Jack doesn't respond to me. James walks over to us with a camera in his hand.
"This way" He says bluntly. I follow him into another dark room. This entire building is made of glass so how is every room I go in dark? That makes no sense. I guess that's the least of my worries at the moment. "Can you stand on that X?" He asks me, pointing to a small black X on the white floor. I walk over to the pure white wall and take my position. He sets up the camera on a tripod- I wouldn't even know what that is if I hadn't met these boys.
"So what do I do?"
"Just stand there while I take pictures. Smile" He says. I do as he says and he clicks the shutter. He seems annoyed with me. Is this because his Uncle laughed at him? A few pictures later he takes the camera and begins to detach it from the stand. "Done" He says bluntly.
"Did I do something wrong?" I ask him.
"What?"
"You seem mad"
"I'm not"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. You can go"
"Er thanks" I say confused. I honestly don't know what I could have done so wrong. I leave the room and meet up with Jack, Jack and Cameron. They stand at my arrival and we walk out to the car.
--- 2 Weeks Later ---
Still no call. I guess I really was terrible. I sat around for a few days waiting for the dreaded call which never came. There must have been a reason for it. Maybe I didn't want it enough. Maybe I didn't try hard enough. Should have seen it coming really. Nothing good ever happens to me.
I wake up for yet another day at hell at precisely 7. I've got an hour until Jake picks me up. He's changed back to all his old classes now but he still insists on picking me up and dropping me off everyday. I told him about that day in the studio- he doesn't understand it either. Now I know that I can't have the contract, I really want it. Strange really, I didn't care about it before hand but now I do.
I get up and brush my hair with one hand whilst brushing my teeth with one hand. Multitasking is one of my talents. One of my very few talents as it seems. Once I finish I go into my room and find an outfit to wear. I put on a white crop top and a burgandy skirt and then make my way to Johnson's clothes. I pull out a long sleeved denim shirt and put it on, rolling up the sleeves. He won't mind. I walk downstairs to find the boys watching the news with my dad. I look at the clock on the wall. 7:39ish. I go into the kitchen and grab a banana and start to eat it.
"You're bummed out aren't you?" I hear Taylor's voice behind me. I spin to look at him.
"No, why?"
"You are. I can see straight through you. You're annoyed. Not at that Langford dude but at yourself."
"I'm not. I wasn't good enough. End of story"
"Well I don't understand it. You're amazing at everything you try. You're one of those really annoying people who is good at absolutely everything."
"I'll take that as a compliment" I laugh
"Come here. You've been distant and I don't like it so I need a hug" He pouts and pulls me into a hug. I release myself from his grip and look at the time. 7:45. I hold my half eaten food at him.
"Do you want this? I'm not hungry"
"No. Eat it"
"I just said-"
"Eat it dickface" He laughs
"Rude" I say putting it on the side.
"Skylar. Don't do this to yourself"
"Do what Tay?"
"Don't starve yourself. Just because some dickhead clearly can't see that you're amazing doesn't mean that you should start doubting yourself."
"I'm not Taylor."
"Yes you are. I can see straight through you remember. I know what you're like"
"You never even talk to me these days. You're so salty that I'm with Matt and not you. You spend all your time with Mia when you should be with me" I say angrily.
"Oh really? Why's that huh?"
"Because I don't like sharing you" I say, not being able to come up with a better response.
"Well newsflash darling. You could have had me all to yourself but you chose Matt so don't give me that"
"You chose Mia before I chose Matt"
"And I'm glad I did. I can't keep waiting around for you Sky. You can't keep stringing me along all my life." He shouts back at me.
"I'm not"
"How is Matt huh? Oh that's right. He's not answering your texts or responding to your calls is he? Great boyfriend you got there Sky"
"You know nothing Taylor. You're with Jake's sloppy seconds aren't you"
"At least I haven't been a slut and kissed all the boys living in this house right now."
"I haven't done that either idiot"
"At least I don't have a brother who threatened to kill me"
"Shut up. You're so stupid Taylor. You can't even spell your own name half of the time. You have no right to judge me" I say storming out.
---
I sit in math staring at the board but not paying attention. I can't believe Taylor.
"Skylar?" My teacher calls grabbing my attention.
"Yeah?" I ask looking up at her
"What's the answer? You've had 10 minutes to work it out." She says tapping the board. I haven't done it. I've been too mad at Taylor this whole day to concentrate. "Sky, I really expected better of-"
"16 over pi" I say working it out instantly. She looks at the board and then to her notes. She looks astonished that I got that right.
"Correct. Well done. Hands up who else got that?" She asks the class. I look around to see no hands are in the air- not even the little guy behind Matt with the 4.2 average. Matt turns to look at me.
"Congrats smartie pants" He laughs. I smile innocently back at him and then return to my worksheet.
---
"So I was thinking" Matt says as he and Jake join me in the corridor on our way out of the school.
"Go steady" I laugh
"Haha" He says sarcastically. "Prom's coming up soon"
"Is it?" I ask
"Yeah, a month. Don't tell me you haven't got a dress"
"Nope" I laugh
"Well anyway. Jake's taking Avery. And I thought, considering that I'm the only guy you like at this school other than him- you might wanna go with me?" He asks nervously. I frown at him. Surely my boyfriend should take me? "Like as friends I mean. I know you've got your boyfriend but people who aren't students aren't allowed to go so I thought you might want someone so you didn't turn up on your own?"
