He flicked me a surprised look. “You’re—”
“A terrible singer. I know.” I turned it up to drown me out more. “Good thing I can play an instrument, huh?” I started singing again.
After a second, Rafe started singing too. His voice was like the sound of a jack hammer at three in the morning when you were trying to sleep.
I immediately whooped and hit him on the shoulder. “You’re awful, too!”
He grinned at me, his dimples completely adorable and out of character with his full-arm tattoo and leather jacket. “Good thing I can play an instrument, huh?”
I giggled, a warm bubbly feeling exploding through me. “I think you’re even worse at singing than I am, and that’s nothing to be proud of.”
He laughed, a deep, warm sound that filled me with the most amazing feeling of giddiness. I realized it was the first time I’d ever seen him laugh. He’d been cute when he was doing the uber-serious mysterious bad boy expression, but he was beyond gorgeous when he was happy. “You’re definitely a worse singer than I am,” he said.
“No way. You’re insanely jealous of my incredible voice.” I cranked the radio even more and starting singing louder.
He joined in, and we sang the rest of the way to my house. We didn’t even stop when we hit the stoplight in the town center and there were kids standing on the sidewalk five feet away. They were making fun of us, and we kept right on singing.
Yeah, those girls were eyeing Rafe. Too bad for them. I was the one making bad music with him, and it rocked!
He pulled into my driveway and turned down the radio. His cheeks were sort of flushed and he was grinning.
I was so psyched. What an awesome time! “Thanks for the ride, Rafe.”
“Anytime, Lily.” He raised his brows, his eyes sparkling with laughter. “Despite what my aunt says about you, you’re not too bad.”
I smacked him lightly on the arm. “Not funny.”
His grin faded. “Sorry.”
Shoot. I didn’t want him to drive off thinking I was some over-sensitive loser. “I’m just kidding.” I swung out of his Jeep and landed on the driveway with a graceful thump. “If you ever need a stand-in for the keyboard again, let me know.”
His smile disappeared and he got this really awkward expression on his face. “Um, about that...”
All my happiness suddenly vanished, but I shrugged like I didn’t care. I hadn’t meant to force him to reject me. The offer had just tumbled out. “It’s no problem. I know you already have a keyboard player. I just meant—”
“She’s my girlfriend.”
I felt sick. “Who is? Angel?” I knew it!
“No, Paige. The girl who plays the keyboard.”
Oh…no wonder she’d scowled at me when Crusty had accused me of flirting with Rafe. Now that little exchange felt even more embarrassing. Did the two of them think I’d been flirting with Rafe when they both knew he was taken? God, that was irretrievably embarrassing! I took a deep breath and tossed my hair, trying to be so casual that he’d never think I’d been after him “Whatever.”
He frowned. “I just didn’t want you to think, well, I mean, because I gave you a ride today and stuff.”
Oh, God, this was the worst! I was getting dumped before I’d even dated him! “Rafe, seriously, it’s no biggie. I was just having fun on the ride home. I have a boyfriend already, so I’m glad it’s not an issue,” I blurted out before I could stop myself. Yikes! Had I really just said that?
Surprise flickered across his face. “You have a boyfriend?”
Too late to back out now. “Yep. Sophomore over at Inverness. Plays football.” Wow. Two fake boyfriends in three days. My social life was rocking. I managed a smile, even though I felt like running into my house and curling up into a miserable little ball. Was my life so pathetic that I had to lie to everyone about it? Yes, yes, apparently it was. “He can sing, though, so don’t tell him I stink, okay? That’s our little secret.”
His mouth curved into an intimate smile, all his tension gone now that he knew he didn’t have to worry that I had a crush on him. Sigh. “Our little secret,” he agreed. “Deal.” He started the Jeep back up. “So, I’ll see you around.”
“If you’re lucky.”
That same look of surprise crossed his face again, as if he hadn’t expected me to be so blasé about his girlfriend news. “If I’m lucky,” he repeated. Then he shifted into reverse and backed out of the driveway.
