Once Upon A One Night Mistake

lap back in preschool. Of course, she never told him that. No, she just picked up the cold vanilla

arbie doll and cut off all its hair. She re

ausing her to fall and scrape her knees. The next day she "accidentally" sl

slept with a teddy bear, like a baby. Taliana returned the favor by telling everyone Sebastian wet his pants when he

ove she felt? Or was it just an overwhelming amount of hate that felt like love?

g rumors only children could think of, and laughing at

d won, of course, and he'd thrown the board and his game piece at her head. To this day, she still had a slight scar near her hairline where that damn metal dog had cut her. She had wast

es he'd pushed her down on the blacktop, accused her of cheating on tests, or closed a door on her fingers. She hadn't been an angel

mmer, but when the start of sixth grade rolled around, it was wart

*

tick Girl!

toward the batter's box. He'd been calling her that stupid nickname sin

me that,"

s with the grace of a baby giraffe learning how to walk. All the other girls at Georgetown Trinity were so pretty and posh, just like one would expect to find a

hose twig legs car

me calling. "Shut up, Sebastian

lled his eyes. "Just move. You're dragging out

she swung it around for a moment to get a feel for its weight, then raised her elbows and pulled her hands back until she could practically brush her ear. A bat in her hands made her feel

aseball for just as long as she'd been playing softball, and they weren't about to take it easy on her just because she was a girl. These recess games were brut

he tried not to let it get to her, but Michael Richardson-on

he looks of it, it was on a path to hit her. Instinctively, she jum

ike

he smirking umpire. "Are you serious? That wasn'

ot like Michael did it on purpose." He shifted his gaz

ack. "I'd never try to hu

e that means it wasn't

d. "I'm the umpir

n disgust, looking back

e. With a heavy exhale, Taliana brought the bat up again and stared narrow-eyed at the pitcher, daring him to pull th

satisfaction as the pitch went wide

ike

spun around to face Sebastian

he boy still crouching with the softball in his hand. "Th

pitch to come. Her grip on the bat was tighter than it should have been, and her stance was off as well; she would have been surprised if she c

side and turned to face Sebastian, who d

nk about callin

narrowed, Taliana knew she s

his sneer turning into a s

im. "No way!" she shouted upon finding her v

oser. "No, it wasn't. An

her narrow hips. "I'd

e first baseman, who was staring

to attention, ey

that pitc

ouncing like a bobbl

ink it was? Bal

or a long while.

ld you. I'm sure everyone else out there would agree." He once again turned his

Few people dared go against Sebastian Phillips, undoubtedly the most popu

liana threw her hands

to her. "Say whatever you want, Talia. It's not g

his up, she was either going to burst into tea

e only grew with every word

ace separated him from Taliana. "Oh, that's right. Your mom doesn't even live around here anymore. G

t, Taliana w

emarried, her mother had remained single. Gossip had recently begun circulating that Taliana's mother was n

pic of DC's wealthy social scene, and she had moved to Los Angeles to avoid the drama. She had also decided no

en Andrea's excuse, but hard as Taliana tried, the

ce then, but for Taliana, i

"Don't talk about my mom like that!" And then her hand

ntion to them-she was too busy staring down Sebastian. The snarl on h

onnecting with her shoulders and pushing her back with enough force that

ff, Seb

s time, but Taliana didn't care. She was goi

" he asked, a quie

as she drew herself up to her full he

econd later, there were fireworks exploding behind her eyes as Sebastian

d in the vicinity that of the recess monitors and tea

ers arrived to help, but when it came to Sebastian, she didn't have an ounce of it. That was

closed her eyes, lifted the ba

d Sebastian on the ground, sobbing as he cradled his arm. It took a moment before she ope

hers rushed over, most of them going to the cry baby sitting on the ground across from her.

ered, grabbing her by the ar

up at the man, his face turning

ter Hawthorne," she whispered. "You'r

ther shade. "This is your last

building, but as she stumbled along behind him, Taliana glanced back to cat

he building, but before the doors could close behin

s at soft