The Perfect Boy

by Hailey Abbott

  Ciara had been moving her hips to the music but stopped dead in her tracks the moment she saw AJ. The scrawny thirteen-year-old she’d split countless Cherry Cokes with three years before had turned into an Adonis onstage: the sexiest guy she’d ever seen. His face had filled out to accommodate his wide, almond-shaped eyes and long, dark lashes—the ones that earned him the nickname “Flyface.” He had on a silver Phat Farm shirt, unbuttoned to reveal the yummiest-looking six-pack in history. His low-slung jeans showed the sinewy muscles cutting into the elastic of his just-barely-visible Calvin Kleins. Forget Bow Wow—AJ had just taken his place in Ciara’s mind as the number-one hottest guy in the universe.

  What was sexiest about him, though, was his magnetic stage presence. The minute his feet hit the floor, the crowd went wild, hooting and clapping and calling his name. He seemed bigger than the whole room, brighter than the spotlight, more alive than the screaming, sweating masses below him. She couldn’t believe this was the same scrawny boy who played lightsaber around the pool with Kevin back in the day. If AJ could transform himself so much, there was definitely hope for her!

  Once he opened his mouth and spit quick, complex rhymes straight to the crowd, Ciara finally found her voice and began cheering too.

  “Does he write his own rhymes?” Ciara shouted in Heidi’s ear to be heard over the music.

  “Oh yeah.” Heidi nodded. “It’s like all he does—when he’s not researching record labels. This group is his life. He wants to make it really big in the music industry someday.”

  As driven as me, and hotter than Bow Wow. Her own words came rushing back to her as she stared longingly at AJ’s glistening pecs and mischievous smile. Had she finally met the perfect guy?

  Kevin brought the beat up and Ciara found herself shaking her booty for all she was worth. She could totally picture the B-Dizzy Crew blowing up—they had a great sound, and AJ’s looks were made for MTV. She looked up just in time to see AJ reaching a hand out to the audience—straight at her! Without thinking, she stuck out her arm and grabbed it. A current of energy shot through her arm as soon as they touched. Marlene and Heidi’s surprised expressions blurred with the bright colored lights around her as AJ pulled her onto the stage.

  “You looked great down there,” he whispered in her ear, leaning so close that she nearly fainted from his musky smell of sweat, cinnamon Altoids, and aftershave. Be dizzy was right! Her legs felt like Jell-O as she struggled to regain her balance and get back into the groove. Soon, the music and AJ’s rhymes took over and she found herself smiling into the blinding stage lights as she danced, throwing in extra moves she made up on the spot.

  “Looks like our girl Ciara’s back in town!” AJ said into the mike when the song was over. She felt her face flush but took a tiny bow before jumping off the stage and landing between Heidi and Marlene. As the B-Dizzy Crew launched into another song, she stared up at AJ, thinking she had never wanted anyone so badly in her life. For the first time ever, she knew she had found someone who’d be good for more than just a quick hookup. AJ was everything she’d ever hoped to find in a guy: an amazing emcee who was driven in his career but able to be loyal to the same girl for like two years. He was perfect!

  All she had to do now was make him hers.

  Chapter Four

  We just wanna get you out

  To the party everybody’s talkin’ ’bout

  And you don’t have to worry ’bout a fee

  Ya see it’s all vi-a-vi because you’re rollin’ with me

  —Jurassic 5

  I can’t believe how good they are!” Ciara gushed to Marlene and Heidi after the show. They had gathered back by the bar as the venue began to thin out, and she was guzzling an orange Vitamin Water to replenish all the liquid she’d sweat off dancing.

  “I told you so,” Heidi said. “Definitely not your typical high school rap group. Where are they, anyway? They’ve been backstage for like half an hour now.”

  “Probably still taking off their makeup,” Marlene joked. “Or maybe polishing their bling.”

  “Look at all those girls over there waiting to talk to them,” Heidi whispered, nodding toward a group of girls hanging out by the stage.

  “Groupies,” Marlene said, rolling her eyes. “Just what AJ’s ego needs.”

