Prologue

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Halston Sage As Kennedy

Kennedy

        I can't help as I uncomfortably sit with my arm positioned under my head as Lily continues to rant, her mouth moving but her words inaudible. My hand travels to my soda as I sit at the table, counting down the minutes until lunch finishes and english starts. When words would make sense once again.

   "Hey Ken, are you listening to me?" Lily adds,
"my fifteenth is coming up and I need you to find a place for me to have it."

    I turn to her and raise my eyebrows as I smile gently, attempting to nod my head while I bring my soda to my lips. Honestly I was too tired for this, and her words were going in one ear and out the other, the lack of sleep wasn't helping either.

  "Hey!" Lily's shout catches me off guard as she snatches my soda from me, placing it into the bin beside our small table. My expression drops as I'm pushed over the edge, tears thy had been held back for days threatening to overspill.

   "Was there any need? That was pretty much fu-"

   "That's enough," Lily quietens me, her face stern and eyebrows narrowed. Her long, dark, and shiny hair is pulled into a ponytail, a trait she only performs when she's stressed. Her dark expression threatens me, her stern eyes locked onto mine.

    "Is your brother coming to my birthday party?" She asks, her face seeming to soften at the mention of him, I almost laugh when she asks, until I realise she's completely serious. Typical.

   "We've been at high school one week, and you've done nothing more than give each other desperate looks Lily," I roll my eyes, "I've already said it's fine to date my brother, which for the record a lot of girls aren't okay with," I take a moment to think.
"Just don't involve me because that's gross," I sigh, knowing that she's not the only girl desperate to get her claws into him.

   "Fine, be like that," she laughs while rolling her eyes. Finally she takes ta solid bite out of her lunch which silences her, but only for a second as she once again changes the subject.

   "But can we discuss how bad her outfit is," Lily points to a girl sitting at a nearby table, she hears, and quickly flushes a bright red. I cringe knowing the poor girl near us has heard Lily. I glance over, and she makes eye contact with me before immediately looking away, her eyes watering nervously as her face becomes a darker red.

    She takes her long sleeves and pulls it over her wrists, holding them close to her face to try to hide herself as much as possible. I take a look at her black ripped jeans, baggy grey hoodie and vans shoes before glancing back at Lily.

   "I think her outfit is pretty awesome," I proudly stare as Lily's face drops. "She's comfortable and she fits in without drawing attention to herself for not fitting in."

   "I'm pretty sure her names Clair? Maybe Katie? She's at the back of my English class," I smile, but Lily's paying no attention to me, and I realise she's probably locked eyes with Blake. She has the same desperate twinkle in her eyes as she did the day she first met him.

   My stomach churns the same way it did the first time I realised Lily wasn't listening to me, simply because she was drooling over Blake. It was times like this where I felt so irrelevant to her, like a cheap piece of jewellery she'd wear once and ditch.

  "Can you stop exchanging flirty looks with my brother while I'm literally in front of you," I roll my eyes, just wanting this lunch to end already. I was only one week into high school and it already sucked.

   But that was real life for us.

   "Oh, I'm not staring at your brother," she smiles, twisting the hair from her ponytail. Curious, I quickly turn around to see who had replaced my brother in Lily's eyes, almost pissed she had bypassed him so quickly. Guess she didn't care about a guy unless he was hot.

   I'm unsure what to do as an unfamiliar boy walks in, shaved head, trench coat, combat boots, eyes dark enough to kill and ready to cause chaos. He glances at me for a split second before walking by our table and ignoring us, I don't take it personally and turn back around to Lily, curious on her opinion on him. I didn't stand a chance, as Lily always got first pick.

    Although, as I turn around, the school erupts into total mayhem as people had begin to shout and cheer my brothers name. Yet I don't turn around due to my lack of interest in two dudes punching each other, especially my brother. The less I knew the more honest I could be when my dad asked what happened, but when I watch Lily's jaw drop I can't help my curiosity.

  "W-what's happening?" I ask, not really wanting to turn around. From a young age watching fights make me nauseous, something I'd acquired over the years from experience of watching them. Lily turns to me, laughing and pointing as she takes a moment before answering.

   "Kennedy, the trench coat dude," she laughs as everyone seems to go silent. "He just knocked your brother out cold."

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