by Jen Wilde
I give her a sheepish smile. “Thanks. So do you.”
She flicks her hair back theatrically and sighs. “I know.” She laughs and puts an arm around me. “Thanks, Tay. Love you.” She kisses me on the cheek.
“Love you back.”
I open up my hair product and dip my fingers in, pulling my short hair up and pushing it back to create a quiff. Standing side by side at the bathroom mirror, we both look vastly different. She’s glamming it up in a flame-red Iron Man minidress, complete with a glowing arc reactor graphic. She slides red lipstick over her lips and smacks them together.
I still want to feel like myself when I meet Skyler, so I’m wearing jeans, one of my new Queen Firestone T-shirts, and my turquoise Converse sneakers with rainbow laces. I decide to wear my trench coat, too, in case I can get Skyler to sign it.
I put an arm around Charlie’s waist and grin at our reflections. “We look awesome.”
She smiles and nudges my hip with hers. “Duh.” She studies me for a moment, and I avoid her gaze, feeling self-conscious. “Thank you,” she says. “For always encouraging me. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay and be there for you when you needed me today.”
I shrug. “I was fine. You know I don’t like talking about that stuff anyway.”
“I’m proud of you,” she says softly. “If you can get up on stage in all your awesome fangirl glory and be exactly who you are, then so can I. I know I can figure things out with Alyssa. I just need to show her that I’m in, for real.” She thinks for a minute, then a giddy smile spreads across her face. “I have an idea.”
* * *
We strut into the party like we’re Derek Zoolander.
“There’s Alyssa!” I say to Mandy, and she rushes over to the DJ to set Charlie’s plan in motion. Soon, she gives me and Jamie a thumbs-up. A second later, the many televisions on the walls go dark. Then, in the blink of an eye, Charlie’s face appears on the screens.
Silence fills the room and all eyes turn to the televisions. Charlie takes in a shaky breath, and so do I. Even though I know how this video goes—I was in our hotel room when she filmed it only an hour earlier—I’m filled with nerves. She smiles, then starts her heartfelt speech.
“So, obviously by now you all know what happened. In case you’re one of the few who missed it: a private moment between me and someone I care about was accidentally uploaded to my channel. It’s trending. The gif is everywhere. News sites are writing articles about it. I guess we broke the Internet. I know people all over the world are talking about it.”
She lets out a sigh. “Here’s the thing: people are going to talk about me, no matter what I do. People are going to spew their judgments and opinions on what I wear, who I’m with, what I say, all of it. And for a while, that was all I cared about. Now? Not so much. I have some really good friends in my life.” She pauses and glances off camera, at me and Jamie in the hotel room. “And they set me straight about what really matters. And someone I know recently said something that I can’t get out of my mind: she told me she didn’t want to spend her life hiding out of fear of others’ opinions. Actually, there’s a lot of things about her that I can’t get out of my mind.”
She smiles the sweetest smile before she continues. “Anyway, I refuse to spend my life so consumed by hate and anger and worry about what others think that I miss out on being happy.” Her eyes glisten with tears, and she tries to hide it by flicking her hair back. “So, seeing as I’m already the talk of the online world today, I figured, why stop there? So here I am. Yes, I’m on camera in front of three million, nine hundred and fifty-two thousand people, but I’m only talking to one: you hit pause so I could figure myself out. Well, this is me, all figured out. You don’t wanna play games. The only games I wanna play with you are video games. I’m in. I’m so in. If you wanna hit play, I’ll be waiting with a roll of quarters.” She holds up the roll and grins, then the screens go black. The party erupts in cheers, but the only person I’m looking at is Alyssa.
She’s standing in the center of the room, still staring at the televisions. But she’s smiling the biggest, brightest smile I’ve ever seen. And then she turns and runs out the door as her friends cheer her on.
I fist-pump the air and squeal. “Yes!”
The music starts blaring and the party rages on.
I hear someone calling my name and turn around to see Brianna walking toward me, arms outstretched. “I’m so happy to see you!” she says as she hugs me. “Are you okay? I couldn’t find you after the contest.”
