Hi again!

Did we really make it this far? You guys are the best!

I made another cover just for fun, tell me what you think <3

This chapter was long overdue, so I've worked really hard on this one :)

Also, be warned, there's a lot of dot dot dot's...

...

He lowers his sunglasses at me and raises his eyebrows at me. "Me? Oh, sorry princess Caroline," he mocks. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Yeah," I reply. "You existed."

"Shut up." he spits. Aha. There's the Travis I know. "I'm doing a favour for David, so you better sit in the backseat and not make a sound."

I cross my arms and scowl at him. "And who says I'm getting in a car with you?"

"Don't get the wrong idea." He winks again, smirking, and I want to vomit all over the pavement.

"I'm not getting in a car with a stranger."

"Stranger danger!" he yelps mockingly. "Oh, please, save me! He's trying to kidnap me!"

I glare at him. "As far as I consider, you're a stranger to me. It doesn't matter if you're one of David's little servants."

He makes a growling sound. "Is that what he says about me?"

I smirk. Ha! I know just how to make this work. "He says many things about you," I smile at him innocently, watching him closely. "I could tell you everything. I could tell you all his little secrets. I could spread hundreds of rumours about you, good or bad, depending on what you do. It's your choice." Everything but the last part is true. I honestly wouldn't care if I did that to David. Serves him right. My smile widens after seeing his deflated but hopeful expression.

"What do you want?" he grumbles.

"Oh, I don't know..."

"What do you want?" he asks again, raising his voice in anger, but then adds, "Carrie."

I laugh at him, enjoying the moment. Now I've got him under my hold. "Just a teeny weeny thing. You're going to have to serve me for a month."

"A month? Serve you? Like a servant or something?" he laughs, but then seems to recall what I had told him and lowers the corners of his mouth in spite. "You mean I do everything you say?"

"Yep, that's pretty much it!" I squeak, smiling widely, trying to irritate him.

"No way am I going to do that," he scoffs. "I don't play anyone's servant, the school loves me! They are my servants."

"You sure about that?" I grin, tilting my head to the side, all angelic, making him more and more desperate.

He glares at me, then releases a breath. "I don't know."

"Well, decide now, because you have..." I pretend to check my imaginary watch. "One second!"

"Fine!" he huffs.

"Shake on it," I demand, and he holds out his hand. I feel high and light, a master of someone. Getting what I deserve.

I say, "To my new servant!" and he grumbles at that. I hold up a hand. "Quiet, Mr Collins," I state, which just makes him scowl at me more. I smile.

"Now, as my first order, I call shotgun!"

I enthusiastically wave to Travis as he drives away, muttering under his breath. Happily, I walk into my bedroom, grabbing the book I got off my shelf.

As I turn it over, I see it's the next book in the series I've been reading. It's so exciting getting this book. These novels are some of the best romance books I've ever read.

I hug it to my chest, then fall backwards on the bead and take a long look at the cover. It has a picture of a teenage couple sitting on the beach, holding hands, staring at each other—basically everything I've ever wanted. That's why it's so amazing reading these novels, I can imagine them happening to me.

Underneath them, letters carved in the sand read 'I Took Your Heart'. This book is the third in the series, and after reading one I just desperately want the next book. Suddenly I can't take it anymore and I just have to open the book. But I do it softly, savouring each page, each word. Before I know it, I'm hungrily devouring each page, not even making sure not to crease the pages. The story is so good, I just want more.

As far as I've read in the novels, I can tell that the storyline is 'opposites attracts'. It goes deep into both of their points of view, so one can understand each side of the story. It's such a lovely novel; it makes you feel how she wants you to feel, how you want to feel.

After a while, I feel too parched to read further so I start filling up a glass on the fridge. As I go to take a sip and dive back into my book, Dad walks in.

"Hello, Father," I say, avoiding eye contact.

He grunts and I try to escape back to my room, but he catches up to me. He puts a hand on my shoulder and I tense up.

"Carrie," he starts, "I know I might have seemed... a bit, uh, mean lately. I'm here to say sorry, and to explain that it's because of all of the stress I've been dealing with." He fidgets with the stack of papers he's holding.

