Chapter One
One: Give the creep a break
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My mind was in a daze, my eyes scanned around me quickly as I adjusted to the dim lighting in the room.
What on earth was I thinking coming here? This was so unconventional and stupid of me. Clearly I needed to get new best friends and grow a new set of bones to rebuild my spine!
"Are you ready, Julia?" His deep, chilling yet incredibly sexy voice called from a short distance and shivers ran through my entire body.
No? No, I am not ready!
This was definitely not how I was expecting to end the night today. See, when Amelia, my thick headed, know it all friend decided to gang up with the rest of the four deluded bimbos I called my best friends, my sisters from other misters, to concoct what they assumed was a brilliant way for me to enter into adulthood, I knew they were going to do something crazy but I didn't think this was where it would lead.
To think a few hours was all it took for my eighteenth birthday to turn into an unpredictable nightmare! It all started when Amelia stumbled upon a so-called supernatural beings dating site, and immediately assumed signing me up would be the best thing since sliced toast. Turning eighteen was a big deal and unlike all my previous birthdays since my fifteenth, I would not be allowed to stay cooped up in my room, studying for any surprise test that might be thrown my way. Not if my crazy, less than serious bunch had anything to do with it!
They thought I was crazy for taking high school so seriously but this was our final year and little did they know, they would be seriously wishing they behaved how I do! If anyone among the five of us was well trained for college, it was definitely me!
It was only a matter of time till they realised that I was not just over dramatic and "wasting away my teen years!" what were teen years supposed to be about anyway?
You either f****d up pretty badly and end pregnant by a boy that only f****d you as part of some sick bet or you get lucky and get your heart broken, with at least your uterus uninvolved! If you are not staying on the much safer, straight and narrow path like I do!
The four deluded bimbos that I love to death had my day, which landed brilliantly on a Saturday, perfectly planned from the moment the new week began. And until I found out about their laughable idea, I had my own too! Coffee, a good book and cuddling my scruffy plush elephant that I refused to wash since the day my elementary school crush touched it, did not seem like a bad way to spend my big hashtag finally becoming legal age! . I mean, I was the furthest thing from a party animal and being the center of attention, specifically to strangers upon strangers huddled in some room somewhere, had to be one of my biggest fears! I was a recluse by nature and having a video call with my family and occasionally accepting a last minute invitation from my four crazy best friends was the most human interaction I was going to allow myself. And my head still hurt from them being extra loud after that!
"Try it out, do something fun other than play sudoku for once!" Tracey, my red haired, petit framed pal suggested after Amelia had let her in on her 'genius' idea.
Amelia, Tracey, Jax and Amber were currently swooning over the stupid discovery that apparently Amber had unlocked miraculously!
A supposed dating app that is only reserved for supernatural beings and not basic humans like us!
Like oooh! How genius... and totally believable!
Who stumbles upon an app and thinks it was supposed to not be found? That definitely means the measures to keep it hidden were not that good! And that only means it did not matter whether or not the app was found and used!
I did not want to hear the rest of it as soon as I heard the name of the app.
If it was going to be a tool for my birthday plans then I did not approve. When they said "Your birthday gift is us forcing you to finally go on a date and get that kitten laid! It must be covered in cobwebs by now!" with such exaggeration, I did not believe that they would be going about it in the absolute worst way imaginable!
They had been trying to get me laid since I got dumped by the stupid boy I believed I was in love with days before my sixteenth birthday. He was one heck of an i***t and the dumbest thing I ever did was lose my virginity to him. I have not let a single human with a stick between his legs get close to even the point of kissing me! I was glad I did not need to see Colton a lot but he still made me want to hurl my entire digestive system out whenever I saw him.
If only they could just get it... I do not need to be focusing on boys right now....nor do I want to!
Grabbing Tony, my beloved stuffed toy named after my dark haired, emerald eyed crush to my bed, I crossed my arms over my chest and shook my head in disbelief.
These girls, I swear to God!
"First of all, I am not looking to date anyone anytime soon and even if I was keen on giving online dating a shot, I would do it on a more normal platform. Not a website set up deliberately for sick, twisted and delusional dimwits who believe they are actually immortals!" I shot back with an eye roll.
