Authors: Carly White
Chapter 3
Clarke left his room, knowing what it was that she could hold over him. She didn’t believe his remark about getting turned on because she was any girl. He had gotten hard because it was her. While Clarke may not know much about love and lust, she knew it when she saw it and Brandon had been dying for her touch. She ignored the wetness between her thighs, going to bed to think about what the information meant and how she could use it to her advantage. Clarke was still trying to stop them from blackmailing her.
The next morning she decided to test out her theory and she left the door slightly ajar when she was getting dressed for class. There was an unsaid schedule for the shower and since the bathroom was right by her room at the end of the hall, she was hoping he would be on time for her show. Clarke took her time taking off her shorts and tank top, looking towards the hallway once before she turned her back to the door. She heard footprints coming her way and she knew it had to be her brother.
Brandon’s steps stopped just before the bathroom and she knew he was looking. She didn’t have to hear him. The hard glare of his gaze was enough of an inclination. Pulling her panties off, she turned to her side to give him the profile of her naked body and Clarke heard a gasp from the hallway. Smiling to herself, she hurriedly got dressed and moved to open the door before he realized what she was doing. “Good morning brother. How is your knee feeling?”
It took him a minute to move out of her way, still standing where he had first seen the glimpse of her changing. Her long blond hair was around her shoulders and she had a hint of mischief in her eyes. The last thing was what surprised Brandon the most. His stepsister was usually uptight, never seen an ounce of guile in here, but there it was.
As she walked away and he walked unseeing into the bathroom, Clarke smiled to herself. She had figured out her other brother’s secret, but she was still unclear how she was going to use that to her advantage. It wasn’t like she could prove that he wanted her, but it was still something that she could use. Her mother had always said that a man only had enough blood for one head. Clarke blushed with the thought and the huge bulge that she had seen in his pants as she had passed him.
When he came down for breakfast, she tried to ignore the look he gave her. He was still as hard as he was when she had seen him last. The fact was not lost on Jared either and he looked at him questioningly. Brandon told him he would tell him about it later, his focus too hard on Clarke for him to work on anything else in his mind.
Clarke was first to leave, stating that she had to turn in her project early. She was also supposed to be getting a grade on a big test that was a fourth of her grade for the term. Clarke in truth needed to get away from the dark blue eyes that stared across the table at her.
Taking off before they could catch up to her, Clarke picked up her friend Senna and they both went to the writing class they had that morning. Their report was done and they would have to present it. She was nervous because it was so much of her grade, but they were both sure that it was an A paper.
When at the end of the day she got an email from her teacher that they had failed the assignment, Clarke was devastated. She called Senna at her job to see what they should do. There was no way that she should have failed the paper. There were no mistakes. She was given a zero, like she had never even done the assignment. Clarke was sure that something was wrong.
“I got an A. I don’t know Clarke, maybe she inputted it wrong or something. Zach is next on the list and he is pretty dumb, probably didn’t turn it in and your grades were mixed up.”
It made sense and Clarke was sure that was what it was. She tried to catch the teacher before she left for the day, but instead found the classroom empty. Sighing to herself, she would have to wait until the next day to figure out what was going on. There was no way that she could fail that report. It was too important and Clarke needed to get to the bottom of it.
***
“I’m telling you Jared. You didn’t see her. She was playing with me.”
Jared shook his head. They were on their way to class and he had heard about Clarke nonstop. She was starting to get under his skin and Jared was worried about Brandon. He was getting more obsessed, really thinking that he had a chance.
“Brandon, you are just seeing things. Clarke is soft hearted, that is why she helped you. That’s all it was.”
“Then what about this morning?”
“That just proves that you are a pervert looking in her room. Nothing more. Now enough of Clarke. I was going to tell you about Mandy. She has been asking about you.”
Brandon just shook his head. The last thing he was thinking about was one of the easy girls from cheerleading. He wanted Clarke and he knew that he was closer to getting her than ever before. It didn’t matter if Jared believed him or not, he would soon enough.
“Just wait until she gets that F in Composition class. Is the teacher going to let her know it’s you or are you going to?”
