Cruel World - Stephen & Carly

𝘚𝘌𝘊𝘖𝘕𝘋 𝘉𝘖𝘖𝘒 𝘛𝘖 '𝘊𝘙𝘜𝘌𝘓 𝘞𝘖𝘙𝘓𝘋 {𝘩.𝘴}'

( DISCLAIMER: if you plan on reading the first book, do not continue reading this description).

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"𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘱," a boy had pointed at his own hair as he waited near the water fountain. His build lean, his navy blue shirt hugged the muscles around his arms.

I came up from a drink, hesitating as I slowly brought my anxious hand up to the braid in my hair. My hand had come to a halt as it brushed against my handmade pastel blue flower shaped barrette; in the middle sat a small pearl.

He nodded as I pointed, his canine teeth had been slightly sharp, making the way he smirked send shivers down my spine.

"It's a hair slide." I corrected, nodding my head as I backed from the fountain. And when I had decided to walk past him, my head already on a different subject, a voice called out from behind me:

"Looks like a clip to me." A smile had been placed on his face when I turned around. I shook my head with the roll of the eye, exchanging a smitten smile.

I shot my hand into the air, waving as I started backing away. "Goodbye now..."

And like he couldn't help himself-like he needed the last word probably carved into stone; he called out, "It's Stephen, by the way!"

I shut my eyes for a second and scoffed under my breath before glancing back over my shoulder one last time.

𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘯.

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6 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳

𝘞𝘦'𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘱.

I wiped at my face, not sure when I'd started sweating or crying. "You're making it less than it is, Stephen!"

He grabbed his keys off the counter, metal clinking loud in the small kitchen.

"I was there," he spoke flatly. "You