Awkward

by Marni Bates

  “Hey, Tim.” I jerked up in my seat. “How’s it going?”

  “I’m good. Listen, we’ve got the night off and ... Well, we’re heading back to LA tomorrow since ... We’re scheduled to be on Ellen before we lay down some tracks for our next CD... .” I heard him breathe in exasperation. “I’m going about this all wrong. I was just wondering ... do you think Corey is free?”

  I couldn’t have been more surprised if Jane had hit me with a stun gun.

  “Free?” I repeated.

  “God, I shouldn’t be doing it like this. It’s pathetic. Next thing you know I’ll be slipping Corey a paper asking how much he likes me with three boxes for him to check. Let’s just pretend this didn’t happen.”

  “Hold up,” I said, trying to prevent information overload.

  “I know I’m going too fast, but I thought since I’m leaving soon I should probably make my move now. But I’m way off base, right? He’s probably dating someone. God, he has a girlfriend!”

  “Um, s-single,” I stuttered, still trying to process the fact that a rock star appeared to need my help with his love life. “Totally single.”

  “Oh.” That shut him up for a second. “So do you think he might be interested ...”

  “I think ‘interested’ is an understatement.” I grinned hugely at Corey as he and Jane hung on my every word.

  “Really?” Tim sounded shocked, relieved, and pleased. “I thought that maybe he ... but I wasn’t sure.” There was a pause as what I’d said soaked in. “Thanks, Mackenzie. I had a feeling about you from the moment we met.”

  I laughed. “You did? And what feeling was that?”

  “That you’re the girl next door who doesn’t know how great she really is.”

  “Aw, I’m blushing,” I said, amused to note that my cheeks felt ruddier than they had been when Patrick flirted with me. Maybe because with Tim I knew there was no hidden agenda. He’s way more famous, talented, popular, and rich than I am. So when he says that I’m great, it makes me think that maybe he’s got a point.

  The five-minute warning bell sounded.

  “Listen, I’ve got to go. Talk to you later, Tim.”

  I snapped the phone shut and turned to find everyone staring at me. Even Logan didn’t look as unfazed. Then again, it’s not every day you hear a certified nerd talking to a rock star about her very single best friend.

  But I wasn’t going to let Corey, or anyone else, find out what Tim had asked me. Corey deserved to hear it from Tim when he worked up the nerve to call.

  “So, Mackenzie.” Melanie broke the stunned silence. “Are you still going to the party?”

  I thought back to what my mom had said over breakfast—the part about needing to be a kid every now and then.

  “Yeah,” I replied. Seized by an impulsive idea, I decided to go with it. I smiled broadly at Melanie, Rachel, and the two new freshmen, Isobel and Claire. “If Corey doesn’t mind shuttling us to the party, you guys are more than welcome to get ready at my house.”

  Corey nodded his head in consent as I ripped out a piece of paper from my binder and scribbled down my cell number and address. I handed it to Melanie.

  “I’m probably going to need you guys to save me from becoming fashion roadkill” I said jokingly, even though I was painfully aware that this was a plausible outcome. Then I grabbed my books. “Logan, I’ll see you after class for tutoring.”

  “Meet you in the parking lot.” That was all he said before a holler from Spencer had him melting into the crowd.

  I caught a sigh from Isobel and barely resisted saying, “I know.” Even though a little voice in my head kept hollering, But he’s a NOTABLE, it didn’t mean that I couldn’t notice his physical attractiveness. So, yeah, I could understand where Isobel was coming from.

  I had way too much going on to obsess over some boy. Actually, I had too much going on to obsess over any boy ... except Patrick.

  Jane tugged on my jacket before I could head off to AP Gov. “Kenzie, you’re doing okay, right? We shouldn’t worry about you or anything?”

  My friends are the greatest.

  “No worries,” I assured her. “I’ve got everything under control.”

  I had to sprint from classroom to classroom to get the assignments I’d missed during my short mental health vacation. Sometimes being responsible sucks. I did feel a bit guilty about making Logan wait for me by his car ... until I saw Chelsea was keeping him company. He probably appreciated the opportunity to stare at her, ahem, assets without me around.

