Rowena
RowenaMy eyes were wide as I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror, drinking in my reflection.I couldn’t believe it. The gown that I was wearing, which had been picked out by one of the stylists my brother had paid, fit perfectly. It was elegant and slimming, a soft silk texture in a dark blue color to match my eyes.I hadn’t ever really noticed it before because I usually wore clothes that were a little too big, but maybe my figure wasn’t so bad after all; thanks to the way that the dress hugged me in all the right places, at least.It wasn’t just the dress, though, that made the transformation. My hair was pulled back to reveal my pale face and clear blue eyes, which seemed even clearer behind the slightly shimmery golden eyeshadow that the makeup artist had picked out.I looked like a real celebrity.Everything was perfect—everything except the zipper, which I couldn’t reach to zip up all of the way.“Dammit,” I whispered as I danced around, twisting my arms in an attempt
Rowena“You look completely different.”I blinked at Adrian’s sudden compliment, if I could even call it that. He was standing in front of me with a wine glass in his hand, his eyes slowly scanning over my dress, and something about it made me oddly… uncomfortable.But I maintained a polite smile. “Thank you,” I said.Adrian nodded. “You had a makeover, then? You look so much better now.”Better now. I hated that phrase. I had always dressed ordinarily, usually opting for practical and comfortable outfits rather than tight dresses and mini skirts, and I rarely put too much thought into my hair or makeup.On a good day, maybe I would put my hair into a braid and wear a little mascara, but nothing too crazy.And honestly, I never found that side of myself to be particularly disgraceful; if anything, I was proud of the way I looked, even if I looked like a ‘nerd’.“Oh, um… it’s just a temporary makeover,” I said with a chuckle. “I’m still me.”Adrian hummed to himself and shrugged. “You
RowenaI looked up at my brother, who still had his arm wrapped tightly around my waist. His fingers pressed into my soft skin, making me wince.“You’re hurting me, Eric.”Eric’s eyes widened slightly, and his grip loosened. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but suddenly, there was a tap on his shoulder. We both turned to see one of the waiters from the party standing there.“What is it?” Eric asked.The waiter paused, then leaned in and whispered something in Eric’s ear. Eric furrowed his brow as he listened, and then his eyes widened ever so slightly.“They’re what?” he asked.I was still trying to prise myself away from my brother’s strong grip when a noise suddenly came from the distance; the sound of cheering caught my attention, and then the door burst open, causing my blood to run cold as I saw the source of the commotion.It was Emma and the cheerleaders. Just who I needed to see at my eighteenth birthday party.“There’s the birthday girl!” Emma cried out as they app
Rowena & EricRowenaWhen the unseen hand wrapped around my ankle and pulled me into the water, I felt my world tilting around me. Before I knew it, I was completely submerged, my eyes squeezed shut and shock taking over my system.But then, just as I had slipped below the surface of the water, my eyes shot open again and I saw the face of the person who had pulled me under.Emma.She quickly swam away, leaving me there as I struggled. I swore I saw a smirk on her face, too.I choked on the water, fighting as hard as I could to get to the surface, but it was no use. The more I struggled, the more disoriented I came, sinking even deeper into the pool. My dress floated up around me, tangling around my limbs and dragging me down with its weight.My hands reached up toward the surface as I continued to go down. Cold water rushed into my throat, and my calves started to cramp in agony, my muscles useless against the struggle.I didn’t know how to swim, my dress was too heavy, and I was goi
RowenaI awoke to the feeling of water exiting my lungs and a burning pain in my chest—the sort of pain that I had never experienced before. But there was another experience too, just as new, and maybe even more shocking.Bright blue eyes stared down at me, and our lips were touching. Maybe my lips burned even more than my chest now that I came to my senses.Eric pulled back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He let out a deep breath, clearly relieved.“Rowena.”I kept coughing, but the sensation of his lips remained. I knew it was just mouth to mouth resuscitation, but… it was my first kiss, technically.While I continued to cough and sputter, Eric stood up and faced the crowd. The other warriors had gathered around us, looking on with confusion, shock, and discomfort written across their faces.“Who did this?” Eric bellowed, his voice booming across the now-quiet pool.No one answered. I wanted to say that it was Emma, but I couldn’t. The water in my throat wouldn’t let me
RowenaHeather White.She was a real beauty here at the school, and popular to boot. After all, she was tall and slender, with a delicate neck, prominent jawline, and fierce gray almond-shaped eyes that made her look like a winter fox.Her hair was so blonde that it seemed to absorb all of the light of the sun, making her look ethereal whenever she flipped it over her shoulder while walking down the hall.But she wasn’t just pretty; she was also the cheerleading team captain, and her father was the school’s biggest sponsor. She looked every bit the part of the daughter of an Alpha.She was everything that I wasn’t, at least on the surface.And she was my competition for today, or so it seemed.“Oh my gosh, Heather, your hair looks perfect,” one of the girls cooed, stroking Heather’s long blonde locks.“And that baby blue dress looks sooo good on you,” another girl purred.“Aww, you guys!” Heather replied in that sweet, sing-song voice of hers. “You’re all so sweet.”The other girls ti
Rowena“They’ll pay for this mistake.”Eric and I stopped in our tracks upon hearing the shrill voice coming from behind the row of lockers. It wasn’t just the words that left me dumbfounded, though; it was the fact that I could hear it clearly even from here.Must be the acoustics in here, I thought.Exchanging wary glances, Eric and I silently decided to follow the source of the voice.“I blame you!” she exclaimed with a huff. “It’s you who took the bribe. I mean, seriously.”“I would never—”“Oh, please. I know you must have taken a bribe to let the likes of her into the camp. How much were you paid, anyway? And now Emma is kicked off of the cheerleading team, too? Do you people have it out for our family, or something? After all my father has done for this school?”“Heather…”Eric and I glanced at each other again. So it was her; I thought I recognized her voice. Although, Eric’s face betrayed nothing as we rounded the corner.And there she was: Heather, fuming in front of the loc
RowenaHer?“N-No…” I stammered, still in shock. “I didn’t know. No one told me.”Seeing Adrian with Heather made my stomach feel heavy. Of course I knew about her father being one of the school’s biggest sponsors. Of course I knew about her entourage of followers, too, and her beautiful features—not to mention the fact that she was Emma’s sister.But it was only now that I really began to make the connection. Heather wasn’t just the beautiful, seductive cheerleading captain who had a fling with my brother.She was Adrian’s girlfriend.I couldn’t believe it. Adrian liked girls like that? It didn’t seem like his type. No, I couldn’t believe it.“There has to be a mistake,” I said softly. “Adrian doesn’t… He’s not like that. He doesn’t like girls like that.”Eric chuckled. “Can’t you see it?” he asked, nodding his head toward the two of them. I hated to say it, but Eric was right. It was unmistakable; Adrian had his arm securely wrapped around Heather’s waist. Her slender hip was bumpin