chapter three

I woke up to loud screams and weird noises coming from down the hall. Groaning, I rubbed my eyes, dragged myself out of bed, and headed straight for Jackie's room.

The moment I opened the door, I froze and then burst out laughing.

"Oh my God... did you try to bleach your hair or what?" I managed between laughs.

Jackie spun around, her face red and furious. Her once-dark hair now had random streaks of bright orange and... was that green?

"Stop laughing, Evelyn!" she yelled, glaring at me. "It's not funny. They pranked me!"

I clutched my stomach, trying to breathe. "Not funny? Jackie, your head looks like a traffic light!"

I grabbed my towel and headed to the bathroom to shower before school. On my way down the hall, I passed the living room and froze when I saw Cole and Isaac laughing so hard they could barely breathe.

I didn't even need to ask, I knew they were behind Jackie's hair disaster.

"Seriously?" I crossed my arms, glaring at them. "You think it's funny to mess with my sister?"

Cole glanced up, smirking like he'd just won the lottery. "Come on, New York, it was harmless. Just a little fun."

Isaac tried to hide his grin but failed miserably. "She'll survive. It's just a prank."

I stepped closer, narrowing my eyes at both of them. "Maybe you guys think it's easy to prank my sister, but I'm telling you right now, I can't and won't tolerate this."

Cole raised his hands in mock surrender. "Ooooh, scary. New girl's taking sides."

Isaac's smile faded just slightly, his eyes flicking to mine for a second before he looked away.

"Yeah, laugh now," I said, brushing past them toward the bathroom. "But you're both gonna regret it."

Behind me, I heard Cole whisper, "I think we just made an enemy."

Isaac chuckled under his breath. "Or... she's just bluffing."

I smiled to myself as I shut the bathroom door. Oh, I'm not bluffing.

I was at school when I spotted Marcus across the hallway. He caught my gaze and smiled, that effortless, knowing kind of smile he always had. My heart skipped, and I instantly turned away, pretending to be fascinated by a random poster on the wall.

God. Why does everyone have to make me so nervous? What's about him?

By the afternoon, Grace and I had our last class together. The moment I sat down next to her, she leaned in like she had been waiting all day for this.

"Okay," she whispered, eyes sparkling, „you have to tell me everything. Jackie's your twin, and Marcus drove you home yesterday?"

I groaned, dropping my head onto my desk. "Grace, please. Can you not announce my entire life to the class?"

"I'm whispering!" she protested, a little too loudly. "And still everybody knows everything about you. You're a newbie."

I shot her a look, and she mimed zipping her lips. But two seconds later, she was back at it, leaning closer this time.

"So..." she whispered, „did something happen?"

I frowned. "Happen? What are you talking about?"

She smirked. „You know. Did he, like... lean in?"

I blinked at her. „Grace, no. He drove me home. That's it."

„That's it?" she repeated, clearly unconvinced. „Come on, you live in the Walters' house now. Do you know how many girls would kill to be in your position? That place is like... a teenage dream. And Marcus is..."

„Stop." I cut her off before she could finish. „Marcus is Marcus. End of story."

But Grace just raised an eyebrow like she didn't believe me for a second.

When class ended, we walked out together, and of course, because the universe hates me, Marcus was leaning against his car right outside the building. He looked relaxed, hands shoved into his pockets, talking to some guy I didn't recognize. And then his eyes found mine.

That same lazy smile spread across his face.

„Oh my God," Grace hissed, clutching my arm. „He's waiting for you."

„He's not..." I started, but she was already shoving me forward.

„Go. And text me everything."

I shot her a glare, but she just grinned and disappeared into the crowd.

Marcus pushed off the car, walking toward me like he had all the time in the world.

„Hey," he said, his voice low and easy. „Need a ride?"

I hesitated, my stomach doing this stupid flip it had no business doing. „I... guess."

His smile deepened, like he already knew I'd say yes.

Marcus opened the passenger door for me, which, honestly, threw me off a little. Chivalry wasn't really something I expected from him.

"Thanks," I mumbled as I slid in.

He walked around to the driver's side, got in, and started the car. For a moment, there was just music filling the silence, some soft indie song playing on the radio.

I glanced at him, expecting him to head toward the Walters' house, but instead, he took a left.

"Uh... you do know where I live, right?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He smirked, eyes still on the road. "Relax. I'm not kidnapping you."

"That's exactly what a kidnapper would say," I shot back, crossing my arms.

He chuckled, low and warm. "You're safe, Eve. Promise."

"Then where are we going?"

"You'll see."

I rolled my eyes but leaned back against the seat, pretending I wasn't curious, even though my heart was racing a little.

After a few minutes, we pulled up to a quiet stretch of a beautiful sea surounded by mountains. I'd never seen before. It was tucked behind a row of tall trees, completely hidden from the main road. There were no crowds, no noise, just the sound of waves crashing and the smell of salt in the air.

Marcus killed the engine and looked at me. "Best spot in Colorado," he said simply. "Not a lot of people know about it."

