“Duh. I did.” Franklin’s face crumpled like he was about to cry again.
She turned him around and pointed at the monitor. At his dress about to exit the runway. “That just changed people’s minds. You’re going to win.”
“What about you?”
She shrugged, feeling weightless for the first time in weeks. “I’ll figure something out. I always do.”
She wrapped her arms around Franklin and hugged him to her as his model joined them.
“That’s one hell of a dress,” Stella said.
TWENTY
AND THE WINNER IS …
Not only did Franklin win, but he won by a landslide. Stella came in second. Not bad for her first competition. She vowed to try harder next time.
Clutching her certificate and the $1,000 cash prize that came with it, she pushed through the adoring crowd praising and taking pictures with Franklin and his chic creation. Both the model and her best friend soaked up the attention like sponges.
When Stella reached the front of the crowd, Franklin’s face lit up. He engulfed her into a tight hug. Stella loved the fact that all was right between them.
“Looks like you have a couple of supporters of your own,” Franklin said above the excited chatter.
He turned her around to face Cam. Will trailed a couple of steps behind her brother. Her heart was already beating really fast from all the excitement, but the second Will got within a few feet of her, it was as if her heart were trying to find a way out of her chest. Toward him, she knew. But she stopped herself.
Cam went straight to her with a proud smile on his face. “Congrats, little sis!” He pulled her into a hug.
She gratefully accepted the congratulations, but still said, “You know Franklin was the one who won, right?”
Not losing his smile, Cam reached out and shook Franklin’s hand. “Congrats, bro. Well played. You beat my fashion nerd of a sister fair and square.”
“Thanks, bro,” Franklin imitated in a SoCal accent, shaking Cam’s hand.
“Hey!” Stella smacked her brother’s arm playfully. “Says the guy gaga over baseball. What do you know about fashion?”
“I know how to sew a hem,” he said. Then, as if hearing what he’d just said, he grimaced. “Gah, you’re infecting me.”
“Good!” Stella and Franklin said at the same time, before they all laughed.
Then, placing his hands on her shoulders, Cam turned Stella toward Will. He had been patiently waiting on the sidelines.
“There’s someone who really wants to talk to you,” Cam whispered into her ear before nudging her toward a blushing Will.
Heart finding its way to her throat, Stella faced Will fully and took the last steps that led her to stand before him. She searched his face. His great gray eyes. The bump on his nose. The scar below his lip that she simply adored. All of it, she knew by heart.
“Here,” he said, handing her folded pieces of paper.
“What’s this?” She accepted it to find out they weren’t just folded pieces of paper. They were stapled together to form a comic book.
“Just read it.”
“Okay…” Unsure, she flipped through the pages.
It was another special side story of The Adventures of Morla the Witch Hunter. Like the one for Christmas. In this one, Morla was in jeans and a light sweater.
Jeans and a sweater? Stella’s eyebrow arched. In fact, the clothes looked familiar until Stella recognized herself, not Morla. She was talking to a boy. Will. Her heart thumped. They were in the tree house. Will was holding her hands.
The real Will waited patiently as she reached the final page and the last speech bubble. In it was a question. It woke the butterflies in Stella’s stomach. She covered her mouth with both hands after it had fallen open in shock.
The bubble asked: The world deserves to know that I love you. Will you be my girlfriend again?
She pointed at the comic. “Are you serious?”
Panic colored Will’s expression, but he nodded anyway. “Please forgive me.”
“What?” It was her turn to be confused.
“For being MIA.”
Now both Stella’s eyebrows went up, up, and away. “And here I was about to find you.”
“To find me? Why?” Will’s curiosity was genuine. It was like he’d never expected her to do such a thing.
“You’re so dumb.” Stella rubbed her eyes, easing the throb there; then she locked gazes with the clearly waiting-at-the-edge-of-his-seat Will. She gave in to his puppy dog face. “I was going to look for you because I thought, to hell with Cam. I want you, and I know you want me too.”
“Oh, I want you.” Will grabbed Stella by the waist and pulled her closer. “You were going to ignore Cam for me?”
“I was going to choose you, yes.”
“Really?”
Will was so overcome with awe that Stella almost laughed. “Why is it so hard to believe?”
“You’re too good for me.”
“Are we back to that?”
“I had this whole surprise planned, and now we’re here and you’re beautiful and I missed you.”
Stella stood back, concern creasing her brow. “What would you have done if Cam hadn’t given in?”
The question seemed silly in light of the fact that they were finally free to be together. No more hiding. No more secrets. But she needed to know. Needed to see what he would have done.
Will’s face grew serious. “Real talk?”
She swallowed, unsure at first, but she nodded eventually. She held her breath.
He sighed. His shoulders dropped. “To be honest, I didn’t know what to do.”
A horrid feeling settled in Stella’s gut. He wouldn’t have done anything? He couldn’t be just like all the other guys her brother had scared off. Right? But as she feared the worst, Will continued speaking.
