Remember to check out The Buddies Rule!! It was just updated as well!

Guys! We over exceeded the goal!!! I'm so happy! And, as promised, I have news to share! Please read the A/N which has been posted along with this chapter!

Also, I'm 19??? Where did my life go 😱

Highest rank on the hot list over the last two weeks - #493 in Chick Lit

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© 2016 Shay Spencer. All rights reserved.

Something Real

[ Chapter 6 ] Wear Something Slutty

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After the day that the Pennington-Blaine family had endured, I was exhausted. But that didn't mean I was ready for bed. Especially under my mother's new rules.

"Go to sleep, Scarlett," my mother sighed. The woman rested her head against the door frame, all while sending me a look that told me exactly what I needed to know. She wasn't ready to fight tonight.

This obviously made tonight different than any other night.

"I'll go to bed, mom," I said, giving her a nod.

"Good," she smiled. "Sleep well, Scarlett," she finished before stepping out and shutting the door behind her.

It was barely ten-thirty, there was no way I was falling asleep now.

My mother had always been strict, but since moving into the Pennington house, she had only gotten worse. She was more frantic, more worried, and all together more uptight than she had ever been in the past. It was quite exhausting for me, considering I'd barely seen her since leaving for college.

I shook my head and rolled onto my side, pulling over the book that I hadn't allowed Hayden to bring in just two days ago. This book, was the journal my mother had sent to me about a month before when she'd first told me about Elias. She wanted me to have something to write down my feelings in. I really hated it, in a way.

But I was antsy for some unknown reason, and I got the feeling that I needed to write.

Flipping to a clean page, I started.

Entry 27.

I'm never been good at this sort of thing, but I need to do something at this hour. It's not like I can leave the house.

These few days with the Pennington's have been far different than anything I've ever encountered. Not only have I been forced to live the life of a billionaire alongside my mother and new family, but I haven't had a moment alone for what seemed like ages.

Hayden has been glued to my side since the moment I moved in.

I haven't even spoken to my friends from college. They don't even know that I've moved out of my apartment. They barely knew how I did on my finals.

The most unexpected part of it all, you might ask - was Hayden Pennington.

The very second we met, I felt this burning hatred for him. He seemed to have that rich kid, bad boy persona, down to a t. But over the last few days, I've come to the conclusion that it's just an act.

I've been able to get small glimpses at the real Hayden, and he doesn't seem half bad. It was probably the real Hayden that offered to help me find love this summer.

Oh, did I forget to mention? Hayden thinks he'll be playing Cupid for me over the next few months. It'll be next to impossible for him to find anyone for me, though. I've spent the last seven or so years trying. Take it from me, pal.

I stopped as I could hear my phone buzzing at my side. That was one thing I hadn't heard since arriving at the Pennington house. But it was a Friday night, it made sense.

The caller ID read Wren Manny, my weirdly popular best best.

"I'm supposed to be asleep," I started with a smile. I knew that would piss her off.

"No!" She whined on the other side of the phone. "I need you, over here, now!"

Wren was the kind of person that needed other people around to have fun. Unlike myself, Wren was always looking for someone else to be standing by her side. She grew up with three brothers and two sisters, so there was no shortage of people for her while she was growing up. But upon arriving at college, she found herself alone.

Which was when I entered; we were roommates our freshmen year.

Wren had a wild side, too. This meant she had gotten me into some strange situations over the last three years. I was used to it at this point, though it still annoyed me when she would call up, out of the blue, looking for a party.

"Are you bored? Or is this an actual emergency?"

Wren huffed in annoyance on the other side of the phone, "emergency! Danny and I broke again." I could hear the sadness in her voice. Though, I wasn't entirely sure why.

"You hated Danny," I reminded with a laugh. "You said he had weird hair and he couldn't to kiss to save his life."

"That doesn't mean I like being single," Wren mocked. "I want to go out."

"Yeah? Well, I'm stuck here," I sighed.

"Finals are over, Scar, get out of the apartment. It smells like bad fast food in there, anyways." I rolled my eyes with her comment. She'd always wanted me to move in with her again. But our first year out of the dorms, she'd managed to find a place with three roommates, ones that I didn't like.

So, that's when I found my place above the old diner downtown. It was a crap apartment, but I still missed it.

"About that," I paused as I allowed for my head to fall back on my pillow. "I lost the apartment."

"What!" Wren screeched happily. "So you don't have a place to live?!"

I shook my head, "oh, I have a place to live."

"Where?" Wren asked. "You haven't had a boyfriend since last year. Plus, all the guys you've hooked up with since then have been pretty shady."

"Not with a guy, Wren. My mom and her fiancé have about fifteen extra rooms. He's some lawyer from Pensilvania. It's just them, my future step brothers and me in the mansion," I explained.

I could practically hear Wren smiling through the phone. "Those stepbrothers you speak of... Are they any cute?"

"If they weren't my future siblings, maybe. But I haven't looked at either one like that." I sighed, my thoughts instantly bouncing to Hayden. Wren would tear him apart if she ever got her hands on him, or on Jay, for that matter. She went through guys like crazy.

"Well, forget about them tonight. Come out with me! Asteroids is having their annual girls night, and I need a partner in crime!" Wren whined.

I purses my lips together in thought. I hadn't had a normal night out in quite some time. Wren used to drag me out practically every weekend, and I kind of missed it. Maybe it was time for a night of fun. The only problem would be sneaking out.

Plus, Asteroids was a classy club compared to the other ghetto places she'd gotten us into.

"Okay, fine," I sighed. "Give me twenty minutes, I'll meet you there."

"Yay!" Wren cheered. "Wear something slutty!"

The line cut dead after that.

I hopped off my bed and made my way over to the boxes lining the back wall of my room. I'd barely had time to unpack here, let alone find outfits for myself. My mother had been dressing me for the last three days.

I had just barely found the boxes containing my clothes when my door creaked open.

Hayden suddenly popped in before quietly shutting the door. "Hey, I'm headed on a taco run. Do you want anything to eat?" The man was dressed in a pair of grey sweats and a black hoodie. His converses were splattered with red and blue paint, and his socks were pulled all the way up his calves. "Are you going out?"

"No," I hissed. Hayden sent me a knowing look before I caved. "Okay, fine. My friend Wren called and wanted to meet up."

"So you're just going to sneak out with this Wren guy? I thought you needed my help finding a boyfriend. That's what we agreed at brunch, remember?" Hayden asked incredulously.

"Wren's a girl, Hayden."

Hayden's eyebrows popped up and down suggestively, "a girl, huh?" He asked. "I'm in."

I reached out and grabbed onto his forearm to stop him from leaving. "No! You are not coming with us!"

"And why not?"

I could feel my face scrunching up at the mere thought of him meeting Wren. "Maybe I don't want you hooking up with her."

"Aww," Hayden paused as he took a small step towards me. "Is Scarlett jealous?"

I rolled my eyes, "fine, you can come. But don't start flirting with Wren. The whole idea of you two just sounds weird to me." Hayden nodded.

"Don't worry, babe. I've already got my eye on someone. I'll meet you downstairs in five," Hayden smiled before slipping back out into the hallway.

I could only come up with about one scenario of how this night would end, and they all ended up with Wren throwing herself at Hayden.

Looks like I'm babysitting.

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Scarlett's best friend is about to enter the story... How do you guys think Hayden will handle Wren?

The next update will be on December 10th!

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