GRIEVANCE
Volume 1
Tetonia Blossom
Copyright 2015 Tetonia Blossom
The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products or copyrighted material used throughout this work of fiction, including the following: Wal-Mart, Skype, Axe, Reebok’s, TMZ, Patrone, Bratz Doll, Halo, Capri Sun, Google, Bluetooth, Photoshop. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
For information please visit:
www.GrievanceSeries.com
Cover Art by Irene Zeleskou
Table of Contents
Episode 1
E1 Chapter One
E1 Chapter Two
E1 Chapter Three
E1 Chapter Four
E1 Chapter Five
E1 Chapter Six
E1 Chapter Seven
E1 Chapter Eight
E1 Chapter Nine
Episode 2
E2 Chapter One
E2 Chapter Two
E2 Chapter Three
E2 Chapter Four
E2 Chapter Five
E2 Chapter Six
E2 Chapter Seven
E2 Chapter Eight
E2 Chapter Nine
E2 Chapter Ten
Episode 3
E3 Chapter One
E3 Chapter Two
E3 Chapter Three
E3 Chapter Four
E3 Chapter Five
E3 Chapter Six
E3 Chapter Seven
E3 Chapter Eight
E3 Chapter Nine
E3 Chapter Ten
E3 Chapter Eleven
E3 Chapter Twelve
Episode 4
E4 Chapter One
E4 Chapter Two
E4 Chapter Three
E4 Chapter Four
E4 Chapter Five
E4 Chapter Six
E4 Chapter Seven
E4 Chapter Eight
E4 Chapter Nine
Sneak Peak: Episode
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EPISODE 1
Death is not the greatest loss in life.
The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.
Norman Cousins
Chapter One
Kristen/Tristin
Kristen couldn’t hide anymore. Six weeks ago she would’ve been beaming about finally being a senior, but now all she really wanted to do was climb back into bed and forget it all. But Kristen Keller wasn’t allowed to be depressed or broken. She had to pretend like her best friend, Ellie, hadn’t just died in a horrible accident and everything in her life wasn’t scary as hell. That’s what was expected of the class president. How was she supposed to address the student body when she couldn’t even figure out what to wear?
“Whatever you wear will be perfect,” Brian said from her monitor as Kristen tossed yet another shirt over her shoulder. Her closet was as disheveled as she felt and there wasn’t a single thing that didn’t remind her of Ellie.
“Should I wear black?” she asked, digging further back in her closet.
Brian watched as the hem of her gown crept up. “Yeah, try to find something way in the back.” He snickered and Kristen paused, finally feeling the cool air on her bikini briefs.
Brian cleared his throat and Kristen pulled the back of her gown down.
“Very funny. Knock it off or you’ll lose your Skype privileges.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be good,” he pleaded.
“Try being useful. I need to hurry up and make a choice,” she said as she released her long blonde waves from a bun.
***
Tristin, her twin sister, peeked through the crack in the door. Her sister was so pathetic. It was a wonder she could even tie her shoes without someone else’s approval. She was bound to be the worst student body president in Crissana history and Tristin planned on enjoying every second of it.
***
“How about that?” Brian pointed to a white pleated skirt lying on Kristen’s bed.
She picked it up and sighed. “This is Ellie’s. I mean was Ellie’s.”
“Then it’s perfect, plus it looks good on you.”
“How would you know?” Kristen asked. She and Brian hadn’t been dating long, but he was more than she could’ve asked for in a boyfriend. He was caring, supportive, and always found a way to make her smile.
“You were wearing it the day I met you.”
“I think you’re confusing me with one of your ex’s. I was wearing a dress the day we met,” Kristen said.
“Well, I must’ve seen you wear it some other day. I still think you should wear it.”
Kristen stared at it and grinned. She remembered getting ready for their first date with Ellie’s help and feeling way too nervous. She decided right then to try and see the good memories in the things around her. Ellie wouldn’t have wanted her to sit around moping and she certainly wouldn’t have accepted anything less than a fashionable first day of school.
“You know you could try it on and model it for me,” Brian said.
***
Tristin grinned. She remembered that day better than either of them; He didn’t meet Kristen until later that day in the food court. It was Tristin he’d played a round of street fighter against in the Arcade and promptly asked out after being defeated. Even then she thought he was kind of cute. She enjoyed the attention she got from guys, but she’d never been attracted to one until Brian. Tristin doubted she would have ever given him a second thought if he hadn’t started dating her sister. Having him around all the time forced her to question everything she thought she knew about herself, and quite frankly, it pissed her off.
She adjusted her nude colored push up bra after dropping her robe. She did a quick flip of her hair before pushing the door open.
Kristen was pairing a pink shirt to go with Ellie’s skirt when Brian’s eyes shifted in Tristin’s direction.
Tristin gave her best pose for her slender figure as she stood in the doorway. “I’m the model in the family,” she said with a grin.
