Don't Trash the Heartthrob (Rockford High Book 5)

by Victorine E. Lieske

  Amanda rolled her eyes and stormed out of the room. “Whatever,” she called as she left.

  Jade had the decency to look guilty. She worried her lower lip. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  Stephanie softened. “I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

  Jade sat cross-legged on the carpet. “I’m just excited about my app.”

  Guilt rolled through Stephanie. Jade had been talking about her dating app nonstop now for weeks. Stephanie should be more supportive even if she was on a dating diet. She picked up her phone. “What’s it called again?”

  Jade brightened. “High School Sweethearts.”

  Stephanie searched and found the app, then downloaded it to her phone. “I’ll fill out the questions. And maybe an endorsement will find its way onto my Vlog.”

  Jade squealed and jumped up to give her a hug. “You’re the bestest. You know that?”

  Stephanie laughed. “But you owe me big. You know I am not looking for a man.”

  “I know. You purged all men from your life when Kyle—”

  “Don’t say it!” Stephanie held up her hand. “I don’t want to think about what Kyle did.”

  “I was just going to say he broke your heart.”

  Stephanie nodded. That was certainly one way to say it. “Yes.”

  “How many followers do you have now?”

  She clicked on her computer. “Holy schmoly. I have a hundred thousand followers.”

  “OMG. You’re going to be the next big thing. You’re going viral.” Jade did the floss dance and Stephanie just laughed at her.

  “Yeah, right.”

  Jade checked the clock on her phone. “I’d better go home. My mom wanted me to empty the dishwasher before bed, and she’ll freak if it’s not done.” She took a step back. “Text me if you hear anything else from you-know-who.”

  “I will.”

  Stephanie said good-bye to Jade and turned back to her computer screen. With all the excitement having settled down, she had a chance to think about what she was going to say to Brandon.

  She was still stunned he even cared what she thought. As she pulled up a blank email to answer him, butterflies filled her stomach.

  She was emailing Brandon Travers. Holy. Cow.

  Chapter 2

  Brandon ducked his head and climbed into the back of the limo, his brain buzzing with all the words thrown at him. Change into a tux. Scarf down food, but not too much. Watch the diet. Get into the car. Don’t be late.

  He was off to another boring event. Some celebrity red-carpet awards show of some kind. There was a time when they were exciting. Now he’d much rather crawl into bed and fall asleep. He wasn’t up for an award. He hadn’t been for quite some time.

  He pulled out his phone and checked his email. Nothing yet from the Vlogger girl. Why was he so obsessed with her? She hated him. At least, she hated his acting. But for some reason, he couldn’t wait to hear from her again.

  It didn’t make sense, but yet, not much in his life made sense anymore. He was a big-time movie star, and everyone wanted a piece of him. He had no say in anything, mostly because he was seventeen and everyone thought he was too young to make important decisions. His manager, publicist, tutor, and his agent planned every move. Even his assistant told him what to do, and when to do it.

  Brandon looked out the window at the lights flashing by, his knee bouncing with nervous energy. When did things go so wrong? When did he start hating his life? He had everything a teen could ever want. Money. Fame. Fast cars. But he never got to enjoy them.

  He sank into his seat. His phone made a noise and he checked. The email he’d been waiting for came through. He opened it.

  I do like movies. I’m a tough critic, but I’ve given out compliments when they are earned. There are some movies that rise above the rest. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The Silence of the Lambs. Schindler’s List. The Great Gatsby. All tremendous films. Which of these is your favorite?

  Brandon clicked reply.

  Oh, some great pics. Silence of the Lambs and Schindler’s list tie for top. The Great Gatsby was all right. A little too much glitz for me. I’ve never seen One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Do you hate me now?

  A text came in from his manager.

  Don’t mess up tonight. Be nice to Alisha.

  Brandon rolled his eyes and groaned. Alisha Waterstone was a noose around his neck. A harpy who wanted nothing more from him than to step on him so she could climb to the top. Her father was a famous producer, so she got bit parts as people tried to suck up to him. She’d been trying to convince him they would make a great Hollywood couple. Puke. He’d rather drink motor oil.

