Page 6 of Sweet Temptation

I curl up into my blankets as the sobs return, wracking my body until it physically makes me fall asleep. Drifting me into my nightmares, into hell.

THREE

I flutter my eyes open when I hear the loud ringing of the alarm next to my head. "Ugh!" I scream, throwing the blankets off my body. Fuck this, I don't want to go.

"Hanna." My gramz's light voice comes through the door.

Plastering a smile on my face, I slide out of bed before glaring at the door. "Don't worry, Gram, I'm awake!" I yell in irritation.

I hear her footsteps fade and a sigh slips past my lips. I look around my bedroom with a smile plastered on my lips. I won't be that girl in this school. There's a new Hanna Monroe, and she isn't afraid of anything. I refuse to be afraid. I take the four steps it takes to enter my bathroom and close the door behind me. It's been seven days. Seven whole days since I went to Bailey's apartment, and seven days since I stepped foot in UOP—not that my grandmother hasn't tried to get me to go, just that I haven't.

Stripping out of my pjs, I turn on the hot water for my shower and step in, washing off every bit of yesterday's catastrophe. I scrub the shampoo through my hair, then quickly rinse it out and add my conditioner. Grabbing my luffa, I add the honey body wash and scrub my body as hard as possible before rinsing my body and my hair once again. I need to be myself. Myself before that party and before he did what he did. I will not be pushed around.

Turning off the faucet, I step out of the shower with an irritated groan. Wrapping my giant black towel around myself, I step up to the sink and plug in my blow dryer. It takes five minutes to scrub my hair with my towel before pressing on and beginning to blow dry my hair. I let my mind wander to the fact that I may have hung out with Bailey every day since I was at her apartment, but I have totally ignored her advances to take me to class, but that stops today.

Once I'm sure my hair is all dry, I turn to my next step: apply some makeup. I look through my drawers till I find the small bag of makeup, setting it on the counter. A soft smile fills my lips.

Adding a soft amount of makeup to my face, I admire my new appearance in the mirror. Perfect. I smile at myself walking out of the bathroom and search through my closet. I pull out a pair of black skinny ripped jeans, along with my favourite white crop top. Changing into the outfit, I pull my black leather jacket over my arms and brush out my long brown hair.

Not satisfied, I walk back into the bathroom, turn on my curling iron, and patiently wait for it to heat up to an appropriate temperature. I begin to curl each piece carefully, making sure it's perfect before I turn off the iron. Exiting the bathroom, I pull on my skin-coloured Carhartt toque and smile at myself in the mirror.

Still frustrated, I grab the nail polish from my dresser and carefully apply the black nail polish to my nails, then blow it dry. It's absolutely perfect. I smile at myself and pull the pack of gum from my bedside table and shove it into my purse. Not that I smoke often, but the craving is always there, hence the gum.

I grin in the mirror at my dark eyelashes coated with mascara and smile. Quickly grabbing my textbooks, I grab my purse and sling it over my shoulder. Sending a quick text to Bailey, I unlock my bedroom door and make my way down the stairs to the front door.

"Hanna," my gram says as she walks to the front door. I look over my shoulder at her with a smile. "Are you sure you're okay with going to school like that?"

I nod softly and smile. "I'm done being that girl, Gram. I'll be alright," I reply, opening the front door. My gram stands behind me, unsure of what to say, so I throw a quick remark over my shoulder. "Don't wait up for me; I'll be home late."

I walk out of the house and close the door behind me. I take the steps two at a time until I'm standing next to Bailey's red Mercedes. "You ready?" I smile.

Her eyes find me and her eyebrows hit the sky. "Damn girl, you look hot!"

I slide into the passenger seat and buckle my seatbelt with a smile. "I decided I was done being scared of everyone and taking shit from Lexi Harrison." Bailey smirks and puts the car into gear, heading in the direction of our college. My smile stays on my lips as I pull out a cigarette from my purse and light it.

I inhale the smoke as it burns through my lungs. "What's your first class, Han Han?" Bailey asks me.

Rolling my eyes, I flutter my mascara-filled eyelashes. "Creative writing with Damon and Lexi," I reply through gritted teeth as I take another drag from my cigarette.

"Wanna sit with me, then?" she asks me.

I smile as we come to a stop and grab all my books, then climb out of the car. I quickly sling my purse over my shoulder as I inhale my cigarette with a smirk plastered on my lips. Bailey pulls out a cigarette from her purse and lights it, walking side by side. We look like dark ass angels from hell as we walk in stride. Cigarettes between fingers and leather jackets that are darker than someone's soul.

Once I step foot into the university of Princeton, I remember why I dressed like this as Lexi's eyes find me, a deep scowl coming to her face as she attaches herself to Damon's hip. Bailey smiles at me as we walk past them toward some benches.

"Did you see the look on her face?" Bailey asks me as she grabs her creative writing binder from her purse. I smirk and shove my English Lit textbooks into my bag.

Bailey and I make our way to creative writing, and all eyes happen to be on us the moment we step into the classroom. Professor Jade eyes me with wide eyes before she goes back to marking the assignments from yesterday. Bailey takes her seat at the back of the class, away from Damon's seat, and I take mine right beside her.

As we wait for class to start, Bailey and I begin talking about our plans for after school until dark brown hair pops into sight. My eyes lock with Damon's for moments too long before I avert my eyes and turn back to Bailey. I feel eyes on me as I look through my work from yesterday.

I look up toward Damon's designated seat and find him staring at me with hunger in his blue eyes. "Take a picture, they last longer," Bailey barks at him. Damon's eyes go from hungry back to dark as he glares at her, looking down at the assignment for today.

I love her. She's so spicy, and it just makes us work as friends. I smirk at Bailey and begin working on the assignment that was just handed out, writing on my laptop. My skin begins to burn as I feel someone's eyes on me. Ignoring his fucking hunger stare, I continue to write in Google Docs as I answer Professor Jade's question of the day.

My fingers are typing so fast, I lose focus on the room around me until a library book comes flying into my face. That just sets off my burning desire to bitch him out. I look up and my eyes land on Lexi. "What is your fucking problem?" I bark.

Lexi's eyes widen and she watches me. "You come to school looking all soft and innocent, then coming to school today with a total personality change, taking the eyes of all the boys with you," she spits.