Unraveling Selena by Marisa Maichel (black female authors TXT) 📕

time. I had a serious talk with them about what I’m going through. Your mom was amazing. Of course, she’s amazing anyway, but I love how she actually listens and gives good advice. Talking to Selena helps, too.”

“You and Selena are becoming friends,” I noted.

“We are! The other cheerleaders love her, because she’s so pretty and she’s a great coach. She even agreed to help us overthrow Cella Kent!”

“The bitch coach?” I said.

“Yeah. You know she called Stella a heifer? And she told McKenzie that her roots were clearly noticeable. I mean, they are, but you just don’t say that to a fake blond. Chances are that she knows. And McKenzie was thinking about going red, anyway. And then she told Rachel Griffin that she’s obviously Irish, and all Irish are drunks. Can you believe it? Rachel isn’t even Irish!”

“Because of her red hair and freckles?”

“Yeah. But don’t remind Rachel that she has freckles; she hates them. She wants to go tan, but the last time she went tanning, she turned orange, which may I say is not a good look for her.”

“Why doesn’t she use a…what are they called, gradual tanners?”

“That’s what I said! She should use a subtle tanning lotion if she wants to go bronze. Also…off topic, but I started keeping a diary again. I wrote down everything that’s happened so far in my life. It took up half the book. And also, I took your advice. I’m going to start writing a book. I have a vague idea of what I want it to be, but I also want your approval.”

“I’ll give you anything you need,” I told her. “Also, my father has connections in the publishing industry, so if you want to publish it- “

“I don’t know about that. I sort of want it to just be for me, you know? Something for my eyes only, and yours. Maybe a book about a shopaholic who goes into debt. Wait…there’s a whole series around that. Confessions of a Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. I can’t believe I forgot it, I love that series. Maybe a vampire book? Something similar to our lives, maybe?”

“You could write down our story.”

“Maybe I should. Well, let’s go inside. It’s cold.”

Inside, it was warmer. Sabine was watching a vampire movie, where a vampire drank blood directly from the heart. She turned and looked at me.

“Do vampires really do that?”

I smiled wryly. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want answered, Sabine.”

Sarah shuddered in my arms, and looked up at me frightfully.

“Sweetness, I’d never hurt you or Sabine. I promise.”

“You killed Michael Nales.”

I froze. How did she know?

“How did you know?”

“It wasn’t that hard to figure out. Who else would hate him that much besides me? Besides, you just gave it away. His heart was missing, and he was drained of blood.”

“Technically, my father killed him. I simply asked him to.”

“I don’t know whether I want to kiss you or smack you.”

“Smacking me would hurt your hand, and anyway, I prefer kissing.”

She stood on her toes and pecked me. Her pink moist lips made me happy. I carried her up to her room, where I set her on the bed, and, ignoring Spunk, I climbed on top of her. I took a deep breath and smelled the blood in her veins, flowing, smooth. I leaned down and nipped her neck. She cried out as a bit of blood appeared. I licked it up, loving the taste.

“Your eyes are orange,” she told me.

“I’m excited,” I said. “I need blood. I’m so hungry. I don’t remember the last time I fed. I’m sorry, Sarah.” I leaned down, fangs bared, before I was pushed back by a hard force. It was Selena, and she was glaring at me.

“Go to the kitchen,” she ordered me.

“Selena- “

“Go to the kitchen.”

I calmly went down to the kitchen, where Mother was already fixing me a glass of blood.

“Did I really just try to eat Sarah?” I said aloud.

“Yes,” Mother said. “But it wasn’t your fault. You haven’t eaten in a while, and that is Mordecai’s fault. Even though you are an adult, you are a young adult, still youthful and irresponsible. Besides, you are ill, and it is up to the family of the sick to care for them.”

I took a deep breath. I drank the blood that Mother offered to me, and then I went back upstairs to my mate.

She was sitting on the bed, Selena rubbing her back. Selena hissed a little at me as I approached. I sat beside Sarah and kissed her temple. She turned to me, looking confused.

“Forgive me, my sweet,” I said. I kissed her again. Selena looked furious. “I love her,” I told her.

“So do I,” she said. “Not like you do, but she’s my new sister.”

Sarah looked up at her. “Sister?”

“Yes, you and Sabine are my sisters now. Besides, you need someone to take care of you. You’ve been taking care of everybody else for years.”

Sarah’s eyes shined with tears, and then she opened her mouth. My cell phone rang. Toby’s ringtone blared at me from my pocket.

“Hello?” I said, irritated.

“Hello, Master Reese. We’ve caught Marius.”

“Thank you. You may do whatever with him.” I turned to Sarah when I hung up. “They caught Marius. I gave the guys permission to do whatever they want with him.” She buried her face in my shirt, letting out a relieved sob. I kissed her soft hair, then turned to Selena. “I’ll take care of her.”

“You’d better,” she said.

As I watched my sister leave, I wondered if she liked Sarah more than she liked me. I had once thought that with Mother, only to be proven wrong. I hissed as I held Sarah, tightening my grip.

“You’re squishing me,” she said.

“Oh, sorry.” I loosened my grip. I looked into her green eyes, sparkling with love, kindness, and tragedy. I kissed her. Her soft lips felt nice under my own. I nipped her a bit, possessively.

