A/N: Thank you to everybody who reviewed last chapter! A fulfilled promise for Scorpiongurl (and many others) is waiting halfway down the page.
"Hi, Susie."
That's what she said. Hi, Susie. Like we were bosom buddies.
I swallowed my fury and glanced from me to her, comparing our apparels. She was stood there in Manolo Blahniks – I knew that for a fact, having spent the last few weeks I was in Carmel admiring them from the other side of the window in the mall. I never actually went in though, I mean, malls give me the creeps – with her Polly Pocket sweater set and the halo of white curls springing from her head. And there was me, the layers of cheap make-up that had been slathered on me by the hair and beauty division already dishevelled, and my entire body drenched in sweat from nerves.
Oh, yeah. I know which one I'd choose, too.
"Is Kelly a friend of yours, Suze?" Paul asked me, his eyes sparkling in disbelief. "You've never mentioned her before." Kelly saved me (the term 'saved' is used loosely, I'll admit) by throwing back her little plastic head and laughing that obsequious laugh.
"Oh, Paul!" she cried, and she actually flung out a hand onto his chest. Paul? Paul? They were on first-name terms already? "Me and Susie are just about as close as can be. Right, Susie?" The stupid thing was, the obvious way out of this stupid, sadistic routine was right there in front of me. I could have easily said, "Um, no. You hate me, remember?"
But I did not. For reasons I cannot, even to this day, fathom.
"Sure," I said instead. "Me and Kelly go way back."
It took Paul two more double-takes between Kelly and I – again comparing what I had already compared, much to my despair – before he finally let it drop. He shrugged, and even put his arm around her before leading the way to the Kraft service table. Really, I should have stopped right then and gone the other way. But, again, I did not.
I know, I know. If I could hire someone to go back in time and shoot me then, I think I would.
"So, Susie," Kelly piped up again, picking somewhat delicately through the grapes in the Kraft fruit salad with her plastic fork. "Who is this guy you said you liked? The one from back home?" With an audible crackle, the plastic Jell-O pot I'd been holding buckled in my fist as I relived the previous ten minutes. Oh God, oh God, oh God.
"So is there someone special in your life?" My heart plummeted to somewhere halfway down my stomach at this question, and my eyes flickered automatically to Paul, who was stood at the side with the grin he always wore when he was trying to be polite. I knew he wasn't really listening. Which was just as well, really, considering what I said next.
"Well," I began, my lips forming words of their own accord. "I guess I do have feelings for someone…" An audible buzz ran through the audience, and the host leaned in eagerly for my next sentence. "It's been a long time coming, I suppose, since we've spent so much time together recently…"
Oh my God. I really was going to say it. I was going to declare my feelings for Paul in front of millions of people on TV. Not that that would be too embarrassing, or anything.
"I mean…" My eyes darted offstage again to find Paul. And I did find him, my eyes sliding to absorb all of him to add to my collection of mental images. But what I saw next stabbed me straight through the heart, forcing me to do a double take. I nearly fell of my chair, I was that shocked.
"Suze?" The host narrowed her eyes concernedly at me. "Are you O.K?"
I shook my head, but not in answer to her question. With some effort, I tore my eyes off Kelly and Paul and tried to focus again on the TV host. With a sudden pang, I remembered her name was Brenda. Which was unfortunate, I know, but it gave me some kind of distraction.
My expression must have been kind of blank, as the next thing Brenda did was wave a hand in front of my face. "The person you've been spending so much time with in your life," she prompted, and realisation flooded through my veins. "Somebody special?"
Who was I kidding? I couldn't shout my feelings for Paul to the rooftop now. Not now he was already fawning over Kelly. I watched hungrily, as his eyes sunk a little too unsubtly down her shirt, and scowled.
Bitch.
"Um," I began, unsteadily, and I even coughed to buy me some extra time. "Yeah. There's this guy… in my algebra class," I finished lamely, and the audience sank back in their seats, clearly disappointed that I couldn't provide them with some hot celebrity gossip. The host quickly changed the subject, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"Oh," I said, hotly, as I dropped the sticky Jell-O mess in my hand into the trashcan. "Just, you know… a guy…"
Right on cue, there was a tap on my shoulder, and simultaneously Kelly's face lit up. I turned around, and just about fainted. Seriously. If my day kept up like this, I was going to have a cardiac arrest.
"Hi," said Jesse.
-x-
"So I hope you don't you mind," Kelly babbled, as she did battle with the many suitcases she had thrown over the spare bed in my hotel room. "About me sharing your hotel suite with you, I mean. My dad totally tried to book me another suite, but there were just, like, none classy enough left, you know? And then I just went 'Well, Dad, if you totally don't care enough about me then that's fine…'"
Blah, blah, blah. I successfully managed to tune it out, and went back to teasing my hair into curls with the tongs. I had enough to worry about tonight, like the fact that I had been cajoled into a double date with Paul and Kelly, and on top of that my date was Jesse, ye of the two word sentence and new-boy shininess.
And of the red-hot six pack, by the way. But that wasn't important. Especially as I wanted more than anything to be on the date with Paul, and not with Kelly in close vicinity at all.
"Hi," said Jesse, and Kelly clapped her hands together with delight.
"Jesse!" she squealed, and she shoved me out of the way to throw her hands around his neck. The pained expression on his face didn't go unnoticed. "I can't believe you actually came. I mean, when I told you I was vacationing in L.A for Spring Break I didn't think you'd actually come with…" On the word 'with', her voice rose three octaves, and Jesse winced.
"I thought I would…" He hesitated, and for the first time surveyed Paul with a cocked eyebrow. "… see how the rock 'n' roll lifestyle is going." He winked in my direction, which threw me. Weeks ago, back in that music classroom, he couldn't have been more eager to escape my company. And now he was winking?
