Dedicated to xLovEtoLivEx for the new cover (: Ignore typos and weird mistakes! Drama ahead, enjoy!
* * *
“Turn.”
Pivoting around on my heel, I heave a deep, exaggerated sigh that sounded like a simple dress up session was causing me actual pain.
It was.
So maybe not physical pain, but pain nonetheless. The banquet was tonight, and I could officially say that I was nervous as hell. Adrian assured me more than necessary that everything would turn out okay and that we would only be there for two hours max before we left, but we all know how it goes.
There’s always that feeling. The uneasy churning of your stomach, the voice in your head that whispers constantly that something was going to go wrong. All the factors either foreshadow the storm to come, or diminish into thin air when all goes well.
But you don’t know until you have to go through the event that has your mind going into overdrive. And from then on, you have to go through the most agonizing part of this whole thing.
Waiting.
Waiting for hours. Listening to the ticks of the clock as it counts down the time before it’s time to find out if you were worrying for nothing, or that little voice in your head is going to say, “I told you so.” And this, my dear friends, is why I’m close to throwing up my lunch into the toilet.
Now that my dramatic monologue is over. . .
“It’s beautiful!” Came the excited shriek of Amber as she skipped into the room, clapping her hands with her eyes gleaming as excitement.
Currently, I stood in the middle of Kelly’s extravagant bedroom as she forced me into dresses for tonight. She invited the girls to come over, thinking that would help come down the storm in my stomach, but also wanted to get to know the girls I’ve been closely acquainted with since her leaving Miami.
“I agree,” Brynn chimed with a mouth full of food. I rolled my eyes, planting my hands on my hips as I stared down at the blonde from where I stood on a stool.
“Are you robbing the Chapmens’ pantry?” I asked her.
“It’s not robbing if we’re a guest,” she answered smartly, falling back into a white love seat with a bag full of chips.
Kelly laughed from behind me. I felt her nimble fingers pick at the dress that currently clung to my body. “It’s absolutely fine, hun,” she chuckled. Soon after, Dylan came in with a huge amount of various snacks and treats.
“Damn, it’s like a movie theater snack bar down there,” Dylan cried out, clearly impressed as she took a seat next to Brynn. She nodded at the dress. “You look sexy in that dress.”
My eyes narrowed, despite the heating of my cheeks. She smiled cheekily at me and popped a handful of red skittles in her mouth.
Amber hopped onto her feet and came to inspect the dress in admiration. It was a simple white and black dress that clung to my body and complimented my curves. I tugged at the hem, turning and inspecting the dress with the full length mirror in front of me.
“Feeling sexy, Mace?” Brynn asked cheekily.
“Shut up!” I shouted lightly, grabbing a handful of skittles and throwing them at her and getting a scolding from Kelly.
“Yeah, shut up, Brynn. Like you wouldn’t feel pretty in a dress like this,” Amber defended.
“Why, thank you,” Kelly said in a flattered tone. She paced around me in search for anything that would ruin the beautiful look that she spent hours trying to perfect. Once satisfied, she tugged me down the tiny stage and to her dresser. “I designed it a while back and thought I could jazz it up a bit. Seeing it on someone makes me reconsider,” She mused.
“Glad to know I could make it work,” I teased, taking a seat in front of the dresser.
“Is this the part where we get to torture her whole head?” Dylan asked eagerly, jumping up from her seat and rushing to my side. Knowing Kelly, I was sure to get a whole make-over in the two hours I had before the banquet. And knowing how much of a beauty queen she is, all of this cosmetic related work was going to leave me hurt.
Kelly grinned, almost sardonically, at me in the mirror and said, “Yup.”
“Oh, joy,” I grumbled.
Suddenly excited to see me in pain, Brynn jumped up from her seat and scurried to my side. Amber followed suit, looking forward to the process of dolling me up.
“When Adrian sees you tonight, he won’t just see you as a sweetie,” Kelly promised, winking as she fluffed my hair. I sighed out an uneasy response as they turned the chair so I couldn’t look at myself and see what horrid things they were about to do to me.
This banquet better be worth the poking and tugging.
* * *
My fingers drummed rapidly against the armrests, feeling restless and losing the feeling in my butt. Another hard slap sent a jolt through my shoulders, a reprimand for moving while yet another person tinkered with my face.
“Macey, stop moving!” Amber whined as I felt pressure on my eyelid again. “I’m almost done applying eyeliner.”
I groaned and gripped the seat. “What time is it?”
“Half past seven,” A distracted Kelly replied. I jumped in my seat, opening my eyes in the process as I turned around to stare at Kelly in shock.
“Macey!” Amber shouted, exasperated at my sudden movement.
“Adrian said we were leaving at seven. It’s thirty past!”
