Desire? What does Karlie Ann mean by 'desire'?" Kiera asked, looking perplexed. We were walking towards the school parking lot after our awkward encounter with Karlie Ann.
"I'm not sure, but he was looking at you like you were a snack," I said, pulling my keys out of my bag.
As we approached the parking lot, I noticed a group of students gathered around my car.
"What's going on?" I inquired.
One dark-haired kid replied, "Someone parked in Loren's spot; she's waiting for them to come out."
I pushed through the crowd to see Loren leaning against my car.
"Is this our car?" she asked, eyeing it.
"Um, yes," I said sheepishly.
"Well, I thought this would belong to a new kid, but since you're new and obviously unaware of the rules, I'll let you slide this time. Just don't park in my spot again," she said with a wink.
"Ciao!" she called over her shoulder as she walked toward a sleek black Benz.
"I thought she would have laid into her," a kid whispered.
"I don't see your name on it," I blurted out, regretting it instantly.
Why did I keep it going? I mentally slapped myself as I heard the crowd murmur.
Loren turned back and approached me. "Listen up, freak. I've been parking here since ninth grade. I get what I want; I call the shots. If I were you, I'd watch what you say. I could ruin your senior year in the blink of an eye. Got it?" Her voice was icy.
I opened my mouth to respond, but Kiera jumped in. "Leave her alone, Loren. She's new and didn't mean any trouble."
Loren laughed—no, she cackled. I swear she sounded like the Wicked Witch of the West.
"You're friends with her? Figures losers tend to flock together," she sneered, and Kiera shot her a furious glare.
Just then, a few security guards arrived to break up the crowd. Before getting into her car, Loren mouthed to me, "Watch yourself," and added a wink before driving off.
I sighed and turned to Kiera. "Thanks for having my back."
"I try my best," she said, nudging my shoulder.
"Hey, want to come to my place to hang out? We could order some pizza," she suggested hopefully.
"That sounds great! Let me text my mom, and I'll follow you."
"Okay, let's go!"
I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text.
Me: Hey Mom, going to Kiera's to hang out. I'll call you on my way home.
Within seconds, I got a reply.
Mom: Okay, I'm going out for dinner with some nurses from work; I won't be home until midnight.
Me: Alright, have fun! xoxo
Mom: Ditto! xo
Ten minutes later, I rolled up to Kiera's elegant white mansion. There was a circular driveway in front, so I parked Dill there.
We both stepped out of our cars and made our way to the glass doors. When Kiera unlocked it, I couldn't help but gawk.
The house was all white with black accents—white walls, white tiles, white furniture—everything was white. There were just a few black objects, like throw pillows and photographs, giving it an elegant, posh vibe. It was a stark contrast to my own home, which was filled with random knick-knacks and a riot of colors.
Kiera noticed my reaction and rolled her eyes. "Close your mouth; you might catch flies."
Now it was my turn to roll my eyes back at her, but I didn't bother correcting her joke. "Mom, I'm home! Dad!" she shouted as we walked into her kitchen and sat at the large island.
A beautiful woman appeared wearing a white blouse and grey tailored pants, paired with black heels. Her long blonde hair was perfectly straightened and pulled back by a diamond headband.
"How was school, Barbie? Oh, hello! I didn't know we had company," she said with a smile.
"School was school, and this is my friend Clara," Kiera said, then turned to me. "Luce, this is my mom."
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. O'Grady," I said, reaching out to shake her hand.
She returned the gesture warmly. "Please, call me Barbra."
She excused herself and went to find her husband, who soon joined us.
"Ah, Barbie, who's your friend?" he asked, sporting dark brown hair and warm chocolate eyes.
"Dad, this is my friend Clara. She just moved here from New York," Kiera said proudly.
"Nice to meet you, Clara! So, how are you finding Sunnyhill so far?" he asked.
"I like it; it's pretty simple," I replied.
"Yeah, not much to do here," he chuckled.
"Which is why I don't understand why you moved here," Kiera added, biting into an apple. Her parents looked at me as if waiting for an explanation.
"My father passed away last year, and New York is too full of memories for my mom, so here I am," I said softly.
Both Barbra and Kendrick exchanged sympathetic looks.
"I'm very sorry for your loss," Barbra said, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.
I didn't respond but managed a small smile.
After a few moments of slight awkwardness, Kiera broke the silence. "Who did Maddie get a ride with? She texted me saying she was hanging out with some friends and would catch a ride home."
"Oh, I think someone named Blake picked her up. She rushed me off the phone before I could ask her for details," Kendrick replied.
"Oh, well, Clarand and I were planning to hang out and order some pizza," Kiera added.
"Ah, is that our cue to leave?" Barbra laughed.
Kiera glared at them but didn't say anything.
Barbra raised her hands in a mock surrender. "Alright, we'll take the hint. I guess we can't chill with the cool kids.