Chapter Three

Mac has sent me a few more snaps since the other day. I haven’t opened them though, I don’t know if my heart can take it.

Clarissa and I are the first ones to the dining hall. We grab our lunch, a simple ham and cheese sandwich, chips and a water and make our way to what I have now figured out is our table out on the balcony. After taking a seat, I turn towards her, hundreds of questions buzzing through my mind. I need the answers and with our so-called friends absent, now is as good a time as any to ask.

“Were we tight before my memory loss?” I ask her.

“You’re my bitch.” She says back, not looking up at me while checking her phone.

“So, we partied together and what not?” Phone forgotten now, she looks up at me and smiles.

“I was wondering when you would ask. Let’s just say Eastside has the best house parties. They may be poor as dirt but damn, they can drink, and the guys are fine. Did you want to hit one this weekend?”

“I don’t know how; my parents and brother are watching me like hawks and Sebastian is extra needy.”

“Sebastian is a dick and you always thought so.” She says followed by a laugh.

“Thank god because I get a headache from all the products he uses in his hair. What about me and Carter? Were we close?”

“I think so, as much as siblings can be, I think he enjoys all of this more than you did. I can get you out this weekend.”

“You can?” She nods and runs me through the plan, telling me her father and mine are close, if her family asks for me to stay over there is no way he would say no.

“Are you being dragged to this silent auction event tonight?” Oliver asks, taking a seat at our table. I study him, his sandy blonde hair and ocean green eyes against an angled jawline would classify him as handsome and I can see it, but the preppy look just isn’t for me.

“Yes, My parents plan to try to marry me off and they can’t figure out why no one wants their beautiful daughter.” Clarissa laughs and so does Oliver.

“Because why buy the cow when the milk is free.” Quinn jokes, as a scowl takes over my face. She’s tall and lean, with the body of a supermodel, but comments like that make her ugly.

“They don’t know that.” Clarissa says, laughing at herself.

“I wonder if I’m going.” I say more to myself. Looking up from my lunch. I find them all looking at me.

“You’re going. Any chance for your parents and Sebastian’s to show you two off they will, you know he will propose as soon as you are both finished with school.”

My head snaps to Clarissa. “Propose? I’m seventeen.” Especially when I don’t even like the guy, something about him rubs me the wrong way. Our relationship seems like it’s all for show. I need to add that to the notepad I've started carrying. I’ve been using it to write down things I learn about myself so I can keep track.

“You have it so tough.” Ambrosia snarks as she rolls her eyes, followed by a hollow laugh. She sits on the edge of the table and leans back taking a selfie with us all in it. “I mean, Sebastian’s family has loads of cash, so does yours and it makes sense. We all know we will settle for guys who will screw cheap whores.”

Her proclamation makes my head spin. Is this really what it’s like to be rich?

“Hey babe. Sorry, I had some things to take care of.” He places a kiss on my cheek. Not even a minute later, I notice Lydia slip outside, her hair slightly out of place and fixing her skirt.

“Is that something I knew about and turned a blind eye to?” I ask, pointing at Lydia. She looks at me with wide eyes, slightly paling at the accusation.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He snaps.

“Don’t worry babe, I dated a few guys while I was away and if we want to be technical, I still am, so do what you please. I really don’t care but do not play me for a fool.” I stand starting to grab my tray, but he grabs my arm and starts to forcibly drag me away.

“Call me tonight!” I shout to Clarissa, she gives me a thumbs up and turns back to the table. Oliver is laughing, Ambrosia and Quinn are typing away on their phones and Lydia watches us walk away.

Sebastian pushes me hard against a wall, almost hard enough to knock the wind out of me. “What is your problem? Accusing me of such things and then telling me you were with other guys.” I laugh in his face and he grabs my cheeks between his fingers.

“I don’t have a problem,” I say, putting my hands on his chest ready to push him away. “I sure as shit don’t buy into your innocent act and I am just biding my time here, so you do your thing and I will do mine.”

