Reality Check

by Jen Calonita

  “Charlie!” Hallie sees me and begins waving frantically. She's already on the dance floor with her date, a waiter at the Shack named Brandon, whom she asked yesterday. Hallie looks great in a strapless ivory sequined dress. Her hair is down and curly and her tan is better than ever, thanks to this tinted foam we found at CVS two nights ago. Brooke is the only one of us who didn't use it. She went professional tanning with Marleyna, but Hallie, Keiran, and I didn't want to pay the sixty bucks so we did the bottled version for ten. Not that we were actually invited to go tanning with them. Brooke has been hanging out with Marleyna all week.

  Hallie drags Brandon off the dance floor and I notice one of the camera guys, Phil, is taping her. She takes off running so fast, he can barely keep up. “Can you believe this?” she asks me when she makes it to where Zac and I are standing. “My parents freaked. They like it, but it's not really lunch crowd–friendly.”

  “I thought Addison said they wanted this party to be like something we'd throw.” I frown. “We don't have the money to do this.”

  “Oh, Addison didn't redecorate,” Hallie says and makes a face. “This is a Garrison production.”

  “Garrison?” I ask. “Marleyna Garrison?” Hallie nods. “But why? How? I don't understand.”

  “Apparently yesterday Addison was setting up the very low-key version that we wanted when Brooke and Marleyna stopped by. Addison told me that Marleyna offered to help add some dazzle to the space, so they filmed Brooke and Marleyna adding other touches—courtesy of Marleyna's dad, of course.”

  “Why didn't Addison stop them?” I want to know.

  Hallie shrugs. “I guess it wouldn't have been real if she did, right? Anyway, it's too much, isn't it? Now we look like we live in the Hamptons.”

  “Seriously,” agrees Zac.

  Hallie glances from Zac to our hands, which are still interlocked, and grins. “Hey, Zac.”

  Zac looks so good tonight I can barely stop staring at him. I'm not used to seeing him dressed up. He's wearing a button-down light blue dress shirt and khakis. We actually coordinate really well. Feeling guilty about raiding Brooke's closet again, the girls and I all tried on a slew of dresses last weekend at the Smith Haven Mall, cameras in tow. While Hallie's and Brooke's are definitely on the trendy side, Keiran's and mine are a bit more toned down. No sequins. No beads. I'm in a cream-colored sundress with spaghetti straps and a wide brown sash. Brooke said it made me look extra tan and as thin as a rail. That sounded like a keeper to me.

  “Hallie.” Zac bows. “Long time no see.”

  Hallie left the real Cliffside High dance before I did to ckeck on her parents’ restaurant. Zac and I were having so much fun that we were part of a handful of people who actually stayed till the end. Everyone else who had an after-party invite hightailed it over here.

  Phil stops recording. Unlike the rest of us, he's in jeans and a T-shirt. “Charlie, Addison wants me to tape you walking in to the party. Are you ready?”

  “I'll see you in there,” Hallie says with a wink. “I have to get back to Brandon. And make sure my dad isn't having a coronary that we're breaking the fire code with the amount of people here.”

  I look at Zac nervously. I know he said he'd do this for me, but I feel guilty. “Are you ready to do this?”

  He nods and gives my hand a little squeeze. “Let's give it our best shot.”

  Phil radios Addison. “I've got Charlie and I'm bringing her in on camera one. Cameras two and three get a long shot.”

  I decide it might help to give Zac a quick off-camera pep talk. “Pretend the camera isn't there. Just focus on me.”

  He laughs. “How am I supposed to do that when he's in our face?”

  “You'll forget all about them in a few minutes,” I reassure him. I squeeze his hand back. “If it gets to be too much, just let me know.”

  He shakes his head. “I can handle it.”

  I wince as Phil turns on his camera light. One of the sound guys walks up behind him. “And go,” he says.

  Zac and I start walking and I have to admit, this feels weird. Different than it usually does. “I think Brooke, Hallie, and Keiran are already here,” I tell Zac awkwardly.

  He looks at me strangely. “Didn't we just talk to—” he stops himself. “Yeah, I'm sure they're inside. I think I see Brooke.”

  He points to the middle of the dance floor and I see Brooke. She's wearing a black sequined dress that has sheer sleeves, a sheer neckline, and a pleated skirt. She said Anne Hathaway has one just like it. I look for Brooke's date, this guy named Keith, but he's nowhere to be seen. “Yeah, that's her.” I frown. “But where is Keith? He's her date.”

  Instead of Keith, Brooke's after-party date seems to be Marleyna. The two of them are attached at the hip. They're both guy-less and they're holding hands and dancing like maniacs to Rihanna. Brooke was texting Marleyna all night at the dance. Marleyna wanted to make sure she got to the party at the same time we did. Brooke was so freaked out she met Marleyna early so they could head over together. I wonder why she didn't tell the rest of us about Marleyna's Crab Shack Extreme Makeover.

