you should know by now
be careful what you put them through
-The Editors
Chapter One
Fatigue. Exhaustion.
I never truly understood the meaning of those words until today, the day when we repeatedly
switched flights and rode planes as far as we could go. After passing through hundreds of gates
and picking off trays of airplane food, I can safely say that I never want to see another airport ever
again. I wanted to throw my passport and boarding pass in the trashcan.
Mason handed me a passport and
I knew that this was our final destination. We held each others passports, promising only to five it back
when we decided on a place to stay. Let's just say that it's tradition. Crowds of people in the airport
walk by as Mason pulled me up from the chair.
"Isabelle Gray?" I opened up the passport
to find a picture of myself staring back at me, "is that the best you could
come up with?"
"It's a good name," Mason insisted, "took
me what? Two days to come up with that?"
"M'hmm, I'm honored,"
I rolled my eyes and he laughed, throwing an arm around
my shoulders.
Mason hooked his arm around my neck
and pulled me towards his side, placing an affectionate and ostentatious kiss on the side of
my head. "We'll be okay," he murmured soothingly.
I nod even while everything else in me
was disagreeing. This was the fourth new home in seven months and the eighth identity since the day I
popped out of my mother's stomach. I'm only sixteen and half of my life I have spent running. Some kids
dream of starting over and having a new life. I dreamed of waking up to the same thing every morning and
seeing the same people. I dream of something constant. Something stable.
Something that cannot exist.
"Alright," Mason hauled his duffel bag
from the luggage track while I dragged mine from behind, "the apartment's not too
shabby. I've got a guy who's letting us rent it out for a deal".
This is nothing out of ordinary.
"Would you like to know what the deal is?"
I catch my pale reflection on
the window and see Mason looking back, a serious expression hid under a casual look.
"Okay. . . what's the deal?"
He hesitated.
Mason hesitating; that wasn't ordinary in any way. That was just weird.
And it made me suspicious. Mason wasn't known for hesitating but the exact opposite. He
was known for being outgoing and spontaneous, doing things unexpected. His Never Thinking
Attitude was always getting him into trouble.
I stared up at him accusingly, "what did you do?"
We differ from each other, Mason and I.
He stood an intimidating six feet with several inches on top. I stood just above five feet. His hair
has been dyed so many times that he probably doesn't even remember his natural color. Unlike in
my case, where the big oaf wouldn't even let me get highlights. Sometimes I don't understand him.
Like now.
"Don't worry about it, Red,"
Mason shot me a familiar smile.
It's his famous smile.
The smile he wore when he decided to be stupid and compassionate to break into a stereo shop, stealing
the electronics so we would have something to eat at home. A slight mischievous quirk of the corner of
his lips. I swear, he's the only guy who could pull it off. Why do you think girls fall left and right?
"B-but, you see? That's what makes me worry-"
He grabbed my arm and forced
me to stop on the middle of the sidewalk. If he didn't, I would have walked right into two guys. They
were not the kind of guys I would like to run into. Smirks on their lips, designer label clothes, an attitude
in their walk and their eyes- they should get along with Mason just fine.
Mason exchanged the typical male
to male greetings a tilt of the head, pounding of the fists. He greeted them as old friends before
introducing me by the name he has bestowed on me.
"Isabella," he said my name,
a pleading look in his eyes as he did.
Mason gestured to the guy on the left.
He had dark hair and striking features so intriguing that a girl, taken or not, could not miss. Sadly, I
couldn't fawn over a guy like many other boy crazy girls out there could. Take Mason for example.
Sure, he's handsome. Sure, nine out of ten high schools that we've attended dubbed him as one of the
top ten hottest guys.
I bet they don't know that he snores. Or that he will go
out of his way to annoy his only sister. Or that the girls he dates have only one week before their
Expiration Date. Let's just say that Mason knocked a little common sense into me. Not every girl has
a prince charming. And not every prince charming is who everyone thinks him to be.
"This is Brice and Damian,"
Mason introduced with a hand on my shoulder, "Damian's renting us out the apartment.
for a small thing in exchange. Would you like to know what the deal is?"
"You didn't tell her?" Damian
asked with a nice deep voice.
"Hold up man," Mason shot
him a warning look in a way that hinted that they were old friends, "I'm getting there.
If you don't want Isabelle running off then chill. Alright?"
Damian smirked amusedly
before nodding, "all right".
Mason looked at me.
and said the one thing that will change my life forever.
"Isabella, you're going to be Damian's girlfriend".
Yet, I'm determined to post this.
I have no idea really.
Sitting under a big tree full of various shades of green.
The canopy of leaves stretch to provide shade
and a cool breeze is always present.
The ideal place to think :)
Rate? Message? Tell me if you liked it
Paige
