"Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art." -Konstantin Stanislavsk

Chapter Three: Bittersweet Revenge

"Paige." Someone shook my shoulder and I grumbled. "Paige, wake up."

I opened my right eye and sunlight filled my vision. I closed it shut and stayed there. "No." It sounded more like 'nogh'.

"You do know you're sleeping in an empty hot tub, right?" The deep voice said, shaking my shoulder again. Obviously, it was a boy.

"I don't care," I huffed at the person. Last night's events came rushing into my mind. How could he lock me out like that? Did he hate me all that much? It didn't matter anyway; I hated him that much too.

"The weird thing is, when we found you here, the door was locked." The mystery guy said, speaking to himself.

"Huh, wonder how that happened." I said in a sleepy sarcastic voice.

"I think you might also want to know that you're in your swimsuit and I think it got a teensy bit untied," He said.

What?

I turned around instantly and touched the back of my bikini. Oh my God… I didn't feel anything on my back. Nothing! I had absolutely nothing on!

Thankfully, I wasn't belly up. I sighed from relief. I opened my eyes to see my mystery guy.

Garrett.

Great! Absolutely great! Pare was definitely gong to freak out! "Go!" I shouted at him, while trying to find the top of my black bikini. "Leave!"

He stood up from his sitting position, "Alright. Alright."

"Just go." I waved my hand at him, signaling for him to leave.

"I'm leaving already," He closed the glass door behind him.

Pare was going to kill me! How could it have gotten untied? I certainly didn't remember taking it off. I moved a lot in my sleep. Maybe that was how it fell off.

I found it under me. As I moved my butt to grab the top of my freaking bikini,I realized days like these were the ones that clearly said: Get ready for another fucking big day, Paige!

This time, I wouldn't let it get to me. I wouldn't let life take it out on me. I wouldn't let anybody take it out on me. This time, it was my turn kicking someone's ass. Hell, no.

I'm killing someone. Warren Pierce.

You could say: kicking his ass. I'd rather say: kill him.

He definitely wasn't getting away with this one! He locked me in a balcony! A fucking balcony!

An evil smile crept up my face.

I knew just how I wanted his death.

(-)

I found everybody eating waffles in the kitchen. The smell just woke up my stomach and I realized how hungry I was.

I grabbed the plate set on the counter for me and helped myself to the waffles. As I sat down between Darling and Sugar, I noticed Warren smirking at me from the other end of the table.

Pare spoke up first, "Where were you Paige?"

She knew the answer. She really did. She just wanted me to tell her who locked me out.

"The balcony," I felt weak with all of the pair of eyes staring at me.

"What were you doing there?" She asked me, as I looked at my waffles.

I didn't want to lie, Pare was the closest thing to a mother that I had. But if she knew Warren locked me out, I wouldn't be able to get my revenge. "I woke up at dawn with a headache, so I decided to get some fresh air. I guess I fell asleep there."

"In the hot tub? With a bikini on?"

Busted. Again. 2 times in less than 24 hours.

"Um… yeah." I nodded, "At first I thought of going to the beach, but what if I drowned? So I just stayed there and the hot tub felt like the most comfortable option."

"What?"She looked at me like I was the stupidest person that had ever walked this planet. "You know you could have lost your balance while leaning over the balcony!?"

"Pare," Garrett tried calming her down, "I'm sure she didn't plan on staying there."

Thank God, Garrett was on my side. My gaze turned toward Warren, who was staring at me with the ugliest and most heartless smirk I had ever seen.

No feelings.

No forgiveness.

Hate.

Something flickered through his expression as he stared at me before looking back down at his waffles.

I averted my gaze from him too. I took a big bite of the waffle.

"Paige," Pare demanded at me, "Don't you dare lie to me."

I swallowed before answering her, "I-I'm not lying," I muttered, so soft I could barely hear myself.

"Who locked you out!?" She stood from the table abruptly. I sunk down in my chair.

"I'm telling the truth." I sort of said it with an eye roll.

She sighed and brought her hands to her temples, "Ugh, fine. If you don't want to tell me you can keep it to yourself."

My heart stung as she left the kitchen. I would have to tell her, sooner or later, but I would have to. I preffered the latter.

Porter turned to look at me, "What was that all about?"