I refused to stand there and stare after him, so I turned and ran into the house, jumping over two geraniums in case he was looking. Girls who had just been rejected by a guy they had a major crush on didn’t leap over flowerpots. They sobbed and cried and got all pathetic.
But not me. No way.
I vaulted up the steps, shoved my key in the lock and danced inside, then slammed the door shut so I could collapse on the floor and be a loser in private.
CHAPTER FIVE
When my mom got home after work, I had decided that two fake boyfriends were all the lies I could handle for the moment, so I told my mom the truth about what happened at the lesson. I even admitted that I cried, and that I just couldn’t take the pressure anymore. I don’t know what delusion was dogging me, like I thought that she’d suddenly hug me and say that it didn’t matter how well I did because she loved me anyway.
Nope, not so much. What she did was run off to call Miss Jespersen and find out her side, not believing me when I told her that Miss Jespersen was laying the pressure on way too thick.
Lucky for me, Crusty wasn’t home, but my mom still made me practice. For four horrific hours.
By the end of the night, even my mom admitted I sounded awful. That put me in an even worse mood, especially when she started talking about the audition again.
I practiced for another hour, trying too hard to remember what it was like to enjoy piano, but failing miserably. Then I did homework, because I had nothing else to do, unlike my friends, who were probably hanging with Inverness guys getting ice cream or something.
My decision was made. There was space in my life for one more deception.
I was bailing from my life on Thursday and going to Inverness with my friends to meet guys.
* * *
I was in awe.
Was this really what other girls did while I was playing the piano? I couldn’t believe it. After taking the cross-town bus over to Inverness, I was sitting with Delilah and Erin, catching late afternoon rays on the bleachers at Inverness. The cold metal benches were hard, but the breeze was warm and the hot sun was like a gift on my pasty skin.
The football field was so green, the sky was so blue and the white from the players’ uniforms was so bright. The colors were so vibrant it was amazing. I could almost taste the freshness of the air, and I could feel my hair fluttering around my face. There were no adults watching us to make sure we were appropriate and responsible. It was just us, hanging out, doing absolutely nothing productive other than watching the guys do drills and comparing the thigh muscles of each one.
There was a lot to compare, and it was awesome.
I leaned back on the bleachers, grinning as we chatted about boys. Since when was I the type to cut practice? I wasn’t, but I didn’t feel like I was doing anything wrong. I felt like I was living! I was on the verge of getting myself a real boyfriend. I was such a rebel, and it was the best feeling.
Erin nudged me. “See number ten? That’s Keith. Is he cute or what?”
I studied the field and got a vague glimpse of the number ten before he disappeared beneath a slew of grunting bodies. “I like his helmet,” I offered. It was the best I could come up with. Did she really think I could tell if he was cute when he was at the other side of the field and wearing a helmet?
Delilah pointed at the pile. “That’s Jeff at the bottom.” She sighed. “He’s not that hot, plus he’s getting squashed. I really think I should tell him I can’t go to the semi-formal with him.”
“You have to go,�
�� Erin said. “He’s best friends with Keith and Hugh, and if you don’t go then they might not ask us and then—”
“So, which one’s mine?” I was risking the wrath of Miss Jespersen and my parents because my friends had sworn that the guys had a friend who needed a date for the semi-formal. I was there to meet him. I was on a mission. This was my one chance to get my life on the right track, and I was going to make it count.
Since Inverness and St. Mary’s hosted the semi-formal together, the guys were going to get dates if we didn’t snag them first. I had to move in today for the kill or risk missing the dance entirely, since my “boyfriend” Rafe was still unable to attend.
If I got a date, then maybe my friends would forget about Rafe. They hadn’t stopped grilling me about him so far, forcing me to make up lies constantly. As of this moment, Rafe and I had been dating for three months, had gone to six movies and he’d given me a stuffed animal for our three month anniversary. He was sixteen, birthday in March, and had written a song about me. Unfortunately, he was not available for the semi-formal, but was now okay with me going without him. What a guy.
