100C H A P TE R O N E.
home sweet home.
Azalea's POV.
"I don't wanna come home, Brode," I whined as I plopped down on my semi-comfortable mattress in my sorry excuse for a bedroom.
"Az, you have to come home. I know you hate Halloween, but get the fuck over it, because you're not getting out of it this year," Brody, my twenty-six year old brother snapped.
Fuck it. I don't want to go back to Manhattan. I'm content with living in a small apartment in the stupid, rinky dink town of New Martinsville, West Virginia. Okay, so, that's a lie... it's just, I don't want to go to Manhattan.
"Manhattan is annoying, Brode. I'm content with living here," I murmured, referring to New Martinsville.
"You're a horrible liar, Az," Brody retorted. "It's not like you're coming here to live. You're just coming here to visit... until dad gets better."
Le sigh. My father will never get better. By that, Brody means until my father gets out of rehab. He's a mother fucking alcoholic, mmkay? I've gotten used to the fact. My mother, on the other hand, turns into a blubbering fool every single time his name is brought up. Halloween is her thing, which is why my brother wants me to come home for the stupid holiday that should never have been invented in the first place.
The thing is, if I go to Manhattan, I'll be forced to live there. Let's face it, Alexander Volterri Patterson is never going to recover. I have no faith in my father whatsoever. I know that probably makes me a bitch, but I really don't care. I am a bitch. I've grown to accept that over the twenty years that I've been alive. It's just that my stupid brother won't ever let me forget it.
"You do realize that means I'll be coming there and never leaving, right?" I questioned, albeit a tad bitterly.
Silence.
"Brode, I can't see you shaking your head," I murmured.
I could just picture Brody rolling his eyes, not that I can see it. God, I hate when he doesn't answer me.
"Right, sorry," Brody muttered. "Why don't you want to live here, Az?" Brody blurted. "Manhattan is our home, whether you like it or not. Amy and I love it here. I'm sure if you gave it a shot, you'd love it just as much as you used to," Brody continued.
A frustrated sigh escaped my lips as I sat up on my bed.
"I'm not you or Amy, but fine," I spat. "Just give me a day to pack up all my stuff. It's Thursday, so I should be in Manhattan by Saturday. It takes like... eight hours or something to get from here to there. So, I'll see you then. Bye, Brode."
"I'll see you in a couple days, sis," Brody said before hanging up.
I slammed my phone shut, walked to my dresser, and shoved the damn thing in my purse.
I had a lot of packing to do and a lot of goodbyes to go through.
"I cannot believe you are leaving me here all by my lonesome," Abbey Dawns, my best friend of sixteen years, complained as she plopped down on my pretty much naked bed. Abbey has no grace whatsoever, and that's a good thing, because graceful people make me sick.
I groaned inwardly as I stuffed the rest of my clothing into my suitcase(my only suitcase, mind you) and zipped it shut, sitting on it so that it would close all the way. The whole time, Abbey was laughing hysterically.
Once the suitcase was zipped shut, I scowled.
"You know, I don't have to leave until Saturday morning. I think you should come with me," I quipped before plopping down next to her.
"You're inviting me to Manhattan!?" Abbey squealed. "Girl, if you're going to make me drive with you for at least eight hours, you may as well invite me to live there."
I narrowed my eyes in her direction, not quite understanding where she was going with this.
"Az, I'm trying to say that we should buy that place we always wanted to buy. There are some killer houses on the Upper East Side, and Lord knows that we have enough money to buy one, so let's do it," Abbey quipped.
By this time, I was grinning like a madwoman.
You see, Abbey Dawns and I have been best friends since we were four. She puts up with my bitchiness and I put up with her girlishness, and she is girlie.
Abbey is the complete opposite of me. She's the epitome of a Greek Goddess, I'm just an average Jane.
Abbey is 5'5", the same height as me, and that's the only physical thing we have in common.
Abbey has golden blonde locks that are longer in the front, but shorter in the back, kind of like Hayden Panettiere's old haircut. Her bangs sweep to the right side of her heart-shaped face and the color of her hair brings out the ocean affect of her almond-shaped blue eyes. She's definitely intimidating, not that I dwell on that kind of thing.
I'm not hideous or anything-I'm just no Abbey. Unlike her gorgeous, golden locks, I have curly, auburn locks that fall past my shoulders and almond-shaped emerald greens. My nose is too small, my hair is a rat's nest most of the time, and I think having a heart-shaped face makes me look strange.
I like being average, though. Average is good. Average means I'm not a slut-not that I'm saying Abbey is a slut. She's most definitely not. I'm going to shut up before I dig myself a hole that I won't be able to get out of.
Anyway, Abbey and I have had this whole sharing an apartment idea since Mr. Whittaker's second grade class. We always said that when we got old enough to move out of our 'mommy and daddy's house', we would buy one of our own and marry rich husbands and all that good junk. The rich husbands part is never going to happen, and I realize now that it was kind of ridiculous, but the buying our own house still sounds like an all right idea. I'm sick of living alone, anyway. I've kind of always hated being alone, namely because I can't talk to anyone. I like to talk, but it's never about anything important, which is why I don't think anyone listens.
