***POV - Melaena
“Tell me the truth … are you in love with Ren?”
I fall back onto the heap of clothes lying on top of the bed. Kiara still can’t decide what to wear. I know the answer … not that I would admit it. But my stuffed throat is not because of my new boyfriend … the fact that I can’t seem to breathe normally has more to do with the fact that I’m about to see Damion again.
This past year Kiara and I have been backpacking through Europe, and we only got to see the boys when they happened to travel for work or something … mostly Enrique. But Damion … well, we ended up going to his races in France and Italy but never met him in person. Let’s just say I watched him from a distance … and stalked him on social media like always. But now … I’m going to see him face-to-face again.
It’s times like this that I miss my mom the most - but she’s been dead for almost 10 years already. Just a little while after the whole haunted house incident in fact. But no matter how much time passes … the night we found her murdered in our house, is not a night I would easily forget for as long as I live.
We slipped out to go skateboarding … even though we were grounded again. I can’t remember what exactly we did wrong that time … but I do remember the smell of mom’s famous spaghetti bolognese drifting through the house as soon as we opened the door. We all immediately knew that we were caught red-handed … she returned earlier than normal. Me, I felt bad that we bought pizza, not expecting her to be home, and that it’s going to go to waste now. None of us would miss out on mom’s pasta.
The twins tried to quickly escape to their rooms, hoping to avoid punishment, but then we all froze at the sight of blood on the floor between pieces of broken glass, the room a chaotic mess. I remember Jackson dropping his box of pizza, and vomiting in the flower pot next to the door before taking off his sneakers. Jackson could never stand the sight of blood for some reason and he stepped into a puddle.
Ilkay told us to stay put and disappeared into the kitchen. The twins followed him a little later. Logan grabbed me and my 10-year-old body started shaking like mad. We formed a little duo of frozen, scared kids, silently waiting for something we could not even begin to understand.
Ilkay returned like a zombie, dragging a sheet-white Enrique behind him, while Jackson left bloody footprints as far as he went – his socks drained – but this time he didn’t vomit. My big brother forced us all outside, making us sit on the porch until Uncle John arrived.
Enrique threw up a few times into the rose garden and still looked like a ghost. Jackson was not looking any better, he kept on hitting the wall with his fist, leaving a scarlet pattern on the white paint. Logan never left my side, clutching so hard onto me it almost hurt. Uncle John hurried inside and after a while, that seemed like forever the police and ambulances showed up.
They put blankets over our shoulders; the paramedics injected us and bandaged Jackson’s bloody hand before Uncle John took us all to his place. He told us that our mom was dead and that dad is gone. I lost both my parents in one night. My father would never have won the dad-of-the-year award, but he was still my father. We all knew he drank and worked too much, but he seemed to love us at least when he was around.
I force my mind back to the present again. Why do I keep recalling the past tonight? But I think I know the answer – Damion.
“It’s only been a couple of weeks, I can hardly be in love with him in such a short time.” I eventually answer Kiara.
"Look, you know I don’t believe in the storybook kind of love, but I know you’re looking for that, so I’m speaking about something I know nothing about here, but I just think that you are looking for it in the wrong place. Or rather with the wrong guy.”
She clicks her tongue when she sees my what-the-fudge frown. What does she know anyway? Ren is my first boyfriend, she knows that.
“So are you going to have sex with him?” She seems a little agitated. She knows that I want my first time to be special. Yes, I know it’s cheesy but it’s just who I am. In our senior year, Kiara started dating one of Axel’s friends, Don, and I know they did it on prom night, like most typical teenagers. But I’m different … I’m waiting for sparks, electricity, love – name it what you want, that special someone that’s going to knock me off my feet. And Ren is not him.
“No,” I’ll rather wait at least until I feel consumed by lust “not until I’m sure, anyway,” I add as an afterthought.
