Page 36 of Valentine Dare

14

Jenny

Brent ranout of the kitchen, and he left eggs and bacon for me. It was crazy. I’d eaten more here than I had the whole year I was at home. There was something about this place; it felt more like home then my real home ever had.

The boys had been so good to me. They cooked for me, cleaned and at times, tended to my every need. It was as if I was in seventh heaven, yet the question about what it all meant had never been brought up. I never said a word, because I was worried about being rejected. This wasn’t the time for more bad news, and I was scared if I asked them, they would turn me away. I couldn’t take the rejection, not after all I’d been through since dad was released.

Then again, Trent told me the crazy idea about coming up with a fake relationship, pretending I was dating all three of them. I wanted to ask what we’d been doing, but Prent and Trent telling me about faking it answered the question.

I’d given Brent my virginity, but then Prent had done the same to me. I agreed to the fake relationship, not because of them, but more for me. I wanted Kurt to pay in some way for all the times he’d made me feel insignificant and even more for the shit he’d posted online. Some of them were horrible, damn right deplorable. Photos I’d taken with him, my face scratched out and money pouring out from the sky, with comments about me being a thief. He’d gone out of his way to humiliate me and make everyone who knew me know dad was a thief. The boys didn’t want me to see it, but once they left for school, I scrolled Instagram and Twitter, and it was as if Kurt had gone out of his way to make everyone and anyone know what kind of person he used to date. And to make sure they knew about my life.

I sighed as I slumped on the sofa. I should be studying or at least handing in a paper. I hadn’t done much studying on the weekend. Whenever I did try and study, my mind would drift. Besides, I’d spent some time with Prent, seeing as Brent and Trent were busy working during the weekend, and it had been nice.

I could tell he wasn’t too keen on the fake thing. Maybe it was a test, and they didn’t know if I was into them or not?

Man, was I confused!

I heard the doorbell ring, and I assumed one or maybe three of them had come back from school and decided to keep me company. Then again, if it was one of them, why the hell would they be ringing the bell? I pondered this as I drew closer to the door.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I screamed as I opened the door.

Tracey was standing on the other side of it. She was in a pink dress with matching pumps. She looked so adorable, even if that wasn’t the look she was going for.

“Well, I got your message. Saw Brent as I was going to school. He told me you wasn’t coming in today. Gave me your address, and here I am. You going to invite me in, or just talk to me from the door?”

I shook my head. “Sorry, come in. Damn, but we have exams.”

“Yeah, and I don’t have an exam today. I couldn’t let you be here all alone. I decided to come and keep you company.”

I shrugged. “There’s no double shake here.”

She laughed, “I don’t drink them 24/7 you know. Well, I have been drinking them a lot less.”

“How comes?”

“Dunno, just feel like I could do with losing a few pound seeing as I’m hanging out with a skinny girl.”

I motioned for us to go to the living room.

“I’m not that skinny!” I said as I put my hands on my hips.

“See, you can put your hands on your hips. As for me…”

She was exaggerating as she tried to put her hands on her hips, as if it was impossible. It made me laugh, something which Tracey was good at.

I put my hands on Tracey’s waist, and she pushed me away.

“Hey girl, you’ve got three boyfriends. Don’t be adding me to the list. I don’t go down like that,” Tracey blurted.

I laughed. “Neither do I.”

Tracey sighed, then came out with whatever was on her mind. I could never read her, but she said whatever she was thinking. This was what I loved about her.

“Right, seeing as you skipped school and have no intention of studying, what are we doing today?”

She shocked me. I didn’t expect her to want to skip school too. I nearly choked, thinking she had really changed. I thought she was a straight-A student for not only studying so hard, but attending classes too. Then again, when we first officially spoke, she did say something about spending hours in the bathroom, and she knew about leaving school through the back, so I shouldn’t be too surprised.

“Oh, so now you’re happy I came to visit,” Tracey teased.

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