Kelly rolled her eyes and released a final curl from the curler. “Oh, relax, would you? He’ll live. “Plus, we’re already done. I held my breath as a mist of hairspray was applied to my brown locks. Dylan came holding a pair of black pumps, and I bent down to strap them on.
“I think this is worth the wait, don’t you think?” Brynn asked, standing back with an intent look. The girls stood back as well, inspecting their work with admiration. Smiles graced their faces, and Kelly stepped up to pull me out of my seat and back to the mirror. Hands momentarily blinded my vision, and I groaned in protest.
“Is this necessary?” I asked. “We’re only going to be there for two hours, so why do did you have to go through all this trouble to –” Words failed me when the hands disappeared and a caught a glimpse of the girls’ hard work.
My brown locks fell loose in big, soft curls down my shoulder. The light smoky eye across my eyelids brought out the glow in my eyes, and a pinkish-red lipstick painted my lips. The black strapped pumps added a few inches to my height, making me seem taller than my small figure actually claims to be. Courtesy to Kelly, a simple diamond necklace hung against my neck and glistened in the bright lightning.
“You guys,” I breathed, smiling at my reflection. I’d be lying if I didn’t feel insecure about going to the banquet with Adrian tonight. It didn’t feel right to go with Adrian and be a part of his famous side. The most extravagant event I’ve been to was my cousin’s wedding, and that was seven years ago. Everybody around me would be far from just normal – both in status and in looks. The host herself was some sort of Hollywood goddess. Though it was a bit shallow of me, dress up tonight made me feel like I could blend in with the crowd of the famous and talented. At least I could look the part of having more meaning than Adrian’s plus one.
Kelly clasped her hands together and smiled widely. “Do you like it?” She asked, hopefulness lacing her tone.
“Like it? I love it!” I exclaimed, turning and opening my arms wide for a hug. Small cheers and laughs erupted from their mouths and they willing jumped into my embrace.
“Don’t worry about tonight, alright?” Dylan said into my ear.
“Yeah,” Amber chirped into my other ear. “It’ll be fun.”
“And you never know,” I’m not even sure where Brynn spoke except that I could breathe in her skittle breath. “Maybe something will –”
“Don’t.”
Laughing, we stayed in our position for a moment before letting go and I headed downstairs with the girls trailing behind me like a group of lost duckinglings. The clicks of my heels and small chat from us girls were the only noise echoing through the whole house.
And then I heard Adrian’s endless ranting.
“How long does it take to get ready for a stupid banquet?” His mumbled voice increased in volume with each step closer he took to the stairs. He then said in a louder voice, “Thomas, Macey and I will be there once the girls finish – “ Him and his words halted when Adrian appeared from around the corner and saw us – me – standing at the front of the stairs.
“Wow, bro,” Kelly chided disapprovingly. The smirk on face said anything but, though. “Thirty minutes past your said time and you’re already complaining? I was expecting at least fifteen extra.”
I couldn’t help the the small smirk that slipped onto my face at Adrian’s dumbfounded expression. Early today, he was doubting Kelly’s professionalism in fashion and teased not to make me look like a tramp. Offended, Kelly remarked that I was nothing like those sluts he was involved with, whether I was dressed up or not, and bet she was going to get a dazed expression out of him.
Kelly obviously won that bet. Feeling smug, for both me and Kelly, I decided to play with him more.
Tossing my hair for dramatics, I slowly walked down the stairs and hoped that I looked somewhat sexy and not like a drunk prostitute. My eyes remained locked with Adrian’s hazel eyes as I walked up to him. After a moment, his eyes left mine to trail down my body, lingering for longer than necessary. I tipped a finger under his chin and pushed his eyes back up to mine. It was all for show, but the quick glint of hunger and lust I caught in his eyes brought the butterflies out to play.
I rested my palms flat against his chest and felt the fast rate of Adrian’s beating heart beneath the designer clothes. The extra inches from the heels brought my height to the point where I didn’t have to stand on my toes to bring my mouth dangerously close to his ear.
Too bad what came out of my words were neither sexy nor seductive.
“You us five bucks,” I whispered before pulling back. A bubbly laugh escaped my lips at Adrian’s fallen face. I patted his cheek. “Oh, and you’re going to have to put the hood up because I really don’t want to mess my hair up after all the girls’ work.”
With that, I turned to the girls and said with a wave of my hand, “Have fun tonight.” Light chuckles and giggles followed as I headed to the door.
I was instantly greeted with a strong gust of wind when I stepped outside. Dark outlines of clouds against the darkening sky was prominent, and the vague smell of rain hung in the air. Warmth enveloped my backside, and I looked behind me to see Adrian holding his jacket against my body.
“Sexy dress, but no matching coat?” he murmured in my ear.
I gripped the sides of the jacket and held it in place. “I didn’t see you complaining.”
“True. . .”
