CHAPTER 6: SHOCKERS AND COLD SHOULDER GIVEAWAYS

THURSDAY

Early Morning @ Shane’s House

“Damn.” Shane mumbled as her alarm clock went off and vibrated on top of the end table beside her bed. She reached for it with her eyes still firmly shut and managed to turn it off; otherwise, she would have grabbed the clock and thrown it hard to the wall, completely breaking the darned thing.

It was 6:15 in the morning, with the sun already up, and Shane couldn’t bring her body to get out of bed right away. After all, she arrived home a little after 1am, after her tryst with Cherie Jaffe. A few moments had passed; she realized school was about to start a couple of hours from now. She sat up on the bed and yawned, then stretched out her numbing arms. Her body ached terribly from last night. Shane recalled what had happened inside the beach house and smirked. “It’s fucking worth it.”

She got out of the bed at a snail’s pace, all groggy. Shane was dragging herself to the bathroom inside her own room. She was wearing a fitted, gray tank top to match her also grayish boxer shorts. “I need to take a cold shower – I’m having a Cherie Jaffe hangover…” Shane started to undress and found herself turning only the knob for cold water. “Here goes…”

As the water from the shower head began trickling down and touching Shane’s body, she shuddered at the iciness spreading throughout. It was a quick shower, not lasting more than 5 minutes. Shane put on her bathrobe and proceeded to face the mirror. “I look like shit.”

While doing her hair and her everyday facial care regime, she noticed a small, bruising spot at the side of her neck. Shane curled her lips, then let out a short hiss. “A fucking hickey. She gave me a fucking hickey.”

Without forewarning, a barrage of knocks made Shane jump out of her skin. “Hey, what the fuck…?!” She opened the door to see Alice and Papi outside the bathroom, looking goofy and ridiculous.

“This is silly, you guys… How’d you get in here this early? I’m fucking sure I locked the front and back doors this time.” Shane said, still breathing heavily from getting shocked.