Lucky For You

1 | Lucky and Alive

Bonus Chapter #1: Lucky & Alive
   senior year — the party

"but close ain't close enough,
'till we cross the line,"
~ ariana grande

━━━━༻❁༺━━━━

   How does one get prettier?

   I've been asking this question since Jared strolled into his house a few days ago, swaggering inside like he hadn't been gone for over a year.

   A year. And he looked like a different person.

   He was still gloriously beautiful, but there was something... different this time. I couldn't stop watching him every chance I could.

   Luckily, I was safe in Adrianna's room, where we were currently getting ready for the party at the lake. Yeah, it was four degrees Celsius, but there wasn't any snow on the ground, because it was over ten degrees in the day time.

    There'd be a fire, alcohol and people who moved away for college, but came back for the reading week.

    Jared.

   "—but I don't know. Is this sexy or slutty?" Adrianna's sigh took me out of my thoughts as I lifted my gaze, only to see her standing in front of her closet mirror across from me.

   She held a low-cut black top that showed lots of cleavage. "Sexy," I snorted, crossing my arms. I was sitting on her bed, my legs draped over the ledge, so I stood up and moved next to her. "There's no such thing as slutty. And anyone who uses it is a internalized misogynist."

    Adrianna smirked, pushing her midnight black hair over her shoulder before twisting her body toward me. "I like the way you think, Clove." She tapped my forehead with a knowing smile. "Smart. Not stupid. Like some people."

    I rolled my eyes, knowing there this was going. "Some people like..."

   "Tate mother fucking Vermillion!" She shouted dramatically, stomping to her bed to face plant on her mattress. "Flirting with my brother when we went to get groceries. Again! In front of me! Someone choke me."

    With an amused laugh, I took three long steps to her bed before sitting next to her face. "How are you not used to this by now?" I joked, putting my hand on the back of her head. "It's been going on for as long as I've known you."

   "It's worse now," she grumbled into the bed before turning slightly, so she could see me. The first thing I noticed was her pout as she continued. "He's... less skinny. I can't call him slenderman anymore."

   "That didn't stop you before," I deadpanned, flattening my hand on her head. Even though he was gaining muscle in high school, she still called him slenderman to piss him off.

   "Plus, what's the problem with that? Tate's nice." Which wasn't a lie. I've known her since we were nine, and although we weren't friends, she was kind.

   Adrianna's only response was a groan before banging her head on her bed. "First, not in front of me! I don't want to hear my brother flirt!"

   I laughed just as she began to sit up. But instead of sliding off the bed, she pressed her back against the wall her bed was pressed against. "And second?" I questioned, watching her cross her arms.

   For a moment, she eyed my expression soberly. "Girls don't take him seriously. And... she wouldn't be able to handle my brother. He's a stubborn piece of shit."

   I snorted and stood up. "So are you, Adri."

   She grinned widely, not ashamed or surprised by my response. Since she didn't answer my retort, I strode to the desk next to her bed and picked up the eyelash glue I was working on moments before.