"I think that's an amazing idea!" I squealed. Oh Dear God, since when do I squeal? I don't squeal. Stupid, fucking exciting news. "Are you sure, though? What about Jake?" Jake is Abbey's on and off boyfriend. Their relationship is one emotional roller coaster, and I'm stuck right smack dab in the middle.
Abbey groaned. That meant they had broken up... again.
"I'm sick of Jake. I need myself a sweet man, not a twenty-three year old player that thinks he can have me one week and another chick the next week while we're 'broken up.' I'm not a play toy, you know? I'm not something he can put away for a while and bring out again when he's tired of his other toys," Abbey blurted.
I groaned. Abbey always uses metaphors when she's heated. Now would be a good example.
"It's about damn time," was my reply. I wasn't about to tell her to give the fool another chance and stay here with him. That would make me a fool, and that I am not.
Abbey chuckled. "Plus, there is some fine eye candy on the Upper East Side, or so I hear," Abbey quipped, feigning nonchalance.
"I am not moving with you to Manhattan just so you can check out some fine eye candy," I murmured, chuckling slightly.
Abbey rolled her eyes, but said nothing more on the subject.
"Fine," she grumbled, "but that doesn't mean I won't be checking out some eye candy when I get there," she continued before jumping out of my bed and stumbling to her feet.
"And just where are you going?" I teased.
Abbey whirled around so that she was facing me.
"I need to go home and pack. I'll meet you out front tomorrow morning. Bye, best friend!" Abbey sing-songed before skipping-yes, skipping- out of my room.
I chuckled slightly once she had disappeared from sight and moved to my computer, where there was a big, comfy leather computer chair waiting for me. I smirked slightly once I took a seat and signed onto A!M. I groaned inwardly once someone popped up. I wasn't planning on talking to anyone, but whatever.
It was just my guy best friend from back home.
Nik_hotstuff: you're coming home and you didn't tell me?
I laughed. Nikolas Pacetti, which is his real name, is my Ghetto-fabulous, gay best friend.
Fuckhalloween: i didn't know 'till the other day, Nikki.
Nik_hotstuff: nice SN, btw. fuck halloween? when are you going to get over that, sweet stuff?
My screen name hasn't always been 'fuck halloween'. I simply changed it for the upcoming holiday.
Fuckhalloween: when you quit calling me sweet stuff...
I could picture Nikolas rolling his eyes right now. God, I miss him. It's been like... two years since I last saw him.
Nik_hotstuff: that's never gonna happen, sweet stuff.
Fuckhalloween: well, then, i'ma always hate halloween.
Nik_hotstuff: whatev, sweet stuff. so, when you arriving?
Fuckhalloween: a million days from never...
Insert sticking tongue out face here.
Nik_hotstuff: haha, very funny, biotch. no, srsly. when you arriving?
Fuckhalloween: saturday, bby.
Nik_hotstuff: i know you can't hear me, but joshie just told me to shut the fuck up b/c i just 'woohooed.'
I literally laughed out loud.
Oh, and 'Joshie' is actually Joshua, and Joshua is Nikolas' boyfriend.
Fuckhalloween: lol, tell joshie to stfu.
Nik_hotstuff: i won't be getting any if i do that, sweet stuff.
I grimaced. I don't have any problem with Nikolas being gay. I do, however, hate having to hear every detail of his sex life.
Fuckhalloween: now, you really do need to shut the fuck up.
Nik_hotstuff: awe, sweet stuff, you're just pissed off 'cause you ain't been getting any.
Fuckhalloween: that is so not true!
Okay, actually, it is true, but Nikolas doesn't need to know that.
Nik_hotstuff: really?
I could feel the skepticism.
Nik_hotstuff: when was the last time you had some delicious boyfriend?
I sighed. The last time I had a 'delicious boyfriend', as Nikolas so quaintly put it, was tenth grade. Said 'delicious boyfriend's' name is Derrick Lawrence. Derrick was just about the sexiest guy at The Dalton School, which is a co-educational private school located on the Upper East Side. My parents forced me to attend said school, seeing as how I'm the smartest child they have. They always wanted the best for me, and in all honesty, all I ever wanted back then was to play soccer, be in my band, and dance until my knees gave out. That, of course, wasn't good enough for my mother. My father didn't care. He was too busy drowning his sorrows in alcohol, which is why for the past six months, he's been in rehab(again).
Much to my mother's dismay, a week after graduation, I packed my bags and moved to New Martinsville, West Virginia. I don't hate this place or anything, but it is most definitely not Manhattan. I've been attending this stupid fucking community college here for a couple years now, until I dropped out when I realized school wasn't getting me anywhere. Now that I'm moving to Manhattan, though, I may or may not be applying to another college, all depending on whether or not my dance/band/writing thing works out.
Anyway, back to Derrick. He was a cutie. I've always been a sucker for the whole blonde hair, blue-eyed cliché, and that was Derrick. I thought he loved me, and being the naïve sophomore that I was, I had convinced myself that the football hunk would be the guy I grew old with. Give me a break, I was in high school.
Needless to say, that didn't happen. Junior year, the asshole cheated on me and then tried to deny it. I'm pretty sure I know what almost-sex looks like, and they were definitely about to have sex. I dumped his ass, and ever since then, I've sworn off just about every guy that asks me out.
So what? I'm a cynic. I don't believe love exists. Sue me.
