Chapter 1

My Worst Enemy Ever

Chloe's P.O.V.

"So, are you and Simon a thing?" I turned around and glared at Liz.

"Do we have to go over this again?" She gave me an apologetic gaze.

I placed my hand on my right hip. Liz sat on my bed and was in the midst of reading Teen Vouge. We were getting ready for my best guy-friend, Simon's, end-of-school party.

I sighed and turned back to the mirror to put on mascara.

"Me and Simon are childhood friends, okay? Friends. Nothing more, nothing less. Now, will you stop asking if we are 'a thing'? It's really starting to get annoying."

I carefully put my mascara on my lashes in order to prevent lumps from forming.

"Jeez, relax." Liz whined.

I turned around and looked at her. "I'm sorry. I just... I haven't been in a good mood lately, that's all. Plus, that question is just...Argh!"

Liz smirked and shook her head. "It's okay. I know how annoying it must be. I was just asking, because...well, I think I have a crush on him."

I smiled. "That's great! You'll be sweet together." I said and turned around to line my brows.

"So, do you think I should make a move tonight?"

I looked at her in the mirror. "You're asking me about boys? Look, I might seem mature sometimes, but I swear, I know as much about boys as I know about rockets." Liz giggled and I returned to my eyebrows.

After a couple of moments in silence Liz said, "You know, Simon told me his brother was coming to town."

I froze. Well, fuck.

"Really? How come?" I said as I tried to stay calm while mentally screaming.

"Well, he's just coming back from college for the summer, so he's going to be staying at Simon's. At least, that's what he told me," she said, still looking in her magazine.

"He told you? When?" I still stood frozen with my pencil in my hand, asking why God would ruin my summer vacation in the cruelest way possible.

"Here the other day. We were talking by his locker, you know, about the party and summer and I asked him what his plans were. He said Derek was coming over. I said..."

I stopped listening after that. Just his name made me want to scream.

Derek.

You see, the thing is, Derek and I don't really get along. Not at all, actually. I hate his guts and to be more exact, he disgusts me.

It has been like that ever since we met. Sometimes I think that our biggest "disagreement" is Simon.

We both want to be his best friend and we both want to spend time with him. Alone. So when the other comes along, it annoys us. We begin to fight and it all ends in chaos.

I bitterly basked in the 'happy memories' of constant bickering.

Now he was back from college. Yay! How lucky can you be to get to spend your summer vacation with the devil? It was literally the best thing ever.

I don't usually use the word 'enemy' to describe anyone I hate, but Derek was exactly that, my worst enemy ever. I hated him the most and now he was coming back!

This is gonna be the best summer ever, I can feel it. Really.

I drove us to the party and we arrived around a half hour late, because my stupid car wouldn't start. I'm terrified of when one of these days it'll break down in the middle of the road and I'd miss my only comfortable mode of transportation. I'd have to walk everywhere, just like freshmen year. That or ask my dad for a ride, which is NOT happening, because, oh yeah, he's somewhere in Brazil or some other country for the past three years, totally avoiding me. There is always my aunt, but I don't want her to "get all up in my business" if you can say that. She would probably think that every guy I meet was my boyfriend and be all mom-like. No thanks.

As soon as we got inside, I got picked up and spun around by someone. When that person sat me down, I saw that it was none other than Simon.

"Chloe! I was getting worried! I thought you had backed out on me." he said, or rather, yelled through the loud music that blared in the background.

"Sherry wouldn't start!" I yelled back. (Sherry was my cherry-red, 100 year old Mercedes.)

"Oh, okay. Come, I want to go somewhere where I don't sound like an old lady," he said and took my hand as he dragged me through his house.

"What did you say, Charles?!" I yelled so loud that the people standing beside gave me a weird look. I just smiled at them and followed the now giggling Simon.

As he dragged us to the kitchen, I realised how many people there actually was at the party. Not that it surprised me, Simon was definitely the popular one in our group of friends, but just being in his huge house with almost the whole school...I was pretty dumbfounded.

