After bowling we head over to Canyon Grill and Dad comps everyone’s meals, which isn’t like him. I can eat there for free whenever I want, but my friends usually only get a discount.
While nobody mentions it to me directly the entire night, I know everyone is just itching to talk about Grant and his appearance on Letterman later. Whenever I leave the table and then come back, everyone shuts up immediately, like they’ve all been talking about me.
By the time ten thirty rolls around we’ve all pretty much disassembled. Caroline drove me, so she drops me off, begging me to watch the show with her one last time, and then taking off when I say no.
I go up to my bedroom, snag a book off my shelf, and crawl into bed with it. After about an hour I start to get hungry, which is appalling seeing as I just ate dinner a couple hours ago, but my stomach nags and nags at me until I relent.
When I get downstairs, I pass by the living room, which is dark except for the pulsating blue glow emitting from the LCD on the wall. I pause and glance in. America is curled up in the easy chair and Angelina is sprawled on the couch in her pajamas, they’re watching Letterman. He’s in the middle of his monologue. I shake my head and move toward the kitchen
I stare into the confines of the pantry for nearly five minutes. My mind plays a tug of war, one side desperately craving Raisin Bran, the other side angling for Oreos. The Raisin Bran wins. I grab the box and drop it down on the counter. Then I snag the milk from the fridge and grab a bowl from the cupboard. I fill the bowl up, put away the containers, and then drop a spoon into the cereal. I grab it and head back to my bedroom.
Maybe it was my subconscious that forced my stomach to bring me down here. I don’t know. But when I pass the living room again, Letterman’s voice rings out in my ears, sending a little jolt through my body.
“Please welcome Grant West.”
I pause, then turn left and peer at the LCD screen in the living room. I admit it, just seeing him makes my heart do this little fluttering thing that I don’t quite understand. He looks good. Really good. My mind flies back to that moment on the street. That kiss was a sham, but I can’t help but remember how good it felt back when I thought it was real.
I step halfway into the living room. My mind keeps telling me I don’t want to be here, that I want to be walking upstairs and pretending like Grant doesn’t exist. I don’t listen.
Angelina hits the volume button and Grants voice fills the air. There’s something strange going on with him. He’s a bit jittery, like he might be nervous or something, which is weird. He’s a movie star. He’s done a million of these interviews.
Mom appears behind me. “What are you watching?” she asks.
“Shhh!” Angelina holds up her hands and waves Mom off. We all watch in silence.
The interview starts to move a little smoother. Letterman begins asking Grant questions about filming Deader than Night and Grant relaxes. He launches into a story about getting chased by a group of fans in Vancouver.
“They were everywhere,” he says, a smile on his face and laughter in his eyes. “We just walked out of this restaurant and we were swarmed. It was that moment really, that I realized nothing was going to be the same.”
“We being?” Letterman asks.
“Oh, Summer, Summer Stone,” Grant says quickly. But almost immediately his face drains of color and he becomes very still in his chair. He moves only to look down at his hands.
“Right,” Letterman says. “Well I hear she’s, uh, engaged now.”
Grant looks up and blinks. “What? Oh yeah. Right. I uh, wish her the best. You know. Congratulations.”
He looks like he’s trying really hard to mean it. I remember the look in his eyes when he saw her in New York. Maybe he still loves her.
“What are you guys all doing in here?” Dad shows up through the kitchen door. This time everyone, including me, says, “shhhhh!”
Letterman looks mildly uncomfortable. He paints a fake smile on his face. “Well I hear you have someone in your life as well now too,” he says brightly. He grabs something off the desk and holds it up.
And so it begins. It’s the picture from outside LIMA. The one where you can see my face. Now Grant isn’t so still. He’s starting to shift around a little awkwardly in his seat. He smiles at the photo, but it’s tight and forced.
“Sydney isn’t it?” Letterman asks.
“Um, yeah,” Grant says. “The things is...about her.”
It’s coming. He’s going to tell the truth. I know I told Caroline I didn’t care, but I realize now that I really do. I hold my cereal bowl tightly in my hands.
“Where did you two meet?” Letterman asks.
My family all seems to be leaning forward, toward the TV, waiting just as impatiently as I am for Grant’s answer. His lips move a bit, but he stays silent.
“Was it love at first sight?” Letterman prods.
Grant is looking positively stricken now. His brow is all shiny, like he’s sweating heavily, and his right leg is bouncing up and down so quickly. He smiles, frowns, smiles. Looks at Letterman, out to the audience, and then down at his hands. Then he just sort of relaxes.
“Yes.” He says to his hands.
Wait. What the hell is he saying yes to?
“Yes?” Letterman asks.
Grant looks up. “Yes, it was definitely love at first sight. Sydney is amazing.”
My grip on the cereal bowl slackens and it crashes to the ground in a raisiny explosion. I can feel the milk seep between my toes and the soggy bits of bran cling to my bare feet. My parents, Angelina, and America – they’re all looking at me with wide, scandalized eyes. I don’t know what to do, what to say. Somewhere in the house phones start ringing. The house line, the office line, multiple cell phones. They echo from every corner.
