Page 18 of Sinful as They Come (Sinful Trilogy #1)

HOLLY

Sawyer Westbrook had no right infiltrating my brain, but he had always been a little too good at doing that and I was almost certain he knew that it was his best skill.

The memories from the fight we had the other day kept lingering.

Maybe it was my fault for just showing up out of nowhere, but I hadn’t been lying when I said I wanted Brodie to have his stuff back.

Sawyer always seemed to believe every intention I had was bad, though.

I felt guilty for stumbling upon him after he had been arguing with his dad. I hadn’t meant to overhear anything.

I blew out a long, frustrated breath and pulled open my locker, instantly spotting my reflection in the little mirror I kept attached to the door.

I had just had a long discussion with the principal about helping to organize fundraising events for the football team, and I needed to think of something all the cheer girls would get on board with.

My hands fixed a couple flyaways before I grabbed my small tube of Dior lip gloss, letting the soft brush run across my lips.

“Hey!” a bright voice said from behind me.

My eyes widened when I saw Annie in my mirror, a little glint in her eyes. “Don’t sneak up on me when I’m putting lip gloss on.”

“Sorry, Malibu Barbie.”

My eyes narrowed at her in the teeny, tiny mirror. There was only ever one person who called me that. “Oh my God. Don’t.”

Chuckling, she leaned up against the locker right next to mine. “I’m just joking. Where were you?”

“With Principal Yorke.” Smacking my lips together, I could feel the subtle taste of cherry hitting me. “He wants the cheer team to organize a fundraiser for the football team. I was thinking a bake sale. I know, boring. But it’s a classic. And we raised so much with the last one we did.”

“We should just do another talent show,” Annie said with a shrug.

Lip gloss in hand, I held in a laugh. “As much as I wanna see you dance, last year’s one ended in disaster. They’ll never let us organize another one again.”

“It wouldn’t have ended in disaster if we didn’t let Tiffany Faulkner get on stage and do that hand sanitizer fire trick. The whole school nearly burned down. She could have ruined my Sleeping Beauty costume.”

“Well, bake sales are safe and fun and no one’s eyebrows get burned off.”

“I think Tiffany’s eyebrows grew back over the summer.”

“Lucky her. What are you doing after school? Do you wanna go to the mall? I might ask some bakeries if they’re willing to donate anything. We can get macarons after if that entices you,” I said with a smile.

“God, I wish.” She sighed. “I have ballet class this afternoon.”

“Please don’t be angry at me!” Christy blurted out at me, popping up out of nowhere.

My eyes widened, taken aback by her sudden appearance. “Why would I be mad?” I replied with a bright smile. Then I saw the look on her face. She looked pale. Paler than usual. Her usually neat, red hair looked a little frizzy. The girl held a hand to her throat, looking like she was in pain.

“I gotta go home,” she said softly.

“Are you okay? Do you need a ride?” I offered.

“You look like you’re about to throw up,” Annie muttered.

Christy shook her head. “My mom’s picking me up. I haven’t been feeling well the last couple days. I’m going to the nurse’s office now. I tried to push myself, but I don’t think I can take much more school.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I gave her a concerned look. “I hope you feel better soon.”

“Thanks,” she mumbled, her eyes on the ground. “But since I haven’t been feeling so good, I haven’t really had time to work on anything for The Chronicle. I’m so sorry.”

The deadline for finished pieces for The Chronicle was tonight. I usually liked to have everyone’s completed writing by the end of the school day, then I’d head down to the library to get it all printed. But I couldn’t be mad at Christy. She looked ready to pass out any second now.

“It’s fine. You don’t have to apologize.” I sent her a kind smile. “I can write something for your column. You just go home and get lots of rest. Need me to walk you to the nurse?”

“No, no. I’m okay. Thanks, Holly,” she whispered. “I’ll see you later.”

I waved at her, watching as she took slow steps down the hall. The nurse’s office wasn’t too far away thankfully. It sucked that I’d have to do some extra work in the afternoon, but Christy looked so sick, and I had never been one to push people. I could handle an extra article.

“You still going to the mall?” Annie asked. “How are you gonna do her article too?”

I shrugged. “I’ll work it out.”

But just as I was about to shut my locker I felt a light finger on my shoulder. Turning around, I spotted Danny looking as timid as ever. He pushed his thick rimmed glasses along his nose.

“Hi Holly,” he said. “Can I talk to you about my article for The Chronicle?”

