Three days.
That’s how long it takes the press to get ahold of the story.
Venice Forrester has made her return!
Venice Forrester is alive!
Governor’s daughter went missing seven months ago is back!
Venice Forrester!
Forrester!
It’s incredible!
It’s Wednesday when there are cameras and news trucks all around my house as I wake up. I look out my bedroom window and I can see the mob of people and I can hear them shouting at the house even though nobody is actually out there to answer them. I can hear my brother downstairs shouting back at them from inside of the house so I highly doubt that they can actually hear him.
I want to go directly downstairs to explore this newfound fame with the cameras and my inner attention whore is singing, but I have to be presentable first, so I jump in the shower and get dressed before I do anything.
By the time I go downstairs, I’m wearing a dress that’s a purplish color on the top and the bottom is separated by a thin brown belt. The skirt is a floral print that matches the top purple color. My heels are maroon colored booties. It’s really freezing outside, so I grab my black winter coat. It looks very aristocratic and Mr. Erickson bought it for me when he realized that I didn’t have any winter coats. I don’t really like it, but it’s warm so I wear it anyway. My hair is in a side pony tail to the left and it looks pretty cute even in the black coat.
“You do know that school isn’t some fashion show, right?” Emmett wonders as I walk into the living room. He looks tired and annoyed, probably as a result of the unrelenting press outside who are still yelling and taking pictures.
I nod. “But they want pictures and I must look nice for the pictures.”
“Right,” He sighs just as my dad walks into the room. He’s on the phone, so I don’t greet him, I just silently wave.
He waves back and I think that it’s strange that he’s here since he’s usually at work already by the time that I get up, but it’s probably to handle the press, I assume.
“Yes, Bill… no, it will be tonight… arrange it then, please… this is kind of a special circumstance, Bill… yes, I’ll see you in an hour,” He hangs up and then looks over at me and Emmett.
“What’s happening?” I ask curiously.
“We’ll have a press conference tonight but before then, you’re going to have to wait it out,” He tells me. “Can you get a ride to school that isn’t with the twins?”
I shook my head. “Not really. Lexi doesn’t drive and she’s pretty much the only person that I talk to right now. Can’t I just go out there? Look at them, they love me!”
My dad shakes his head at me with a small, amused laugh. “No, Venice, you cannot just go out there. After Emmett and Eli leave, the press will probably follow them, so I’ll order a car for you to take to school after they leave, when most of the press are gone.”
“Won’t they be at school too though?” Emmett asks.
“Yes, but they won’t be able to be on school grounds. If anything, they won’t be allowed in the school,” My dad explains, obviously showing his expertise on the publicity subject.
“Okay, fine, but don’t call a car. I’ll text Benson and ask him to pick me up,” I say, pulling my phone out and starting to type a text to Benson. He gave me his number yesterday in music theory and I gave him mine so that’s how I have his number.
“No,” Emmett denies protectively. “Venice, I told you not to get involved with him.”
“I’m not ‘involved’ with him,” I tell my brother with an eye roll. “We’re just friends. Honest.”
“Just be careful,” He warns before leaving the room and going into the kitchen that is separated from the living room by a swinging door. It’s the kind of door that the family in Full House have, how it goes in and out. That’s what it’s always reminded me of, anyway.
“I’m sorry that I’m causing all of this trouble,” I tell my dad when we’re alone. “I didn’t think that it would be such a big deal, I guess.”
“Oh, don’t be sorry,” My dad says quickly, unexpectedly wrapping me in a hug. He really is a hugger, my dad is. “I don’t care about the publicity, I’m just glad that you’re back. I have to get to work, but you’ll be okay here until your friend comes, right?”
I nod and check my phone when I feel it buzz with a text. Benson tells me that he can pick me up and he’ll be here in about twenty minutes. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Have fun at work, Dad.”
He laughs, kisses the top of my head, and leaves through the kitchen because that’s where the door to the garage is. I go back upstairs and watch through the window of my bedroom that faces the front of the house. Eli pulls out of the driveway first and a few of the press vans follow him. Emmett goes next and a few more follow him. When my dad’s car pulls out of the driveway, almost all of the rest of the press go after him in their vans. I don’t know what they plan on doing if they catch up to him but I don’t really care because at least I’m free for the most part.
I wait at my window until I see a car pull up outside that I assume is Benson. I hurry downstairs and out the front door. There are a few press people out there and they start shouting questions at me.
“Where’d you go?”
“Why’d you leave?”
“Why are you back?”
“Why? Where? What? Who?”
I shoot them that confident half smile as I walk past them but I don’t say anything because my dad told me not to. When I get to Benson’s car, I get in and shut the door before saying “If they get in your way, run them over.”
He laughs and pulls away from the curb. None of the press people jump in front of his car, which is good, because I don’t want to be responsible if he really does run one of them over. “I see the magazines finally found out that you’re back.”