  He would be nice in public. But in private? All bets were off. He texted Rex back.

  Fat chance.

  His phone blew up with angry texts from Rex, but he shut off the alerts and chuckled. He just liked to mess with his manager. He was in his thirties and balding already. A sad specimen with no life of his own. Probably because he was so uptight. Geesh. What girl would want to date a guy like that?

  He checked his email in case the alert didn’t come through, but there was no new email. He glanced out the window. They were pulling up to the building now. He wasn’t even sure which awards show this was. There were too many now. Stupid. His limo slowed and then pulled to a stop.

  Show time. Hordes of people crowded around the roped-off red carpet, shouting at the celebrities as they walked inside. Tom Hanks waved and smiled as he walked into the building.

  His driver pulled open his door and Brandon climbed out. Flashes of light went off and he smiled for the cameras. Girls screamed. Reporters shouted questions. Brandon waved and pretended to love all the attention. “Thank you.”

  “Brandon, what do you say in response to the critics of your latest performance?” A reporter stuck his microphone over the rope.

  Brandon’s smile stiffened. Then he smoothly went into full acting mode. “Everyone has their opinion. Of course, I have many fans as well as critics. Don’t you agree?” He glanced at all the teenage girls having an emotional moment. They screamed louder.

  The reporter strained against the rope. “Some say this was your worst film. Have you lost your edge?”

  His worst film? Hardly. The Paper Pirate grossed ninety-million opening weekend. He held in a scoff. He gave the reporter a snarky look. “I think I’m still pretty edgy, don’t you?”

  He turned to one of the teenage girls straining against the rope and pressed his lips to hers. The screams around him were deafening. He made sure the kiss was caught on camera before breaking away. He winked at her, then turned to continue down the red carpet.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t realize Alisha Waterstone stood behind him, and he slammed into her. Her eyes widened in surprise as she teetered backwards on her heels. He reached out to steady her and she gripped his wrists, her fingernails digging into his skin like talons. “What was that?” she hissed under her breath.

  “Oh, Alisha. I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.” He slung his arm over her shoulders, mostly to get her to stop impaling him with her claws. “Let’s go inside.”

  “Alisha,” a reporter called. “Are you and Brandon dating?”

  The teenagers gave a collective gasp. Brandon shook his head just as Alisha donned a coy grin and replied, “Maybe.”

  He tugged her toward the entrance. “Maybe?” he whispered. “We’re not dating. What game are you playing?”

  “The same one you are.” Alisha planted her feet, stopping them both. “Oh, sweetie,” she said loudly. “That was so nice.” She planted a kiss on his lips. Lights flashed as cameras worked overtime.

  Ugh. She reeked of floral perfume and it permeated through their kiss, like she’d grazed on roses for lunch. He pulled back and forced a smile. “Just keep walking,” he said under his breath.

  “Of course.”

  They entered the building and stood for more photos against backdrops. Alisha stuck so closely t
o Brandon, all of his photos were of them together. He wanted to shove her away. Make some crack about how many flowers she had to devour to stench that good, but he held his tongue. He was behaving. Rex would be so proud.

  His phone made an alert noise in his pocket and he itched to pull it out and check it, but he couldn’t. Not with Alisha so close. He’d have to get away from her somehow.

  After all the pictures, he leaned into her. “Hey, I have to use the restroom. Go on in and save a seat for me.”

  She nodded. “Don’t be long.”

  “Right.” He flashed a smile at her and ducked into the men’s room. An attendant nodded at him as he walked by a sitting area. Fancy. He went to the back where the stalls were and slipped into one. He didn’t care if he was hiding in a stall like a crazy person. He could now check his email without anyone knowing.

  You’ve never seen it? You must rectify that immediately. Unless you’re at some fancy rich people party. Then rectify it as soon as you get home and have two hours with nothing to do. Jack Nicholson is amazing. If only I could ever be half that good.