“Of course.” I nodded at him enthusiastically. “What’s up?”

“I know it’s due today, and I’m normally on top of this stuff.

But I already have three essays due! They’re so lengthy, too.

I’m sorry to bail on you like this.” He looked down at the floor.

“But I don’t think I can have it done by today.

I also haven’t been feeling the best. My throat’s killing me. ”

Danny was a nice guy. I felt guilty just staring at him. I knew he pushed himself hard. Sounded like he was burnt out. Senior year was gonna be hard on everyone.

“It’s totally fine.” I waved a hand at him. “Don’t feel bad. I can do it.” That was another extra article I’d have to write, but my team wasn’t giving me much of a choice. “You focus on your assignments.”

“I’ll make it up to you.” Danny held his hands together. “Thank you, Holly. I promise it won’t be like this for the next issue! ”

Danny disappeared in the direction of the library. He was probably going to use our small lunch break to get some of that work done. Good luck to him. I considered following him and working on the extra stuff I had to do, but I had been missing Carter all morning and just wanted to see his face.

Annie cleared her throat. “Okay, I feel like they have mono or something. How have they both missed your deadline?”

I cringed. “They don’t have mono.”

“Do you have mono too?” She poked me. “Have you been kissing Danny?”

“No,” I said with a little laugh, but the fact that I’d have so much extra work to do slowly dawned on me.

“If I didn’t have ballet class this afternoon, I’d write you an article about how much my feet are still killing me after all my summer recitals. Sorry I can’t help.”

“You’re already busy enough. Thanks, though. I gotta go, but I’ll call you after school?”

“Mhm. Don’t get mono!”

“It’s not mono!” I called out. But before I could even get half way down the hall, I was greeted with the blank stare of my opinion piece writer. I had a feeling about what she was gonna say.

“Hey Julie,” I said softly. “You can’t finish your piece for The Chronicle either?”

She winced, shaking her blonde head. “How’d you know?”

“Just had a hunch. I can write it. It’s all good.”

“I’ve been sick since yesterday.” She sighed.

I smiled at her, but I could feel myself panicking on the inside. How was I going to get everything done on time? God, maybe they did all have mono. Maybe the entire writing staff had been hooking up with each other or something. “You don’t have to explain.”

“Thanks, girl.” She grabbed my shoulder. “You know I’m not normally so unreliable.”

My hand rested on hers. “I know. Don’t worry. You do what you have to do.”

She smiled at me, walking away before I could say much else.

That was when the panic really set in. I hated it when things were late, and I had never published an issue of The Chronicle late.

I worked hard on it, always doing my best to be punctual with deadlines.

I knew that Columbia wanted perfection, that being meticulous was a necessity if I wanted to get into my dream school.

My heart rate picked up as I stormed down the hall, attempting to brainstorm as I moved.

My eyes landed on Brodie leaning up against his locker, a wide smile on his face as he talked to Sawyer.

I normally went out of my way to avoid Sawyer, but he kept showing up in my life the last few weeks.

He somehow got even more annoying over the summer.

But I set my eyes on the friendlier cousin.

“Brodie, it’s a disaster,” I said with a pout. I almost collapsed right into him.

“What’s wrong?” Brodie asked with big eyes.

“Please fuck off,” Sawyer said a second later.

I chose to ignore him. I hadn’t forgotten the way he treated me last week at the trailer park. His cruel words still stayed in my head. All I had wanted to do was help, but of course, he had been his usual aggressive self.

“Christy hasn’t written anything for the advice column.

Danny hasn’t done any movie recommendations.

Sasha hasn’t written her opinion piece…” My eyes shut and I took a step back.

Everyone was bailing on me at the last minute.

I needed final copies in by the afternoon if I wanted to meet my deadline, and I prided myself on never being late for anything.

My fingers rubbed at my temples, wondering if everyone was conspiring against me on purpose. “And I think they all have mono.”

“The school paper has an advice column?” Sawyer snorted.

I had to resist the urge to slap him. When I opened my eyes back up, I just glared at him and his smirking face.

“Everyone’s screwing you over, huh?” Brodie scratched at the back of his head.

“Maybe it’s karma?” suggested Sawyer, his hands stuck in the pockets of his leather jacket. “For, you know, being a huge bitch.”

Once again, I decided to pay no mind to his words and instead focused on his cousin.

