Chapter 1
Author's Note: P.S: The remaining books in this series are spin-offs of other POVs and they are not completed yet but can be read after The Lone Dove. This is Marvin's POV, Melanie's brother from The Little Dove and Poppy's & Maximus' son (From The Lone Dove). Hope you enjoy!
CHAPTER 1: First Day Back
“One medium trim latte, two vanilla skinny chocolate frappes.” I hear from the corner of the coffee machine. Lorraine is busy fluffing her brown-newly-curled locks, while Melanie swipes away at her phone screen, amethyst eyes only hitched on the device. I sigh and stand, thanking the man behind the machine.
“Thank you, Reece.” I say to him.
He smirks, “You could thank me more by slipping me your sister’s number.” I give him a flat, uninterested look. The idiot stared at her every morning we entered this cafe before school.
I heave out an annoy sigh, “For the last time, I’m not prostituting my twin sister, Reece. Could you find a better, preferably more healthy hobby?” I ask the guy, he wasn’t a bad person, but he couldn’t catch a hint to save his dignity.
He gives me a deadpanned look, “Do you have any idea how much praise I’d get from my parents if I brought home Melanie Myers for dinner? I wouldn’t have to do this bloody job for one, and I could get my Bumblebee Camaro back, you know how much I loved that car, look I’ll do anything just for two hours with her. I’ll even get the guys off your back about playing the game to win Lorraine.” He whispers the last part with a considerable eyebrow and a knowing look.
I lean against the counter, “Quiet, you blithering imbecile. She’s right over there.” I whisper, harshly.
He scoffs, glancing over, “She’s applying amber-rose lipstick on as if she’s had chapped lips for the past year, look, you want the hassling to stop, get me two hours with Melanie. I am begging you, I’ll even shout you two basketball tickets.” He says.
I give him a raised eyebrow, “You mean the school basketball game?” I ask him.
He places a bored hand under his stubble-chin, “Same difference, look, you in or not?” He asks me, standing straighter and fixing the collar on his red t-shirt with the company name of the cafe on his peck.
I turn around, “Good luck with the Camaro.” I say over my shoulder.
“Damnit, Marvin.” He curses behind me, I roll my eyes, placing the Vanilla skinny chocolate frappes in front of Lorraine first as Melanie holds out her hand, still not looking up from her screen.
Lorraine looks up at me, as I hand her hers, she purses her lips at me, “How’s the colour?” She asks me, grinning, but not in the way she understands she’s actually teasing the hell out of me by pressing airy kissing faces at me with those bloody delicious looking lips, damnit Marvin!
One frappe is snatched from my hands, “Thank you, Marvin, I did want the frappe this year.” Melanie says to me, Lorraine giggles as she stands, grabbing hers while she fixes her necklace.
I give my sister a narrow eyed look as she gives me her own, moving towards the door, I follow after Lorraine, I walk past Reece, handing him Melanie’s business card, with her number—payback for her sarcasm,Reece beams, I shake my head at him, “Don’t get your hopes up.” I tell him, he gives me a fist bump.
“Thanks, dude.” I tell him not to mention it, literally as I step outside in the overcast atmosphere, Melanie toots from the driver’s seat of her sleek Black Lamborghini Veneno Mom bought her for our birthday a couple months back. I step in the passenger side when I see Lorraine had taken the back seat. Melanie speedily U-turns before accelerating towards the main road, I grunt when my side hits the door, I watch my sister smirk as she says to me,
“That’s for giving Reece my number.”
I roll my eyes, “You deserved that one.”
“You can also walk to school if you want?” She offers, sarcastically.
I don’t bother answering her as I furrow my eyebrows when she pulls into the parking lot, we see the commotion of students piling around the centre of the school, the main entrance by the steps, where reporters and police officers are stacked on each step. I step out of the car as the girls do the same, Lorraine stands next to me, “What is going on?” She whispers.