Mine. Mine! MINE!

CHAPTER NINETEEN – PUNISHMENT

The next few days were fraught with excitement. The talent show, Mother and Alexander’s wedding, the Holiday Ball. First, the talent show.

We arrived at the school precisely thirty minutes before it was set to begin. I brought my acoustic guitar, sitting in the music room, strumming it. Soon, everyone would know the truth about me and Sarah.

“You’re not gonna do something stupid, are you?” Noah asked me when I told him this. He pattered drum sticks on his thigh.

“Is publicly declaring my love stupid?”

“I swear, you’re obsessed with Sarah. It’s not healthy, bro.”

“What about you and Amara?”

He grimaced. “She can do much better than Cole Powers. I mean, look at him. He looks like a fucking burned-out rockstar.”

“Uh-huh.”

Noah’s feelings for Amara came a little late. She had moved on in her crush from him to Cole. This week, she had let her natural blond hair relinquish all the dye, leaving only lavender tips. Personally, I preferred her crazy colors. She now wore a Killstar-esque outfit, a shredded black skirt, zebra-print grey and black shirt, and studded ankle boots. A chain cascaded down her back, reaching both shoulders. Her makeup was…well, there was a lot of black. Almost raccoonish, if I’m being honest. Black lipstick, blue powder on her cheeks. I wondered if she was trying to look like a corpse.

Sarah herself was with the rest of her clique, including Ariella. They had planned to do a group number, then Sarah would do a solo routine later on. She wore a figure-hugging green dress with black stilettos, and gold hoop earrings, and gold bracelets and an armlet. Around her neck was a locket that said BC & AA, which I knew meant Beckett Cresley and Alicia Abraham.

Her mother’s death had been hard on her and Sabine. Two parents, lost in the span of three years. Beckett had died from stomach cancer the year before I started going out with her. According to her and Sabine, Beckett was the only one who could really control Alicia. He hid bottles, cleaned up after binges, made sure she had enough money, and didn’t abuse or harass the girls.

After he died, Alicia spiraled out of control, Stealing Sarah’s debit and credit cards, asking her for money, taking cash from her and Sabine’s purses, failing to take care of the dogs, failing to be a good parent in general. I wished that Sarah and Sabine had anyone else for a mother.

The rest of the Beautifuls wore different colored dresses: Angela Montgomery wore pale pink, Rachel Griffin wore purple, Mia Rayport wore blue, and Sara Blynn wore red. Ariella wore a black and white striped dress. It set her apart from the rest of the group, a group she would truly never be a part of. She played in a band, she had a werewolf boyfriend, she hurt me, Sarah’s boyfriend.

I missed my friend. I missed having a confidante to confide all my secrets in. Of course, I had Mason Godfrey now. I was still irritated at him for saying he liked Sarah, and then Amara. First of all, Sarah’s mine. Secondly, pick one, dude. Love triangles do nothing but hurt people, especially when the feelings are unrequited.

I continued to strum my guitar as I looked around. A group of drama girls were planning to sing something from Grease. Two boys rapped badly. The choir sang a song that had to do with birds and roses.

Finally, Mr. Scott, the music teacher, let everyone know it was time to start the show. The choir would go first, followed by the drama girls, the boys, and all the way to me, and then the Beautifuls, and then Sarah, and then Scarlett Hart. I rolled my eyes at the last one. She just wanted to steal everyone else’s thunder.

First, the choir sang three songs, then the drama girls went. I headed out to watch Noah and Duke perform a guitar and drum piece. It would have been nice, I thought, if all the guys formed a band. Unfortunately, that was unlikely to happen soon, as Noah hated Mason at this point. His ex-best friend, fighting over girls.

Okay, no one had liked Rouge, the fairy in disguise that pretended to like Noah so she could kill him. Fortunately, he didn’t know that last part, just that she was a bitch and Sarah had a history with her. Everyone likes Amara, though. She’s nice, very nice, and very, very intelligent. She didn’t put up with Jody Williams’ gossiping about me and Sarah.

Amara liked Cole, though, who was older, drove a motorcycle, had long blond hair, wore leather jackets, and chain-smoked cigarettes.

But Noah liked Amara now, so they were in a pickle. As far as I knew, Amara was totally unaware of Noah’s growing affection for her. She just thought of him as a good friend at this point.

Finally, it was my turn to go on the stage, and I went out there with my guitar. It was a good-sized crowd tonight, and I could see my family in the back. Mother held a video camera. I cleared my throat and began:

I don’t trust my heart

Because I don’t want to lose you

No one else can love you as much as I do

No one else can have my part

Even though I’m a prince

I can’t compare to you

Do you know what I wanted?

I want you

I’ll always be yours

If I don’t want you anymore

You’ll know I’ve lost it

 

I continued on with the song until the very end. The resounding applause hurt my ears.

Mr. Scott clapped my shoulder. “Astounding, Reese! I had no idea your voice was so deep and clear!”

Sarah hugged me, getting more gasps and stares.

“We’ve been dating for a year, people!” she said to the gawkers. Then she and the Beautifuls gracefully waltzed onto the stage. I went out to the auditorium to see them in action. All of them looked gorgeous on the stage, especially my girl.

Sarah started with a short solo. She sang the beginning of “Set It All