Shaking my head, the two of us walked quickly to the car. I gathered all the flying wisps of hair and held it in place while Adrian pulled the hood of his car closed. I breathed out a sigh of relief once we were no longer being assaulted by the wind. The blinking blue lights of the clock read that it was ten minutes before eight.
“We should get going,” I said aloud, patting down the curls. I turned towards him when he didn’t answer; his eyes were narrowed. “What?”
“You’re such a fucking tease sometimes, you know that?” he said darkly. Suddenly, a hand wrapped around the back of my neck crashed my lips against his in a passionate kiss. A noise of surprise turned into a moan of pleasure, raising my hand to cup the side of his face. I let it go on for a few moments before pulling – rather reluctantly, may I add – away and settling in my seat.
Adrian groaned in protest and I scoffed, “The guy who was complaining of our lateness is putting off the time, so let’s get going.”
A frustrated growl left his lips as he started the car. “This damn banquet,” he grumbled dejectedly.
* * *
All playfulness vanished the minute we drove out of Adrian’s driveway. The farther we got from the house, the more I discovered how many times my body could fidget in a half hour ride. And for a split second, I thought all the movement was abnormal and that we should turn the car towards the hospital to get this checked out instead of going to the banquet.
Why did I even agree to this? I could have been dead set on letting Adrian go solo. Instead I let him coax me into being his date to this event. But this event will be the one that reveals to me how he actually is when living his Hollywood dream. Is he really this cocky but sweet Adrian Chapmen that everyone here welcomed with open arms, or is he the manwhore that Kelly makes him out to be with all the other sluts?
This night will tell me. The thought lowered my nervousness for a mere second before coming back and hitting me square in the face.
I stared at two raindrops racing their way down the window. What if Adrian is the latter? And worse, what is it that’s going to prove to me that Adrian has two sides to him?
I was so engaged in my thoughts that I didn’t realize we reached our destination until a warm hand wrapped around mine. Concern flooded Adrian’s features, eyebrows furrowed as he stared at me. “You okay?” he asked quietly.
“I’m fine.” I nodded.
His thumb brushed against the top of my hand. “I promise we’ll only be here for two hours, tops, okay?” he said gently, as if he was afraid I was going to hijack his car and flee. I chuckled, nodding once again.
With a crooked grin, Adrian leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. There was nothing rushed about this kiss, despite being more than an hour late. Our lips moved in slow, synchronized movements that left me smiling when we pulled away.
“You look beautiful tonight, by the way,” He mumbled, brushing a loose curl behind my ear. “You and the girls will get your five bucks.”
I threw my head back in laughter, shaking my head as I turned away. “Let’s just go,” I giggled.
Considering it started to rain and I was left with no protection from the falling drops, Adrian rushed out of the car and ran to my side of the car. He took off his jacket once again and sheltered it over me as we made our way towards the entrance. My stomach twisted as I took in Adrian’s actions. A true, sweet gentleman. Will he still be this way by the end of the night?
A couple of screams cut us off as we made it to the door. We whipped around to see a couple of, albeit, beautiful teenage girls running towards us with items in their hands.
“It’s Adrian Chapmen!” The blonde one asked in an ear-splitting shriek. I cringed back slightly.
“Can we have your autograph, we’re such a big fan!” The other shouted, her soaking red hair sticking to her forehead as she grinned widely at Adrian.
Adrian turned to me, “Go inside, okay? Give me a sec,” he said. I nodded and after sparing the girls a split second to see their envious and curious glares, I scurried inside. Loud conversations and laughter filled the room, people standing around or seated around tables as they chatted happily. Girls in elegant dresses and men in sharp suits, their smiles blinding.
I twirled on my heel to see if the girls have stopped holding Adrian up, but when I did, a frown fluttered across my face. The fiery red head trailed her hand up and down Adrian’s chest, smiling sweetly up at him. The blonde put up a seductive act, leaning against Adrian so she was pressed up against his side, fluttering her eyes. I almost laughed at how she looked like she was trying to get something out of her eye but didn’t want to make it obvious.
But it was the way Adrian willingly let the girls close to him, his eyes wandering down their figures with his oh-so charming smile. The sinking feeling in my stomach only intensified as he made himself comfortable against the pole behind him and listened to the girls talk passionately about god knows what.
I was tempted to go out there and interrupt their little conversation, seeing as I felt completely uncomfortable and out of place just standing out in the open like an idiot. But I didn’t. It’s been a while since Adrian’s gotten recognition and it felt wrong to pull away from whatever being known makes him feel. Plus, he doesn’t seem to be in such a hurry to come inside with those two girls keeping him occupied.
Sighing, I slipped off Adrian’s jacket and let it hang in my arms. I turned away from the sickening sight and turned towards the banquet. I wondered if I could just run off and hide in the bathroom for the rest of my remaining two hours, but the pent up awkwardness within me kept me rooted to the side, as if taking a step would make humiliate me in front of all these high-worthy people.