Jared shrugged. He was still uncomfortable with the plan, but he had told Brandon he would so he would follow through. “I will say something tonight. But I am not going to do what you want, I can’t. She is our sister Brandon. I think you need to really think about this. It could fuck up the whole family.”
Brandon didn’t care. That much was clear, but what wasn’t clear was how it would all turn out. As long as it ended with him getting Clarke, it didn’t matter the consequences. Brandon had long since stopped thinking about what would happen afterwards, too focused on what he desired most. “I will have her Jared. If you don’t want her, that’s fine, but don’t stand in my way with all of your morals.”
“I wouldn’t mind a piece of that, but it is not going to happen. You need to worry more about your throws. Last game you shouldn’t have been hurt Brandon. You are letting this chick get in your head.”
“I have to live with her. I can’t stop thinking about her. If you would help me, this would go so much quicker. Then I could get my mind back in the game.”
Brandon really believed that too. He believed that if he had her once, just once, he would play like he used to. It was because of her that he wasn’t playing at his best.
“Sure Brandon. Is this another one of your superstitions?”
Chapter 4
No one was home when Clarke got home later that evening. All she could think about was the F and she had done the calculations in her head. It would lower her GPA enough to lose tuition help from her parents. Her mother was not the type to cave over a single decimal point. It would ruin her chances of graduating in a few months. She would have to find a job long enough to pay the last term because her family made too much for her to get any kind of loans.
She sat in the bathroom with the shower steaming up all of the glass surfaces, but it didn’t help her mood. The scorching heat from the water on her body did nothing to take away the worry either. When she moved back out of the shower, her skin was pink from the scalding water, but she still didn’t feel any better.
Going to her room, Clarke was still thinking that she was alone. She lay on her bed with the towel still around her, crying softly into her pillow. The man on the other side of the wall heard and felt horrible. Jared had come in when she was in the shower. He was going to go to her, rub it in her face, but he couldn’t when he heard her soft cries. Jared was many things, manipulated to get his way, but he had never meant to hurt her. He started to have second thoughts about it all.
Brandon came home an hour later. The parents still weren’t back from work. Jared tried to stop him from passing her room, but he opened the door quietly when he heard she was sleeping. Seeing what she was wearing, or rather what she wasn’t, Brandon moved quietly into the room. He looked down at her sleeping form. He started to step towards her bed, but a hand on his shoulder pulling him back stopped him.
“Come on Brandon.” The words were whispered in his ear as he pulled him out of the room and into the hallway. Jared shut the door after him and glared at Brandon. Pointing towards the kitchen, the two moved into the other room, away from earshot. “What the hell are you doing?”
“She is sleeping. It’s not like it hurts anything to look.”
“You are going too far. This has gone too far. It is one thing to get a few bucks out of her, but I am not going to be a part of this.”
“I can’t believe you are chickening out. We are so close. I bet she is dying about that grade. You know how she is Jared. She will do whatever it is we want to fix that so Princess will be able to graduate. Why are you having second thoughts now when we are so close?”
Jared shook his head. He knew that she would, do anything to graduate. They had watched her work hard for years, but how could he want her in such a way. He had never forced someone’s hand for affection and he certainly wasn’t going to start now. It had to end, but Brandon was not as onboard as he had hoped he would be. It would be much easier if he was on his side as well.
“She cried herself to sleep Brandon. I didn’t want to hurt her.”
“You just hurt her feelings. It’s not like she is really going to lose anything. It’s a bluff. That’s it.”
Jared couldn’t shake the guilt that had taken root in his heart. He didn’t want to hurt her anymore and Clarke crying herself to sleep once was too much for him. “It’s just not right. Not like this. If you really want her, than you need to find another way. Doing this, how could you enjoy it?”
Brandon was convinced that by whatever means he would, but his brother’s look made him at least appear to feel bad about it. It didn’t change the fact that he needed her.
“Let’s just get to practice before coach makes us run laps again.”
