She just sounds so…old. I mean, she sounds like the Ally I know and love — the one who can spend a billion years planning every detail of a trip to the freaking mall — but these things she’s talking about doing, she’s talking about doing alone. Her best friend will be in LA, her family will be in LA, even her boyfriend will be here. So why isn’t she freaked out at the prospect of going and exploring all by herself?
I’d be freaking terrified.
Don’t you realize you’re gonna be living with strangers? I wanna shake her and ask. Don’t you realize you aren’t gonna be eating home-cooked food? Or seeing your parents every day? Or grabbing Pinkberry with me just because it’s a Saturday?
But of course she knows. And she can’t wait.
“So when do I get to come out and visit?” I ask, trying to get on board with the excitement.
“Whenever you want, Vanny!” she says gleefully, though she keeps her voice down so as not to attract any attention with her mention of my name. I’m wearing a purple wig and (prescription-free) glasses, but that hasn’t stopped a few people already today from asking for my autograph. “I mean, as long as I don’t have orientation. Or mid-terms. Or finals.” God, even those words seem to excite her.
No wonder my parents would swap us in a heartbeat.
As she keeps talking, oblivious to the fact this entire conversation makes me feel like someone is squeezing my ribcage with pliers, I sneak a glance at my phone. Phew — definitely time to text the guys and get us over to that party. I could drink my freaking weight in Skinnygirl strawberry daiquiris right now.
Showtime, I text Liam as soon as Ally looks away to examine another sweater.
Less than a minute later, her phone rings, and she rolls her eyes when she sees Josh’s name and face on the screen. “Yes, master?”
“Where are you?” Even I can hear him barking through the phone. Nice touch.
“Shopping with Van. Because you very, very explicitly told me I should enjoy my last couple of days in LA.”
I can’t hear his response, but then she says, “What happened to the one I just bought you?” Judging by her facial expression as she listens to the answer, I don’t want to know.
She sighs and hangs up. “I’m sorry, do you mind? I need to get Josh yet another black leather belt from Louis Vuitton, because he doesn’t seem to understand what should and shouldn’t be tied around bed posts.”
“Don’t mind at all,” I say with a grin. Trust Josh to come up with the most ridiculous excuse ever…and for it to probably be true, in addition to convenient.
After a quick stop for the belt, we get in the car and head up to Josh’s. Not a minute too soon — I was getting itchy under that wig. I’ve got outfits for both me and Ally hidden in Josh’s guest house, but there’s not much I’ll be able to do about the fact that my hair looks sad and flat.
It’s oddly silent as we approach, despite the mayhem I know is lying in wait back there, and I have to admit that I’m pretty impressed by Josh right now. For someone who can barely keep his own mouth shut, ever, he’s doing pretty well at this whole “surprise” thing.
Which makes it extra epic when we walk around back and bam.
Ally’s face goes from confused to terrified to ecstatic in seconds, and I can’t help grinning proudly as I watch her take in the surroundings for all of two seconds before people swarm out of every corner of Josh’s house and yard. There are old high school friends, friends from the Daylight Falls set, and people I don’t even recognize, which of course might just mean they’re random girls Josh wants to hook up with.
I watch as Ally hugs Josh, kisses Liam, then turns to me with a suspicious raised eyebrow. I nod guiltily and accept my hug, too, but even with her arms wrapped tightly around me and her voice whispering “thank you” in my ear, she already feels three thousand miles away.
“Wow, K-drama, what number’s that for you?”
I glare daggers at the host as he edges me over in my chaise and makes himself comfortable draped over me. “I could ask the same about how many girls you’ve hooked up with tonight. Guess Ally’s already given up keeping you in line.”
“My my, what do you know? Jealousy looks pretty good on you,” he says with an infuriating smirk.
I don’t know how Ally’s managed to work for this asshole for a year, but cutting the amount I have to see him in half is definitely the only good part of my best friend leaving. “Don’t make me barf all over you.” I may have had the tiniest bit of interest in Josh Chester once, like a billion years ago, but that ship has wrecked. Hard. “I’m not into downgrading, thank you very much.”
“Burrrrrrn!” Royce Hudson reaches over from the next chair and slaps me five. Royce is an even bigger tool than Josh, but I smile around my straw as I take another sip of my coconut-rum thing.
“Oh, please. Downgrade, my ass.” Josh snaps his fingers at a passing waitress, making me grimace. “Hey, you!”
“Do you have to be such a dick?” I demand under my breath as I take another sip. This is why everyone thinks all actors are arrogant jerks — far too many of us are.
The girl spins around, loose flame-red curls swinging over bare shoulders tattooed with colorful flowers. “It’s actually two clicks, then a snap, then a meow,” the waitress deadpans as she spins the cork-bottomed tray in her hand. I choke on my drink at the unexpected response, and the corner of her mouth quirks up as she glances at me before fixing her gaze on Josh. “What’s up?”
He’s too drunk for her sarcasm to compute. “Which of us do you think is the most famous?”
“Oh my God, Josh, what the fuck is wrong with you?” I blurt before I can stop myself. Usually I’m good at remembering that Vanessa Park does not use the F-word, but something about Josh…
I glance back at the waitress. She’s biting her lip in an attempt not to crack up, but her dimples are showing and I know this is bad. Not that she looks like the type to run to the tabloids or anything, but—
She cocks her head at me, and I realize I’ve been staring. God, I have clearly had too much to drink. I tear my eyes away and glance around to see if Zander’s shown up yet. “Well,” she says, “my ex-boyfriend’s obsessed with the Zombie Camp movies”—she gestures at Royce—“but I’m a Daylight Falls girl, personally.”
At the mention of my show, I can’t help but look back at her, and I do so just in time to get a wink.
The words “in your face” are on the tip of my tongue to shout at Josh, but they’re sticking in my mouth; my lips are too busy smiling. I look away again — fast — and immediately spot Zander walking toward us.
I sigh with what I hope sounds like relief.
“You moving in on my girl, Chester?” he asks, his eyes flickering over Josh occupying my chair. There’s a glass of something dark brown in hand, but knowing how good Zander is at the Nice Boy role, I suspect it’s exactly the straight Diet Coke it appears to be. He looks cute, his brown hair flopping in his eyes. His outfit makes me cringe a little — I can tell it was picked by his stylist, and it’s topped by his favorite gaudy crucifix necklace — but at least it’s not a velvet tuxedo; that was a seriously embarrassing night.
“Hey!” I shove Josh out of the seat and raise my face for a kiss. “When did you get here?”
“Just a couple minutes ago.” He sits down on the edge of my chair and pecks my cheek. “What’d I miss?”