Unwritten Rules Read online

  Dripping from the shower she just stepped out of, her blonde hair carelessly falls all the way to her lower back. She is a natural beauty. Ocean-blue eyes, tanned skin, blonde hair. While Kendrick breaks hearts, Kass desperately tries to keep hers intact. Needless to say, they got the good genes. Kass looks like the female version of her brother. I bet these two can’t even count how many times people asked them if they were twins. The fact that Maria had a thing for the letter K when it came to naming her children doesn’t exactly help.

  “Kassidy, you’re dripping on the floor. What did I tell you about getting out of the shower?” Maria says.

  I can’t help but smile at the complete madness that is my family. No matter how crazy they drive me, I think—no, scratch that, I know that I could never live without them. The simple fact that my aunt Maria welcomed me into her home while my mother and my step-father are on a work trip says it all. She’s a nurse and a divorced woman taking care of two kids, and still she took me in without hesitation. Sometimes I think she’s more of a mother to me than my own mother ever was.

  I think back to one of the rare conversations I’ve had with someone besides my family since moving to Florida. Being the girl who “looked Haze Adams in the eyes” didn’t owe me a very good first impression to say the least—whatever that means.

  “Why didn’t you just stay with your biological father while your mother is gone?” a girl in class asked.

  “Can you live with someone you never met?” I answered.

  “I’d like to annoy you longer, but I’ve got friends coming over.” Kendrick hands me my phone, a stupid mocking grin still plastered on his face.

  “He has friends? Since when?” I tease him, my eyes jumping to Maria, who, to my great surprise, doesn’t follow me in my teasing Kendrick session like she usually does. Instead, she looks away, a stern expression on her face.

  “Shut up. I have lots of friends.”

  I’ve almost never seen Kendrick in school ever since it started. We don’t share classes, and our lockers are in completely different sections. I’m pretty grateful that he’s not around to annoy me during the day. I already get enough of him at home. Maybe having a school that’s way too big for the number of students has its perks after all.

  “Did you pay people to hang out with him again? I thought we said we weren’t doing it anymore.” I try a joke, only to get the same reaction from my aunt. She doesn’t reply, distinct discouragement in her eyes.

  “Don’t mind her. She hates my friends.” He shrugs.

  “Why?” I lean against the kitchen table, crossing my arms against my chest.

  “She thinks they’re bad influences.”

  “Consider me intrigued.”

  “There’s nothing to say, really. She believes the stupid rumors going around town.” I can tell Maria is biting her tongue in an effort to not talk back.

  “When do I get to meet your so-called friends?”

  He laughs.

  “Oh, you might already know them. They’re the popular kids. You know, the people you never talk to?” Kendrick says, looking at his phone. “I have to go. Annoy you later.”

  I consider asking Maria about Kendrick’s mysterious friends but decide against it. Now is not the time. One thing is certain: if my aunt who likes literally everyone doesn’t like them, she must have a good reason.

  I tell Maria I’m going for a walk, and she answers to be safe, her mind wandering to an unknown place filled with secrets I wish I could unravel.

  Today is such a beautiful day. I’m not going to waste it by staying inside. Plus, I do want to explore the city I’ll be calling home for the next couple of months. I look up the great places I could go today and find a park not far from Maria’s house. The walk to the park is a good twenty minutes, but I enjoy every second of it. With my earplugs deep in my ears and my worries drowned out by my favorite songs, I shove my hands into my pocket and let myself enjoy the heat of the sun on my face. What else could I ask for? I can’t help but smile thinking about my hometown where the snow is not even close to melting yet. I won’t miss it, that’s for sure.

  When I finally get there, I notice three guys sitting on the skate ramp, their gazes wandering around as if they’re looking for something. Then, my attention shifts to a lonely skateboard left on the ground a couple of steps away from them. Hidden behind a bush, it’s impossible to see from where they’re sitting. I assume it belongs to them. A part of me considers carrying on with my peaceful walk, but then I decide to make this tiny effort to help these strangers out.

