Mutual Understanding - Chapter 1

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I'm no barbie doll.
I'm not your baby girl.
I've done ugly things and I have made mistakes.
And I am not as pretty as those girls in magazines.
I am rotten to my core if they're to be believed.

-

It was a bit of irony that her mother named her Mary. Seeing as though most people linked that name to the words ‘virgin’ and ‘innocent’.

And Mary Conelley was nothing of the sort.

In fact, she was proud to say she was the complete opposite and had been since the tender age of 14… and she didn’t regret it one bit. She was acting more grown up at 10 then her mother was at 30. Granted, she was always more mature for her age period, and now at 18 and in the last quarter of her final year of high school, she had her nose scrunched up as she rolled her eyes at the chatter of a bunch of kids gossiping about the spring formal.

Something she already knew she wouldn’t give one thought to.

She had gone to one school dance in freshman year and even then it had bored her to death. She didn’t have the same excitement as other girls her age that their crush would ask them to dance or the excitement of buying the perfect dress and getting your hair done. She'd wore a simple summer dress she'd bought the year before, left her hair down and after spending an hour standing against a wall, bored to death... finally took the offer of a cute senior and left with him- Having a way more memorable time than she would have had if she'd stuck around for the King and Queen to be announced.

Especially since she had to look at the stupid crown for the next year before her beloved step brother, who had not surprisingly been the crowned king, finally decided to grow up.

Not that he grew up that much, she thought as the person in question walked into the area of white picnic tables outside the cafeteria where the majority of the students ate, especially since the weather was surprisingly dry for April.

Mary Conelley sat atop a picnic table with a water in her hand, already having finished her lunch long ago, looking around bored and waiting for the lunch period to be up so she could start counting down the minutes of her next class.

Glancing at her watch she groaned, 10 more minutes of teenage hell. And she didn’t think she would last that long listening to the ditzy juniors a table over gushing about the dresses they were getting.

“What’s the look for, Mary?” One of Mary's only friends, Tina Ader, asked as she tried to finish her homework for the next day. You wouldn’t think they would be friends. In fact, you wouldn’t think two people like them would even get along, but yet here they were. The schools most notorious party girl and the senior student council president.

“I’m starting to seriously think about commiting suicide.” Mary replied dryly, glaring at the giggling girls to her left as she flipped her straight, pitch black hair over her shoulder, letting it rain down to the end of her back.

Tina sent her a half grin from where she was sitting on the bench on the other side of the table and closed her binder, looking to the girls Mary was glaring daggers at.

“Oh, leave them alone. They’re excited about the dance. Just like every other girl in school is.” Tina reprimanded easily, although the way the girls were squealing into a fashion magazine was annoying her aswell. But when it came to her best friend, she wasn’t as cynical and had a lot more patience.

“Everyone, except me.” Mary told her, her dark blue eyes flashing to her best friend.

“Yes, I know. Miss. I’m-Too-Cool-To-Go-To-A-Highschool-Dance.” Tina mimicked, rolling her eyes as she walked to the other side of the table and sat on the bench next to Mary's feet, mimicking her pose and facing towards all the other tables. She clicked her tongue and tapped her friends leg. “Tables are made for glasses…” she started and Mary smirked.

“Finish it. Come on.” Mary urged but Tina just glared and made Mary roll her eyes at her friend who refused to swear. Ever. “Not for asses.” She finished herself and then smirked. “But no ass is as fine as mine so I think I can be an exception.” She said from her spot on the table top.

“You look like a queen looking down on her subjects.” Tina joked taking a sip of her V8.

Mary laughed. “Oh, but it's exactly what im doing.”

And it was. Every school had a queen and king, whether admitted or not. Everyone still knew. And the queen of WestCrave High wasn’t a cheerleader, a honor student, a prep... it was herself. The school party girl, or more commonly known as the school slut. Not that anyone said that in a degradetory way.

At least most people.

It wasn’t her looks exactly, and it certainly wasn’t her social skills that had her as such a notorious member of their school and entire town. It was more her attitude. She wasn’t what you would call a beauty queen and it was rare she smiled. Although when she did people realized that that alone could name someone beautiful. She had a dark look to her. Long black shiny hair and deep blue eyes that looked black themselves. She didnt have the small pixie features people reffered to as pretty or the sleek model like ones either. She never wore bright colors and was as cynical as they came. But yet she had no fears, knew how to have fun and was a wild child, attacting the attention of everyone with her careless, yet mature, ways.

