Fool Me Twice, Shame On Me ✓

[ 9 ] Thank God I wore a black dress to the party

❝ Jealousy, that dragon which slays love under the pretence of keeping it alive.❞

— Havelock Ellis

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• C H A P T E R N I N E •

"I can't believe you're sneaking out of the house tonight to attend some party. I am so proud of you!"

I shoot my cousin Camila a dumbfound expression through the monitor screen of my laptop as she raises her hands to give me a round of applause. Whenever we video chat on Skype, she always has the tendency of raising her voice tone.

"Shhhh. . ." I raise my index finger towards my lips. "Keep your voice down, I certainly don't want my dad to hear about my rebellious plan."

Camila looks into the camera apologetically. "Sorry, my bad. So, how does it feel to finally ditch your good girl side."

I roll my eyes. "Cami, you're exaggerating."

My cousin has always been portrayed as one of Park Spring Academy's most rebellious girl. Back in my old private school, she was known as the girl who loved to throw parties, skip her classes and talk back at her teachers. Even if she always got into trouble, it never stopped her from turning on her rebellious mode. People always found it hard to believe that we were related given that we both have different personalities.

Camila's eyes glisten with excitement. "Oh quit trying to make it seem like this isn't a big deal to you because guess what, it is a big deal."

I quirk my lips upwards, giving away a smile. She's always known me better than I know myself.

"Okay, you're right, anyways. . . I miss wearing the school's uniform." I say, gesturing to her attire. One of the things I loved about Park Spring Academy was their dress code. I always accessorized my uniform in a way that followed the school's rules but also allowed me to show my personal style.

Unlike Camila, I was never the one to make a statement with elegant bracelets and dramatic necklaces. However, I got creative with the dress code-approved belts, shoes and socks which made my preppy skirts and classic blazers look anything but average.

My cousin grins at me but I notice her eyes give away a flash of sadness. "Yeah, this uniform misses you too and so does my mom and Derek.

I snort, finding it hard to believe that Derek out of all people misses me. "Cami, you don't have to lie to me when it comes to him."

Camila throws her head back due to laughter. "Fine, but seriously, I never understood why you guys never got along."

Derek is, as you've all guessed it, Camila's boyfriend. He is the epitome of ignorant and self-absorbed.

Even Dean's personality is tolerable if I were to compare him with Derek. And trust me, if Dean's behavior is nothing compared to Derek's own behavior, it just proves how much of an arrogant prick he really is. I tried to force myself to get along with him for Camila's sake. . . really, I did.

But I guess, some people are just not meant to be friends. And based on his approach towards me, I'm a hundred percent sure that the feeling's mutual.

"He's a real pain in the ass." I declare, knitting my brows into a small frown.

Camila stares at me in disbelief. "Funny, he said the exact same thing about you yesterday."

Before I can reply, my father's voice drifts up to my room. "Emery, Natalie's here."

"I'll text you in school, okay?" I tell her before we exchange goodbyes. I glance over the clock and gasp in horror once I see the time.