside, the cool air hits my skin and I realize just how bad this really is. Would my parents really send me away because I refuse to be who they want me to be? My heart crumbles and tears prick at the backs of my eyes. As I start to walk down the sidewalk a large, warm hand wraps around my bicep. I should be afraid considering I’m a female, dressed like a hooker on a sidewalk alone in Hampton Falls but the heat and shock I feel racing up and down my arm from the touch tells me everything I need to know.
Four
Duke
Chadwick paces across the black floor of the club. The burgundy velvet couches off to the side are full of fellow classmates. To be honest I could care less about anyone sitting there. The moment Penelope stood up the couches became uninteresting. She is always the most interesting person in the room. Lauren saunters up to me. “How long until you think Chadwick blows a gasket?”
I shrug my shoulders and take a sip from the amber liquid in my glass. Chadwick turns around to face us. His face is three shades of red. “That’s it! The night is officially ruined!”
As I stand there I realize just how selfish the person I call my best friend is. “No, it’s not. I’ll go talk to her,” I offer.
Chadwick scoffs. “She’s not your dumb little sister.”
I bite on my tongue because his words create an angry little monster within my body. “She’s not my little sister but I have two little sisters. Besides, maybe someone outside of her family can talk some sense into her.”