Nik_hotstuff: hello?
I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard another IM pop up.
Oh yeah, Nikolas...
Fuckhalloween: sorry, nikki. just thinking about ur question, is all. i came up with an answer. i haven't had any, and that's derrick's fault. happy now?
I'm a bitter bitch, I know.
Nik_hotstuff: derrick was a jackass, sweet stuff. get over it. it was high school. this is the real world, hon. there's plenty of fish in the sea.
Fuckhalloween: yeah, well, those fish aren't for me.
It's really awkward referring to men as fish. I prefer the term 'pigs.' Yeah, men are definitely pigs.
Nik_hotstuff: whatev, you're killing my vibe, sweet stuff. i'ma go before you turn me into a bitter biotch like yourself.
I scoffed. When I see him, I'm going to punch him. Hard.
Fuckhalloween: yeah, love you, too, nikki.
Nik_hotstuff: oh, you know i love you. buh-bye, sweet stuff.
Fuckhalloween: buh-bye, nikki.
Nik_hotstuff has signed off.
I groaned and turned off my laptop after signing off A!M.
Time for more packing. How fun. And yes, I'm being very sarcastic right now.
"Manhattan, here we come!" a shrill, female voice sing-songed.
I was still asleep, or at least, trying to stay asleep. That wasn't working, obviously. It's kind of impossible to sleep when your overly-joyful, morning person, perky best friend is screaming in your ear.
"Wakey, wakey. No time for sleep. We have to get to Manhattan!" Abbey squealed.
I groaned. "Five more minutes."
Abbey hit me with a pillow.
"Ow, what the fuck, Abs?" I snapped, before sitting up and glaring at my best friend.
Abbey burst into fits of laughter. What the hell?
"What the fuck, Abs? What's so hilarious?" I snapped, clearly not in the mood for her giddiness. I am most definitely not a morning person, in case that isn't already obvious.
Abbey quit laughing... finally, and grinned.
"Get your ass out of bed," Abbey ordered, glowering at me in the nicest way possible. Yes, it is possible to glower at someone in a nice way. Abbey glowers 'nicely' at me all the time. It's her way of showing me that she's annoyed with me without having to get violent, or at least, that's what she says.
"Fine," I mumbled bitterly as I threw my legs over the bed and planted my feet on the ground. I ruffled my hair, which felt greasy. I sniffed and immediately regretted not taking a shower last night. That meant I would have to take one now. I turned my head to look at the clock. Great, it's seven in the morning. Why the hell am I getting up at seven? "Abs," I began as I turned my face to look at my friend, who was now leaning against my closet door, "you are aware that it only takes a little over eight hours to get to Manhattan, aren't you?"
Abbey smiled, feigning innocence. I would not be fooled.
"Yes, I am aware of said 'fact.' However, I think it would be better if we arrived as soon as possible. Plus, I kind of, sort of, want to see that brother of yours. You know, just to see how he's doing and all," she added, feigning nonchalance.
Abbey has always had a crush on my brother, but uh-if they start dating, I might scream. Plus, he's been with his girlfriend, Amy, for the past four years. They're in love... I think. He always looks at Abbey funny, but I'm not getting in between whatever may or may not be between my twenty-six year old brother and my twenty year old best friend.
"Sure, whatever," I murmured, groaning inwardly once I stood up, only to find myself falling again. Abbey burst out into another fit of laughter and I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at her. "I'll meet you in the living room in thirty. Now, get the hell out of my room," I ordered, albeit a tad rudely, before trudging into my bathroom and slamming the door shut behind me.
Thirty minutes later, I was wearing my white NYU t-shirt, grey sweatpants, and my New Balance tennis shoes. It took me about five minutes to brush through my curly, unruly locks before I realized that they were just going to look like shit again today. I attempted to pull them into a ponytail, and the ponytail, too, looked like shit. I didn't care, though. It wasn't like I was going anywhere important. Just home.
"Let's get the hell out of here," I murmured to Abbey once I was in the living room. Abbey was sitting on the floor, seeing as how all my furniture was already in New York, at Abbey and I's new house(apparently, Brody had gone behind my back and bought me a house... stupid brother).
"To Manhattan, here we come," Abbey signaled, linking arms with me before we skipped out the door together.
I was moving back to Manhattan.
I was going home.
Damien's POV.
"One kiss, Frost. One kiss is all it takes. Her soul will be mine forever," Satan informed me calmly. I glowered. Satan has been pissing me off a lot lately. He's been pissing me off since I got here, not that he cares. Satan's main goal in life is to piss off every living thing, even the not-so-living things, including us demons.
I don't understand why he's forcing me to steal this girl's soul. He won't even tell me why her soul is more important than the others, and why he must have it. He promised that he'd tell me eventually, when it is time, whatever the fuck that means. I'd say 'whatever the hell', but I'm in hell right now... literally. I'm a demon, though. Hell doesn't bother me as much as it bothers the newcomers. I have been here since the 19th century, after all.
Why is my vocabulary so fucked up? I used to be able to speak fluent French, Italian, Spanish, etc. That all changed when I came to hell. I change with time. I'm just stuck in this same body for the rest of my so-called life, even though, technically, my life is over. Has been since the day I arrived.
