🎲🎲🎲 More than a game 🎲🎲🎲
→→→ Jilting the tits ←←←
🀄 Book nine 🀄
🎀 Hailey’s standpoint 🎀
I paced around frantically, muttering worried words to myself. I was at the balcony, pacing as Hans nonchalantly typed away his meaningless life on his phone. Phoenix wasn’t back yet, I wasn’t worried about him. He was probably at some random h0tel with any random girl, fv¢king the life out of her. I was more worried about my sister, my Hadley. Lee had never kept late night before, she has never been out over eight except if either of us was with her. It was freaking me out that she was out at night, 9:56pm! I was panicking! I was the only one panicking.
‘Can you just relax? Lee is alright, I as-sure you of that. Lee isn’t a kid, she can take care of herself.’
‘But she has never been out by this time, and she isn’t even calling to inform me of her whereabout…’ Hans started laughing. ‘Why are you laughing? I’m worried about our sister!’
‘It’s Iris, I f0rç£d her to open a WhatsApp account and she’s whinging about how boring and stressful it is. I told her to get more friends but now she’s kvetching about how ha-rd befriending people is and how she tried befriending a gallomaniac once…’
‘Is that what you are more bothered about?!!!’
‘What am I suppose to be bothered about?’ He asked nonchalantly, crossing his legs equanimously. I sighed and turned my attention back to the gate. A loud delightful and relieve squeal left my mouth. I ran out of the second living room where we were, running downstairs to meet my sister. I never knew I could freak out this… Oh, I do. I freak out every time Hans don’t call me when he’s suppose to.
Wow, is it me or am I a mom?
I ran to the front door, the person carrying her was alre-ady at the door. The guy was pretty cute… Since when did a guy piggyback Lee? ‘What happened to her?’
‘We ran three miles to our favorite restaurant, she ate too much and later I dragged her to my special fountain. I made her wait there for the sun to set so she would see the beauty of the fountain. We talked and she sle-pt off during the conversation, I’m sorry if I made her stay out late.’
‘How then do you know where she lives?’
‘I actually saw the seventy nine text messages you s£nt, I traced the IP address here.’
‘Why didn’t you answer my calls then? I was worried.’
‘I don’t answer peoples calls, don’t know who I would be talking to and what problem it would bring. I tried it five times, I regret it.’ He said with a far away look.
‘And you are?’ I huffed irritably.
‘Jonathan, her new friend,’
‘Johnny, are we home now?’ Lee murmured.
‘Yes Lee, we’re here,’
‘Can you help me carry her in? I don’t think my brother would listen to me right now,’ I didn’t ask, I ordered. He ignored my rudeness and bounced Lee up. I stepped aside so he’ll walk in. He walked pas-s me, looking around observantly. The guy looks rich and odd. How did Lee meet him? I know all her friends.
‘Where should I drop her?’
‘On the couch,’ he nodded and dropped her gently on our four sitter sofa be-d. He stood upright and cracked his knuckles. ‘Thank you.’ He nodded.
‘Whoa! Jonah Boy!’ Hans exclaimed. Jonathan turned his head towards the stairs. Hans walked in grinning like he just saw his old best friend. ‘What are you doing here man? I haven’t seen you in ages! Where have you been?’ They did that guy thing, bu-mping shoulders and sl@pping hands. I hate it when they do that. I walked over to Lee, pushing her head up and sitting down un-der her head. I placed her head on my l@ps and smiled at her slee-ping face. ‘You mean you are no longer with your team?’ Hans g@sped. ‘How can you be in our school and not be p@rt of out team?! Are you fv¢king with me?!’
‘I don’t know, is your team accepting new pla-yers?’ Jonah asked nervously.
‘Of course! Coach would jump over his old spine if he you show up! The best pla-yer in Midway high! You might not be the quarterback but you are amazing. I’ll talk to coach on your behalf if you’re game. You in?’
‘Sure, I’d really love that, thanks Hans.’
‘Hope you know you have to go throu-gh initiation after you get in,’ Hans said with a teasing sm-irk. Jonah gro-an ed.
‘plea-se tell me your team’s initiation isn’t wearing makeup and wigs,’ he said pleadingly.
‘It’s not,’ Hans said evasively. That was a lie. The initiation process of the football team was much more hilarious. First, the guy has to find a way to steal the br@ of one of the cheerleaders, dress up like a old fashioned grandma with big bo-ob s and the cheerleader’s pompoms as hair and walk around the school waving the br@ of the cheerleader. Hans’ crazy as-s-hole idea.
‘Then what is it?’