“I’m great!” I say. “What are you doing here?”
“Um, I kind of won the contest, remember?” She smiles.
“Oh my God! How could I forget?” I hug her again. “Congrats again!”
“Thanks,” she says. She seems relieved to see that I’m happy for her. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Brianna turns around and waves to someone I can’t see behind all the partygoers. When I do see her, at first I can’t believe my eyes. It’s like a dream. She seems to glide over to me in slow motion, her long red hair flowing over her shoulders, her bright blue dress swaying. She stands before me, her eyes looking into mine, and smiles. “Hey! You must be Taylor!” She extends a hand out to me. “I’m Skyler Atkins.”
My mouth hangs open, my heart stops beating, and I don’t even blink for fear that it will make her disappear. It takes more than a few beats for my brain to catch up to the moment.
“Hi?” I say, but it comes out more like a question than a greeting. I notice her hand is still out, and I take it, shaking it a little too enthusiastically.
She gives me the sweetest, warmest smile. “It’s so funny; Brianna was just telling me about you, and now here you are!”
I laugh and throw my hands up into the air. “Here I am!”
Brianna giggles. “I was literally just telling her how you saved me from dropping out of the whole contest.”
I smile and nod because I can’t remember how to do anything else. Skyler Atkins is standing right in front of me. Looking at me. Smiling at me. Talking to me.
“Brianna told me how you helped her,” Skyler says, leaning in so I can hear her over the music. “I think it’s so great to see women supporting women, and for you to help Brianna—even though you hardly knew each other and were competing against each other—it’s inspiring.”
I snort and gesture to her. “You’re the inspiring one! Queen Firestone has honestly helped shape who I am. The world you created has pulled me through some of the hardest moments of my life.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet of you to say!” She grins. “It means so much to hear that. Thank you so much.” She’s blushing.
Skyler Atkins is blushing. And I am the cause of her blush. I’m trying so hard to be calm, but I can feel myself fangirling into oblivion.
Skyler lowers an eyebrow. “Are you from Australia?”
I nod. “Yes!”
She puts a hand on my arm excitedly. “I knew it! I could tell from your accent. I love Australia; it’s such a beautiful country.”
“Thank you,” I say, as though I’m solely responsible for my country’s aesthetic qualities.
She takes a sip of her wine. “Actually, I’ll be there in December for the next Firestone premiere. Why don’t you come?”
My jaw hits the floor, and my tongue rolls out like a red carpet. “Seriously?”
She nods. “Seriously. Come! Bring your friend.” She gestures behind me, and I suddenly remember that Jamie exists. I glance behind me and see him wide-eyed and smiling at Skyler, just as starstruck as I am.
“Oh my God!” I say, pulling him forward to stand with me. “I’m so sorry; I should have introduced you all.” I point to him. “This is Jamie, my…” I trail off, because we haven’t had that conversation yet. The one where we decide we are boyfriend and girlfriend.
Jamie gives me a crooked smile, then reaches out a hand to Skyler. “I’m her boyfriend.”
I squeeze my mouth shut t
o suppress a squeal. My heart flutters when I hear him say the word boyfriend. I love the way it sounds.
“Hi,” Skyler says as she shakes his hand. “Great to meet you!”
He just smiles and nods, and I feel much better about my own awkwardness in the presence of the queen herself. Skyler is so down to earth and kind that I almost forget how much of a superstar she is.
I spot Josie talking to some people on the other side of the room, and run over to her. “Josie!”
She hugs me when she sees me. “Taylor! I didn’t know you’d be here. Having fun?”
I grin so wide my cheeks hurt. “Fuck yes. Look!” I gesture to Skyler with my thumb, and watch with glee as Josie’s jaw drops. “I just met her. She’s even more awesome than I’d dreamed about.”
“You met her?”
I beam with pride. “Yep! You wanna say hi?”