When we got to the kitchen, he leaned against the sink and gave me a very Simon-like glare. The kind of glare he usually gave girls, the 'well-hello-there' with a half smirk on his lips, as if he was checking you out. But with me, it was just how he looked at me when we were together. I suppose.

"Can I serve you ladies something to drink?" he asked, taking a vodka bottle behind him.

I gasped. "But Simon! We aren't 21! That would be breaking the rules!"

He lifted an eyebrow, "Since when do you care about rules?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, you're right," I said and snapped the vodka bottle out of his hand. I continued, "Do you have any soda?"

"Yeah, in the fridge, lowest shelf. What about you, Liz?"

I walked to the fridge and took out a 2 litres of grape soda.

Not that I usually drank that much, and when I did I always mixed it with a soda of some kind. Especially when it was vodka. As I unscrewed the soda-bottle I looked over at Simon and Liz, who were now talking by the sink. She looked so happy.

I walked to the sink with the bottles in my hands. When I poured out 1/3 of the grape-soda in the sink, Simon hissed at me. "Chloe! That is quality grape-soda from Walmart!"

I rolled my eyes and took a sip of it before pouring vodka in it. "So," I said, leaning against the sink, sipping my grape-vodka-soda. "How come you didn't tell me Derek was coming over?"

Simon bit his lip. "Because I knew you would give me that look."

"What look? I am not giving you a look!"

He sighed. "That look! That I-can't-believe-you-are-doing-this-to-me-look." I took a sip from my bottle.

"I am not giving you any look,"

"Yeah, right. Besides, if you guys would just get along, there wouldn't be a reason for you to give me that look and you wouldn't be angry that he was coming over."

I lifted my eyebrow, or, tried to. "First of all, I am not angry at you. I just hoped that you would warn me, I mean, tell me about it, instead of making Liz do it."

"I did not-"

I cut him off.

"Second of all, you know exactly why we can't get along. I am sorry for saying this, but he is an arrogant asshole and I absolutely disgust him."

I took a sip of my bottle again.

"Well, thank you for saying that, Saunders. Very nice of you, really," a voice said behind me. I swallowed and gave Simon a glare before turning around.

And there he was, the devil himself. More than a head taller than me, even though I had stilettos on.

His messy jet-black hair was familiar. He gave me the cold shoulder with those intimidating green eyes of his.

"Derek," I said, trying to look just as cold as he was. He lifted his thick eyebrows and gave me a smirk. "Did you miss me?"

I gave him a sugar-sweet smile. "Not in a million years."

He brushed the collar of my gold leather jacket. "I like your clothes, Saunders. It really brings out your inner bitch," he said with a disgusting smirk on his face.

I was wearing a tight, blue, paillette cocktail dress with matching stilettos and a golden leather jacket. I spent a lot of energy and money on this outfit, and there he was, saying it was "bringing out my inner bitch." Thanks, really. I appreciate it.

I smiled even bigger. "Fuck you, Derek,"

"Not in front of the others, Saunders. I thought we had a deal about keeping it secret," he said and winked at me.

"You're disgusting." I said.

"And that's why you love me."

I was just about to give him back when he started to talk to Simon.

"Anyways, Simon, have you seen Liam and Ramon anywhere? We were supposed to meet here, but it doesn't look like they're here."

Simon answered behind me, "Yeah, I think they're outside."

Derek relaxed his eyes and smiled. "Thanks, bro. I'll be off then," he said and looked at me. "See you around, Saunders," he then walked away with his hands in his jacket-pockets.

I turned around and made wide eyes. "Can you believe that guy? He's even worse than your sister!"

"Who is?" asked Tori as she was coming over to us.

"Derek," Liz said. Tori gave me a grin.

"Really? I thought you liked Derek." she said to me. I rolled my eyes.

"If by like you mean I want to kick him where it hurts everytime I see him, then yeah, you can say I like him," I said and took a sip from my bottle.

Tori laughed. "You know, sometimes I want to do that to Simon too. But I still love him." she said and messed with Simon's hair.

"Hey!" he exclaimed.

"Although we don't have that sexual tension you and Derek have," she said. I frowned,

"We don't-"

She cut me off.

