Diamond in the Rough

by India Lee

  “I’m – I’m fine,” she finally managed to stutter. “Sorry about that.” As she stared at Tyler, trying to attempt another sentence, Agnes shuffled by.

  “Oh, Gemma, are you starstruck?” she laughed, squeezing her shoulder. “The perks of being Mira’s niece, huh? You get to meet Tyler Chase while running errands!”

  Gemma laughed weakly as Agnes shuffled away with a wink. “Right.”

  “So you’re Mira Hunter’s niece,” Tyler smiled, holding out his hand. “I’m uh, Tyler. Chase. Like Agnes said.” He laughed. “I was just hoping to talk to Mira about a project I’m working on but she’s not in. Should’ve called first.”

  “Uh-huh,” Gemma nodded. She could feel how unnatural her smile probably looked. She knew that the next step in a normal human interaction would be to officially introduce herself to Tyler, but she couldn’t bring herself to. “I’ll… tell her you dropped by,” she said lamely.

  Tyler nodded. His gaze shifted past her and landed on Lucas. “Hi,” he said, stepping forward and holding out a hand. “Are you Mira’s nephew?”

  Lucas clenched his jaw as he shook Tyler’s hand. “No. I’m uh, her boyfriend,” he said, nodding towards Gemma. She caught his eye and watched him take in a deep breath. “It’s, um, nice to meet you. My sister is a fan of yours. She plays your music all the time.”

  “Oh. Well, tell her I say thank you for being a fan,” Tyler grinned. “Would she want an autograph or anything?”

  Lucas blinked. “Yeah, she’d love that,” he smiled, looking genuinely thrilled with the idea. He laughed with Tyler as they searched for something that could be signed. Gemma stared at them, feeling about ready to throw up. As horrified as she was, a part of her wanted to laugh and throw her hands in the air at the absurdity of it all. Tyler and Lucas were standing in front of each other, smiling at one another. And making small talk. Of course Tyler didn’t understand the significance of the moment – he had no idea that Lucas could just have easily chosen to sink a fist into his jaw rather than offer an anecdote of Elisa’s fandom.

  “Well,” Gemma finally said, clearing her throat once the autographing was finished. She turned to Lucas. “We should probably get going.”

  “Yeah,” Lucas nodded hastily, catching up to her. They both gave Tyler an awkward wave before pacing back down the hall. Tyler stood with his hands in his pockets, watching them go. Or rather, watching Gemma go.

  “It was nice meeting you,” he called.

  - Chapter 15 -

  Gemma scrolled through her phone, antsy and excited. She had typed out all her plans for Lucas’s birthday in a calendar note. The morning would start with paintballing, which would be followed by a Knicks-Lakers game at Madison Square Garden in the city. After that, they would be headed to Williamsburg for a barbeque dinner at Fette Sau.

  “Good morning,” Lucas stuck his head in her window. Gemma squealed when she saw him.

  “Hi! Wait, don’t get in, let me hug you first!” She giddily got out of the car and circled the front to hug Lucas on the other side.

  “Hey.” He wrapped his arms around her, grinning as he gazed down at her chipper face. “You’re happy today. Is it your birthday or something?”

  “It’s your birthday, silly, obviously,” Gemma said, getting back into the driver’s seat. “And I’m excited because I know you’re about to have a crazy good day.”

  Lucas grinned as he buckled his seatbelt. “Well we’ll just have to see about that.”

  “Shut up, you know you’re excited. If you’re not, I’ll have to kick your ass.” Gemma rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she began driving. “Come to think of it, I might just kick your ass regardless.”

  “Really. Is this a clue?”

  “You’ll see!”

  Lucas clapped and burst out laughing when they finally arrived to the paintball field. Gemma studied his jovial reaction with delight.

  “But I’m going to have to hold back playing against you,” he said, brushing his hand through her hair.

  “I’m a big girl, I can take it,” Gemma said.

  “I know you can, but I could never hurt you,” he laughed.

