Chapter One

            Ellie Finn stared into the pair of tawny eyes, unblinking as she traced the features of the girl’s face. Like her eyes, most of the girl’s features were dark. Silky brown-nearly black- hair fell just below her shoulders in various layers. Against the backdrop of her deep, naturally tanned skin, her features seemed exotic. She was pretty – in a non-conventional way. Or so she had been told.

 

            Ellie blinked and shook her head. The whole picture came into focus as she continued to stare at herself - the girl in the mirror. She tried to see those non-conventionally pretty features that everyone always spoke of, but all she could see was a too high forehead and a too narrow nose and chin.

 

            “This is stupid,” she muttered to herself. She glared at the self-help book sitting on the counter, blaming it for this ridiculous exercise.

 

            A quick glance at the clock told her she still had half an hour before she needed to leave to meet her friends. Friend, she mentally corrected. Haley was her friend. Wes was Haley’s boyfriend, but she didn’t think that automatically made him her friend. Then, of course, there was Willow. She was Haley’s best friend and roommate, and most definitely not Ellie’s friend. Willow had made her distaste for Ellie known from the moment they met. That had only been a few weeks ago and the animosity she felt rolling off of Willow whenever she was around had yet to decrease. In fact, Ellie thought it might have gotten worse.

 

            When she voiced her concerns to Haley, the girl had only shrugged it off, saying it was nothing and that Willow would come around once she got to know her better. Ellie had her doubts about this, and so she wasn’t looking forward to facing the beautiful, yet intimidating blonde tonight.

 

            It’s better than sitting home alone over fall break, she told herself. She pushed her dark hair back away from her face, grabbed the useless self-help book and walked back down the hall to her bedroom. The room was bright and open with its pale blue walls and white bead board furniture. She stuck on the offending book in its rightful on her bookcase and walked over to her bed where she’d left her light blue tote bag. She traced a finger over the floral printed dove on the side and the letters of the word “Peace” before she pulled the bag open to peer inside to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.

 

            “iPod, flashlight, hand sanitizer, band-aids,” she said under her breath.

 

            “Checking again to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything?”

 

            The sounds of her sister’s voice didn’t surprise Ellie in the least. She glanced over her shoulder at Evan, who was leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest, and a smirk on her face.

 

            “So what if I am?” Ellie replied.

 

            “Well, considering that’s probably the fifth time you’ve looked in the last few hours, I’d say it’s a bit excessive,” the fifteen-year-old replied. She pushed off from the doorframe and stepped further into the room.

 

            “There’s nothing wrong with being careful,” Ellie said softly.

 

            “Maybe not,” Evan conceded. “But you’re more than just careful. You’re obsessive about it.”

 

            “I am not,” Ellie argued.

 

            “Yeah?” Evan countered. “I bet you’ve got your phone charger, extra batteries, a mini sewing kit and dental floss in there.”

 

            “So?” Ellie’s face grew warm. Her sister either knew her far too well or she was just too predictable.

 

            “You didn’t try to fit Mr. Boo Boo in there too, did you?” Evan asked, picking the stuffed giraffe up off of Ellie’s bed and waving him back and forth in front of her.

 

            Ellie’s already warm face flushed even deeper and snatched her favorite stuffed animal away from her sister’s clutches. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she scowled, placing Mr. Boo Boo back on her bed.

 

            Evan laughed heartily. “Then you don’t be ridiculous,” she replied. “You’re just going to a party, and you act like you have to be prepared for the end of the world.”

 

            “I do not,” Ellie sighed, annoyed. She decided to change the subject. “What are you doing tonight anyway?”

 

            “Watching Liam,” Evan sighed. “Mom’s going to the movies with her friends from work.”

 

            “Oh, yeah, that’s right,” Ellie nodded, remembering her mom mentioning these plans earlier in the week.

 

            “So, think you’ll meet any hot boys at this party?” Evan grinned.

 

            “I don’t know,” Ellie answered. “I might see some. I don’t know if I’ll actually meet them.”

 

            Evan rolled her eyes. “You need to get out more,” she said.

 

            “I thought that was what I was doing,” Ellie replied.

 

            “I guess that’s true,” Evan yielded. “You have been going out more since you met Haley. It’s good not to see you all cooped up in your room all the time.”