“Excuse me.” The unfamiliar deep voice made me let out an embarrassing shriek of surprise. While in the process of whirling around to meet the owner of the voice, I was suddenly aware of their close proximity when my curly locks made contact with the person’s face.
“Sorry, I –”
Too many people were rendering me speechless lately. This person, however, probably had the power to make every girl in this room drop their panties for him. Whether or not I would be a part of that statistic will remain unknown.
Ahem. . . Anyways.
Short dark hair, angular features, and a dazzling smile, this magnificently beautiful human being in front of me looked as if he belonged taped to a teenager’s bedroom wall for them to stare at. If not, the “Sexiest Man Alive” cover magazine could fit just as well. Not that I’m insinuating here or anything. He was just really hot and brought out the inner fangirl in me. Now I could understand what kind of sick fantasies Brynn has about one direction.
Okay, not that far. But still.
It was not just the extreme looks of this man that made my mouth drop open wide enough for a seal to jump in, but it’s the fact that I recognized him.
Heath Lawson was a young actor taking the movie world by storm. Amber and I were in Government class just the other day ogling over him as we watched his movie. He was much more interesting than the droning elf at the front of the classroom who didn’t care when everyone tuned out her voice in exchange to busying themselves with technology. We took advantage of our time by rewatching his first movie, Trapped in Love.
Unlike most of the guys in the room, Heath wore a white blazer with a black bow tie which, admittedly, left me at awe at how adorable he looked.
“It’s not big deal,” he chuckled. That was one of the sexiest sounds ever. Oh my god, Macey. Get your head out of the damn gutter! It was a laugh! “Your hair is impossibly soft for a girl that looked as if she spent hours burning her hair to get those perfect curls.”
About that statistic. . .
I’m so ashamed of myself, I thought, mentalling smacking myself for acting this way.
I laughed nervously and subconsciously touched the ends of my hair. And to think, I thought I needed to cut back in using heat products because I thought my hair was badly damaged. This guy begs to differ.
I willed myself to keep my stutter away. “Thank you.”
Nailed it!
If that didn’t make me break down in complete nervousness, then maybe sticking his hand out for me to shake would. “I don’t think we’ve ever met before. I’m Heath Lawson, and you are?”
I hesitantly placed my palm in his and prayed to God that they weren’t sweaty. “Macey Daniels. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Really, Mace, really?
I felt my cheeks heat up as Heath chuckled. He brought my hand up and pressed a small kiss to the row of my knuckles, his mesmerizing blue eyes never leaving mine. “I believe it’s my pleasure, Macey.”
Cue swooning here.
Suddenly, my hand was ripped out of Heath’s as a familiar arm wrapped around my arm, pulling me away from Heath and behind his tall figure. Adrian stood glaring at Heath with eyes that looked ready to kill. Heath’s confused expression was replaced with a mischievous smile when he looked at Adrian’s fuming face.
“Aidy, buddy, it’s been a while!” He exclaimed with mock excitement, smirking as he raised his arms for a hug. If anything, he was putting an invisible target on his internal organs by leaving his arms open like that.
“Heath,” Adrian growled
Heath tsked, “Hostile. Not how I expected our joyous reunion.”
“I was hoping to never have a reunion.” Came Adrian’s steely response. I raised an eyebrow at his bitterness. Where did this come from?
“Harsh.”
“You’ve heard worse.”
The two of them engaged in a heated staredown, both men daring each other to back down first. While as for me, I stood there watching the scene in front of me with a sense of confusion. Why did they look like they were ready to take an axe to the other’s head and bury them at the nearest sandbox so they could dispose of their body as quick as possible?
Adrian was the one to speak first. “What were you doing talking to Macey?”
Heath smirked and shoved his hands into his dress pants. “Just as you said, Aidy. I was talking to Macey.” His next words made Adrian twitch in anger. “A pretty girl should never be left alone, seeing as their date was too involved enjoying the company of other teenage girls.”
“How do you know Macey is my date?” Adrian grounded out.
“Well, let’s see. . .” Heath looked up, feigning deep concentration. “Maybe it’s the protective grip you have on her right now, and the fact that I haven’t said a word to annoy you yet and here you are, spitting out venomous words as if I’ve done harm to your family.”
Registering the first part of Heath’s words, Adrian loosened his vice grip and let go. I didn’t hesitate as I walked between the two. I glared at Adrian and said, “Calm down, would you? Heath was just keeping me company while you took care of your fangirls.”
His eyes narrowed. “Who’s said are you on?” he asked.
“I’m not picking sides!” I exasperated, throwing my hands in the air and letting them fall limp at my sides. “Besides, you know I’m a big fan of Heath. The girls and I always watch his movies.”
“Maybe now you know why I wasn’t so thrilled with the fact,” he grumbled.