"Sir, with all due respect, I don't quite understand why this girl, whose name you have yet to tell me, is so different from the others... the ones that want to sell their souls willingly, I mean," I murmured. I tried not to make it sound like I was complaining, but let's face it, I am complaining.
"Her name is Azalea Patterson, Frost. Find her, kiss her, and bring her soul back to me," Satan demanded, his lips curling up at the corners, grinning maliciously to no one other than himself. Stupid, selfish bastard. I'm just happy Satan can't read minds. Although, maybe that would be a good thing. I wouldn't have to do this, not that I mind.
"Whatever you say, sir," I murmured.
Before I even knew what was happening, I was knocked unconscious.
I woke up in the middle of a fucking street.
Want to know how I knew that?
Flashing lights came toward me, and I'm pretty sure the oh-so mighty powerful God wasn't coming to get me, so it had to be a car.
I jumped up and ran to the other side of the street, glad that in all this stupid 'mission talk', Satan hadn't relieved me of the power to transport myself.
I looked around, taking in my surroundings. The last time I had been in Manhattan, New York, it certainly did not resemble anything close to this. By this, I mean chaos. Cars are everywhere, people are running into other people, there are too many buildings for Manhattan's own good, and there are coffee shops sprawled haphazardly, so to speak, all over the place. Yes, definitely not the Manhattan I remember.
I was standing on Lexington Avenue, and decided that now would be as good a time as any to grab a Starbucks coffee, before I start my man hunt, or woman hunt.
Fifteen minutes later, I was standing outside of what I assumed to be the place I would be staying. I bought it under my name-Damien Elliot Frost. No ones knows that name, so no one will be suspicious. I was a nobody when I was alive. I worked as a servant. I don't want to think about my life back then. I don't ever think about it. All I know is that it was pretty shitty and it is what got me to hell.
I scowled at the mere thought of having to return to Satan once my mission was over with.
I planned on taking this slow. Satan had it in his mind that I was going to use the player card and kiss this girl without her permission. Satan clearly has it all wrong. He may be the one giving the orders, but last time I checked, I'm in charge of my lips. What a gay statement.
I sauntered into my new home, completely awed by the sight. This place was definitely better than hell.
I plopped down on my couch.
For now, this place would be my home.
I grinned at the thought.
Home sweet home.
Azalea's POV.
"Az, OH MY GOD, this place is absolutely amazing!" Abbey drawled, immediately dropping her suitcase once we entered our new, four story house on Lexington Avenue.
I dropped my bags and couldn't stop myself from agreeing with my overly-excited best friend. This place is beautiful.
The wooden floors are polished, the family room(or living room) is huge and bares all the furniture I had sent over here, the dining room is a little smaller, but just as beautiful, and there's an old-fashioned chandelier hanging above the dining room table.
There was one hallway downstairs, obviously, and a huge kitchen that had one of those fancy bars you always see in rich celebrities houses. I ran my fingers along the marble of the bar and grinned, happy with my new setting. I guess I could get used to Manhattan again, not that I hated it to begin with-I just wasn't a big fan of living in a big city.
I instantly regretted returning to the living room, though. Abbey really does get too excited for her own good. Got to love her.
"Az, there are like three huge bedrooms down here, plus two bathrooms, and they're giganto. I took the stairs to the second floor and the second floor has more bedrooms and another bathroom, but I couldn't make it up the swirly, old fashioned stairs the third time. I was panting by the time I got to the second floor. I really should get back into dance. It might whip me into shape." I laughed at that. Whip her into shape? If Abbey gets any skinnier, she'll become a stick.
"Abs, take a break from the tour, kay? If I don't show up on my mother's doorstep in the next thirty minutes, I'll never hear the end of it from Brode," I murmured.
Abbey's attitude changed from overly-excited to one hundred and fifty percent ecstatic at the mention of Brody.
I groaned inwardly. "Don't even think about it," I murmured knowingly. I knew she would try and flirt with Brody, but she couldn't do that, especially since Amy would be there. I wasn't about to break up any unnecessary cat fights over my older brother.
"Think about what?" Abbey teased, batting her eyelashes as if that would prove her innocence.
I mentally rolled my eyes and nudged my best friend with my elbow.
"Behave," I demanded. "I wouldn't want to have to resort to drastic measures," I joked good-naturedly.
Abbey scoffed at my otherwise empty throat and simply shrugged her shoulders.
"Whatever, let's get out of here," Abbey sing-songed, gliding across the floor as if it were an ice rank rather than a polished, wooden floor.
I followed suit, and then we were on our way to my mother's house. Oy vey.
"Azalea Laurel Patterson, it is about damn time that you showed up!" a deep male voice exclaimed. The voice belonged to my brother, obviously.
"It's nice to see you, too, Brode," I mumbled, albeit a tad bitterly.
"Someone's such a ray of sunshine." The sarcasm was evident in Brody's voice, as always. Where else would I get my sarcastic attitude? "No, but seriously, sis, it's so great to see you," Brody added, smiling down at me. Yes, he has to look down when I'm standing in front of him. Brody is six foot two, after all.
"It's good to see you, too, big bro," I quipped, standing on my tiptoes and wrapping my arm around his neck so that I could pull him into a hug. Brody hugged me back for a few seconds before releasing me and I once again planted my feet flat on the ground.