  Gemma grinned mischievously. “Well I can!” she chirped, running out of the car. He chased her into the rentals office, tackling her with controlled might. His arms held her tightly as he planted a big kiss on the side of her head.

  “Thank you, baby,” he said. “I’m excited.”

  They spent their entire afternoon on the field, though much of the time was spent goofing off without their paintball guns. Gemma had rented the entire place for the day, and she was glad considering how much time they were spending just rolling around on the turf. Gemma closed her eyes, luxuriating in Lucas’s arms around her.

  “I find it hard to believe that you’re having fun just shooting at my feet,” Gemma said, though she knew that he was in fact enjoying himself. Lucas laughed as she lifted her feet in the hair, wiggling them in her paint-splattered shoes. “Do these hurt?” she asked, connecting the dots of the paint that she had guiltlessly tagged him with. “Gavin says they leave bruises sometimes.”

  Lucas looked down, lifting his shirt to examine his perfectly toned torso. “None yet.” Gemma smiled, running her fingers down the ridges of his muscles and standing on her toes to kiss him.

  Gemma and Lucas wore their paint splotches with pride from the basketball game to dinner. They ate side by side at a picnic table on the restaurant’s open driveway facing the Williamsburg sidewalks, two overflowing trays of food spread out in front of them. Gemma glanced over at Lucas’s face as he people-watched, looking more satisfied than she had ever seen him.

  “I can’t tell if I’m tired from the long day or if I ate too much meat,” he laughed. “It’s probably a combination of both.”

  “Was it a good day?” Gemma asked. She knew the answer but she wanted to hear him say it.

  “It was an incredible day. I wish you hadn’t gone through all this trouble.” He kissed her on the forehead. “You really didn’t have to do all this for me.”

  “I wanted to,” Gemma said, softly. She turned her body to face him fully. “I wanted you to have the perfect day. But I’m not even done yet.”

  “No,” Lucas smiled. “How could there possibly be more?”

  “My real birthday gift to you is,” Gemma started, pausing for effect. “I’m going to pay for your tuition. All four years. You won’t have to worry about a thing.” She looked into Lucas’s eyes excitedly, waiting for a reaction. His mouth dropped open. He blinked several times, clearly taken aback. It was what Gemma had expected to see, except Lucas didn’t appear as happy as she had imagined. He turned his gaze from her, staring out at the sidewalk.

  “Uh, Gemma…” he trailed off, shaking his head a bit. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything. Aren’t you happy?”

  “This is crazy,” he shook his head, running his hands over his face. “It’s very generous, really. I can’t really wrap my mind around it, Gemma. It’s just… too much.” Lucas went silent.

  Uncomfortable with the moment and the growing silence, Gemma changed the subject as they got into the car for the drive home. They recalled the game and the celebrities they met while sitting courtside. The conversation was strained, but at least they were talking.

  By the time they got back to Beauford, Lucas still hadn’t brought up the topic of college and his tuition. Too afraid to experience another awkward moment, Gemma decided not to bring it up either. Instead of following her back into her house, Lucas kissed her good night at the door and walked back to his place. Gemma made her way up to her room, feeling a discomfort she couldn’t quite understand.

  She peered into his window, waiting for him to get upstairs so she could wave to him or smile. She couldn’t bear the idea of ending a perfect day in such an awkward manner. Gemma sat waiting and waiting, but his lights never came on. The signs were pointing to the fact that he just wanted to be alone, s
o she decided against calling or texting. Her last hope was that he would be online. After all, if he were signed on, it would be like permission to start a conversation. She flipped her laptop open and logged into Facebook.

  Her friend list popped up but Lucas didn’t show up. She had so clearly imagined him in his living room with Leo sleeping at his feet as he checked his email or something. Her heart sank. She was about to step away when she noticed the red sign pop up on her window – a notification.

  “Thank God,” Gemma murmured to herself.