That part was true. During a movie night when the guys (unfairly) lost the vote for what to watch that night, Adrian was noticeably rigid when Amber pulled out ‘Trapped in Love.’ The only way I got him to loosen up and stop snapping at us everytime we yelled out a compliment revolving Heath was when I snuggled up to him and kindly told him to shut up. It didn’t work as effectively, but it was good enough at the time.
“Well it’s nice to meet someone who could act so normal in front of a star like myself,” Heath commented, nodding at me approvingly. It took a lot of self control to get myself to act as cool and composed as I did but hey, I’m not going to say anything.
“Maybe that’s because her best friend is a star, too – a bigger one at that.” Adrian responded cockily, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me to his side. I rolled my eyes.
“Alright, alright,” Heath said, putting his hands up in a surrendering pose. “Put your claws back, kitty, I’m going to go sit down now. It was very nice to meet you, Macey.”
I smiled and waved as Heath walked away. Once he was a few feet away, I slipped Adrian’s arms off my shoulder and scowled at him. “What the hell is your problem? He wasn’t assaulting me.” I asked him angrily.
“He was flirting with you,” he said hotly. “Heath is a complete ladies man, Mace. You don’t know him like I do.”
I laughed without humour. Who was he to judge after taking his sweet time give those girls his ‘autograph.’ Who knows what else he gave them when I wasn’t looking. “That’s rich coming from the guy who took thirty minutes to come back inside and join his date after having checking out your own fans.”
Adrian opened his mouth to argue, but a voice I’ve come to hate reached my ears before he could.
“You two.” I sighed audibly at the sound of Thomas’ voice. Why was he here? Don’t managers usually just make the agenda, not come along?
I crossed my arms as I turned to face Thomas. He huffed at the sight of me, and I raised an eyebrow, offended. Yeah, well I’m not so happy to see you to, so the feeling’s mutual, buddy.
“Would you both just come and sit down. There are some important people here to see Adrian,” Thomas ordered, gesturing with a hand. Adrian put a hand on the small of my back and lead me down as Thomas went ahead of us. As much as I loved meeting one of my favorite actors here, I wasn’t so thrilled with everything else. This decision was proving to be even more worse with each passing minute.
“Adrian!” Someone bellowed. A man with thinning gray hair and a scruffy beard dressed in a tailor suit stood up and walked up to us. Adrian brushed past me to take the man in a friendly hug, patting each other on the back. Everyone else at the table stood up as well, besides a pretty young girl that looked to be the same age as Adrian and I. What movie have I seen her in?
Mostly everyone at the table were men, so each of them greeted Adrian with their own guy greetings. Adrian’s smile softened as he glanced over at the girl.
She stared back at him with the same gentle expression. A giant smile erupted onto her face as she stood up and intertwined her fingers together.
“Hi, Adrian,” she greeted, her voice as delicate as she looked.
“Kassie,” he breathed, gazing at her with a fond expression. Never breaking eye contact, Adrian rounded the table and took Kassie in his arms. I was surprised when he picked her up and twirled her around, the both of them laughing happily. They didn’t pull apart when Adrian said, “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too!” she cried, burying her face in her shoulder.
I couldn’t even describe the amount of awkwardness and jealousy that surged through me as I watched them. Kassie didn’t seem familiar, but I could tell just by looking at her that she wasn’t just a normal girl. Her designer halter dress was the definition of perfect as it fell down in ripples that represented the color a clear lake. Kassie’s caramel brown hair was pulled back into an elegant ponytail with a few strands hanging out. Makeup didn’t seem relevant with her flawless face.
I felt like a pimple-faced teenager next to this girl.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Thomas turn and try to hide the smirk that threatened to appear, but it was too late. I had already saw it.
Bastard.
I tried not to show any emotion as all the guests at the table smiled at the pair, and I even went out of the way of trying to tug the edge of my lips into one as well. I was sure it looked more like a grimace, though.
The ache in my chest didn’t fade after Kassie and Adrian pulled away. “It’s great to see you again, Kas,” Adrian said.
“I know, I feel like I haven’t seen you in so long! How’s your break going?”
And from there it went.
Kassie and Adrian felt into a deep conversation about what’s been going on in their lives. Apparently, Kassie has only been in commercials and that’s why I didn’t recognize her off the bat. After all, I usually change the channel when it’s commercials before returning when the show comes back on. She was a friend of Cara’s, and that’s why she was here at the banquet. Though I have no idea how a girl as beautiful and sweet could be friends with someone like Cara.
The gentleman in the room sat down and listened as Adrian directed his stories to the rest of them. I was really reconsidering the bathroom thing. There was left over lasagna that was waiting for me at home, I didn’t have to join everyone for dinner. I was about to attempt my getaway when the man with the bellowing voice pointed me out.
