chapter one, kiara's pissed

THE SWELTERING North Carolina sun beamed down on Daisy with no relent. The air smelled of sea salt and freshly cut grass. It was an uncomfortably humid day and unfortunately for the teenage girl, she was nowhere near dressed appropriately. Her jeans were stuck to her thighs like an extra layer of skin, and beads of sweat stuck to her arms, leaving her feeling sticky. The sun left her naturally tanned skin with hues of deep red.

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, eyes scanning the busy airport crowd for any sign of her aunt. Her brother, Kai, sat idly on the edge of his suitcase. She paid the boy no mind as it was typical of him to sit there and do nothing rather than assist her in any way.

One vehicle in particular caught her eye as the rowdy driver wove their way through the pile up of other cars waiting in the arrival section, and parked directly in front of the two siblings.

In the driver's seat was a woman who appeared to be in her late 30's. She had ash brown hair with light caramel highlights. The woman was now digging in her mini clutch bag on the seat beside her and began touching up her blush pink lipstick in the rear-view mirror.

Daisy kicked her brother's suitcase with the back of her heel to alert him, sending Kai stumbling backwards. She approached the car with her own luggage rolling behind her and lightly tapped the passenger's side door.

The woman, visibly startled by the disturbance, snapped her head towards the culprit. But, the irritation in her face quickly withered into a wide grin at the sight of Daisy standing there.

"Daisy-kins!" The older woman squealed. She popped her open her car door and shimmied around to the other side where Daisy stood.

Her arms wrapped Daisy up into a — surprisingly tight for a woman her size — bear hug.

"Hi Aunt Li!" The younger girl silently wheezed as she struggled to free herself from her aunt's iron grip.

Lorelei Hale. Ex-housewife, 'all-things botox' enthusiast, and Daisy and Kai's filthy rich aunt.

"Where's your brother?" Lorelei glanced around for the other sibling.

Speaking of the devil, Kai strolled up to his aunt's car just seconds later. Lorelei pulled her nephew into a hug as well. He mumbled a small 'Hi' as he kept his agitated gaze on his sister for tipping his suitcase earlier. A devious smile spread across Daisy's lips, taunting her brother.

Lorelei certainly went all out in her appearance for her niece and nephew. She wore custom, 5-inch diamond studded, Steve Madden platforms with a fitted two-piece set from the Chanel spring collection. Her hair was styled into trendy 'beach wave' curls and the front pieces held back by two barrettes. A simple necklace adorned with Swarovski crystals rested upon her chest.

She helped her niece and nephew store their bags into the trunk of her silver BMW 8 Series Convertible (with new seats in the shade: cashmere). And they hopped into Lorelei's car to head back to her house.

As Daisy was just about to take the front seat, Kai shoved her out of the way.

"I call shotgun." Kai quickly plopped down into the passenger's seat as Lorelei was already turning the keys into the ignition from the driver's side.

Daisy sucked her teeth, "You're such a dick." She muttered quiet enough for Kai to hear, but not their aunt.

He blew kisses back at her. "Love you too."

A gag escaped Daisy's mouth as she, literally, climbed into the backseat because Kai refused to put his seat down for her. Lorelei then pulled off from the airport.

WHERE TO BEGIN? Lorelei Hale moved to the Outer Banks, North Carolina fresh out of college. She went to school for business and marketing, later going on to become a Real Estate agent. That was how she made the real bank. However, for the rest of her fortune ... that was really just play money. This was the money that came from her divorce to her late husband ('late' as in not deceased, but in the famous words of Lorelei herself: dead to me). But money wasn't the only thing she gained from the failed marriage.

Lorelei is a cunning woman, smart enough to not let some 'douchebag' rob her of everything she's worked her entire life for. Therefore, her divorce left her with the house, all her cars, any assets, and her beautiful pride and joy: Anna, who is around the same age as the twins.

Their Aunt Lorelei is their father's sister. Twins, like Daisy and Kai. He used to tell them stories about how close he was with their aunt growing up. So it was only natural that he encouraged them to lookout for each as he once did with his own sister.

As for their mother, she was never too fond of Aunt Lorelei. Family gatherings always felt like walking on eggshells when the two of them were in any close proximity. Nevertheless, she still agreed to allow her children to stay with Lorelei for summer — only to please her husband.

And it was absolutely thrilling at first, an entire summer with no kids running around to pester you or each other: parental heaven.

It wasn't until the age twelve when their parents broke the news: they would never stay with their aunt for the summer again. Neither of the twins were ever given a clear explanation as to why?

Daisy of course was heartbroken by the news. She loved staying in the Outer Banks. And she would always miss the sun, the beaches, her friends. But the decision was final, and their parents, mainly their mother, indeed stood by their word.

Each passing summer, Daisy always left a packed bag underneath her bed in hopes that her parents would someday miraculously change their minds. They never did.

Lorelei shifted her mirror to get a look at her niece in the backseat. The low hum of music from the radio played throughout the car, and Daisy's head rested against her elbow on the door as she looked out onto the open fields that seemed to go on for miles.

"You alright back there, you look a little pale?" Her face pulled down into a look of concern.