  I mean, I could definitely use some good karma.

  I begin to walk toward them, the skateboard in my left hand and all the courage I can find in the other. Before I know it, I’m standing in front of the high skate ramp, looking up at them. Three guys—one with dark hair, one with dirty-blond hair, and the other with light brown hair. Recognition washes over me. I think I’ve seen them around at school. Only then do they notice me.

  “Do you guys see what I see?” The blond guy hits his friends with his elbow.

  “Wait, I think I see her, too. Is she real?” The dark-haired one and, in my opinion, the cutest of the three pretends to rub his eyes as if he expects me to disappear. His eyes are pretty red. The obvious scent of weed reaches my nostrils, and that’s when I realize I got it all wrong.

  “Is there really a girl with a skateboard in front of me? I told you they exist,” the blond says to his friends more than to me. I look down at his hand to see a joint and understand immediately. This is why they were looking around. They weren’t looking out for something. They were looking out for someone.

  “Stereotypical much?” I laugh.

  At first, I’m a bit surprised to hear the words come out of my mouth, but then I remember that I’m the girl who talks back to the ultimate bad boy of her school without blinking.

  Nothing new here.

  They seem taken aback for a brief instant.

  “Sorry. Harsh. I found it over there and thought it belonged to you. My mistake.” I offer them a timid smile, drop the skateboard on the ground, and turn away, ready to get back to my peaceful walk around the city. Or what’s left of it anyway.

  “You’re not from around here, are you?”

  I stop in my tracks and turn around, looking up at the dark-haired stranger whose blue eyes probably seduce a lot of girls.

  “That obvious, huh?”

  He offers me a charming smile in return. “The cute accent kind of gave you away, I admit.”

  “I guess I should work on that.” I look away when I feel my cheeks heat up. Oh my God, seriously, Winter? A guy hits on you once and you’re living in tomato land. Get a grip.

  “I’m Blake. These two buffoons are Will and Alex. What’s your name?” He eyes me up and down. I’m assuming my pale skin is one of the main reasons why everybody seems to know I’m not from Florida. Might as well write “Canadian girl” on a Post-it and stick it to my forehead.

  “Winter.”

  “Where are you from, Winter?” Blake’s eyes refuse to leave me.

  “Canada.” I’m not surprised when the guys suppress a laugh. If they tell me a joke about my name I’ve never heard before, I’ll throw a penny at it.

  “You mean to tell me that you’re from Canada, a country that’s buried in snow practically all year long, and your name is Winter. Your parents hated you or something?” Will, the blond one, says.

  Blake gives him a reprimanding look—one that obviously means don’t be rude, dumbass—and I’m tempted to tell him how many times I’ve heard this. Probably as many times as people have wanted to punch him in the face for being obnoxious.

  “Something like that.” I find myself laughing at the irony. If they knew my mother, they’d be laughing, too.

  “What brings you to Florida?” Blake asks.

  “I’m visiting family. What about you guys? You’re from around here?” I try to imagine what it’s
like to live in Florida all year long, without snow, ice, and storms. It must be so different.

  I come to learn that they were all born and raised here except for Blake, who comes from a small unknown town called Colton Gate. He remains very secretive about the details of how and why he moved to Florida, but I don’t think much of it, assuming that he’s not comfortable with telling his life story to someone he just met.

  The basic small talk quickly turns into a surprisingly long and interesting conversation. We discuss the most random things I can possibly imagine, and before I know it, I’m sitting next to these complete strangers on the skate ramp, laughing so hard my stomach hurts. Their immaturity and snarky comments remind me of Kendrick’s.

  I throw my head back, laughing at Will’s impersonations of celebrities, and I’m forced to admit it’s been a while since I’ve had so much fun. Then, for a brief moment, for just a second, I dare to believe that maybe… just maybe, a great new life is possible for me.

  AS THE HOURS PASS, THE SUN begins to set, offering the most beautiful view I have ever seen.

  “Damn it. Is it 8:30 already?” Blake looks up from his phone.