“And who’s this lovely girl?” he asked, tilting his head to the side. He was probably trying to figure out where he’s seen me before. Maybe he’s seen me walking around the local supermarket, though I doubt he would be there in the first place. He was probably from LA.
Adrian’s eyes flickered up to me and widened when he realized that I was still here. I kept the forced smile on my face and looked away from him, hurt that he was so caught up in his exhilarating stories to notice his date standing here silently. Now if only I could find out where the bathroom is.
Adrian stood up and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. The tensioning of my body when he did didn’t go unnoticed by him, but he remained where he was. “Everyone, this is Macey. She’s been my best friend since we were kids,” Adrian explained, smiling down at me. I could almost hear Thomas’ disgusted snort.
Besides getting the cold shoulder from him, everyone else at the table smiled politely. I was surprised when Kassie all of a sudden stood up and took me into a gentle hug. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” I answered, unintended confusion coating the words. When we pulled away, Adrian put a hand on Kassie’s shoulder.
“She’s a hugger,” he explained, giving her a teasing smile.
Kassie rolled her eyes. “Bite me, Adrian.”
“Well, if you say so.”
“Adrian!” Kassie gasped and slapped Adrian’s shoulder. He laughed in response before wrapping an arm around her and ruffling her elegant hair. “Oh my God, don’t mess up my hair!” She squealed, trying to squirm her way out of his arms but failing miserably in the process. The weird ache in my chest was accompanied by a strong sense of anger while I watched the two mess around. Kassie seems more than welcome to keep Adrian busy, so why did Adrian have to invite me along?
“Alright, settle down,” a man – probably in his mid thirties – said from across the table. He took a sip from his wine glass and shot them a pointed look. “This is a banquet, I expect you to act professionally. Just because you’ve been on break, Adrian, doesn’t mean you can act like all those other rowdy teenagers.”
An image of Brandon and Chase popped into my head. They were far from professional, but that’s what made them fun. A pang inside of me wished I went with Kelly and the girls to the dance club that Dallas owned rather than here.
It was when Adrian and Kassie sat down that I realized that there was no seat available next to either of them. Neither of them noticed as they began another riveting conversation. The jolly man from before noticed and gestured for me to sit next to him.
“Come here, love,” he said, patting the chair. I nodded in appreciation and kept my gaze low as I walked to my seat.
Everyone turned to their own small talk. I folded my hands together and observed the pristine silverware resting in front of me. Times like this were the ones where I wished the floor would open up and swallow me whole. The feeling of standing out while everyone went on with their lives was a feeling I really despised. I took the chance of glancing up at Kassie and Adrian. My eyes turned away when I saw Adrian’s arm draped across Kassie’s chair, their faces close as they talked animatedly.
I opted to twiddling my thumbs and trying not to make my fidgeting noticeable.
I don’t know how long I spent circling my thumbs around each other. The overwhelming emotions building up inside of me was enough to consider the option of walking home in the pouring rain just so I could escape. I almost cried with relief when someone decided to break the growing twiddle thumb game time. Too bad it was thanks to a girl I was dreading to see.
Cara Pratt came strutting towards our table with such grace and confidence. Her classy white dress fell easily down to her knees and revealed heels that made me wonder how she kept her balance with shoes those high and skinny. Unlike Kassie, Cara wore her golden blonde hair pin straight in a length that brushed against her bare back.
Back to twiddling thumbs, it is.
“Adrian!” she exclaimed, opening her arms for a hug. Adrian stood up coolly and allowed Cara’s lean arms to wrap around him. “It’s great to see you again.”
“Thank you, Cara, for inviting me tonight.” The emotionless tone almost had me smiling. Almost. Greetings came from the men, and Kassie stood up to do that kiss-on-both-cheeks thing.
To be honest, I almost pissed my pants when Cara called me out. Really classy, Mace.
“And who’s this?” Cara’s voice became uptight and overly cheery, I tried not to wince when I looked up.
“Um. . .”
“Oh, that’s just Macey. She came with me tonight.”
Woah, hold the damn phone here. I didn’t bother trying to hide the surprise on my face at Adrian’s vague and dismissive reference to me. It may have not been a big deal to him, but that was a big blow considering what we’ve been through. As best friends and as. . . whatever the hell we were at the moment.
The older man who made the rowdy teenagers remark must have saw the resentment on my face because he took it upon himself to elaborate to Cara on who I really was. Respect your elders, kids. I was definitely respecting this one. Not that I’m calling him old. Definitely not old.
“She’s Adrian’s childhood best friend, if you will,” he added, gesturing to Adrian.
Cara nodded slowly. Her eyes assessed me with a calculating look, a small smirk playing on her features. “Well it’s very nice to meet Ardian’s plus one tonight.”
Well that hurt.
I gritted my teeth together and willed myself not to let the tears building up in my eyes fall. It’s not what she said that hurt the most, but it was the fact that Adrian didn’t come to my defense.