  Wait…Vlogger girl was an actress? Oh, no. What had he done? Why had he insisted on talking to her? She was just like the rest of them. A hopeful wanna-be actress, trying to get his attention so he could elevate them. He frowned and deleted her email.

  Well, that stunk. His one distraction from reality was gone. He had hoped she’d at least be someone real he could talk to. Now he had to go back in there and avoid Alisha. Maybe he could find an empty seat by some old lady. One that didn’t know who he was.

  He came out of the stall and washed his hands—he didn’t want to look disgusting. The attendant handed him a towel. “Thanks,” he said, digging out a tip.

  When he left the bathroom, Alisha grabbed his arm. Great. She’d realized his plan and thwarted it. “Come on, I saved us seats with my coat.”

  Of course, she did. He exhaled and tried not to breathe in Alisha’s hideous perfume.

  Chapter 3

  Stephanie opened her laptop and clicked on her emails. Still no message back from Brandon. It had been five days. Almost a whole week. Maybe he was busy.

  He was a movie star. His life was glamorous. He probably had a zillion things he was doing besides making movies.

  She clicked on her Vlog and checked her hair and makeup before starting another video.

  “Hey, movie goers. I know I usually talk about the latest blockbuster film that’s hitting all the theaters, but tonight I’m going to indulge myself and talk a little bit about an older film. One that you’ve probably seen already. And if you haven’t, it’s one you should.

  “You see, I recently was told I only dump on movies.” She paused. “Granted, I am a harsh critic, but I also have seen movies I love.”

  Stephanie pulled out her DVD of The Green Mile and showed it on the screen. “Tom Hanks, of course, gives a stellar performance. However, the supporting actors and actresses are fantastic as well. The plot sucks you in, with the great Stephen King behind it. And the message of the film is moving. If you haven’t seen it, go look for it. It’s probably on Netflix or Hulu.”

  She clicked to stop the camera and noticed Amanda hanging around the doorway. “Come in. I’m done.”

  She walked into the room. “Why are you talking about that old movie?” She wrinkled her nose, then tapped her chin. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with a famous movie star thinking you hate all movies, would it?”

  Stephanie stuck her tongue out at her sister. “Shut up.”

  “Has he emailed you back?”

  The question annoyed her, mostly because she was starting to think he wasn’t going to answer her back. She shrugged nonchalantly. “Nope.”

  Amanda plopped down on her bed and grabbed a pillow, hugging it to her chest. “He must be bored with you.”

  Stephanie made a face but secretly worried that’s exactly what it was. Her phone made a noise that she didn’t recognize, and she pulled it out. A message was on the screen.

  You have a new match.

  She opened her High School Sweethearts app and clicked on the red button that would reveal it. A picture of a guy popped up. He looked slightly familiar. She scrolled down so she could see his name. Christopher Allen.

  She wasn’t sure she’d had any interaction with him. The app said they were a 78% match. He liked movies and miniature golfing, loved karaoke, and had tried over a hundred different kinds of pizza. She scrolled back up and looked at his picture again. Dark brown hair. A smile in his eyes. He wasn’t bad-looking. She just wasn’t interested in dating anyone. Why had she downloaded the app, anyway?

  A message from Jade came through.

  I just sent out the first match announcements. Did you get one?

  Stephanie debated lying but figured Jade would have a way of knowing who she got matched with and decided to tell the truth.

  Yeah. With Christopher Allen.

  Oh, he’s super nice. You should totally message him.

  Stephanie narrowed her eyes at the screen. You know him?

  Yep. He’s in my biology class. You’d like him.

  This was starting to feel like an elaborate way for Jade to set her up. Stephanie texted her back.

  How many students registered for your app?

  Jade took a minute to answer.

  After you talked about it on your Vlog, we got about two hundred from our high school, and I’ve had to add in twenty more schools because of the high demand.

  It was more than Stephanie had figured. But she still was on a guy purge.

  Wow. That’s great. But I said I’d download the app and fill out the form. I never said I’d go on a date.