  Keiran bops along nearby, with her date, Tom, a friend of Hallie's date, Brandon. She's wearing a dark green tank dress that looks amazing on her. It has a fitted top and then flows into a bell shape to her knees. The color really does bring out her blond hair, which is twisted back into a soft bun. Even if Keiran looks the fashionista part, Brooke doesn't seem to be paying her much attention.

  “Should we go say hi?” Zac asks me.

  “Yeah,” I yell over the music. It's much louder under the tent than it was on the pier.

  Zac leads the way through the crowd, holding my hand tightly, and makes his way over to Brooke's circle. She sees me and shrieks, as if we haven't seen each other in weeks, not an hour.

  “Char, you made it!” She throws her arms around me and squeezes tight, not letting go. One of her dangling earrings hits my neck. It's ice cold. “Go with it,” she whispers in my ear.

  Go with what, I have to wonder.

  “Hey, Zac,” Brooke says, flashing him a large smile. “Listen, I have someone I want you two to meet.” She grabs each of our hands and drags us over to Marleyna.

  Marleyna looks stunning. Her hair is curly, but it barely moves as she bounces. Her makeup is perfect, her tan dark, and her short dress is incredible. It's black, like Brooke's, and it hugs her every curve from the strapless beaded top to the fringe along her mid-thigh. It's hard not to stare. Both she and Brooke look like they belong at the VMAs, not a Cliffside after-party.

  “This is Marleyna,” Brooke says. “We met yesterday when she and I both happened to be at the Crab Shack.”

  Huh?

  “She goes to the Ross School in the Hamptons so she hardly knows anyone local,” Brooke adds. “Marleyna offered to help with the décor for tonight. Doesn't it look incredible, Char? Ten trillion times better than we could have done on no budget.”

  “It does look different,” I say tactfully.

  “It's so nice to meet you.” Marleyna, pulls my hand from Zac's and shakes it madly. “Charlotte, is it?”

  “Charlie,” I correct her.

  “What a gorgeous name,” she gushes. “You hardly hear anything old-school like that anymore. Do you and Brooke go to school together?”

  I feel like I just entered the Twilight Zone.

  I stare at Brooke, who nods encouragingly. “Yeah. We have forever. We're really close.”

  Marleyna smiles sweetly. She's said more to me in the last few seconds than she has since we met her at the beach, where she barely grunted hello. “That must be nice to have tight friends. My school friends are all on the other fork so I don't get to see them outside classes that much. That's why I was so excited to hear about this party. I thought it would be nice to meet some local people my own age.”

  The music pumps louder as a new song starts and Marleyna whips around to Brooke. The two of them scream and start dancing. I stand there dumbfounded
. Then I feel a tap on my shoulder.

  “Hey.” It's Keiran. “Some party, huh?”

  “Has Brooke been like this all night?” I ask, not caring that Phil is still taping.

  Keiran laughs. “Pretty much. She seems really into her new friend Marleyna.” She looks over at her date, Tom. “Have you guys met Tom?”

  I'd like to say yes, at the dance, but since we seem to be pretending this is the only party that matters, I don't.

  Zac shakes his hand and the two get into a deep conversation about the Mets.

  One of the camera crew, Kayla, drops the bright light that was just trained on my face. “Girls, Addison is radioing me,” Phil informs us. “Some new scene they're setting up. I'll be back. Addison wants to see you too, Charlie.”

  “Be right there,” I tell him and watch him leave. Hallie bounces over in the meantime.

  “Okay, someone tell me what is going on,” I say. “I'm so confused. We just met Marleyna and she's being nice now? And why are she and Brooke acting like BFFs?”

  Hallie rolls her eyes. “They showed up together and had a long talk with Addison before the cameras started to roll. Get this—they were here when I arrived and when I tried to walk over, Brooke actually said ‘not now.’ And brace yourselves: I overheard Addison say to someone on the phone that Marleyna could be a great ‘addition.’”

  “Addition to what?” I freak out. “The show? Our group? That girl can't stand us and we can't tolerate her!”

  “But she loves Brooke,” Keiran points out. “Every time I try to talk to Brooke, she pulls her away, and I have to say, Brooke doesn't seem to mind.”

  “Brooke is in awe of her,” Hallie agrees. “The money, the house, the fact that Marleyna is fawning all over her and throwing money at a party we're supposedly throwing. Obviously, this girl wants on the show.”

  “You think?” I watch Brooke and Marleyna dancing. Hank and two other camera guys, hired for the night, follow their every move. The two are laughing and falling all over each other. A group of people are gathered around them, either to get on camera or to see what the commotion is about.