  Heidi ignored her comment and asked if they were coming to the after party, but Marlene shook her head. “I have to get up early tomorrow,” she said. “Besides, in between his gloating and girls falling all over him, AJ’s impossible to deal with after a show. Oh, I should probably shut up now,” she said as AJ reemerged from backstage and came toward them, a huge grin on his face. He nodded at the groupies but didn’t slow down. The moment his eyes met hers, Ciara felt her head begin to spin.

  “Great show,” she told him. She wondered if he could hear the slight tremor in her voice. What had happened to the old Ciara who was always so confident around boys?

  “You were amazing!” Heidi chimed in.

  “I was pretty on, wasn’t I?” AJ laughed.

  “So you’re an emcee now,” Ciara said. “Who knew?”

  “Yeah, hey, great to have you back,” AJ said. He opened his arms, and Ciara’s stomach thumped. She was getting a hug! Wrapping her arms around his broad, strong back sent bolts of excitement zipping through her. There was a raw, animal energy in his embrace that she could have basked in all night—but she forced herself to let go.

  “Hey, everyone,” Kevin said, struggling up to the group with a case of records in each hand. “Are we hitting that house party or what?”

  “I’m down.” Heidi grinned, her eyes glittering. “Where’s it at again?”

  “D-John’s place,” Kevin informed the group. “He’s got a pool and hot tub—and his parents are up in Tahoe for the weekend.”

  “Sounds good,” AJ said. He turned to Ciara. “You coming?”

  “I’d love to,” Ciara purred. She couldn’t think of a better way to spend the evening.

  “I have to bail,” Marlene said. “I need my beauty sleep.”

  “Bummer,” Heidi sympathized, but she was still smiling. She didn’t actually look bummed at all.

  “You sure?” AJ asked. “You could always come for a little while and cut out early.”

  “Positive.” Marlene nodded, her lips set in a tight line. “But you kids have fun. I’ll catch you another time.”

  The five of them headed toward the parking lot, Kevin straggling behind under the weight of his record cases. Even though every fiber in Ciara’s being wanted to walk ahead and talk to AJ, she forced herself to fall into step with Kevin—she didn’t want to look desperate.

  “That’s a lot of records,” Ciara said, eyeing the cases.

  “Yeah, well.” Kevin grinned. “I figured I’d spin a set tonight at the party if I can get D-John’s turntables rigged up. It’s almost more fun when I don’t have someone rhyming over my beats.”

  “You’re pretty competent with those things,” Ciara commented.

  “Practice.” Kevin set down one of the cases in front of a blue Acura and fumbled in his pocket for his car keys. “Hours of hanging out alone in my room train-wrecking until I got it right.”

  “Sounds lonely,” Ciara said.

  “Nah, it’s great. Me and the music—just the way I like it.” Kevin hefted the cases into his trunk, his biceps straining under his shirt. He had obviously bulked up a bit since she had last seen him—Ciara wondered if he’d started working out. “We’re going to caravan outta here, so just follow one of us, okay?”

  “Gotcha.” Ciara turned and headed for her car. “See you there!”

  Ciara could hear strains of reggaeton booming from the backyard of D-John’s place as their caravan pulled up the long, curving driveway. A massive colonial-style mini-mansion set into a hillside high above Santa Barbara, the place seemed built for parties, with a large kidney-shaped pool, matching hot tub, grounds sprinkled with flower gardens and gazebos, and an outdoor bar and grill. Kevin went
to talk to their host about setting up turntables and Ciara surveyed the scene, smiling to herself as she took in the group of girls dancing together on the deck, the cluster of guys sipping Coronas by the grill, and the couple making out in the hot tub. She was about to suggest they hit the dance floor when Heidi came bouncing up to them, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

  “Oh, super, a pool!” she squealed, bending to take off her shoes. “I’ve been dying for a swim all night.”

  Ciara watched in astonishment as Heidi peeled off her tank top and miniskirt to reveal a skimpy black camisole and matching boy-cut panties. She ran for the pool and jumped in, then surfaced a moment later, spluttering and giggling. “Hey, AJ!” she called, swimming to the edge and looking up at him with pleading doe eyes. “Come join me?”

