Four

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VOTE! Don't Forget!

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After only one episode of Everything Sucks!, my phone blares loudly as the theme of the second episode starts, making me pause the show and accept the Facetime call.

"Hey!" my three best friends call in unison, seemingly happy.

I grin. "You guys are all together this time."

That's a first.

"Yeah, I figured just cause you're here doesn't mean I should just block them out." Cami shrugs, grinning at the others.

I send a genuine smile through the phone. "I'm really glad. Just because I can't be here doesn't mean I want y'all to have a summer that sucks as much as mine."

They laugh.

"So, have you gone in your dad's pool yet?" Paislee asks, smirking.

I roll my eyes. "No. But I was out trying to tan earlier and Maverick came home. He started saying I needed to change because my bathing suit was inappropriate."

"Hasn't he ever heard of a teenager wearing a bikini?" Paislee asks, laughing lightly.

"Exactly." I shrug. "Either way, he had this other guy with him. I guess it's like his best friend or something."

"Was he cute?" Camila asks, raising her brows.

I furrow my own. "Why?"

"Because why else would you bring him up?" Camila asks, bouncing them funnily.

I grin. "Okay, from what I could tell he was really cute. But he did have sunglasses and a hat on." I shrug.

"Still, you can tell if a guy's cute." Paislee says, giggling.

I grin, thinking back to only a couple hours ago out by the pool.

I glance over at Maverick now, getting tired of the silence. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend or does he just get to stare at me?"

"Oh, um," Maverick stutters, looking back and forth between us. "Hadlee, this is Justin. Justin, this is my stubborn ass little sister , Hadlee."

"It's nice to meet you." I inform him, extending my hand politely. "Justin."

A smirk appears upon his lips. "Hello Hadlee."

It was only two words but it somehow left me wanting more of a conversation with him. Nevertheless, it also makes me hope he is nothing like my the person my brother has become. Then again, one can only hope.

"Hadlee?!" Camila calls, causing me to snap from my thoughts.

"What?" I ask, blinking a few times.

"You like zoned out, are you okay?" she giggles.

I nod. "Yeah, sorry. I was thinking."

"About Maverick's friend?" she asks, smirking.

I roll my eyes, a smile playing on my lips. "Maybe."

"Was he really, like, that cute?" Daniella asks, giggling.

I grin wider now. "What I could see, yes."

"Did he talk enough for you to know what type of guy he is?" Paislee asks, raising her brows.

I shake my head, shrugging. "No. He just said hi to me and then when I stormed off he told Maverick to let me go."

"Well that sucks." Cami frowns. "You'll have to see if he's around more often." she says, winking.

I laugh lightly, nodding. "Yeah. I just hope he's not a dick. I mean, that's how Maverick's been acting and if he is I can't wait to come home and get as far as I can."

They laugh.

"Got that right." Dani nods.

"Anyways, are you guys all sleeping at Dani's tonight?" I ask.

They nod.

"Yeah, we're gonna watch movies and stay up and then sleep in tomorrow and probably watch more movies when we get up. That way we rest up for the amusement park days this weekend." Paislee explains, doing a small happy dance.

I laugh. "I hope you guys have fun. I wish I could be there but well, we all know why I can't." I roll my eyes.

"Hadlee! Dinner!" Annabell yells up the stairs, her muffled voice someone finding its way through the door and to my ears.

"I gotta go, dinner's ready. I'll FaceTime you guys later before bed, okay?"

They nod once again and we hang up, mumbling goofy 'byes' before we do so.

I climb out of bed, laying the blanket neatly on the bed where I was sitting before jogging down the stairs and entering the dining room. "Dinner smells good- what is he doing here?" I ask, my eyes falling on Maverick sitting at the other end of the table.

"I'm here for dinner in my home, thanks Hadlee." he says, rolling his eyes.

"Well you're never here so excuse me for not wanting you here when you are." I sass, taking my seat and pursing my lips slightly.

"Well, I'm here tonight so you can keep your attitude to yourself, it's not needed in this house." he snaps.

"Yes, Maverick, because you own this fucking house."

"Okay." our father interrupts, looking in between us. "Eat."

I pick up my fork, shoving a small green bean in my mouth before taking a sip of the water that was set out for me.

"So, Maverick, we haven't seen you in a while. Is everything okay?" Annabell asks, looking to Maverick with a small, genuine smile.

Maverick nods, swallowing his food. "Good. I mean, as good as it can be. It's been super busy lately so that's why I'm working all the time. I come home but you guys are asleep when I get here." he chuckles.

"Well, we assumed you came home to sleep." our father chuckles. "Annabell said there is laundry in your room, so..."

Maverick nods, chuckling.

I take this opportunity to look to the right of Maverick, noticing Justin who sits comfortably in his seat, slouching slightly but eating quietly, his mind not seeming to be in the conversation. He's still wearing the same thing as earlier although now his hat is off, I'm assuming for respect in the house, leaving his medium brown hair lay naturally on his head. Sort of messy, but not in a bad way, almost in a cute way. He glances up, connecting our eyes for just a moment as a smirk forms on his lips. I look down immediately, biting my lip and continuing to flip my food around on my plate as I had been doing before. Hazel brown. A beautiful hazel brown.

"You need to be home more." Reece says as I tune my ears back into the conversation at hand.

"I'll make sure to take a couple days off to spend time with you bud." Maverick smiles down at him.

