A Murder in Malibu

Lily

"The last thing I feel like doing tonight is going to Sebastian's party," I announced, once we were on the freeway, heading towards Malibu. My voice was light but my tight grip on the steering wheel said otherwise.

I couldn't remember closing the window behind us. Shit! Did I forget?

Opening my mouth to ask Gemma, I clamped it shut when I saw she was busy texting, a goofy smile plastered on her face. Throughout the last hour, Gemma's hair had grown even frizzier and she needed a touch up of powder, her nose was shiny. I cast a quick look in the rearview mirror and gave a nod. My own hair was still smooth, skin was shine-free. My appearance betrayed the nerves bubbling below the surface of my skin.

"Let me guess. It's Jason, gag!" I rolled my eyes and tried to focus on the car in front of me. I waved my hand in case they looked in the rearview mirror. A lot of things annoyed me but nothing as much as slow drivers.

"Why bother to be in the fast lane if you are going to drive like an old person?" I muttered. At seventeen years old I already developed a cynical view of the world and thought most people, especially drivers in Los Angeles, were jerks. Sometimes I felt like I had been born an old soul knowing how most people were assholes, especially on the road.

"Jason is so sweet. He's really the best!" Gemma closed her eyes for a moment and I bit back the urge to dry heave. "He always knows what to say to make me feel good."

Last time they spoke he told her how he couldn't wait to see her "beautiful blue eyes" then he said something about a romantic picnic at a "special place." I wanted to barf. 

 Things weren't exactly moving fast because he was thousands of miles away in Chicago, but when he arrived back in Los Angeles, I worried that they'd be together all the time and Gemma wouldn't have time for me. 

We were so used to being together before school, after school, during school plus weekends. Gemma really was like a sister to me. When I thought about me going to Pepperdine and her heading to NYU, I got a sick feeling in my stomach. I didn't tell anyone but I was considering applying to New YorkUniversity to stay close to her.

"Seriously? You're way too young for this kind of relationship. We're seventeen, not thirty five. The one thing my mother always says is not to even consider getting serious with someone until you're old, like thirty." My mother Allegra had very few heart-to-heart conversations with me, so few I could count them on two fingers, but occasionally Allegra would dispense motherly advice like; always buy designer because it's better quality and wait a long time to get married.

Gemma frowned and set her phone on her lap. "I know you feel lonely and left out Lil. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall in love like this. Maybe the party tonight will cheer you up and you'll meet someone, right?"

I banged a hand on the steering wheel. "Ha! I don't feel left out. Quite the opposite actually," I plastered a smirk on my face and forced a laugh.

"I think we should focus on figuring out who keeps calling and sending those weird messages. And don't forget that tee shirt on Edwin's dog. That was beyond bizarre." We were silent for a while. "And I don't have time to date; I'm doing course work this summer in preparation for our senior year. Who has time for boys? I mean, besides Shayla?"

Our boy-crazy friend skipped from one male to the next without as much as a breath in between. I kind of admired her boldness and was amused by the entertainment it provided however it would take a super special guy to make me drop everything like Shayla and now Gemma.

From the corner of my eye, I glanced at Gemma who was quietly gazing out the car window, no doubt thinking of Jason. 

Sure we both had dated before, since sophomore year, but none had a taken a hold of Gemma's heart like Jason Shapiro. Was the stab in my heart one of jealousy or was it the pain of my best friend slipping away?