  They instantly cut off their conversation when they noticed my approach.

  “Sorry I’m late,” I said, feeling like an intrusive third wheel.

  Chelsea turned to me, and I waited for her to say something awful. Something like, “That’s okay, we didn’t miss you.” Girls like Chelsea can get away with saying stuff like that—but she didn’t. Instead her frown morphed into an overeager smile.

  “Hey, Mackenzie!” She actually gave me a hug! It was too quick for me to back away, so I just stood there. “We need to talk about the party tonight! You want to get ready for it with me?”

  Yeah, I so hadn’t seen that one coming.

  “I—um, I already made plans for that,” I said gently on the off chance Chelsea had never been turned down before. “I’m sorry.”

  “Oh, that’s okay.” She waved a hand as if she’d expected that answer all along. “I just thought you might need some company. Anyhow”—she shot Logan an expressive look that baffled the hell out of me—“I’ll see you both later.” She opened her car door and slid in, but not before calling out, “Good luck with the studying!”

  I waited until she’d driven away. “Well, that was weird.”

  Logan just shrugged. “No stranger than you on YouTube. Now parties and celebrities ... I’m surprised you’re still tutoring me.”

  I soaked in his words. He was right: I could try to make some money by capitalizing on my fame. But that wasn’t me.

  “I don’t think I’ll quit my day job,” I told him as I climbed into his car.

  “You could though,” he replied, so casually I wondered if he wanted me to stop being his tutor—if this was his way of giving me a subtle hint. “That new video with you singing is getting a lot of hits.”

  “That’s because of Tim, not me. I could never be a singer. Not a real one who tours and performs live. If Corey hadn’t pushed me I never would’ve gone onstage. Jane and I are better off with our textbooks.”

  “If you say so.” Logan just shrugged. “Why are you going to the party tonight?”

  I tried to push away the dull ache that was coming from my very tired, sleep-deprived brain. “Look, I don’t know why I’m going. I could say it’s to prove something, or because I want to go, or because this may be the one time I’m invited to a party and I don’t want to wonder what I missed. But the truth is: I don’t know. I’m winging it.” After opening my backpack, I jerked out my AP US book. “So let’s concentrate on the stuff I do understand. Now, the Articles of Confederation. . .”

  Chapter 24

  We’d only been studying for about an hour when my cell phone started ringing to the tune of “I Need a Hero.” Loudly.

  Logan raised his eyebrows. “Timothy Goff?”

  I shook my head and answered smoothly. “Hey, Corey.” Then I jerked the phone away from my ear as his excited hollers pierced the air.

  “Mackenzie! You’ll never believe who just ... I don’t believe it! Oh, my God, I might just hyperventilate and die out of sheer amazement right now. You’ll never guess who just called me.”

  “Tim.” I said the name so matter-of-factly it shut him up. “So where are the two of you going tonight?”

  “Out to dinner in Portland. I don’t know where yet. He’s got a meeting with his producer or something until eight, so we’re doing a really late dinner and dessert. We really have to get ready together. I can’t be freaking out like this on my date. And since Jane has decided she needs to memor
ize every mathematical formula in the known universe tonight, I need you.”

  I couldn’t help laughing, “I’m so glad I can be your second choice.”

  “Me too!” He was so happy I doubt he caught my light edge of sarcasm. “I’ll see you later!”

  I closed the cell phone and grinned, knowing that Corey would pace his room for at least fifteen minutes before his heart rate began to drop. Corey was going on his first date, I was going to my first party (and possibly a date with Patrick), and Jane was ... Jane was focusing on schoolwork for the night—which was boring but seemed to be what she wanted.

  It was hard to believe one YouTube video could destroy my life and then somehow make everything perfect.

  “So that phone call today was about Corey.”

  I’d nearly forgotten that Logan was there. There was so much excitement to take in, I felt like a sponge in a hurricane.

  “Yeah, Corey and Tim are going out on a date.” I shook my head in happy disbelief. “It’s crazy, but if anyone can pull off a long-distance relationship with a rock star, it’s Corey. Of course it’s just a date but”—I looked down at my hand where my fingers were already crossed—“it could happen.”