  “Man, we are so dead,” Will laughs. I have no idea what they’re talking about. But it seems pretty obvious that they forgot about something. Or is it someone?

  “Yep. He’s going to kill us,” Alex agrees. “Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Winter. But we really have to go. Looks like this is goodbye.”

  “Well, it doesn’t have to be.” Blake sends a flirty smile my way before suggesting that we exchange numbers.

  I hesitate for a second but then I tell myself I could use knowing someone in Florida. I nod and reach for his phone to register my number into his contacts. Just as I finish typing my number, I’m stopped by an incoming call. I almost drop the phone. No freaking way.

  “Seriously? Again?” Will says. “That’s like the fourth time in a row. He is pissed.”

  I can tell my face must’ve changed from the confused looks the guys are giving me. My mind racing, I quickly put all the pieces together. No. That’s impossible. What are the chances? My lips part as I stare at the name written on the screen.

  Kendrick Kingston is calling…

  THE WALK BACK TO MARIA’S HOUSE turns out to be a lot of questions along with a lot of confusion. As soon as I drop the “Kendrick’s my cousin” bomb on them, a million scenarios start spinning in their heads. They seem hesitant. They know how bad Maria hates them and are probably worried she’s pinned me up against them.

  We also found out that, just like I suspected, Will, Alex, and Blake go to my school. I don’t share any classes with them either, and their lockers are in a completely different section, which explains why I rarely see them. An unshakable thought haunts me as we walk. What is it about them that inspires such hatred in Maria, the most loving person I know?

  Yes, they were smoking and that makes them a bad influence. But to say that Maria hates them because they do stupid things teenagers do every now and then seems far-fetched to me.

  “Home, sweet home.” I smile, unlocking the front door to a very quiet house. Kassidy is probably up in her room watching America’s Next Top Model on repeat, and Maria will be working a night shift at the hospital for two days in a row. As soon as we walk inside, we hear Kendrick’s heavy footsteps in the distance. I recognize the sound of his feet thumping against the wooden floor right away and crinkle my nose at how he drags his feet and always has. I used to call him “elephant” when we were kids.

  “Where the hell have you been?” he blurts out, too focused on complaining to notice me standing behind Blake.

  “Oh, you know. Here and there. Laughing, skating, talking with your cousin.” Will grins.

  “Wait, what?” Kendrick exclaims. Will motions to me. Only then does my cousin become aware of my presence.

  “Winter, the someone they met is you?” He comes to the realization that I am to blame for his ruined plans.

  “Surprise.” I laugh lightly, putting my hands up.

  “Why didn’t you tell us your cousin was so hot?” Will smirks. To say I am shocked would be a lie. It’s become pretty obvious to me that tact and William Martins are not friends. He makes his way to the fridge, which he shamelessly opens to grab whatever food he can find.

  “Because she’s not. Look at her,” Kendrick hooks his arm around my neck to tousle my hair. I push him away with all my strength but still barely escape his grasp.

  “Sure. She’s hideous with her big b—”

  Kendrick cuts Will off. “Hey. Watch your mouth, dick.”

  A small smile tugs at the corner of my lips. Good old protective Kendrick.

  Will puts his hands up. “I was going to say big brown eyes.”

  “How about a big black eye?” Kendrick warns.

  Blake scoffs and looks up at the clock on the wall. “We really have to get going.”

  “Oh, you guys are going somewhere?”

  A hint of discomfort can be seen on my cousin’s face.

  “Yeah. A party.” He rubs the back of his neck.

  I immediately know he’s lying.

  How? Simple. He rubbed his neck. Multiple flashbacks hit me as I remember the way he lied to his parents when we were kids. I think about the time he ate all the Popsicles and said someone came into the house and stole them. Or the time he accidentally hit his sister with a basketball and said the wind knocked her out. Maria and I developed a very specific technique to know if Kendrick is lying. Guess what comes shortly after every single lie? The neck rubbing.