My plan for the moment was to start to date this Inverness guy, whoever he was, fall in love and then “break up” with Rafe. Or something like that, so long as it ended with Rafe out of the picture and no one realizing I’d lied about him being my boyfriend.
“I don’t know which one’s yours,” Erin said. “His name’s Lesley or something like that.”
“Lesley?” I grimaced. “That’s a girl’s name.” Unlike Rafe. He had a great name.
“Obviously it’s not a girl’s name,” Delilah said, rolling her eyes. “At least he’s got to be cuter than Jeff.”
The boys broke out of their huddle around the coach, and three guys headed toward us, jogging toward the bleachers. I sat up. Oh…was one of them Lesley? The future love of my life? Or at least my ticket to the dance? My stomach did a sudden belly flop and my mouth got dry. A football player was on his way over to me. To meet me. To talk to me. What was I supposed to say? Should I mention the semi? Or just wait for him to bring it up? Crud! I was so not ready for this…
“Hi Keith,” Erin said, beaming at the boys.
I clutched her arm, starting to panic.
Delilah leaned into my other side as she let out her breath. “Jeff actually looks pretty good with mud on his face,” she whispered. “Doesn’t he?”
“Yeah, sure.” I wet my lips and stared at the boys coming toward us. Number ten was apparently Keith, so he wasn’t Lesley, but which of the other two was mine? They both had muddy faces, and they were both pretty cute. Not Rafe, but good enough to be seen in public with.
Then I noticed one of them was looking right at me, and I knew it was him. The connection was too vivid, too direct. He was checking me out, and it was no casual inspection. It had to be my date. I quickly gave him the once over. He had light brown hair that was cut short. Mud on his cheek, brown eyes, nice straight nose. He smiled at me, and I grinned back, my breath catching in my chest. Okay, yeah, this was going to be okay.
He came to a stop in front of me. “You must be Lily.”
I nodded, my tongue suddenly all tangled up with nerves. What should I say?
He flashed me a grin. “I’m Les.”
Les? That was so much better than Lesley. I could live with that. Okay, phew. I nodded again, my hands clammy and my heart racing. What was I supposed to say to him? What did football players like to talk about? The only guys I talked to were the other students at Mueller-Fordham, and we talked recitals and classical music. No way would Les think that was interesting.
He started walking, and I realized we were all heading back toward the gym. I could handle that. I fell in next to him, pleased to discover I could actually walk beside him without tripping over myself. Point for me. Soon I’d even be able to talk.
“So, you go to St. Mary’s?” he asked.
I nodded for a third time. Think of something interesting to say. But nothing popped into my head except that I’d just realized that muddy guys were hot. Yeah, not going to say that.
His smile slipped a little. “Do you talk?”
“Of course.” Oh, God. My voice was totally hoarse. I cleared my throat. “Yeah. Sorry. So, um, you play football, huh?”
He swung his helmet from his fingertips. “Yeah.”
Oy. Dumb question! Duh, Lily! So, yeah, talk about football. “Do you score lots of runs?”
He slanted a look at me. “You mean touchdowns? You score runs in baseball.”
Did I mean touchdowns? It sounded like I did. Crud! Why was I such a dork? “Um, yeah, do you score a lot of touchdowns?”
His forehead puckered in a little scowl that would have been adorable if I wasn’t completely freaking out right now. “I’m a lineman.”
So? Did that answer my question about the goals? I had no idea. “Oh, right. Got it.”
Silence.
Delilah and Erin were up ahead, laughing and flirting with Jeff and Keith.
Les and I were silent.
Flirt. I should flirt. I tucked my hair behind my ear and tried to give him a scintillating smile. Was that right? How exactly did one flirt? Ah...
“So, um, you play a sport?” he asked.
“I play the piano.” I immediately relaxed. Piano was something I could talk about for hours. Talking about it with a cute guy suddenly made me forget that I hated it. Anything was good with a hottie walking next to me.