“Yep,” I sigh, leaning my head against the window. “Thanks for picking me up by the way.”
“We’re friends, aren’t we?” He wonders. “It’s something that friends do.”
“This weekend, I’m going to get my own car,” I tell him randomly. “It’ll be an awesome car too.”
“I bet,” Benson laughs. “I’m surprised that you’re going to last a whole week being chauffeured by people.”
“I hate driving,” I tell him. “But the freedom that comes with it is addicting.”
“Do you think that those cameras are following us?” He wonders randomly, looking in his rearview mirror as he pulls onto the main road.
“Probably. If not, there will be plenty of press at the school so don’t worry. You’ll get your fifteen minutes of fame,” I assure him as I text Lexi to tell her about the cameras and she replies by telling me that she already knows because they’re all around the school. As I’m putting my phone away, I get a text from Emmett reminding me to be careful.
“It’s not me they’re after,” Benson says.
“Obviously,” I chuckle. “But you’ll be in the pictures when you walk into the school with me so you’ll kind of be a little bit famous.”
“Oh, joy,” He mutters slightly sarcastic.
“Hey, question. So why does my brother think that you’re so troublesome if you claim to not be so… troublesome? Did you do something to him?” I ask as I get another text from Emmett being all protective about me staying away from Benson.
He lets out a long sigh. “It’s nothing personal with Emmett. We’re actually kind of friends. I’m kind of friends with Eli too, I guess. Anyway, I just… I’m not the most romantic person ever.”
“So basically you sleep around?” I wonder. I laugh at the ridiculousness of Emmett trying to protect me from him just because he’s promiscuous but then I remember that the Venice that he remembers from seven months ago needed to be protected against guys like Benson. I didn’t know how to defend myself or to detect bullshit because I was so painfully naïve. That’s the Venice that my brother is trying to protect but I don’t need it anymore. I’m not that defenseless naïve little girl anymore and he just hasn’t realized that yet. “I kind of figured that. If you ever become friends with Eli though, I will never talk to you again.”
He starts to laugh but when he glances over at my straight face and realizes that I’m not joking, he clears his throat and focuses on the road. “We’re not friends. Why would it matter if we were though?”
“It just does,” I reply. “Everything matters in some way.”
“Okay then,” Benson says slowly as he pulls into the school parking lot. “Has anybody ever told you that you’re very mysterious?”
I nod. “I’ve gotten that a few times.”
“It’s kinda hot,” He smirks over at me as he parks the car in the senior lot and takes his key out of the ignition. “Have you ever dealt with press like this?”
I shake my head and ignore his ‘hot’ comment. “I’ve dealt with press, but it’s not this bad usually. It’ll be exciting.”
From the parking lot to the school, there is a crowd of press smothering the doors of the school but they’re being held back by some officers so that kids can get into the school. It looks like a freaking red carpet or something. “This is intense,” Benson says beside me as we get out of the car. That’s when the press realize that I’m arriving and they start screaming the repetitive questions at me.
Slightly bitchy, slightly slutty, completely confident. I give them my half smile and walk away from the car with Benson towards the doors.
“I think they want my autograph,” I tell Benson.
“I think they want to eat you,” He replies, obviously pretty freaked out about all of the cameras flashing and microphones being held toward our faces. The officers are doing a really good job of keeping them far enough away though, so that we can get into the school safely without being bombarded by the desperate journalists.
“Also probably true,” I laugh.
The yelling and camera clicking almost immediately disappears as the doors shut behind us and then we’re in the school and safe from all of the crazies outside. “How long do you think that will last?”
I shrug. “I have no clue. Hopefully not too long because, while it is flattering, it’s also pretty bothersome.”
“I can see how it’s bothersome,” He nods as we get into the cafeteria that’s busy with people waiting for the locker bell to ring, which is the bell that rings that allows us to leave the cafeteria and go to our lockers before school starts. If we leave before that bell rings, we’ll get in trouble for being in the hallways. “I’ll see you in class?”
“If they don’t eat me first,” I say before walking away from him and towards Lexi. When she sees me, she gets up from her seat and runs over to me.
“You’re totally famous!” She squeals.
“I totally am!” I agree with a small laugh.
“I’m totally a little bit famous too,” Lexi gloats. “Those paparazzi people recognized me on the way into the school and started asking me questions about you.”
“What’d you do?”
“I smiled and waved, of course,” She tells me. “I didn’t think I should say anything.”
“Yeah, don’t. I don’t know why, but my dad told me that we shouldn’t speak to them.
“Yes, ma’am,” Lexi giggles, leading me back to the table that she was sitting at before I arrived with her boyfriend, Brent, and a few of his friends.
“Hey, Venice,” A few of them greet me like we’re best friends or something, which is weird because I don’t know any of their names at all except for Brent Taylor.
“Hello there,” I say back, being as polite as I can be without telling them that I have no idea who they are because I don’t want to be rude. I’m only slightly bitchy. “Would you like an autograph? They’re selling fast.”