"Yay!" Reece squeals in excitement, forcing Annabell to calmly tell him to eat. He does so, not wanting to make her upset.

I force a few more bites into my mouth, slowly chewing and swallowing the good food although my appetite had disappeared the moment I saw Maverick was present.

This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. I was supposed to be close to Mav. But no, he had to become a dick and I wasn't having it.

"May I be excused?" I blurt out, interrupting Maverick telling the table how he thinks he's going to get some promotion at work soon.

"I suppose so." Annabell says after a few seconds, nodding while looking over with a concerned look in her eyes.

"Thanks." I mumble, getting up and throwing the leftover contents in the trash. I then set my plate in the sink, figuring Maverick can wash it since he's so perfect. I then make my way back to my room, closing the door and sitting on my bed before huffing out a breath. After a moment, I grab my laptop, opening a word document and trying to get as much off my chest as possible.

One thing that absolutely sucks about this summer: Maverick's a cocky dick who can't stop talking about himself for five minutes.

I've been around him for less than twenty four hours in total and I'm already tired of his presence. They keep talking about his job.. Which I still have no idea what it is by the way. Everyone else seems to know although why wouldn't they? He wouldn't be able to brag if they didn't.

I'm wondering if his best friend, Justin, works in the same place he does. I guess that could be a good thing and a bad thing. It all depends on what the career actually is.

Speaking of Justin, he's actually gorgeous. No kidding, this guy is beautiful. His hair is brown, thankfully he took off his hat so I'd know... well, that's probably not why but nevertheless. His eyes are hazel brown, stunning really, and his jawline is to die for.

I'm interrupted by a light knock on the door, causing my eyes to furrow.

It's probably just my dad wondering why I didn't eat.

"Come in." I call out softly, pushing my computer off my lap and closing it beside me.

The door shuts softly, causing my eyes to shift over and lay on Justin.

"I think you may have the wrong room." I tell him, confused.

He chuckles, shaking his head. "No, I have the right room. I knew it was yours since the rest of them are taken by everyone else." he shrugs, a smirk appearing on his lips once again.

"Umm, okay?" I ask, gulping.

"So what was up with you and your brother?" he asks, nodding his head backwards to gesture downstairs.

"Which time?" I ask, sighing.

He chuckles again. "Dinner."

"What about it?" I question, pretending to know nothing of which he talks about.

"Come on," he pauses, giving me a look. "You played with your food more than you ate, meaning you didn't eat nearly enough to fill your stomach, you seemed to be pissed the majority of the time and you had a major attitude with Maverick... just like at the pool."

"Maybe I just wasn't hungry." I shrug, shaking my head.

He shrugs, nodding. "Maybe. Or maybe you feel awkward with your brother around."

"Awkward is the last word I'd use for when my brother is around." I snap, looking up at him.

He raises his brows. "Yeah? Then what word would you use?"

"Annoyed." I answer immediately before beginning to mock him. "I'm working a lot, be proud of me. I'm about to get a promotion, I'm so much better than everyone."

He chuckles, shaking his head at my lame impression. "Don't worry, I know for a fact that promotion isn't happening. He's definitely not next in line."

I nod. "Good... how exactly did you know all of that by the way?"

"What? The promotion?" he asks, seemingly starting to panic a bit.

"No," I pause, shaking my head. "The um, how I was acting."

"Oh." he shrugs. "I'm observant."

"Than what was everyone else doing?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"Eating, unlike you."

"What were they talking about?" I ask, throwing another question.

He licks his lips, a smirk appearing on them almost immediately afterward. "Alright, you caught me, Hadlee Cooper."

I nod. "Why are you watching me?"

"Why were you staring at me at the table?" he asks, his smirk growing.

I roll my eyes. "I was interested in what you actually looked like without sunglasses and a hat."

He nods. "Fair enough. And to answer your question, I find you intriguing." he claims.

"Intriguing?" I ask.

He grins, nodding once more quickly. "You're not afraid to throw attitude at your brother and stick up to him."

"What does no one else do that?" I ask, confusion swarming my orbs as he chuckles.

"No one but me and another one of our friends." he shrugs.

"Well than looks like I'm different." I tell him, gulping as he just stares.

"Aren't they going to notice you've been gone awhile?" I ask, pointing to the door to indicate I meant my family.

He nods. "I better go. Have a good night, Hadlee."

"You too." I tell him suspiciously, watching him leave the room before whispering to myself. "What the hell was that?"

I find myself sitting for what seems to be forever, my teeth eventually finding my bottom lip and nearly puncturing the skin.

"You okay?"

My head snaps over, noticing my father in the doorway and making my teeth release my lip. "Yeah." I nod. "I was just um, just thinking."

He chuckles. "You've been sitting there like that for at least five minutes."

I nod. "Yeah, um, I'm actually gonna go to bed, so..."

He nods. "I get it. Goodnight sweetheart, I'll see you tomorrow."

I grin. "Goodnight dad."

He closes the door, it latching with a click.

Pulling back the blankets, I curl up under them, turning out my bedside lamp and making sure my phone is plugged in before squeezing my eyes shut, forcing myself into a restless slumber. 

***

thank you everyone for reading the new chapter:)

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love you all, 

shan:)

QUESTIONS: 

1. Why do you think Justin went to find Hadlee?

2. What was your favorite and least favorite parts of this chapter?

3. What do you think will happen in the next chapter next week?