Chapter 1
ARRIETTY
“I love you.” the stars in his eyes made me sick. I wasn’t sure why though. Jet and I never really got along until last year when he asked me to go with him to winter formal. I said yes because I had moved to this school a month before. He had been the only familiarity here, so I said yes, It had been a big mistake. Ever since he’s been following me like a love sick puppy. “I love you too jet.” I replied he smiled, he had black straight hair that fell right over his ears, his eyes were grey he was conventionally attractive but I just couldn’t seem to make myself love him. Other girls wouldn’t have to try to they just would. His hand moved my hair behind my ear and I visibly shifted in my seat.
I raised my hand to go to the bathroom and he gave me a look I couldn’t read. I looked in the mirror. My hair was to my shoulders it was black, My white crop top stretched over me uncomfortably and my pink skirt flowed over my hips stopping right above my knee. The jacket I had picked this morning was half zipped over my stomach. I heard someone shift in one of the stalls. Then I heard a mechanical clicking. I knew exactly what it was too. “Hey, can I get a hit?” I announced to the only other person in the bathroom. “I heard her jump before unlocking the stall and waving me in. She had bright blue hair that cascaded down in braids, her skin was dark and her eyes were like coffee. She smiled at me. I closed the bathroom stall door and opened my hand while she set it in my palm. I took a hit and examined it. It had blue writing that said glacier blue berry ice.
I smiled at her “how long have you been?” I asked as she smirked. “About a year. My name is Kassy. Who are you?” She said I took another hit and handed it back. “I’m Arrietty but I go by Ari.” she stuffed the vape back in her bag and looked back up at me. “Wait, you’re Ari? Like Ari Whiteley?” her eyes widened a bit. “Yeah.” I fidgeted with my jacket zipper. “Girl, you are like model hot, I barely hear about that boy you call your boyfriend.” she enunciated call and smirked and unlocked the stall. I stepped out and turned back toward the mirror. We walked out making more small talk then split a little ways down the hall.
I bumped into someone about halfway to my class. I fell on my ass and I looked up in irritation “What the f-” is all I got out. It was Jetts older brother Dex. He was a senior and played on the hockey team; the star player specifically. I stared at him for longer than I should have. He looked nothing like his brother other than hair color. His hair was black styled in a middle part; it was wavy and stopped right about the temple. His eyes were bright blue and piercingly cold. His lips cherry that stretched in a smirk. He held out a tatted arm. I took his hand and he pulled me up so fast I almost fell on my face again. “Hey Gummy, how are you doing? Still bitchy?” He asked. I rolled my eyes and started to stalk off he didn’t follow.
Later that day Dex glanced at me a few more times each time his jaw ticked. I broke eye contact with him this time. Me and Jett were at a football game. I was holding the popcorn and Jett was talking to one of his teammates. He looked happy as he put his arm around me. I looked back up into the stands and saw that Dex was talking to the girl I met earlier in the stalls. Her hair still in those long blue braids she ruffled Dexs hair. My stomach knotted up. I cursed Dex under my breath. Jett squeezed my hand and kissed my cheek. I broke the long stare I created and smiled up at him. “Cheer for me from the stands ok?” he smirked. “Of course I always do!” I said he jogged out to center field with his team coach westly yelled out to them and I headed up to my seat. It was about half way up the bleachers and away from Jett’s loud friends. I wore a green jersey that had his number and name on it. I tied it up so it wouldn’t hit my mid thigh and threw on a darker green skirt with it. This time it was a short tube skirt. I didn’t really wear jeans unless they were wide legged. Everyone here probably thought I was crazy for wearing skirts in fall but I just didn’t like the way most pants fit.
I looked around the field seeing what Jett was doing and making sure I cheered when I needed to. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see the girl from the bathroom and of course Dex. He had looked reluctant but her smile made me feel welcomed. She said something but I couldn’t hear her over everyone talking and people cheering. “What?” I yelled then she took out her phone and typed something and then held it up. ‘Will you come sit with us?’ I yelled sure and climbed over the bleachers.
I accidentally kicked a man in the arm he jerked and started yelling at me incoherently before he actually looked over. Tears were already stinging my eyes threatening to fall down my cheeks. His face fell before he waved his hand at me and started watching the game again. My hand slowly started to slip and I started to panic before I even had the chance to fall to my death when the grim reaper’s arm caught me. It shouldn’t have sent butterflies to my stomach like it did. I looked up at Dex noticing a new piercing on his eyebrow. “How did you get a new piercing? It’s barely been 6 hours.” I picked myself up and waved his arm away. He didn’t move it and smirked at me instead.
¨You good gummy?¨ he said, shifting his arm tighter around me. I stared for a second and shook the feeling of him off my mind ¨yeah thanks for catching me.¨ My voice sounded very monotone compared to its usually sassy tone. His eyes tightened at the edges and he looked confused before letting me go. Kassy walked me and Dex over to where they were sitting.
Kassy talked about the game and the plays I didn’t understand while Dex scrolled on his phone and glanced up a few times to watch his brother. I held my phone close and talked with Kassy trying to understand the plays and the different terms. she seemed to know a lot about it. she pointed out Jett a lot telling me what he did right and wrong and how to fix the mistakes. I saw a passion in her eyes when she talked about it like she was the one on the field. Her eyes lit up with every touch down. by the end of the game she was waving her hands and yelling at the other team. when we won by 4 points she did a victory wiggle while smiling down at the field.
I was walking beside Kassy to her car Jett had disappeared with his team to the locker rooms and Dex was slumped over my car smirking at me from across the lot. I tried to ignore him. Kassy was done talking about the game. Now tired and sluggish trying to open her car door and shimmy for her keys. I was tired but knew I wouldn't get a lot of sleep. I glance over at my sleep paralysis demon and he jingling something out at me. I squint and realize, "oh my God Jett took my keys!" Kassy's brows furrowed and she leaned up from her seat in the car now looking through the gap between her car door and the roof and her eyes widened. "oh my God he did not that fucking pick pocket!" she started laughing with this bright smile and her eyes shut. in the moment I could see why Jett wanted her around she was gorgeous in a way that was rare something in me twinged with jealously. "I'm going to go deal with that see you later." I said she gave me and smile and wave as I walked over to Jett and my car. "why do you have my keys? I know those were in my bag how did you get them?" I said glaring at him. he took a step towards me and without thinking I leaned forward a bit in response. he smirked at me "Ride with me and I'll have Dex drive your car home." he said my mouth gaped open for a second I fixed my face and said "fine you wont let it go anyway wheres your car?" he smirked "I came on my bike gummy he pointed to a bike a few spaces away.
