Instinctively, my head tilted at the voice of Evie.

"Tori?" I exclaimed the moment my eyes found out Evie wasn't alone.

She didn't smile, but she didn't look angry either. Good.

"I am still mad at you. Both of you." Her fingers gesture at both of us and instantly I felt a dose of consolation settling in me.

The girls slipped out of their shoes and situated themselves by each side of me.
"I am sorry,"

Tori breathed out as a response and leaned her head on my shoulder and since then the time just flew by while we wriggle our legs in the water without any conversation.

It was the kind of warmth I missed for a while now. I don't know how mom and Christian agreed to let my friends in but I am thankful they're here.

"So tell me." Tori nudges my arm and pull back her head from my shoulder. "If you and he are you know? Then where does Princeton Claire stands or did he bring her along to get you jealous or something?" She confoundingly asked and then began to correct herself even when there was no mistake in what she had said. "You know anything step sister feels when she sees her stepbrother with someone?"

I stared at her mostly paled, not knowing what to say, so when Evie overstepped to answer, I was grateful, "She's gay, she's out of Ava's hair."

"No way." Tori's jaw dropped, while she flicked her eyes between us.
"Wow. You guys literally keep this away from me? What happened to not keeping secrets from each other? Or is it that you don't trust me?" She added, quite sensitive.

"That's not it." I started, breathing forcefully through my nostrils. "I wish I can explain but I can't, it's so entangled. But I am truly sorry."

She looked heavenward, with a grim expression on her face.
"I will forgive you if you tell me how his lips taste."

"What?"

"Oh my God." Evie squealed next to me, adding pressure to the awkwardness. I can feel my cheeks heating up from embarrassment when I panicked and looked over at her with alarmed eyes, pleading with her to stop. "You know I have never asked you that too?"

"Do you kiss?" Tori nudges my side.

"Of course, they kiss. A lot than they speak obviously, but how is it?" Evie retorted and turns to me.

"How does he taste?" Tori persuaded next to me.

My cheeks were flaming, "Seriously?"

They're seriously going to have me say this?

"Come on, you know I've been fascinating a lot about hot dimples." She prodded my shoulder with hers.

"Which had been very awkward." I implied and her eyes rolled.

"You can't blame me; you left me in the dark."

I bashfully looked away and chew my inner cheeks. "You have a point."

"Go on, start talking, what does he taste like?" The girls urge me in their midst.

This whole thing is uncomfortable but I couldn't help smiling. I look away from their scrutiny and hide between my plunging hair.

"Heaven." That's the easiest description.

"I knew it." Evie giggled along with Tori and then leaned forward, dipping their heads, until they could see my rosy face.

"Be specific." Tori insisted while hooking my hair behind my ear so she could capture the view of my humiliation. "Come on, you want me to forgive you." She lured wickedly and I huffed.

"He has this very indistinct flavour, it's like a recipe of different fruits with a magnifying sense of mint. It doesn't fade away, it keeps getting better and better, you don't want to pull away." I was staring at what should be the pool, but it was him and I naked on his bed that I could see.

"How does he smell like?"

I am not sure who asked between them. I've lost concentration a while ago now.

All I can say is what I was seeing in front of me and it was beautiful. "Maybe Leather and earth and musk and a spice that should be considered as food." Until I said that, it dawned on me.

The girls were both laughing already. Then again they had been laughing ever since they brought up the subject.

"What about his body?" Evie asked this time.

"Greek God?" I asked them as it is the only word I can find, and understandingly, they agreed, even giggling more.

"You've ever you know?"

Blushing, I shake my head at Tori, as I remembered our intimate moment back in the mountains when Leigh let me hump him and then this morning when we tangled up naked and kissed for hours.

"Boring. You have to bone him before it is too late and he leaves back to school." She sadly said.

I look over to Evie and begged her for mercy, "Please tell her the questions are over."

She cautiously smiled and said, "Mmm... I am kind of interested."

Okay, maybe a glare would do.

"Okay, pass." Tori tackled, "So, are you guys back together or still broken up?"

That's when I had to summarise my sophomore year and narrate everything from the start. Sometimes Evie occasionally joined in, until I came across what happened on my birthday."

"You said what?" Tori blurted, crawling her legs out from the water to fold them in front of her, while she sits, facing me fully.

"Please don't tell anyone. I don't think she is ready to come out."

"Oh bitch, please. This is our time to throw back some fire. She is vulnerable, probably nervous to expose herself and opportunity like that is what you don't miss because when she grows back her armor she will attack with too much force."

"I can't. I am not like her, okay? I want to hurt her but I don't think I can. We are two different people, Tori."

"No no no!" She exhales a laugh thoughtfully. "That's it, we are taking revenge, Ava. Like it or not."