***
Kristen pulled a shoe from under her bed and flung it at her sister’s head.
“Get out!” she yelled as she rushed to turn off her web cam.
“Afraid he’ll like mine better?” Tristin asked.
“He doesn’t like dogs.”
“You shouldn’t talk about yourself like that,” Tristin said as she sat on Kristen’s outfit.
Kristen promptly shoved her off. “Get out. Now!”
“You mean you don’t want to be good little twins and ride to school together? What will your constituents think?”
“That I’d rather walk barefoot in the heat than be seen in a car with you.”
“All right fine. Don’t say I didn’t ask.” Tristin eyed the outfit and smirked as she left.
Kristen’s phone rang on her nightstand as she made sure her bedroom door was locked before answering it.
“Hello.”
“You all right?” Brian asked.
He was still new to the KT twin wars and she was afraid it might run him off. It didn’t help that Tristin seemed more hell-bent on screwing with him than any of her previous boyfriends. Then again, Brian was the first guy she’d ever dated that the two of them hadn’t known since pre-school.
“Yeah, I should have double checked the door.”
Not that she should have to. A real sister would have been helping her pick out clothes and accessories like she and Ellie used to do. She and Tristin were more enemies than sisters which meant not even her home was safe. Kristen could never say that she hated her sister, but she didn’t have a proble
m admitting that she couldn’t stand her.
“Your sister is deranged.”
“Which is why I’ve changed the code word for this semester to ‘Sapphire.’”
“Don’t worry. I can always tell you two apart,” Brian said.
“And how’s that? Our own parents can’t remember.”
“My heart knows.”
Kristen smiled. He was always saying things like that to her. It took her mind off Tristin and the speech she had to give at today’s assembly.
“I can’t wait to see you,” she said, grabbing her skirt and tank top.
“Then hurry up and get dressed. I’ll meet you in the parking lot.”
“It’s weird starting senior year without…Ellie and Emmitt. He texted me this morning, asking me to reach out to Hannah.”
“I think you should. She’s your friend.”
“Not anymore. She didn’t even come to Ellie’s funeral. I will never forgive her for that.”
“You need to look at it from her perspective. She’s dating the guy who killed her best friend’s sister. Plus, if I had to bet, Sean probably talked her out of going. I still can’t believe they just let him off like that. His dad had to have paid somebody to keep him out of jail.”
“It was an accident. We all saw it. Besides, putting Sean in jail wasn’t going to bring Ellie back. I miss her so much, sitting through another memorial is going to be hard.”
“Well, you won’t have to do it alone.”
Kristen looked out the window when she heard an engine roar. Tristin pulled out of the driveway and she sighed in relief. “Good. She’s finally gone. I’ll see you in a bit.”
Chapter Two
Emmitt/Connor
Emmitt sat in front of his bedroom window, clutching a picture of his twin sister, Ellie, in his pocket. Kids of all ages were heading to school. This was usually the time when his best friend, Connor, complained about being late, while his sister ransacked his closet for something ridiculous that she and Kristen wanted to trend that week. Instead, he was alone in the room he hadn’t managed to come out of since the funeral. Emmitt couldn’t bring himself to start senior year without her. Just breathing was difficult. He’d been half of a pair his entire life and wasn’t sure he even knew how to exist on his own.
His phone rang and he climbed over to the desk to answer it.
“Hello…hello?” The caller ID read: UNKNOWN.
He grinned as he held the phone to his ear. He didn’t hear anyone on the other end, but he was comforted by who he hoped it was. “I miss you too,” Emmitt said just before the caller hung up.
It was his first genuine smile in weeks and gave him hope that maybe there was something left to hope for. Emmitt shot off a text as he sat at his desk and logged into to his online class.
***
Connor pulled up to his girlfriend, Noelle’s, apartment and replied to Emmitt’s text.
You don’t know it was her.
Yes I do.
We’ll discuss this later.
How are you feeling, BTW?
Don’t worry about me.
Go have fun with your girl.
Noelle tapped on the passenger window and he did a double take at her tight tank, dropping his phone as he fumbled to unlock the door.
“Do you like it?” Noelle asked as she hopped in. A flash of purple lace panties peaked from underneath her mini skirt. She didn’t try to hide them. Connor couldn’t take his eyes off her, until his silence caused her to scowl.
“You don’t like it.”
“I did not say that,” Connor said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “You look good.”
Noelle huffed and fastened her seatbelt. “I wasn’t going for good.”
He pulled away from the curb with a smirk. Noelle was never happy with a normal compliment. She preferred the borderline offensives that he refused to give her.
“What can I say that will make you happy?” he asked, but Noelle ignored him.
Connor slowed at a stop sign and she grinned and unbuckled her seatbelt.
“I wanted you to say hot or sexy, but I’ll guess that’s just something that you’ll have to feel.” She climbed over the console, throwing the car in park.