She looks hesitant for a moment, but then nods. I take her hand, and we hurry across the dance floor. I introduce her to Skyler, and within minutes, we’re all talking and laughing like we’ve been friends for years.
Pharrell’s “Happy” starts playing, and Skyler gasps. “I love this song!” She takes my hand and pulls me out onto the dance floor, and our friends follow. We dance and dance until my feet hurt, and then we dance some more. I lock eyes with Jamie and pull him in close by his T-shirt, kissing him hard on the mouth. He gives me a mischievous grin, takes my hand, and spins me around. Then he slides his arms around my waist, and we sway to the music together.
“I don’t think it can get any better than this,” he says in my ear.
I nod excitedly. “Agreed.”
I give a sideways glance to Skyler, who is dancing awkwardly with her eyes closed and a big, goofy grin on her face.
I giggle and say to Jamie, “Look! She’s just as weird as we are!”
He looks over at her and laughs. “I knew she would be. She’s too awesome not to be weird.”
I put on my best American accent. “We are the weirdos, mister.”
He raises an eyebrow. “The Craft.”
I stretch up on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear. “Can we just be weird together forever?”
Jamie’s eyes run over me, and I feel a rush. He smiles. “Hells yes.”
CHAPTER 28
CHARLIE
I wait nervously in the middle of the deserted convention floor, picking at the roll of quarters in my hands. The lights on the arcade games flash all around me, but they seem far away. All I can think about is what’s happening upstairs. The SupaCon After-Party is in full swing on the top floor, but I’m here. Alone. Waiting.
The video must have played by now. I imagine Alyssa at the party. I wonder if she smiled when she saw me appear on the screen. I hope she’s on her way to me.
The sound of a door creaking open echoes through the hall, followed by rushed footsteps. My stomach leaps into my throat and I hold my breath, not wanting to get my hopes up. She could be coming to say yes or to break my heart. I won’t know until I see her face. The footsteps get closer and closer, and then I see her round the corner. The moment our eyes meet, she stops running. I don’t breathe. A flirtatious smile spreads across her face.
That’s when I know she’s with me.
This is happening.
She struts toward me fast, smiling wider with every step. When she reaches me, she raises an eyebrow and says, “Play.”
Before I can reply, she takes my face in her hands and kisses me. My arms drop to my sides, and the quarters spill out of the torn paper roll and all over the floor at our feet. I let go of the empty wrapper and drape my arms around Alyssa’s shoulders, melting into her.
A spark surges down my spine. I’m falling for this girl faster than the speed of light. It’s scary—but it’s the kind of scary that I want more of. So much more.
Alyssa pushes forward gently, and I move with her, my back pressing against The Rising arcade game. All I can hear is the sound of my rapid heartbeat as our lips meld together. I run a hand down her back and pull her in closer, wanting more of her.
I feel her smile against my lips. “Be my date to the after-party?”
I smile back. “I’m in.”
* * *
My eyes are closed. The rhythmic pulse is vibrating out of the speakers and through my body, making my bones tremble. My heels collide with the dance floor time and time again. My hips sway. My head bops. My lips curl into a smile. The heat of all the bodies around me is palpable, making me sweat. I feel her close to me. Her hips sway with mine. Her hands on my shoulders, my back, my waist.
And when my eyes open, there she is.
Her eyes are closed. She’s moving to the music like she’s creating it one beat at a time. As if she senses my gaze on her, Alyssa opens her eyes. There’s that smile. The smile that tells me everything she’s thinking. Everything she’s feeling. Everything she wants.
I move forward, closing the gap between us. Tracing my eyes down her body and back up again, falling on her lips. She lifts an eyebrow ever so slightly, daring me to do something about it. Not one to run from a challenge, I do. I wrap my arms around her neck and pull her in, crushing my mouth to hers. Blending my red lipstick with her plum shade.
Kissing her makes my heart explode.
So I don’t stop, not even when the song does. I’m not even slightly concerned about who might see us. There are photographers here. TMZ. Entertainment Now. Randoms with camera phones, ready to tweet pics out to the fandoms. I can see the flashes through my closed eyelids. But I don’t care.
