“Ouch.”
Gabe frowns. “You okay?”
“Hurt my neck. Why’d you let me sleep on the floor?”
He gives me a guilty look. “Sorry. You were out when I left. I didn’t want to wake you up.”
Delaney’s eyes flick between us, trying to figure out what’s happening. I give her a look to knock it off. Gabe, as usual, seems clueless.
“You get any trouble coming home that late?”
“Nah, she always forgets to check the basement door.”
I sling my backpack over my shoulder. “Oh, I have to run an errand during my free period and will be going straight to work after, can you get a ride?”
He nods, although I can tell he’s curious. I usually stay on campus during my free period, using it to work on Photobooth Society stuff. “Everything okay?”
“Definitely. Just a few back-to-school supplies I forgot.”
“Cool.” He gives me a tight smile. I’m not sure if he’s just worried about his family or what, but he seems tense. “See you at lunch.”
“Yep.”
He walks off and Delaney shifts in front of me. “Did he say he spent the night with you?”
“Not the whole night. He was gone when I woke up.” I walk down the hall, fighting a wince at the pain in my neck. Jeez. I may have to take Trevor up on that neck massage after all.
“What happened to your rule.” I glare at her. She knows this topic is not up for discussion. She presses anyway. “You know, the no more sleepovers since Gabe got hot rule.”
“Shhhhhh!”
I glance around. My life would be over if he or anyone else heard that. We were Norah and Gabe. BFFs. Friends ‘til the end. Nothing more. Nothing less. Like Hermione and Harry.
Unfortunately, in a moment of weakness I’d told Delaney about how I’d noticed the changes in Gabe the year before. And how I found them confusing and may have developed a slight crush on him.
“No one would blame you for having a thing for him,” she’d told me that day. I can tell from the look on her face, she wants to say it again now.
“I don’t like him,” I mutter under my breath. “He just came over to talk about some stuff. We fell asleep. It’s no big deal.”
But I kept thinking about how nice it was to have him there. How, as I was drifting off, his body felt warm and comfortable against mine. Just remembering it makes my cheeks turn red.
“Whatever you say.” Delaney rolls her eyes.
“That’s exactly what I say.” I start down the hall toward my first class, passing the art room where I catch a glimpse of Gabe already sitting at his desk, sketchbook open and working, and my heart tugs just a little bit. “It’s no big deal.”
The wind blowing off the ocean whips my hair across my face. I tug an elastic band off my wrist and bend over to collect and tie up my hair.
“Norah?”
Still upside down, I look to the side. A ridiculously attractive girl stands on the sidewalk in wide, dark glasses and a floppy brimmed hat.
“Oh, hi,” I say, like I talk to famous celebrities every day. I stand upright and offer my hand and she shakes it. Reese Weatherly’s grip is surprisingly strong.
“Thanks for meeting me,” she says. “Want to go in and get a table?”
“Sure.” We’re outside this little beachside coffee and sandwich shop—not in Ocean Grove but one beach up in Moultrie. It’s closer to the studio where Reese films Avondale.
It may be wrong that I hadn’t told Gabe that Reese and I started talking after engaging a little on the ChattySnap account. I didn’t tell anyone because I wanted to see what she wanted before opening this up any wider. Gabe has enough stress with book number three due at the publishers soon and his mom making him crazy.
We order at the counter, the server giving Reese several long glances. He either recognizes her from the show or all over social media, or just thinks she’s beautiful. She is beautiful. Other than Dean Turner or his model girlfriend Lucy Harrington, who used to work at Pie Whole, I’ve never been around someone that kind of just has “it.” The look, personality, confidence. Although I can think of one other guy. Gabe. He definitely has a little bit of all of that when it comes to his artwork.
We place our orders and head to a small table in the corner. It’s after the lunch rush so the shop isn’t very crowded. I sit across from Reese and take out my tablet, ready to take notes.
“Again, thanks for meeting with me. I can’t tell you how big of a fan I am of the Photobooth Society. I first saw it when Dean posted the video on his account. I was blown away by the concept and had my assistant buy all the books.” Reese plays the sweet girl next door with a dark secret on Avondale. She definitely has an all-American look, blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, crystal blue eyes. Her skin is flawless. “Gabe has captured that strange sense of nostalgia with modern themes perfectly. Oh, and it never hurts to have a little romance and adventure.”
“It’s really a great story.” I’m not entirely sure why she’s asked to meet me about Gabe’s book and not him. I don’t have a huge amount of creative input other than reading for him. “The series is getting a lot of interest. Thanks for sharing it with your followers. It’s had an impact already.”
“I have some experience with rabid fanbases. Avondale, as you know, was a totally unknown entity when it came on the scene. It exploded overnight. Our viewership is young and loves social media, ChattySnap in particular.” She pauses when the server walks over and hands us our coffee. I also ordered a piece of chocolate cake. Reese, a slice of avocado toast. There may be a reason her skin is clear and shiny and I have a red pimple on the side of my temple that won’t go away. “I get the feeling the same is going to happen for The Photobooth Society and I’d like to be in on the next level.”
I blink, holding my fork over the decadent cake. “What do you mean next level?”