“Oh, I hope you’re not going to become one of those conceited movie star types,” Lexi groans jokingly at me from across the table. She’s sitting in Brent’s lap which is supposed to be against the rules but the teachers just don’t care about PDA at all.
“No worries, Lex,” I assure her. “I won’t let it get to my head… too much.”
Across the room, I see Nate and Joe walk into the room and they’re laughing about something. I take a moment to revel in Nate’s smile because I haven’t seen it in so long and it’s such a wonderful smile. I mean, I have pictures of him that I look at a lot but pictures are nothing like the real thing. And the real thing is so magical. He sees me watching him though, and his smile quickly turns upside down as he looks away and sits down at another table, far away from mine.
My chest starts to burn again so I clear my throat and turn my attention back to Lexi as she’s having a debate with Brent about which movie they’re going to go see this weekend.
When I get into my first period physics class, everybody is staring at me again like they did on Monday and I don’t know why. I mean, just because there’s cameras outside doesn’t make me any more fascinating than I was the day before, but I don’t mind it too much. I’ve grown used to all of the staring for the most part, so I just do the assignment that the teacher hands out at the beginning of class and keep to myself.
“You’re going to grace us with your presence?” Emmett wonders dramatically as I sit down with my tray of food at the table during lunch.
I nod with a loud sigh. “I suppose I can do that.”
“How do you live with these cameras up your butt?” Natalie wonders. “I mean, I just had to deal with them walking into the school and they weren’t even yelling at me but they still gave me the creeps.”
“It’s a natural talent, I guess,” I shrug and start eating my fries. “I tend to be a bit of an attention whore anyway so it’s kind of fun.”
“It was worse when you went missing,” Emmett tells me.
“I saw the newspaper where you punched one of the camera guys,” I say with a small laugh, recalling the newspaper that Mr. Erickson brought home about three weeks after I went missing and Emmett was on the front cover with his fist in the air aiming for the camera that took the shot.
“Well, it got my point across,” He shrugs sheepishly.
“That was hysterical,” Mel giggles. “But not at the time, because at the time everything was so depressing around here after your disappearance.”
“My delightful personality can move mountains,” I say with a smirk. “I wish I could have been here to see that.”
“That was the problem, you weren’t here,” Thomas jokes from across the table.
“Very true,” I nod just as the bell rings and I have to go to music theory. It really is an easy class, so I don’t mind it. Especially because Benson is in that class too and he makes it pretty fun. The teacher is pretty nice too, I guess, so that’s another nice thing about that class.
When I get there, I sit down in the seat beside Benson’s and pull my phone out to play Draw Something and I text back and forth with Lexi.
“Will you need a ride after school?” Ben asks me as he sits down beside me in his desk. “Because I have work right after school.”
I shake my head. “No, I’ll just ride with Emmett. Thanks, though.”
“I mean, if you still need a ride, I don’t mind,” He assures me. “You can hang out at the music store with me or something.”
I smirk at him. “Are you going to try and seduce me in the back room?” I tease him, referring to the first time we met last weekend when he was hooking up with a girl. I never found out who that girl was though, but I don’t plan on asking.
“Is there any chance that that would work?” He wonders with a childish grin just as the bell rings, signifying the beginning of sixth period.
“Not yet,” I say with a small laugh. “But if the day comes that you do try to seduce me, I hope you’d give me the decency to not do it in the back of Chamberlin’s.”
“That’s fair,” Benson agrees just as the teacher starts talking about the renaissance and the type of music that Shakespeare listened to. “But what about your ex-boyfriend? I thought you were still into Nate.”
“You don’t get to talk about him,” I snap at him unintentionally as my chest starts to burn just at the mention of his name. “Not to me, at least.”
“Okay,” He appeases me, raising his hands up in surrender. “I was just asking.”
“Well, he hates me so it’s not like we’re going to get back together or anything,” I mumble.
“I thought we weren’t talking about him?”
“We’re not!”
“Guys, I know this isn’t the most interesting stuff to talk about,” The teacher tells us, looking directly at me and Benson. “But please no talking. Let’s just get through this, yes?”
Benson mutters an apology to the teacher and then he continues teaching and we stay silent for the rest of the period. When the bell rings, ending sixth period, I get up and start on my way towards seventh which is English with my brothers which I’m not really looking forward to. Well, I don’t mind having class with Emmett, but I don’t feel like associating with Eli at all.
Luckily, we spend the whole English period discussing Edgar Allen Poe, which denies anybody the ability to talk about anything other than poetry. The only thing that I say during the class is telling Emmett that he needs to take me home and I only get to tell him that after the bell rings, telling us to go to eighth period.
“I mean, the press won’t still be outside by the end of the day, right?” I wonder. “So it’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, you can ride with me,” He nods.
I thank him and then we go our separate ways to finish off the day. I think I’m getting used to this life again. I think I’m going to like it.