Play The Game

Chapter One

The sun shined hotly down onto the small town even though it was the 27th of December. A chilly wind blew through the small town causing Stella to shiver and rub her hands together. She looked around shifting from foot to foot finding it to be much colder than it would appear.

A red cap covered her head and was pulled over her ears to stop them from turning red and freezing. She had on a thin black jacket that she had randomly grabbed from her house. With a pair of thin blue jeans and snow boats to follow everything else that she had.

“Stella!” Stella looked in the direction that her name had been shouted with a small smile on her face. “Stella!” Alice shouted once again before throwing her arms around the other female, giving her a tight hug.

Stella chuckled lightly as she returned the hug before pushing her best friend off of her. “Alice, you’ll bust one of my ear drums if you’re not careful,” Stella said, trying to keep a strain look on her face but failing miserably at it. “Is that him?” Stella asked, looking behind Alice and towards the male that was walking towards the two of them.

The male had short black messy hair like he hadn’t combed it that morning, wearing casual clothing, a black jacket swung over his shoulder and a pair of sunglasses on his head. Stella couldn’t help but think that the male was trying to hard with his appearance. She couldn’t see anything special about him and didn’t find it charming that he didn’t want to wear a coat or something to keep him warm in the winter.

“That’s Derrick.” Alice said as a wide smile spread across her face as she looked at her recent boyfriend.

Alice had became Stella's friend back in Highschool when everyone else had turned their backs on the older girl. Even though with the two apperance, different tastes and personalities one might not think that they would have been best friends or friends at all.

Alice was a hyperactive girl who had the attractive looks and seemed to get all the attention when it came to attracting the opposite s*x. She was short, 5’0, with shoulder-length bleach blonde hair, and wide blue eyes that, in most other people's minds, seemed to add an innocent touch to the girl. Alice wore a loose black dress, with black high heel boots, black legging and a opened red jacket.

Her hands and head remained opened to the chilly wind and hot sun, something that Stella couldn’t understand. Just standing there talking to Alice had the older female freezing still. Stella couldn’t even understand why someone would wear a dress in winter.

Stella couldn’t help but roll her eyes as she notice the difference between Derrick and Alice and knew that the two of them wouldn’t last very long. She knew that Alice was a natural born heart-breaker, and that it hadn’t stopped even she she had went to college. Even though many people in their hometown referred to Alice as a stone cold heart-break, Stella knew that Alice didn’t mean anything by dumping those that she dated in the past and didn’t want to hurt them.

“You really know how to pick them.” Stella mumbled before getting distracted by her phone as it started to ring. “Oh, I gotta get this.” The older girl said as glanced at Alice, to see that her friend wasn’t even paying attention to her anymore.

“Ya okay.” Alice said, glancing at Stella for a second before going back to watching her boyfriend approach them.

“Hello?” Stella spoke softly as she brought the phone up to hear ear, wondering who it was calling her as she walked down the cement a little.

“Hey, Stella! This is your awesome bro talking!” A male voice sounded from the other side making Stella want to groan as she wondered what he wanted.

“What do you need, now?” Stella asked getting right to the point knowing that her brother wouldn’t have called if he didn’t need something, rather it be a ride or money.

A.J. McKeenze was a year and some odd months younger than his sister but both had graduated at the same time. Unlike Stella, who knew that she wasn’t overly smart but still managed to get good grades, A.J. seemed to always boom with over confidence and smarts. Stella wondered sometimes if they was really related or not, even though the two shared almost the exact same looks.

Stella felt a headache coming on from just hearing her brother's voice. It wasn’t because she found him annoying, which was true at time, or because she hated him that the headache was forming but from the worry that she felt. She seemed to always start worrying about her family more and more with each passing day wishing that she could do something for them.

“I need some money.” A.J. answer didn’t surprise Stella as she had expected something like that.

“For?” She dared to question, doubting that she would get the truth out of her brother.

Stella already knew that her brother didn’t like to reveal what he used the money for. She already knew that he didn’t like to reveal such trivial matters to her or anyone else for that matter. Something that could be annoying at times for the girl didn’t know where the money she gave him was really going.

“This and that.” A.J. said, chuckling as he found it amusing that his sister would still ask such things.

“I’ll repeat, for?” Stella asked again, not willing to help him if he wasn’t going to give her the answer that she wanted.

“College?” It came out more of a question than a statement causing Stella to doubt his words.

Another sigh escaped the female. “You’re on break.” Stella pointed out as she looked towards the sky. “Plus Christmas was the other day. What happened to that money?” She dared to ask.

A.J. kept quiet for a second having not realized that his plan would fail. “Aw, come on Sis. Don’t you love me?” He tired choosing to ignore Stella's question.

“No.”

Stella felt annoyance as she answered her brother with one word. She didn’t have the time or money to spare on him if he didn’t want to be truthful or answer her question. The girl already knew that she would have to be going back to work soon and couldn’t waste the little money that she had.

“Just a little?”

“No.”

“Pleeeease.”

“I am not your personal money maker.” Stella snapped as she had enough and ended the call before her brother could say anything else.

She knew that they would have just gone back and forth if she didn’t. Something that she didn’t have time for as she needed to get back to Alice and Derick. Stella thought about the money that she already gave him knowing that he was going to kill her with his need for always wanting money from her.