 

            “I wasn’t cooped up in my room before I started hanging out with Haley,” she argued. “And don’t say stuff like that. You sound like mom.”

 

            Evan scoffed. “I do not sound like mom.”

 

            Ellie raised an eyebrow and grinned at her younger sister. “So, tell me oh wise one,” she said. “Am I dressed properly for a party?”

 

            “It’s not a Halloween party?” Evan clarified, looking her sister over.

 

            “No, it’s a 'the weekend before Halloween, fall break party' or something like that,” Ellie shrugged. “Some frat is throwing it, and they’ll have a party for anything.”

 

            “I can’t wait to go to college,” Evan said admiringly.

 

            “Three more years,” Ellie said. “So, about my clothes?”

 

            Evan looked her over, surveying first her green scoop neck sweater and the white shirt beneath and then her dark washed straight leg jeans. She was wearing her usual sneakers – the gray and orange Champion ones. Evan shrugged a shoulder. “Not too shabby,” she admitted.

 

            Ellie smiled, pleased with herself. Usually Evan had a thing or two to say about her clothes. It seemed for once she’d done pretty well for herself.

 

            “Are you wearing a coat?” Evan asked. “I think it’s probably going to get pretty chilly tonight.”

 

“Yes, mom,” Ellie teased. “I’m going to wear the blue military thing I got a few weeks ago.”

 

            Evan raised an eyebrow and shook her head at Ellie’s words. “No one will ever accuse you of being fashion forward,” she sighed.

 

            “I’m so disappointed,” Ellie retorted as she glanced at the clock. She took a deep breath and then let it out. “I guess I should get going.”

 

            “Should I give you a pep talk?” Evan asked, hopefully.

 

            “No, Evalyn, I think I’ll be fine.”

 

            “Okay, Ellery,” Evan replied, spitting out the name. “Have fun. If you can remember how.”

 

            As a rule the sisters only ever called the other by their given name to annoy each other. Ellie pulled a face and picked up her bag. “Stay out of my room tonight, and keep Liam out too,” she said as she headed toward the door.

 

            “Oh, you’ve ruined our plans. We were going to go through all of your CDs and DVDs and mixed them up so that they wouldn’t be in alphabetical order,” Evan teased as she followed Ellie out into the hall.

 

            The look Ellie gave Evan before she hurried down the stairs told her that she had better be joking. Once downstairs, Ellie grabbed her royal blue coat and pulled it on and buttoned it up tightly. She called out a goodbye to her mom and brother before she ran out to her silver Chevrolet Cavalier.

 

            She started the car and turned up the heat before buckling her seatbelt. She switched on the radio and looked around before she backed out of the driveway. She should have known that talking to Evan would help ease her nerves about tonight. Where Ellie was reserved and cautious, Evan was outgoing and sometimes reckless. Their mother often times said she only felt comfortable when the two of them were together to balance each other out. It was mostly a joke, or at least Ellie thought so. Otherwise, she wasn’t exactly sure why her mom would leave Evan alone to baby-sit their ten-year-old brother.

 

            Haley shared a dorm with Willow on campus, and that was where they had planned to meet. They were taking Wes’ car since he claimed to know where this party was taking place. All Ellie knew was that it was somewhere in the country, out of the reach of campus security, so that probably meant there would be a lot of drinking going on.

 

            Not for her, though. She’d had one bad experience too many as a result of too much drinking. She wound up fooling around with some junior guy who had swiftly turned around and ran the other way the next time he saw her, like he was afraid she was going to jump him right there in the quad and insist he marry her or something equally ridiculous. That was not something she wanted to experience again anytime soon.

 

            The drive was short. She only lived about ten minutes away, and traffic seemed to be light - mostly likely because the majority of students had gone home for fall break, and the rest of them were probably already headed to the party. She parked her car and locked it up before heading across the street to Haley and Willow’s building.

 

            Making her way up to her friend’s dorm felt more like a walk to her death. She was dreading the evening with Willow, and without Evan around to tease her into relaxing and having fun, her nerves were on edge once again. She was beginning to wonder if bringing along her fifteen-year-old sister might have been a good idea. Willow would probably like her. This thought made Ellie frown. She couldn’t understand what she might have done to possibly cause Willow to dislike her so quickly and so entirely.

