The Cursed Series, Parts 3 & 4 (Cursed #3-4) - Rebecca Donovan Page 0,59
her, her voice taking on a dreamy tone. “We were an entourage of beautiful characters, using each other to get into parties and appear important. All the time, we hid our ugliness behind public perfection—addictions, eating disorders, insecurities. I got lost in drugs and alcohol … sometimes, I still do. They were never my friends, and I wasn’t much of one to them either.” She stands and stretches her arms above her head with the grace of a dancer. “What about you? Do you still have friends from back home?”
“Yeah. Tori and Nina. They’re cousins. We’ve gotten into so much trouble together. But we always protect each other, no matter what. And I never have to guess what they’re thinking.” I wish they were here right now. I could use their candor and straight talk about this whole insane situation. They’d have no problem telling everyone where they could go with their secrets and lies. “I miss my girls.”
“Would I like them?” Ashton asks, stepping forward ‘til her toes curl around the edge of the rock.
I can feel my heart speed up.
I stand in case I need to pull her back from the edge. “Um … I think you like everyone.”
Ashton considers it for a second. “Just about. Would they like me?”
I press my lips together, not sure how to answer. “You may be a lot for them, to be honest. They’re pretty intense, and you’re a little strange.”
“I’m not everyone’s flavor. I get that.” She shrugs like she is completely at peace with it.
“But you’re mine,” I assure her. “And you don’t have to wear a mask or hide behind the drugs for me to see who you are. I like your quirky flavor.”
Ashton twirls suddenly, her black hair fanning out around her. My breath hitches when she teeters on one leg. She sets both feet down on solid ground, and I exhale.
“I am delectably bizarre, aren’t I?”
“Definitely,” I agree with a laugh. “Wanna see who’s moved in next door before you give me a heart attack?”
“Yes!” Ashton cheers. “Should I bring her a flower crown to welcome her?”
“No,” I answer simply. “We need to see if she meshes with our flavors first.”
We return to the dorm to find the door next to mine propped open. Ashton walks right in without announcing herself or knocking. I step barely inside the door, prepared to leave if the occupant starts screaming at us to get out.
The transformation the room underwent in just half a day is insane. Our rooms really aren’t huge. I mean, they’re bigger than my bedroom back home, but this space feels like it’s been magically stretched and altered. It could have something to do with the shimmery crystal curtain dividing it in half.
The side I can see is sterile white, like someone took a can of glossy white spray paint and covered it from ceiling to floor. The school-issued sink and counter have been concealed beneath some sort of high-gloss console. There’s a tall closet of the same finish in the corner where mine is, except it doesn’t have any knobs. I have no idea how she opens it.
A crazy chandelier spiders across the ceiling, and the floor is covered in large white tiles. It lacks any sort of personality. And come to think of it, it’s kind of boring. The only thing that notes her style is a large black-and-white photograph hanging behind a white vinyl couch. It’s a close-up of a pair of lips that have been painted hot pink and then smeared across her face. It’s odd. As is the couch on stilts and the shiny lacquer table in front of it with a fur underside. I examine the wall that it faces but only find another white cabinet. Maybe they’re not done decorating?
The crystals shimmer as the strands part, and a tall, slender girl flows through them like water. She and Ashton are basically the same Amazonian height, making me feel truly like an elf … or pixie—the name is kinda growing on me.
“Arden! Oh, I am so happy it’s you!” Ashton exclaims, embracing the smiling girl.
I take her in as they hug. Her black hair is cut into a bob at chin level, and her dark, exotic-shaped eyes are shaded in vibrant yellow, her lashes painted white. The rest of her face is neutral in tone, including her matte lips. Her round face is contrasted with pronounced cheekbones. She’s peculiar, like a piece of abstract art.