“And it’s got nothing to do with …. oh I don’t know …. some green-eyed bad-ass?” Now, why would Kiara bring him into the conversation? He’s the last one I want to think about when talking about sex, but still, he haunts me like the ghost-from-hell he is.
“Ug, seriously? He’s like a fungus or something I can’t get rid of. And anyway, he’s bad, mad, and crazy, and I’m officially sure he doesn’t have a heart, at least not a beating one. I’m not going to get on that choo-choo train again. He goes through girls faster than my phone goes through data … you know that!”
She doesn’t answer, but just pouts her lips and nods her head. I know she doesn’t believe me. Kiara is my best friend and she knows me even better than I know myself sometimes. I get up and pour some coffee before sitting on the sofa this time, slowly sipping my caffeine boost, watching Kiara piling more clothes on the bed. There’s a small knock on the door and then Axel’s face peeps in.
“You decent.” He asks in a soft voice and we both yell ‘yes’ together. Axel has seen us like a million times in our pj’s before, but he always asks before he enters our rooms. He’s like our gay-but-not-gay best friend. It means that although he’s totally into girls and extremely hot, we like to think about him as a gay virgin. And I say ‘virgin’ in a very relaxed casual sense since he also goes through girls like a knife through butter, but he hides it better than my brothers. And with looks like his, combined with his mysterious personality, he for sure as hell doesn’t find it too hard to woe the ladies. But there are no complicated feelings between us, it’s like he’s our brother from another mother. Since he helped us in the haunted house, the three of us have been inseparable.
While Kiara and I took a gap year, traveling and backpacking through Europe and Asia, courtesy of Uncle John, of course, he became a fireman at Station 19. But the main reason he couldn’t join us was that he can’t interrupt his swimming – not if he wants to qualify for the Olympics.
I silently watch him as he falls onto the sofa next to me – his delicious swimmer’s body packed on some more muscles … in a very attractive way, and his dark hair is now longer, making sexy curls in his neck. He still gives me vampire vibes … especially with those mysterious eyes that seem to hypnotize any normal person. But, although I still don’t know half of his rough childhood, even after all this time, I know enough. He’s no vampire, but just a vandalized boy that grew up to be a hero. A child with no childhood. No wonder he and Jackson are so close. They’re both slightly crazy … due to what happened in the past. Not that either of them shares anything with anybody … but I can guess there must be some demons haunting them.
“So are you all packed and ready to move into your new home?” Axel asks with a smile.
Yep, our days of leisure are over - it’s time to enter the real world as varsity freshmen in the next week. We are both enrolled at Stanford – Kiara is going to study accountancy, while I’m going into Computer Science and Graphic design. And just like each of my brothers, as well as Axel (whom Uncle John also seems to have adopted), Uncle John gave each of us our own luxurious townhouse with a view of the ocean … in the same complex. But we decided to stay together in Kiara’s house while renting out mine to a friend of Logan’s … some guy named Sean.
“I can’t wait to become an official student,” I answer him, “and join all the things everybody is talking about.”
“And what things might that be?” he skuffs with big eyes.
“Eh, I want to run again … and dance and may also join the equestrian team … and then there are parties … you know … things students do,” I explain.
“Oh, I see … you’re going to be busy that’s for sure. Are you at least going to have some time for that dimwit boyfriend of yours?” Axel pries. And to tell you the truth, I actually didn’t think about that. I just want to experience everything I can while I’m there.
“Talking about Ren, what do you think about this newest relationship?” Kiara asks our friend, ignoring my stare.
“Can you ladies PLEASE keep me out of your love lives?” Axel holds up his hands in defense, “But speaking as a completely objective third-party observer with no interest in the matter, I think Ren is a scapegoat because you’re too scared of the devil you secretly want.” Axel pulls an unsatisfying innocent pleading face and Kiara points a finger at him in an I-told-you-so motion.
“What I secretly want is new supportive loving and sympathetic best friends.” But his words get me thinking about the day just before we left for Europe.
