The Road to L.A.

by Buchanan, Gina

  As usual, Jake played the guitar with such fierce intensity, rhythmically moving his body to the pounding music. The crowd continued to grow wild and out of control, and Carly began to feel sorry for the waitresses who were trying to make their rounds without being jostled about.

  Somewhere between the eighth or ninth song, Roy turned to Carly and shouted over the music, “I didn’t know Jake was this good.”

  “Pretty good, huh? ” Carly asked while grinning proudly.

  “Yeah,” Roy admitted. “Never really liked rock. But Jake's playing, so it's all good." He grinned and then turned back to the stage.

  Carly suddenly took note of a group of girls yelling and flailing their arms as if to catch Jake's attention. The Golden Boy made his way over to them and touched their outstretched hands, to which they screamed with delight. She was pretty certain those girls were her classmates, and she could only imagine what Monday morning would be like. No doubt the girls of Lakeview would assail her to find out more about Jake - particularly his relationship status. Not that they didn’t do that already, but it would definitely be worse after tonight. Interestingly, a tinge of jealousy reared itself inside of her. She relied on her usual tactic to rid herself of this feeling - denial and avoidance. Turning to seek out Susan's whereabouts, she spotted her at a table near the rear of the club. Not surprisingly she was preoccupied with her phone, and it looked like she was texting pretty furiously. Carly only rolled her eyes and shook her head. How could anybody not be enthralled with Jake's music, she wondered.

  After finally finishing their set, Jake surprised her by moving to the edge of the stage and announcing into the microphone, “I just want to send a shout-out to four special people out there tonight. You know who you are. Thank you for all your support.”

  The crowd cheered.

  He continued. “And I also want to send a special shout-out to my best friend, the hottest girl at Lakeview. Thanks for having my back.”

  And again, the crowd exploded. Jake winked at her while grinning mischievously. Carly felt her cheeks suffuse with embarrassed heat. That would not go over well with the female population of Lakeview High School - particularly Susan. No doubt that by Monday morning rumors would be floating around school. Susan definitely wasn't amused by Jake's stunt. Looking back at the table, Carly watched as the blonde shot up from her chair and stomped off.

  “Did you see her?” Carly gulped uneasily.

  “How could I miss it?” Amanda said. She was enjoying it - a bit too much.

  Carly sighed at her friend’s devilish smirk.

  “I need to get backstage," the twin said somewhat frantically. She turned to grin at Carly, and Carly immediately saw the twinkle in Amanda's eyes. "It's gonna be quite a show." With that, Amanda was off.

  Carly, Aaron, and Roy followed reluctantly. They anticipated the worst. Much to Amanda's chagrin, a burly security guard foiled her plan and they had to wait outside for Jake. Amanda was pacing in the parking lot and kept grumbling that she was missing the best show of her life. Meanwhile, Carly, Aaron, and Roy opted to wait in the car. They had all the standing they could take in one day.

  “Jake's my boy and all, but he dug himself into a hole with that remark. Susan's gonna chew him up and spit him out,” Roy said from the front seat. He was shaking his head to indicate his disbelief.

  “Yeah,” Carly and Aaron retorted in somber unison.

  They maintained surveillance of the back door. Amanda had finally stopped pacing but was still grumbling and cursing. She reached into her purse to pull out a cigarette, then looked at Aaron. She shot him a threatening glare and said, "You better not tell mom and dad."

  "Since when do you smoke?" Aaron asked, ignoring the venom in her eyes.

  "I only do it when I'm pissed off," she replied. She was now fumbling in her purse for a lighter. She halted in her efforts, however, when she heard the back door crash open. It was Susan, and she was surrounded by her group of friends who were working hard to console her. They happened to pass by Amanda's car and it was obvious to Carly that Susan had been crying - her face was puffy and her eyes red and swollen. Susan noticed the car's occupants and narrowed in on one person in particular. Her eyes focused in on Carly and she shouted in a screeching tone, "You slut! You took my boyfriend away from me! You'll pay for this, you bitch!"