That was about the time Brody's face lit up, which meant he had spotted Abbey, who was standing beside me wearing a huge, silly grin on her face. It was quite adorable, and kind of disgusting. I vaguely wondered where Amy was while Brody and Abbey ogled each other.
"Abbey Dawns. My, my, you are all grown up," Brody teased.
Abbey snapped out of her little trance and playfully hit Brody's arm.
"Boy, I've always been more mature than you have," Abbey teased, pulling my brother in for a hug that lasted maybe just a little too long.
I cleared my throat awkwardly, which finally got the two to take their hands off one another.
I never did quite understand what drew girls to my brother. I mean, sure, he has that whole, tall, dark, and handsome thing going on for him. He has messy, dark brown locks, the same almond-shaped green eyes as myself, naturally tan skin(we have Indian heritage, but apparently, he got most of it), and he's well built. But other than that, Brody is loud, obnoxious, cocky, arrogant, self-centered, egotistical, self-indulgent, and so on and so forth. I love my brother to death-I just hate his 'holier-than-thou' attitude, which is why I don't understand why every girl falls under his spell. Then again, I fell under Derrick's spell, and Derrick has the same attitude as my brother. Guess that makes me a hypocrite, but whatever.
"Little Azalea Patterson. It's great to see you, girl!" a silky female voice sing-songed. I smiled instantly upon hearing the voice.
"Amy!" I squealed, immediately latching onto the five foot eight fashion designer.
"Whoa, down girl," Amy teased before hugging me back. After a few seconds, I pulled away and smiled brightly at the successful fashion designer.
Amy's real name is Amelia Shawna Liberty. Amelia is strikingly beautiful, of course, and it would be intimidating if it weren't for the fact that I've known her since I was fourteen, which is when she and Brody started hanging out. Amelia has a tall, slim, curvy figure, which is normally what you'd expect from a talented fashion designer. She has long, wavy charcoal black locks, almond-shaped chocolate brown eyes, and just about the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. Seriously, she could do a toothpaste add with those teeth. They're like... naturally white.
Anyway, normally, people would expect a girl as beautiful as Amelia to be shallow and so wrapped up in herself, but that isn't Amelia. Sometimes I think the girl is oblivious to her own beauty-she's just that down-to-earth, not to mention just a little too humble. My brother found a good one, but sometimes I can't help but wonder if he really loves her. If he doesn't, Brody should end it now, because if he ever breaks her heart, I'll end up killing him. She's practically family, so I have to protect her, too, you know?
"Honey, I'm home!" a male voice, I instantly recognized as Nikolas', sing-songed.
"Boy, this is my home, not yours," I teased, smiling what I'm sure was a cheeky smile before jumping on him. God, what is with me jumping people lately? Well, that didn't sound wrong at all. Yes, I'm being sarcastic again. Get used to it.
"Get off me, sweet stuff," Nikolas teased back, pulling away from me after a few minutes.
"What are you even doing here?" I asked, still smiling. I'm always in a better mood when around Nikolas. I forgot how much I missed being around him.
"Sweet stuff, aren't you happy to see me?" Nikolas fake whined.
I heard Brody, Abbey, and Amy laughing from somewhere in the room. I mentally rolled my eyes at the three of them and nodded in Nikolas' direction.
"Of course, I am, Nikki," I said, smiling brightly. "Where's Joshie? Don't tell me that boy is at work... again. He works too hard for his own good." Joshua attends New York University and he works part-time at the Starbucks on Lexington Avenue, which is my street.
Nikolas fake pouted, but it was the most adorable thing I've ever seen.
"Joshie is always at work, sweet stuff. I'm always so lonely," he fake whined. I tried so hard not to laugh, but of course, I have no willpower whatsoever and broke out into a huge fit of laughter. After a minute or two, I pressed my hand to my stomach, which was now in pain, and tried so hard not to double over with laughter. That didn't work, because the next second, I was sprawled out on the living room floor, and I kind of didn't realize how everyone's eyes were on me, including a new pair of eyes, which belonged to my mother.
"Azalea Laurel Patterson, what on Earth are you doing?" a deeply amused, female voice questioned.
I immediately quit laughing. My mother tends to make everyone go quiet. I looked up sheepishly and then turned my head to see everyone else gawking at me. I blushed crimson before turning my attention towards my mother, who was now holding her hand out towards me. Hesitantly, I took hold of her hand and allowed her to pull me up. Once I was no longer on the floor and my feet were where they are supposed to be, I released my mother's hand and smiled tentatively.
My mother is a beautiful, forty-seven year old woman. Like me, my mother has auburn locks, only hers are straight instead of curly. Unlike my brother and me, my mother has round-shaped chocolate brown eyes(Brody and I have our father's eyes), and she's relatively short, like me. She works at a law firm as a prosecuting attorney, which is what she wanted me to become, but I refused. She wasn't too disappointed... I think.
"Sorry, mother, I kind of got caught up in the moment," I apologized lamely. I heard a few snickers and resisted the urge to glower at my so-called friends.
"May I ask what was so hilarious?" my mother asked as she manuevered herself to the kitchen. I followed her into the kitchen and hopped onto the counter, swinging my legs back and forth.
"Nikki was being his normal, stupid self," I joked.