And she sure knew how to have fun. Hence the name she was labeled at the humble abode she called high school. But she also knew one thing that made her so notorious was the fact that she, unlike seemingly everyone else, didn’t get along with Mr. Golden Boy of WestCrave.

Justin Roberts. Tall, athletic, dirty blonde hair and green eyes. A smile that would light up a room and usually had honest reasons behind it. The guy every girl had a crush on once, every guy wanted to be for at least a day and surprisingly smart enough to be in the top 5 percent of their class.

Mary’s known arch enemy.

Also known as her step brother.

She still remembered the day her mother announced she was getting married again. She had assumed he would be in his late 50’s like most of the rich guys her mother dated and married were, but she was surprised to find him only a few years older than her mother yet as successful as any of the older men who had been in the game for years. He was new money, and for the first time in her life her mother wasn't blinded by the green but instead, by the man who held it.

And then she found out about Justin and the fact that she would now have a sibling, or so her mother gushed about for months after they had moved into her new stepfather's mansion.

It wasn't exactly a fairytale though, her mother falling in love for real and her getting a sibling and a new father. Mary and Justin seemed to hate each other instantly. He was good. She was bad. It was as simple as that. They clashed in everything and one could never outbeat the other in the numerous different competitions they challenged each other to.

He made a bet he’d be more popular when they started high school. She was just as popular, although for different reasons. He said he’d beat her in grades, she matched him, although just barely. Everything between them was either hostel or a competition and it still was until that very day.

“By the way, Tina, could you give me a lift home today? I seriously don’t want to take the bus.” Mary sighed. Her car was in for its' yearly and she had bummed a ride from her mom that morning but was still in need of a ride back home.

“You know, you could always just ask Justin. Seeing as though you two do live in the same house. I'm sure, being your brother, he wouldn’t mind. Even though you do say he's evil, I don’t think he's as bad as you make him out to be.” Tina said, standing up and stretching.

“He's not my brother.” Mary corrected instantly before anything else, biting the words out and then glared at the back of his blue button up where he was seated on the opposite side of the lawn with all his big 'jock buddies' and 'followers'. “And I’d rather take the bus.”

Tina rolled her eyes and grabbed her binder as the bell rang and people started getting up. “I'll give you a ride. But you know, I don’t see why you two hate each other so much.”

Mary shrugged and jumped off the table, the bottom of her black boots landing on the grass.

“We don’t hate each other.” She said and smirked as a few guys whistled at her as she passed their table. “We have… a mutual understanding.” She said with a twinkle in her eye that Tina didn’t notice.

“Uh huh.” Was all her friend said as they walked towards the school.

Feeling eyes on her, Mary turned and met a pair of bright green eyes that were fixed on her and stared back pointedly, raising an eyebrow.

Justin narrowed his eyes as if in thought and then was hit in the arm by one of his friends and drew his gaze away.

Rolling her eyes, Mary walked into the school and headed towards her locker.

42 minutes, she said silently to herself already counting down the next period.

-

"Hey, Hun. How was school today?" Mary's mother, Mrs. Kimberly Anna Roberts, asked as Mary walked down the stairs and into the kitchen around nine that night. This was the normal chit-chat time. Something she hated. Due to her mother's and step father's schedule, they rarely made it home in time to have a family dinner, so every night when they did show up, they had dessert together and talked about their day.

Something she thought was completely crazy but there was no way out of it unless she wanted to give up her allowance, car, and... well, her life.

"Same as usual. Went, came home, my head is now filled with more useless shit and my nerves are fried. Tomorrow's looking promising though. There's a pep-ralley. I'm thrilled." Mary replied sarcstically with a fake smile that made her mother look at her reprimadingly.

"You should be. Try supporting our school for once." Justin commented, walking into the kitchen and sliding up onto a stool across from Mary at the breakfast nook.

"Oh but I am. I already ordered my pom poms." She returned, matching the glare he sent at her. "Brainless losers cheering on brainless steriod heads... it's disgusting."

Justin scoffed. "Yeah, why don't you try it before you critisize it? But wait, you can't. You're too busy spending all your time being a bitch to everyone in a five foot radius. And you think i'm narrow-minded?"

