A Beautiful, Terrible Love by Lucky 97 (books for 9th graders txt) 📖

human being who minds my own business and doesn't think that their kisses are worth a million dollars. We DON'T MIX. So just leave me alone." I ran out of the room and into the bathroom.
I had told him off, expressed my anger, like I had dreamed about, for him ruining my life. Well, kind of. I was stunned that I actually did it, thinking I didn't have the guts. I guess that comment about the kissing thing really bugged me. But anyways, I had finally done what I had always wanted to do.
Shouldn't I feel happy?
I sat against the wall, raising my knees to my chest. Putting my head in my hands, I wondered just what I was getting into.

"Eve, singing Heartbreak," the host declared. The lights abruptly disappeared, and one bright white light shined on my face. I opened my mouth and sang my soul to the audience. While I was singing, I noticed Dex's face, still baffled and a little angry from my rude comments. I guess I really need to apologize. I didn't mean what I said, but somehow... I felt that it was more than that.
The applause shook me out of my trance. I realized that I had already finished the song without thinking about it, so deep in my thoughts. But, according to the applause I was receiving, I'm guessing I sang pretty well.
I crossed over to Dex's side. He turned away, irritated. "Dex," I whispered. He said nothing. I grew desperate. "Dex, please.”
He again said nothing.
"I'm sorry," my last attempt at forgiveness. He slowly turned to me, his hair glinting in the fierce white lights.
"I forgive you," he said. "But I don't understand. Why did you say that?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you." There was no way I was telling him of my love. Zero. Zilch.
"Why?" He touched my arm, sending shocks through my body. This time, I said nothing, but stared straight ahead. Dex smiled. "I'll find out from you later," putting slight emphasis on the word later. What did that mean?
"Eve and Zelda, come out here," the host declared. We walked out anxiously onto the stage. "The winner is..." I felt like the world could hear my heartbeat thumping in my chest, "Eve."
Oh.

The crowd roared, a deafening wave of noise I couldn't escape from. I could see Dex grinning at me, and Sadie screaming. I could feel the whole world's stares, some approvingly, some... not.
But most of all, I could sense Zelda's tears.
I found that I couldn't really feel happy unless she was too.
I turned around to face the host, my microphone on. "Is there any way I could let Zelda win instead of me?"
"What?" he looked at me.
"Zelda needs it," I turned, facing the audience. "Zelda entered this contest so she could have a chance to get money for her family, and I am not going to stand in her way. Zelda, do you want to be the grand prize winner?" I asked her gently. She stood up shakily.
"Eve, I appreciate what you're doing, but I can't possibly take something I can't deserve. Thank you for... thinking of me." She ran off the stage, leaving me saddened.
Why did it have to turn out like this?

Dex walked up to me, "Guess what?" he asked me excitedly.
"You get to spend six full months with me recording our songs!"
"Oh joy." I mumbled. He punched me in the arm.
"Don't be so unenthusiastic! We'll have a ton of fun!" he winked.

Sure we will...

Chapter 7

"WHAT???!!!" I let out a high-pitched scream, my breathing accelerating, my eyes bloodshot. There was no way... no way...
"Dex WILL be staying with you at your house for the six months that both of you are going to be singing together." Dex's evil-in my opinion-manager glared at me. Then her expression changed from a scowl to a smile. "I have no idea why you wouldn't want to be with Dex in the same house as you for SIX full months." She said dreamily.
"It's improper!" I protested, still defiant, although my heart shook at that prospect.
"It will be just like having a brother." His manager shrugged.
"No it won't!" I whined.
"Just deal with it," the manager turned away, obviously through with me. Well, I wasn't done with her.
"Look, Polly-"
"Penny," she corrected.
"There is no way I'm going to allow Dex to stay in my house when there's a perfectly good hotel a few blocks away..."
"Ahh, but it's not YOUR house." Penny grinned, obviously knowing something I didn't.
"Yes it is! I-"
"It's your mother's house, and she signed this paper." Penny waved a thick document at me. "Stating that Dex could stay at your house for the six months."
"MOTHER!!!!!"

