Free Ultimatum (Dirty Secrets #1) by Mercy Amare

Monday, August 25
    We have just enough time for a quickie.

    I wake up two minutes before my alarm goes off. Most people think it’s weird that I wake up at five a.m. everyday, but I can’t help it. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always woken up at this time, no matter how late I stayed up the previous night. I even woke up at this time during summer break.
    My morning always starts out the same way — with running. I live beside a lake, and the road around it is exactly five miles. It takes me thirty-five minutes to run it. I’ve done it faster, but thirty-five minutes is comfortable for me. I don’t do it to push my body, but because I enjoy it. I like the fresh air, solidarity, and the burn in my legs.
    I get out of bed, throw my long blonde hair into a messy bun, and put on my running shoes. After spending a few minutes stretching, I take off. I have my phone tucked safely inside my bra, and I put on my headphones. On my phone, I have a playlist of songs that I listen to while I run. I change it up at least once a week. I’m always listening to different bands. I like music, and I listen to a lot of different genres. Even if I don’t like a song the first time I hear it, after listening to it for an entire week, I usually end up liking it. Plus, music is something everybody has in common, which means I can have a conversation with just about anybody.
    My love of music started as a kid. My dad loved music. He played guitar, and he always said he wanted to be a rock star. He also said that instead of becoming a rock star, he had me, and I was way better than money or fame. He died when I was seven years old, but his music lives on through me.
    I am in a band. Well, sort of a band. My twin brother Trey and I have a garage band. I say garage because that is where we practice. We aren’t good enough to perform anywhere yet, but we’re working on it. Trey plays guitar, like my dad, and I sing. Our drummer is Trey’s best friend, Jace. Our bass player, Beau, left for college a few days ago, so we are currently looking for somebody else to fill his spot. I’m not too worried about it, because in a year the rest of us will be leaving for college too. It’s not like music is what I plan to do with my life. It’s just something fun to do right now.
    Thirty-five minutes later, I am back at the spot where I started. I go inside, take a shower, and get ready for the first day of my senior year.
    I’ve spent my whole high school experience looking forward to this year. It’s my last year of being in high school, and I’ve heard it’s also the most fun. All I know is that I plan to enjoy every second of it.
    After my shower, I blow-dry my hair and straighten it. My hair reaches the top of my butt, and I like that it’s long. Anybody can have short hair, but not many keep it as long as I do. I like standing out.
    For my first day of school, I put on a bright orange sundress and wear a pair of white sandals with it. Orange is my favorite color, so any time I see orange clothing, I buy it.
    When I come downstairs to leave for school, Jace is standing in the foyer waiting for Trey. He rides with Trey because most of the time his truck won’t start. He drives an older Ford pick-up and it needs some serious maintenance. His mom doesn’t have a lot of money, so they can’t afford repairs right now, and Jace can’t get a job because of football and baseball practice. Everybody says he is probably going to get a baseball scholarship, which is his only hope for being able to afford college, so he can’t be distracted.
    Jace lives next door to us. He moved in there when he was four, which is probably why Trey and he became best friends. Jace and I used to hang out together a lot, but now that we’re in high school we don’t as much. We have different friends. I hang out with him when he’s here, or when we’re at band practice, but we’re not as close as we used to be.
    “Do you want to get suspended on the first