  “And you’re fine with that?”

  “Um, no! My best friend has a date with someone nice, talented, and hot. I’m more than ‘fine’ with it. I’m thrilled!”

  “Right, but don’t you wish you had the date?”

  “Do I want to date someone who meets the aforementioned criteria? Absolutely. But that doesn’t change how I feel for Corey. You know, Jane and I always thought he’d be the first one of us to date. We never figured it’d be with a rock star, but ... we were still right.”

  Logan seemed to consider all of this. “It was nice of you to invite the freshman girls.”

  I had no idea what he was talking about. “Huh?”

  “To your house—for whatever girls do before a party. I thought you might ditch them for Chelsea.”

  I did my best not to scoff. “Okay, first of all: I’d never do that. The girls are nice. And I can’t blow off the ritualistic primping, or else I’ll be the only one there in sneakers and jeans.” I gestured to my significantly trendier outfit. “My watchword is still blend.”

  He grinned. “Poor Mack has to get dressed up for the ball.”

  I glared but without any real heat. “You mock, but you’ve never worn heels.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s quite an assumption.” I gaped at him and his smile quirked. “But you’re right, I haven’t worn them.”

  “Well,” I fumbled. His obvious amusement made his blue eyes seem even more vibrant. Clearly I needed more sleep if I was unable to come up with anything intelligent to say to Logan.

  “Heels, uh, hurt. A lot. They’re fun for about five minutes, but after that ... not so much.” Great, I was babbling. Just when I thought Logan no longer had the power to reduce me to incoherence.

  “In Europe, around the 1400s, these insane platform shoes became popular. Women actually needed servants and canes to help them walk, which must have sucked. Anyhow. What were we talking about?”

  “Chelsea and the freshmen girls.” Logan leaned back in his chair, and my muscles start to loosen as I mimicked the pose.

  “Oh. Right. I like the freshman girls. Well, I don’t really know them, but they seem nice. One of the new girls at lunch, Isobel, I think? She seems quiet, but I saw her talking to Jane ... so that’s good. And Corey’s going to come over, so it’ll be great. It just wouldn’t have been”—I searched for the right word—“casual with Chelsea. So it’s not like it was some huge sacrifice for me not to flake out.”

  “Girls have so much drama.”

  “In my objective opinion, boys are way more confusing.”

  “Objective, huh?”

  “Oh, yes,” I said. “An impartial observation.”

  He laughed, but then his tone grew a touch more serious. “What in particular has you confused?”

  Okay, I admit it, I was supertempted to yell: YOU! Why are you so damn confusing!? You seem smart and nice, but then I see you with Chelsea Halloway and it’s obvious you’re still not over her. Which makes no sense since she broke up with you for someone more popular—that ought to give you a hint as to how she operates! But when she came over, back when I was still Invisible, you just basked in the glow of her attention. Why do you keep switching from a nice guy to a Notable and then back again so I have NO FREAKING IDEA WHICH PERSON YOU REALLY ARE? Why’s that, huh, Logan!?

  I wisely kept my mouth shut.

  “No specifics. Just general confusion. Speaking of generals, during the American Revolution ...”

  And I distracted him with history.

  It was weird having Logan take me home when we both knew I’d see him later at an official Notable party. And yet, there he was dropping me off so I could swap designer outfits. Now Chelsea was acting friendly and strangers were sitting at my lunch table. It was hard to believe my life could be so dramatically different in one week.

  “I’ll, uh, see you tonight.”

  Well, I guess it’s good to know that I’m still awkward.

  Logan nodded and looked like he was about to say something big, something important, because he took a deep breath and got as far as “Listen ...” when Corey leaned heavily on his horn in greeting.

  “Never mind,” he said. “See you later.”

  And then he was gone.

  I swear if Corey hadn’t been temporarily exempted from rational behavior due to severe first-date nerves, I would have killed him. And I sincerely doubt I would have regretted the murder.

  Chapter 25

  “I am freaking out here, Mackenzie! I am FREAKING OUT!” That much was painfully obvious. Corey was doing some hard-core pacing around my room while he pawed nervously at his hair.