Damion teased me and got on my nerves like always, but then I grinned into his smuck face like a cat smelling cream.
“What?” He asked, standing rather close to me; making my hair stand up.
“Just think, I won’t have to put up with all your crap for a whole year!” I gleamed. Damion got this glint in his eyes and slowly moved towards me, a smirk plastered over his way too handsome face.
“Damion, if you come any closer I’ll castrate you for sure!” I yelled, but he didn’t even waver, he pushed me against the wall, his arms on both sides of me, closing me in. I wanted him to kiss me so badly, yes … I know … pathetic, right?
“I’ll miss you, my little angel.” His voice was husky and his minty breath sent goosebumps down my body. He kept me there for who knows how long, both of us just staring into each other’s eyes as if frozen. Eventually, he stood back, leaving me feeling cold, unsatisfied, and all tensed up. He left with a wink and a knowing smile.
Ug, how I hate that guy! He seems to haunt me no matter where I go … even overseas … Kiara and I shared some romantic kisses with a few handsome foreigners during our travels, nothing serious or hairraising, but like clockwork, his emerald eyes were teasing me in my mind. Do you know how frustrating that can be? He’s killing my love life.
“You guys getting ready already?” Logan enters the room, followed by the rest of my brothers. I shake the cobwebs out of my head. Tonight is the last day before we move off to our new lives and Uncle John is throwing a bash here at his mansion.
Ilkay’s eyes find mine and I can see he's worried about something, nothing new, my brother is always worried. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty damn sure that one was born worried. He’s responsible, reliable, calm, and clever, and I mean extremely clever, like a certified genius. At the age of 24, he is already finishing his internship, and starting the new year he’ll continue his residency to become a neurosurgeon.
My eyes move over to Enrique, the cocky playboy, age 23 is the fun one I’ll call to bail me out of the fire. He’s also very annoyingly observant, just like his twin, and I struggle to hide things from them. Enrique is a super successful international model and actor and also shares ownership of a nightclub called ‘Inferno’ with Logan. He winks, making me smile.
Jackson is hanging on to his twin brother. He plays right-wing for the Sharks at the moment, and he is the definite troublemaker bad-ass with a short fuse – not someone you want to piss off. He’s always in the cross-hairs of the paparazzi … for all the wrong reasons.
I turn my head to look at Logan, age 21, leaning against the wall. He’s the star quarterback for the 49ers and my dramatic brother, the quick-tempered drama queen. And just like his siblings, he can’t seem to stay out of trouble and the tabloids.
“Mel!” Enrique jumps on top of me, making me almost spill the last coffee.
“You’re daydreaming AGAIN!” Logan pulls the last words out and I just give him a faint smile. Yes, it’s something I do a lot, I know – a side effect of my ADHD. I call it brain-running. It’s as if I just can’t switch off my brain, even at night. As much as I hate to admit it, mostly it’s about Damion. Don’t judge, I don’t have to like the guy to divulge how incredibly sexy he is, but that’s not it … usually I think about how much I hate him, or how to get back at the ass-head dick. Not that I ever think about his ass … or his dick … oof, Mel, oof.
“I was just dreaming of my sweet little brothers.” I spit out the lie without even blinking my eyes.
“Ug, that’s not creepy at all.” Logan moans pulling his I-smell-shit face. I stick out my tongue at them and get up to start looking for something to wear.
“Maybe you girls should start titivating for the party tonight, while us boys go and get something to drink.” They all get up and move out of my room and I hear Enrique’s sexist comment “Damn, it’s good to be a man!”
“I’ll go check if Damion showed up,” Logan speaks, “he’s bringing me a new microphone from Switzerland.” Logan is a prominent Youtuber in his spare time … and he’s pretty good at it. He’s also my only brother that would get this excited over some piece of technology equipment.
