Present Day.

Mikayla, Seventeen years old.

Kellan, Eighteen years old.

Mikayla's POV.

Pristine Island was divided into two areas, Pristine Hill and Pristine Grove, I was born and raised in Pristine Hill, a place with all the nice beach houses and some of the wealthiest people on earth.

My Dad was a doctor who married a lawyer, he wasn't born rich, he was introduced to riches while my Mum was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

My Dad told us stories about how he grew up poor and worked hard to get where he was, he also promised my sister and I that we'd never know what being poor was like, hence why my sister Grace and I never lacked any material things, our parents would get us whatever we wanted without question.

For example, I wanted a Jeep Wrangler so I could drive myself to school senior year instead of having my mum's driver drive me places everyday and, they actually bought me the goddamn thing.

Had me wishing I had asked earlier.

"Kayla, we're late." Marcus stormed into my room and shot me an annoyed look through the mirror when he noticed that I was still doing my makeup on my dresser.

I spun around in my chair, smiling at how presentable he looked in his school uniform.

His maroon and white striped necktie was in place, his white shirt was perfectly ironed, his gray jacket neatly buttoned and his shirt was actually tucked into his maroon slacks.

The other kids at pristine academy could never relate.

"You look good." I teased.

"I always look good," he showcased his prince charming smile, smoothing a hand down his necktie, "Now c'mon, we're gonna be late," he scolded, moving to my bed to shove my scattered books into my backpack.

I sighed and turned around to finish my makeup.

After finishing up, I put on my thigh-high socks before slipping into my Fendi ankle boots.

"Okay, I'm done." I announced to Marcus who was watching me the entire time.

"I have to tell you something." He said, sounding all serious.

"Alright, but first..." I raised my index finger, silencing him as I walked backwards towards my walk-in closet.

I hurried into my closet, reached my hand behind my shoe rack and grasped the crystal head vodka that I stole from my Dad for that very moment, not forgetting the shot cups.

I walked out of my closet holding the bottle in the air, Marcus shook his head at me and smiled.

"You didn't."

"Oh, but I did." I shoved the tiny cup in his chest, "Here's to the last days of high school," I opened the bottle and poured in his cup and mine.

He frowned a little, "I can't believe it's almost over." He almost sounded sad.

"I can." I clicked my cup with his and took the shot, groaning at the burn.

"Pussy." Marcus smirked before taking his shot and keeping his face neutral, like the burn didn't affect him at all.

"Show off." I snatched the cup from his hand and hid the bottle back in my closet.

I trudged out and grabbed my backpack and car key from my bed.

"Oh, did I tell you that I have a new car?" I asked him as we walked out of my room.

"Only a billion times." He chuckled behind me, "It's red." He said when we got outside.

"So?" I scoffed at his remark.

"I hate red." He put on a disgusted face.

"I love red." I said in a duh tone, going around the car to get in and finally drive it.

I opened the door and hopped onto my seat.

The leather, the new car smell, the adventure that awaited.

A-fucking-men.

I plugged the key in the ignition and smiled when it came to life.

"I'm probably gonna crash this before graduation." My hands traced the steeling wheel and I smirked.

"I can't help but agree with that statement." Marcus immediately put on his seatbelt.

I backed out of the driveway and remembered that he wanted to tell me something before I rudely interrupted him with alcohol.

"You were gonna tell me something?" I reminded him.

"Oh, no, it was nothing." He waved a dismissive hand, avoiding eye contact.

Marcus sucked at keeping secrets, you could smell the lie out of him a mile away.

"I hate it when you do that." I let the windows down and the ocean breeze blew through, causing my curly hair to blow all over my face.

"Trust me, you don't wanna know." He leaned his elbow on the car window seal.

"Did you finally come out to your Dad?" I asked, sounding shocked.

"No." He raked a hand through his silky blond hair, guilt clouding his features.

"What then?" I got impatient.

"Promise you won't flip the car over?" His hands grasped around the seatbelt across his body.