“Like hell.” He spits. “You’re mine and it’s best you remember that.”

“Yeah, okay. So where were you when I was missing, did you even look for me?” His face tells me all I need to know, he didn’t. “No, I bet you had a great time without me.” I know I’m making him mad, but I can’t seem to help wanting to poke the beast a bit.

He leans in close, his breath a breeze blowing over my skin. “Well if my girlfriend put out, I wouldn’t need to go elsewhere.” He licks the side of my face, a barely audible groan reverberating from his throat. My chest starts to get tight, my vision blurring a dark haze at the edges.

“I’m starting to see why I didn’t.” My ears start to ring, a high-pitched wail that wasn’t there a second ago. I feel myself drop to the floor and a flash hits me.

“Echo…what about him?”

“You’re fucking him, the worthless drug dealer who works for your uncle.”

“I’m not fucking anyone.”

“Don’t I know it, you crazy bitch.”

I get slapped across the face hard, everything from there plays out too fast to keep up.

“Are you okay?” I flinch when a hand touches mine, I open my eyes and see Chloe kneeling in front of me. Sebastian nowhere in sight.

“Sorry, I had a panic attack.” I look around seeing the other kids just walk by ignoring us.

“I can take you to the nurse.” I quickly shake my head no, the last thing I need is this moment of weakness getting back to my parents.

“Why would you want to help me if I was as nasty as you say I was?” This girl is way too nice for the mean kids that attend this academy. I don’t know how she can act this way towards me, especially after finding out what I did over a stupid ruined selfie.

“Your behaviour says a lot about who you are, not who I am. You also seem different now and I know how sucky panic attacks are.” She stands, extending her hand down to me. I grab it gingerly and she helps me to my feet.

“I do feel different since the accident. I honestly hate who I used to be, I was an asshole, and my friends don’t seem like friends at all. Clarissa seems okay but she also seems like trouble.”

We start walking together to nowhere in particular. “She is a lot of trouble, I don’t know her personally of course but I hear the rumours. Just be careful with your friends, no one here is as they seem, everything is about appearances.”

“What about you? You obviously come from money.”

“My mother married a rich guy so I’m here by default, everyone knows I was poor. They will put on a nice face if my stepfather is around but at school I’m a leper because I like to keep to myself. My step brother is pretty cool, sometimes.”

“Does he go here?” She blushes, a rosy tone taking over her pale cheeks. She must have a crush on him if that reaction is anything to go by.

“Yes, though he isn’t one for the social hierarchy. You and your friends leave him be, I think more from fear than anything else. Him and his friends I would say are bad boys.” She says, using air quotes, putting as much emphasis on the word bad as she can.

“Agh, the ones every girl thinks she can change.”

“Pretty much. I think you and Chev had a thing, he acts like he hates you, but I’d also seen the way you looked at him.”

“Seems like I’ve always liked the bad guys, some guy named Echo and now Chev.” Sebastian, though I don’t know if I ever really liked him.

“Echo is a guy that lives on the Eastside, Chev sometimes talks about him. I honestly think he is a drug dealer.”

“Damn,” I mutter. “I’m going for a home run on the shitty person award, a bitch and terrible taste in guys.”

“Chev isn’t bad.” She gets defensive, of course she does she has a crush on her step brother. “That’s him over there.” She points to a guy in uniform, but he screams fuck with me I dare you . He pushes off the wall and stalks towards us.

“Hey lil sis.” I hear the sarcasm in his voice, he is baiting her, wanting any kind of attention he can get. He hasn’t even looked at me yet, all of his focus solely on her.

He wraps a finger around one of her curls, giving it a teasing tug. Maybe I just wanted him because he wanted her. Man, if that’s true, I really was a shitty person.

“I’m not your sister Chev.” She looks up at him, her big brown eyes full of hope. Oh, you poor girl he will eat you alive.

“Bristol, I would say it’s good to see you back but some of us were hoping that someone finally off’ed you.” His attention now turned to me, full of venom.