“You know that Jason is also going to be here, right?” Kiara asks me as soon as the boys leave. I pull a face. Jason grew out of his cowardness over the years and turned into a hunky jock and one of the most popular boys in school, but he’s still the same jerk. And for some reason, he started harassing me, even now while I’m in a relationship with his friend. I haven’t told Ren about it … maybe because I don’t want to ruin their bromance … or because I know I can handle Jason by myself.
But my mind is not on Jason or Ren. I’m wondering when Damion came back from Europe. I knew he was there … his agenda is all over the news all the time … he raced in Spain. Even though I hate his guts, I must admire his performance on the track. He’s the youngest motorbike Grand Prix champion ever, and he keeps on breaking records as if it’s nothing.
But it’s not like I always watch his races on TV or something. Ok, I watch some … maybe most, or all of them … but it’s because I like bikes and also because my brothers watch them. It’s got nothing to do with him. I still don’t know why my stupid brother had to go and make friends with the worst guy ever.
*** POV - Melaena Axel is spread out on the couch waiting patiently for us to finish, his handsome face staring bored at the ceiling. "Axel dear, is Damion still such a hunk?" Kiara wiggles her eyebrows at me and I pout. "Don't know exactly what a hunk looks like?" Axel's mouth pulls up at one side. "Ug, never mind. More than nine years of girl talk and you still can't communicate with your feminine side!" She puts down the lipstick and claps her hands together, making me jump. "Okay guys, it's time! Let's do this!" Kiara is wearing a green dress with long sleeves that reaches mid-thigh. I put on my pink high-top sneakers and look in the mirror. The short dress with a blue flowery-skull pattern and a low-cut v-neck, under my denim jacket, flatters my slim figure and C-cup cleavage. My light hair hangs loose in soft curls down my back, reaching my butt, and I wonder what Damion will think. Then I shake my head. What the fudge? Who cares what that dude thinks? I wonder if he can
*** POV – Melaena Not as they seem? Is he trying to claim innocence? How can his affairs, which are plastered over the news every week, by the way, be anything different? I look at his confronting emerald eyes and start throwing ideas through my mind. Did he just tell me not to judge his affairs? Does it look like I'm the judgy type? "I'm not accusing you, but your shenanigans with the female species make for a very convincing closing argument. You could object that I don't have all the facts, and that's true, but everybody can witness the evidence of so-called flings in the tabloids and social media. Your face is plastered at least weekly, all over the internet, each time with a different brunette smiling at your side." I suddenly wonder what it is with him and dark-haired girls. It's definitely his type. And I'm definitely not. "Not to mention that I've experienced your love-em-and-leave-em deviltry first-handedly – TWICE. So, your honor, the accused is found guilty of b
* ***POV - Melaena "Who the fudge cares!" Jackson smiles eerily as a serial killer would at his victim, but I don't give a hooting hell at this moment. I'm mad – mostly at myself for being so weak - and take big strides towards the bar without a word before anybody thinks to ask some more questions. Like, why am I so worked up over my little brother's stupid bloody friend? That right there is a VERY very good question. The asshole enjoys making me suffer, getting under my skin, and making me angry on purpose. Gmf, telling me I don't know what I'm doing! Hell, excuse me for not being a total slut and not jumping everybody's bones. I hope I never see the likes of him again ... ever!!! I order a drink, trying to calm myself down. Ren pulls me into his arms and I rest my head on his strong chest. I'm glad my boyfriend is not a psychotic, unfeeling, heartless maniac like certain other people. Sociopath – I'm sure he pulls girls' hearts out for fun and buries them in his backyard