  “Uh…okay,” AJ said, shrugging at Ciara. He unbuttoned his shirt and paused for a moment before stripping down to his Calvins. Ciara didn’t know which shocked her more: Heidi’s totally uncharacteristic behavior or AJ’s amazing physique. Either way, she was speechless. She flashed back to getting dressed for the party and winced as she thought of the plain white bra and underwear she’d put on. She might as well just hop in the pool naked. The old Ciara might have been into that, but it looked like the new Ciara would have to keep her clothes on. As AJ ran to join Heidi in the pool, she figured she’d be spending the night high and dry—literally and figuratively.

  “Looks like someone’s having fun,” a voice said close to Ciara’s left ear. She turned to see Kevin standing next to her, staring down at AJ and Heidi splashing around in the water.

  “Yeah, really.” Ciara sighed. She looked at the tiny pile Heidi’s shirt, shoes, and miniskirt had made on one of the deck chairs. “I guess Heidi’s changed a lot since the one-piece swimsuit days, huh?”

  “It’s only recently.” Kevin shook his head in confusion. “She was just this totally normal, semi-conservative girl until the last month of school, and suddenly—bam!—she’s like something out of Girls Gone Wild.”

  “Why the change?” Ciara asked.

  “I don’t really know…but I have a theory,” Kevin said, wiggling his eyebrows.

  “Care to dish?”

  “Well, she was dating this guy Jude for like two weeks back in March,” Kevin said. “She was crazy about him, but then he dumped her for this other girl, Princess. Princess was a bit more of a party animal.”

  “Sounds more like purebred royalty to me,” Ciara quipped. “So Heidi decided that’s what guys go for?” She couldn’t help thinking that Heidi wasn’t too far off track—the guys back in LA had loved her wild, dare-to-do-anything streak.

  “Yeah.” Kevin stopped smiling and his voice grew heavy. “I don’t think it’s the most brilliant decision she ever made.”

  “So you liked the old Heidi better,” Ciara said sympathetically.

  “I thought the old Heidi liked me,” Kevin said. “But it looks like the new Heidi is all about AJ.”

  They both watched as Heidi shot up from under the water and struggled to dunk AJ, her chest smooshed against the top of his head. Just seeing the way AJ grabbed her waist in retaliation made Ciara’s insides writhe with envy.

  “It must be rough having someone switch lanes on you like that,” Ciara said.

  “It wasn’t exactly highlight reel material,” Kevin joked. He motioned for Ciara to join him at one of the white wrought-iron tables surrounding the pool. A votive candle floating in a small bowl of water flicked light onto their faces.

  “So what happened?” Ciara asked. Kevin lowered his eyes, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” Ciara added quickly. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want. I mean, we haven’t even seen each other in years.”

  “Nah, that’s cool,” Kevin said, his eyes briefly meeting hers. “Me and Heidi were spending a lot of time together. Nothing major—I mean, she was like this good girl, so it’s not like anything was even happening. Mostly I was just helping her get over Jude. But then AJ and Marlene break up and it’s like Heidi’s style goes all Paris Hilton in two weeks flat, she starts going on about how she’s trying to ‘get in touch with her wild side,’ and she drops me like a hot potato.”

  “That’s gotta sting,” Ciara said. She could sympathize—seeing Heidi all over her perfect guy made her skin prickle.

  “Like I said, I’d prefer if they left it out of the B-Dizzy Crew documentary,” Kevin joked darkly.

  “So what happened with AJ and Marlene?” Ciara asked, hoping it didn’t sound too much like she was digging for information.

  “Well, as you’ve probably gathered, they dated for more than two years, then broke up,” Kevin said. Ciara nodded for him to continue. “So, like, we started the B-Dizzy Crew about a year ago. I’ve been spinning records a lot longer than that, and one day AJ was over at my place while I was scratching and he started freestyling over it and was immediately like, ‘Dude, we have something here—we have to do this.’ As soon as we started getting gigs, AJ’s ego inflated and Marlene just couldn’t deal. She’s such a strong personality, it’s like there wasn’t room in the world for both of them.”

  “Do you think he’s over her?” Ciara asked carefully.