"Don't ask me anything," I stood up, following Pare's example, and put my plate in the sink with only a half eaten waffle.

I stormed out, leaving their voices behind. It surprised me that Shug didn't come after me. She always did.

When my parents died, I lost it. Sugar was there every day for two weeks. She slept in my room. She held me when I cried my tears out. Porter kept saying he'd have to build her a room.

Shug and I met when we were six years old. That's all there is to it. We became best friends, and held to that promise until we were seventeen years old. I hope that we'll always be best friends.

She knows my flaws, I know hers. We help each other, although I have to admit she helps me a lot more than I would like to help her.

"Paige?" She crept up behind me.

Guess I was wrong. She did come after me.

"I know what you're going to say," I looked at her, "What were you doing out there?" I imitated her.

She let out a laugh that lifted my mood a little bit. "No, actually I was going to ask who locked you out."

Oh. I hesitated at first, but I've always trusted Shug, what could one little secret do? "Warren. The asshole."

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. Putting her hands on her hips and whispering, "He sure is."

I noticed I still had my black bikini on. Checking if the top was still tied up, I walked over to the bathroom, picking up my suitcase on the way. Sugar stood there deep in thought.

I closed the bathroom door and rummaged through my bag wondering what to wear. I took off my black bikini and went though a quick shower. I put on a new one. At this rate, all of my bikinis were going to be used by tomorrow. In two days I had used three bikinis. I threw a sweatshirt over myself and pulled my shorts on.

(-)

"Stormy, aren't you coming?" Porter asked me as everyone shuffled out the door.

"In a little while," I said, getting nervous about Warren. He was in the bathroom and told Shields that he'd be down in a minute. It's like the fates knew I had to kill him and followed everything according to the plan.

"Okay, well, I'll leave the key on the coffee table," He said.

"I'm thinking about reading for a while," I told him, biting my lip as a nervous habit.

"Fine with me, but when Warren comes down, I want you to come down too. I don't want you all alone here."

"Why not?" I questioned him.

"Not after what happened last night I don't." He shut the door. He always had the final say.

I ran to the kitchen and looked for a pen and paper. Opening drawers and leaving things unorganized until I found what I wanted.

I'll wait for you on the balcony-Darling

I crept into the boys' room and left the note on the bed, in a spot where a person walking out of the bathroom could clearly see it. I locked the other glass door in the room that also led to the balcony.

Hearing some noises in the bathroom, I turned toward the common room, where I positioned myself behind the couch that was next to the glass door. I crouched down; the place smelled like oranges.

I listened close to the footsteps that came and went in the boys' room. They stopped once, probably him reading my- I mean, Darling's note.

What if he knows that that wasn't Darling's handwriting?

Nah, he couldn't know.

I bit my lip again. It was a nervous habit I discovered when I was eleven. And they don't call it nervous for nothing, do they?

I started rubbing my hands against my bare knees, another nervous habit.

I heard Warren go into the common room. I crouched further, hoping he couldn't see me. He dropped his bag near the glass door and I peeked from the side of the couch, to watch him slide it.

He popped his head out, "Darling?"

I shot up from my hiding place and ran as fast as light toward Warren.

The poor boy didn't have any idea what hit to him.

I pushed him outside and I grabbed the door and slammed it in his face. I quickly locked it.

I saw his expression on the other side. He looked back at me with a smirk on his face, "You got me, Stormy."

Wasn't he scared I just locked him out in the same place he locked me?

"You bet I did, pretty boy." I snapped back at him.

"You know Paige, for a girl that's still trying to get a hold of herself, you're smart." His words came out a little bit muffled because he was behind the glass.

"You know Warren, for a guy that's still trying to impress me, you're stupid."

He laughed in my face! The sick bastard laughed in my face! "Me? Trying to impress you?"

He doubled over in laughter, "What's so funny?" I asked him. "What's so funny, Warren?"

"You don't know, do you?" He regained his composure and my eyes met his blue ones. I didn't make a move. "I hate you, Paige. I hate you."

Tears stung my eyes as I processed the information. I blinked back the tears. I was strong, I could do this. "I hate you, too." My voice cracked when I said the word 'hate'.

I knew he hated me. So, why had it hurt so much when he said it?

I turned my back on him and grabbed Pare's "Pride and Prejudice" that sat on the couch. I lay down and got comfortable. I flipped my way through the pages. I didn't quite read. It felt like I was just scanning the words and my mind was somewhere else.