I sat, my head leaning back against the back of our cushy sofa, waiting for Dex's arrival. The fireplace, steamy and warm, coughed up heat, which tickled my toes delightfully. The carpet, stained with juice, soda, and who-knows-what-else, seemed to smile up at me, familiarity oozing between us, the old and cracked walls, with a plethora of stick figures decorating it, just as much so. My breath resembled cigarette smoke, my upper body not nearly as warm as my feet. The furniture, comfy but unstylish, suited this grandmotherly type room, with a wooden rocking chair and table that was more suited to be out west than here near Hoover, Alabama.
I wonder what Dex will do when he sees my home.
Will he want to change it? Make over the whole house, even, replacing the ugly furniture and disastrously stained carpet?
Would he... laugh?
I shook those thoughts aside, and squinted out the huge window that overlook Lake Penn, the sun trying desperately to block my view. The cloud, huge and heavy with rain, floated over the clear blue waters, birds quickly landing in haste to escape the coming storm. Reeds thrived near the lake, hosting probably thousands of little bugs, the wind brushing past them gently. A peaceful duck and it's crew swam near our house, quacks flying through the air, reaching my ears, even, through the thin glass. They wobbled through our humble garden, a paradise of apples, grapes, pears, and oranges, obviously looking for a snack. I made no move to try and shoo them away, rather, watched them "window shop" as they surveyed the rows of delectable fruit.
Our house stood about a few miles away from Freland Jr. High School, an average public school you would see anywhere, and a small, family-owned, grocery store about the size of our puny house. If we wanted to, we could drive a little farther on to Hoover itself and eat at a fast food restaurant, which we didn't do very often.
How I loved my home. I always take a daily swim in the invigorating-usually ice cold-lake water, shower, check the garden, and always had time to fix those nice, homey biscuits I was so famous for before school. Sadie, on the other hand, always woke up about fifteen minutes before it was time to leave, scrambling to eat her biscuit and pull on her shoes at the same time. We often shared outfits, having the exact same size, although I felt that they looked better on Sadie, which made it a lot easier on Sadie when she was rushing to pick out clothes.
When I got home, I would usually jump right back into the lake, plowing like a motorboat through the water, birds flocking closer to me because they knew I would give them a tasty treat when I was through. Then, I would come home to the scent of mom's home-style cooking, always layered with butter, syrup, and a ton of salt. Yes, we had a simple life, but...
It was a beautiful one.
How would Dex fit into my world? Would he be swimming with the fishes? Or be sitting in his room texting? Sleeping in like Sadie did so well?
I honestly didn't know anything about Dex's lifestyle, although I knew it to be glamorous. He supposedly had a giant mansion with fifty servants and a personal cook, also housing a bowling alley, theater, roller coaster-I know, I know-and a four-poster bed the size of a room...
I wonder if he shares any of his generous blessings from God with anybody. He must be lonely, in that huge house all by himself.
I felt a touch of pity for Dex, at the way he had so many things, yet so little, but strangely, although I had this simple life, with nothing materialistic in it, I had more than Dex did... for I had love.
Disastrous, devastating love, but it was still love.

A long, sleek limo snaked its way down our gravel road, tearing through any underbrush that stood in its way. The majesty of it astounded me, shook me to the very core. It slid up to my door, a man in black, huge and muscled, stepping out. I walked to the door, listening for a knock that was going to come soon.
Sadie rushed down the rickety stairs, followed by Lou, my mother. Sadie's hair was pristine, a mass of curly perfection that suited her face perfectly. Her dress, of mid-thigh length and a halter neck, was beautiful, and…. a little sleazy. I had never seen that dress before, EVER.
"Eve, I TOLD you to dress up." Lou said sternly, wearing a dress similar to Sadie's except long sleeved and modest. At the ripe age of 37, her eyes were still vibrant, caked in makeup, and her body slim. In other words, gorgeous.
I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans with not one bit of makeup.
"I forgot," I mumbled, although in truth I had never even heard her, engrossed in the duck's rendezvous around our lawn.
A booming knock echoed through the house, making the door rattle in its sockets, and us shake in our boots -or converse. I timidly reached with trembling fingers to the door, my arm hesitant, I more than willing to run away and never come back.
I threw open the door to complete and utter glory.
A man with dark red hair, stunning green eyes, and a clear complexion stood in our doorway, wearing a comfy sweater and jeans, and utter amazement in his eyes as he took in our home. He stepped inside our rustic house, not saying a single word to us, his huge bodyguard following silently.
"Wow," he whispered, his attractive voice tingling inside my soul, and his straight posture assuming overflowing confidence. I tried to mimic his confident pose, straightening up like a pencil. Sadie took a single look at me, and tried to hide a giggle.
"This is incredible," he looked over the room, noting the stick figures on the scraped and battered wall, the ceiling fan that missed a blade, and laughed. My heart sank, replaying his laugh in my head, searching for the sarcasm and mocking that I knew had to be there. Dex turned again to face me, his expression of excitement.
"You all own a lake? All of this?" He gestured to the houses around us. "Can I pick what house I want to stay in?"
I laughed, the tinkling of bells. So he didn't understand. "We just own this house, and we don't own this lake, although we can use it."
His expression dimmed a little. "So I can't have my own house?"
"You can buy one." I offered, still a little ticked off that he had to be staying HERE instead of some hotel.
Dex's eyes raked over Sadie and Lou, then he crossed over to them eagerly. "Madams." He said, taking Sadie's, then Lou's hands and kissing them. They reeled in excitement,