That’s what hurt me the most.
* * *
The food was probably the highlight of my night. Adrian disregarded my existence while he kept up the conversation with Kassie. After Cara’s remark and Adrian’s ignorance to it, I began to count down the minutes of our two hours here. I was ready to just go home and bury myself under a pile of pillows and blankets. It was quite obvious that I was angry at my so called ‘best friend,’ and I was all on ignoring him and showing my hurt and frustration at him.
It was a half hour before eleven in the evening, and the announcement for why this banquet was being held in the first place was going to take place after desert. The red velvet cake did wonders on calming down the roaring waters inside of me. It wouldn’t be long, though, before Adrian faced a real storm. And I’m not talking about the one going on outside.
The sound of a mic being tapped brought me out of my cake-induced trance. Cara stood at the front of the stage with a blinding smile that showed off her pearly whites. Kassie stood next to her on stage, looking rather shy and nervous.
“Welcome everyone,” Cara spoke into the mic. “Thank you all for coming tonight.” Applause erupted from the room for a moment before dying down and Cara spoke again. “You may all be wondering why I held a banquet tonight. But really, this is more of a celebration. For my dear friend Kassie is stepping out of the world commercials and into the real spotlight.”
The two men next to me stood up suddenly and went to the stage. Arthur and Tom were their names. Tom, the jolly one, took the mic from Cara and spoke.
“Hello everyone. I’m sure all of you have heard about the movie production that will be taking place in just a few months. I, as the executive producer, and the director of this soon-to-be blockbuster movie, Arthur,” He gestured to the rowdy teen referencer. “am proud to announce that Miss. Kassie Bell will be the star of the upcoming movie, 'Through the Eyes of Willow.'”
Cheers, hoots, and hollers filled the room. I even found myself clapping at the remarkable news. 'Through the Eyes of Willow' was said to be the next hit romance movie. Critics think that this will be Arthur’s best work yet. Kassie seemed perfect for the main character, and she’s exactly how I imagined the headstrong but gentle Willow to be.
The applause soon died down after Arthur and Tom talked more about the movie. Everyone returned to their own business once they finished. Multiple people went to congratulate Kassie. My butt had fallen asleep for having it glued to this chair for hours, barely even moving any part of my body besides my hands and head. I contemplated going up there to say congratulations too, but of course, I remained where I was and watched instead.
Jumping up from his seat, Adrian rushed to the side of the stage where Kassie was and enveloped her in a big hug. There was an uproar of hey’s and hello’s when Adrian made an appearance. Several girls squealed and pulled Adrian into a hug; guys coming to do one of those manly pat on the back hugs. He kept his arm around Kassie in the process. His eyes glowed as he talked to his old friends and acquaintances. I stood up to go join Adrian before I realized that I was really not needed. Not to mention that I didn’t belong, and it would only make this night all the more embarrassing for me. As if I haven’t been embarrassed enough.
I sighed and excused myself before going on that long awaited search for the bathroom. It just so happened to be right next to the stage where the group of people were celebrating. I stared at them for second, and realized that he Adrian wouldn’t notice even if I waved a sign in his face and yodeled off key.
As expected, I slipped past them easily and walked down the hall to the bathroom. It was empty, thankfully, and I breathed in a sigh of relief, fancy soap entering my lungs. I carelessly threw my clutch on the counter after taking my phone out.
I dialed Amber and prayed that she would answer.
Ring one. . . Ring two. . . Ring Three. . .
“Hello?”
“Amber,” I sighed, my voice coming out as a broken whisper. I leaned my back against the cool countertop and looked up in attempt to keep the tears at bay.
Loud music and voices filled the background. “Macey?” Amber shouted into the phone. “Hold on, let me go somewhere quiet . . . Excuse me, excuse me. . . Exc –”
“Holy shit, move!” Dylan’s voice yelled. I laughed lightly at her bluntness, a sad smile tugging at the ends of my lips. I really should’ve ditched.
After a few moments, the sound died down and Amber spoke again, “Mace, hey! How’s the banquet going?”
“I want to leave,” I replied straight to the point.
“What? Why?” Brynn’s voice spoke.
I shook my head, looking towards the door just in case someone came in. “Let’s just say I don’t really belong here. And Adrian’s not really helping me feel better, either.”
“That little idiot,” a voice muttered. Then Kelly spoke, “What did he do?”
From there I told them about Adrian’s sweetness from the car to the ladies man after we got out. I told them about his hostile words to Heath (and promised to tell them more about meeting the hot actor), about his friendliness to Kassie, his plain and dismissive reference to Cara, and – more importantly – not coming to my defense when I was referred to someone of little value.
Telling the girls about Adrian ignoring my presence made it seem more real. I confirmed everything I thought was going to happen. He really did have another side of him. The Adrian I knew wouldn’t let me feel so alone and out of place. The Adrian I knew wouldn’t ignore me and refer to me as just a ‘plus one.’