I blinked, taken aback. "You... brought me here?"

He shrugged, like it was nothing. "Figured you could use a break. You've been tense since you moved in. Thought you might like some quiet."

For a moment, I didn't know what to say. No one ever really noticed things like that about me.

"That's... actually really sweet," I admitted softly.

He smiled, not his usual smug grin, but a softer one. "Don't tell anyone. Ruins my reputation."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Your secret's safe."

We got out of the car, and I kicked off my shoes, letting the gras sink beneath my feet. Marcus shoved his hands into his pockets, walking next to me in silence for a bit.

"You know," he said after a while, glancing at me, "I think you're the only person in school who doesn't look at me like I'm some... cliché."

I tilted my head. "You kind of are a cliché."

He gave me a mock-offended look. "Wow. Brutal."

I grinned. "You'll survive."

For a second, he just stared at me, like he was memorizing something. Then he shook his head, smiling to himself, and looked out at the sea.

And for the first time since moving here, I felt... calm.

Marcus dropped me off in front of the Walters' house, the warm evening air buzzing with crickets.

"Thanks for today," I said softly, fingers brushing against the door handle.

He shot me a crooked smile. "No problem. I'll add it to your tab."

I frowned. "My... tab?"

"For the ride. And..." His gaze lingered on me for a second. "...your smile."

I rolled my eyes, trying to hide the heat creeping up my cheeks. "You're ridiculous."

"Maybe," he said, leaning back casually, "but I still got you to smile."

I opened the door quickly, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me blush. "Okay, I have to go now. Bye."

I shut the door and hurried up the porch steps without looking back, though I was painfully aware of his gaze following me until I disappeared inside.

The smell of roasted chicken hit me as I stepped into the dining room. Everyone was already at the table, forks clinking against plates. But the mood felt... heavy.

"Uh, hi," I said carefully, sliding into my seat. "Everything okay?"

Katherine sighed, pushing her plate away slightly. "It's about Jackie's hair," she said, rubbing her temples.

I blinked innocently. "Her hair?"

"Do you know anything?" Katherine asked, glancing toward the boys.

"Oh..." I forced a small, surprised smile. "I... don't know anything." Total lie. I'd overheard Isaac and Cole laughing earlier, bragging about how they switched Jackie's shampoo with bleach. Katherine had found out too.

"Okay," Katherine continued, her tone tight.

I nodded, pretending to focus on my food, but then Katherine's eyes sharpened as she turned to me.

"And where were you so late?" she asked. "Who drove you home?"

I hesitated, stabbing at my potatoes like they might save me. "...Marcus. He, um... brought me somewhere."

Her fork paused midair. "...Somewhere."

"Yes," I said quickly, keeping my voice steady. "It's not a big deal."

Isaac, who had been unusually quiet, finally glanced up at me, his brows furrowed like he wanted to ask a thousand questions but didn't dare, not with Katherine sitting right there.

I could feel the weight of everyone's eyes on me, but I kept my expression perfectly calm.

I sat on Jackie's bed, waiting quietly. The door to the bathroom was closed, but I could hear the faint sound of running water and the occasional splash.

When Jackie finally stepped out, wrapped in a towel, her hair was back to its natural color. She looked tired, a little frustrated and definitely still worked up.

"Hi," I said softly, trying to keep my voice calm. "You okay?"

She let out a heavy sigh, brushing her damp hair back from her face. "Katherine's pissed," she muttered. "She already knows everything about the prank."

I raised my eyebrows. "Yeah, I saw it"

Jackie nodded, her jaw tight. "Yeah. I told her what Isaac and the boys did. I couldn't just let it slide, Eve. She was furious... you should've seen her face."

I stayed quiet and was listining to her.

"She's really angry," Jackie continued, pacing a little. "Said they better not try anything like this again... or there'd be serious consequences."

I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek. "Well... sounds like they got what they deserved."

Jackie glanced at me, a small smirk forming despite her frustration. "Yeah... but I'm not done with them yet. They still owe me."

I laughed quietly. "Of course. That's my sister."

She rolled her eyes, but the tension in her shoulders eased slightly. "Good. You're on my side, right?"

"Always," I said, offering her a small smile.

We sat there for a moment, letting the silence settle, both of us aware that Katherine's anger was still simmering downstairs.

The next morning, I got ready and headed downstairs.

"Good morning," I said as I entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, honey," Katherine replied, her voice calm but her eyes sharp. "So... I've been thinking. There are three girls in the house now. The bathroom downstairs is just for Jackie, Evelyn, and Parker."

Lee raised an eyebrow. "Wait... they just got here and they get their own room and bathroom?"

"Excuse me?" Katherine added, surprised.

Katherine blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Really... Katherine,...."

Jackie cut her off, her tone sharp as she stood up. "Forgot it" She stormed past, clearly not in the mood for discussion.

Lee shook his head and stormed out too, muttering under his breath.

Alex glanced at me and sighed before heading after Jackie as well. The tension from last night hadn't faded and it looked like this morning was only going to get messier.