What's Mine | ✓

prologue

I really, really, really was excited to start high school.

My older brother Brooks made high school look like everything we see in the movies—he was invited to all the parties, everyone was blowing up his phone all the time, and girls basically flung themselves at him.

I was only a year younger than Brooks, but being in middle school while he was already thriving as a freshman made me so eager to be in his place.

Sure, the guys of the football team didn't mind me hanging around. But I was still little Andrews. I didn't have the same respect Brooks did, not yet, anyway.

I'd been the little sister who always kept her hair in braids and wore braces and didn't know how to dress for my body. But that changed the moment I got my braces off.

Avrey, my best friend, insisted on a makeover. "You have an amazing rack, and you need to dress like you own that shit," she told me.

I just laughed. Was I aware that for our age, my boobs were huge? I mean, yeah. But did that mean that I wanted to flaunt it? Not really.

So that's why we're here, shopping for a new wardrobe.

"Lina," she pushed the hangers aside as she looked at each option. "We're going into high school now. This is real," she laughed softly at me. "You can't keep dressing like you're a twelve-year-old girl with no shape. Because you're hot—even more so now, post braces—and you need to acknowledge that."

"Av, you can say that because you're hot."

"And I own that." She smirks. "You need to own it, too. And the fact that you're Brooks Andrews sister? The standard is higher."

"Avrey." I deadpan.

"What? It's true. The dudes already a legend, scoring all the points in their last game? That is memorable. He's memorable." She pauses. "Man, I'd climb him like a tree."

"Stay away, Avrey." I swat her with the fabric I had clutched in between my hands. "Totally off limits."

"But he's so hot," she whines. When I don't waver in my look, she groaned. "Fine. But just so you know? He's the reason behind my sexual awakening."

"Avrey!" I laugh.

"What? That man is built like a Greek God, and he's easy on those deep brown eyes."

"I'm gonna barf," I wrinkle my nose.

"I can only imagine the package he's walking around with. And how it'd feel if he—"

This time, I whip her with the shirt. She laughs, looking at me.

"I'm only joking. I know the rules: hoes before bros."

"Don't dehumanize us like that." I shake my head, looking at the clothes on the racks.

"Sorry." She grins.

After hours of torturous shopping, my feet hurt. Bad. I thought we'd be able to go eat, but Avrey had other plans. She said that I needed to be introduced to real underwear, and pulled me into Victoria's Secret.

And to say I was mildly horrified was an understatement. There was fabric in here that I wouldn't ever consider underwear. But she said that's the fun about it. Sexy, yet elegant. Cute, but sensual. She shoved push-up bras at me, bralettes, and skimpy, lacy sets in bulks.

I'm embarrassed to say I spent way too much money in there. And for what? Who's ever gonna see them?

Finally, we got to eat—I was happy about that.