 

            When she reached their dorm, she found the door was open a fraction. She peeked inside and found Willow standing in front of the mirror, checking her make-up. The make-up she probably didn’t even need to bother with because the girl was so pretty. She was tall and slender with blonde hair that waved down past the middle of her back. When she walked into a room, everyone’s head turned.

 

            Tonight would certainly be no different – especially in the outfit she was wearing. She wore a denim miniskirt over black leggings, and a pair of wedge boots on her feet – shoes that Evan would definitely drool over. On top she wore a lilac colored top with shirring at the shoulders and sleeves to her elbows that flared out. On the desk beside her sat a light metallic pink bag that Willow had snippily informed her was by Betsey Johnson when she complimented her on it.

 

            Haley was sitting on the bed, her head bent and her long dark hair spilling forward in waves over her shoulders as she tied her shoes. They were the funky hi top Chuck Taylor’s with what Haley had referred to as “80’s party people” on them that made Ellie laugh the first time she saw them. Her shoes were quirky and fun, just like Haley herself. She was wearing a teal thermal top with either white polka dots or flowers on it, and skinny jeans that made the already obviously thin girl look even more like a rail. 

 

            She was about to tap on the door and make herself known when Haley lifted her head, pushing her hair out of the way, as she spoke up. “Wes and Ellie should be here any minute.”

 

            “Great,” Willow muttered. “I can’t wait to see my new best friend, Ellie.”

 

            “Will, will you ease up on her please?” Haley sighed. “You haven’t even given her a chance.”

 

            “I don’t want to give her a chance,” Willow replied. “She’s so boring she makes vanilla look spicy.”

 

            “Quoting Supernatural, are we?” Haley asked, quirking an eyebrow and grinning slightly. “How original of you.”

 

            “Well, it’s true,” Willow insisted, sniffing haughtily. “She’s like a stick in the mud.”

 

            “That’s not true,” Haley argued. “You’ve barely hung around her. How would you have any idea what she’s really like?”

 

            Willow didn’t answer. Instead she went back to checking her make-up.

 

            “You know what I think the real problem is?” Haley asked, her dark eyes glittering with a hint of mischief.

 

            Willow glanced at her but didn’t bite, so Haley went on. “I think you're just afraid of being seen with someone just as, if not, prettier than you are."

 

            “She is not prettier than me!” Willow exclaimed.

 

            Haley simply grinned at her, seemingly pleased at getting such a rise out of her friend. Ellie was a bit surprised by the whole exchange. She had to agree with Willow on this one, but she couldn’t fathom Willow’s reaction. It was so strong for something that so obviously meant to be a joke from Haley.

 

            She figured she’d better make her presence known, despite the fact that Willow would mostly be even cooler toward her now than she had been in the past. At least she’d know why, and she’d have to thank Haley for that later. She was about to raise her hand and knock at the door when she heard someone call her name from down the hall. She turned and looked to see Wes walking toward her.

 

            He was smiling and raised a hand to wave in greeting.

 

            “Hi, Wes,” Ellie spoke, waving back.

 

            Wes was tall – nearly six foot – with wavy black hair. It was parted and combed back away from his face. He’d explained he was trying out a new hairstyle since he’d always kept it short. Now it was the longest it had ever been, reaching the nape of his neck. She had to wonder how much product he’d put into his hair. It looked like some kind of an oil slick - it was so shiny.

 

            His blue eyes stood out against the background of his light skin and his dark hair. He was a decidedly nice looking guy even though he claimed Haley could do so much better. Ellie thought they were a nice looking couple, though. Right down to their shoes, for he too wore Chuck Taylor’s. His, of course, weren’t nearly as quirky, as they were a standard blue pair of lo tops, but Wes was just as fun and friendly as Haley. Ellie had liked him from the moment they met.

 

            “So I guess I’m not late?” Wes said, grinning at Ellie before he pushed open the door to his girlfriend’s dorm, foregoing the formality of knocking.

 

            “I guess not,” Ellie said, following him into the room.

 

            “Hey!” Haley smiled, hopping up off of her bed. “We were wondering where the two of you were.”

 

            Ellie glanced in Willow’s direction, already knowing that this was only half true. Willow was busy pulling on her charcoal colored wool coat, and pointedly ignoring Haley’s comment.

 

            “I thought I might be late,” Wes said seriously. “There’s been a slight change of plans.”