***
Clarke did not even get out of bed that night, depressed and after trying to get ahold of her teacher at home, she gave up and went back to sleep. Not even going down for dinner, she got up dragging, waiting for the clock to tell her it was late enough to go to class. She was so sure that it wasn’t a mistake that she was really going to fail. Waking up so early and so on edge, Clarke had started to look in the paper for jobs if it didn’t work out.
Senna met up with her, mainly going for moral support. She tried to convince her that it was all a misunderstanding, but the teacher was adamant that it wasn’t. “It wasn’t a misprint Clarke. I never got your assignment.”
“How could you not when put it in together?”
She smiled a malicious look on her face. “You still each had to turn one in. Since her name was first, I assumed it was hers.”
Rhonda had never liked Clarke. She had always been rude to her and like most people that met her, took her silence as her feeling like she was better.
“That is not what it said on the assignment board. I have it written down. It said that we had to make a joint assignment.”
“Are you really going to try and lecture me on what my assignment said?”
Clarke was about to when Senna stopped her. It was not going to turn out well if Clarke got a say in anything. Sometimes she wasn’t as good at regulating her words and she came across as an even bigger bitch than usual.
“Mrs. Ruby, we are just wondering if there is a way that we can work this out? I mean, obviously she did the work and well. This is a big part of our grade and she will lose tuition money for next term.”
Rhonda smiled again and again it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Well I suppose that she will have to get a job and work for it like everyone else.”
They were dismissed as the older woman went back to grading assignments from another class. Clarke wanted to say more, do more, but that was why Senna was there. To be her voice of reason in that moment so she didn’t do something that would make her regret it later.
Chapter 5
“What’s wrong Clarke? You have been bummed out for a week.”
“Nothing Jared. What are you doing home from school so early? I thought you had practice.”
“No, not tonight. They are letting everyone rest up for the game tomorrow. Are you coming?”
Clarke made a face. That was the last place that she would go. She wasn’t into sports and Clarke didn’t have much school spirit. She was more occupied with her studies and her failing grade than to worry about some stupid game. “No, I never go. I’ve got to study.”
“Why, are you having trouble in school?”
She turned back away from him and looked at the thick book in front of her. Clarke was in her room and she was starting to wonder why he was in there in the first place. It was why she was in there studying and not out at the kitchen table where there was better light. “No, but I am sure you would love it if I did. Sorry to disappoint you Jared, but you have nothing to rat me out about. And I don’t have any money so there is nothing I have that you want.”
His eyes went to her long, tanned legs that were barely clad in her shorts. Clarke was missing an undergarment on top and the sight made him realize how much he wanted her as well. Jared was sure that it was his brother constant yammering about her that made him notice her then, but it didn’t matter why, he could see her clearly right then.
Jared was torn between doing the right thing and getting what he wanted. He had always chosen the latter before. It was why she was so upset and sulky as it were. Brandon’s need to have her, but now he wondered if he could enjoy it, even if it was coerced. His breathing was more labored as his mind raced, but in the end, he remembered the sound of her crying and couldn’t go through with it. Rhonda was supposed to have changed it back, made it a clerical error, but it seemed like she hadn’t. He couldn’t ask his stepsister about it because he wasn’t supposed to know. If she knew that he had anything to do with it, Jared was sure that she would never forgive him. He couldn’t chance it, but he hated to see her so miserable about it.
“I was just wanting to see how you were Clarke. I know we fight and all of that, but I am still here for you if you ever need me. You know that right?”
She nodded, but Clarke wasn’t so sure. The biggest cause of her grief was telling her that he was there to help. It made her dubious at best. “Well I am fine. So if you don’t mind, I need to study.”
“Are you sure you don’t need any help? What class are you working on?”
Clarke sighed and lifted up the side of the book so he could read it. She wasn’t going to bother talking anymore, gesturing becoming her form of communication. She had been bummed for days.
“I could help you with that if you want. I aced the class.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. It doesn’t matter what I do, it can’t be helped.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing. Can you please just leave and let me get back to work?”
“Sure.” Jared wanted to say more, but she had kicked him out nicely, clearly not wanting his company. He turned to leave and he was stalled by her voice. “Thanks for checking on me though Jared.”
***
“I told you that you were supposed to change it back Rhonda.”
