Greyscale [✓]

Chapter 01

  

CHAPTER ONE

"Do I have to?" Hannah grumbled to her best friend over the phone while pacing around her bedroom. She realised just a minute too late that this probably wasn't the smartest thing to do as Ashlyn started shrieking through her iPhone. She managed to make out the words 'social suicide' and 'everyone being there' before she gave up trying to pay attention and allowed her mind to wander.

"Having second thoughts?"

She could practically hear the smirk in her cousins' voice without even turning around. Rolling her eyes, Hannah cut the phone off mid-ramble and proceeded to throw it at Cameron's head in exasperation. He caught it without a heartbeat of hesitation, still with that annoying smirk plastered on.

'Damn that boy is suave, no wonder all the girls at school are in love with him,' she thought before realising he had asked her a question. Not bothering to answer, she just raked her fingers through her hair in annoyance.

Cameron gestured to his face in mock anger, being a complete drama queen as usual. "Shouldn't you be deciding what to wear to Matts place instead of attempting to ruin this beautiful masterpiece?"

Hannah raised her left eyebrow, ignoring his pouting and continued surveying the contents of her wardrobe critically. As much as she loved her idiot of a cousin, she had much more pressing matters to attend to. What to wear to this party she was being dragged to, for example.

"Pink or gold?" She asked him, pointedly holding up the first two dresses that caught her eye. She couldn't really be bothered looking properly; this back to school party just wasn't worth it. She didn't want to go to it in the first place but didn't have much of a choice.

Cam turned around from the mirror he had been busy admiring himself in to inspect the two items of clothing. "Ew not the pink. The gold one will complement your skin more, plus the neckline is perfect for this season."

Hannah sniggered, wondering how the biggest ladies' man she knew managed to sound like a gay fashion designer half the time. 'How does one guy even get that many girls?' she wondered to herself before snorting at her train of thought. She knew perfectly well it was because of his looks. With smooth terracotta-like skin and soulful eyes half hidden behind those thick, raven locks that would put any girl to shame, there was no doubt that her cousin was the most attractive person she knew. Along with his naturally charismatic personality, he was a recipe for disaster amongst women.

She hated that thought though; adamant on the knowledge that looks alone shouldn't get anyone anymore. He was a complete asshole when it came to all the girls he went through at a ridiculously alarming rate; hiding his true self behind walls of indifference everyday. Nobody really knew how fiercely loyal and sweet he truly was and she couldn't imagine anyone ever finding out. 'Not that I can talk though,' she thought with a sigh. 'We all put on the facade of not caring about anything at school. It's just what's expected.'

Her phone buzzed loudly, jolting her out of her daydream with a text from her boyfriend Gabriel asking where they were. Shit. Frowning at the time, Hannah got dressed in record timing and lightly brushed her makeup on. Managing to spot a small glittery shoulder bag from under her bed, she grabbed it and ran out of the room to find Cameron lying face down on their dining table. Without waiting for an explanation for his weird antics, she grabbed him by the ear and ran out of the house, cursing under her breath as she stumbled in the too high heels she had slipped on.

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Hannah could feel it before they even got out of the car: the thumping music was a steady hum beneath her feet. Cameron tilted his head slightly, silently asking if she was sure about this. He knew how much his cousin hated attention and there was no doubt about it; all eyes would be on them today since she'd made excuses all summer.