Page 1 of Double the Dilemma

CHAPTERONE

KARISSA

Ten Years Ago

Tonight was the night Sena would kill her.

She didn’t know how she knew, but she felt it so deep in her bones she had the terrible urge to flee. Even if it wouldn’t matter. What kind of life would she have on the streets? It’s not like she had anywhere to go, or any family or friends to help her. So instead, she was stuck, in her umpteenth foster home, with a bunch of kids she didn’t know, or even care to. But she was all that stood between them and Sena.

Sena Farrell was a psychopath. She loved to manipulate everyone around her, to harm anyone who crossed her, and did it with a smile on her face. She’s the kind of person that was shaped by her life into something that others should fear. Karissa didn’t know her back story, but she had to imagine for her to be this way, it was the worst of the worst. And that was saying something, considering she came from a home where her mother spent all day turning tricks and getting high, and her father beat them whenever the mood struck. If he wasn’t passed out drunk, or sniffing who knew what up his nose.

When she first arrived here, the first person she met after her new foster parents was Sena. She knew then the girl was going to make her life a living hell. Sena had put on a sweet smile and gave her a big hug, but Karissa knew evil was in the eyes, not the smile or the way one acted. It was the anticipation in her cold green eyes, and the way they tracked every step, that gave her away.

Sena was a year older, and had been at the home for almost six months before Karissa arrived, but in that time, Sena made a name for herself at school and in the house. Kids were coming and going, some staying days, some weeks, but never longer than a month. The kids would just say they didn’t like it there, and since they were younger and most little kids were easier to find homes for, they moved them. But not Karissa. Placements for teenagers were hard to come by, so she stayed, even after she told her social worker what was going on.

Now, six months later, she was finally getting out of this place. It wouldn’t be by choice, and she’d probably be in a body bag, but at least it would be over. She had spent the last six months keeping Sena’s attention off the other kids. Especially the little ones, and the one other teenager was far too soft and sweet to stand a chance against someone like Sena.

The day Lizzie arrived with her little brother, Shawn, she knew what would happen. Sena had gotten the grand prize, two for one. Shawn was ten, while Lizzie was fourteen, and both scared out of their minds. They lost their parents in a car accident, and none of their family wanted to step up to take care of them. It sucked, but Karissa figured they had a good life, and despite Sena, the foster home was okay. Their foster parents, Sandy and Darren, weren’t complete assholes, and they tried to make an effort. Nothing spectacular, but Karissa could count on one hand the number of times a foster parent had treated her as well as ‘okay’.

Lizzie, though, caught Sena’s attention immediately. She was ridiculously pretty, with soft blonde hair and big blue eyes. Her smile was small, and she barely spoke above a whisper, her body weighed down by grief. The first night, she cried herself to sleep in the bunk above Karissa, which had of course irritated Sena, who was in the room next door. Sena had come barging into the room in the middle of the night and hoisted herself up into Lizzie’s bed and tried to strangle her.

Karissa had pulled her off and gotten her out of the room, but not before earning a black eye and losing a chunk of hair for her trouble. Poor Lizzie had been shaking with terror, and it took a few stern words from Karissa to be quiet and say nothing. Sena would only make her life worse, and thankfully, Lizzie listened and never said anything to anyone. Still, Karissa stood between her and Sena more times in the past few months than she could count.

Today, though, everything changed. She made the mistake of crossing Sena one too many times and she was going to pay the price.

It started out innocently enough, coming home from another boring day at school. She hated her teachers, and most of the kids in her class ignored her, but she was smart enough to be doing well and was able to finish her homework before she even came back to the house. Today, she just wanted to get home and veg out in front of the TV; something she rarely got to do because everyone else was hogging it. Today, she would be the only one home for a few hours while Lizzie and Shawn went to an appointment with their social worker, and Sena was off doing God knew what. Another foster kid, Tim, left yesterday to go back to his family and she knew he was relieved.