I lean against the door, moving an inch closer to her as Melanie pulls out her phone, typing away at the screen, her eyes widen, “Professor Darren was arrested...for sexually harassing teen princess, Loren Sucrose.” She whispers in slight surprise.
Lorraine gapes at the scene, “Oh my God, Loren? As in Loren, the same girl who’s slept with just about half the school by now, wears tacky make-up and who we all thought was currently dating Houser?” She murmurs. I glance down at her, before something catches my eyes, Houser Colton stands off to the side, a smirk on his face as he watches Loren sob on the benches as Professor Darren is pulled out of the school in handcuffs. Colton gelled back his dark blonde hair, his manipulative blue eyes set on watching Loren sob after Professor Darren with a helpless expression.
She and Professor Darren must have had something together, but it sure wasn’t under sexual harassment, probably just an illegal teacher-student relationship.
Loren runs to him, “Darren, please! Let him go! He didn’t do anything! Don’t do this, I swear to God, he’s innocent! I pursued this! Take me instead! LET HIM GO! I LOVE HIM! I’M IN LOVE WITH HIM!” She screams at the top of her lungs, strawberry blonde hair flowing in the wind as Professor Darren snaps his head to the side.
“Loren! LOREN!” He screams for her all the same.
We watch silently as he’s dragged towards a cop car, his body shoved inside as he continues writhing and screaming for Loren to ‘stay calm’. Houser fist bumps his team, watching as the cars reverse and soon, paparazzi leave as Loren Sucrose, daughter of Sucrose fashion design is bombarded with dirty looks. The girl wore her choice of fashion and that in itself was making a statement. She wore red stilettos to school, the shortest, skimpiest of skirts and a crop top that fit an eight year old, not her.
She spins towards Houser, who gives her a wide smirk, “I can’t believe you let a teacher stick his hands on you, but I guess that’s what happens when you work for ′SLUTS-R-US’." Houser hollers, earning howls from his surrounding friends, one that included Reece, who merely shakes his head at Loren, who punches Houser in the cheek.
It did nothing, his head didn’t even move.
Melanie and Lorraine watch closely to how Houser reacts, “YOU SON OF A BITCH, HOUSER!” Loren screams at him, shoving at his shoulders.
He chuckles, “I’m glad I didn’t bother with you, you probably have more STI’s than our average population rate. You should have focused less on opening your legs for a teacher and more on actually passing school, Princess. It’s mighty time cheaters like you are out in their place. QUEEN CITY HIGH, WHAT IS LOREN’S PUNISHMENT?” He screams to the crowd, looking at all of us, when his eyes meet Melanie’s—I watch Houser falter for a moment, probably seeing her dark look, as everyone else screams.
“SHE SHOULD BE HANDCUFFED!”
“Drench her!”
“Dunk her!” We here more and more screams as Houser glances over to Lorraine, who, I move in front of when I watch his eyes narrow closely, he ignores the crowd, only looking in our direction. I watch Reece glance over and before Houser knows it, Reece and two others from Houser’s group of seven, move towards us.
Houser smirks, looking only at Melanie as he says aloud, “LET’S PUT IT TO A VOTE, YOU ALL KNOW WHERE AND YOU HAVE UNTIL LUNCH TO MAKE YOUR DECISION!” He yells, earning chuckles, giggles, hisses and so much more as Loren tries to hit him again, he merely shoves her off of him as he follows Reece, who smiles down at Melanie, she doesn’t bother looking at him.
Reece gives me a nod, “You three were quick.” He says, letting out a low whistle as he looks at Melanie’s wheels. Holden and Matthews stands next to him as Houser and his jocks step forward.
Houser makes the utter mistake of slowly placing his arm around Melanie’s shoulder, “Mel, you’re looking beautiful this morning.” He says to her, before earning a roaring punch to the jaw and a swipe underneath his legs, the infamous millionaire’s son drops in a heap.