  Carly felt her heart race. A cold wave of dread spread through her paralyzed body and she gulped hard. She wondered if Susan would try to physically assault her. Thankfully, though, Susan's friends coaxed her away from the car and pressed her to move on. Susan's relentless wails filled the air and loud curses spilled from her trembling lips. Carly was certain that most of those curses were directed at her.

  Amanda broke the silence. "What the hell was that?"

  Roy broke out into laughter and said, “She was about to go off on Carly. It was about to be a girl fight.”

  Carly shot him a disapproving glare and replied, "I really hope you'd have my back."

  Roy stopped laughing and simply smiled as he retorted, "Of course, Cabrerra. Can't have anyone messing up that pretty face."

  “This night is just getting better and better,” Amanda said, all the while chuckling heartily. She returned the cigarette to the box. "No need for the smokes anymore."

  Shortly thereafter, Jake and the rest of the band emerged. They piled some equipment into Garret's van, which was parked in front of the steps leading up to the back door of the club. After helping load up, Jake shook hands with his band mates and then sprinted towards Amanda's car. Halfway there, however, Carly and Amanda accosted him.

  “What happened to Susan?” the two girls asked in unison, waiting in anticipation for his answer. Before Jake could respond, Aaron and Roy had joined them.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you guys? I played my ass off tonight. Not to mention, we signed up for a band showcase next week. And all you girls can ask me about is some chick I don't give a shit about anymore?"

  Carly and Amanda fell silent, then apologized. Roy was the first to congratulate him, then Aaron. Amanda's lips transformed into a broad smile and she jumped at Jake, wrapping her arms as far as they would go around his broad chest. "I am so excited for you, Jake! You're gonna make it big, I can feel it."

  Jake's eyes fell on Carly and he grinned at her. Still feeling embarrassed about her shallow interest in Susan, she lowered her eyes and said sheepishly, "I'm so proud of you. Sorry about the whole Susan thing."

  Amanda released him, and Jake stepped towards his best friend. "Don't worry about it." His voice was so gentle it made her heart jump and her stomach tingle. He hugged her and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

  "Hey, where's my kiss?" Amanda asked. She was smirking, but Carly was certain there were vestiges of hurt in those eyes. Jake simply laughed at Amanda's supposed affront. He then turned to address everyone and explained, "This showcase could be our ticket, guys. There’ll be a bunch of unsigned bands from all around the country performing. And from what I was told, there’ll be reps from the nation’s top recording labels, and they’ll be looking to sign new bands.”

  “That’s awesome, Jake,” Carly said enthusiastically.

  “You have a really good shot at getting signed,” Aaron said. “You guys are awesome. And I'm not being biased when I say that you are the best one in that group."

  “Thanks, man,” Jake replied, playfully jabbing the twin in the stomach.

  “Yeah, man. Even I enjoyed it. And you know I don’t listen to rock,” Roy said, chuckling. “So, coming from me, that’s a compliment.”

  “So,” Amanda said, changing the topic of conversation. She wanted to be cautious about how she approached it, not wanting to offend Jake again. But she was still highly interested in finding out what had transpired between Susan and him. She asked, "Is your handsome ass back on the market?"

  Jake groaned and finally conceded in satisfying everyone’s curiosity.

  “I broke up with her,” Jake said matter-of-fact
ly.

  Everyone glared at him as if expecting more.

  Jake sighed and continued.

  “I’m guessing you wanna know why. We just didn’t have the same interests.” Jake paused, feigning deep thought, then added, “Plus, she’s annoying and not really my type.”

  “Not your type, huh?” Carly snorted. “I could have told you that.”

  “We both could have told you that,” Amanda corrected.

  Jake then turned to face Carly. She immediately took note of the apologetic expression on his face.

  “Um, Carly,” he stammered, “I may have gotten you kicked off the cheerleading squad. Susan said something about me telling you that you shouldn't bother coming to practice anymore because she's gonna make your life a living hell."

  To Jake’s surprise and immense relief, Carly just laughed and replied, “I don’t care. I didn’t fit in with those girls anyway.”

  “I am so glad to hear you say that,” Amanda declared joyfully. “This has turned out to be the best day of my life!”

