Chapter Seven

I walked inside my house, the shopping bags heavy in my hands. The air smelled like Aunt May’s cooking, which made me feel a little better.

She looked up from the kitchen and asked, “How was school today?”

“Okay,” I said, trying not to sound too excited.

Then she noticed the shopping bags. Her eyes got curious. “Did you go shopping?”

“Yeah,” I said, a little nervous.

“Who with?” she asked.

“Some new friends,” I said quickly.

Aunt May nodded slowly. “We met one at the gas station the other day—the blonde-haired girl by the counter,” I added.

She looked at me seriously. “Be careful, Lia.”

I didn’t want to talk more. I just nodded and went straight to my room.

I stayed there until dinner was ready.

After eating, I went back to my room and fell asleep early.

The next morning, I got up early like I was going to school.

It was only my second day, and I was already ditching like some kind of rebel.

I picked out the baggy jeans I got yesterday and threw on a black hoodie. I pulled the hood over my head and kept it low. I didn’t want too much attention.

For some reason, I also did a little makeup. Just some concealer, lip gloss, and a tiny bit of eyeliner. Seeing the girls yesterday, all done up and confident, made me feel like I wanted to try too.

When I came into the kitchen, Aunt May looked up and stared for a second.

“You’re wearing makeup?” she asked, surprised.

I gave a small shrug. “Just a little.”

She didn’t scold me. She just gave a quiet nod and went back to flipping pancakes.

After breakfast, she dropped me off near the school gate.

“Have a good day,” she said.

“You too,” I replied, and waited until she drove off.

Then I pulled out my phone, opened Lulu’s message, and called a cab to the address she sent me.

Her house address.

The cab pulled up in front of No. 19 Westbrook Lane—a quiet street lined with tall trees and fancy houses that looked like they belonged in some magazine.

I stepped out of the car, heart thudding in my chest, and stared up at the house. It was huge. White stone walls, black window frames, a wide front porch with two large flower pots on each side of the door. The kind of house that made you feel like you didn’t belong before you even knocked.

I walked up the steps and pressed the doorbell.

At first, there was nothing. I stood there awkwardly, pulling my hoodie lower and wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans.

Then, five minutes later, the door opened.

“Lia!!!!” Lulu shouted, her face lighting up the second she saw me. She was dressed in a short pink robe and fluffy slippers, her blonde hair pulled up in a messy bun. Her makeup was already on, of course—lashes, glossy lips, perfect brows.

She threw her arms around me before I could say anything.

“You actually came! Oh my God, come in! I was just finishing my smoothie.”

The inside of the house was even more expensive-looking than the outside. Marble floors, gold accents, tall ceilings, and furniture that looked like it had never been sat on.

I followed Lulu inside, feeling like I’d just stepped into another world.

Lulu walked over to the kitchen counter and grabbed a tall glass filled with something green and thick.

“Here, try this!” she said, handing it to me with a big smile. “It’s my favorite smoothie—spinach, kale, almond milk, and a dash of protein powder. So healthy.”

I took the glass, staring at the weird green mix. It looked like something that belonged in a science lab, not a cup.

I took a tiny sip.

It was… awful. Like grass and chalk blended together. My mouth wanted to reject it immediately, but I forced a smile.

“Mmm… sweet,” I lied, nodding.

Lulu giggled. “Right? So good!”

The moment she turned around, I quickly spat the smoothie back into the cup as quietly as I could and wiped my mouth with my sleeve. No way was I drinking that.

“Come on, let’s go to my room!” she said, already heading upstairs.

I followed her, still holding the cup like it was a bomb.

When she opened her door, I nearly stopped breathing.

Her room was… pink. Like, everywhere pink. Pink walls, pink bed, pink curtains, pink lamp, even a giant pink teddy bear sitting in the corner.

It was like walking into a cupcake.

God, I could puke—and if I did, my vomit would probably come out looking all pink and smelling like strawberries.

“Cute, right?” Lulu asked, twirling around.