My mother chuckled softly. It seems she has forgotten how to really laugh. According to Brody, she's been like that for six months, which is how long our dad has been in rehab.
"That Nikolas has some serious problems," my mother said, and her tone was so serious that I had to bite back what could have been my second insane outburst today. "Anyway, Lea, my darling daughter, I'm glad that you've come home," she said, finally turning to face me. I smiled as I hopped off the counter and gave my mother a hug. It was kind of awkward, seeing as how I haven't seen her in two years, but after a few seconds, it felt normal, and right. That was when I came to the conclusion that Manhattan would always be my home. I guess I really do belong here.
A few minutes later, my mother and I joined the others in the living room and I plopped down on the couch, taking a seat beside Nikolas, who wrapped his arm around my shoulders. No, it isn't weird when Nikolas does that-hello, gay best friend here! Any other guy would have been punched for touching me, but not Nikolas.
"Guys, where are Amy and Brody?" I questioned, glancing at Abbey, who looked extremely guilty of something. I frowned and my eyes questioned her, but she said nothing. A frustrated sigh escaped my lips as I searched the room with my eyes, staring accusingly at each one of my friends and family members. None of them said anything.
"They're talking," Nikolas finally said, his voice detached. I so did not like the way he said the word 'talking', but I wasn't going to worry about it now. Amy and Brody are none of my business, though I have a feeling their little 'talk' has something to do with my best friend.
"Okay, whatever. Forget I asked," I mumbled after a few more minutes of awkward silence. I don't deal well with silence-especially when it just so happens to be of the awkward variety.
"So, when's dinner?" Brody asked calmly. I hadn't even seen him enter the room. He seemed calm, but I'm pretty sure everyone noticed the slamming of the front door and heard the few sniffles that disappeared once Amy(who obviously slammed the door) had disappeared from the house.
"Dinner is in an hour," our mother announced before glaring accusingly at my brother and then exiting the room.
I definitely need to know what's going on.
Needless to say, I excused myself to my old bedroom, which was upstairs, and plopped down in a comfy, leather chair, which is a replica of the one I have at home.
When I knew Amy was home, I signed onto A!M and clicked on her screen name, which is brodesgirl, only ten seconds later, the SN changed to gotohell. I have a feeling something bad went down... obviously.
Fuckhalloween: amy, gurrll, what was that all about? you okay?
I sincerely hope she wasn't pissed at me, too.
gotohell: ask your brother. (insert frown face here)
Fuckhalloween: what did the asshole do?
I had the sudden urge to strangle Brody. Amy was such a sweet girl. Okay, she's older than me, so technically, she isn't a girl, but that's not the point.
gotohell: kay, so, i bring up marriage and all, and suddenly, brody goes rigid in his seat. he kind of just stares blankly at me and doesn't say anything. that's when i started to get worried, so i finally ask him if he wants to get married, and his response is that he wants to, but i'm not the one he wants to marry.
My jaw literally dropped as I read those typed words-"he wants to, but i'm not the one he wants to marry." Is my brother a nutcase? And then, suddenly, I felt very, very guilty. My brother wants to marry my best friend. He's in love with Abbey! How the hell and when the hell did that happen?
gotohell: i tried so hard not to act like a blubbering fool, but it hurt. the guy that i've loved for nearly six years tells me that he doesn't want to marry me, and that he loves me, but he's not IN love with me. it just doesn't make any sense. i don't know why i didn't see it before. i thought he loved me... i thought he was the one, you know? i guess i was wrong. it just... it really hurts. i wish i knew who stole his heart. i want to know why i'm not good enough. i think i deserve to know who he loves, and whether or not he's been cheating on me. if he cheated on me, i-i don't know what i'd do.
Fuckhalloween: ohmygod, amelia, i'm so, terribly sorry. trust me on this, though, brody didn't cheat on you. i know my brother and he's never been the type of guy to cheat on a girl. i really, truly believe that he loved you. brody doesn't know what he wants in life, and truth be told, you deserve better than my brother.
I felt like I was betraying Brody, but it's the truth. She deserves better than Brody.
Fuckhalloween: some guy is going to sweep you off your feet and you'll forget that you ever went out with the idiot.
gotohell: lol, thanks girl. i hope we can still talk, even though brody and i aren't together anymore.
Fuckhalloween: of course we can, amy. i wouldn't ditch you. what kind of friend would that make me? if you want, i can come over and we can drown our sorrows in ben and jerry's and watch lame ass romance movies.
gotohell: i would love to do that, but i have to get to the agency. one of the models went berzurk. i just signed on here to check some things. thanks for the talk, girl. you made things a little better. i'm sure i'll turn into a blubbering fool tonight, so you can come over then. love you, sister friend.
I laughed at her silly nickname for me. I was definitely not going to let my jerk of a brother ruin my relationship with a sister figure like Amelia.
Fuckhalloween: i'll be there with chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream from ben and jerry's. love you, too, amypoo.
I laughed at my ridiculous nickname for Amy and sighed once she signed off. I had a long night ahead of me. It's a good thing I have experience in consoling my heart broken best friends.
gotohell has signed off.
I signed out of A!M and shut the computer down. I hate keeping my computer running, especially when no one is using it. I'm just strange like that.