  Carly laughed. She couldn’t have agreed more with the twin. The fact that Jake and Susan were no longer together pleased her immensely. The question that nagged her, though, was why she felt so happy and relieved about it. It wasn’t as if she would now date him. So they had shared a wonderful kiss at the old baseball field. So he sometimes looked at her with that tenderness in his eyes. So he sometimes said things or touched her in such a way that would send sparks shooting up and down her body. The fact of the matter was that she and Jake would never be anything more than just best friends. And there would be plenty of other girlfriends in Jake’s life that she would have to deal with. And there would be boyfriends in Carly’s life that Jake would have to deal with - once her parents allowed her to start dating, of course. She wondered, then, how she would handle the next girlfriend that came into Jake’s life.

  Chapter Ten

  The Cabrerra house was bustling with activity that early morning. Juan’s family was flying in from Florida that afternoon, and he was running behind. Carly was brimming with excitement at the thought of seeing her grandparents, Aunt Nici and Uncle Tito, and her two cousins. She especially couldn’t wait to see her cousins, both of whom were close to Carly’s age. Angelica and Gloria were always fun to hang around with. Carly particularly enjoyed hearing about her cousins’ latest infatuations.

  She had just finished cleaning her bedroom when Lydia instructed her to clean the guest bathroom as well. She groaned aloud and then decided to retract her aggravation when her mother shot her a scolding glare.

  “I think I’ll go get the bathroom cleaner,” Carly quickly announced to appease her mother.

  She ran downstairs into the kitchen and fished for the cleaner under the kitchen sink. Once she had it, she proceeded to head upstairs again, only to be summoned back into the kitchen by the persistent ringing of the telephone.

  “Hey,” Jake’s voice sounded on the other end. “What are you doing?”

  Carly noted the bored tone in his voice.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be practicing for the upcoming showcase in Cleveland?” Carly softly chided.

  Jake laughed on the other end.

  “That’s what I would be doing right now if Garrett hadn’t decided we needed a break.”

  “Oh,” Carly replied, keeping an eye and ear open for her mother, who would be reminding her of her bathroom cleaning chore at any moment. “What are your plans for the day, then?”

  Jake sighed on the other end and said, “I have no idea. Actually, I’m here alone.”

  “Where are your parents?” Carly asked.

  “My dad’s somewhere at some meeting, and my mom’s out with her friends getting a manicure. I don't know."

  “Sounds exciting,” Carly said jokingly. “Well, if you’re not doing anything tonight, why don’t you come over? My relatives are coming in from Florida and we’re gonna barbeque.”

  “Sounds nice, but it sounds like a family thing.”

  Carly answered, “Not necessarily. Besides, you know my parents love you. You’re like family.”

  A short silence ensued as Jake pondered the invitation.

  “My dad’s gonna be cooking,” Carly added, hoping to entice him.

  At the mention of Juan’s well-known and revered Cuban cuisine, Jake answered immediately with, “Okay, I’ll be there.”

  Just then, Lydia’s voice rang out from somewhere on the second floor about the bathroom needing a scrubbing.

  “I gotta go. My mom is hounding me to finish my chores.” She sighed.

  “Cool. I’ll see you tonight, then.”

  Carly couldn't help noticing the excitement at the prospect of Jake coming over. But her mother's voice dispelled the thought. She raced upstairs and commenced her bathroom duty before her mother could call for her a third time.

  Carly had just finished cleaning when Juan pulled up in the driveway. She briefly checked herself in the mirror to make sure she looked presentable. She pulled her long, tangled hair into a ponytail and quickly applied some gloss to her naturally pink lips, then hurried downstairs. Juan opened the front door and stepped into the foyer, followed by Carly’s grandmother and grandfather. She rushed over to them and hugged both of them tightly. She then looked around, a quizzical expression on her face. Juan noticed his daughter's confused look and said, "Aunt Nici and Uncle Tito are outside fighting with the luggage. Why don’t you go help.”

