The Bad Girl Persona

2- "Pay up, bitches!"

I froze and stared at him. He was wearing a dark blue t-shirt with black jeans and his blond hair were slightly messed up. He had grown much taller since I last saw him and his face features had become sharper.

"Nice earrings," He smiled, unfreezing me. Sweet as always, Jasper Gray.

"Uh, thanks," I said and straightened my back.I picked a random perfume and sprayed it on me. "You know that it's rude to barge in one's room like that, right?"

"My apologies," He gave a little bow and I looked at him from the corner of my eyes. "I thought it was Jake's room. Wanted to give him a surprise."

"It's the one to the left," I said and absentmindedly picked up a lipstick and opened the cap. I twisted it and realized that I had picked up a bright blue shade. I eyed Jasper and he left the room.

Why do I have this colour?

I went downstairs and greeted the Grays while Jasper surprised my brother. Mr. and Mrs. Gray complimented me on how well I have grown up, making me embarrassed. Their daughter Amanda was shy around me but I did not blame her for not immediately striking up a conversation with someone she had seen years later.

I looked at the boy sitting beside Amanda and wondered who he was. He gave me a bright smile and stood up to shake my hand. Unlike most of the Grays in the room he did not have blond hair. His were a shade darker of brown than Mrs. Gray's.

"Ashen," the boy introduced himself. "I am Jasper and Amanda's cousin." I nodded and gave him a smile before taking a seat in an empty chair. After few minutes of talking, Dad suggested that the three "children" in the room should go up and join Jake and Jasper. Amanda looked at her mom who said that it was okay if she did not want to go. So, I got up and lead Ashen out of the living room.

"I think we shouldn't disturb them," I said and Ashen did not disagree. I asked him if he wanted to go out in the front yard.

"Sure," he said. We went outside and sat on a bench.

"Is there any particular reason you're staying with the Grays?" I asked him.

"I was thinking for transferring schools for a semester and thought a place near a beach would be good," Ashen explained.

"I see," I said with a nod.

"Do you like beaches?" Ashen asked.

"I love beaches," I said.

"Jasper was saying that we have to go to the beach before school starts," Ashen said. "I didn't know he liked beaches that much."

Before I could say anything Jake walked in the front yard with Jasper by his side. "Time for dinner," Jake said and me and Ashen got up. Jasper looked at me and then at his cousin, raised his eyebrows and left with a smirk on his face.

What was that?

The dinner went without any special events and Mr. and Mrs. Gray went back to home as they had work the next day. The rest of us sat on the chairs around the table in the front yard and played games until Ashen said he was tired and needed to go back home.

"Let's go for a drive," I suggested. "We can get ice creams and then you can go to bed."

"Yeah, come on, Ashen," Amanda said and her cousin agreed.

"I'll get Jessica too," Jake said, taking me by surprise.

"She didn't go home?" I asked.

"Nah," He informed. "She slept in my room while reading."

"Should've told me you got a girlfriend," Jasper said. "Not cool, Jake."

"She is not my girlfriend, Jasper," Jake said and headed inside.