"I never said you had a mind at all." Mary replied sweetly but was cut off by her stepfather before she could say anything else.

"You two, stop. Do we have to go through this every night?" He asked, running an exhausted hand through his hair and bending down to kiss his wife with a smile which she returned equally.

"You would think that after four years together you two would stop being like this. It wouldn't hurt you to try and get along." Her mother said, handing her stepfather a dish of the pie the cook had made. "But anyways... How was school?"

"Great. We have a new lit teacher who actually makes the class somewhat interesting." Justin said, digging into his pie and making Mary cringe.

"Interesting? The guys a fruitcake. He does such exaggerated hand gestures I'm just waiting for him to hit himself in the head and knock himself out." Mary replied rolling her eyes, having had the same teacher.

"Or maybe we'll get lucky and he'll knock out you." Justin grinned and they started a glaring contest as their parents started their own conversation, effectively ignoring the two teens.

Mary remained silent, waiting for the clock to hit ten, and counting down the last 5 minutes. She stayed away from the converstaion as much as possible and let the other three, overly happy people at the table, talk until their jaws hurt and ignored the way Justin kept smirking at her when her mother kept purposely trying to bring her into the conversation.

If she could hit him and get away with it, she probably would have stabbed him with her fork by now.

"So what do you think?" Her mother asked and upon realizing she was addressing her, she looked up with a questioning eyebrow and her mother sighed before repeating herself. "I asked what you thought of having a Christmas party here this year. You can invite all your friends. It'll be fun."

"All her freinds?" Justin asked with a humorous snort. "Does she even have one?"

"Yeah. I do, actually. But do you? And I don't mean your followers and clones. They don't count." Mary said, glaring at him and then turning back to her mother. "I don't really care. Parties involve drinking and dancing and boring mingling. Not my thing." she stated, shrugging.

"Mary, why can't you ever have a positive outlook on anything?" her mother asked. "Are you even going to the senior christmas dance?" she asked with hope in her voice that made Mary want to gag.

"Do I ever?" she asked. "Those are for pretty boys and their barbies who everyone gathers around for when they go up on stage to be awarded for being completely cliche and air-headed." she added, smirking at Justin who was shooting daggers at her.

"Okay. Enough." Her stepfather said with sigh. "You're free. Go away and if your going to rip each others heads off do it somewhere where it won't stain the carpet." he said and Mary quickly got up and left, knowing that if she stayed she would say something that would only make things worse.

She walked up the stairs and towards the east wing where hers, Justin's, and the guest rooms were and walked into her room, slamming the door.

She hated him. He always knew what to say. And he always had to take shots at her whenever he possibly could. Not that she didn't always take the same oppertunities, but it was the point of it.

Turning around, she pulled off her clothes and put on a pair of shorts and an old jersey that hung way past her waist and walked over to open the window and sat on the small chair she had next to it.

She remembered the first time she had come to this place. Thinking it would be just another detour in the marriges of her mother. But it stuck. And she was still here. She smiled and wrapped her arms around her legs as she pulled them up to her chest and just watched the sky.

A pounding on the door brought her back to earth and she glanced at the clock to see it was already past eleven and she realized she must have dozed off. Sighing, she stood up and stretched and then glared at the door as a louder impatient pound came from it.

Her heart raced as her mind came into focus.

Of course he would come. He always did.

She walked to the door, her heart beating wildy- much to her dismay and pulled it open, not at all surpsied when Justin walked right in and shut the door for her and a second later had her back against the hard door and his mouth welded to hers.

"Jeeze, come on in." Mary muttered sarcastically as she inhaled deep a second before his lips met with hers again. She needed to say something. She needed to say something to make this situation hers, to act like she wasn't expecting. Though somewhere deep down. She knew she was.

"Thanks." Justin said, always one to be polite but she didn't care much at the moment, all she could think about was his hands on her. Her sides, her hips, and then she felt his hand leave her body for a minute as it travled to the doorknob and a click echoed through the room.

Now they were alone.

She reached up and gripped his shoulders, for the first time realizing he was shirtless and wearing nothing but his pajama bottoms. If there was one thing they always made sure of, it was that they were as accessible to each other as possible. Never was there a time they went slow. Everything was always fast, with each of them trying to keep up with the other.

