Chapter 2

With the twins around, the first class felt much longer than I had anticipated. Fortunately, they didn’t bother me again. By the time the bell for the next class rang, I realized they had already vanished, as if they had never been there at all. During the break, Kat and I made plans for the weekend while making small talk. She worked at a local restaurant and even offered to get me a job as a waitress. I was grateful because, usually, I had to rely on my part-time income to buy the essentials that Lauren refused to provide. Since the court made Lauren my legal guardian until I turned eighteen, I refused to give her any of the money I worked for, supporting myself to the best of my ability. Every month, Grandma received a mysterious check written out for me, but since moving in with Lauren, she used them for herself and Darren. Kat told me she'd give me a ride after school tomorrow for an interview at the restaurant. "It's not fancy or anything, but it's the fanciest we have in this town," she shrugged. "You get decent tips if you know how to be flirty." I chuckled nervously. "I have no idea how to be flirty." "Don't worry, you'll learn. It comes with the job," Kat reassured me. I was definitely worried about working as a waitress. My clumsiness seemed to increase with my nervousness, and the last thing anyone wanted was a waitress spilling drinks all over them. My day seemed to be turning around when I walked into my next class and saw Kat sitting in the back. We continued our conversation. "The people here really aren't all bad," Kat smiled. "You'll survive as long as you avoid Jessy and her friends." "Jessy?" I asked, frowning. "The blonde girl who hangs around the twins," Tori replied, helping me put a name to the face. Jessy was the supermodel-like girl who called me a freak. Great start. "I think I already blew that one," I frowned. "Just completely avoid the twins from now on," Kat advised. "She's with Kieran at the moment and she's super possessive." I was more than happy to take Kat’s advice, but my luck ran out in my next class, whichIt the twins seems weren’t going to let me off the hook. They sat alone at a large square table, and my heart nearly fell out of my chest when the teacher told me to join them.Walking to the back, I tripped over someone's table leg but managed to catch myself, ignoring the snickers from other students. With my face burning and my stomach doing flips, I sank down at the twins' table, avoiding eye contact until I could calm my thundering heart. I could feel their eyes on me, and I let out a shaky sigh before turning to meet their gaze. Sitting this close to them was both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because I had a much better look at them—Kieran was slightly more muscular, but their faces were nearly identical with full eyebrows, long eyelashes, and plump lips. "Oh look, Kieran," Ethan smirked, his voice tinged with amusement. "The little monster is staring at us." I quickly averted my gaze, lowering my head to avoid making eye contact with them. Ethan's voice was deep and rough around the edges, causing my voice to catch in my throat. Kieran's lips turned up in a smirk as his cold eyes roamed over me. "You’re right, the little doll is definitely curious about us." They were talking about me as if I weren't there, and I sat silently, trying not to gape at them. Their attractiveness was undeniable, but their attitudes were infuriating. I regretted my instant attraction to the twins. "Oh look, Kieran," Ethan smirked again. "The little doll is trying to ignore us." My heart jumped at the nickname, unsure if it was an insult or a compliment. The way they looked at me scared and enticed me simultaneously. "Ignoring us will only make it worse for you, sweetheart," Kieran said, his dark eyes burning into mine. My heart continued to race at the names they called me. This was a game I didn't understand—borderline bullying, yet the names sounded affectionate. I scolded myself for thinking they might like me. Why would two god-like twins be interested in someone like me? Ignoring them only made it worse. Throughout the class, they continued to make comments, pushing my buttons. I wasn't sure if they wanted a response or an outburst, but I gave them neither. They made me do all the work for a week-long project by myself. The next class was no better, featuring Ethan, Kat, Jessy, and her friends. Sitting by Kat the entire time was a small comfort, but Ethan continued to smirk and pester me. Jessy's hatred for me was clear, and the more attention Ethan gave me, the angrier she got. Somehow, I managed to get through the rest of the school day, which consisted of five extremely long classes. Unfortunately, I had both twins in two of them. Gym class, always my least favorite, was even worse with the twins' hot gazes making my uncoordination more pronounced. Luckily, I could sit out until they found me a uniform, but knowing I would start gym on Monday tied my stomach in knots. A week passed in a blur. Darren was as bad as ever, but I avoided confrontations and his handsy behavior. The twins continued to torment me, both upsetting and confusing me. Jessy and her friends escalated from glares and snickers to mean comments. On the bright side, Kat and I became closer once I got hired at the same restaurant where she worked, a little Italian place in town. I also made a new friend, Lilian, an athletic girl with sandy blonde hair and large blue eyes. It was my first day of work, a Sunday, and while Saturday was spent finishing the project Ethan and Kieran refused to do, today was slow. Fortunately, the people in this town tipped well, and I only managed to spill things on myself rather than on anyone else. Our uniform was a black t-shirt with the restaurant's logo and tight black slacks, which hid most of my clumsy spills. Kat and I stepped back inside the restaurant after our thirty-minute break. As I peeked out from the kitchen doors, I noticed more people coming in. It was around 5p.m., and my shift ended in two hours. I was counting the minutes until I could collapse into bed. Just then, two familiar figures suddenly entered the doorway.