"Dude.." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Okay, fine, I'll tell you." He released a defeated sigh, rubbing his palms against his knees in a nervous kind of way. "He's coming back." He said slowly.

"Am I supposed to guess who he is?"

"You're really gonna make me say it, huh?" He bit on his thumbnail.

"Marcus, for Pete's sake, just tell-"

"Kellan." He said quickly, like a robot.

An unpleasant chill ran down my spine, my brain fried itself and I just froze in the sound of that name.

I hadn't heard it in a long time.

One jerk to the left and I'd be driving us off the cliff and straight into the ocean.

I swallowed back the bitter taste in my mouth, straightening my posture and trying to look like the news didn't get to me.

"Coming back? Like for good?" I kept my eyes on the road.

Please say no, please say no.

"Yes." He responded.

Goddamn it.

I cleared my throat, "Why?"

"Apparently, he got expelled," I felt his eyes on the side of my face.

"Expelled? Isn't his school for troubled kids who get away with everything? How was he expelled?" I asked curiously.

"My guess is, he did something that not even the queen of England could forgive." Marcus chuckled and I joined him.

"You don't even know what he did?" I glanced at him.

"Dad said he didn't feel like talking about it, he just told me my brother was coming back home for senior year." He shrugged.

"Senior year? As in he's starting at the academy?" I muttered more to myself.

"Well, where else do you want him to go?" Marcus half-laughed at my self-chatter.

"I don't know, Pristine High maybe?" I was full on freaking out at this point.

"That's a one hour drive from here, Kayla." He laughed even more.

"He's the upcoming mayor's son, he can manage." I pointed out.

"Speaking of mayors and sons, Kell is gonna do everything in his power to ruin this campaign for our father." He said, I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What makes you think that?" I couldn't help but feel like his words had a little bit of poison in it.

"Because he hates our father and because he's selfish as fuck."

"Marcus, your father sent Kellz to a boarding school across the country, put yourself in his shoes." I said.

"It was for his well being, Kayla, Mum was the only thing Kellan cared about, he became a walking statue when she died, not even you could have pulled him out of it." He argued.

"He was mourning, everyone mourns in different ways and your father didn't send Kellan to London for Kellan's well being, it was for his and yours because we all know Kellan wasn't a Mr Wesley ass kisser like yourself." I fed him half of the bitter truth.

"Okay, ouch." He dramatically placed his hand on his chest, like I hurt his feelings, "Damn, tell me how you really feel."

"Your Mum wasn't the only person he cared about, he cared about me too and I cared about him." I said in a low tone, eyes on the road.

"You do know he had a crush on you, right?" He asked.

"No, he didn't." I gritted out.

My Dad always made the same intuitions, it was fucking ridiculous and annoying.

Marcus shook his head at me, looking out the window, "Kellan always said girls were annoying when we were kids but the moment he laid eyes on you, he suddenly had a change of heart and he literally stole my goldfish so he would give it to you."

"No, he didn't," I now felt uncomfortable.

"I confronted him about it and he said you needed it more than I did and then he threatened to stick a pencil up my nostrils if I dared asked it back from you." He explained with his hands.

That, right there, explained Kellan in so many ways but I still wanted to believe that the goldfish was Kellan's, not Marcus's.

"Bullshit." Is what I could let out.

"Believe me, don't believe me, I don't care, the point is, he was a fucked up kid and I get chills just thinking about how fucked up he grew up to be." He said as I pulled up outside the academy building.

"Shouldn't you know? Didn't you and your Dad visit him a couple times?" I asked.

"He barely said three words to us every time we visited." He recalled.

"Sounds like Kellan." I opened my door, "Okay I'm done with this Kellan talk, let's talk about the establisher's party." I jumped out of the jeep.

"Maybe later." He slowly unbuckled his seatbelt, eyes glued to the windshield, I followed his gaze and saw that he was staring at Kenny, his secret hook up.

"Damn, this all sneaking around thing makes me feel like getting a sneaky link of my own." I commented, he threw a pen at me and I laughed.