When she reached the house, she let herself in, but stopped when she heard noise coming from down the hall. She heard them enough when she lived at home to know that someone was getting busy. From where the sound was coming from, she guessed it was Sena. Her foster parents had rules about having people in the house, but Karissa wasn’t about to start any more shit so she ignored it. Instead, she sat on the couch and turned on the TV, loud enough for Sena to know someone was home.

Not that Sena would care.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Sena’s door opened and she and one of the boys from school stumbled out. Karissa instantly recognized him as one of the popular kids, a bad boy who basically said fuck you to anything and everyone. He and Sena were so much alike she wasn’t surprised they were together. When they saw her, Sena smirked and walked off to the kitchen. The guy, Kona, buttoned his jeans and righted his shirt.

Karissa turned away from him and went back to watching TV. She had nothing to say to him, even when he sat on the opposite end of the sofa and stared at her. She could feel his eyes taking her in, and she was glad she wore a thick hoodie and a pair of jeans that hung loose on her frame. She didn’t like the way he was looking at her. She had seen more than enough guys look at her mother that way, before their eyes turned to her as she got older and hit puberty.

“Whatcha watching?” Kona asked after a moment. She didn’t answer. “Sena said you’re a bitch,” he added when he realized she wasn’t going to answer. “What, you think you’re too good to talk to me?”

“Of course she does,” Sena sneered as she came into the room, bottle of beer in hand. “Krissy doesn’t give a shit about anyone.”

That’s rich coming from her, Karissa thought to herself, but she didn’t take the bait, or acknowledge that Sena used the nickname she knew Karissa hated. Karissa once made the mistake of mentioning her dislike of it to her foster parents when Sena was in earshot. Sena had been calling her Krissy ever since. Still, she knew better than to start anything with Sena when no one was home. Sena wouldn’t hesitate to attack her, and Karissa was too tired to deal with it. All the fights had worn her down, and she would have to be in top shape for when Lizzie and Shawn got back.

Though maybe the sex would even Sena out for the night and she would spend most of it in her room. Karissa could hope, but it was foolish.

“I’m talking to you, bitch,” Kona suddenly snapped at her, anger in his voice. She felt him shift toward her.

She turned her gaze to him and said, “I have nothing to say to you so I don’t need to speak to you. You can clearly see what I’m watching so you don’t need to ask.” Then she turned and looked back at the TV.

Neither Kona nor Sena said anything for a moment, but she could feel their anger. She carefully braced, just in case she needed to make a quick exit. Instead, both of them sneered at her before Kona got up off the couch, and off they went back towards Sena’s bedroom. Karissa let out a soft breath of relief, and turned up the volume again so she couldn’t hear what they were doing.

By the time Kona left, Karissa was making dinner, and she knew Lizzie, Shawn, and Sandy would be home soon. She hoped that Sena would spend that time in her room and leave her alone. Surprisingly, she did. Sena rarely gave up an opportunity to attack her in some way. Verbally, physically, emotionally; she was never safe.

It worried her.

Sandy and Darren came home with the kids and Sandy commented she was thankful to Karissa for making dinner. But that wasn’t what caught Karissa’s attention. It was seeing Sena make her way out of her room; when her glare connected with Karissa’s gaze, Karissa fought not to stiffen at the hate in Sena’s eyes. It was bone chilling, and that was when she knew. Something set her off, and whatever it was, Karissa was going to pay the price.

Somehow she managed not to panic, but she barely ate any dinner, careful to keep one eye on Sena the entire time. Lizzie and Shawn were quiet and withdrawn during the meal, but Karissa couldn’t bring herself to care.

Sena’s hate seemed to disappear as they ate, and she was back to being her normal self, hurling thinly veiled insults at Lizzie and Karissa. Shawn mostly avoided her attention this time, but Karissa could see Lizzie shrinking in on herself, trying to distance herself from the barbs. Darren and Sandy were oblivious as always, content to focus on their beers and food.

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