Moonstruck

By Laikyn Meng

Mr. Travers wasn't supposed to see me.

I was oddly obscure, a blunt reminder of something taboo sitting in the front of his class. I wasn't born to fit in, and he knew it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Orange 9 Publishing Company LLC
• Release date: Jun 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9798868953231

Book preview

Prologue

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Troye

I know life hasn’t dealt you the best cards lately, son. My dad’s voice is tender as he tries to comfort me. The divorce papers are signed are ready to be mailed.

After I found out my high school sweetheart lied about being pregnant, I stayed married to her. But then I found her naked with my best friend, and I guess that was a dealbreaker for me.

It’s alright, dad. I’ll survive. Honestly, I’m not too broken up about it. My fist to my best friend’s face felt nice, and to see my wife cry when I told her I was leaving.

I swear I don’t know why we stayed together so long. I stretch my hand out; even though it’s been months, I can still feel the twitch of the broken knuckle in my hand where I laid him out.

Your brother said he has a friend who can get you a job at the local high school. Summer is ending; the school will be starting, so you can get busy again and have something to focus on until you figure things out. Dad is trying his best, but I can hear the disappointment in his voice; I know he didn’t expect me to be divorced. He wants me to be happy, but I couldn’t do that staying in our small town. So I changed my Tennessee scenery for my twin brother’s Oklahoma.

My brother is an award-winning journalist who moved to another state just at the chance to follow a story. He has been there for a year, and well, I guess it won’t be too bad to reunite. We used to be close once. But I think I drifted away after I married, and he went to get his master’s degree.

I’ll call Tatum, dad. I’ve got to run, just pulling up to his house now.

Love you, son.

Love you too. I hand up and put the car in park. I am excited about the new start, but I also love a good challenge.

I shut the car off and grabbed a box from the backseat. I stop on the sidewalk and stare up at the house my brother is renting. It’s simple and looks like a home. I hear the noise before I see the person, but I am not quick enough even then.

Watch out! A girl whips by on a skateboard so fast that I stumble back into the gutter, nearly losing my box.

Thanks for the heads up! I yell at her as she passes down.

She skids to a stop, turns her hat backward, and then I swear to God that she isn’t a girl; she’s a woman pretending to be anything other than beautiful.

Damn. I let the word stumble out of my mouth; my hand lifts to cover the sun from my eyes because I swear I might be hallucinating.

I did give you a heads up; I said watch out. The mystery woman stomps on her skateboard and then pops it up into her hand. She shrugs, and her long dark hair comes out of her hat in waves. You good? She nods her head in my direction; I am still leaning against my car with a gaping mouth.

I snap my mouth shut and stand straight.

Yeah, all good. Thanks for asking.

I don't know why for the life of me, but she winks at me and heads back to her life.

Hey, Troye. Glad you made it. My brother comes out and takes the box from my hands. He looks down the street where I am staring. I see you’ve met our neighbors. Tatum smiles at me and laughs.

A tall skinny kid runs after she tries to catch up.

Ready to start the next chapter of your life, bro? My brother starts walking back inside, but I guess I’m still caught in her haze. Troye? Troye? Oh no, I know that look; I haven’t seen it in a while. But correct me if I’m wrong, looking a little moonstruck, aren’t we?

That snaps me out of the daydream real quick.

I haven’t been divorced for a year yet. Don’t go cursing me for falling in love. I shake my head and grab another box from the car.

I tell myself not to look back, I promise myself it won’t do any good, but at the last second, I am weak enough to stare down the street at the corner.

The skater girl lifts her head, her eyes aiming at me, and the smile on that mouth begins haunting me the minute I walk away.

Chapter 1

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Stash

S tash. Stash…Stash! Rodion , whom I have nicknamed Rode, hollers at me to pay attention to him.

Geeze, scream it for the saints. I whip my head back to him, where he is working on his flip trick. Our new neighbor has a brother who is pleasant to look at if I am being polite. If I am not being polite, I might say he is hot as all hades in paradise. That is the kind of hell I am sure my mother dreams about.

