I stared at this boy, with anger rising in my stomach, but with my mouth agape. My mouth was open, because quite simply, I couldn't fill it with the words I needed it to speak.

The boy's smirk didn't falter, though he raised his eyebrows at my silence. He looked so fucking cocky as he raked his eyes over my face. Perhaps he was expecting a witty retort, and was pleasantly surprised when he saw a hint of fragility cross my features instead.

The hint of fragility was something I just couldn't control. He was right, after all, and he had spoke the truth immediately. Like my whole charade of new clothes and new makeup was transparent, and he saw right through it.

Like I was simply made of glass. Or maybe plastic, the kind that just pretends to be glass.

"Sterling!" Daisy's rushed voice came out only seconds after he said the words. I could clearly hear the many emotions that were stuffed into her voice.

Panic, annoyance... and defence.

Her voice boomed the single word from behind me, and I watched as the boy, who I suppose was called Sterling, kept his eyes on me for a second longer, before he flicked them to her.

"She wasn't homeless," she bit out, and I heard the small click clack of her shoes sound against the cement.

I pursed my lips as she spoke. It was true— I wasn't homeless when I got Daisy's email. Yet.

"And we didn't rescue her!" Daisy huffed, finally coming into view. I broke my eyes away from Sterling, who was looking between Daisy and me with an amused expression on his face.

She looked gorgeous, with a long white dress that draped her body perfectly. Her light hair was in a high ponytail, the golden strands bouncing in the air behind her. She looked exactly like what she was. She wasn't made of glass, or plastic, like I was.

"And that was like, literally so rude to say to my sister, Sterling," Daisy continued, shaking her head like he was a toddler she was paid to mind and scold.

"What?" Sterling let out in a surprised chuckle. "How was that rude? I was calling her hot."

If my eyes could roll any harder, the blood vessels in my face might have broken. Daisy let out an exasperated sigh, one that told me she was used to dealing with him.

"You are such a guy," she sighed. "Apologize."

"It was a complime..." Sterling said, raising his hands in front of him as he shrugged.

"Do it," Daisy cut him off, and she was met with a heavy sigh from Sterling.

He looked at the ground, shaking his head. I could see when a grin crossed his mouth, however, like he found this entire interaction hilarious.

Sterling eventually raised his head, his hand swiping through his messy hair. I observed him further as he moved, but not in awe like I had been earlier. Like I wanted to memorize his face so I could visualize it on the next thing I felt the desire to punch.

This time, when I noticed his features, it only pulled at the anger in my stomach. His sharp jaw, and his full lips. The slight stubble on his chin, the symmetry of all of above. But, mostly his eyes, because they weren't the blue or maybe the brown eyes I was expecting. They were dark grey.

I hated them.

"Listen," he started, and I felt the frown on my lips at his voice. He aggravated me, it was quite simple. Maybe I could have tolerated him, if he hadn't opened his stupid mouth and filled my head with insecurities.

But, he did. So, I won't.

Sterling paused, his eyes shifted over to my sister. Daisy looked just like I felt; like she had the urge to hurt him.

"Dahlia," she let out sternly, her eyes flashing cold as she read his unspoken cues that he needed her to fill in the blanks.

Sterling nodded, and then looked back to me with his faux charming smile. "Dahlia," he continued. "I didn't meant to offend you. I was simply noting that you weren't what I was expecting."

He raised his eyebrows again, like he was both proud of himself and expecting my understanding. But I couldn't find myself to give him that, so I simply stared back at him instead.

"Oh my fucking god, Sterling. Great, she hates you. My sister hates my best friend, and they've only known each other for five fucking minutes," Daisy angrily let out, crossing her arms as she spoke.

I felt my face move slightly at her words. This was my sisters best friend? I flicked my eyes to my sister, who seemed to be the most girl's-girl you would ever find, and then back to Sterling, who seemed like he would have tried to fuck her immediately once they had met. I was looking for the link, the piece that seemed to fit. There didn't seem to be one.

"I'm taking her side," Daisy spoke again, and I felt her arm loop through mine. "Sisters before misters, after all."

"Didn't you two like, just meet today?" Sterling eyed our looped arms suspiciously, and I wasn't sure if he was jealous or wary.

"And what about it?" Daisy snapped back, letting a hint of a laugh pass through her words.

"You've known me for thirteen years, Daze!" He was laughing, but I could tell he really meant the words. "Listen," his voice softened as he looked back to me. "I really meant no harm, Dahlia. Forgive me?"

Sterling's eyes sparkled as he looked at me. He made them wide, on purpose I was sure. He looked at me with such confidence, like he was simply certain that I would melt under his gaze.

I wanted to laugh at him.

"No," I said instead, keeping my face stone cold.

And I wanted to laugh even more at the stunned look that crossed his stupid features at the sound of my reply.

"Is she here?" We were interrupted by the shrill voice of a girl, and the immediate sound of heels running towards us.

I barely had time to turn around before there was blonde hair in my face, and skinny arms wrapped around me. A cloud of expensive perfume enclosed me, making me have the urge to sneeze.

"Oh my god! Dahlia! I'm so excited," her high voice blasted into my ear, and since her mouth was immediately beside it, I couldn't help but flinch.