“What are you doing?” he asked as she climbed into his lap.
“Giving you a good morning kiss.” She gripped his hair and smashed her lips against his, resting her butt on the horn as she reclined his seat.
Connor couldn’t stop her. Not that he was trying very hard with his hands up her skirt. She was very persistent, giving him way too many mental images that he’d file for later.
“Noelle,” he said, breaking away from her wanting lips, which wasn’t easy. He wanted her more than she could ever know, but not in broad daylight.
“Don’t fight it,” she said before biting down on his bottom lip.
The cars behind them honked and Noelle ignored them. Connor knew they needed to stop. He gripped Noelle’s shoulders and pushed her back as she tried to undo the buttons on his shirt.
A tap on the passenger window caused them both to turn.
“There are children trying to cross the street,” The crossing guard said.
Connor looked past Ms. Wells to a group of giggling elementary students waiting at the corner.
“Sorry, Ms. Wells,” Connor said as he lifted Noelle off the horn and sat her back in her seat.
“Horny heathens,” Ms. Wells muttered as she hobbled back to the corner.
Connor readjusted his seat as Noelle giggled and buckled her seatbelt.
“That’s not funny. She goes to my church,” he said as he drove off, buttoning his shirt.
“It was just a kiss,” she said as she applied her lip gloss. “I do a lot more if you’d let me.”
Being the son of Crissana’s most popular minister killed any chances of a private life, especially since he’d started dating Noelle. She was the furthest thing from his ultraconservative and modest life. But being with her made him happy and incredibly tempted to hand in his purity ring.
Chapter Three
Hannah
Hannah erased Emmitt’s name from her recent calls as Sean pulled up in front of her house. He rolled the window down as she approached his SUV.
“No,” he said, causing her to pause. “You’re not wearing that.”
She looked down at her skirt and back at him.
“You’ve got jeans or something.”
Hannah would’ve gladly worn jeans, if she had a pair that fit. She’d lost at least fifteen pounds since the accident and hated how thin and sickly she looked.
“This was the only thing I could find that fit me.” She grabbed the door handle, but it was locked.
“You’re not going anywhere with me dressed like a slut.”
She scowled at him and gripped the straps of her backpack. She already looked like an idiot, wearing tights and a sweater when it was ninety-five degrees before eight a.m.
“Then I’ll walk,” she threatened as she backed away.
Sean got out and she backed up a little further, looking around at the busy street. She didn’t think he would do anything with people around, but his blowups had been off the charts lately.
He paused a few feet in front of her with an expression she couldn’t read. Why did she say anything at all? Even if they were in public now, later they’d be alone where no one could see.
“My bad,” he said with a grin. “It looked a lot shorter from far away.”
Hannah wasn’t sure if she trusted him. Six weeks ago she would’ve never believed he could be so angry, let alone hit her. But now his insults and cruelty had become part of her new normal.
“Hanns, I’m sorry. I just don’t want to end up kicking somebody’s ass for disrespecting my girl, especially today. There’ll be enough bullshit to go around with the memorial.”
He’d always been too protective. It was even kind of cute when they were freshmen, but Hannah was tired of being his property, w
hich was starting to feel more and more like his punching bag. “Do you forgive me?” he asked, opening his arms.
She sighed, accepting his embrace, but her shoulders didn’t relax until he kissed her forehead and took her backpack. She hugged him tight, blaming his attitude on his nervousness about facing the entire school.
Everyone blamed him for Ellie’s death, even the people who saw it happen. Sean’s truck may have accidentally pushed Emmitt’s car over that cliff, but it was Hannah’s fault that he was too distracted to know he was in the wrong gear.
He brushed her long dark curls off her shoulders and gripped the back of her neck as his lips trailed down her ear. His fingers wrapped around one of her curls.
“Don’t think just because there are people around you can talk to me any way you want,” he said, before he ripped a patch of hair from her scalp.
The strands felt as if they had been plucked directly from her brain. Every muscle in her body tensed as tears jerked from Hannah’s eyes. He held her face against his chest, muffling her delayed scream.
“Now go back inside, fix your face, and while you’re at it, change,” he whispered, folding the patch of hair into her hand. He released her and Hannah quickly dried her eyes before anyone could see. “Hurry up. I don’t want to be late for school,” he said, walking back around to the driver’s side. Hannah rushed back into the house before the tears started falling again.
Chapter Four
Dax/Kristen/Hannah
Dax slipped into the janitor’s closest with his laptop and logged into his live stream surveillance of the school. It was extremely expensive and definitely illegal, but he had to be up on all the drama if he was going to reach Perez Hilton status by the time he was twenty.
“Welcome back, Apollos.” He grinned and watched video of Noelle and Connor entering the school fixing their clothes. He grabbed his cell phone and flipped through the pictures he got of them at the crosswalk. “That’s definitely making the list,” he said, logging off. “Time to go round up some news.”