He frowned. “Really? Like classical music?”
“Yep. I spent the summer on tour. I played nursing homes and a couple museum luncheons and at a fundraiser for clean lakes in southern Maine. And...” I trailed off at the glazed look on his face. “And stuff like that.”
“Sorry, but I’m not really into the piano thing.” He looked pained. “What else do you do?”
Um... I chewed my lip and tried to think of something. Homework and maintaining personal hygiene didn’t seem like the best answer.
“Like, have you seen any movies lately?” He was starting to sound desperate.
“No. I’ve been pretty busy with the piano. I have this big audition coming up...” I trailed off at the grimace on his face. Okay, so he didn’t want to hear about the audition. “But I wanted to see a movie.”
He brightened. “Which one?”
“The one with Matt Damon.” Surely, Matt Damon was in a movie right now, wasn’t he? Maybe.
Les frowned. “He has a movie out right now?”
Or not. Crud. I was so bad at this.
He swung his helmet a little more restlessly and glanced ahead at his friends, like he was wishing he was with them instead of with me. “What about television? What’s your favorite show?”
I grimaced as my heart began to pound. “I don’t really get to watch much TV.”
His mouth hardened into a bored line. “Because you’re playing the piano.”
“Yeah.” But I wasn’t a loser! There had to be something interesting about me, didn’t there? Like...um...
He grunted. “You watch sports?”
“Not a lot, but, um, I’d really like to learn about football.”
Interest flickered on his face. “Really? You want to come watch my game on Friday night?”
I grimaced again. “I’d really like to, but I can’t.”
“Piano?
God, the look of pity and disgust on his face was totally embarrassing. “No, I’m going to rob a convenience store. Want to come?”
He stared at me.
“I’m kidding.” I gave a weak laugh. “Joke.” In my head, it had sounded better than admitting I’d played the piano, but it hadn’t come out so well. Obviously, Inverness guys didn’t think jokes about robbing convenience stores were funny. Rafe would probably think it was hilarious. Too bad Rafe had a girlfriend who was terrible at the keyboard.
“Yeah, well, I gotta go change. It was good to meet you.” Les took off in a sprint, ditching me in the middle of the field.
>
He was running away. From me. Both my fake boyfriends had ditched me before anything had even started. That had to be a record of some kind.
I saw Erin glance back at me as Les ran past her, and she raised her eyebrows and gave me a thumbs up.
I managed to grin and nod.
What were the chances Les was going to go to the semi-formal with me?
Zero.
I was so hosed.
CHAPTER SIX
Three hours later, I slammed my forehead into the piano keys with a horrendous clang and screamed. Why was I so bad? Why couldn’t I play anymore? Every time I touched the keys, my playing got worse, like some horrible nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. What was wrong with me?
I couldn’t play the piano, and I’d been shot down by two fake boyfriends. My life was over. There was nothing redeemable at all. Not even my belly button ring.
I banged my head on the keys again, the crash of the chords a horrible noise of misery. Maybe I should start playing with my head. It sounded better than when I used my hands.
The phone rang and I jerked upright. Please let that be Rafe calling to tell me he’d dumped his girlfriend because he’s so hopelessly in love with me!
My mom answered the phone. “Well, hello, Erin. I’m sorry, but Lily is still practicing. Can she call you later?”
“Wait!” I jumped up and ran into the kitchen, where my mom was making meatloaf. “I need to talk to her.”
Mom gave me her stern look. “Have you finished practicing?”
Dude, yeah, I was so over that look. Did I really care what she thought of me anymore? I mean, all I did was let her down, so why bother? “I need to talk to Erin about homework.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Really?” Her tone was dripping with skepticism.
“Really.” Total lie, but what else was new with me these days? “I’m serious, Mom. It’ll take two minutes.”
She sighed. “Miss Jespersen said you need to focus. The audition is soon and you aren’t nearly sharp enough.”
The Fake Boyfriend Experiment Page 5