“Yeah,” I said, still staring. “Very… pink.”

Lulu smiled and said, “Okay, now you have to help me pick a bikini. Which one looks good on me?”

She showed me two—one red and one sparkly pink.

I told her, “Both look nice.”

Then she asked, “Do you have any bikinis?”

I shook my head. “No.”

Lulu laughed. “We forgot to get you one yesterday at the mall! But don’t worry, I have lots here. Pick whatever you want.”

She opened a drawer full of bikinis. They were all very small—showing a lot of skin. Some showed cheeks, others had thin straps, and all showed neck and stomach.

I knew all the girls at school wore bikinis like that, and I wanted to fit in. I didn’t want to be that girl.

So, I picked a simple black one.

Lulu clapped her hands. “Good choice! Give me a few minutes. I’ll be back soon.”

She left the room.

I sat on her pink bed, still feeling a little out of place.

Suddenly, a soft sweet smell came to my nose. It smelled like almond milk tea—faint but nice.

I looked toward the hallway and saw someone fixing a wall lamp. It was Matisse, Lulu’s brother.

He was shirtless, showing strong abs and muscles. He didn’t seem to notice me.

My eyes went wide. I didn’t even mean to stare, but I did. His skin was golden, toned, and he looked like he had just stepped out of a fitness ad or something.

He turned his head slowly, meeting my eyes—totally unfazed.

“Uh—uh—s-sorry,” I stammered, my cheeks burning red. “I—I didn’t know—”

He raised an eyebrow, almost amused. “You good?”

“I—I was just—smelled tea—no, I mean—never mind,” I blurted.

I turned around so fast I almost tripped over myself.

What was wrong with me?

My heart was thudding like crazy.

I speed-walked back down the hall, practically diving into Lulu’s room and shutting the door behind me like I was escaping a wild animal.

I sat on the edge of her bed, trying to breathe, my face still hot.

What was that?!

Why did he have to look that good? And why did I react like a cartoon character seeing their crush for the first time?

I covered my face with my hands and groaned.

Lulu walked back into the room, still holding a lip gloss, and stopped when she saw me sitting there like I’d just had a meltdown.

“Why is your face like that?” she asked casually, tilting her head.

“Like what?” I said quickly, trying to wipe the heat off my cheeks.

“Like you just saw a ghost… ” she teased, smirking.

“Nothing,” I muttered, looking away.

She didn’t push it. Just shrugged and said, “Okay,” before heading over to her closet.

A few minutes later, she was dressed in a white bikini top, jean shorts, and her usual confidence. She spritzed herself with perfume, grabbed her phone, slid her sunglasses on her head, and snatched a car key from her vanity.

Then she opened her door and shouted down the hallway, “Matisse! Mufasa! Let’s go!”

I blinked. “Wait… they’re coming with us?”

“Yep,” she said, totally unfazed. “They always come.”

Great.

Just great.

I stood up, already feeling nervous again.

Footsteps came from the stairs, and that’s when I saw them.

Mufasa came down first ridiculously good-looking. He wore black shades and a chain around his neck. His arm was wrapped tightly around a girl.

She was… perfect.

Blonde hair that fell in waves, glowing skin, makeup so flawless it looked airbrushed. She had a tiny orange crop top, a belly piercing that sparkled under the light, and the shortest denim shorts I’d ever seen. She also had a tiny gold ring in her nose.

Everything about her screamed effortless power.

I leaned in and whispered to Lulu, “Who’s that?”

Lulu whispered back, “Lisa Robertson. The mayor’s daughter. And apparently, Mufasa’s girlfriend.”

Oh.

Lisa didn’t even look at me—just flipped her hair and laughed at something Mufasa whispered in her ear.

But Mufasa did look at me.

And it wasn’t friendly.

It was one of those looks that made you feel like you didn’t belong. Like I was an ant on his designer sneakers.

He didn’t say a word, but the scorn in his expression said enough.

Welcome to the jungle, Lia.