He doesn't seem to notice my silence as I gape at him. He's never apologised for his actions before. What's gotten into him?

He glances at me. "And... I think that was enough punishment for you. You and David aren't grounded anymore, and you can have your phone back." He hands me my phone. "I also heard about what happened online, and David will be punished for that. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

Tears well up in my eyes and I hug him. "Thank you, dad. That means a lot," I sniffle.

"I'm glad, honey. Can you let David know that he's lost his phone till his kids graduate, and he will be paying for that television by himself? I hope he's learnt his lesson."

I squeeze my eyes shut. "I hope so too, dad. I hope so too."

When David comes home and bullies me for vomiting, I smugly inform him about him his punishment, though he doesn't believe me. But after dad confirms it, his face is filled with rage and rejection. I also note a hint of depression, and I swear I have never felt happier in my life.

Haha, David! In your face.

When he passes me in the hall, he hisses, "You. Are. Dead!" but it doesn't bother me. Just knowing I'm in a better position than him at the moment makes me feel better.

Instead of going to dinner, I tell dad I'm still feeling sick and snuggle up in bed with my book. When I finally turn the last page, I glance at my clock and see that it's ten pm. I should have been asleep by now. Switching my lamp off, my eyelids flutter closed and before I know it, I'm asleep.

I jump out of bed, startled as I whip my head around to find out what awoke me. The curtains rustle again, louder this time. I look around for anything to use as a weapon and grab the lamp of my nightstand. I raise it high and—

"Hunter? What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Came to see you," he says. He climbs onto my bed and holds the palm of my hands. "I missed you at school today,"

I furrow my brows. "But I was at school today—oh, that's right. I forgot I went home early,"

He looks into my eyes. "Serena is going to pay for what she did."

I blink and notice the darkness around us. "Is this a dream?" I ask, obviously hoping for it not to be.

He shakes his head, biting his bottom lip and I sigh at the sight of him, glad this was real.

"I have a confession."

"What?" I ask.

He takes a deep breath, and moves towards me, his lips inches from mine.

"I think I love you."

I kiss him softly, my eyes closed, but out of nowhere a door slams and I jump. Urgh, of course, it was a dream. I am such a weirdo. And I was just kissing a pillow. That still can't make me feel bad though, because the butterflies inside me make me giddy. That was an amazing dream, if anyone knew what I had dreamt about, I would... Well, I'm not really sure yet but I would have to take drastic measures. How humiliating would that be?

This is what happens after a night of romance novels. But romance novels are the most amazing, I sigh dreamily. While reading them, you feel as if there's someone who loves you, even fictionally.

I push myself off of the bed and cautiously look at myself in the mirror. I look horrible as expected. My hair is oily and tangled, my eyes tired and swollen. Looking at myself, I wonder how people like Rebecca can look so good and be so nice. I wish I could be like her.

Wait... could I?

As I take a breath, I make a decision that may change me and my life as it is now.

I want to look pretty.

I want my ugly days, my romanceless days, my unhappy days to be over.

Because I'm going to change; I'm going to be cool, I'm going to get a boyfriend and laugh in my brother's face and most importantly, be pretty. I want to be beautiful, to scrape this ugly face off and get a new one. But if I can't do that, I'll have to do what I can.

Determined, I get changed into my school uniform and walk out, shoulders braced and head high. Because now I've got Travis as my servant, I have my ever-so-supportive friends on my side, and I'm going to get what I want.

I'm going to be confident, and I'm going to get the guy. Who, you ask?

The new guy. My target. The ticket to popularity.

Dad's already left and has stuck a note on the fridge asking me to get a lift from my friends. I smile widely. This is perfect. Dad leaving early means David leaving early to hook up with a random girl, means me being home alone.

I decide I'm going to have to be skinny. So I skip breakfast and tie my hair into a messy bun, opening the dusty cabinet underneath the bathroom mirror. I reach in and grab my huge box of makeup, the box I've never touched since I got it for my 14th birthday party and stuffed it in the back of my cupboard. And then we moved and I shoved it under here.

I open the case and can't help smiling.