‘You walk around the school n-ked…’
‘What!’
Hans laughed. ‘Calm down, I was kidding. Once you get in, all you nee-d to do is run around the field three times with a cheerleader on your back.’
‘Oh, that sounds easy.’ The team had three stage; run around the field five times with the fattest girl in the school on your back, do a hundred pushups and then the walk around with br@ in hand thing. I giggled evilly and shook my head.
‘I’ll talk to coach now, you can come tomorrow. You better go home now before it’s late. You c@m£ with your car?’
‘Not really,’ he said evasively.
‘Hers?’
‘We left our car back in school and ran to the restaurant,’
‘I can believe that… Are you still running in the Olympics games?’
‘No, I st©pped.’
‘Then you have to join. Our school lacks in that area.’
‘I can’t be in both, I’ll have to quit one for one because I’m taking extra lessons. Mom’s order. I failed miserably last here, I’m un-der probation.’
‘Then it’s better you join the Olympics…’
‘I prefer to do football, I have run enough and nee-d a break. You’ll talk to coach, right?’
‘Yes, I will. Just be early tomorrow and thanks for bringing her back.’
‘Now I know why she looked so familiar, I knew I had seen her somewhere. She’s a cheerleader, right?’
‘Right, she is.’
‘Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow, nee-d to get a bus.’
‘Why get a bus when you can take one of my cars, take a car key from the rank on the wall over there,’ Hans inclined his head to the direction of the keys rank.
‘You want to give him our car?’ I asked scornfully.
‘Don’t give me that look Hail, does Jonah here look like a broke guy? His dad is one of dad’s riche-st business p@rtner. He can drive the car to school tomorrow, he’ll drive his back while Lee drive the car I’ll give him back home. I can even call on of mom’s guard to drive it home, no nee-d to worry.’ I stared at him skeptically.
‘Never worry Hans, I’ll call my driver to come pick me up, I’ll just wait outside…’
‘The gate,’ I completed. ‘Stand outside and wait there.’
‘Jonah, plea-se ignore her and take a key,’ Hans huffed crossly. ‘plea-se.’
‘Thanks Hans, you’re still you.’ Hans win-ked at him. He laughed.
‘Come on, I’ll esc-rt you out,’ and off they went into their guys world, walking out as they talked about football.
‘You can open your eyes now, he’s gone,’ I said with an eye roll. Lee pried one eye open stylishly and looked around. ‘Why were you pretending?’
‘Shhh,’ she sibilated. She jumped to her feet and ti-ptoed to one of the windows. I followed her, sighing at her erratic behavior. She started giggling like a lovestruck teenage gurl, cu-pping her mouth to st©p herself from squealing. I reached her and placed my hand on the glas-s window, looking at what she was looking; Hans and Jonah laughing wholeheartedly. ‘Isn’t he adorable?’ She whispered gigglingly.
‘If you say so,’ I drawled bemusedly. ‘Lee, are you okay?’ I asked worriedly. ‘You are acting like me when I see an extremely cute guy, did you hit your head?’
‘Nope, I think I’m starting to have a crush on him.’
‘One, you never have crushes. Two, how long have you known him? Three, do you even know how crushing on someone feels like?’
‘One, first time for everything. Two, do you have to know someone to crush on him? You didn’t know Richie when you started crushing on him, you didn’t know Manic or Bill or…’
‘Okay, okay, I get it.’
‘Three, because I have never gotten a crush before doesn’t mean I’m naive. I have a crush on him because he’s nice…’
‘You have met a lot of nice guys…’ I interjected.
‘He’s different,’ she cut in too. ‘I don’t know how but the very first time I saw him, I felt it. It’s strange and scary yet so exciting, wonderful to have such feelings. Do you know he told him wearing two different colors of shoes is wrong?”
‘Oh wow, I haven’t told you this all your life,’ I said sarcastically.
‘Wait, you knew it was wrong?’ She g@sped. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘But you know, you said it to Iris this morning…’
‘No, no, no, there’s no excuse for your actions. Your sister was doing something wrong and yet you couldn’t tell her…’ She chided.
‘But…’
‘Shh,’ she shushed.
‘St©p shushing me,’ I huffed annoyedly.
‘Shhh,’
‘You shhh,’
‘Haven’t anyone ever told you not to shush the shusher?’
‘Oh gosh, just tell me why you suddenly realize you like him.’
‘I said crush, not like. Like is such a strong word. He’s just nice and I have a crush on him because he’s him, that’s it.’