“I don’t blame you, I’m glad I don’t remember shit.”

“No memory, wait until Echo finds out. Are you gracing him with your presence on Saturday?”

“Maybe, you should come with me?” I look at Chloe with a raised brow.

“No.” Chev snaps.

“Excuse me,” she says, jabbing a pointed finger at his chest. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

“Eastside is no place for a girl.” He growls at her.

“I’m a girl.” I add, making his point invalid.

He turns to look at me with a smirk on his face. “Chloe is good, guys on the Eastside will eat her alive.”

“Guys like you?” I ask, testing his reaction.

“Exactly.” He states, punctuating the word with a derisive nod.

“I’m going.” Chloe states with finality, standing with her hands on her hips.

“Sounds like it’s settled then, maybe we can have a sleepover too.” I smile up at Chev, but his eyes are locked on Chloe, anger simmering in their depths.

“Do what you want, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when something bad happens.” With that final statement, he turns and storms off towards the school parking lot.

“Great.” She says, hitting herself in the forehead. “ I pissed him off again. It’ll be hell at home now.”

“It’s because he likes you.” We come to a stop at the doors of what looks to be a library.

“He does not, he makes my life hell most of the time.” Her face goes bright red.

“He does and he makes your life hell because he knows he is bad news and doesn’t want to ruin you. I think we need to show him what he is missing out on.”

“You think?” Her eyes light up. “Will Clarissa be cool with that?”

“Sure she will.” I really have no idea but she wants my connections and I have a feeling parties on the Eastside were not her thing so she is using me to get in.

***

The rest of the day goes pretty well, Carter informs me on the way home we will be going to that event. The silent auction. He never mentioned it because he forgets I have no memory, he just assumed that I remembered it.

Chloe gave me her number so I can call her tomorrow. I made plans to go to her place and get ready. It shouldn’t be hard to convince Clarissa to tag along. She says her mum and step dad are leaving early for a business trip and she will have the house to herself, Chev rarely comes home on weekends, usually only to sleep off his massive hangovers. She has it planned, we can have a few drinks by the pool and get ready. By how excited she was, I got the impression she has never had a girlfriend before.

Carter follows me into the house through the massive garage. The house is littered with people I have never seen before. The noise of everyone talking at once has me rubbing my temples. “What the hell is all this?” I ask Carter.

“This is what it takes to get us ‘event ready’, we wouldn’t want anyone thinking we could dress ourselves.” I notice my mother heading in our direction, I don’t look much like her at all. Carter has her features though, and I look a lot like my father, just a female version with lighter hair.

“Bristol, thank god. You need to go shower. I picked out your dress, it’s on the rack in your room. You have fifteen minutes and then I’m sending someone up to help you into it.” Help me into it? She can’t be serious. What the heck kind of event is this?

I race up the stairs, not wanting to argue and to get away from the noise that seems to echo off the walls of the house. I connect my phone to the Bluetooth speaker, setting it down on the marble countertop in my bathroom. The one thing I can still do and am immensely grateful for, is connect to the playlists on Maximus’ spotify account. When Post Malone blasts through the speakers, I jump in the shower. Being in this place has certain perks like a shower with jets coming from all directions and at the perfect temperature every time. When the last line from Rockstar finishes, I shut the shower off and wrap myself in a big fluffy towel and a hair wrap, not wanting to drip water all over my floor.

All the air expels from my lungs in the sound of a scream when I walk into my room. A lady with a pixie cut, maybe mid-twenties is sitting on my bed. She jumps at the sound of my scream, a screech of her own coming out of her mouth. She tries to apologise but I’m taken back into a flashback.

“What are you doing here?” My back is turned to someone, I can’t see their face but I don’t seem worried by them being there.

“Did you really think you could run away and we wouldn’t find you?”

“That was the plan.” I throw back.

I blink a few times and see Carter bent down in front of me, a look of concern taking over his features. I must have fallen to the floor during my flashback.