Melanie gives him a bored look, after making his jaw bleed, she steps over him and towards the school as Houser jumps back up, “Fuck, should’ve seen that one coming.” He curses, rubbing his back as he watches her leave with a grimace. I merely shrug when he looks at me, I greet the other guys as Lorraine hurriedly rounds the group and runs after Melanie. I watch Lorraine closely as Houser fists my shoulder, still rubbing his back with his other hand.
“You’re looking sharp, new makeover?” He asks me, all guys eyes on me, smirks on their faces as each one of them holds their jock jerseys.
I sigh, “You look like you just got dumped, and in the worst way too, Houser. I take it your parents taught you to fight fire with fire?” I ask him, blankly.
Reece grins as he looks at Houser’s darkened features, the second I said what I said, “Loren was merely a fling, you know my heart’s set on your sister.” He says, flatly, gazing his eyes in the direction of where Melanie and Lorraine continue walking.
I narrow my eyes, “You made a statement, exactly how much did you bet on this one?”
He raises an eyebrow, “Only one thousand, speaking of. Reece, Mathews...you both owe me now.” He says to them, Reece winces, cursing under his breath.
“Fuck sake, man. You forced me to make that bet, you know I can’t afford it right now.” Reece whispers, giving Houser a certain look, as if to tell him that he really didn’t have the money.
Houser scoffs, “I don’t care how you get it, just fucking get that money. What are you, five years old? No one can physically tamper with your mind and manipulate you into proving your worth, it was your choice whether you stay in this game. You win, or you lose.” Houser says to him, grinning over his shoulder as he gestures for the others, besides Reece and Matthews to follow.
I stand up straighter, Matthews turns to me, “Look, I just wanted to let you know. Houser’s been given a dare, anonymously. All we know, is that it either involves Melanie, or Lorraine, he plans to do it at his party this Friday, whether it’s to kiss one of them, or sleep with one of them, neither deserve it. I’m just giving you a heads up.” He says to me, Reece gives me a nod.
I narrow my eyes, “Melanie wasn’t planning on going, but Aria’s trying to convince Lorraine that she and Melanie need to be more sociable, apparently.” I mutter, already knowing some details when I saw Houser giving Aria money last week, an envelope of a few hundred dollars, whatever he’s planning, I need to get in the middle of it before it turns chaotic.
Reece glances over as I move off of the car and towards the main centre, with Reece on one side and Matthews on the other, “What’s your plan?” Matthews asks.
I stare straight ahead, “Melanie has plans on that day, a scheduled business trip. Meaning, Houser’s targeting Lorraine. Whatever happened to making a fucking pact when Houser introduced this to the group?” I curse in annoyance, grabbing my tablet from my locker, we were all headed to business engagements, while I catch Melanie and Lorraine grabbing their gym gear.
Reece sighs, “You’re not a true member unless you’ve done a dare. Houser let you off because everyone knows who your parents are, it’s probably why Houser is always soft with Melanie, he must know he can’t get to her, so he’ll try for the next best thing....Lorraine.” He whispers. I give him a dark look.
He raises his hands in surrender, “Don’t kill the messenger, I’m merely giving you details on how his head works. This guy has more than two faces plastered on and his older brother use to be head leader of this movement, messing with him puts us at the bottom of the food chain.” He mutters.
I growl, “It’s cowardice is what it is.” I tell him.
He scowls, “We don’t all have a fucking safety net, Marvin. Houser’s trying to force your hand because he could make a lot of bets on you and even more money, given your status. We’re helping you because you’re honest.” He says, Matthews gives me his own acknowledgment, in Reece’s words.
I gulp down the rest of my latte, “Find out what you can and attempt to intercept Aria.”
“What the fuck am I suppose to do with Houser’s demands? I don’t have a fucking grand to spare.” Reece says, taking a seat as the teacher clicks on the monitors, beginning his session.
