Page 66 of Reconciling With the Rival

Grant: Wait, guys, we forgot to talk about game night.

Paige: Whose number is that?

Unknown: Is this another group chat? How many of these do you have?

Unknown: It’s Leo.

Paige: Oh, hi!

Oliver: Grant, are you fucking serious?

Ella: -_-

Hads: Babe, I told you to text everyone separately.

Grant: This is easier.

Grant: So, game night is at our place this week. Whoever wins gets to pick the activity we do for Halloween. We’re doing it on November 1st since Halloween is on a Thursday this year.

Paige: YAY! Girls against guys this time?

Ella: Oh, I’m so down for that.

Leo: Do you guys do this often?

Oliver: Unfortunately, yes.

Grant: Sold. See you all at game night!

21

Punish Me

November 1st

“Seriously?” is all Ihear when I step out of my room.

When I look over at Ella, she folds her arms—clearly not impressed with my Halloween costume I spent forever thinking about. The girls got to pick what we did tonight since they won game night, and they chose to go to a club in costumes.

At least we’re not matching this year.

Ella made sure of it by matching costumes with my sister—as if she wouldn’t be caught dead matching with me again. She didtry to swing a bat at me last time, and she would have succeeded if I didn't stop her.

Fiery little fucking thing. I know she would’ve actually hurt me if that thing had hit me. There were nails on the end of it too.

“Is there a problem, Ella?”

“You can’t smoke in here.” She points to the vintage cigarette holder I bought.

I walk past where she stands and poke her in the face with it. “Good thing it’s not lit, then.”

I can practically feel her eyes roll as I head into the living room and see my sister pouring shots. Twelve of them, to be exact.

“Alissa, are you trying to blackout before we even leave the house?” I say as I sit down at the table.

“No. I’m pre-drinking, Leo. And so is everyone else when they get here.”

“Except Paige and Oliver. Neither of them are drinking,” Ella tells her as she grabs water from the fridge and downs it in one go.

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