Chapter One

Kehlani stepped into the house quietly, shutting the door behind her as she stepped in fully. She was immediately welcomed by an unwelcoming, oddly quiet place. She wasn’t surprised though, neither was she disappointed. She got used to this when she was thirteen and she pulled off the ‘everything is fine’ blindfold from her eyes.

 The place was a mess, reeked of alcohol, clothes scattered everywhere and she scrunched her face when she noticed her dad’s underwear on the table. She remembered six years ago moving into this bigger house with so much excitement and smiles. Having moved from Colombia to pursue her writing dreams and thankfully her parents understood. She and her parents said goodbye to their old lives and moved to the United Kingdom after she got a scholarship to the University Of Cambridge. 

 It was a perfect beginning.

 Until it all went wrong. Where had it gone wrong exactly? Right from her father cheating, to the fucked up life she was living now. Everything had changed.     

  Kehlani rushed past her parent’s room and straight into her room with an exasperated sigh. Tossing her bag to the ground she fell face down to her bed, then grabbed a pillow, putting it over her head.

Tomorrow will be good, she reassured herself hopefully.

                                ……...

  Kehlani frowned, dropping her books on the table before ignoring the loud bang it produced. 

Monday morning was officially ruined. Why on earth would Mrs. Caitlyn ask her to write a romance novel despite knowing it was something she wouldn’t like? That was just so cruel. 

 “Great.” She mumbled in sarcasm, eyeing the notepad on top of the book pile.

“Hey Kehlani” 

 A familiar yelled loudly and snapped her out of her wallowing. It was so easy to spot Trinity Azalea in the crowd mostly because she looked like she had been hit by a rainbow and besides she looks too bubbly and if there was one person who was always so happy to go to school that was, Trinity.

 She watched Trinity make her way towards her. She was dressed in a black crop top with a splash of bright colors, with light blue jeans, then over it was a multi-colored blazer. 

 The colors blended perfectly with her light skin and long blonde hair that was currently concealed by the black furry hat she was wearing. 

 Trinity flashed her signature megawatt smile revealing her dimples as she stopped before her. 

 “Girl you look awful” Trinity teased with a chuckle, leaning in to peck her right cheek and she quickly caught a glimpse of pink shoes.

 That’s Trinity all right. She rolled her eyes as Trinity got settled beside her.

 “How about I splash you some colors? I brought the jacket I believe will ...” Trinity trailed off ransacking her bag.

 Kehlani watched Trinity pull out a blue hat, and without asking Trinity put it over her head, with a huge satisfied grin. Trinity squeaked, pulling out her phone from her bag. She watched Trinity do some stuff on her phone before holding out her hand with the phone.

 Kehlani almost rolled her eyes as Trinity took a selfie, then another, and another. 

 At least she wasn’t forcing her to smile this time. 

Trinity dropped her arm, turning to face her. “Now grumpy, what got you looking all…?” She eyed her. “I can almost see the dark clouds over your head”

 Thankfully today Trinity was with no makeup, the ones that made her look like a fairytale scarecrow. Trinity's dark brown eyes pierced into hers, staring expectantly at her.

 Trinity looked better naturally, if only her stubborn friend believed that, for real. Trinity was a definition of American beauty, tall and as the Americans prefer skinny. Trinity was a living Barbie.

 “You weren’t online yesterday” Trinity started with a concerned expression on her face. “Everything cool?”

  “I’m fine Trinity,” She mumbled.

 Trinity eyed her suspiciously then glanced at the book pile on the table before them.

 Trinity frowned a bit. “What’s this?” She asked and picked up the book on top of the book pile. The big note pad with a cover decorated with Sonic the hedgehog pictures.

Her eyes moving from Trinity to the book, watched Trinity study the book with keen interest.

 The failure of her attempts to be more precise. She could imagine Trinity trying to read past her scribblings since she heard the depressing news from Mrs. Caitlyn this morning, trying to make some sense of it.