"The last time I wrecked her car, the feeling was torture, and it still is. I do not want to go through it freshly again." Tori sighed and wrap her hand over mine. "It is not me, can't you see? Sometimes I wonder if I had just stayed back and didn't have to act the perfect cheerleader captain with a luxury car and Amex that never runs out of money." I exhaled a sob and run my free hand over my wet eyes and back into my hair. "God, my mom is going to hate me. Both my step-siblings are in love with me."

"What have you done to them?" Tori asked.

I look up instantly,
"Nothing, I swear I don't know."

"Shut up, it's supposed to be a proverb." She laughed and Evie leaned her head over my shoulder, looping her arms around me.

"Oh!" I exhale a nervous laugh and they both smile sympathetically.

"So what about Leigh? You talked to him about it?" Tori asked.

"We spoke while I was in the hospital."

"Hospital?" They exclaimed, staring at me unbelievably.

"I am sorry, okay? These problems are too much for me. Sometimes I just hope to forget them, I hate talking about it over again."

"Okay," Tori whispered and nodded. "Is okay, but are you okay?"

"The doctor said I had a blood pressure."

"Shit that's brutal." Said Evie.

"I know."

"Look do not let Boyce's kids break you. I agree they're so cute and mostly everyone's type." Tori started while I watch her quietly. "But you are worthy of so much. You deserve calm and quiet, you deserve the peace of mind and every love there is alive. Don't let anyone mess that up for you."

"Arlen Garrett is. He gave me an ultimatum last night, he wants me to break up with Leigh in some hours or he would..." I choked and began to cry at the thought of what was at stake. "He has a video of us from the night I destroyed Lilith's car and Leigh and I weren't being innocent."

"Arlen Garrett? The one on the school proud vitrine?" Tori gaped, paranoid.

"Him."

"Okay?" She looked over to Evie and suggested, "What can we do then?"

"I am out of determination."

"How did you come across him? I thought you're staying away from him?" Evie worriedly asked me.

"Lilith had me drive to him, I didn't know it was his house until he appears unexpectedly." I cried, leaning into her hug.

"I love you dear but this is why we still have to punish her." Tori snapped.

"No!" I can't. I am tired.

"Argghh! I feel like squeezing her throat." Tori dramatically lay back on her back, staring at the brilliant sun.

"Let her father do it then," Evie recommended and I tilted a little to look at her.

There is this deep-seated hostility in her eyes. It was a little scary.

Tori pulled up almost instantly at the sound of the idea and smirked at Evie, "What in the name of evil is running in your head right now? Give it to me, I am ready for it."

"She invites boys over, what do you think she does with them?" Evie asked us.

"Sex clearly." I densely answered.

"God, I thought she is gay," Tori whined.

"bisexual?" My gaze travelled between them while I shrugged. "I guess?"

My stepsister is some two-face, mood-swing wild chameleon. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole sexuality thing is an act just so she could manipulate and disgrace me when I cave in.

"We expose the girl for the bitch she really is. Let Mr Boyce find out what she does in his house." Evie angrily suggested.

This is the first time I've caught a glimpse of Evie's anger. She was willing to make choices that were off of her limits. I saw the hatred and contempt that grew in her over the past year.

"What? We can't do that." I shook my head and yank out of her embrace.

What is going on with them? Why would she of all people suggest that? Evie had been the innocent of us, she would never hurt an insect, provided a human.

I destroyed her.

"Take it as killing two birds with one stone. You will break her and every confidence she thinks she has. Your mom will be disappointed and realize you're not so bad after all. And your stepdad will probably ground her for the rest of her life." Tori calculated while trying to convince me. "All you need is to steal her phone and text her parent to come help her in her room."

"I don't know... I don't think that's a nice thing to do."

No matter the thrill of it, doing it would do me no good. Still, I have Arlen to beat or I could end up ruined too. And defeating him is almost impossible.

I should be focusing on that more.

"Ava, Lilith will do worse." Evie sparked. "Someday soon she will kiss you and tell your parents, you forced her. So strike when there's space to ambush before she set her armors ready for you. It won't be good."

The darkness in their eyes was terrifying, I shake my head at them and pull up to stand on my feet.

This is ridiculous. Or at least, irrational.
What these two girls didn't know about me is that the girl they saw in me, is the girl I wanted everyone to see. But the real girl inside me has no guts and is bloody apprehensive these days.

"Ava?" Evie called after me while I read through the message that pop up on my screen just now. "You can't be naive."

Arlen: twelve hours down. It would be an honor to wreck Leigh Boyce's soul.

Everything in me punctuated suddenly, with my gaze boring into my phone screen.
The girls kept trying to arouse me out of the shock but only the commotion from the house was powerful enough.

"Can you tell me the hell that happened to you? Who attack you?" Christian fretted in a loud, unhappy sound.

The noise was wafting from the opened patio door, causing my heart to clench in my chest even more.

And then Lilith bellowed, "How could you automatically assume he was attacked? What if he was the one who attacked someone."

Hearing that was enough to send the message.

They're referring to Leigh who I hadn't seen since he tucked me in on my bed.