"Yeah, but you do! I mean, every time you two are together, you can almost see it. And the way you look at each other, like you wanna rip each others clothes off? Just," she paused, "WOW! It's kinda sweet, I mean, in a gross way."

"Okay, first of all, I don't want to rip his clothes off, and second of all, the only thing between us is hate, okay? I hate him, he hates me, nothing less, nothing more, okay?" Simon pouted as he gazed over at me.

"I still don't get why you two are like this? Why can't we just all get along?"

I was just about to answer him, but Liz did that for me. "It's like Russia and America. Two very big countries, both wanting to take over the world, and the first is standing in the other's way, so they fight. Not physically, but verbally. Like the Cold War, you know? And they are both very big, representing the ego of these two, and no matter what, they always find something to fight about. Just like Derek and Chloe." Tori lifted her eyebrows.

"Okay, Liz. You can say it like that, I guess." I took a sip from my bottle. "I don't have a big ego, do I?" I asked them. Simon gave me a sweet smile and patted my shoulder.

"Of course not, sweetie. Only for the past two years." I slapped his hand off me and tried to look offended.

"Okay, I think I am gonna go find Rae and Mila. Tori, could you come with me?" Tori gave me an odd look.

"Why would you want me to..." I made a gesture to Liz and Simon with my eyes. She still looked confused.

I sighed in frustration. "Just come, okay?" I said and took her wrist and began to drag her out of the kitchen. "I want to give Simon and Liz some privacy, okay?" I said as we walked down the hall towards the living room, where the music was playing on full volume, blasting in my eardrums.

"Why would you..." I looked at her over my shoulder.

"Why do you think?"

Her eyes lightened with acknowledgement.

"Oh, I see. So you want to get those two together so they would..."

I nodded.

"Exactly."

We got to the doorway of the living room and stopped. Inside the room there was a lot of people. Like, a whole bunch. They were all dancing and jumping and singing along the song and, well partying. I took Tori's shoulder. "Let's find those bitches," I said and pulled her in front of me, so I could use her as a shield.

We found Rae and Mila by the window on the other side of the room. After some small chit-chatting and finishing my bottle, I was ready to party. I must say, I felt pretty drunk by now. I was having fun. I was with my friends and we just finished junior year, the summer was over us and we were so drunk. So very, very drunk. God.

At some point I needed to pee. Or puke. I can't remember. I went upstairs because the bathroom downstairs was full. I must have walked into the wrong room, because I accidently walked into a room with a bed. There are no beds in bathrooms, I thought. But a bed would be so nice now. As I walked towards the bed, I took off my heels, since they were killing me. I also realized I wasn't alone. Someone was standing by the window, which was open, and apparently smoking. Someone tall, with black hair and a leather jacket. "Derek?" I asked.

He turned around with a cigarette in his hand. "Huh? Oh, it's you," he said and turned around again. I could tell by his voice that he was either drunk or high. I was drunk myself, so it was very hard to decide.

"Since when do you smoke?" I asked as I walked over to him.

"Since I was at my first college party. But, shh, don't tell Simon. He would be soooo disappointed," he said and winked at me.

"And you're high too, aren't you?"

He glared. "Funny how you only notice it now but I've been a foot taller than you since middle school." I rolled my eyes.

"I didn't mean... whatever. I thought this was the bathroom, but it's not, so I am just gonna go again. Have a nice night." I said and began to walk away.

"Chloe, wait." he said and put out the cigarette before throwing it out the window.

He called me by my name.

"What?" I asked, sitting on the bed. He closed the window and turned around to lean against it.

"Why do you hate me so much?"

Boy, I was too tired to answer this question. "Because you always ruin everything. Whenever I am having fun with Simon or when we are just together, you come and make me uncomfortable as if you want me to go away. And then you get Simon to yourself, just as you planned. That's why I hate you. Plus, you treat me like a dumb blonde. I may not get into college at 17, but I am not a dumb bimbo, Derek." I looked at him seriously. I have got over my dizziness as I talked to him. I got more and more angry as I told him these things. Because they were true, every single one of them.