Daisy brushed her hair back from blowing in her face. "Mhm.". She paused for a moment before speaking again, "It's a little windy back here though—"

"Great sweetheart, just don't puke on my good seats." Lorelei interrupted as she pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes.

Daisy shut her mouth abruptly. She could see her brother snickering in the front seat through the side mirror on the car. She flipped him off with an in-genuine smile.

They passed the 'Welcome to Kildare' sign at the edge of the road, a wave of nostalgia hitting Daisy. She watched it grow further and further away until she could no longer twist her head around in her seat.

She flipped back around with a small huff, dark strands of hair still blowing wildly around her.

ANNA HALE WAS lounging in one of the pool chairs on the back deck when her mother emerged from the glass sliding door that lead into their home. Anna's fingers tapped rapidly against the keyboard of her phone, while music played from the surround sound speakers installed around the backyard. Her attention was drawn to the two teens that trailed behind her mother.

"Anna look who it is," Lorelei called out to her daughter. She gestured toward where Daisy awkwardly stood beside her brother. "It's your cousins! Remember Daisy and Kai?" She clasped her hands together.

Anna lazily observed the twins for a moment. "Hey." She deadpanned, then returned to being occupied by whatever was on her phone.

Daisy uttered a small 'Hey' and waved. Kai seemed to be amused by the entire interaction, but Lorelei looked a little more than annoyed. She sashayed over to Anna and quietly scolded her in a hushed tone.

"She's ... different?" Daisy struggled to find the appropriate words to describe her cousin.

Kai crossed his arms over his chest, keeping his eyes on the two girls now arguing. "And hot."

It took a moment for his words to click, but when they did it caught Daisy off-guard. "Did you just call her hot?" She grimaced.

"Yeah?" He shrugged, finding nothing wrong with his previous statement. Daisy looked at her brother beyond bewildered.

She twisted around to face his side. "She's your cousin."

"Not hot like hot, but she's like pretty now, y'know?" He explained.

Kai wasn't exactly wrong. Anna had changed a lot since they were little. For one, she no longer had braces with bright neon pink brackets. Her hair had grown much longer, it was now past her waist, from the short bob she always wore. And she had the same light brown highlights as her mother. Her once cherub-round face lost it's baby fat, and now she had more defining features.

Anna was hot, without a doubt.

Lorelei's high-heels clicked loudly against the cobblestone as she walked away from her daughter, stopping in front of Kai and Daisy.

"Sorry about that!" Her voice came out all cheery again. "Are you guys hungry?" She asked.

The twins shared a look before turning to Lorelei. "Maybe we could get settled in first and then eat?" Daisy suggested.

"Right." Lorelei shook her head. "Of course you can get settled. Your rooms are still the same."

"Cool." Kai was the first to roll his suitcase back towards the house.

Daisy followed behind her brother, the wheels of her bag getting caught on a couple of stones in the patio.

Surprisingly, Daisy still remembered a lot about her aunt's house. It was essentially 'split' into two wings, and then the main house. Daisy and Kai would stay in the east wing; which consisted of the guest quarters. It was almost a mini apartment for the twins. They had a small kitchenette to themselves and their own bathrooms too. Three bedrooms total, two bathrooms, and a deck that overlooked the pool area. Just the east wing alone was the size of their house back at home.

Lorelei and Anna's room were on the opposite side of the house. The twins have pretty much been in every nook and cranny of the Hale Estate, thanks to Anna.

Except for one room in the main wing that Lorelei keeps locked. Anna explained that it used to be her father's study. Everything was in that room: the deed to the house, birth certificates, legal documents. No one — absolutely nobody — was allowed inside.

But that never mattered. It wasn't as if three twelve year old children had any interest in a bunch of boring papers anyways.

The large door to Daisy's old room, slowly creaked open as she took a peak inside for the first time in years. Obviously some cleaning had been done a few times throughout its vacancy, but for the most part it appeared to remain untouched.

It's walls were still covered with a pale sage-green paint, and the floors a spotless linen brown. Daisy aimlessly wandered around the room. A fresh set of sheets had been placed on her bed with a white quilted blanket folded neatly at the foot of the bed.

Her eyes then fell onto her old dresser. Some of her things still remained scattered across the top. She held up an old photo of herself and a toothless nine-year old Kai eating ice cream on a bench by the pier. Daisy still remembered that day so vividly, it was the first year she and her brother visited Aunt Lorelei without their parents. It was also the start of the best summer ever.

Another photo that laid beside it brought Daisy back to a time she had almost forgotten about. In the picture, she and, then twelve year old, Kiara Carrera were lounging together in a pool chair in Lorelei's backyard. Daisy had on a large floppy sun hat that almost completely covered her face. Kiara beside her was grinning ear to ear, bright red sunglasses shading her eyes. Both girls had on matching baby pink bathing suits. They always liked to share one pool chair as two just felt too far apart.

Best friends forever. Those words once meant something to Daisy, but now they just felt distant.

"Knock, knock."

Kai appeared in the door frame behind Daisy. She quickly dropped the photo and twirled around, facing her brother.

"Yeah?" She huffed.