“I’d like to help push the graphic novels forward. Either with feature films, a tv show or maybe streaming—which is super-hot right now.”
I nod. We all watch most of our TV online.
“Do you want a part in it?” I ask, wondering if this her angle.
“Maybe, but I’m looking to diversify my brand. Producing would be awesome.” She takes a bite of her toast and chews slowly.
“Can I ask why you’re asking me this and not Gabe or his agent?”
“Look, I’m not going to be the only one making an offer. It’s all the buzz and I know you’re the one running the social media campaign. From my research, you’re also his best friend. I thought I’d ask you if he’d even be interested.” She laughs. “Artists can be picky.”
I lean back in my seat, playing cool while I know this is the kind of break Gabe wants and needs. Especially now with everything going on at home. “I think he’d be interested in listening to your proposal. His ideas aren’t limited to just the comic. He wants something big, but he’s also overwhelmed right now with school and family stuff. He’s juggling a lot.”
“Got it. I’d want to make this process as painless as possible. From everything I’ve seen, Gabe seems like a great guy.”
“He is.”
“He’s pretty cute, too, right?” A small smile appears on her lips and her eyes twinkle.
I smile, not completely comfortable sharing my thoughts on Gabe’s looks or anything else. It’s dangerous territory for me.
Although I know this is the right thing for Gabe’s career, my stomach twists nervously about opening this door. It’s all one step closer to everything changing, to Gabe finding success and for me possibly losing him.
6
Gabe
“You’re the guy that writes that comic book, right?” the waitress asks. “The one Reese Weatherly posted about yesterday.”
“That’s me.”
I’m sitting at the bar waiting for my order. This waitress has served me and Norah a dozen times now. She’s new-ish. I can tell the way her interest has changed in the last twenty-fou
r-hours that she knows exactly who I am.
It’s not just her. Everyone was buzzing about it at school today, including a few of the teachers. Fame and recognition aren’t something I’m used to. Even when the publishing deal came through, no one really knew about it but my family and close friends.
Books deals, particularly comics, aren’t really very exciting. But social-media fame? Apparently, that’s next level.
“I’ll have to get a copy.” She leans against the counter and I check her out for the first time. She has pretty eyes. “And get you to sign it.”
I smile. “Sure.”
“Regina!” the cook calls from the back. “Order up.”
“That’s probably yours,” she says, heading through the kitchen doors. She comes back through with two small boxes. One for me and one for Norah. She holds them up. “Feta. Beef.”
“Thanks,” I say, taking them from her. Her fingers graze mine during the hand off. “Just let me know when you need that autograph.”
“Oh, I plan on it.”
My cheeks heat from the flirting, still not used to it. Things over the last year have been…different. Interestingly, around the time girls started noticing me—Norah backed off. I don’t know if she wanted to give me some space or what. For the most part I let it slide, knowing she’s busy and we can’t spend twenty-four-seven with each other. I’d rather spend my time with Norah, but sometimes when she’s not around and I definitely don’t want to be alone or go home, I hang out with them.
I head next door and see Norah behind the counter. I hand her the top box. She opens it and stares at the inside lid of the box.
“I think this one is yours.”
I flip open mine and see the meat. “Nope. Did they get yours wrong?” I lean over and see the right pizza but something else catches my eye. Scribbled in black marker: Call me. Regina-555-8232
“Oh.” I shrug, a little embarrassed. “I didn’t ask for that.”
“No, but I’m pretty sure it’s not for me.” She flips our boxes, taking mine and shoving the other back at me. “You wouldn’t want to disappoint your fangirls."
“She’s not a fangirl, Nor. She’s just…never mind.” I take a huge bite of pizza and head to the back of the store. I don’t want to talk to her about this. It never goes well. Ben hasn’t figured that out yet, and always over-describes the girls he thinks are cute, or worse, their bodies. And yeah, sometimes I can’t help but agree, I am a guy after all, but I know it bothers Norah when we talk about other girls.
Just like how I don’t like it when Trevor Salvatore flirts with her at the lockers.
I know that’s not her fault. Norah’s cute—guys are going to like her. She can’t control that any more than I can control the fact that my body shifted into sixth gear last year, thrusting me from invisible nerd to someone girls, and some guys, paid attention to.
I’d always been comfortable in my skin, why wouldn’t I be? I was small and fairly unathletic. I could surf, thanks to my dad’s obsessive hobby, but that didn’t require much physical strength. All that changed when I hit puberty—late. Suddenly, my lanky arms and legs developed. I shot up almost a foot and hair sprang up in places I didn’t even think about.
I felt more awkward about these changes than ever being a slight, skinny kid, and the notice I got at school about it felt weird. So, when Norah pulls an attitude about the attention I get from other girls? It makes me want to crawl in a hole, because ultimately, tragically, there’s only one girl I’m interested in. Unfortunately, she’s off limits.
I flip open my pizza box and pull out my slice, ignoring the number.
Thankfully, the shop is empty. It’s the slow time of the day, right after school and before people stroll around the shopping area before or after dinner. Due to that and despite her annoyance over the phone number, I’m not surprised to see her follow me back to the couches and take one of the seats.