“I was happy you got through to Cam.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “You were right. I wasn’t ready to lose him. But you are important to me like nothing else.” Then he met her gaze, his expression so sincere. “All I know is losing you hurt me more. I would have found a way. And I hoped that one day Cam would forgive me. You have to believe in that. Believe in me.”
All at once, the twisting inside her cleared. She did believe him. In him. All this time she thought being with him was too good to be true. But this wasn’t a dream. Will was real. And he was willing to fight for her.
Overwhelmed, Stella held him tight. “I believe you.”
After a minute, Will held Stella at arm’s length. “You haven’t answered my question yet.”
“What question … Oh!” She waved the comic and he nodded. The biggest smile she could muster spread across her face. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
She jumped in place. In his arms. Where she always wanted to be. When she stilled, Will cupped her cheek and brought his lips to hers. The kiss was sweet. It was gentle. It was a homecoming.
“Eww! Gross!” came Cam’s words from behind them.
Still smiling, Stella continued the kiss because it would take more than her brother’s mortification to stop her.
* * *
WILL WATCHED IN awe as Stella handed the key of her hatchback to Cam, asking him to drive her car and the dress back to Oak Hills. For a hot second, Will thought Cam would give them grief, but the most he did was give Will side-eye before he left.
“He’s really going to be chill about this, isn’t he?” Will asked, still not believing everything that had happened that day. He’d gotten his best friend and his girl back. And it wasn’t even Christmas. He put his arm around her shoulders.
Stella snuggled closer to him. “I think he’s trying.”
They walked side by side around campus. Once in a while Will still caught himself checking if the coast was clear. Then he had to remind himself that it was. Cam had given his blessing.
“So,” Will eventually said as they neared the dorms. “How does it feel winning second place? Congratulati
ons, by the way.”
She let out a long breath, then smiled. He couldn’t get enough of that smile.
“Pretty good, actually. Franklin deserved winning first place.”
“But the scholarship.”
Her shoulders came up in a gentle shrug. “I still haven’t heard from the other schools, so I’ll wait before I figure out what I’ll do next. It’s not the end of the world.”
“Whoa!” Will stopped and faced Stella. “What happened to the girl who pretty much thought she had no future because Parsons rejected her?”
She sighed, contented. “Let me see. I won a grand. I got you back. I got to see my dress walk the runway. So I’d say my life is pretty good right now.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Getting me back is second to winning money?”
“Money I can spend. You I cannot.”
“Oh, really?” He flipped Stella over his shoulder into a fireman’s carry.
She squealed and flailed. “Put me down!”
“Not until you admit I’m better than money.”
Laughter bubbled out of her, free and clear. “Never!”
* * *
SLEEPING IN WILL’S ARMS—just sleep—felt like coming home after a long trip. Welcome and necessary. She woke up knowing everything was as it should be. And when he smiled as he opened his eyes, her heart grew several sizes.
After eating breakfast at his favorite deli, he and Stella drove back to Oak Hills. They held hands for the entire car ride. Stella hid her smile in the palm of her other hand while her elbow rested against the truck’s open window ledge. They didn’t have to hide their relationship anymore. Her heart was full to the brim.
They arrived at her house at around lunchtime. Will opened her door for her. She expected him to leave for Nana’s house, but instead he entwined their fingers together. Like a real, honest-to-God couple, they walked toward her front door. Will squeezed her hand as she opened the lock with her keys.
“Mom!” she called as they entered.
“They are back!” her mother said from the kitchen. In seconds, all four feet eight inches of the Filipino woman descended upon the both of them. “Did you make good time on the road? When Cam told me you were spending the night at his dorm I was worried, but he said William will behave, so I felt better.” She nodded sagely, trusting her son’s word implicitly. “But next time call first. You are grounded until graduation.”
“Mom,” Stella breathed out. Why was she still so nervous? Forget the fact that it completely slipped her mind to tell her mom about the sleepover. Now she owed Cam. She hadn’t been grounded in a long time. Not the best situation to be in, but she’d deal.
“Yes?” Her mother looked toward her expectantly.
“This is Will,” she said, gesturing to Will, who sucked his lips into his mouth as if he were trying not to laugh. She wanted to kick him.
Her mother’s eyebrows came together. “Of course I know this is William. I do not have Alzheimer’s yet. What is the matter with you, Stella Marie?”
“Mom.” She cleared her throat. “I mean this is Will, and he’s my boyfriend.”
“Well, you’re holding hands, aren’t you?” She gestured at their clasped hands. “Then he is your boyfriend.”
Stella rolled her eyes.
“It’s good to see you again, Mrs. Patterson.” Will stepped forward, as cool as a cucumber, and gave her mother a hug. Not letting go of Stella’s hand the entire time.
“No, no,” her mother said, taking his face in her hands. “You call me Tita from now on.”
Both Stella’s eyebrows went up. The honorific was a clear sign that she approved of Will being her boyfriend. “Wow, Mom, really?”
“Of course! We are family here.” She gestured for them to follow her. “You come and help me set the table. We will have lunch. I cooked sinigang.”