"Azalea, get your ass downstairs right this minute!" Brody, the guilty part in Amelia's situation, ordered.
I grinned. I was so going to give him a hard time.
"Ow-stop-fuck-Azalea-sis-quit it-I'm so getting you back for this," was all Brody could muster up as I continously hit him with three pillows. One, I had in my mouth, one was in my right hand, and the third was in my left hand. Abbey had gone back to our house after dinner, which she had been unusually quiet throughout, but Nikolas was still here and currently laughing hysterically at me while I was beating the shit out of my older brother. This was payback for breaking Amy's heart, and I let him know that.
After about another fifteen minutes, my arms went limp and I allowed the pillows to fall to the floor, including the one in my mouth.
Nikolas came up beside me and we both smiled triumphantly at my idiotic brother.
"So, dumb ass, what the fuck were you thinking? You could have broken up with the girl before she fell madly in love with you," I snapped.
Nikolas put his hands on his hips, signaling that he was just as pissed as me. Keep in mind, he's lived her for two years longer than myself, which means he saw Amy nearly every day.
"Boy, you've got some explaining to do," Nikolas threatened.
Brody wasn't fazed-hell, he was never fazed when Nikolas threatened him.
I, on the other hand, always have my brother shaking in his shoes.
"Explain, now!" I ordered, my tone demanding. I wanted an explanation, as did Amy.
Brody sighed, which meant he was giving into my demands. Yay, I win... as always.
"It's Abbey, okay?" If this were one of those cartoons, my jaw would be touching the floor right about now. I just gawked at my brother, not sure if I heard him correctly.
"A-Abbey?" I stammered.
Nikolas looked just as shocked as me.
"You were cheating with Abbey? How is that even possible? She was living in West Virginia," Nikolas blurted, just as confused as I was.
"I wasn't cheating on Amelia!" Brody exclaimed, throwing his hands up in what I assumed was frustration. "Abbey and I have been talking for a while now, and I guess I never realized how much she meant to me. I couldn't have feelings for her before, because she always used to be like my little sister... now, not so much. I'm in love with your best friend, Az, so just deal with it," he snapped before exiting the room. I didn't chase after him, namely because I was too shocked to move.
"Ugh," I grumbled, "I am so going to kill him," I finished before shuffling my feet across the room, only to be stopped by a hand on my arm. I groaned inwardly as I pulled myself out of Nikolas' grip and whirled around so that I was facing him. I'm pretty sure my face was red with anger by now, but Nikolas didn't seem fazed, per usual.
"Calm down, Az. So what? Your brother is in love with your best friend. That's no reason to go ape shit," Nikolas assured me. Ape shit? What the hell does that even mean?
"Quit talking in riddles, Nikki. My brother just told me that he's in love with my best friend! We are talking about Abbey here, you know? My roommate? She's the reason Amelia, my other best friend, is most likely crying over a fucking broken heart, and you're telling me to not go 'ape shit'!" I screamed, my voice reaching an octave that I never even knew it could reach. I was just that pissed off. I inhaled, and then exhaled before trudging out the door of this God-forsaken house. Why on earth did I come here?
Nikolas chased after me and fell into stride beside me.
"Let me give you a ride home, sweet stuff," Nikolas suggested, his tone calm. I just wanted to punch something.
"Why are you so pissed off, Az?" Nikolas asked once I came to a stop at the end of the street. I could no longer run, and since I have no stamina whatsoever, I could barely breathe. Being a dancer does nothing to make me a better athlete, just so you know.
To answer Nikolas' question, I honestly have no clue why I'm so pissed off at Brody. I don't think it's Brody's fault-it's just, what he did to Amy reminds me a little of what Derrick did to me. Sure, Brody didn't cheat on Amelia, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't have had Abbey actually lived in Manhattan. The idea of my older brother, the guy I've always looked up to, cheating on his girlfriend of four years, or rather, his ex-girlfriend, made me queasy. I didn't like that feeling, and I didn't like that it brought up images that I had tried to erase my junior year of high school. Sure, that was nearly five years ago, but it still hurts. The guy I had loved back then cheated on me. That's not easy to get over, even if it was just high school.
"Nikki," I started as I whirled around so that I was facing my best guy friend, "I'm not pissed at Brody. I'm pissed because it hurts to think that he could have cheated on Amy. He should have broken it off with her the second he began doubting the love he had for her. It wasn't right for him to string her along like that. It hurts, being played like that. In case you've forgotten, I speak from experience. Getting played hurts, deeply. I talked to Amy, and she is trying so hard to pretend it doesn't bother her, but it does. She wanted to marry my brother, and Lord knows that she still wants to marry him. They only broke it off before dinner, and that wasn't so long ago. She's going to be hurting for a long time, and it's all because my brother loves my best friend. I know this isn't Abbey's fault, and I'm not blaming her. I just wish they would have told me. I thought I could trust them to trust me, and clearly, I was wrong... as always."
I didn't even realize I was crying until Nikolas wiped the few tears falling from eyes.
"Sweet stuff, don't cry, because you know that when you cry, I start to cry," Nikolas pleaded. He may be gay, but he's not so great at the whole consoling women thing. He's more manly than he lets on. After all, he is six foot tall with ash blonde locks, ocean blue eyes, large biceps, and a swimmer's body. He definitely screams manly, but then he opens his mouth and that whole 'manly' factor disappears. He has a deep, sexy voice, but it's the way he says his words that starts up everyone's 'gaydar'.