She shrugged and batted her eyes. “So she is sweating a little bit. It’s not that big of a deal Jared. Why are we talking about her and why are your clothes still on?”
“Change them back now Rhonda.”
“I already have Jared, just liked you asked.”
“Then why is she still upset about it?”
She sighed and started to unbutton her blouse. He would usually be sidetracked from that, but there was nothing. “I may have forgotten to tell her. Really Jared, why are you getting so mad about this? You know I can’t stand her and the way she treats you, she deserves it.”
“What my sister deserves is none of your business. You will let her know right now, call her and tell her that you made a mistake.”
“But I thought, you were here to, you know…”
“No. Not again.”
“Wait Jared, I am sorry.”
Jared walked away from her with a disgusted look. There was nothing worse than desperate jealousy, especially when he was never hers. She was interesting while it lasted, but he felt nothing as he walked away. She had always just been a distraction.
He made it home in time to see Clarke and she was almost glowing. Rhonda had done what she was supposed to and Jared felt a moment of remorse for being so cold with her. Maybe he would talk to her in time, but for now, he was happy to see Clarke perked up.
“Hey Sis. How was your day?”
Clarke smiled back at him and he almost took a step back from the blow. When she was happy, it was disarming, especially when she looked at him in such a way. “I take it that it went well?”
She nodded. “I don’t know why you are being nice all of a sudden Jared, but I am too happy to care. I still don’t have any money by the way.”
“I don’t want your money Clarke.”
Turning back to him, she noticed that he was a lot closer than before. Her back was against the counter in the kitchen and he took another step towards her. “What do you want then?”
His eyes went to her lips and then down the rest of her body. As much as he had made the case of how wrong it was, Jared wanted her just as bad as Brandon did. He couldn’t put it into words though. How could he say it out loud?
Jared moved forward and brushed his lips against hers ever so gently. Kissing her lips, she slowly started to respond. Clarke’s eyes were closed and she whimpered as softly as he kissed her. He pressed against her harder and she clung to his jacket. He knew that they shouldn’t. But he couldn’t stop himself. He had to have her. Picking her up, Jared set her on the counter and moved in between her legs. It was all she could do to keep her wits about her. He was pushing in hard, the solid length pressing against her made her moan louder.
“What the hell are you two doing?”
Clarke’s eyes blinked open and she looked over Jared’s shoulder at his dad. Her heart sank as her mother came in right behind him. Jared was still pressed hard against her, her ankles hooked around his waist and her arms still entwined around his thick neck. There was nothing that either one of them could say, both too stunned to move.
Jared was the first to realize what was going on and he tried to untangle himself from her. Her blonde hair was caught on his jacket and he moved away. “It’s not what it looks like dad.”
“It looks like you were manhandling my daughter Jared.”
He looked down, not able to meet his stepmother’s eyes. She was looking at him in the same way she had when she had to pick him up from school after getting in a fight. “Jared say something son.”
His father moved towards him, pulling him away as if being that close to Clarke was a sin in and of itself. He looked pissed, disgusted, it was not at all how he had thought it was all going to happen. He knew that there was nothing else that he could do. There was no explaining what they saw. His cock was still hard and twitching in his pants.
“Dad, I…”
“It’s really not how it looks.”
“It looks like you two were about to do something that you would regret.”
Clarke looked over at Jared and he was still speechless. She groaned inwardly and tried to think of an excuse. In the end, she just became defiant. “I asked him to help me learn to kiss. I got dumped because of it. We are not blood related, just step and your son was helping me.”
Everyone was silent for a time. She was so sure of her words that it was almost impossible to question it. It seemed to help the situation, to take the worst case scenario out of it. They weren’t actually related and while it was weird and awkward, there was nothing more that could embarrass her. “Now are you done asking all of these questions? I don’t think I can be anymore embarrassed then I am right now.”
No one said anything and Clarke figured it was just as well. There was nothing more that she could do and she went down the hallway to her room, slamming it as if she had a reason to be outraged. Falling back on the door, she could barely breathe. It had all happened so fast and Jared had been no help whatsoever. He had stood there with his jaw slack, looking at her for an answer.