I write down coordinates I had practiced after getting Melanie to infiltrate Houser’s locker last year, “He enfolds cash in these exact places. He won’t notice if you take a grand from there and hand it to him. Just make sure their not signed, he tends to do that to check his makings.” I mutter to him, handing him the piece of paper that he quickly hides in his jeans pocket.
“I owe you, man.” He whispers, holding out a fist-bump.
I point at him, “Track Aria, I don’t want Lorraine going to that fucking party.” I tell him.
He and Matthews nods as both turn back to the teacher, a manicured hand slides down my shoulder and I almost choke when I flinch away from Bridgette Barrens fingers, she grins widely, “God, Marvin, it’s been so long.” She whispers to me.
I cringe, “What the fuck do you want, Bridgette? Future reference, don’t bloody touch my suit.” I spit at her, her closest friend, Amelia Lawson flinches at the coldness in my voice.
Bridgette rolls her eyes, reaching over to scuffle my hair, I turn in my seat, she moans, “Don’t give me that look, baby. Not yet anyway.” She giggles, holding her phone out and snapping a picture of us both. When the bell finally rings, I grab her phone and delete the photo as she gasps,
“HEY!” She yells at me.
I stare into her blue eyes, “You ever touch me again, or even attempt to take a picture of me without my permission, I’ll be the one to run your reputation, your last shred of dignity and your fucking disgusting choice of perfume down a rat-infested drain and make you live with those consequences. Comprendre?” I say to her, darkly. She slowly nods, staring at her phone, that I lazily drop onto her lap, she shakes as she packs up, Reece and Matthews walks with me towards the next class, just as we sit, Houser leans over from behind me, being in the exact same English literature class.
“Want to make Bridgette pay for posting on Instagram that you stuck your tongue down her throat in Business?” He chants behind me.
I narrow my eyes, glancing down at my phone as I look at the notifications bar, pissed off and annoyed when I see that what he said was true, in the fact Bridgette had posted such a bullshit message about it, I speed dial Melanie’s number, “Pick up, pick up—Melanie, are you there?” I ask when I hear the end of the dial.
She sighs, “Who the hell else would I be? Look, what do you want, I’m working on a billboard formation to show Mom and I need this to work if Mom’s going to let me join her on the business trip to Shanghai on Friday.” She rants.
I roll my eyes, “Bridgette posted something on Instagram, could you get rid of it for me?” I ask, not wanting to make it that obvious that I didn’t want Lorraine seeing anything like that when none of it was even remotely true.
Melanie sighs, “Why did you even sit next to her? You showed yourself up just like Loren did with her choice of clothes this morning?” She makes the comparison, one I sure as hell didn’t like.
“I didn’t fucking know she was behind me, can you get this done or not?” I ask her.
“What’s the magic word, Marvin Myers?” She says my whole name, obviously annoyed.
I glare into my desk, “You’re the better, more talented, most intellectually logical and golden twin, Melanie Myers.”
“And?” She urges.
I close my eyes with a huff, “And I’m the dumbest, pain in the arse, ugliest piece of shit on this planet.” I say, Matthews gives me a raised eyebrow as Houser and his buddies start chuckling behind me, it was a low move, but I couldn’t resist as I turn around and shove Houser’s desk into his abdomen, watching him gasp as Melanie scoffs.
“You got it wrong. Not the planet, the universe, Marvin and fine, because you asked nicely.” She says, before abruptly hanging up on me. I glare at Houser, who does the same as he wrings his hand out, holding a sharp pencil, I dodge his attack easily, by grabbing his laptop and watching him roughly snap the pencil and scratch the laptop was my most satisfying thought so close to lunch. His eyes widen as he tries hard to clean the graphite from his laptop, the guys whistle lowly as they look at him, ‘ooh’s’ filtering the air.