This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening. Grant West just told the entire world that I’m his girlfriend. But the worst part is that he’s still talking about me. I stare at the screen.
“She’s actually not really a fan,” Grant admits when Letterman asks. “She didn’t even recognize me when we first met. And she hates Dead of Night. But you know, it’s nice to meet someone like her, refreshing. I love my fans so much, but sometimes it’s hard being the center of so much attention. With Sydney I can just be some normal guy.”
Half an hour, at most. That’s how long we spent together and somehow he’s managed to stretch that brief slice of time into a relationship several weeks long. The show finally cuts to a commercial break. A baby crawls across the screen chasing some toy. My family gazes at me.
“I...uh...I...” I can’t find any words; nothing can make this better now.
“How could you lie to us?” Dad finally erupts.
“I didn’t. I swear.” I step out of the raisin bran spill and move toward him.
He points to the TV. “And what was that then?”
“A lie. He’s lying. I swear on my life, we are not a couple. I haven’t seen or heard from him since that night.”
“Yeah right. Why would he lie about dating you?” Angelina snickers with distaste. “I mean he could be with any girl...the only reason to connect himself to someone like you is if there’s really a connection.”
I glare at her and turn to my parents. Mom looks like she’s torn between happiness and disappointment. And Dad, well his face is boiling red and his fists are clenched so tightly that the veins on his forearms are popping out alarmingly.
“I’ve had enough of your lies young lady.”
If possible, the phones ringing in the background get louder.
“I’m not lying! And will someone answer the damn phone!” I burst out.
America seems to be the only one left on my side. She leaps up and procures a phone from the front hall. She answers it and then hands i
t to me. “It’s Caroline.”
Dad shakes his head, folds his arms across his chest, and then turns to my mom. “I don’t know what to do with her.”
While he’s distracted, I take the phone and slip out of the room.
“OH MY GOD!” Caroline screams into my ear. “Tell me you watched.”
“I watched.” I whisper.
“OH MY GOD.”
“Tell me about it.” I walk down the hall, trailing my fingers over the long buffet table.
“I just can’t believe it. It’s like a fairy tale.” She marvels.
I scoff. “A fairy tale? Try a damn horror movie!” Even though I’m in the hall, I can still hear my parents loudly arguing about me in the other room. With one kiss and a few words Grant has turned me into a circus act, a disappointment, and a liar.
Someone starts knocking on the front door. I don’t think anyone else hears it. I head down the hall.
“Why do you think he did it?” Caroline asks.
“God knows.” I unlock the bolt on the door and then turn the handle. “This is a nightmare,” I groan. “After I finally got everyone to listen to me at school, they’re all going to think I was lying. My life is over.”
“Or it’s just beginning.”
“Yeah whatever, give me a sec. Someone’s at the door. Ava probably forgot her keys again” I say to Caroline, then I reach out and pull the door toward me.
“Hello?” I look out the door. The phone drops from my hand and clatters against the tile floor at my feet.
“Hi Sydney,” Grant West says.
Chapter Fourteen
I slam the door in his face. I know it’s not the smoothest move. But you have to realize by now that when panicked, I’m not exactly the most rational person. I back up to the side wall and lean against it. This isn’t happening. Not now. I’m breathing hard and heavy. Is this what it’s like to hyperventilate? Blood rushes in my ears and my vision is blurring.
“Hello?” Caroline’s tiny voice calls up at me from the floor. I bend over and pick up the fallen phone, then hold it to my ear.
“What happened?” she asks.
“He’s here,” I whisper.
“What?”
“He’s here,” I say a little louder.
“Who’s there?”
I swallow a large lump in my throat. I lean over so I can see out the window that runs parallel to the door. All I can see his left shoulder.
“Grant. He’s standing on the front porch.”
“Oh my God! I’m on my way.”
She hangs up before I can tell her to stay home.
Once my heart slows a little and I don’t sound like a panting dog when I breathe, I gently pull the door back open.
“Sydney,” he sighs, “I am so so sorry.”
I shake my head at him, step forward onto the porch, and then yank the front door closed behind me. He’s wearing the same clothes he was wearing on Letterman. A black button up shirt, grey dress pants, and a matching grey vest. He looks amazing, grotesquely so. Despite the fact that 99 percent of me hates him more than anything else in this entire world, the other one percent wants to reach out and touch him, just to make sure he’s real.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I hiss.
“Sydney,” he breathes. He reaches up and runs his fingers through his hair, then closes his hand to a fist and drops it back to his side. “I’m so sorry. I came here as soon as I finished the interview. I don’t know what I was thinking...I didn’t mean to say what I said.”
I snort. “Yeah right. That’s why you just finished telling David Letterman my life story.”
“I wouldn’t say that, I mean I don’t really know all that much...”
