Page 83 of Faking Forever 1
“What’s taking you so long?”
The ugliest screech soars from within my body, along with what seemed with my soul, as I clutch my bare breasts, turning to face none other than the bitch herself.
Darcy.
“Are you out of your mind?!”
Her eyes take their time, getting a look look at my body.
“God, don’t act like we don’t have the same body parts, Monroe. I’m not stalking you. Calm down.”
She’s kidding. Tell me she’s kidding.
“I came to see if you wanted to play chicken. Nick and I versus you and fish boy.”
I was still stuck on the fact that I was standing there, topless with the hair on my arms, standing straight up, now, yet she was behaving as though this was normal.
“Hello?” she sings, waving her long blue nails in my face.
“Yeah—sure—can I finish now?” I clench my jaw.
“Whatever,” she smiles, turning but double-taking, “By the way, you shouldtotallyget your nipples pierced. They’re shockingly very nice.” she laughs, almost like she genuinely couldn’t believe it.
Bitch.
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FAKING FOREVER
The truth was that I was on a self-love journey, and I hadn’t reached the end of it yet. Sometimes, you never do, but in my case, I was still in the early parts of my adventure. I wish I could be like my mom sometimes. She never cares about anything. If people stare at her, she stares back—If people even think to talk to her unreasonably, she has a comeback ready and waiting in her back pocket. I think it’s the attitude that has gotten her everything she’s ever wanted—including my dad.
Walking down to the rocks, I noticed Nick and Darcy play fighting and causing an extreme amount of splashing. Josh sat off to the sidelines, watching them with a blank stare. I could tell he was being patient, but waiting for this event to be over and done with so that he could return back to our beaches and boardwalk again. Lately, he seemed disinterested in just about everything, in my opinion. But it could just be the pressure of being the big man on campus all of a sudden.
Kneeling down behind him, I link my arms around his neck, hugging it and planting a big kiss on his cheek.
“You look miserable,” I mumble against his skin.
“That’s cause I am.” he chuckles, looking at me hovering above him.
“Oh, don’t be like that. Darcy wants to place chicken with us?” I suggest. My tone exudes a wavering amount of sarcasm.
He smiles, holding onto my arms, spinning around to face me.
“I’d rather hold my head under the water and count to one million.”
“Harsh.”
My eyebrows raise, impressed with his desire to avoid doing anything with them.
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STEAM
“I’m just not a big fan of them. I know I toldyouto behave, but I’m eating my words as we speak,” he grumbles, glancing at them as the gallivant in the water.
“Okay, it’s notthatbad. You could be your dad? That seems like a road that’s better left untraveled.” I nod to his dad, who looks completely fed up with John’s yapping.
Josh’s pursed lips fight the urge to hold back his laughter.
