It Started with a Dare: The Rulers

By Linie Bener

Levi

She doesn't belong in my school.

She is a constant reminder of my rotten life—a dead-end future.

I don't want that or her.

She needs to go.

Even if I must be cruel.

 

Scarlet

I hate this school.

I dislike everything and everybody in it.

I'm counting the days until I'm free of this prison.

No one will stop me from leaving.

Not even Levi.

 

A Small Town Enemies To Lovers Sports Romance with light bullying theme and a guaranteed HEA. No cheating and no cliffhangers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Linie Bener
• Release date: Sep 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223288299

Book preview

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Chapter 1

Scarlet

Iblink away the unshed tears that sting my eyes as I tape the last box in my room. It looks so empty. I’ve lived here my entire life, and I can’t imagine someone else sleeping in this room.

Having cried enough this past month, I promised myself—no more tears.

My best friends were under strict orders to not call or text until tomorrow; it would have been too much if my best friends showed up at my house today. It was why we said our goodbyes yesterday.

Opening the window, the fresh salty breeze of the ocean blows in as I lean my elbows on the ledge and gaze out at the waterline, trying to ingrain the picture in my memory since it might be a while before I see it again.

What will I do when I need to run along the sandy shores to clear my mind? I’ll miss watching the waves and basking in the peacefulness the water brings. How can I cope with life in the country?

The lead in my chest returns, which makes me take a deep, stuttered breath in; something I’ve done a lot in the past two months—ever since my parents dropped the bomb, we were moving away from my childhood home and away from the friends I’ve known my entire life.

That day is vivid in my memory because of its irony. Seth and I had finally taken our relationship to the next level—a moment I’d been dreaming about forever since Seth was someone I’d been crushing on since middle school. It should have been the best day of my life—until it wasn’t. I wore a permanent grin on my face when I got home that day, but the moment I walked into the house, my parents sat me down and told me the news. I can still feel its crushing effect, which is forever etched in me.

I was born and raised in Altman.

Stacie, Anna, and I have been best friends since we were seven years old, so with many kids in my school. I wanted to graduate with them and close that chapter of my life with a momentous celebration. It was a milestone every senior looks forward to.

When I said goodbye, even kids with whom I wasn’t as close shed tears. I will miss every single one of them. Even my teachers and everything I complained about daily. It's my life, and I love it. My parents are cruel to move me in the middle of my high school senior year. It’s like taking a crucial part away from me. I will forever hate them for it.

My friends and I begged my parents to let me stay and finish school, but they wouldn’t hear of it. Stacie and Anna’s parents will let me live with them for the rest of the year since we plan to attend the local university and live in dorms in less than a year, but they wouldn’t budge. I’ve been so angry with my parents that I haven't spoken to them. I’ve spent most of my time at Stacie’s, Anna’s, and sometimes Seth’s.

Scar, honey. Are you ready?

With a glare, I bend down to pick up my backpack and march outside without a backward glance. There are no words that need to be said, only hatred. Stomping to the rental car parked in the driveway, I slam the door loudly and slump into the back seat.

With the earphones in my ears, I blast music to drown out my emotions and close my eyes. I didn't want to see us drive away from the house.

We spend the entire flight separated by a few seats, and not once did I glance in their direction. The farther I get away from my life, the angrier I get.

They were so selfish about making this drastic change without thinking of how it would affect me. I don’t see why they won’t allow me to finish the last few high school months with my friends. I can’t wait to turn eighteen and be free to make choices for my life.

We drive up the manicured lawn where the real estate agent stands in front of the two-story brick house. She has a tight bun with a matching red dress suit and greets us as we get out of the car, then shakes my parents’ hands. Is this your daughter? Isn’t she just lovely? She looks just like you, she tells my mom.

With an eye roll, I ignore the lady. I used to love the comparison as we shared bright crimson wavy hair, big green eyes, fair skin, and a petite frame, while I got my dad’s big smile and height. My mom is only five-two, while my dad is five-eleven. I’m in between them at five-seven.

I gaze up at the impressive traditional house, but it doesn’t compare to our old house, which had a beach view. The inside has white paneled windows with dark brown wood floors and beam ceilings. It has French doors accessible from the kitchen, which open to a large backyard with a deck and a pool. I frown at the pool for a moment, then turn. It doesn’t replace the beach.

I find my room, leaving the adults to tour the rest of the house. The room is spacious, but nothing interesting, except for maybe the balcony. It has a view of the university buildings. Otherwise, the land is flat and dry.

Refusing to stay in the foreign room, I stay out on the balcony.

It’s not my bedroom. I don’t have any memories in it, and I miss the comfort of my room—the safety it brought.

Letting out a deep sigh, I sat on the cold cement and turned the volume up. The music pounds in my ears, drowning out the crushing feeling inside me.

This is it, my prison cell. It’s wrapped in a pretty package, but it’s a prison. Blinking up at the blue sky to rid the tears that threaten to escape and taking a few shaky breaths, I screw my eyes shut, thinking of the ocean until calm washes over me.

My friends pop into my mind, and I wonder what they are doing, which causes more sadness. So, I crank the volume up to some more, allowing the music’s beats to wash through me and distract me from my swirling thoughts and my surroundings.

Mom yanks my earphones out, and I raise my brows.

Jeez, didn’t you hear me? How can you listen to music that loud? Mom scowled.

I stare at her with a blank face, waiting for her to tell me what she wants.

Sadness flashes in her eyes briefly. Can you help unload the car? What do you want for dinner?

I’m not hungry. I only have my backpack. I move to place the earphones back in my ear.

Hone—.

Shoving the piece in my ear, the music drowns her out. I close my eyes and return to my numb state.

I stay on the balcony and watch the sunset until darkness engulfs the streets. Dim lights light the lamps, which cast long shadows from the trees. The night air gets colder, which sends a shiver down my spine, but I don’t move. The night suits my mood. I wish it would take me with it and wake me up when this nightmare is over. As I sit on the dark, cold balcony floor, I finally allow the tears to flow. Something I’ve kept at bay from the moment I stepped out of my home.

I spent the last few days locked in my room, unpacking or texting and chatting with my friends. My parents asked me to explore the town with them, but I haven’t spoken to them, and I can’t stand being in the same room as them. The sense of betrayal is still too strong.

I spoke with Seth all night, which helped keep my spirits high and ready for my dreaded first day in South Glenn—which had a student population of four hundred.

Dad tried talking to me, but I ignored him, so he left my books and school schedule on the table.

I get in my car thirty minutes before school starts, even though I only live fifteen miles away. I type in the closest coffee shop on my phone and frown—twenty minutes?

There must be a mistake. I close the app and try again. Nope. Same thing. I try searching for it instead of mapping it, but I get the same results. Leaning my head back, I take a deep breath. I peer inside the house, contemplating if I should make myself some coffee. Then I glimpse Mom through the window, so I suck it up. Even though I always