"Did you literally not just read that nonsense on that? 'I am your typical vamp with a taste for witch blood.' This is insanity and I am not willing to go out with a creep like that!" I finally handed my phone to Jax before throwing myself on my dormitory bed and finally breathed a sigh of relief within the four walls of my room that the five girls had invaded.
Well... My room with Tracey, that is.
Calling it mine alone would be only wishful thinking.
"Julia, what the f**k did you do that for? He was actually cute!" Jax proceeded to whine about me saving myself from a potential serial killer and I just shrugged, still holding on tight to my previous Tony!
"No, no, listen! Have a creative eye for once and see this in a more positive way. These people right here are not dull. I hate to admit it but you lack spice and could use a person with such a broad imagination!" Amelia reasoned but I was not going to be convinced. She could call it whatever she likes, a broad imagination, creative….
It would always equate to crazy and delusional in my mind. Period, done and dusted!
"You call it lacking spice and I call it a calm, manageable life that I would rather live! If this dating app excites you so much, why don't you all get accounts?" I suggested before pulling Tony closer to my chest and patting his back gently while resting my chin on his head.
"That thing is going to give you nothing but an acne ridden face! At least his trunk is huge enough to keep the horniness at bay!" Tracey remarked as soon as she turned her back and laid her eyes on me. As expected, the dildo references would never stop so long as Tony remained an elephant with a trunk...as any normal elephant should!
She of all people should know that I do not need to keep any horniness at bay, she was the one constantly telling me to get out of the room for a bit so she can pleasure herself. And that was acter she found out that it was possible for me to be disturbed by it, like how crazy, right?!
"First of all, he is not that dirty, and for the ten thousandth time, I would never violate my baby like that!" I cemented the statement with a kiss to Tony and the girls watched incredulously as though a third head had begun sprouting from my shoulder!
"Julia, you really are a lost cause!"
"That's it! We'll do everything from here. Just be sure to look real sexy for the hunk we'll find you!" Amelia called out as they all huddled up on the couch and poked at my phone with their manicured nails.
"Good luck finding one!" I laughed in disbelief and shrugged my shoulders to show them I was fine with them doing what they wanted.
They would search for hours before finally giving up and I would enjoy my birthday night without having to risk meeting a serial killer and getting myself killed!
Looking for hot guys on dating apps was like searching for apples to pick on a peach tree. If my previous research, and by research I mean listening to stories of people with actual experience, was anywhere close to being right., dating sites are full of not so immediately appealing men who could not get lucky in real life and instead had to resort to such measures to at least get more eyes on them.
"I will do your laundry next week if you find me a hunk!" I laughed before turning to my side and waiting for them to admit failure and finally hand me my phone.
Minutes passed with them giggling, gasping, squealing and I was unbothered. I knew they were all tactics to get me to have interest, and that was just not going to happen.
"Bingo! Get ready sister! You have a date tonight!" Amelia yelled out just when I was about to tell the girls to bring my phone at last.
"What? What are you talking about?" I rolled off my bed immediately and went over to them.
My eyes landed on a thick conversation bubble that most definitely contained nothing I would say as Amelia simply continued to text whoever the creep was.
"What are you even writing, Amelia?!" I attempted to reach for my phone and the girls were quick to shield Amelia as she read and giggled at the response that came.
"You just get ready!" Jax advised and a frown set itself on my face.
I threw Tony on my bed before returning to them to see what the heck they have been cooking up!
I knew it was going to be disastrous, regardless of what it is!
"Give me the phone, Lea! What are you doing?" I whined and the girls just laughed amongst themselves as they gave their okay for the response that had been typed.
Okay...he probably does not even know who I am, how I look, the last time I checked, the profile had no pictures and that had better still be the case!
"Okay, okay! Calm down! I will give you a glimpse...but no grabbing the phone or else... " Jax laughed before grabbing the phone From Amelia.
Her hand covered three quarters of the screen as she made sure to let me see only the message that the f*****g creeper sent.
"You better be able to deliver on that, talk is very cheap and it will only do so much for this d**k once it is hard, throbbing and ready to be used!"
My mouth is wide open as I finish reading the message. I am still frozen in shock when I notice that he is typing yet another message.
There is no f*****g way I am letting them continue with what they have done!
"Give it! And give the creep a break! " I try to yank the phone out of Jax's hand but she just throws it over to Amelia yet again. They have her circled on this one seater and she is having way too much fun on that keyboard!
