Page 2 of The Stolen Moments Trilogy

Kate nods, furious on my behalf. She crosses her arms and bites her lip. “Maybe we can sneak into the party,” she murmurs. “How cool would it be if we actually went? I know Zach hasn’t invited anyone else in our grade, he never does. This would’ve been a first. Damn Carter. I can’t believe he ruined this for us.”

I laugh. “I can’t believe that’s what you’re concerned about. Kate, he ruined my chances with Zach! Didn’t you see the way Zach looked at me before he walked away from us? I know that look. It’s the same way Tommy looked when Carter told him to stay away from me last year. I can’t believe he did that to me when he goes around sleeping with half the school. Don’t even pretend it isn’t true.”

Kate looks disgusted at the idea of her brother sleeping around. She flicks her long auburn hair over her shoulder and sighs. He’s a total dick to me, but he treats his mother and his sister like they’re the most precious people alive. He’s always polite and caring to them, while he saves his crudeness and malice for me.

“I’m sure that’s not true,” she says, looking away. The mere idea of Carter sleeping around makes her uncomfortable, but she and I both know that it is true. She’s heard the same rumors that I have. She just chooses to believe that they’re merely that. Rumors.

“Ugh,” I groan. I bury my hands in my hair and seethe in silence. “I’m going to get him for this.”

Kate nods in agreement. Usually she tries to dissuade me from arguing with Carter, but today she’s on my side.

“What’re you gonna do?” she asks with a hint of excitement. I grin and wink at her, leaving her to wonder what I’m planning.

Chapter 2

Emilia

I walk into Kate’s house as if it were my own, like I’ve done almost every day since I moved here seven years ago. Helen looks up at me and smiles.

“How was school, sweetie?” she asks, like she does every single day. Helen has shown me what it’s like to have a real mother. From the start she’s treated me exactly the same way that she treats Kate, and over the years I’ve come to love her just as much as I love Kate. Helen is one of my favorite people in the world.

Years ago my dad asked her to watch me after school while he was at work, and the habits we developed then have remained. Even now, I’m usually at the Clarke’s house after school. I’ll go home to change and to drop my bag, and then I’ll go straight next door. More often than not I’ll have dinner here before going back when my dad finally gets home. It seems like he works more overtime every year, and I can’t help but wonder if it might be because he doesn’t want to spend time with me. When he comes home, he usually goes straight to bed. He barely even looks at me.

“School was good. I aced my math test,” I tell Helen. She gasps and smiles from ear to ear.

Carter rolls his eyes and coughs as he shouts, “Nerd!”

I glare at him and look away, intent on ignoring him. I’m not over that stunt he pulled with Zach a few days ago. Besides, he’s one to talk. Carter is one of those horrible people that are good at everything they do. His grades are top-notch and he’s the school’s quarterback too. I hate him. If only people at school could see past the stupid facade and that stupid smile of his. I’m the only one that sees the devil within. Even Helen and Kate adore him.

“Oh, honey. I’m so proud of you,” Helen says. She walks to the freezer and takes out a tub of my favorite Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. My mouth waters just looking at the tub of Chocolate Fudge Brownie.

“For you,” she says, pushing it towards me. I grin and reach out to grab it, but Carter gets to it first. He takes the lid off and looks right into my eyes. He grins and then slowly licks the entire top layer.

“Ugh! You’re not twelve anymore. Why are you so freaking childish?” I shout.

I lunge towards him and he jumps up, out of the way. He holds the ice cream right above my head and I jump up in an attempt to reach it. He’s so much taller than me now. I hate it.

“You asshole!” I shout.

Helen clears her throat and looks at us in amusement. “Language, Emilia,” she murmurs. None of Carter and my antics have ever fazed her. If anything, she seems to enjoy them. She rarely interferes with our ongoing feud, no matter how bad it gets. I glare at Carter, blaming him for getting chastised.

“You... you… snickerdoodle!”

He bursts out laughing, and I take that moment to aim. I jam my knee up in an attempt to knee him in the balls, but he’s become a pro at evading me. He grabs my leg and pulls on it, making me lose my balance. I fall down onto my butt and he laughs before dragging his tongue over my ice cream. That disgusting devil.

Kate walks down the stairs and smiles when she finds me sprawled on the floor. “Thought I heard you,” she says. She drops down on the floor beside me, completely ignoring the fact that I’m obviously not sitting here voluntarily.

Carter grabs a spoon and starts eating my ice cream from the tub, his eyes on me with every bite. I’m seething.

“Are you prepared for the mid-year cheering auditions?” Kate asks. I bite down on my lip and shake my head. Kate joined at the start of the year and she’s been trying to get me to join her ever since, but I’m just not sure I’m cheerleader material. I’m far better at studying than I am at jumping and dancing. I didn’t think Kate would enjoy it either, especially because she’s always hated cheerleaders. I guess that changed when the most popular one of them befriended her. Ever since Kate became friends with Gabby, she’s started to change, and I’m not a hundred percent sure I like it.

Carter bursts out laughing. “She’s joining the cheering squad? When hell freezes over, maybe. She’ll break a leg in the first week.”

I cross my arms over my chest and glare up at him. Carter smiles and takes another bite of my ice cream.

“Yes,” I blurt. “I’m ready. I might as well give it a try.”

I know deep down I’m only doing it to prove Carter wrong and that I should be above that, but he brings out the worst in me.

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