‘Okay…’ I drawled skeptically. ‘That’s nice.’ She giggled and watched him bu-mp his shoulder once more with Hans. She briskly ran back to the couch and went back to her pretense slee-ping position. I leaned on the window, watching her in wonder and incredulity. Crushing on random guys was my job. I shook my head when Hans walked in, mentally repeating our conversation.
Hans who was whistling win-ked at me for no reason. ‘You have to be nice Hail, it’s helpful.’
‘Right,’ I said sarcastically. ‘Who’s that gorilla with the bad legs?’ Lee stirred in her fake sleep, warning me not to insult her b©yfri£nd.
‘That gorilla is h0tter and much more talented than your never happening second love. His name is Jonathan che-sterton, son of one of dad’s business p@rtner and a very good football pla-yer. He used to pl@yfor the Ravens, also into high jumping and running. He’s a very nice guy, flir-ty when he wants to be, crowded with bad companies, but nice, a very good guy.’
‘I don’t like him,’
‘You don’t like anyone that comes too close to any of your siblings because you always feel like they will snatch their love and attention from you. I alre-ady know I’m getting married to you in five years times. Phoenix would probably be your second husband and Lee your housewife, no nee-d to get agitated.’ He said sardonically.
‘Very funny,’ I said unenthusiastically.
‘What’s funny is Lee pretending to be asleep when the reason for her pretense is gone. Will you get up alre-ady?’ Lee giggled and opened her eyes. ‘What are you up to Lee?’
‘I have a crush on him,’
‘Wow, that’s a first, when did it start?’
‘Since I met him… Was it yesterday? I don’t know. I’m hungry, did you cook, Hans?’
‘I remember him saying you ate too much,’
‘At five in the evening, it’s ten alre-ady, way pas-s ten. A girl has gotta to eat you know.’
‘I am not letting you gain more weight after helping you lose it all summer, hell no.’ I said irrevocably. She pouted.
‘Hans, tell her to let me eat, I’m hungry.’
‘Just let her be Hail, she’s drinking all those herbal teas and soup thingy you give her to drink, she won’t get fat.’
‘I…’
‘plea-se, don’t drip or kvetch, just let her eat before she starts singing that stupid song about a food falling in love with a tomato,’
‘Tomato carrot man,’ Lee corrected.
‘Whatever you say sunshine.’ Hans said uninterestedly. He walked back upstairs, whistling again.
‘Yay!’ Lee stood up and ran to the kitchen, I followed to make sure she didn’t eat much. When she got into the kitchen, she opened the microwave and brou-ght out her own share of what Hans prepared. I watched her carry it out without heating it up, she enjoys cold meals to h0t. I walked to the refrigerator to get her some milk, Lee can’t sleep without taking a glas-s of milk, her stomach would ache all-night and swell in the morning. Don’t look at me, she got that after she accidentally ate some kind of poisonous plant.
‘Here,’ I dropped the glas-s of milk gently on the kitchen island. ‘plea-se Paige, eat slowly so you won’t choke.’ She nodded and started eating fas-ter. I sighed and sat down too, watching her eat just in case she chokes and nee-d me to help her or something.
Yup, definitely a mom.
‘Wait a minute,’ Lee said all of a sudden. ‘When Hans whistles, it means he’s either having troubles with something or someone, thinking de-eply about something he is finding difficult to solve or…’
‘Admiring someone,’ I completed. ‘He have been whistling all evening till now,’ I stro-ke my nose. ‘Do you think…?’
‘No, that’s not it,’ Lee cut in, shaking her head certainly. ‘Hans don’t like Iris, at least not yet. I think he’s thinking de-eply about something he can’t solve, or maybe someone.’ She looked at me knowingly.
‘Iris,’ I said frowningly. ‘It has to be related to his new attitude; the dancing in the hallway, wearing Sk-irts… That is Hans but not Hans in a sort of way. I think something is wrong with her and he’s trying to fix…’
‘Personality disorder,’ she interjected, l!çk!ng the cream in her food off her f!ngers. ‘I am almost hundred percent sure Iris has personality disorder.’
‘Because of how she talks to herself? Violet?’
‘Because I have a similar issue, remember? Me being bossy and well, different the moment I’m called Hadley and not Lee? You know when I work, as a model, everyone calls me Hadley and that name carries a different personality. Lee too. Remember my middle name still has it own? I have the same issue so I know it when I see one. Iris’s case is different in a way. She doesn’t react to different names, I think she believes she is someone else to make her perfect when she’s not. I’m not sure due to the fact that my suspicion is base on intuit, but I’m pretty sure it’s something similar or the same for Hans to be so interested in it.’