“Are you okay?” I nod in silent answer to his question. I know he doesn’t seem convinced.

“I have anxiety attacks, when I saw a stranger in my room I freaked out.”

“Ok, take a few minutes and relax. I will distract Mum. Tess is here to get you dressed and she will do your hair and makeup.” I look up and Tess gives a small wave.

“Time for you to go.” She says to Carter and ushers him out of the room. Tess pulls out the dress bag as Carter shuts the door behind himself. “Your mum has good taste.” I look at the yellow dress, I know I have seen it somewhere before. “I loved when Kate Hudson wore a dress similar to this in How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days . The only difference is this has a slightly higher neckline.” She spins the dress around, and my eyes go wide. It has no back, like none.

“Are you sure it will fit?” I ask.

“Yes, it was tailor made just for you. A strapless bra is on the bed and no underwear would be best, but I found a very tiny G-string that could work.” I make her turn around while I get my underwear on. Tess pulls me over to the white washed vanity in my room and sits me in the chair in just my underwear, while she blow dries my hair and does a simple elegant knot at the base of my neck. She keeps my make up simple, going for a natural look over all. A light dusting of powder, black liner winged perfectly and a coating of mascara. She finished off the look with a shiny gloss on lips. I’m super pleased she went that route. I can’t stand the makeup plastered all over my face, like my mother has been forcing me to wear it, every time I leave the house.

Tess grabs my hand, pulls me from the chair and stands me in the middle of my room. She takes the dress from the hanger and carefully slips it on my body. She wasn’t kidding when she said it was tailor made for me, it fits me like a glove.

She places a strip of tape to keep my butt in, saying that it will hold all night and probably take a layer of skin off when I take it off. She hands me a small packet that looks like an alcohol wipe. “This will help if you can get someone to help you take it off.” She grabs a box I didn't notice before and bends down to help me slip on a pair of nude heels. Just as the second heel is on, Carter knocks on the door. “Let’s go. Mum will pass out if we don’t leave on time, I think she has already popped half a bottle of Valium. Dad is pacing trying to calm her down, it’s quite funny actually.” I thank Tess for her help and follow Carter downstairs.

My mum Shandra, not Sandra, is ranting that we are already late. Her floor length gown looks amazing on her, a pale pink that goes well with her skin tone and her bleach blonde hair pinned up in an elegant up-do. Even in her, what I presume is early forties, she has an amazing body. My father has broad shoulders and seems built, if the wide expanse of his chest is anything to go by. I still get scared just looking at him, he walks in a room as if he owns it. He follows behind her, fanning her with a pamphlet of some kind, murmuring reassurances that everything will be okay.

“Ellis, stop following me around with a damn Indian restaurant menu!” She snaps at him, I hold back a laugh but a choked snort comes out. “It’s about time,” she says looking up at me.

My father and my brother are decked to the nines in Tuxedos, classic black with a white shirt underneath. It still feels strange even thinking of him as my father when I still have no memory of him. The only thing that keeps me going is hoping something here will spark my memories.

Carter’s hair is parted slightly off centre and gelled down. My father is sporting a similar look. I can only assume my mother delegated how we all look for this event tonight.

We follow our parents out the front door and into a sleek black stretch limo. Carter and I take the seats furthest from the doors, our parents sitting in the seats facing forward. As the limo takes us to our destination, I gaze out the window watching the scenery pass by in a blur. I don’t know how much longer I can pretend to be part of this world, everything is so fake. I have to constantly remind myself I can leave when I turn eighteen. I found out my birthday happens to be the very last day of the year. I know I can survive a couple of months of this torture. Even though it’s slightly longer than I have known the guys and I risk them moving on, what other option do I have? Rory is in trouble, but I run back and I put them all at risk. I still don’t remember anything useful, so we would be going into this blind and I can’t bring myself to do that to them. I just need to find out who I can and can’t trust around here. Can’t be that hard, right?