“That’s not the point! I spent forever getting people to believe we aren’t a couple. It was a nightmare. And now you’ve just gone a ruined it all. Now everyone thinks we’re together and their never going to believe me. Ugh!”
He blinks. “Most girls would...”
“Would what? Fall at their knees at the sight of you? Beg and plead to just touch you let alone to be your girlfriend. Well let me tell you something, I am not most girls!” I stomp my foot. “God you’re so full of yourself.”
“I’m sorry.” He twists his mouth into a remorseful smile. His teeth are so white, especially against the darker shade of his skin. It’s kind of hypnotic.
I hear movement on the other side of the door. “Sydney!” My dad’s voice booms from inside the house. “Where did you go?”
Oh crap. I look at Grant and whisper, “you can’t be here.”
“What?”
“You have to go. Now.”
“I know you hate me, but please can we just talk?”
“It’s not that. I mean yes, I do hate you. A lot. But right now my dad hates you more than any other person on this planet and if he finds you here, well let’s just say he won’t hesitate to tear your head from your body.”
“Because I lied?”
“No. Because I did. At least that’s what he thinks. I’ve spent the past two weeks convincing everyone that I don’t know you. Now everyone is going to think I was lying, my dad included. And he hated you enough already, when he just thought you were some guy who kissed me randomly on the street. But now he thinks we have a secret relationship or something! He is going to kill you. Then me.”
“But I can tell him the truth.”
“And he’ll still kill you.”
“Sydney,” my dad calls again. He’s close, too close.
“Grant go.”
“Just let me...”
The door starts to open. This isn’t good. I look at Grant and seeing no other option, swiftly press both my hands against his chest. He must think I’m about to kiss him because for a half second this look passes across his face, this look that says – I knew you couldn’t resist me after all. But I don’t kiss him. Instead I put all my weight into pushing him as hard as I can. It’s not easy considering his height and breadth, but between the surprise and force, he stumbles and tips backward, over the porch railing, disappearing from sight.
There’s a thump and then a warbled. “Ouch!”
“Sorry,” I whisper into the night air. Although to be honest, pushing him was kind of satisfying.
“Sydney?” Dad steps outside. “What are you doing out here?”
“Um.” I look around at the darkened block. What the hell can I say? Oh I was just having a talk with the guy you think is my secret boyfriend?
“Caroline.” I improvise. “She’s on her way over. I just thought I’d wait for her out here.”
“At this hour? Why on earth would she come here?”
“Well she saw the interview and she wants to you know, talk.”
“I want to talk.”
“I know.”
“Get inside.”
“Please can I just wait for her first? I’ll send her away, I promise.”
He furrows his brow but relents. “Fine.” He steps back inside and shuts the door. I exhale loudly.
I walk over to the edge of the porch and look down. Grant is crouched over staring at the ground. “He’s gone, for now. But you’ve got to get out of here.”
He climbs to his feet and leans against the porch rail. “Can we just talk? Please? If not tonight, then tomorrow?”
“Okay, whatever. Just go before he comes back. For your safety and mine.”
He reaches into his pocket and hands something to me. A scrap of paper with a number scrawled on it. “My cell,” he says. “Call me in the morning. Or I’ll just come back.”
“Alright. Now go.”
He nods. Then hunched over, scurries across our front lawn to a black sedan sitting by the curb. He looks back
at me one last time, then opens the back door and climbs inside. Someone, his driver I guess, starts the car’s engine and they pull out onto the deserted street. Just as their taillights disappear at the end of the road, a set of bright white headlights come into view. Caroline.
She parks by the curb and then, wearing a pair of Hello Kitty pajama bottoms and a black hoodie, rushes out of her car and up to me.
“Where is he?” she pants.
“Gone.”
“Gone! But why?” she says it so loudly I have to clamp my hand over her mouth.
“Because I didn’t want my dad to kill him.” I say in a forceful whisper. “Nobody else knows he was here and they’re not going to know. Okay? Promise you won’t say anything.”
She nods. I pull my hand away from her face.
“I can’t believe Grant West is actually in West Plane,” she sighs happily.
***
The rest of the night is a headache. Caroline, dejectedly, goes home, but only after I promise to call her after I talk to Grant tomorrow. She also asks me to ask him to sign her Dead of Night DVD. Regrettably, I agree, and take it from her as she thrusts it in my hands on her way down the porch steps.
Back inside the house my parents are waiting. Dad is still fuming, Mom still looks torn. I have no desire what so ever to talk to either of them, but I know I don’t exactly have a choice in the matter.
By Dad’s demand, Angelina and America head upstairs. I sit down on the couch, waiting for the onslaught. I hate seeing my dad so upset with me. I’ve never been on his bad side before, and I don’t want to stay there. But I don’t how am I going to make him believe I’m not the liar he thinks that I am.
Before either of them can start talking, I lean forward and look them in the eye.
“I know you think I’m lying. I know you think I’ve been sneaking around behind your back with Grant for weeks. But that’s not true. I don’t know why he lied, but he did. We aren’t together. Never have been.”
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