I stared at her with mouth open. I’m always left in shock and awe when she gets wise. She’s usually like this when someone calls her… Oh! I called her by her middle name, that explains it. I smiled warmly and raised a brow. ‘Should we involve ourselves? I’m worried about him.’
‘No, Hans is not a kid, he’ll be fine. I believe he knows what he is doing. If he is still with her even though she has such disorder, then I trust his judgment.’
‘Are you sure, Paige?’
‘I’m sure,’ she smiled. She sighed and stood up. As Paige, she doesn’t eat much. ‘I nee-d to go to be-d, I have early morning clas-s with Mr. Jordon, can’t be late.’
‘Okay, goodnight Lee… Oh cra-p.’
‘Hey! Food!’ She squealed. She’s back. The Paige trick can only work once in a day. Mom once had her treated but dad insisted that she be left alone when the thera-py started affecting her. re-ad more of these story from our unlimited story platform, fresh stories kingdom, house of story room, sweet and nice story room, throu-gh kwaku ome on+233544. Lee would get scared and hide un-der her be-d when anyone was coming, locked herself up in her room because she feared no one would love her if she’s crazy. Dad did a good thing by st©pping it because her disorder wasn’t dangerous, it actually c@m£ in handy.
I stood up, walked over to her and k!$$£d her forehead. ‘Goodnight Lee, remember to turn off all the lights before you sleep.’
‘Hans will always do a house check before going to be-d, I don’t nee-d to worry about that.’
‘Girls,’ my ears twitched at Hans’ pathetic tone. I whirled around to face him, alre-ady getting anxious on what was wrong. He sighed heavily, running his hand throu-gh his hair. ‘I nee-d your help, both of you…’ He left his words hanging.
‘Anything for you little brother,’ Lee giggled.
‘I’m serious, this is serious.’
‘It’s about Iris, right?’ I asked to knowingly. He nodded. ‘Does it have anything to do with her personality disorder?’
‘How did you…’
‘Lee,’ I j£rked my head towards Lee. ‘She went Paige and you know what happens when she’s like that.’
‘Oh,’ he murmured. ‘Her disorder isn’t like Lee’s, can’t be left alone because it’s dangerous. Iris’s can kill, it might alre-ady.’
‘Why not take her to a professionalist?’ I suggested.
‘With my observation, Iris is afraid of them, afraid of being seen as a crazy mad woman, afraid of anything related to psychiatrist and madness. I am alre-ady speaking to one and he confirmed it that taking her there would wors£n her case, make her completely mad and dangerous. Her own kind of madness is the one that leads to murder, I have to cure it without her knowing.’
‘So what would you have us do?’ Lee asked curiously.
‘Unknown to Iris, I took her to the doctor this evening after school. He pretended to be a normal doctor attending to her mother while she was there. He said that Iris has imaginary friends, her subconscious has probably created three or four images of her that tells her what to do. One he knows is trying to draw her de-ep into the well of insanity and murdering, one convincing her otherwise and one putting her up for perfection by being Violet who I am yet to know. If she has another one to that, it’ll be to runaway or something negative. The conclusion of his observation is that he wants me to surround her with friends, don’t give her imaginary ones time to talk to her. Once her subconsciously created ones start fading away, the one that impersonates Violet would change and become abusive and that would be difficult as that image is who she stands to be. I nee-d you girls to help me be her friend, never leave her side and show her how having true friends feels like. I want her to love and depend on your words, not her subconscious. Can you both do that for me?’ He asked pleadingly.
‘Why do you care?’ I asked.
‘If I can’t help my own sister, I can at least help her. She seems to admire Lee and Melody a lot. I alre-ady spoke to Melody, she promised to cancel her upcoming tour and come to school herself, so she can help too.’
‘Just us, right?’ I asked unsurely.
‘Especially you Hailey,’
‘Me? Why?’ I asked quizzically.
‘She feels like you don’t like her. If you don’t like her as Violet, you will never like her as Iris. I want you to befriend her, that would make her feel special. I’m including Phoenix, I nee-d all the help I can get.’
‘Okay, I’m in!’ Lee squealed.
‘I’ll try. How would you get Phoenix to accept?’
‘I give him my second credit card and he’ll do anything I say.’
‘Don’t give him a dime, I’ll talk to him,’ I said tiredly. ‘I nee-d to sleep, goodnight guys,’ I walked pas-s him but halted at the door. ‘And Hans, don’t fall in love just yet.’ With that said, I sauntered to my room, repla-ying all he said in my head.
Iris wants to be surrounded by friends, huh? Well, welcome to Dark Empire’s Cheerleaders Club, Iris.
To be continued