  “Maybe I should cancel. This was a bad idea. I mean, what’s a guy like Timothy Goff going to see in someone like me?” I snorted. “Oh, I don’t know ... maybe a sweet, intelligent, wonderful guy who just happens to be INSANELY HOT.” I patted his butt once, an affectionate gesture I’ve done for years, just to watch him jump in surprise. “Have I mentioned recently that I want you to father my children?” He laughed. “We agreed that’s a last resort.” The inside joke was already loosening him up.

  “It’s going to be great.” I pointed to my closet. “Here. Distract yourself by ordering me around. This will be the very last time I let you dress me up like your own personal Barbie doll.” The doorbell rang, and I left him digging through the shoes.

  “Coming!” I hollered. But Dylan beat me to the door.

  “Uh ... hi.” Melanie stood at the door with a duffle bag and a confused expression. She double-checked the address I’d given her. “Is this Mackenzie’s house?” Dylan just stared at her while I pushed open the door and pretended not to notice the spreading of his Wellesley blush.

  “Hey, Melanie. Glad you could make it!” I pushed Dylan aside so she could step into the hallway. “This is my brother, Dylan. Dylan, Melanie.” “Yeah, hi.” I swear, Dylan’s voice dropped a solid octave. “I think we met at a soccer game last year.” Which is when it hit me that Dylan’s blush might not just be a hormonal reaction to a supercute freshman girl but from opening the door to this specific girl.

  “Oh, right.” It was impossible to tell if Melanie remembered him or was faking it. “It’s good to see you again.” She turned to me. “Thanks for inviting me over.” I grinned. “You won’t be thanking me after Corey gets his hands on you. He’s going to be psyched to talk fashion with someone with style.” Melanie laughed, a smooth, comfortable sound that was the opposite of Chelsea’s giggle. “Sounds dangerous.” I pointed up the stairs. “First door on the right.”

  Dylan only managed to untangle his vocal cords when my bedroom door closed behind her. “Why didn’t you tell me you invited Melanie Morris over here?!” I raised my eyebrows. “I don’t report to you, little brother. Mom’s fine with me going t
o a party tonight. So you’re just going to have to deal with it.” I started to breeze past him when he grabbed my arm. “You’re going to a party tonight?” “That’s what I said.”

  “I should go with you.”

  I stared at him in disbelief. “Right. I should totally bring my little brother to my first high school party. Great idea.” He flushed. “Come on, Mackenzie. I’m not the embarrassing one in the family.”

  “Yeah. Still not going.”

  “Please.” I knew it pained him to say it. “Please, can I go with you?”

  Teasing him was way more fun when he didn’t give me his puppy dog eyes. The brat knew it was hard for me to say no when he looked at me that way.

  “No way. Mom would never give you permission.”

  He smiled. “Want to bet? If I tell her I’m concerned about you, she’ll cave in a heartbeat.” I sighed. “Dylan, I’m not going to—”

  But he cut me off before I could finish. “I am worried about you, Mackenzie. It’s a party, and you don’t have a good social track record. You need someone watching your back.” I looked at him intently. He might be irritating, but he was still my brother—and he never lied about the important things.

  “If I say yes, you’ll owe me big-time.”

  A smile spread warmly across his face. “Nah, we’ll be even.”

  “Mackenzie! Get your cute butt up here!”

  I rolled my eyes at Corey’s not-so-subtle order.

  “Coming!” I shouted. Then I stuck one finger into Dylan’s chest. “Don’t let me down.” I should’ve worried about Corey instead. Giving him carte blanche to access my new wardrobe was a very bad idea. When I finally entered my room, I found Corey and Melanie sighing over my clothes. They had transformed my room from neat into looking like a clothing factory had blown up and spewed its contents everywhere.

  “About freaking time!” Corey huffed. “Okay, so we created three looks for you.”

  Melanie and I traded glances, and it struck me just how easily she’d slid into my life. I still wished Jane were going with us, even if she insisted on taking a textbook, but since she couldn’t make it—well, I was glad Melanie could.