"I am not going anywhere, not after what I just read! What the f**k have you been saying to him? Are you trying to get me violated?" I am basically panicking at this point but it is with good reason!
"Do you have any idea who you are talking to right now? Tracey wanted us to change the pictures on her profile as soon as soon as she realised who it was! I had no idea that he fancied becoming a werewolf, but he would make one hell of a sexy, charmi-"
"Wait... What did you say?!" I yell as soon as I realise what Amelia is insinuating with her words.
She looks at me like I am crazy before she tucks her light brown hair behind her ears.
"There are no pictures on that thing, are there?"
She better not say yes...
"Of course there are pictures! How the f**k esle to you think Ryan Engler would have wasted his breath on you? You think he has time to talk to some faceless Jane with such interest?" she retorts before laughing as she shakes her head.
"Who?!" I knit my brows together as she continues to talk about how apparently hot he is and I just feel like I am about to blow up or something like that!
"Which pictures did you even put up there? Oh my god!" I feel defeated as I rest my hands on my head. If they put up actual pictures of me on that creepy app, they better ensure that they erase the memory of each and every single one of the creeps that have already seen it!
And I have no idea why I am expected to rejoicing because this Mr Ryan who who has shown interest in me!
"oh gosh! You have fallen for a catfish already?! If he is as hot as you claim he is, why the hell does he need the help of the internet to get girls?!" I question and they look at me like I am overreacting.
"You need to relax, honey! You have a date in literally thirty minutes! Find an outfit or something, miss!" they laugh and my eyes are left looking wider than ever!
"Okay, I am not going! Who the hell does he think he is huh? He wants to reveal that he is a depressed, Forty year old that has not seen daylight in weeks because he is preying on young girls on the internet? No! I am not allowing it!" I finally get a chance to enjoy a laugh myself as I return to my comfy bed and lay on my stomach.
"Time is not on your side, wear the dress Jax got you or something!" Amelia suggests.
"But first, change into the underwear I bought you! I am tired of seeing grandma panties on a whole eighteen year old!" Tracy adds and I just roll my eyes.
She will say anything to Diss my underwear because it is not as tiny, see-through and barely there as hers is!
The day started out fine, they got me really cute gifts, including a cute dress, and a very sexy dress but I am not going to use that and give the creep exactly what he wants!
"Tell him I am not coming, okay? Easy as that! What, you think I am bound by chains to this date or something?" I question and I definitely, one hundred percent was not prepared for what I heard next.
"He is already on his way! He will knock on your door and find you looking like that, you know?" one of the crazy friends I have reveals that they have the sicko our address and I literally feel chills on my skin!
What the actual f**k?!
"well, the good news is, we did not give him the dorm number, relax honey! But he will be coming here so you better
meet him at Nancy's before your.. Uhmm let me see.... Twenty two minutes is up!"
If there was one thing they wanted to use to ensure that I definitely go on that date, that was it!
I quickly get up and search through my side of the closet for the perfect outfit that just screams "incognito". I throw on a pair of my black leggings and find my huge black hoodie to pair it with.
He will not be getting his disgusting d**k hard, not for s**t!
I do not even know what I am going to say to him once I get there but I just know for a fact that I will not let him get near the yard!
I was fortunate enough to have enrolled in one of the most prestigious schools, and I was not going to f**k up my chance of being here, after moving miles away from home, just because those four girls had serious blunders on their eyes!
I will be known as the first ever student to have some Forty year old honking at the gate for me or something, and that will be a scandalous that will be very difficult to forget! I cannot let it happen!
"uhmm... That is not the dress we talked about..." Jax complains and I just ignore it, pleading for them to hand my ohone over!
They are sure to exit the app before handing it over to me and I shove it in the pocket if my hoodie.
"his picture is your new wallpaper, just for reference!" they giggle and I cannot believe how naive they can actually be!
At least I know that I need to meet him at a public place, and that is all I need to feel safe as I let him know that am definitely not interested in him or having some affair with him because if he is not miserable and in desperate need of attention, then he is definitky some old married man who needs to learn to respect his wife!
I shake my head at my four best friends before I walk out, blocking my ears to avoid hearing whatever they still have to say after forcing ne so outrageously out of my comfort zone!
The audacity!