I continued, "And besides, why do you care? You hate me just as much as I hate you." Suddenly he dropped his facade and swung his arms out, "I never said I hated you!" with an irritated look on his face. It was so different than his usual, cold, whatever-expression, that it completely caught me off guard.

"Of-of course you do! Why else would you say all those things to me? Why else would you be after me like this all the time?"

He quickly walked over to me and held my shoulders. "Isn't it obvious? I am in love with you!" he said, looking me in the eyes. I lifted my eyebrows.

"You're so full of shit," I said and he began to laugh.

"You're right, you're right. That was terrible, even for me," he said giggling and drying a fake tear of his eye.

"But you're right. I do think that you are a dumb bimbo," he said. I punched his shoulder. "Auch!" he exclaimed as he began to laugh again.

"You are drunk, aren't you?" I said. He looked at me, still giggling.

"Depends on what you mean by drunk," he said. I rolled my eyes. "So, I guess you put on that dress because you wanted to get laid tonight, any luck yet?" I gave him a middle finger.

"You disgust me," I said.

"Aye, come on. Your boobs look good in it."

I got up. "I'm leaving. Bye, Derek," I said and began walking away.

"Oh, come on. Wanna play truth or dare?" I stopped.

This was an excellent chance to get him to let me leave. If he picked dare, I could say that he should leave me alone. Not the greatest plan ever, but...Or I could just go now. "Please, Chloe. One game. All my friends are high and I am just so bored! I promise to let you go, just one game. Pleeeaseee." I turned around.

"Fine. But please, never use that voice again."

He smiled. "What voice?"

I rolled my eyes. "That 5 year old girl-voice,"

He sat on my right. "Okay, I start," he said. I fell back and laid on the bed.

Ahhh, finally.

"Truth or dare?" he asked.

"Truth," I said and stared at the ceiling.

"Do you have a crush on me?" I rolled my eyes.

"Pft, of course not. I'm not an idiot."

He laughed. "Just covering all the bases," he said.

"Okay, whatever. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Do you stare at my boobs sometimes."

"Yes, as long as I can get away with it."

I laughed. "I knew it, perv."

"Okay, my turn. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Man, don't you ever pick dare?"

"I will if you will."

"Okay, next time I pick dare."

"Fine."

"So, truth: Tell me something that you never told anyone."

"That's a dare."

"No it's not."

"Fine." I thought about it for a moment before I said: "When I was 15 I began to see people who weren't there and my aunt thought I had schizophrenia, so she made me go to a psychiatrist."

"That's deep. How was it?"

I shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Turned out I had schizophrenia. Not like, you know, in the movies. I just see some fucked up shit if I don't take my meds. Other than that I get by just as a normal girl at my age would. Still gotta take my meds though. And go to a therapist. But I haven't seen anything in over a year, so I guess I am getting over it." We were silent for a while. This was actually true. I just never talked about it, because I didn't want people to treat me different. Not that they necessarily would, but who knows? I am not gonna take any chances.

I paused.

"Your turn. And you pick dare. So go get me some tequila, thank you."

His face was like stone, impossible to read, but his eyes were sad. He sighed and got up. After a couple of minutes later, he got back and gave me the bottle. I sat up and took a sip. Then another. And another. Then I just kept drinking and drinking.

"Go easy on it, tiger. I don't want you to puke all over the sheets," he said. I stopped and gave him a glare.

"Please, I can outdrink a college boy any day," I said. He laughed.

"Is that so? Give me that," he said and took the bottle.

He took a long sip of it and looked at me. "Your turn by the way. And you picked dare. And I say...hmm." As he was thinking I felt more and more...drunk. No doubt now, I was completely wasted. "Do something you will never do again," he said. I looked him in the eyes.

"Is that a dare?" I asked.

"Yes. Come on, do it. A dare is a dare."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine."

I placed my hand on his neck and pulled his lips onto mine. I closed my eyes and kissed him. For a moment he was numb to my touch, but then he kissed me back and boy, was he good at that. He laid a hand on my waist and pulled me closer. Then we both fell on the bed.