Thankfully, I was released only seconds after being attacked. The blonde hair was removed from my eyes, and I could finally see my attackers face.

"I'm Tiff!" She said excitedly, her hands clasping onto my own. "Well, that's short for Tiffany. And that's short for Tiffany-May," she smiled so wide as she spoke, her blue eyes darting over my face. "But you can call me Tiff!"

I let out a small laugh at her enthusiasm, and while noting that this was a kind of encounter I had never quite had before, it was much more welcoming than the one given to me by Sterling.

"Hi," I said with a smile, "I'm..."

"God," she interrupted me, shaking her head. "You are so pretty. Isn't she so pretty, Daisy? Sterling? You told her how pretty she is, right?"

"That's what I said..." Sterling started, but both Daisy and I spoke at the same time.

"No, you didn't." Our voices spoke in unison.

Tiff's eyes grew wide, and I'm sure mine did too. "Wow, are you sure you guys aren't twins? Speaking at the same time... and you look like twins, too! Besides the hair, but otherwise..."

"I don't see it," Sterling spoke from beside us, and I wondered why he was still there.

I wished he wasn't.

"Do you really think so?" Daisy seemed thrilled at the prospect, however.

"I'm a year older than Daisy," I let out, noticing my voice was so much more timid than it usually was.

"Really?" Tiff let out, "that means you and Sterling are the same age."

Who cares?

Is what I wanted to say, but I refrained.

"I knew she would be hot!" Came another booming voice, causing us all to look towards the entrance to the backyard.

Though this boy looked completely different than Sterling, with blonde curls and a shorter stature, he still had the same air of affluence that Sterling had. And Daisy had. And Tiff

The blonde boy smiled widely as he walked up to me, taking my hand in his and planting a firm kiss on my skin. "Teddy, and let me tell you, it's certainly my pleasure."

He smiled at me a second longer, before letting go of my hand and walking towards Sterling. "And, like I said, I told you she would be hot, which means you owe me fifty bucks my dude."

Daisy and Tiff let out the gasp of surprise that I should have, I suppose. Yet somehow, I wasn't surprised.

"You two bet on whether or not she would be hot?" Daisy's disgusted voice rang out.

"What?" Teddy balked, not understanding how gross they were. "She's is hot, so it's no harm. If she wasn't... well I can see why that would be hurtful."

I didn't have enough time to answer, before the next one of Daisy's friends entered the backyard. This time it was a beautiful girl with brown skin and brown hair who introduced herself politely, Imara.

The next ten minutes, I was simply trying to match names to faces in my mind. There was already Sterling, who unfortunately I was unlikely to forget if I tried. Then Tiff, Teddy and Imara.

The next boy was Micheal, who in contrast to Teddy was much more reserved. He simply shook my hand, his eyes lingering on me for a second longer than they should have.

Then came Lea, who bounded into the backyard like she simply belonged here. She too, for some reason, seemed to be quite surprised at what I looked like. She had jet black hair that was cut into a bob, and she wore a sharp look in her eyes.

Jalen was the last one to greet me. Out of all of the boys, his eyes seemed the most genuine. They were the same beautiful brown colour as his skin, and his smile was just as genuine as his eyes.

With my mind still whirling from trying to remember all of names I had just learned, I was sat against the blue cushion of a pool chair. After some small chit chat with Daisy's friends as a whole, the group seemed to merge into two halves.

The boys were huddled around a makeshift bar, with beers in their hands as they spoke loudly to each other. The girls, myself included, were sat around the pool, and each of them seemed intent to fill me in on something in specific.

I was surprised by the girls, I wasn't sure why I had excepted the worst of them. Maybe it's due to the toxic stereotypes that are shoved into our veins since we were able to work a remote control. But, they seemed nice. Nice enough that my nerves were starting to fade, and my anxiety was close behind.

"I know how it feels to be the new girl around here," Imara was sitting next to me, crafting a braid into her thick hair.

"Really?" I asked, taken by surprise again. Imara seemed as comfortable in this environment as Daisy did.

"Yeah," she smiled at me. "My family moved here from India when I was in freshmen year. Your sister, well..." she smiled sheepishly. "Daisy, I mean, she was my first friend."

"That's sweet," I smiled at her, watching as she shifted her eyes to Daisy, who was deep in conversation with Tiff.

"She really is a great person. You're lucky to have her as sister," Imara told me, and I could see the love she had for Daisy in her eyes.

"I'm starting to realize that," I agreed, tipping my head back against the backrest.

"When she first came up to me at lunch," Imara continued, "I was terrified of her. I mean, she was the head cheerleader dating the quarterback."

Internally, I arrogantly took note of my correct assumption from earlier. Daisy just screamed cheerleader.

"But, she was so nice," Imara's eyes widened at something behind me as she spoke, before they narrowed. Her eyes remained on whatever she was looking at for a second longer, before she glanced back to me.

"Speaking of boyfriends," she continued, smiling at me again. "You have one?"

"Nope," I said simply, shrugging.

"Hmm..." she hummed. "Interesting."

"Why's that interesting?" I asked, not understanding at all.

"No reason," she shrugged, but with that coy smile still on her face. "It's just Sterling Hale is staring at you. And he never stares at anyone."