  However to her chagrin, the notification was just a friend request. She cocked her head to the side, trying to remember anyone she had met recently. Gemma clicked on the request. The default picture captured a teenaged boy mid-air as he jumped into a pool with his clothes on. She zoomed in, trying to get a closer look at the face, but the motion of the photo made everything blurry. Suddenly, Gemma noticed the boy’s name. Freddy Space Astronaut. It took her a second to realize where she knew the name from before gasping, practically jumping from the computer. She clicked hurriedly through her profile. Was she on the wrong page? Had she accidentally logged into Queen Bee’s fan page? Maybe that was why Lucas wasn’t online.

  To her horror, she was right the first time. She was on her own profile. Her personal profile. And Tyler had just friended Gemma Hunter.

  - Chapter 16 -

  The weather had gotten warm enough for Gemma that lying out on the lakehouse hammock in just a T-shirt and jeans felt comfortable. Of course, it helped that Lucas was lying next to her. It had been an uneasy couple of days after his birthday. Gemma was still unsure of what Lucas was thinking regarding her offer to pay for his college tuition. She racked her brain for how she could have possibly upset him with what she had said but repeatedly came up short.

  During the brief moments that she wasn’t thinking about Lucas, she thought about Tyler. How did he show up on the first day that she visited Mira’s office in years? How was Mira going to take the news when she returned home from her trip? As nervous as she was, she also felt warmed by the fact that Tyler had recognized her. In a rush to get in and out of the office that day, she had worn no makeup and her unwashed hair in a ponytail. There were days that Gemma didn’t recognize her own face in the mirror without Queen Bee’s hair and makeup. Yet Tyler had still managed to figure it out.

  “Gemma?” Lucas’s voice broke through her thoughts.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry for the past couple of days,” he said, leaning his face close to hers. He looked directly into her eyes, brushing her hair away. “And I feel bad for not thanking you for your… incredibly thoughtful, amazingly generous gift.”

  “No, Lucas. It’s okay.”

  “But I also need to say that I can’t accept it,” he exhaled the words as if he had held it in for all this time.

  “Why not?” Gemma questioned, her voice already quivering.

  “I don’t deserve it.”

  “Of course you do!” she exclaimed. “I don’t know anyone more deserving. I don’t know anyone that should have this more.”

  “Gemma,” Lucas whispered, closing his eyes as if to focus. “I know you really mean what you’re saying and I love you for believing in me as much as you do. But it’s not that simple. Not everyone is as lucky as I am to have such a beautiful, loving, generous girlfriend who can offer something as crazy as you offered me. I can’t take such a big gift from you. I already feel like you’ve given me too much.” He opened his eyes, looking at her peacefully now. “I like working for the things I receive. It feels more rewarding that way, and this is just a part of me that will never change.” Gemma nodded, biting down hard on her lips. She understood but felt suddenly embarrassed. She wished she had ended that day before the ridiculous offer.

  “I know you’re a good guy,” Gemma said, slowly. “And you can totally do all this on your own. I just wanted to help.” Lucas looked at her for a beat before scooping her into his arms and kissing her.

  “I know,” he whispered. “You’re amazing. I love you.”

  “So are you going to move?” Gemma asked. She could feel her eyes well up as she watched him nod.

  “But I’m not moving with my family,” he said. “I got a job somewhere else.”

  “Really? Where?”

  “Well…” Lucas smiled sadly. “It’s far.”

  “How far?”

  “Just about as far as I can be from Beauford,” he replied. “My family friend and I have been taking courses in Newark for awhile. We got our certificates to teach English in Thailand.” Gemma’s jaw dropped. He wasn’t exaggerating when he mentioned the distance. She studied his face. It glowed with a soft sense of pride and contentment.

  “Oh my God,” she whispered. Lucas had barely left the country before and suddenly he was going to the other side of the world. She wanted to protest and convince him to stay closer, but she could see it was a decision he was very happy with. “Can I visit you?”

  “I’d be mad if you didn’t,” he laughed.

