Page 4 of My Favorite Secret
“Tyler and I know the maze well. We’ll find you.”
The maze scares me, yet I’m excited, knowing there’s a way we can keep playing our game.
But this is bad. Felix is a bad influence on me. A few weeks ago, I saw a girl talking to Tyler and Felix at school. I’d never felt more jealous in my life. I don’t know what came over me, I couldn’t control myself. I marched right up to the girl and scratched her face, telling her I’d do worse if I ever found her talking to my boys again.
Her face was bleeding. Tyler was shocked by my outburst and rushed the girl to the school nurse. I got in a lot of trouble that day. Rightfully so. I shouldn’t have used violence. I apologized the moment I saw the girl next.
In private, Felix told me he likes that I’m protective of him and Tyler, and that he’d do worse than a shallow scratch if he ever saw a boy talking to me.
I hate that I get this jealous. But I like having Felix’s approval. It’s one of the best feelings in the world, which iswhy it’s hard to choose between right and wrong. I’ve been trying hard to do the right thing. Mom and Dad tell me I’m a good girl even if sometimes I make mistakes.
The thing is, I don’t think I’m a good person. There’s something wrong with me. I’m a freak and I think my parents know it. They’re working hard to change me.
I want to change for them. I want to be a good daughter. Iwillbe a good daughter.
But… that doesn’t mean I have to start being good right now.
“Okay, we’ll play in the maze tomorrow.” I smile, giving Felix my hand, scar to scar.
Tyler stirs behind me. I glance back to check on him. He looks at me and Felix through heavy lids, at the two of us holding hands, then down at himself hugging me. My heart is pumping so fast, scared he’s about to flinch away then run off to tell on me and Felix.
Instead, Tyler closes his eyes and pulls me closer. “Night, Princess.”
“You heard him,” Felix says. “Sleep.”
So I do, drifting back into a cozy sleep between my two boys.
CHAPTER THREE
HARPER
Age: 14
I hate this scar on my hand and that Felix has a matching one.
I hate that he entered high school and found new friends who are more important to him than me, who drink, do party drugs, and most definitely have sex. I hate that Felix is the worst one out of his friends. He’s their ringleader. There’s nothing about him I recognize and I don’t want anything to do with him.
Even if I did want us to remain friends, there’s no way Mom and Dad would let me anywhere near him. They freaked out when the school reported that not only had Felix been vaping weed on school grounds, but he was selling it to other students.
Felix wouldn’t tell anyone how he got the weed. He got suspended from school. The only reason he wasn’t expelled is because his father funded a new school library so the principal would turn a blind eye.
I hoped Felix would have seen his father’s donation asan opportunity to clean up his act, but he’s still making terrible decisions, like this party he’s throwing tonight that has grown out of control. I never thought Felix would turn into some golden boy, but I didn’t expect him to take this path either.
I used to be a strange kid. In hindsight, I did and said a lot of embarrassing things I’m trying to forget. Just thinking about how weird I used to be makes me cringe. At least I’ve grown out of it. Felix is getting worse. He is completely out of control.
“Why does your dad let Felix throw parties like this?”
My question can barely be heard over the heavy metal music. I’m tempted to climb off Tyler’s bed and march right up to Felix in the living room, regardless that we don’t talk anymore, and tell him to turn the music down. But I’m afraid of the scene I’ll walk into.
I never thought I’d feel this way, but truthfully, I’m afraid of Felix.
Tyler pauses the movie we’re watching on his laptop and sits up beside me. “Felixisn’tallowed to throw parties like this. But Dad doesn’t pay attention to anything me and my brothers do.”
I blush at the deep pitch of his words. Tyler’s voice broke recently, and I still get caught off guard by how grown up he sounds at times.
“Dad is probably off with some woman, undressing her in one of his hotels.”
“Gross. I didnotneed the visual.” I laugh, cringing and covering my face with my hands.