The media, the Chase shippers, they can all say what they want about me. Let them blog about how I should be with Reese. Let them tweet. Let them.
My true fans want me to be happy.
And one look at me right now, in this moment, will tell them I am. I won’t let the opinions of others get in the way of my happiness again. We break our kiss and I feel fingers wrap around my own and tug on my hand, and turn to see Tay pulling me off the dance floor with a bright smile. I follow, because she’s my best friend and I know that wherever she’s leading me, it will be great.
She points to the other side of the party. “Look!”
I giggle. “Yes! We have to. We just have to.”
We run over to a photo booth and jump inside, throwing on an array of wigs and oversize sunglasses and bow ties. We take more than twenty photos together, laughing and hugging and having the best time of our lives. Soon, Jamie, Alyssa, and Tay’s new friends Brianna and Josie join us. Even Skyler Atkins gets in on the fun, squeezing in with us. We are a mess of giggles and grins.
While we’re waiting for the photos to print, Tay gives me a hug. “Thank you for bringing me here. SupaCon has literally changed my life.”
I squeeze her tight. “You are so welcome, TayTay. Thanks for coming.”
We hear a click as the photos fall into the hatch, and immediately burst into laughter as we go through them.
“We look like the biggest weirdos alive,” I say.
Tay smiles proudly. “We are the biggest weirdos alive.”
Jamie slides his arms around her from behind, looking over her shoulder as we flip through the photos. Alyssa has her arm around me. Skyler, Josie, and Brianna are giggling at how ridiculous we all look in the pictures.
Taylor’s eyes glisten. “No matter what happens, we’ll always have these photos. When Charlie is walking red carpets in LA, when Jamie’s photographs are hanging on gallery walls, when my stories grace the shelves or the screen—we’ll always have this.” She squeezes Jamie’s arm. “And we’ll know that right now, in this moment, we were happy. We are happy.”
The party lasts long into the night. As the sun comes up, Alyssa and I are standing on the balcony, admiring the orange sky.
I lean my elbows on the glass railing and exhale. “If I could pick any weekend to live over and over again, Groundhog Day style, it would be this one.”
Alyssa pushes a strand of hair behind my ear affectionately. “Me too.�
�
I look over my shoulder and see Jamie and Taylor, both asleep on one of the couches, huddled in each other’s arms. A proud grin spreads across my face.
Alyssa follows my gaze. “They’re pretty cute together.”
“The cutest.”
She raises an eyebrow. “I don’t know about that.”
She puts an arm around my shoulder and kisses my temple. “I can’t believe I’m standing here with you.”
I let out a loud laugh. “Um, no. I can’t believe I’m standing here with you.”
Alyssa gives me a crooked smile, showing me that one adorable dimple. “I’ve kinda had this big crush on you for, like, two years.” She threads her fingers between my own. “Ever since that video you did for your parents’ twentieth wedding anniversary. You were telling the story of how they met at college in Beijing and moved to Australia. And how your mom is a rebel and a science teacher and your dad is an account manager with a heart of gold. Your eyes got all dewy from tears. It was so sweet.”
“Oh my God, I forgot about that!”
“Well, I remember. I can tell your family is really important to you.”
“They are. It’s going to be hard to leave them next year.”
She tilts her head to the side. “Where are you going?”
“Here. Well, to LA. It’s really the best place for me, careerwise. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Jamie and Tay are coming with me. It’s going to rock.”
She smirks and dips her chin. “You know … I live in LA.”
“That information has been pretty clear to me for a while, actually.”
She chuckles. “So, maybe we could hang out. I can show you around. Help you settle in.”
“That would be awesome.”
“When do you plan to move?”
“Not till next year. Maybe January. I want to graduate first and spend the summer with my family.”
“Cool.” She licks her lips and watches me carefully as she says her next words. “I’ve been thinking; it’s been too long since I took a vacation. Maybe I’ll spend a week or two in Australia soon. Maybe Melbourne.”
