Page 62 of Stalk Me (The Keatyn Chronicles 1)
“They’re just jealous, you know. ”
“Jealous of what?”
“Of us. What we have is real. Everything those girls cherish is fake. They only care about appearances, not what’s real. Fake relationships. Fake feelings. They fake their way through life. If it weren’t for me, you might have become one of them. ”
“I am one of them, whether I want to be or not. At least until I get out of school. And Vanessa’s been surprisingly nice recently. ”
He looks at my phone. “She wasn’t going to come to your party because you haven’t texted her in two days. How is that a good friend?”
“I’ve had sex with you all summer, and you’re not coming to my party. What does that make you?” I snap back.
“Don’t turn this on me. ”
“I just don’t think it’s fair of you to slam her for something she has no intention of doing. She’s threatening to not come because she’s mad that I’ve been ignoring her. She’ll be there. She flew to New York to buy a dress, and she has a hot date that she’s dying to show off. I’m going to my own party dateless. ”
“So take a date. Ask one of your boy toys. ”
I stare at him for a few beats. He doesn’t back down.
“Fine. I will. ” I grab my phone out of his hand, scroll past Cush and straight to Sander. Brooklyn hates him. “You sure you don’t want to be my date?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. ”
“Okay. ” I hit Sander’s name, and my phone sends out the call.
Brooklyn says, “He’s an asshole. ”
“Well, I thought about asking Cush, but since I slept with him, I thought that might be awkward. ”
I know I’m being mean, but I’m hurt. I’m lashing out a little.
Brooklyn’s face turns to pissed just as Sander answers.
“How’s my favorite T-Bird?” I flirt.
Brooklyn wants to see the fake me, so be it.
“Great. Heard you’re having a big birthday bash tomorrow night,” Sander says. “Where’s my invite?”
“I figured you were busy filming. Any chance you could come, maybe be my date?”
“Thought you were into the surfer dude?”
I catch the surfer dude’s eye. “Yeah, I thought the surfer dude was into me too, but I was wrong. ”
Brooklyn gets up and walks out the door. I swallow hard and try not to cry.
“Sweet. You gonna do a big entrance? Walk the red carpet or some shit?”
“Hell yeah, I plan on making an entrance. It is my birthday. What do you say? Wanna come on the party bus with us?”
“I say you’re fucking awesome. ”
“Good. My house. 8:30. ”
I text RiAnne. I really don’t want to go with Sander. Regardless of what Vanessa says, I’d rather go dateless. I don’t know how Brooklyn pushed me into that. I guess I wanted to prove something. I just don’t know what I was trying to prove. Sander won’t care who his date is.
Me: Did you find a date for the party?
Ri: No :(
Me: I have a date for you.
Ri: Who??!!!
Me: Sander. I’d say he trumps a no-name lacrosse player. Even one that got buff over the summer. But don’t tell. Make it a surprise.
Ri: I thought we weren’t allowed to date each other’s exes?
Me: I’m okay with it. Really.
Ri: Vanessa will be pissed, but OMFG!! I LOVE YOU!! He’s so hot. I’ll be at your house at 8:30, looking AH-MAZZZING!! You liked my dress, right?
Me: Your dress is more than ah-mazing.
Ri: Sander will totally be my love slave by the end of the night. I’m sure of it.
How to play the game.
11:45pm
After dinner, I decide to walk the beach. I think I jinxed myself when I said that my life was perfect.
I don’t understand Brooklyn. Why can’t he go just because he loves me? If he really loved me, wouldn’t he go?
Were Vanessa and RiAnne right? Was it just a fling? Is he really not that into me?
I sit down and stare at the moonlight glistening on the water. I love the beach. It totally relaxes me. The sound of the ocean rushing and retreating is incredibly soothing.
I close my eyes and just breathe.
I think about how I sat here on prom night. How I wondered about my true love. How I wondered if he was looking at the moon too.
At the time, I thought Brooklyn was my true love.
But I’m starting to think I was wrong.
Brooklyn startles me when he sits down next to me.
He runs his hand through his hair in frustration. “I’m sorry. I didn’t grow up with all this. I don’t know how to play the game. ” Brooklyn’s dad sold his internet company just four years ago. Before that, he lived a very middle class lifestyle. “I’ll go to the party, okay?”
“You don’t have to. ”
“I want to. Just don’t make me walk down the red carpet. Can I sneak in the back?”
“I don’t care how you get in, just come dance with me. Make my birthday feel like a fairytale. ”
“I was hoping I already did that. ”
“Prince Charming always goes to the ball; you know that. ”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Are we cool? You’re my best friend. I don’t wanna lose that. ”
I kiss him. “What the hell am I supposed to do about the asshole?”
He laughs, but says seriously, “You were playing games with me; serves you right. ”
Saturday, August 20th
Kill the troll’s bubbles!
5:15pm
Brooklyn just dropped me off at home. We had a late lunch of spicy shrimp at Buddy’s. I don’t know what’s going on, but Brooklyn is acting weird. He was going on and on about the shrimp, and he was savoring it like he wouldn’t get to eat it again for years.
Cush texted me during lunch and told me he’d be here tonight. That he would be riding in the party bus with us to the club. But he hasn’t said much else.
I walk in my front door to total chaos.
Avery is riding a stick unicorn and wearing a tutu and a crown.
Ivery is dressed as a mermaid and is blowing bubbles down the hall.
Emery is chasing the bubbles and swatting them out of the air with a plastic bejeweled sword, screaming, “Kill the troll’s bubbles!”