*** POV - Damion Logan drags me – irritated by the whole situation might I add - to pick up his sisters or something. We walk through the school doors to meet her inside, something about wanting to make her angry – I’m not sure, but I follow his lead. All the girls are checking us out, trying to get our attention, but I just ignore them – I’m so fed up with girls throwing themselves at me by now. I fake a bored yawn, feeling even more pissed off at my friend for landing me in this situation. But then I almost choke halfway through the yawn. The big number 13 on the back of the black jacket … my jacket … the one I gave to that girl. I quickly glance at the sleeve only to find my surname changed to ‘grim reaper’ with a cute chibi cartoon reaper painted where the second ‘M’ used to be … but it’s mine. My eyes scan over the rest of the girl standing at her locker, her blonde hair curling down to her hot as fuck ass in some tight jeans. It demands me to stand up and pay fucking attent
***POV - Damion Over the years, I truly tried to keep my distance from her, struggling to keep control when she’s around. I really did … and mostly succeeded. But once, after putting pink roses on the steps of the haunted house, I let my emotions numb my mind and I dragged her with me to sneak into the zoo. Everything felt so right, it was just amazing – one of the best times on the worst day of my life. I felt so brave … strong enough to face anything. But after I dropped her off, the shadows appeared from their hiding spots … I got scared shitless – frightened of the control she had over me; like a fucking voodoo doll. I realized that if she stuck a needle in the doll’s heart, I’ll never recover. Not to mention that I’ll have to break my rules, the only thing that keeps me in line, the only thing that keeps me from falling down the dark hole. So, being the dick I am, I made sure that she saw the brunette on my bike the next day. I got back control, but the hurt in her eyes would
***POV – Melaena D: Mayday! Mayday! A little actor is dying! I’ve changed his caller-id on my phone so I know when it’s him. I put away my phone. I’m not going to let one crazy guy ruin my life. He’s been sending me messages almost every day since that first time at the party. Mostly I just ignore them, but it’s starting to creep me out – this ‘mayday’ shit is something new because usually he just rants on about how I belong to him and that soon we’ll be together. And what does he mean by dying … could someone be after Enrique? Would he go as far as trying to kill my brother? Nope … it’s just a joke. Perverted ass-hat stalker! “This overall is ridiculously unflattering!” Kiara shouts while bursting into my bedroom, pulling at the fabric of the black overall covering her lean body. “I don’t think looking stylish on the paintball course was what they had in mind when they designed this.” I tease my best friend, looking down at my matching black outfit. “At least we’re on the same
***POV - Melaena I see Damion’s mouth move but my heartbeat pounding in my ears causes ferocious drumming inside the helmet, deafening me for a few moments. I take a deep breath and close my eyes to calm my ticker down and when the thumping slowly stops, I can hear his voice. “You okay?” He asks as soon as the grievous bodily harm to him stops. I nod and then I hear Enrique laughing from behind some logs. Douchbag! “Enrique, you’re going to be a bloating carcass when I’m finished with you!” Damion shouts, but Enrique just laughs harder. I smell that fresh, citrus, and woody scent I have come to associate with Damion over the years. Dior … he’s the face of Dior … and if I have to take a wild guess, today he’s wearing Sauvage. Mixed with sweat! But somehow it triggers my butterflies. They must be drawn to the musky smell of perspiration. I barely register the pain from the bruised wounds on my torso as it is being drowned out by the heightened, throbbing ache between my legs. Th
***POV - Damion I sit at the table with the guys in my grim-reaper suit next to Enrique. Ilkay, a psycho doctor, and Axel, a werewolf, are opposite us. Logan, a devil, is talking to Cat-woman in a dark corner. My gaze scans the room, secretly looking for a certain person. My heart gives a double beat when my eyes eventually find her walking down the stairs. She’s dressed in a short black skirt with white lace trimmings and small red roses around the hem; a short tight black crop top exposes her toned tummy, while black net stockings with knee-high black boots clad those perfect legs. Her face is painted lightly white with black circles around her eyes, red lips, and a stitched-in smile. Her light hair is hanging loose over her shoulders with red roses on the top of her head. Coincidentally, her sugar-skull girl theme fits perfectly with mine. My bitch-stick moves, but I just smile - I came prepared today. I didn’t get dressed as a reaper solely because of my surname … no, I can e