Stella feeling a ting of guilt already knew what she was going to have to do. Unlocking her phone as she walked back towards Alice and Derick she quickly typed a message, her thumb lingering over the send button for a few seconds before she finally pushed it. Knowing that there was nothing else she could do to help her brother, Stella slid the phone back into her pocket and returned to the two love birds.

“Are you done?” Alice questioned happily as Stella walked towards her. “Your brother? Mother? Boyfriend? Nick?” Alice said the last name with more interest than the others.

Stella knew that Alice missed Nick and that their third friend hardly talked to them the past few years. After everything that they had to go through in Highschool, Stella would have expected Nick to at least stick around Alice but he didn’t. The last time they heard from him had been a few years back.

“A.J. the annoying fellow he is wanted money from me.” Stella said as she rolled her eyes before looking at her friends boyfriend. “I’m Stella, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Ya, you to. I’m Derick.” Derick said, barely casting a glance at Stella but continued to look around the area they was meeting in.

“Nice fella you are.” The female mumbled before planting a fake smile on her face. “Well, Derrick, seeing as you came along you get to be the third wheel. Meaning that I’m stealing my dear, sweet, friend away from your evil grasp.”

Stella didn’t give Derrick or Alice time to think about her words as she reached forward and grabbed her friend. Pulling her out of Derricks hold easily and towards her, while almost letting her fall to the ground.

“Stella!” Alice voice was high-pitched and filled with panic as she thought she was going to fall to the ground.

Stella chuckled as she stepped forward and helped balance her friend that she almost caused to fall. “That’s my name, don’t wear it out.” She said, turning and leading Alice into the small restaurant with a very confused Derick following in behind him. “I bet you dump him in a month- no, a week's time.” Stella said as she pulled Alice to the counter.

“Will not.” Alice defended herself as she looked for something quick and simple. “I actually like him.” She said before placing her order.

“If you end up staying with him more than a week, than pigs learned to fly.” Stella said, giving her friend an innocent smile as she placed her order next. “He’s paying for us.” She pointed to Derrick who stood behind the two of them before pulling Alice away to a table.

“You always guess how long I’m going to be with someone and somehow get it right but this time it's different. Derick is different from the other guys that I’ve dated.” Alice said as Stella turned her head to look at Derrick. “He’s sweet to me and even buys me gifts.”

Stella felt sorry for her friend as she fall for another guy's charm. She knew that Alice couldn’t help it at times but she couldn’t help but feel sorry. Alice had found herself mixed up in more things than she was in highschool and there was nothing that Stella could do about it.

“Sweety,” Stella began reaching over and grabbing Alice's hand. “Just because he doesn’t show his true form doesn’t mean it’s not there. The second he gets what he wants he’ll dump you just like the others. Rather it be s*x, money, or something else that you might have and he doesn’t.” Stella said, knowing just how her past relationships have worked not that she didn’t doubt that one day Alice would find the guy she was meant to be with. “Or before that happens you’ll end up dumping him because you grew bored.”

Alice couldn’t deny her friend words as they rang with the truth. “Let’s talk about something else.” Alice said as Derrick finally arrived at their table and sat down. “I’m having a New Year’s party this Friday. Wanna come?” Alice asked as she leaned forward and towards Stella.

“Where and when?” Stella asked, wondering if she was going to have the time to waste. “And who's all going?”

Alice put her finger to her chin as she thought about the answer. “There’s me, Derrick, Joel, Mike, Becca, and Cody. Plus their plus ones.” Alice said as she listed everyone that she planned on having there.

“Mike and Cody are going to be there?” Stella asked, hoping that it wasn’t the same Mike and Cody that she was thinking it was. “Like our Mike and Cody or another Mike and Cody?”

Alice grimaced as she looked around trying to think of something to say to avoid that conversation. “The Party is going to happen down at my lake house around 7ish.”

“I’ll think about it but I don’t know if I can make it.” Stella said, knowing that Alice was avoiding her question and confirming her fear. “I planned to visit family before going back to work. Unlike some of us, I don’t go to college and work most of the time.”

Stella didn’t mind skipping out on the college experience as she saw no reason behind it and didn’t need to deal with that type of drama. The girl didn’t see the point in going when she didn’t even know what she would go for and found her time better spent with working and making money even if it wasn’t a lot.

“You need to come and bring Lin with you.” Alice pouted at the other girl. “I haven’t seen him since highschool which was what? 2-3 years ago?”

Stella chuckled at her friend knowing that she was close enough. She knew that Alice didn’t really like Lin and was onlying bringing him up on hopes that it would change her mind. Something that wasn’t likely to happen to Stella.

“You didn’t even like him back in highschool. If I remember correctly you said he was a ‘no good stick in the mud male who doesn’t know how to have fun’ and couldn’t understand why I liked him back then.” Stella pointed out watching as Alice smile dimmed slightly before widening.

“That was before I realize just how happy he made you.” Alice answered waving a hand at her friend. “After all that pain you two had to go through I didn’t think he was right for you but I was wrong.”

“The past is the past and there's no changing it.” Stella said knowing that to be true a little too much. “So Derrick how have you been treating my dear friend Alice?” Stella asked, having a feeling that she wasn’t going to like the male before her very much.