Well, it was indeed a celebration. The sour soup flavored with tamarind paste was Stella’s favorite. She especially loved it with large prawns. Her mouth watered in anticipation. But first …
“Can I go and shower?” Stella asked.
“Go! William will help me,” her mother said. “Come, William.”
Will gave Stella a kiss on the cheek before he followed her mother to the kitchen. It was so surreal. The guy who was once Cam’s best friend entered her house now as her boyfriend. After a minute of just standing there in awe, Stella climbed the steps. When she finally made it up to her room, she leaned against her doorframe and savored the happiness she felt inside. What more could she ask for?
She pushed away from the threshold. Fatigue from the days of little sleep and the aftereffects of an adrenaline high draped over her body like a heavy winter coat. Her gaze landed on her bed as she moved toward it. On the duvet was a large envelope.
A new burst of energy coursed through her. She jumped onto the bed and hugged the college acceptance letter to her chest.
Once she was sure it was real, she pulled out her phone and sent Franklin a text that said: FIDM, baby!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
WHEN I BEGAN my journey as a writer, I always knew that one day the character that represented my roots would eventually make herself known to me. Little did I know at the time that it would take ten published novels and countless failed drafts that will never see the light of day before she would knock on my door. But when she finally came, she was fully formed and ready to tell her story.
Stella Marie Patterson would not have come to life without the help of so many people. Each and every one an inspiration and a source of comfort during this often solitary writing process.
First, I would like to thank my mother for epitomizing what a Filipina is. She is strong. She is resilient. She is a wonderful mother. A woman who puts her family above all else—even herself sometimes. She is patience personified. She is kindness. She is beauty and grace. She is a Filipina through and through.
Second, I would like to thank my editor, Holly. Thank you for entrusting me with the big brother’s best friend trope. The moment you gave me this starting point, the book was born. I knew right away what would happen. I had no doubts. I wasn’t afraid. I knew what to do. Your unfailing patience and support lift my writing to better heights. Thank you for making the editing process something worth looking forward to. And thank you for loving Franklin as much as I do. And for wanting to read Morla’s adventures IRL.
Thank you to Eleonore for the wonderful, detailed notes. I would not have found my way in the dark without them. Thank you for being a part of the process and helping prepare this book for the real world.
Special thanks goes to Emily S., the Twitterverse, and FB for answering all my questions. So many dances. So many dates to keep track of. Your responses helped me build not only the town of Oak Hills, but also the high school where all the quirky characters interact. You are all a godsend.
I would also like to thank Liz D. and Emily O. for providing another excellent batch of covers for voting. I love each and every one of them. You helped give this book a beautiful face.
This acknowledgments section would not be complete if I didn’t thank Swoon Reads. HQ built a beautiful community of readers and authors that support each other. Each new book that is released gets better and better. I’m always excited to grab a copy and read the finished product. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this amazing family.
Thank you to my Grade 11 Creative Writing students of SY 2016–2017: AA, Bea, Janna, Marika, Kiyo, Cyd, Maia, Mickee, Nicole, Kosche, and Doty. You ladies inspire me. All of you make up some part of Stella. Fiery. Opinionated. Talented. Ambitious. And, most of all, drop-dead gorgeous inside and out. No joke. You were a pleasure to teach. Thank you for giving me the honor of being your teacher.
Thank you to Ms. Gerg for giving me a call. I wouldn’t have considered returning to teaching without it. Thank you also for the friendship and the support. Our conversations in your office always make my day.
Thank you to Ms. Leah for welcoming me back into th
e fold and helping me regain my teaching legs. Your strength and leadership inspires me to be better. Do better. Putting me back in a classroom and entrusting me with students brought me back to life. So, thank you.
Thank you as well to Sister Adela for entrusting me with the creative minds of St. Scholastica’s College–Westgrove. It is so great to be a part of an institution that fosters well-rounded students who are the future leaders of tomorrow.
Ate Loyce and Kuya Noel, you helped me stand during a turbulent time. I honestly would not have made it without you. Thank you for staying positive and always reminding me that I could do it.
And to the newest crop of Grade 11 Creative Writing students: Alyssa, AJ, Ericka, Nicole, Billie, Pam, Celine, and Robin. It’s such a joy teaching you. Watching you grow and learn is worth getting up really early in the morning for. You eight know how to get things done. The next book is for you and your unfailing belief in love.
To the reader of this book, thank you for sharing this love letter to my roots with me. There is no one way to grow up. There is no one way to describe one’s experiences. We are all human and it is in our humanity that we find what sets us apart from the rest. I hope that you enjoyed Stella and Will’s story. It was a pleasure to write. Go forth and eat adobo. You never know who you might fall in love with.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When Kate Evangelista, author of the Dodge Cove trilogy (No Love Allowed, No Holding Back, and No Second Chances), was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn’t going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the literature department and never looked back. Today, she is a graduate of De La Salle University—Manila with a bachelor of arts in Literature. She taught high school English for three years and was an essay consultant for two. She now writes full-time and is based in the Philippines. You can sign up for email updates here.
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