My Stepbrother (Secret-Possession)

Bitches Goes To Paradise

"So, who's next?" I inquired, addressing both Quinn and Lilith.

"Embry's up next. Though it should be Suri, she's staying at Whitekirk Place. But she's already at the strip with her sister, so we'll meet them there," Lilith explains.

"I hope that b***h isn't getting ready before us," Quinn remarks from the backseat.

The girls decided to use Lilith's Range Rover since it provided the most comfortable ride for all five of us. With me in the passenger seat, we continued singing along to One Direction playing on the radio. The drive feels like it's taking forever, and we all start complaining.

"How does she manage to get to school? Isn't it about a forty-minute drive?" I asked, confused. "I mean, there must be schools near her district, right?"

"Yes, there are," Lilith flatly replies.

"I think she just wants to hang out with us," Quinn defends her friend.

"Strange," I murmur under my breath as we park by a luxurious facade called 'the lake,' as Quinn and Lilith refer to it.

"This is her home?" I asked, slightly taken aback.

"Yes, her dad owns a company. We don't know much about it, though," Lilith informs me.

"Embry says it deals with classic cars, but I don't know because she drives an average Ford coupe," Quinn sighs.

After waiting for ten minutes while Lilith keeps honking the horn, Embry makes her usual dramatic entrance. She's wearing tight black leather trousers, a black crop shirt, and a blue blazer draped over her shoulders. She swings open the front door with a broad smile until her eyes land on me. Suddenly, her expression turns sour. "Can you join Quinn in the backseat?" she firmly states.

"Why?" I asked her with a straight face. The girls remain silent as Embry scolds me.

"Because I don't sit in the backseat, hoe," she censures me while giving me a sassy glare.

I have no other option since even Lilith doesn't support me, so I step out and join Quinn, who shoots me an apologetic smile.

"If we weren't so greedy, we could have stopped at Target or Walmart to find our dresses. But of course, we're who we are, bitches and sluts," Lilith says, clearly irritated, just like I am, as she drives. "And yeah, bitches go to paradise."

"Accurate, there's no way we're going to hell," Embry probably brags, knowing Lilith is being sarcastic. "Oh, and a single hoe attack, right, Ava?" Embry turns to me with a smug smile. "You don't want to burn, do you?"

With a sour stare, I cut her off, ignoring her attitude and focusing on the main road through the window until we arrived at our destination where we met Suri and her sister in a white Honda waiting for us in the car park.

There's Suri, along with an older Suri who introduces herself as Beatrice. Beatrice looks exactly like Suri, only she has a more mature college vibe and more life experience than all the girls, including Embry. The group is a lot of fun, and I feel relieved, at least from Embry's presence, although I don't understand the reason for her sudden animosity. I've known all along that she never liked me.

The six of us walked around the largest shopping centre in Las Vegas while Quinn and Beatrice told me more about the Fashion Show Mall. I find it fascinating as my eyes take in the iconic environment. I can't believe a shopping mall can actually host a real fashion show, but it does, with a retractable runway within the mall's central atrium, as the girls explain to me.

With Embry around, I didn't get the proper tour I wanted, but who am I to keep Embry waiting? She's the spotlight. So I'm grateful for what I have seen and the pictures I've snapped.

We make our way to Forever 21, where Lilith and Quinn find their outfits. Suri isn't interested in anything in the store. As for me, the girls couldn't find anything that suits me. Correction: Embry couldn't find anything that fits me. We move from shop to shop, going from 'Free People' to 'Anthropologie' to 'Lucky Brand,' but nothing satisfies the two girls.

Suri has success in the next store. Quinn claims Suri has an obsession with Superdry clothing.

"We still have a lot of walking to do around this mall. When will we finish finding Ava and Embry's dresses? We have to get to the salon and spa. I'm sure we'll be late for the party," Quinn complains.

My legs are also getting tired. I always find a seat whenever we stop at each store to check. I don't understand why Embry needs to find a dress for me. I wanted to pick a lace dress back at Forever 21 and the straight gown I saw at 'Free People,' but tonight fate is in Embry's hands, so I don't get to choose for myself.

"Oh no, we're looking for Ava's dress. I picked mine yesterday at Chanel," Embry proclaims as she walks ahead of us.