And the worst part? I don’t know which side is the true Adrian.
“What was the point of me going with him?” I asked, staring at my own reflection. “He hasn’t even talked to me all night.”
Kelly growled through the other line. “That idiot. Go tell him that your two hours are up and give him what he deserves. It’s pretty damn low of him to do that to you.”
“I don’t know, Kel.” I frowned. “He doesn’t seem to mind staying for longer than he said. He’s probably having a grand time,” I added sarcastically, referring to all the attention he’s been giving Kassie. Thinking about how close we’ve been the past few weeks makes me feel like he’s cheating on me. But that’s not the case, now is it? I knew this was a bad idea in the first place. If Adrian wanted to really be with me, he would’ve asked to be official. Not sneak around like we’re doing now. “I feel stupid for being jealous. It’s not like we were serious!”
“With all the kissing and touching going on, I would think he wanted you to be his girlfriend.” I could hear the frown in Amber’s voice.
“Yeah,” I answered quietly. “I thought that, too.”
“This is exactly why you should tell him that your two hours are up,” Kelly pushed.
I frowned. “Why?”
“Just do it!” she insisted.
“Alright,” I complied hesitantly. I took a deep breath after hanging up the phone. I don’t know why Kelly was so adamant on my asking Adrian to leave. But I wanted to leave anyways, so might as well get this over with. Mustering up the little courage I had left, I exited the bathroom.
The group had disassembled when I came out. I walked back to the table expecting to find Kassie and Adrian, but they weren’t there either. Arthur and Tom were, though, but I got a negative response when I asked if they have seen Adrian or Kassie.
I wandered around the banquet a little in search for the two. Puffing out my cheeks, I huffed when I couldn’t find either of them.
“Looking for someone?” I jumped at the voice, and turned to see Heath standing behind me, smirking.
“Have you seen Adrian or Kassie?” I asked.
“Oh, those two love birds?” Heath snorted. “They left after the big announcement. Something about going back to Kassie’s hotel.”
My stomach dropped. “W-What?” I stuttered. Did Adrian leave me here just so he could hook up with the next big thing?
“Yeah, they left just a few minutes ago,” Heath said slowly.
I let those words process and fought back the tears. I couldn’t believe it.
“It was really nice to meet you, Heath, I’m a really big fan,” I told him before walking quickly outside. With tears blurring my vision, I pushed open the doors and stepped into the rain. I didn’t care that it was pouring heavily outside. I had to know if what Heath said was true.
I really didn’t want to believe it. I really didn’t want to believe that my best friend would leave me at a banquet that I didn’t want to come to in the first place to hook up with some other girl. I didn’t want to believe that Adrian was that kind of guy.
But, apparently, he was. The spot where Adrian’s car had been parked was now empty, a puddle of water in it’s place. The overwhelming wave of sorrow and disbelief finally let the tears flow freely down my cheeks. I shook my head, letting a few sobs slip.
I took shelter again and took out my phone, thankful that no water could slip through the clutch. None of the girls answered when I called and my body began to shake with the droplets racing down my body. I couldn’t go inside now. Adrian may have ditched me for the better deal, but I still had my dignity left.
Wrapping my arms around myself, I walked out into the rain once more, and kept on walking.
* * *
PHEW! This chapter. I was suppose to update on Friday during Valentine's day, but I got stuck. Then on Saturday I didn't get to finish because of all the things going on. Today I was able to finish and edit, so happy late Valentine's day gift <3 Okay.
The spacing is wider because I don't write in the wattpad create anymore, I do it on a google doc. Helps with editing. ALSO I've started a short story called Let's Play Cupid. Sypnosis ahead:
"Everyone knows the role of Cupid and what his magical arrows do. You get hit, and you fall in love, right? But did anyone ever think that Cupid ever messed up? That the great God didn't do his job right with to whom he shot those arrows at?
Well Megan did.
After watching her own father leave before her very eyes and leaving them absolutely heartbroken, her silly thoughts about Cupid’s abilities were pierced with her own arrow and ripped to shreds when she was a child. They're able to pick themselves up as the years go by and recover from the abandonment, but Megan doesn't miss the lingering love her mom still has for her husband.
Collin West is quite aware of his coach’s refusal to search for his one true love, and he’s willing to do anything to find the perfect match that his coach deserves. So when he find's out Megan has the same plan for her mom, he immediately jumps at the chance.
Two adults looking for love. Two teens with a goal. Collin and Megan are joining up to play Cupid; however, with their rusty techniques, maybe they’ll hit themselves with the love arrows as well."
I'd love if you could check out LPC and tell me what you think of that as well! Story in external link. And I really want to hear your thoughts on this chapter ;) Vote, follow, and tell me what you think!
ENDING LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE,
- jesse xx