"It's awesome." Again, Kelly answered for me, accompanying each syllable with a flick of her hair. "I mean, this is only one TV show, and it's amazing. Amazing!"
"Speaking of TV shows," I said, acidly. "How did you get in?" She rolled her eyes theatrically, and produced a wallet-sized photo. I narrowed my eyes at it, staring incredulously. It was a snapshot of me and Kelly, one that I had never seen before. In fact, in the picture I was wearing clothes I didn't own, and had my arms thrown around Kelly's neck. It wasn't me at all, not my body. It was Debbie's. Just my face photo-shopped onto it.
Cle-ver.
"I flashed this at the door," she explained, waving it around excitedly. Though I was willing to bet she flashed a damn sight more. "And they just let me in. After they saw what good friends me and Susie were, I mean."
Sure.
I turned to accuse Jesse, and he looked startled as I thrust my index finger in his face. "And you?" I demanded. "How did you get in?" He grinned, his perfect smile glittering like a set of pearls.
"Oh, querida," he said, lightly. "You'd be surprised how effective batting your eyelashes can be."
What did he just call me?
"Listen, buddy," I said, and I even jabbed his chest with my finger. I guess it must have been all the pent-up irritation about Paul and Kelly exploding from me or something, because even I was a little surprised. "I don't know what you just called me, but I really think you should-"
"Oh my God!" Kelly squealed, interrupting me completely. "I have just had the most amazing idea ever!" To my surprise, Jesse and I rolled our eyes together. In fact, it was only Paul who paid any attention to her.
"What, Kel?" Paul asked, whilst I struggled to control my gag reflexes yet again. Kel?
"A double date," Kelly pronounced, breathlessly. "A double date! Me and you, and Jesse and Suze! It would be totally fantabulous."
My eyes widened with alarm as Paul turned to see my reaction. "Uh," I said, trying to handle the situation calmly. I mean, I didn't want to hurt Jesse's feelings or whatever, but… "I don't know…"
"Hush." Kelly even put a finger to my lips. "It's settled."
And the rest, as they say, is history.
"Um, hello. Hi, Suze? Earth to Suze?"
A sharp slap on the side of my face pretty much pulled me from my reverie, and I turned to shoot Kelly a deathstare. I mean, that hurt. Though of course, she didn't even notice.
"Oh, thank God," she gasped, though her face didn't look relieved. "I thought I was going to have to call 991 or something." I didn't bother to correct her. I just made a mental note not to give Kelly responsibility in the future of calling emergency services in the case of a crisis.
She nudged me indelicately out the way to apply her lipgloss, and fluffed her hair. Finally, she cast a withering eye over to me and the horror in her gaze said it all. "Oh my God," she breathed, as she plucked at my sweats. "Are you going in that?"
I gave a feeble cough – crossing my fingers behind my back, of course – and shrugged. "I'm not exactly feeling great," I lied, and I pretended to test the temperature of my forehead. "I think it must have been something off the Kraft table. I think I might even puke." And I went for the killer – pretending to wretch all over Kelly's silky dress. That got her off my dressing table stool and pretty near the door.
"Ew," she grumbled, and she smoothed her skirt, even though there was nothing on it. "That's gross. Maybe you should stay home tonight." I gave an enthusiastic nod, before making a point of sinking onto my bed.
"I feel like crap," I added, helpfully. Kelly closed her clutch with a short snap and surveyed me one last night.
"O.K, then," she said, and adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "I'll give Jesse your apologies." I felt a guilty pang for letting him down, even though I didn't even like him. But it couldn't be helped. There was no way I was going to willingly endure a round of Kelly-on-Paul.
"Have fun," I murmured, before punching the air triumphantly as she closed the door. Yes! I'd convinced her!
-x-
The ten minutes after Kelly had left me were peaceful. I was able to lie down on my bed without having to listen about designer heels or how Mrs. So-and-so had, like, totally had botox after her divorce. There was silence, save for my heavy breathing. And it was so serene I could have fallen asleep.
But, of course, this was my life. Which meant that there was soon a knock at my door, causing me to bury my head into my eiderdown pillow and groan.
"Go away."
The knock persisted, and I heard a gentle voice whisper just loud enough through the keyhole. "I know you're in there, querida."
That got me out of bed quick enough. In fact, I pretty much fell flat on the floor with surprise. What was Jesse doing here? I'd sent Kelly to deal with him, hadn't I?
I pulled the door open slowly to see him leaning against the doorframe, a steaming pizza box in one hand and a 2-litre bottle of Dr. Pepper in the other. I was amazed.
"But… but…" I stuttered, and Jesse raised an eyebrow. I was alarmed to find that did something to my heartbeat. Something bad. "But I sent Kelly down ten minutes ago!"
Jesse's head dropped. "Yes," he muttered, apologetically, misinterpreting my greeting. "I'm sorry. I would have been here sooner, except the pizza parlour took ages…" He looked sheepish. "But you like pepperoni, si?"
I think he could have asked me how I felt about the Mona Lisa and I still would have let him in. It was the nicest thing anyone had done for me for a while – since finishing my EP, Paul had left off a little, accompanying me to my talk shows with only a few words shared every now and again – and it perked me up. I held the door open wider and smiled despite myself.
"Of course," I answered him, and he flashed me that perfect grin again. "But why are you here?"
He set down the pizza box on my bed and propped up the lid, before turning to look at me again. "Because," he said, offering me the first slice like a true gentleman. "I think I'd like to get to know the real Susannah."
I looked questioningly at him. "The real Susannah?"
He nodded. "Yes," he said. "The Susannah behind the stardust."