Chapter 7

ARI

“Ahhhh!”

I jumped back from another boy trying to ask me for a dance. Chad Fredrick, a stupid name by the way, stood in front of me with his hand held out. I looked him up and down, not concealing my disdain. 

The dance was in full swing, lights flashing and music thumping, but it wasn’t loud enough for me to miss his request. What was with these losers thinking they had a chance with me? They should know by now, Arianna Crystal Mora, doesn’t bottom feed. I would rather die. 

“Look, Charles…” I start swiping his hand away.

“It’s Chad,” he corrected, but I ignored him. I knew his name. I just didn’t care to get it right.

“...it’s cute you think you have a chance and honestly I’m surprised to see you breathing within ten feet of my personal space. So how about you go find someone in the cesspit of losers to dance with?”

Chad’s face fell and the little hopeful light dimmed in his eyes–something I was proud of. “I just thought–”

“No, you don’t think,” I cut him off. “I’m way out of your league, Charles. So shoo and find someone more…your level. OK?”

My words hung in the air, and I saw the hurt on Chad’s face. Instead of moving away, he adjusted his suit and straightened his spine. He started to speak, but I held up my hand to stop him. I looked over at Randall and Leo, who smiled and got up from their seats. I loved that I never had to say anything for those two to get riled up. 

I felt a twinge of satisfaction as I watched them. Randall and Leo lifted Chad by his arms, ignoring his protests and carried him away. Tyler, on the other hand, intervened when he wanted, and apparently this was too amusing for him to.

“That was brutal,” Tyler chuckled, shaking his head.

“Well, it would be sad if I didn’t set him straight,” I replied, flipping my hair over my shoulder. “Let’s get back to having fun.”

“Here, Ari.” Amber handed me a flask we stole from our mom’s hidden cabinet in her office. 

I didn’t really bring it to drink from. I just wanted to see if I could steal without my stepmom noticing. As always, she was oblivious. The only thing that mattered to her was who I was hanging with and what I was wearing. It was a surprise that she treated me so well. Hell, she cared more for me than her actual daughter, and I knew Amber knew it.

“Did you drink from it?” I asked, watching her nervously look at it and back at me. “I told you to get a cup.” I pushed the flask away. “Just because we’re sisters doesn’t mean I would want anything your mouth touched.”

I got up from the table. I was becoming bored and I haven’t seen my latest pet. Mila has been good at avoiding us in school. Lucky for her. I couldn’t believe someone like her was getting special attention in our art class. Granted, I didn’t need the scholarship. I could afford to go anywhere I wanted, but Aliz was a household name. Having something like that under my belt would definitely catapult me into success, and I could finally get from under my father’s thumb. We were a household name, but it was nothing compared to the Aliz family. 

To make sure I get that last name, I begged my father to send us to school here. He didn’t want to at first, stating where we lived had the best schools in the West, but none of them had an Aliz, and that was my main goal. Tyler was already mine for the taking. Now I just needed that scholarship. 

Everything was going accordingly to plan until Mila popped her chubby little face in the middle. I wasn’t worried though. I had plans on dealing with her. There was no way she could outdo me in any–

“Holy shit!” Tyler stood up, looking towards the entrance. I followed his gaze and saw Gabe walking in, hand in hand, with Mila. She actually came.

“Damn, Mila looks hot,” Tyler practically exclaimed. I pushed against his shoulder. She wasn’t that cute.

“Didn’t we destroy her stuff?” Leo asked while checking her out.

I watched as she walked around the room with Gabe. I couldn’t deny that she was a vision. Her dark, radiant skin glowed, enhanced by a light touch of makeup. Her high cheekbones were accentuated by a soft blush, and her lips shimmered with a subtle gloss. Her kinky hair was styled in a way that framed her face beautifully, curls falling down her shoulders in a natural elegance.

How the hell could she afford professional styling like this? I wondered as I watched her walk over to the photo area with Gabe. 

The dress she wore fit her perfectly as if it was custom-made. The different shades of pink flowed gracefully on the floor. The fabric caught the lights in the room with every movement, giving it an ethereal effect. I shook my head to stop myself from gawking when I noticed I wasn’t the only one. Most of the people here were looking at her and it pissed me off. Why did she always have to take the spotlight?

Gabe whispered something to her, and she made eye contact with me for the first time. I made sure not to look happy. A shy smile spread across her face, and for the first time since I met her, she looked…confident. Oh, no. We can’t have that. No one should dare try to outshine Arianna Crystal Mora.

“Tyler, I need a favor,” I said with a smile. This party just got interesting.