"I'm fine," I lied. Nikolas looked skeptical, but he didn't push the subject any further. He knows better, after all. "I just need to go home for a little while, and talk to Abbey." That was also a lie. I knew Abbey was out job hunting. Nikolas, however, didn't know that, and I wasn't about to tell him. I felt bad for lying to him, but I just didn't feel like talking. "Love you, Nikki."
"Love you, too, sweet stuff," Nikolas whispered, his tone flat, before turning on his heel and walking in the opposite direction. I headed back home. It would be nice to walk. I needed it.
I groaned inwardly. It was midnight-fucking midnight, and my neighbor's music was blasting from across the street.
I grunted once I sat up and slipped on my bunny slippers. I was in my comfy, bunny pajamas, and I didn't mind going out on the street looking like shit. It is midnight, after all.
In about four minutes, I was across the street and standing in front of the new guy's house. I recently learned that some 'majorly sexy guy'(Abbey's words, not mine) moved in across the street, and apparently, he enjoys blasting his music at odd hours of the night.
I banged on his door, and got no answer. I continued to bang on the door, and smiled triumphantly once he answered, only to wish that I had worn better attire.
Abbey was not exaggerating when she said he is SEXY.
Standing in front of me was the epitome of a Greek God.
The boy standing in front of me looked to be about the same height as my brother, which meant he towered over me by several inches. He had sexy, messy, charcoal black locks, the most beautiful almond-shaped grey eyes with tiny specks of green that seemed to pierce through my soul, a nice, square jaw, sexy abs(I could see them through his white wife beater), and the sexiest grin. The grin was almost devilish and kind of frightened me, but I chose to ignore that, and simply glowered at him. He seemed a tad taken aback by my expression, but he had a nice way of hiding it.
"May I help you?" sexy, neighbor guy asked in a deep voice. I think I just melted into a puddle of goo... great. If this were a cartoon, I'd be a puddle at his feet, no lie. His tone was evasive, but I chose to ignore that, and simply forced myself to smile.
"Yes, you can," I snapped, albeit a tad rudely, not that I cared. "Do you think you could just turn your music down a tad?" I asked, the annoyance clear in my tone, which was the whole point.
Sexy boy cocked his head to the side a little and simply smirked. I'd like to slap that smirk off his sexy face.
"Only if you tell me your name," he bargained, his tone playful.
I groaned inwardly, but obliged, anyway. I wanted that damn music turned off.
"Azalea," I answered. "Azaela Patterson."
Something foreign flickered in his eyes, but it disappeared before I got a chance to comprehend what it was.
"It's nice to meet you, Azalea. I'm Damien Frost, by the way, and I will most definitely turn the music off." He disappeared inside without saying another. Whatever, at least I could sleep tonight.
Once I was back in the safety of my bedroom, I drifted off to sleep, and was kind of confused when I found myself dreaming of a pair of grey eyes.
Damien's POV.
Azalea. Azalea Patterson lives across the street!
Maybe this won't be as complicated as I thought. Then again, Azalea Patterson doesn't exactly scream eager to please. The woman nearly bit my head off for playing my music just a tad loud. In my past life, I would have pushed her buttons, but that wasn't part of this mission, and I wasn't about to go back to hell only to face an angry Satan.
In all honesty, I hadn't been expecting Azalea to be so naturally beautiful.
I suppose that should have made this mission all the more easy, but it had done the exact opposite. Something about Azalea reminded me of my life in the 19th century-she reminded me of the woman who became the exact reason I sold my soul to Satan.
I shuddered at the mere thought of that day.
I did not enjoy thinking of it, and it pissed me off that Azalea, the girl whose soul would soon be Satan's, had brought those unwanted thoughts to my mind.
I would have to get rid of her, and fast.
It was clear that it was not going to be easy, seeing as how she already can't stand me.
I fell asleep thinking of a beautiful pair of emerald green eyes.
Well, that wasn't expected...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Damien's POV will show up more throughout the story later, I promise. I just wanted to introduce what he's supposed to be doing. If you're expecting lovey dovey, tons of kisses, major sex scenes, drunken parties, and all that, then you've come to the wrong place(this time around, anyway). I'd like to think that this story will be a little better than my first, but I'm not making any promises. I want to complete this story-I really do. I have to put Damien's POV in this story, seeing as how it would be stupid of me to not. He's a huge part of this story and I have to have his talks with Satan added in.
DISCLAIMER: I am not promoting Atheism, beliefs in selling your soul to the devil, homosexuality, or cheating. I am also not telling anyone what to believe. I have a gay best friend, who will remain nameless, and any objections to homosexuality, I ask, will remain to yourself. I don't want any trouble. I am not judgmental and I expect my readers to respect that and keep their opinions on homosexuality, atheism, and cheating to themselves. I don't believe in cheating, obviously. I also don't believe in atheism. I am a Christian. I do believe in God, but I am no way bashing atheists. I just wanted to put that out there, so that there would be no trouble.
Anyway, read and review.
Enjoy!
(My next update will probably be... not soon.)
-the author, Kara.