“Is your music piece all done?” Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes.

Brodie nodded. “Yeah. Check your emails. I sent it over a little while ago.”

My eyes shut, letting out a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much, Brodie. I hope you’re not sick too.”

He shook his head. “Nuh-uh. I haven’t been kissing anybody. But between you and me, I think the other writers are all trapped in a love triangle.”

“Oh, God. It is mono. But… Would you hate me if I asked you for some extra help this afternoon?” I asked him. My voice was low. Maybe because I felt like I was groveling, and I hardly ever did that.

“Yes,” Sawyer answered. “I mean I already hate you. But that’ll make me hate you even more.”

Brodie smacked his cousin’s chest. I thanked him in my head for that.

“I’ll help you out.” Brodie nodded.

“Thank you, Brodie. I know after the whole… cutting your story thing, you might feel like you can’t trust me,” I said quietly, the shame hitting me fast. “And I’m sorry again for doing that to you. You didn’t deserve that.”

“Liar,” Sawyer said through a weak cough. He was not being subtle.

I didn’t look at him and instead kept my eyes on Brodie.

“Forget about it.” Brodie waved a lazy hand at me. “What do you need me to do?”

“Could you please write? Maybe just the movie piece? You can write about literally anything you’ve seen.

I’ve already written sports and I can whip up something for the other sections.

I’ll edit everything. I just need your creativity for that one article.

Please, please, please.” With my hands clasped together, I gave Brodie my best puppy dog eyes.

I was asking for a lot and I knew that, but I was desperate.

All the other writers had bailed on me, but Brodie was reliable.

“Yeah. I can do that. But uh, I need to get down to the library after school. I think they shut early today, though,” Brodie mumbled sheepishly. “We don’t have a computer at home, so I can’t type any of it up in time for you... ”

His cheeks were a little red as he confessed that to me. My eyes landed on Sawyer who looked as casual as ever. Back up against as the lockers, slightly slumped over, hands still stuffed into his signature jacket.

I didn’t want Brodie to be embarrassed. Especially about something like that.

“Do you wanna come over to my place?” I suggested. “We can use my laptop. I’ve got a spare one you can borrow. And you don’t have to worry about any librarians kicking you out after six. My mom will probably make you stay for dinner too.”

“Jesus Christ.” Sawyer rubbed at his forehead. “What a nightmare. Have fun with that shit, Brodie.”

“I’ll help you, Holly.” Brodie elbowed Sawyer softly. “Thanks. Sawyer can drop me off.”

“Fuck no,” Sawyer said quickly. “I’m not going there again.”

“I’ll take you after school. Don’t worry,” I insisted.

I made sure to give Sawyer a quick look.

Last time he was at my place he absolutely lost his mind when I gave him that gas money.

That was the last thing I wanted to deal with again.

“We’ll meet up after class and I’ll drive you to mine. And I’ll take you back home.”

“No, Sawyer can bring me back. That’s okay.” Brodie smiled before elbowing his cousin again. “Right, cousin? You don’t mind picking me up from Holly’s house.”

“I’d literally rather die.”

“Don’t give her a hard time.”

“You remember what happened last time she got you to write for her? She cut your article and you threw a tantrum over it.”

“You were more mad than I was.”

“‘Cause you worked hard on that thing! You made me drive you to the library. You ruined my whole afternoon.”

“Come on, come pick me up. Holly’s busy, anyway. She’ll have to do all that editing. That takes a while. Right, Holly?”

I chose to keep my mouth shut, my eyes darting back and forth as the two brunettes bickered .

“She can drive you back,” Sawyer said loudly. “She’ll survive driving out to Cedar Crest. I promise she won’t get mugged.”

“I didn’t even think about that. Yikes. Yeah, Holly, Sawyer will pick me up. That area can get a little dangerous at night. I’ll meet you out the front after school?” Brodie finally looked back at me.

I had to hold back a laugh. Sawyer grunted and threw his head back against the lockers. Brodie seemed like the one person he couldn’t say no to. It would have been cute if he wasn’t so aggravating the rest of the time. I’d let them work out how Brodie was getting back home.

“Yeah, Brodie. I’ll meet you out the front.” I smiled, taking a few steps back from the both of them. “I’ll see you then.”

I spun on my heels and heard someone punch someone else. That second someone then let out an “ow, fuck!” I deduced that it was Sawyer hitting Brodie and shook my head with a laugh.