 Trinity looked up at her, then back at the book, then back at her again, and then she gasped loudly. Her eyes were huge with excitement and delight. And maybe mockery she couldn’t be so sure.

 “Am I seeing things or does the genre say Romance?”

 Kehlani ran her hand through her face, exhaling loudly. Her gaze met with Trinity’s expectant gaze as she took her hand off her face.

“Yes it does. That’s my poison”

                                .........

 Kehlani watched Trinity pull open the window to get rid of the alcohol stench that welcomed them as they had arrived home from school. Their walk home had been quiet, especially since Trinity had been with her departmental friends discussing their new project and some other stuff she hadn’t paid attention to. 

 Although she was beside Trinity throughout the entire walk, she hadn’t said much. They weren’t her friends anyways, she didn’t have many friends and if Trinity could count as much then, she had many friends then. The whole making friend’s process seems terrifying especially since they would all be prying in sooner or later. And besides she was doing great with just Trinity.

  “Better. Now we just have to wait for all today’s bad energy to go out the window” Trinity said, pulling off her blazer and hat, letting her straight long blonde hair free. 

 Trinity wouldn’t say anything or ask even, that was one thing she appreciated about Trinity the most aside from being the best. Trinity knew, although they didn't talk about it. Just like a lot of things remain unsaid between them. It was far better that way, for her.

  “Why would Mrs. Caitlyn do this to me?” She finally spoke, pulling off the cap Trinity had put on her head earlier, moving to stand before her dressing table.

 Trinity chuckled, falling onto the love shaped couch not far from the window. “You make it sound like she punished you”

 “She didn’t just punish me, she sent me to hell.” She growled. “How can she tell me to write a Romance novel? That’s not my thing” 

 “Yes Kehlani you say that every time. But think of it this way you don’t have to write depressing shit at least not now and again it’s a good opportunity to renew your scholarship” Trinity told her.

 “I don’t write depressing shit”

 “You focus on horror and tragic endings. And the school thinks you are some emo teenager”

 Kehlani frowned, folding her arms over her chest. “That’s what I like”

 Trinity scoffs. “Well there is more to that. The hot boys, the six packs, the hot steaming romance, the yucky kisses, the dicks and of course the hot sex”

  “Nice,” She said dryly. 

“And I’ll help recommend some romantic movies, songs and maybe porn if necessary”

 “Why does this feel like some sort of initiation?”

Trinity squealed happily. “I’m so excited”

 Kehlani smiled at her before turning her attention back to the mirror. Her skin wasn’t as bright as Trinity. She had medium tanned skin, with hazel eyes and unlike Trinity she had a more chubby face and no dimples. And her long, curly black hair really needed to be groomed, she realized.

 Back when she was home she was considered very pretty but on getting to the United Kingdom she began to doubt, feeling a lot more insecure even.

  She opened her mouth to speak but stopped at the sound of a loud, almost deafening door slam. Her eyes met briefly with Trinity before she looked away.

 “Why are you such a dick Henry?” Her mother half yelled followed by loud footsteps.

“Dick?” Her dad's voice followed much louder than her mother’s voice. “You Grace, ruin everything. You are just so stupid”

 Her mother gasped loudly. “Go tell that to your sluts, you bastard”

 It’s funny how her parents went from adoring each other to hating each other, disgusted even. She settled herself by the edge of the dressing table, grabbing the bag of chips beside her.

 “You are the slut, the worst mistake …”

 Trinity scrunched her face, jerking off the small couch. “One moment” 

 Trinity stormed out of the room without waiting for a reply, leaving the door wide open she leaned against the railing looking down.

 “Could you two please keep it down” Trinity half yelled. “Some people are up here trying to make themselves useful” She scolded dryly.

 Kehlani would have laughed, if she wasn’t crushed at the moment. She blinked back the blasted tears threatening to spill out of her eyes.