"Aunt Lorelei says she wants to take us into town for lunch." There was a long pause shortly after. Kai stayed by the door frame, also taking a moment to peak around Daisy's room.

Daisy's lips formed into a thin line. "Was that all? Or—"

"Bye."

"Good talk." She mumbled, watching her brother walk away.

LORELEI WAS WAITING at the bottom of the stairs when Daisy finally returned from her room. Daisy noticed Lorelei had made an outfit change from the two piece set to a lavender sundress.

"There you are!" She announced at Daisy's presence.

The teenage girl pulled an awkward grin, "Here I am." She retorted.

Lorelei scurried towards Daisy, tugging her towards the front door. "Come, come. You two have so much to see." She glanced towards the other twin who was lazily sprawled out on the sofa. "Kai?"

"Comin'!" He rolled off the couch and followed the two women outside.

They headed towards Lorelei's car. Anna was already out waiting in the passenger's seat, when out of the corner of her eye, Daisy spots a jeep slowly creeping to a stop in front of Lorelei's house. She watches as a group of boys inside stare at her with confused faces.

"Yo' Kai is that you?!" One boy, with platinum blonde highlights in his hair, shouted from the driver's seat.

"Top, my boy!" Kai yelled back, he jogged over to the car full of boys.

Top? Top ... Topper? Daisy semi-regained her memory of the boy. She had only briefly met him once when they were eleven. There was also a dark skinned boy sitting in the back, that Daisy didn't recognize. And in the front seat beside Topper — how could she forget. Rafe Cameron.

All of the boys began laughing loudly, including Kai. He was leaning up against the side of the car, catching up with them, Daisy figured.

"Lorelei, is it alright if I ride around with the boys?" Kai asked from the street.

Daisy scoffed, "Go ahead, just ditch your aunt. It's not like we haven't seen her in five years."

"It's fine sweetheart," Lorelei replied to Daisy's comment. "Be back in time for dinner okay? And don't get into trouble on your first day back!" She warned.

Kai stuck his tongue out at Daisy, "You're the best!" He jumped into the backseat of Topper's jeep.

The car beeped twice as a goodbye.

"See ya' around Dais." Rafe Cameron waved to her as the car took off well over the speed limit.

She cringed at the use of the nickname. "Ew." She muttered.

Now that it would just be Daisy with her aunt and Anna on the trip into town for the day, she wasn't exactly thrilled.

Lorelei first brought them to the local country club. Daisy remembered it from the few times they'd been there for lunch. Anna still refused to engage in any human interaction outside of her phone. Which left Daisy only one other person to talk to.

"Hey Aunt Lorelei? Do the Camerons still live around here?" She asked as they browsed through menu.

"Sure do. Why?" Lorelei flipped straight through to the drinks section.

Daisy shrugged to herself. "I think I recognized their son earlier, from the car."

"Rafe? Oh yeah, Ward's boy." Lorelei had a look of distaste. "Never really liked him, his sister's a sweetheart though."

Memories began to resurface of the young Cameron girl, and how Daisy used to play with Sarah when they were younger.

"Hm." Daisy hummed in response.

"Shut up! Is that little Daisy from down the street?" Someone called from inside the dining room. Jesus how many people are they going to run into today, Daisy thinks to herself.

Daisy knew there was a reason that the voice sounded so familiar when Anna Carrera strides over to their table with a look of pure joy, her daughter, now seventeen year old, Kiara close behind her. Daisy can feel Kiara's curious gaze on her.

"Anna, funny seeing you here!" Lorelei eagerly greets the two. "Daisy, you remember Anna and her daughter right?"

A small noise of indignation escapes the younger Carrera girl.

Daisy politely smiles and nods without word, avoiding all eye contact with Kiara. She knew the two of them were bound to cross paths eventually, but not this soon.

"It's been so long, I'm sure she's trying to remember." Lorelei excused her niece's excessive silence.

Trying not to, Daisy thought to herself.

"So I assume you and your brother are staying for the summer again?" Anna questioned.

"That's the plan." Daisy finally found her voice.

"Great! It'll do Kiara some good to be around different friends again."

"Oh—" "We're not friends." Both girls answered at the same time.

Kiara narrowed her eyes at Daisy, who furrowed her brows back.

Lorelei and Anna share a quick glance across the table. "Maybe we'll catch up some other time?" Lorelei tries to sever the awkward tension.

"Of course, it was nice seeing y'all." Anna chimes. Kiara brushes past their table after her mother's brief words.

It was then that Anna finally spoke her first full sentence of the day."Oh Kiara's pissed."

AUTHOR'S NOTE—
first chapter rewritten, feeling v/ accomplished. i'm actually really glad i have a few chapters already written that i just need to edit. sooo much easier than starting from scratch.

also sorry if its kinda boring? but i mean it's only the first chap so hopefully you weren't expecting much! trust it will get better though.

plus i can start pre-writing later chapters 🤭

anywaysss my fav enemies to lovers having a small interaction yaay. just know their relationship is going to be a little slow burn bc kie is stubborn (we been knew).

as alwaysss don't forget to vote + comment!!