 

            “We’re still going to the party, right?” Willow demanded, not bothering with any sort of greeting.

 

            Wes’ eyes flickered from Ellie to Haley and rolled them upward before turning to look at Willow. “Yes,” he answered firmly. “But my cousins are in town. Their mom just moved here and they’re here during their fall break, and they’re coming with us.”

 

            “Oh, cool,” Haley grinned. “Carter and Macon, right?”

 

            “They’re waiting for us in the car,” Wes nodded, smiling.

 

            “Great, I can’t wait to meet them,” Haley enthused. She looked at Willow and then Ellie and explained, “Wes has gone on and on about them ever since we started dating.”

 

            “Isn’t that peachy?” Willow muttered, which earned her a glare from both Haley and Wes. She didn’t seem to notice. Instead she pulled a face at Wes. “What are you wearing? Is that a pot leaf on your shirt?”

 

            “No,” Wes said quickly, glancing down at his gray t-shirt as if to make sure it really wasn’t. He had on a maroon thermal shirt that was peeking up at the top from beneath the t-shirt, and the t-shirt itself did have a leaf on it, but it also had maroon arrows going on a circle.

 

            “It’s just a leaf,” Haley said, inspecting the shirt closely. “And the arrows? I’m pretty sure that’s supposed to be something environmental.”

 

            Wes frowned, pulling the sides of his dark gray jacket inward to cover the front of his shirt, as if embarrassed by all the attention his clothes were getting.

 

            “Well,” Willow said, surveying the rest of his outfit, making a face at the sight of his Chuck Taylor’s, but seemingly accepting of his tanned corduroy pants. “At least you match.”

 

            “I’m so glad I’ve passed you’re inspection,” Wes snorted. “I guess I forgot to mention there would be a test to Carter and Macon. I hope they don’t fail.”

 

            Haley chuckled, shaking her head as she grabbed her bright red wool coat and passed her black bag to Wes. “Let’s go,” she said as she pulled on her coat.

 

            She buttoned it up on the way to the elevator and Wes swung her bag around, as if showing it off to the people they passed, while Willow and Ellie followed in succession, neither of them quite able to keep from snickering at his antics.

 

            After the elevator ride down, they walked outside and started across the street. Ellie and Willow followed behind Wes and Haley, who were walking hand in hand and discussing what they’d had for dinner.  Ellie was thinking of her own soup and sandwich from Panera when Willow spoke up, “Are they your cousins?”

 

            Ellie looked up, following Willow’s gaze. She recognized Wes’ blue Oldsmobile cutlass supreme first. Then she noticed the two guys leaning against it. They were both tall and lean, like Wes, with fair skin. At first Ellie couldn’t make out too many details, but as they got closer, it was easy to see what Willow’s exclamation was all about. Both guys were good looking. The taller of the two looked like the youngest. His hair was dark, like Wes’ but shorter and straighter. She first noticed his arched, upswept eyebrows because they reminded her vaguely of Spock from Star Trek, but then her eyes flickered down to his startling blue ones.

 

            The other guy, who Ellie thought she would have easily identified as his brother without being told, was just slightly shorter. His eyebrows were thicker and darker, and his eyes weren’t quite as shockingly blue as his brothers. They were a deeper, more grayish color, but his hair stood out more. It was a combination of colors. Some sort of strange mixture of brown, blond and bronze that waved and curled in a messy, yet attractive manner.

 

            There was a vague similarity in their strong, attractive aristocratic features. They were both absolutely handsome. Well, at least I can tell Evan I did see some hot guys, after all, Ellie mused, even as her stomach clenched nervously at the prospect of being in such close proximity of so many captivating people.

 

            Both guys stood with their arms crossed over their chests in exactly the same way as they watched them approach. The younger one’s mouth of moving, and Ellie bit her lip to keep from laughing when the older one rolled his eyes at him. She wondered what he could have said, but if either of them were anything like Wes, it was impossible to guess.

 

            “Dibs on Hottie McHotterson,” Willow muttered under her breath, and Ellie turned her head to look at her, wondering if she was talking to her, though knowing it wouldn’t make any sense for her to be speaking to Wes or Haley.

 

            “Okay …” Ellie replied slowly, wondering how she was supposed to tell which brother Willow deemed Mr. McHotterson.