  “Well, he’s not exactly the type to sit around crying into a pint of Ben and Jerry’s,” Kevin said. “Especially with the attention he’s getting these days. I think he’s mostly just focusing on his music—but if the right girl came along, I bet AJ wouldn’t turn her down.”

  “Good,” Ciara blurted. As soon as she realized what she’d said, her hands flew to her mouth. She had just given way too much away.

  “Uh-oh,” Kevin said, smiling wryly. “Looks like you’re hot for AJ too.”

  Ciara’s face was so red she was sure Kevin could tell even in the dim candlelight. “I’ve always had a soft spot for emcees,” she admitted.

  “Isn’t that the way it always is?” Kevin stared up at the stars, shaking his head in mock exasperation. “The emcees get all the love, and the DJs get squat.”

  “You could say the same about the girls who strip down to their skivvies and jump in the pool versus the girls who stay dressed on the deck,” Ciara pointed out.

  “Touché.”

  They both watched as Heidi climbed out of the pool, her butt twitching in her soaked underpants. She shot AJ an inviting glance before taking off for the pool house. AJ turned and swam underwater to the deep end, his shoulders gleaming in the light of a nearby tiki torch as he climbed the submerged metal ladder and wandered off toward the pool house as well.

  Kevin and Ciara let out simultaneous sighs.

  “Isn’t it ironic,” Kevin observed. “They seem to want each other—and we both want them.”

  “Maybe if we work together, we can make things work in our favor,” Ciara mused.

  “Yeah, good one,” Kevin said. “It would probably be easier to change the laws of physics.”

  “No, seriously!” Ciara could feel herself getting excited, the way she always did when she came up with a good idea for the student council or a valid argument for the debate club. “I mean, they haven’t even gotten together yet. Right now, they’re just flirting.”

  “We hope,” Kevin interjected, shooting a glance toward the door of the pool house.

  “Well, yeah. But it’s still in the very early stages. I mean, you’re AJ’s best friend, right? And I’ll be working with Heidi all summer. That means we have the opportunity to bend their ears a lot.”

  “You mean, you’d talk me up to Heidi all day at work?” Kevin asked, starting to catch on.

  “Right. And you’d do the same with AJ.”

  A tiny smile began to stretch the corners of Kevin’s mouth.

  “Not only that,” Ciara continued, “but I can find out exactly what Heidi really wants in a guy. If she’s wild about daisies, you show up with a bouquet of them the next day. If she digs men with mustaches, you grow a mustache.”

  “Hey, easy.” Kevin laughed. “I’m not growing a mustache for
anyone. I don’t even think I can—Korean guys aren’t exactly renowned for their lush facial hair.”

  “Okay, you can skip the mustache,” Ciara conceded through her giggles. “But you know what I mean.”

  “Do you really think this will work?” Kevin asked. He still sounded skeptical.

  “I’ve found that if I put my mind to something, I can generally make it happen,” Ciara said firmly. “But it will only work if you’re in it one hundred percent. Are you?”

  “I guess so,” Kevin said. “I’ve had a thing for Heidi since ninth grade.”

  He reached out his hand and Ciara shook it.

  “Woo-ha!” Kevin whooped.

  “Huh?” Ciara asked. Had Kevin really just whooped?

  Kevin looked embarrassed. “Woo-ha. It’s what I say when I’m psyched about something. It’s from this old Get Set V.O.P. track I dug up—they’re like this totally obscure hip-hop/jazz fusion group, but I love the song. I’ll play it for you sometime.”

  “Woo-ha,” Ciara repeated, smiling. “I like that. That’s what we’re calling this plan, okay?”

  “Woo-ha?” Kevin asked. “So I’ll be like, ‘Yo, Ciara, how’s Woo-ha going?’”

  “It needs to sound more official than that so we take it seriously,” Ciara said. “How about Operation Woo-ha?”

  “Operation Woo-ha,” Kevin repeated. “I like the sound of that.”

  “Well, then, here goes nothing,” Ciara said, raising her fist in the air. Kevin brought his hand up to meet hers in a power salute.

  “Woo-ha,” they said at the same time. There was a moment of somber contemplation as they each pondered the future of their scheme. Then they both dissolved into laughter.