"What do you mean you picked yours yesterday?" Lilith boldly asks her, pausing in the middle of the crowded centre.

Embry stops and shrugs, taking a few seconds before turning to face us. She inhales and exhales as if trying to avoid irritation. "I picked MY outfit for tonight, yesterday," she emphasizes 'my' to make a point. I can see that the girls are annoyed, and Quinn storms off to the Victoria's Secret shop, with Beatrice pulling Suri, who shoots Embry a disgusted stare.

"Take it easy, b***h," Lilith says to Embry as she wraps her finger around my wrist and drags me with her to the shop.

This time, the girls don't give Embry the chance to waste time rejecting everything that should suit me. They split up and, after a short while, everyone comes back with their arms full, struggling to breathe. Embry sits on a sofa, fuming, as her friends express their disappointment with her selfish behavior.

I tried on nine dresses in the dressing room before we finally agreed on the tenth. The girls call it a wrap for our shopping.

We head to the spa and salon, where we all get our skin waxed since our outfits mostly expose our skin. The rest of the girls even opt for Brazilian waxing, which surprises me, including my soon-to-be stepsister. After showering in the public toilet provided in the salon and spa, we proceed to get our nails done and our hair styled, all around five o'clock.

Beatrice leaves after receiving a call from home, and we order takeaway from the nearest diner.

Embry finally puts aside her arrogant and selfish attitude and apologizes to the girls for going behind their backs. However, I hesitate to call it a genuine apology because Embry's way of apologizing differs from that of the average person. She claims the dress was too perfect to pass up, insisting that if she had left without it, someone else would've snatched it by now. She even goes as far as promising that one of the Kardashians wore it a year ago. With synchronized eye-rolling, the girls let it go and continue their discussions and meal while we get our hair done. We capture videos and snap pictures to share through our iMessages and post on our i********: stories. Embry has to FaceTime her neighbor to retrieve her outfit from her bedroom. She leaves the room, engaging in a private conversation with that person.

When we finally finished our makeup and put on our dresses, it was already 7:35 pm, and the party was scheduled to start at 8 pm. Luckily, Embry's male neighbor arrives on time.

To show her gratitude, Embry goes as far as kissing him, assuring Lilith and me that it isn't considered cheating. She's determined to look her best for our brother, my soon-to-be stepbrother, whom Embry already considers as my brother.

The remaining customers and salon workers have become aware of our presence as the girls have shared numerous details about our high school rumors and our lives, including the fact that I'm British and Lilith is American. We receive positive compliments from the onlookers, and one of the workers kindly took group pictures of us with each of our mobile phones. Lilith settles the bill with her credit card as we upload the photos on i********: with a plethora of hashtags. The girls share their i********: handles with me, and we all tag ourselves in the pictures.

I would be lying if I said no one noticed us, as most of the people we passed on our way to the car park were completely captivated by our presence.

In detail, Lilith's brown hair is styled in a bouffant ponytail, highlighting her beautiful green eyes accentuated by long, fluttering lashes. She wears a golden lace mini dress with an illusion neckline that exposes a significant amount of skin from her upper to lower back. Her dress is complemented by chunky beige heels.

Quinn, on the other hand, looks stunning in her silver dress adorned with tassels and featuring slit sleeves. She has gorgeous long blonde wavy hair and pairs her dress with black knee-high boots.

Suri dons a black floor-length sheath dress with an off-the-shoulder design and a side slit. Her corset heels add an extra touch of elegance, accentuating her slim and tall figure. Suri's natural black ebony curly hair has been straightened and styled sleekly, radiating an elegant shine.

And last but not least is the Chanel girl, who completely nails her look in a light champagne strapless pantsuit, paired with matching stiletto heels. Her red hair is perfectly styled into a high, long ponytail, reminiscent of Ariana Grande.

Lastly, there's me, the sophomore student accompanying the group. My hair is styled in a cute waterfall braid, and I'm wearing a midi-length cantaloupe dress with a sweetheart neckline and a single short sleeve adorned with ruffle detailing. The dress features a back zipper and has a lining with a bit of stretch. The golden ankle strap heels chosen by Beatrice perfectly match the dress and complete my ensemble.

For once, I feel like more than just a girl who attended an all-girls religious boarding school as I walk through the car park. I feel like I'm on the Victoria's Secret runway. I know I'm in paradise.