  Carly scrambled out the door and ran to the car, squealing with delight when she saw her cousins pulling luggage out of the trunk. Quickly hugging her aunt and uncle, she joined her cousins and embraced them. Not long after, the luggage was carried inside, and the family gathered in the den to talk about the flight to Ohio and recent family news. Somewhere in the midst of the conversation, Carly and her cousins managed to slip out onto the deck in the backyard. They made themselves comfortable on the lawn chairs. Carly could tell that Angelica was eager to relay news about her relationship status, and so she opened up the conversation by inquiring about new developments in her cousin's life. Angelica immediately proceeded to divulge that she was seeing someone. She proudly described her boyfriend’s physical attributes, which seemed at times a bit exaggerated, but it all sounded fascinating nonetheless.

  “He has the most amazing body. His arms are all buff and his stomach is cut. I mean, he's got a six-pack and everything. His body is smoking hot," Angelica raved. “I'm pretty sure he does some modeling on the side."

  “Oh, wow,” Carly replied, genuinely impressed. "How did you find him?"

  "I saw him on the beach. Me and some of my friends were hanging out and saw him coming out of the water. We just couldn't believe how hot he was."

  "Yeah, we were all drooling over him," Gloria chimed in, grinning.

  "So then he walked by us, and I swear he stared right at me. I mean, I was probably one of the hottest girls at the beach, so I don't blame him."

  Gloria shook her head to confirm Angelica's account.

  "So later as we were leaving, he came up to me and asked for my number. And the rest is history," Angelica finished. She was absolutely beaming, boastfully so.

  "You got any pictures of him?" Carly asked. She was curious to see if Angelica's description held true.

  "Of course I do," Angelica replied. She grabbed her phone and browsed the photos stored on it. She finally halted on one and handed her phone to Carly.

  "Wow, you weren't lying. He's hot."

  Carly was genuinely impressed as she beheld the tall and tanned Adonis in the photo. Just as Angelica had said, his physique was beyond impressive. She could see the muscles on his arms and the muscles on his chest bulging against the white t-shirt he wore. His chiseled face wore a set of intense green eyes, and his jaw line was perfectly squared. In short, he was extremely handsome. She handed the phone back to her cousin. Angelica was beaming with delight as she realized Carly was truly taken by her boyfriend's looks.

  Carly then turned to he
r younger cousin, Gloria, and asked, "What about you? Are you dating anyone?"

  Gloria leaned back against the chair and stared dreamily at the sky.

  “She doesn’t have anyone,” Angelica taunted her sister.

  “I do,” Gloria shot back. She relaxed again and continued her dreamy musings. “It’s just that he doesn’t know it yet.”

  Carly eyed the plump girl suspiciously.

  “What does he look like? What’s his name?” Carly prompted eagerly.

  “Oscar,” Gloria said in a wispy tone as if she was describing the name of a decadent piece of chocolate.

  “Oscar doesn’t even know she exists,” Angelica said, laughing and tossing her long, curly hair.

  “I don’t know why he doesn’t. I mean, I know I have a pretty enough face, ” Gloria said, seeming distraught by her “beloved’s” lack of interest in her.

  “I can see why,” Angelica interjected. “I keep telling you, sis, if you would just lose a few pounds, you would definitely have a chance with him.”

  It was quite obvious that Gloria was moderately overweight. Yet her beautiful face more than made up for that in Carly’s opinion. Angelica’s opinion was always a bit more critical. That’s because Angelica seemed to demand aesthetic perfection. That was quite evident by how meticulously disciplined Angelica was at maintaining a trim physique and how she managed to keep her long, curly hair so well-styled at all times. From what Carly could remember of her cousin, Angelica never dared step outside of the house without any make-up on and her hair done up just right.

  “We all can’t be bean poles like you and Carly,” Gloria said defensively.

  “So, basically, to sum it up, my sis has no prospects. Now, on to you, Carly,” Angelica rushed. “Are you still friends with that guy? What’s his name? Jacob, Jeremiah…”

  “Jake,” Carly cut in, correcting her.

  “So what’s going on with you and him?” Angelica asked, her eyes seeming to grow in correlation with her eagerness to get all the juicy gossip.

  “Nothing is going on. We’re just best friends,” Carly answered.