  Just think about it, okay? He’s a nice guy.

  Yeah. So was Kyle until he turned out to not be.

  Forget Kyle. Not every guy is like that.

  A disgusting pig and a liar? Stephanie stopped herself from typing the other words she wanted to type. She needed to let go of what Kyle did to her.

  There are some decent guys out there.

  Stephanie made a face. Jade was probably right. She just wasn’t ready to put her heart on the line again. It was just too soon.

  Maybe. She decided to change the subject. Want to go to the movies tonight? There’s the newest remake we haven’t made fun of yet.

  Sorry. I’m super swamped. I’ve got to add ten more schools to this app. It’s spreading fast!

  Okay. I’m glad it’s going well.

  Thanks! Chat later.

  Stephanie pocketed her phone. Well, stink. She was hoping to go do something with Jade tonight. Now she was stuck at home, alone. She reached into her backpack and pulled out her lines for the upcoming play she was in. Maybe she should spend more time memorizing, anyway. The school was doing Little Shop of Horrors, and she had landed the role of Audrey.

  The doorbell rang and Amanda jumped up. “That’s Cole. We’re going to the movies tonight.”

  “Have fun,” Stephanie said, a pang of jealousy pulling at her stomach. Not that she wanted to go on a date. Not at all. She didn’t want a boyfriend. But that didn’t mean she wanted to be bored all weekend, either.

  She sighed and leaned back into her pillows. This was going to be a stupid evening. Before she could settle too much into a depression, an alert sounded on her phone. She pulled it out and checked the screen. It was a message from Christopher.

  Hi. I see we’ve been matched. I don’t think we’ve met.

  Stephanie sighed and blew a strand of hair out of her face. Why had she let Jade talk her into filling out the application? She should have just plugged the app without downloading it. Now she was stuck. She had to answer him, or she’d be rude. And she didn’t want to leave him hanging.

  You’re right. We haven’t met. Hello, I’m Stephanie.

  The app showed he was typing.

  Hello, Stephanie. It’s nice to fake meet you.

  Stephanie laughed and typed in a response. You’re not really meeting me?r />
  Nope. If we meet in an app, it doesn’t count as a real meet. We’d have to meet in person for that.

  His message hung in the air between them, and Stephanie looked up to the ceiling. The chit chat didn’t last long, did it? Now he was asking to meet her in person. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to do that. Another message popped up.

  Okay, that might have sounded like I was asking to meet you in person. Which I wasn’t really. Not that I don’t want to meet you in person. I’d love to. But we just started talking, so that might sound a bit forward. Am I messing this up? I think I sound like a creeper. I swear I’m not.

  She smiled and typed a response. You don’t sound like a creeper. I just have to be honest. I signed up for the app because I’m Jade’s friend. I’m not really looking for a relationship.

  I’m totally cool with that. How about we put that in the taboo section right away? No pressure. Just friends. You are up for making a friend, aren’t you?

  A friend. Stephanie liked the sound of that. The no pressure thing was just what she wanted.

  Yes. I think that’s good. Let’s try friendship.

  Chapter 4

  “I didn’t realize you’d be here, sweetie.”

  The shrill voice carried over the music and made Brandon freeze. Alisha. He turned from his conversation with Tony and cringed when he saw what she was wearing. A white dress so tight and low-cut, he was afraid she’d spill out of it. How had she found out which club he was at? He thought he’d successfully avoided her by going to several tonight. Maybe Rex told her where he was now. Sounded like something he’d do.

  Brandon plastered on a fake smile and nodded. “Alisha.”

  She grabbed his arm and wrapped herself around it. “Come. Let’s dance.”

  The pounding of the base was making him dizzy. Or maybe it was the alcohol he’d consumed, or the late hour. The club was actually for twenty-one and older, but you’d be surprised what you get could away with when you’re a famous movie star. There were plenty of people willing to look the other way, or readily willing to give him alcohol and get him into the exclusive clubs. “Not now,” he said, waving her away.