Justin pushed her into the door harder as she ran her nails down his back and he pushed himself into her harder before yanking back and pulling her shirt over her head in one easy move and then her back was against the door again.

"Too loud. Against the door." She managed, the safe part of her mind still breaking through even as her body was quivering under his mouth as it made its way down her neck, over her shoulder and down her arm before going up and latching onto her breast unexpectedly.

"Okay." he whispered against her and then brought his hands under her legs and lifted her, walking backwards until his legs hit the bed and then fell, her body sprawling on top of him and she took advantage and started running her tongue over any part of his warm skin it came in contact with.

But she barely got a chance to do anything she wanted to him because he quickly flipped her over till he was pinning her again and slid his hands down her sides, letting his fingers slide under her waist band and then pulling her shorts down and over her feet, surprising her.

The look of momentary shock in her eyes quickly faded though as his mouth came to hers again as she reached down to pull at his own pants.

Of course he wanted it like this. They were both riled up, egging each other on all day, it was bound to get ugly.

She let out a gasp and dug her nails into his shoulders as he pushed her legs open and pushed his knee into her center, doing nothing but grinding it there, making her writh underneath him and push against him but he didn't give her much leverage as he pinned her hips with his hands and continued to kiss her hard, tongue delving deeper and deeper. She wouldn't be surprised if her lips were bruised in the morning.

"Why...?" he asked, trailing off to bite at her bottom lip, his eyes opening to look driectly at hers. Something he always did, always kept eye contact and made the experience ten times more erotic. "Why... are you always such a bitch?" he said more as a statement than a question now as he replaced his knee with his hand and made a long drawn out moan esacpe from her lips as an answer.

"Justin..." she practially cried, hating that he could always get her like this, everytime, and no one else could. But when she opened her eyes she saw him still watching her, his eyes a dark forest green they always were when he was either turned on or angry, sometimes both, like now.

"Why are you always a do-good prick?" she countered, getting angry now at his controlling teasing but sighed again as he moved his fingers just a little deeper.

He moved his head down till his forehead rested on the bed next to hers and turned his head, breathing onto her neck as he moved his hand painfully slow and prevented her bucking hips from moving with his other hand.

She heard a small laugh esacpe him and then felt his hot breath on her neck again. "Only to you. Only to you." he whispered but she didn't have time to make sense of it as he quickly removed his hand and shifted between her legs and entered her, hard and fast, giving her no time to adjust before he was pulling out and moving in again. Every time becoming faster, going deeper till she was practically screaming.

"Come on," he said and she opened her eyes to find him staring straight at her. A ritual of sorts that they both seemed to do subconsiously and her eyes locked with his as they both went over, her eyes never leaving his face. Challenging each other to look away first. To be weak enough to turn away.

But neither did and he fell on top of her as they both caught their breath, hearing nothing but their breathing and the wind outside.

He rolled off her and laid on his back next to her, staring straight at the ceiling like she was, neither saying anything for several minutes.

Mary moved first, feeling sore, something she hadn't felt in a while after sex, and pushed herself up, grabbing another shirt from a nearby stand and throwing it over her head.

"Out." she demanded tiredly as she pushed at his shoulder.

Justin looked up at her before sitting up and stretching his arms out and standing, not feeling any modesty as he grabbed his pants and put them on.

"Trust me, I know. Some things never change with you." he sighed.

"Well maybe I don't want you in my bed." she retorted, turning a tired glare on him.

He smirked. "You could always come to mine." he offered, knowing she wouldn't. She never did.

Mary turned her head away and waited as she heard him walk to the door, unlock it and then open it up, the faint light of the hallway sliding through the door and into the room.

"'Night, Mary." she heard him say, just like he always did, before he walked out and shut the door behind him.

She crossed her arms and laid back, pushing her comforter to the floor and siding under the sheets and burying her head in a pillow as she watched the door.

Like she had told her friend earlier, they had a mutual understanding. They didnt like each other, but they used each other. Finding out when they first met that they had something to offer each other that they hadn't found with anyone else yet and they took advantage of it. And no one else knew. The only time they associated was at night.

It was safe, uncomplicated and satisfying.

Even though she was always left feeling worthless when he said goodnight, something he always did no matter what? Even though he meant no ill will by it.

Sighing, she turned over and stared out the window, not wanting to think about it anymore and watched the sky until she fell into another dreamless sleep.

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