Double Take [Sequel to Bound]

4. Chlorine Mess

Klara’s POV:

          Resurfacing, I took in a deep breath as I swam over to the steps of the pool before getting out, soaking wet. Making my way to the showers, I quickly washed myself before drying off and changing into a pair of denim shorts and a black tank top with a cardigan over it. I tied my hair into a wet bun before grabbing my stuff and leaving the pool, saying goodbye to my friends as I headed off to the parking lot.

          A quiet groan escaped me when I spotted a few paparazzi scattered around the parking lot, and I pulled out my Ray Bans to shield my eyes from the obnoxious flashes – even though they were about twenty or thirty feet away. A couple of years back, Dad had decided to get some sort of restraining order from any and every paparazzi in London. Mum getting mobbed by a bunch of middle-aged men after she gave birth to us instigated it, I think.

          When I got to my car, I quickly jumped in and sped off, sighing in relief when I was away from those picture-taking blood thirsty men. As I drove, my phone started ringing, and I swiftly connected it to the Bluetooth of my car as I answered whoever was calling me. “Hello?”

          “Klara!” came the voice of my twin’s. “We have a photo shoot in, like, an hour and a half. Same place; we gotta get our hair and makeup done, like, now.”  

          I let out a groan, stopping at a red light. “But I just got out of swimming practice,” I informed her, “I wreak of chlorine.”

          “Sucks to suck,” Leah let out a giggle, causing me to roll my eyes. “Just be here.”

          “Fine,” I muttered before she hung up.

          Making a U-turn, I drove down to where most of Leah and I’s photo shoots are held, getting there in no more than ten minutes. Leaving my swimming stuff in my car, I got out of my car and headed inside the building. When I got inside and passed where the shoot was set up, I quickly greeted a few people before heading inside the dressing room where my sister sat in her makeup chair, getting dolled up.

          “Glad you could make it,” Leah said dryly as Rita straightened her hair.

          I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, well –”

          Suddenly cutting myself off, my eyes caught a pair of blue ones from the mirror. A guy looking my age sat on the couch behind me, and I swiveled around to look at him. My eyebrows shot up as our eyes met, and he gave me a small, nervous smile. “Um, who are you?” I asked.

          Leah noticed me staring at the guy and spoke up. “Oh, that’s Vin,” she said, smiling as I turned to look at her. “He’s tutoring me for physics later and just hitched a ride with me.” To him, she said, “I’m sorry, Vin, but this’ll just take an hour or so.”

          The guy, Vin, gave her a polite and friendly smile, shaking his head. “Do you what you gotta do,” he told her in an assuring tone, “It’s cool.”

          I narrowed my eyes at the friendly looking boy before facing Paisley, who was in charge of doing my hair. As I sat down on my chair next to Leah, facing the big mirror that had big LED lights surrounding it, Paisley clicked her tongue as he carefully pulled my hair out of its wet bun.

          “This is horrendous, Klara,” she commented, successfully pulling the band out of my hair.

          I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest as I leaned back. “I’m coming from swimming practice, okay?” I said as Leah chuckled, “Excuse me if my hair’s a chlorine mess.”