“Regina’s not the only girl interested in you today.”
I reach in my backpack for my homework. I try to get it done first. “What are you talking about.”
“I probably should have told you this before, but I didn’t know what it was about…”
“Norah.” I give her a look.
“I met with Reese Weatherly today. She’s interested in talking to you about ideas for the future of the graphic novel.” She breaks into a huge grin. I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.
“She told you that?”
“Yes. She wanted to get an idea of how you’d feel about it before talking to your agent.”
“She’s serious?”
“Yeah.” She takes a bite of pizza. “I think so. You’ll probably hear from Aaron soon.”
Aaron is my agent.
“Well, what do you think?” I ask, ignoring the fact she didn’t tell me about it. It’s fair. I probably would have said no.
“I think that she’s really into the story. Like, genuinely. I think she gets the fanbase and understands a rabid fanbase from her time on Avondale, which is important.” She wipes her hands on a napkin. “She likes you and what you’re doing. She thinks you’re cute.”
I shoot her a look. The last thing I need is for Norah to start harping on some actress thinking I’m cute. She can barely stop ragging on me about the girls at school and now, Regina.
She holds up her hands. “Look, I think that if she’s serious and really contacts Aaron, you should hear her out.”
“We should hear her out.”
This time she glares at me. “This isn’t my business.”
“I tried to give you co-author rights when I signed the contract, but you refused.”
“Because I’m your friend. And you pay me in pizza.”
“You do a ton of work, Norah.”
She shrugs. “I’m building my brand. Just make sure you invite me to the Emmys or Oscars or wherever you end up one day.”
The thought of Norah in a formal dress makes my hands itch. “Deal. But I still need your help on this. You know me. I’m pretty happy with how things are. Letting go of control with this is hard for me.”
I’m not making any decisions without her. She’s my barometer. I need her instincts. “We’ll work through it.”
“If you think this is a good idea, then I’ll listen.”
She drops her pizza into the box and smiles.
“I think it’s potentially a very good idea.”
Her grin is contagious and I smile back. I do more than that. I pull her into a massive, spontaneous hug.
“Can you imagine if this really happens?” I ask. “It would be like all our dreams come true.”
The hug? It goes on a bit too long for best friends and I don’t exactly hide the fact I want to nuzzle my nose in her neck. I don’t know if it’s the excitement or adrenaline or what, but I almost—almost—say something.
But I’m saved by the chiming bell on the front door.
She steps back and I see the warmth in her cheeks before she walks away. It’s not the first time I’ve wanted to grab her close and see what it’s like to kiss her, but it’s the first time I’ve come so close to doing it.
7
Norah
In my room, I have a few setups that I use to stage my ChattySnap photos. Followers love a creative setup and I use a variation of art, books, trinkets, and fabric to convey a different feel. Even though it comes down to only one photo, it takes me a lot of time to set them up, which is why I don’t really need Olivia interrupting me in the middle of the process.
“You should put the candlesticks behind the elephants,” she says from my doorway.
“I’m good, thanks.”
“I use this design program on my computer. It always says you should divide things out spatially.”
I hold back a retort. Olivia had a rough last year. She struggles with depression and some other mental health issues and to put it lightly, had a total breakdown. My parents have been working overtime to get her back on track by taking her to a
slew of therapists, psychiatrists, group sessions and even enrolling her in a super-small private school. I’ve been specifically instructed not to be “mean.” That can be a challenge, since despite her mental health issues, she is an annoying fifteen-year-old.
She’s quiet for one peaceful moment. It’s too short. “I still don’t know why you do all this for Gabe. It’s not like you’re getting anything out of it.”
“I’m not focused on what I can get out of a situation. Gabe’s success is good for him. It makes him happy. And that makes me happy.”
I shift the candlesticks around and a pair of antique glasses in front of them. I’m taken off guard when Olivia says, “Sidney and I have a bet on how long it will be before you start dating.”
“Why would you make a bet like that?”
“Please, you two have been flirting hardcore for months. I mean, we both saw you at the Fourth of July party.”
I flash back to that night. We’d spent the day at the beach, then a cookout with the family, and fireworks. There’s a huge display off the shore of the country club over at Cliffside. We can see them from McKoy Park. The three of us wanted to go alone but our moms made us bring the siblings. Probably to ensure no one got in trouble.
Nothing had happened between me and Gabe that day. Well, not really. Sometimes things slip between us—going from casual to comfortable. Like that hug today at Bazinga! It’s nothing that can’t be explained away.
Or so I thought.
“You guys were awful snug during the fireworks. You had your head on his shoulder.”
“I was tired.”
She gives me a look. “You didn’t rest your head on Ben’s shoulder.”
“That’s because Ben moves around too much. And is sweaty all the time.”
Olivia may have some problems, but being observant isn’t one of them.
“I’m just sayin’. It’s not a big deal if you guys date.”
“Stop. First, we’re not going to date. Second, if we did, it would be a big deal. Mom and Mrs. Bonnie would lose their minds. And third, what about Ben?”
Norah and The Nerd: Best Friends Romance (Love in Ocean Grove Book 4) Page 3