  POINT OF NO RETURN

  Breakout star Damian Evans declares for NBA Draft

  Top Headlines

  April 21

  Bruins point guard Damian Evans announced on Friday that he will forgo his final three years at UCLA to enter the NBA draft. The 19-year-old out of Beauford High School averaged a stellar 13 points, 5.5 assists and 2 steals per game in the regular season and an even more impressive 20 points and 7.5 assists during the NCAA tournament. While his coaches and teammates have expressed their sadness to see him go, it comes as no surprise to anyone that Evans is choosing to leave college as his Bruins bested the Michigan State Spartans in the National Championship two weeks ago.

  “It’s hard for me to leave the team because we have become such a family, especially after winning a national championship together. But I know that they support me in my decision to enter the NBA draft, and I just look forward to seeing them when they join me in the professional league.”

  Evans has been projected by ESPN to be the No. 2 draft selection in this year’s NBA draft.

  - Chapter 17 -

  “Congratulations!” Gemma and Lucas clinked their champagne flutes together, drinking in unison. They sat on packed boxes in Lucas’s garage, still dressed in their graduation gowns. A cloud of unspoken words hung over their heads. Two years of being a regular public school student had once sounded like an eternity to Gemma. Now, she wondered where all the time had gone.

  Since Lucas had finally revealed his post-graduation plans, the two had fallen into a relationship very unlike any that they had shared in the past. It was as if with each passing day, a brick was laid between them and now two months later, they were suddenly talking to one another over a wall. With the new distance, they were that much more aware of how different they were. It would be denial to say that the wall was built by forces other than their own hands.

  Gemma knew why she was doing it. It had been incredibly difficult to let go of Damian just the year before, and being inexperienced in love, she had underestimated the hurt that came along with it. Gemma knew now how to protect herself. She had taken gradual steps away from Lucas that were so small, she had barely noticed the distance it created until that moment. Her vision began to grow foggy as tears clouded her eyes. Through them, she could see Lucas straining to hold back his own emotions.

  “I love you,” she blurted out.

  “I love you too.”

  “Please don’t forget me,” Gemma breathed the words into his neck as he held her.

  “I would never,” he said.

  “And please promise to send me a picture of you riding an elephant.”

  “Okay,” Lucas laughed. “I promise.”

  ~

  Queen Bee’s video shoot was a perfect post-breakup distraction. Despite the emotional preparation she had done before breaking up, Gemma still went through various stages of grief to mourn her failed relationship with Lucas. One of the stages included throwing
out anything that reminded her of him – everything except the apple charm bracelet, which she couldn’t bring herself to get rid of. She had mixed feelings about it. She loved it and hated it and while she wanted to honor it as promised, she also never wanted to see it ever again.

  She ultimately decided on wearing it in the music video. Afterwards, she would hide it away forever. And though it would be stuffed in a dark storage space somewhere, she would take comfort in knowing that somewhere down the line, Lucas might watch her video and spot the bracelet that she had sworn to wear as Queen Bee someday.

  The rest of her attention was reserved for the video and her return to music. She was beyond excited for it – not only because of what the song meant to her, but because she would be seeing Zoe for the first time in nearly eight months. They had been in contact briefly during points of Mira’s sporadic leniency, but they hadn’t spent any true time with one another. It was wild to think of how long it had last been since they had shared a conversation in person.

  “Oh. My. Fucking. God!” Zoe shrieked upon seeing Gemma walk through the doors of the studio. She proceeded to scream as loudly as she could for as long as she could while running to Gemma with open arms. “Bee, I missed the shit out of you!”

  Gemma laughed, letting Zoe literally jump on her. “I missed you too!”

  “It’s been a really sad eight months without you, girl,” Zoe pouted when she pulled away. “I’m making a silly face right now but it really was. I just can’t make a proper sad face because I am so effin’ happy! And honored, by the way, to be in this epic video. Seriously. Gonna be no acting involved.”

  Gemma had told Zoe that she would be playing the part of a fan, but hadn’t given her details regarding anything else.