  “Can I come? Maybe I can make some friends.” I say the first excuse that comes to my mind. “Since I’m new and all.”

  He rubs his neck again, “I’m sorry. It’s a private event. You have to be invited. Plus, there are already too many people going.”

  “Okay. No problem. Have fun.” I force a smile and watch them walk out of the house. They hop into Kendrick’s car. What could be so important he has to hide it from me? I mentally battle myself, desperately trying to fight off this need to know.

  Winter, don’t, my voice of reason whispers.

  Winter, do, my curiosity replies.

  It doesn’t take long for my body to go against my mind. Looks like making bad choices is a trend in my life at the moment.

  Next thing I know, I’ve grabbed Kassidy’s keys—that she constantly leaves lying around the house and loses—and gotten into her car to follow Kendrick and his friends. I leave Maria’s driveway in a roar and find myself wondering where the hell they’re going. Thirty minutes later, they still haven’t stopped. I glance around to see I’m in a part of town you definitely don’t want to visit alone at night. Old houses with boarded windows, abandoned buildings, and dark little streets surround me.

  What the hell are you doing, Winter? You should be in bed right now, watching movies and complaining about your nonexistent love life. Go back!

  I try to keep what I assume to be an appropriate distance between us so they don’t suspect I’m stalking them.

  Yes, stalking. I’m not going to try to deny it.

  Then, after what seems to be an eternity, they finally stop, turning into a dark intersection that sends chills down my spine. They get out of the car and quickly enter an isolated brick alley. I should turn around. I should go back home. But instead, I find myself parking Kassidy’s car a block away and waiting a couple of minutes before following them.

  Easy Ways to Get Killed written by Winter Kingston.

  With each step, my heart thumps harder against my rib cage. God only knows how I manage not to faint when something I can’t see brushes my leg in the darkness of the alley. I stop dead in my tracks when I hear voices in the distance. I follow them until they grow louder, refusing to breathe, afraid even just one noise will be the death of me. Hiding behind a brick wall, I can see them—Will, Kendrick, Alex, and Blake. Lit up by a faded yellow light hanging above their heads, they a
re looking straight ahead of them at someone I can’t see.

  “This isn’t over, Adams.” I recognize my cousin’s voice.

  My mind immediately goes on overdrive when I hear the last name Kendrick spit out in a menacing manner. Adams.

  Him? Here?

  “On the contrary. It’s just the beginning,” a deep and husky voice answers. A hint of arrogance lingers in his tone, and my blood turns cold. No doubt—this is Haze Adams.

  “The fight will be memorable,” Will barks.

  “I expect nothing less,” Haze says.

  The memories of my first day in school come rushing back as I hear Kassidy’s voice: “Rumor has it Haze is part of something bigger than you could possibly imagine. A street gang of some sort…”

  The pieces of the puzzle assemble themselves as I come to the dreadful conclusion that the rumors are true.

  Haze is part of a gang. And obviously, his gang is an enemy to my cousin’s. This is real. This is happening. That’s when every ounce of reason I have comes kicking in and I realize I have to get out of here. Fast. I have seen way more than enough to be scared for two lifetimes.

  I jolt around, ready to run away, and literally stop breathing when I come face-to-face with something. Oh no, someone. A guy the size of a building.

  “Going somewhere?”

  Heart failure.

  I can’t see the man’s face when he tightly wraps his gigantic hand around my arm and drags me out in the open away from my hiding spot. I wince in pain, every nerve in my body telling me that my only chances at survival are to use the element of surprise and escape when he doesn’t expect it.

  I freeze, my eyes traveling from Kendrick and his friends to Haze Adams and a couple of other guys I assume to be members of his gang or whatever the hell they call themselves. Including the very nice man that’s holding my arm, there are three guys to be exact. When he sees me, Haze’s blue eyes light up in recognition.

  “You again.” He seems surprised.

  “Winter? What the hell are you doing here?” My cousin tries to hide his anger and fails. If Haze Adams doesn’t kill me tonight, Kendrick will.