"Put him out of his misery will you? You've got him blabbering" Jake laughs
"Sure! Thanks Matt" I smile. Maybe I can have a night where I have fun without ending up giving someone a lap dance.
"Okay cool" He says proudly "When you get a dress you should probably tell me what colour it is so I can get a tie to match or something. Whatever guys do"
"I can do that" I smile.
"Hey baby" I hear a female voice say as we walk past Avery's locker. I look to see her beaming at Jake. He kisses her cheek and wraps his arm around her shoulders. Wait when did this happen? Since when were they a couple?
"Hey cutie" He replies to her. I turn to Matt.
"When did they become-?"
"About a month ago. They've spent everyday together since."
"Wow, I've been caught up in my own world to realise that 2 of my best friends are a thing"
"It's okay. They didn't wanna bother you with it because of the whole Mark thing and your brother and that recording guy" He tells me. Yes, I told him about Cameron. We've got quite close recently.
"I have to get home you guys" I tell them
"Okay, I'm coming. Bye babe" Jake says kissing Avery once more and then following me.
"Bye Ave. Bye Matt" I say before we leave the building.
----
We climb into Jake's car and I immediately turn the radio on while we wait for Rachel. Radioactive blasts through the car. Jake immediately changes it over to another overplayed pop song.
"You don't have to avoid that because of me. I know it's your favourite song" I tell him
"Not anymore. Because it makes you unhappy"
"Your're actually a sweet guy under all those muscles" I laugh "Avery is a lucky girl. When were you going to tell me?" I laugh again.
"We were! It's just with everything going on- we didn't want to add any more problems"
"Why's that another problem? I'm happy for you guys!" I smile
"Really? I just thought because of what happened at your surprise party-"
"You think I have feelings for you because I tried to kiss you?"
"Well yeah"
"Sorry to disappoint Jake, but you're not my type. You're not famous enough" I laugh "I'm joking obviously!"
"I get it. You've got Espinosa to worry about" He smirks as Rachel climbs into the car. Jake and I look at eachother for a few second until she interupts us.
"Are we going or what?"
----
I sit in my room in sweats and a vest top staring at my phone. Just call. Say you don't want me. This is torchure. My phone lights up to signal I have a text. It's Avery. I unlock my phone to see what's wrong.
(A=Avery, S=Sky"
A: So I hear from Jake that you're going to prom with Matt
S: You heard right then :)
A: But I also hear that you don't have a dress
S: It's not a big deal. I'll find something I already have.
She doesn't reply. I wait for 15 minutes for a response.
A: Come outside
S: What? Why?
A: I'm taking you shopping. Get your butt down here right now.
I groan and get up from my bed. I pull on white vans and run downstairs to meet her.
"I'm going out" I say grabbing my purse from the sideboard as I run out.
"Where to? Who with?" Dad shouts to me
"Mall with Avery"
"What for?"
"Prom dress"
"Wait!" He says. I hear him running towards me. He gets his wallet out his back pocket and hands me a card. "Take this. It's the one thing your mother made me promise her after the divorce. I buy you your prom dress and she gets to come and see you on the big day"
"Well thanks Dad but I can get it myself" I say giving him the card back.
"No Skylar. I'm your daddy. Let me do this for you" That makes me cringe- I'm your daddy. That's what people say about Sammy and Gilinsky. Completely different reasons though.
"Fine" Just so long as you never use the D-word again. "Thank you dad" I smile taking it back. I put it in my purse and run out to meet Avery.
"Hey sorry I took so long" I say getting in her car.
"Sorry I took so long to get here. Rach wanted me to drop her off at Cameron's" She tells me.
"It's okay" I smile as she pulls off into the road.
---
"What about this one?" She says holding a purple backless dress up to me. I shake my head in disagreement. "Why not?"
"Too purple"
"That is it's colour Sky" She laughs, putting it back on the rail.
"What about this?" I say pulling out a black dress with a sheer layer of fabric over the top.The neckline comes right up to my throat and the hem comes down to my mid thigh.
"Try it on! I like it!" She says excited. She follows me to the dressing room and I change into the dress. I show her what it looks like and she stands in astonishment.
"What?" Why does everyone look at me like that?
"It's perfect. You look amazing" She says as I look at myself in the mirror. "You can borrow my black louboutins!"
"No way! They cost so much!"
"It's fine. My parents get me anything I want because I'm an only child. They feel bad that I had no one to grow up with"
"Me either" I smile
"Yeah but now you've got 3 siblings. 2 of which you didn't even know you'd had."
"I guess so" I smile "I spoke to Sierra on the phone the other day. I think she likes me!"
"That's good. Lets get you out of this dress and pay for it yeah?" She says changing the subject. I feel bad talking about my family around her. She's never had any siblings and her parent's are always working.
I change out of the dress and I pay for it. She tells me that she needs to get a drink and we walk to the nearest Starbucks. Why am I not surprised? She orders her capa-moco-whatever-its-called and I people watch. I'm having quite a good time until I notice a familiar face. I can't stop myself from walking right over him.
"James?" I say standing right infront of him.
"Oh hi Sky" He says normally
"So?"
"Is this about why we didn't call?"
"Pretty much" I say rather rudely. "Because I don't even think I was that bad and I really want this so I want to know what I did wrong" His blank face suddenly cracks a smile. He takes his phone out. He dials a number and holds it to his ear.
"Uncle? She did it. She stuck up for herself" He smirks don the phone. "Will do" he smiles hanging up the phone. "Welcome to Paradise Records Skylar Potter" He smirks