Every five minutes or so, I would look at Warren. Just to know if he was still there. We didn't want our nemesis to escape, would we? After all, there was another glass door in the boys' room that also led to the balcony.

Every time I looked at him, I could only see his back. He seemed to be looking at the beach with his arms resting on the railing.

I returned to my reading.

You can't always mean what you say, can you? Warren Pierce was just an arrogant asshole, who always had girls drooling after him. He had money, had the looks, and had the brains. Which girl wouldn't want to sleep with him?

I didn't.

Time passed before I looked to see if Warren was there in his unchanging position.

My heart bet rapidly in my chest and I threw the novel back onto the couch. I ran towards the balcony and pressed my nose against the glass that seperated. I couldn't look to my right, where the hot tub was. But from what I could see, I knew my answer.

He wasn't there: confirmed.

No, no, no! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

I let him go! He escaped right under my nose!

Wait. Maybe he still was out here. Near the hot tub or something. He had to be. I had locked both doors. I'm sure I had.

I turned the lock slowly and let the glass slide only a few inches. Before I looked outside, I turned the lock again, so that if he was out here I had time to close it and not let him get out. I pocked my head out, "Warren? Are you-?"

I didn't have time to finish my question. A hand that came from beside the boulder that separated the both doors grabbed me and pulled me outside.

I knew instantly what he was trying to do. I pressed hard on the door trying to shut it again while he tried to open it and push me away. To my surprise, he pushed me away gently. I reached and pressed myself against it harder. My hands doing the best job they could to close it.

He wasn't leaving. My stupid pathetic revenge hadn't been completed.

It took all of my strength to finally shut it. I didn't know how I succeeded. I mean, he was a lot taller than me. My honey brown hair barely reached his chin.

He pushed the door again and realized that it didn't budge. I realized it too.

"Nice going, Paige." He said my name like it was the most disgusting thing he'd ever heard in his life, "Now you've got us both trapped here!"

"If you hadn't hid from me than I would have released you in less than an hour!"

"Oh yeah? Well if you hadn't been so thick-headed you would have thought of something better than locking me out in a balcony!"

"You're the one who locked me out at night!" I was sure our screaming could be heard down at the beach.

"God, now I'm stuck with a frustrating seventeen year-old girl that's so stupid she locked both of us out." He passed his hand through his hair.

"You're only a year older than me, idiot!" I put my hands on my hips as he stared down at me. His eyes pierced through me. I shook my head and let my hands fall. "I'm done with you. Don't talk to me."

"With pleasure."

"Don't talk to me." I repeated.

We turned our backs on each other. Me facing the hot tub and Warren facing the wall.

I didn't know what to do. Just stand there like an idiot? Sit down on the floor? Get in the hot tub? I did have my bikini on.

I took of my sweatshirt and slowly slid off my shorts. I felt him turn and his gaze creep up on me and suddenly, I felt the desire to get into the hot tub as fast as possible. I turned the faucet and the water slowly started to fill.

"You're not getting in, are you?"

Of course not, stupid. I just wanted to see what you're reaction to this was. "'Course I am. And don't talk to me"

"Might as well join you."

"Oh no you don't!" I snapped my head to look at him. Bipolar, I grumbled to myself.

"It's not like the hot tub's yours anyway," He shrugged me off and removed his shirt. I almost had to catch myself from drooling, I heard girls talk about it at school, but no one told me his body was this God-like. "You can stare all you want, Stormy."

I looked back at the hot tub, blushing so hard I felt the tips of my ears go red.

He slipped next to me. Let his feet dangle in just like mine, and leaned his hands on the edge. I picked my feet up, and hugged my knees. Hoping my movement would go unnoticed, I focused on the water that was already ankle-deep.

"Trying to forget about me, huh?" He said.

"Nah, just trying to forget the fact that I'm sitting by a stupid troglodyte who can't keep his hands to himself."

He chuckled at my comment and that just angered me even more. "Let's make a deal, I promise to not bug you if you let me get in too."

I didn't pay attention to him as he offered me his hand.

A smile crept up on my face as I remembered: My revenge hadn't been completed.

Prepare for battle, Warren Pierce, because I promise that there's no truce in this.