By the time lunch came around, Melanie gives me a conformational nod that she’d gotten rid of the post, Bridgette walked past us with her giving me a dirty look, I turn towards Lorraine, who places a salad in front of her, I furrow my eyebrows. She gives me a low look, “I swear, if you tell me I need something more to eat, I will drop this salad on your head.” She mutters.
Houser scoffs as he drops his bag on the floor, sliding in next to Melanie, who’s too busy to notice him considering she’s on her phone, Houser slides a bowl of chips on the table, winking at Lorraine, “My treat, babe.”
I give him a dirty look, as if to say ‘not to call her that’ he grins at me, a glint in his eyes, “So, Melanie, Lorraine, you’ve both invited to my party this Friday night, a celebration after the game, whether we win or lose?” He says, slyly.
Lorraine flicks her eyes up, “Face it, Houser. Your parties are stereotypical, stupid and seriously boring for girls who aren’t there to just drink and make out with strangers?” She mutters to him, I hide a smile under my cuffs as Houser gives her a raised eyebrow, Melanie glances over to her.
Houser turns to Melanie, “Well, have any thoughts, love?” He asks her.
Melanie scoffs, “Do I look like I care an ounce of how you party?” She mutters, scrolling through her phone.
He turns to her, “You could always prove me wrong? Have a party at your parent’s estate, I’ll give you a hundred thousand if you can get one thousand students at your party.”
She continues staring at her phone, “I make more money than you could in a year, within a week, and I’m not a member of your club, nor does anyone really want to be. Here’s a tip, if you had better security, more bass boosted songs and decent taste in food, more people might actually go to your lame parties. Now, I have a computer engineering assignment, so either get lost or shut up.” She says to him, earning smiles from the guys as Houser rolls his eyes at her, he grins at Lorraine.
“You’ll come, won’t you, Lorraine?” He asks her.
I lean forward, “She said ‘No’, learn to back off.” I tell him, lowly.
Lorraine gives me an annoyed look, “I know how to defend myself, Marvin. I don’t need you doing that for me too.” She says to me, stabbing her fork in her salad.
Houser whistles, “Someone’s PMSing, perhaps you shouldn’t go.”
I snap my head to him, “I said ‘fuck off’, Houser.”
He grins, “Make me, bitch.”
I squeeze my fist closed, before a hand slams on the table and all heads turn to the pissed off blonde with illuminated amethyst eyes, she stands in irritation, “If you two testosterone filled flunkies are done sizing up the others’ balls, the rest of us don’t need the stench. Grow the fuck up, the both of you.” She says, glaring at me and Houser.
I give her my own glare as she walks away. Houser looks pissed, “Great, now you got the dragon mad.” He says to me.
“I’ll show you who the bloody dragon is, pathetic weasel.” I say to him, before watching Lorraine huff and turn away with her salad in her hands. I sigh in defeat as I watch her walk away, before turning to Houser with a grand growl on my lips.
“If you try anything on Lorraine, I will bring you six feet under, even if I have to be holding the shovel, do you understand me?” I say to him, darkly, darker than most could as he scoffs.
“It’s just a game, but if you’re so worried, you could join in on the bet and hike against me, Myers. We could always test who can pop her innocent cherry first, I’m making a lot of money on this, you’d be wise not to double cross me.” He says to me.
I fist my hands, anger drilling in my pores like an adrenaline booster, “You touch her and I will blow your fat head sky high. You don’t play the game with either of them, Houser. That’s the deal. Own it.” I point at him.
He leans forward, “The deal was made in first year, and the guys had a vote. Even if the girls are a part of our group, they’re on the scoreboard. High prize is Melanie, and I’ll screw any girl so long as end game is her, I make the rules. You want in, you want Lorraine all to your prickly self, deal your cards, or that cherry is mine to pop, and I sure as hell won’t go easy. What’s it going to be, Marvin?”
*****
A |N: Just a little teaser into Marvin’s high school life, let me know if you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you all so much!
Cheers, darkblonde1