"Shut up Lilith."

"I won't. You can't always have his back even when he did the wrong thing."

At the time I reached the hall, I was panting like a dying old woman for having to race with an aching heart.

As I entered the scene, I could sense my friend's footsteps joining too and mom asking,
"Leigh are you okay?"

Then my eyes impulsively dragged themselves to find him around the room.

He was leaning against the wall of the staircase for physical support, clearly. This Leigh wasn't the guy who held me in his arms this morning. That Leigh didn't have bruises all over his face, he didn't have blood staining his shirt or deep cuts around his knuckles. That Leigh wasn't doubtful to make eye contact or to smile at me instinctively.

This Leigh was very conflicting with the one I know.

While Lilith spitefully screamed, "He is. But you should ask Arlen Garrett if he is though." My eyebrows were hardened, pleading with Leigh for a lot of things.

But then his sister's words registered in my head.
Did she really mean Arlen Garrett? The same man who sent me a threatening text message some seconds ago.

I don't get it.

"I am going to my room." Leigh glumly announced and began turning away.

He didn't even try to meet my eyes. It was like he was intentionally avoiding me.

"I am not done with you," Christian yelled and every woman in the room flinched except for Lilith. She folded her arms around her chest and donned a glowing smug of satisfaction.

She was enjoying it.

How can she?

"He beat up Arlen Garrett at the bowling alley." She publishes with strengthened shoulders and a malicious glare towards him.

"That's not true." The words left my lips involuntary.
I can't believe any of her claims, she's always rambling to screw things over.

This is Lilith we are talking about.

As I spoke, it was then Leigh looked over to me, or more like glared over to me and suddenly there's a flapping sensation in my chest.

I don't understand how and why he carried too much rage in the glare. But his eyes were puffy and bleary and bloodshot and null and it wasn't definitely from the fight. He was broken and he was attacking me with those inflamed eyes from across the room.

No, I might have something to do with this.

While I gaped in panic, as my eyes were beginning to water, Lilith spats, "Why not ask him then? He's no ghost-he's standing on his feet, although not very impressive. Unless he is going to lie as usual, since he's perfect at that department these days."

I watch her act unbelievably, with difficulty understanding why she's being such a slag when this isn't about her.

Christain sigh and pulls his eyes from his daughter to his son, whose head is now downcasted.

"Leigh, you much have a reason, am I right?" He almost pleaded. The desperation in the tone was too discernible.

He was searching for his perfect son and hoping to summon him, but he had no idea that that perfect son hadn't been here for two years.

"Hello?" Lilith called over with rolled up eyes. "He must-he mustn't. He isn't that angelic, dad. Can't you see it? Or do I have to show you the video? Because it's all over the internet and people with eyes and a good sense of judging are dropping the blame on your fictitious perfect son."

Her voice, her words and her presence were only crawling under my skin.
"Lilith, just stop it," I exclaimed and she smirked over at me, lifting her brows.

"And you what's your problem? It is him I am talking to. Mind you, him, not you." She snarled and winked, "Be responsible and respect yourself for once."

"What does that suppose to mean?" I tried to swallow several times but the lump in my throat was too huge. My legs began trembling along with my whole body.

"You tell me?" She shrugged off.

Mom hisses and crosses the room, heading towards her stepson.
"Come, let me clean you before it gets infected." She worriedly offered and rubbed his arm politely.

For the first time, he acted even strangely. He yanked away and step back from her.

I was right, he was very different from the Leigh I was with this morning.

Leigh doesn't oppose my mother. This is the first time he acted rudely toward her. Her jaw was already flat on the floor, just like mine.

"LEIGH?" Alarmed, Christian exclaimed, "Leigh, your mother is talking to you."

"My mother is dead." He retaliated equally as loud and hopping mad.

What the hell?

The room was unexpectedly too quiet at that instant except for Lilith's laughter, as she was only earning pleasure from all of this.

How can she be so cruel?

"First, it was Ava rejecting dad and now it is Leigh rejecting Susan." She slowly walks toward her dad while clapping her hands. "Way to go. Real good children, you have here." She mocked the man who didn't want to give her any reaction.

While through then, Leigh turn towards the door and Christian choose to worry more about that. "Leigh, where are you going?"

He didn't spare anyone a look or anything he just walked out and slammed the door.

My heart jump in there and a tear slipped down my cheek.

"Let him calm down, okay? He would come around." I heard mom telling her husband while he stepped up and pulled her into a hug.

The rest of his complaints were instinct, I stood pinned to the floor until I felt fingers around my arms, tugging me back towards where I came from.

"Ava, it pains me to agree with Lilith but I have to say she's right, Leigh attacked Arlen. I think this is really serious." Evie fearfully let out while bringing her mobile phone to my sight and a video on youtube shows a bowling alley and then Leigh coming at Arlen Garrett, tossing some sort of grey cloth at him and just like that my vision turns blurry.

No!

Of course, the Yale hoodie.