One where my father would burn down and crucify the handsome men for taking in her beauty. It doesn’t even sour my mood now, thinking about my parents. They can’t affect this life. They don’t have any part of it. And now I have no part of them; it was the price to pay. But a good place to be.

Even if they believe I am on their side, opposite as ever. Most of my choices are taken from me, and I accept my place among the consequences, But I can never take one; I do not choose either.

Did you see it? Did you see it? My cousin is too tall to act so childlike. But I guess when you don’t have a childhood, it comes out at random moments of tender happiness.

Yeah, bro! That shit was iconic! I applaud his first victory, and I shove my fists in the air. He is really my best friend, we always have been close.

I check over my shoulder when I hear a few voices. I smile, seeing the handsome new neighbor trying to check me out secretly. I lift my head to the sky and laugh. Right now, life is simple; right now, we aren’t arguing about surviving or battling to be born. Right now, I am not hurting myself to change; I promise myself I am made of the good stuff. Even though I didn’t come from the greats.

Rode! Push and bend your knees a little more. I tell him, and he tries a few more times before smacking the sidewalk. Shit! You good? I watch as the blood starts trickling down his face.

Rode doesn’t make a noise as I whip off my t-shirt and shove it at his face. The nice-looking neighbors come over to help.

Are you okay? This brother has glasses; he doesn’t look at me. He never has, and I find it odd because it’s like he keeps tabs but doesn’t want to be involved.

Just a broken nose, no biggy. I nod my head at Rode’s answer.

Don’t worry, we are used to bleeding. I smile at the brothers, both of them. Well, I try to, but damn, that one has got my attention like I’ve never seen a beautiful man before, and holy heavens, I was born into the Russian mob. My four older brothers represent every dark mafia romance imaginable.

But their faces twist in confusion at what I said. I forget people weren’t raised like we were.

Oh shit, no. Nah, not like that, never like that, sir. I swear I swallow because I don’t even know how to cover my tracks with that one.

Stash. Rode nudges me to help him with his nose.

Right, sorry, excuse us. Let’s get you to Aunt Aly, so she can put it back into place. I grab our skateboards and head back up the sidewalk.

Are you sure you guys don’t need anything? Should we walk you back to your house and let your parents know what happened? The hot one is talking to me like I’m in the seventh grade, and he wasn’t looking at me like I am a fine piece of the goddess he would love to taste.

We don’t have parents. I stare at him, pucker my lips, hating the confession. Rode puts his head down; he is more ashamed than I am about the fact.

I didn’t know; I just wanted to make sure he is okay. The hot dude swallows and looks at his brother for help, but we both are tense, and the situation feels out of place.

Doesn’t matter, no sweat. See ya around. I give them a nod and open a gate to Aunt Alyona’s cottage. I let Rode pass through and watch the brothers walk next door. The stern one goes inside without hesitation, but the one I admire stops and takes a few seconds to turn in my direction.

I think someone has caught a man's attention who shouldn’t be allowed to look that good around me. Who knows what thoughts I might conjure up with the vision of his side smirk, shaking his head to get the possibilities out of his head.

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It is the first day of school, and I swear this is not what I was promised. I refuse to go; I deny it above all else. And apparently, my cousin thinks it is hilarious.

Well, if Rode doesn’t go to school, I don’t want to either. I’m sitting at the table munching on cereal as my foster aunt explains the situation.

His nose broken, Anastasia, you go to school. Your nose is perfect! She kisses my head, and I swear if all it took was a broken nose to get me out of school, I would have a crooked nose by now

Rode snickers and smiles; bruising around his eyes has started to blossom. That lucky son of a bitch.

I bet you face planted on purpose, you jackass! I slap his arm, and it only makes him laugh harder.

No ass! Anastasia, your language is not respectable. Aunt Aly doesn’t like my outbursts; I