  “There you guys are,” Addison says. Like the rest of the crew, Addison is underdressed for the party, but she still looks great in a white cropped jacket, a navy v-neck, and jeans. “You look beautiful, Charlie. I have a dress just like that.”

  “Is that what you wore to your sister's wedding?” I ask.

  She grins. “Yep, and my sister was so mad that everyone kept complimenting me on it. That's what she gets for not making me a bridesmaid.”

  I laugh. Addison had told me stories about how she and her sister got along—or rather didn't—when they were growing up. Addison is the younger sib too, just like I am to Bella, and being the younger sister can be pretty rough sometimes.

  “What do you think of the party?” Addison asks me.

  “It's beautiful,” I say tentatively. “But just so you know, no one at school is going to believe we paid for this.”

  Addison tucks her hair behind her ear nervously. “I know what you mean.” She looks around. “It's not really what I had in mind.” I look at her curiously. Isn't she the one who let Marleyna and Brooke have free rein? “It will still look great on the show. Phil has gotten some beautiful shots of the boats going by at night and everyone dancing. He'll want to get some stuff with just you later as well.” Introduction time. I grab Zac's arm. “By the way, Addison, this is Zac.”

  Addison smiles brightly. “I figured as much. It's nice to properly meet you. We've heard a lot about you.”

  I blush. I don't want Zac to think I talk about him all the time, even if I do.

  “All good, I hope,” he says and shakes Addison's hand.

  “Absolutely.” Addison grins. “Speaking of new faces, what do you guys think of Marleyna?”

  “Brooke made us pretend to meet her when we were reintroduced last week,” I say.

  “This was a much better introduction though, don't you think?” Keiran says wryly. “At least this time Marleyna did more than just grunt at us.”

  Addison frowns. “You guys don't get along? Brooke made it sound like you were fast friends.”

  Hallie scrunches up her nose. “Not in my book. Especially when she keeps Brooke all to herself when we're around.”

  “Interesting.” Addison begins typing on her BlackBerry. I can't tell if she's texting or just writing notes, but her face looks concerned. Then she slips the phone back in her pocket. “I should tell you guys that Marleyna has signed a waiver and her early footage went over well with the suits.”

  “Are you hinting that we're adding a new ‘friend'?” I ask.

  Addison shifts uncomfortably. “I wouldn't say you have to be friends with her, but she will be in Brooke's segments when we don't tape the four of you together. Speaking of which, Brooke and Marleyna had a great idea for tonight and I'm guessing none of you know about it.”

  “About what?” Hallie asks darkly.

  “Hey guys!” Brooke rushes over with Marleyna. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Go where?” Keiran looks at Brooke, who is holding hands with Marleyna. The two of them look like kindergarteners and they're giggling madly.

  “Didn't I tell you?” Brooke asks. “Marleyna's dad gave us their boat to use tonight! We're going to shoot on it. Is that incredible or what?”

  Brooke points to the small yacht (yes, yacht) that is anchored to the pier. I've seen boats this large docked here before, usually with license plates from Florida or Massachusetts, but I've never actually known anyone who owned one. The boat has a large deck, several levels, and an interior living area. Phil and Hank are already on board setting up their equipment. I look at Brooke. Her face is flushed and she looks happier than I've seen her in weeks, which is funny because I thought she'd been pretty happy already.

  “But the party just started,” I say delicately so that Brooke doesn't get crazy. “And it's our party. We can't leave.”

  Marleyna rolls her eyes. “No one expects the host to actually socialize with everyone here. Trust me. You can slipout.”

  “We were hoping to get some footage of all of you on the boat,” Addison tells me gingerly. “But obviously if Charlie isn't going…”

  “Let me guess—if Charlie isn't going, it isn't worth doing the scene,” Brooke snaps, shocking me.

  “No,” Addison says slowly, “I was going to say if Charlie isn't going then we need another crew here to cover her. We haven't done a lot of footage with Charlie yet.”

  “I'm not going on the boat either,” Keiran says. She avoids Brooke's piercing stare and the loud sigh from Marleyna. “I don't know why I'd go on the boat when my real friends are here.”

  Marleyna rolls her eyes. “Brooke, are we going or not, because Daddy already gassed up.”

  Addison looks at me. I look at Zac. Leave? Now? I just dragged him here.

  “What do you want to do?” Zac asks me, but his face says it all. He doesn't want to go either.

  “Well, I'm staying,” Hallie says defiantly.

  “Girls, let me hold you right there,” Addison says, and she appears to be listening to the voice in her head phone. “We want to get this discussion on tape.”

  “Nothing like an awkward conversation to make good television,” Zac quips, but no one laughs.

  “Hallie, what do you mean you're not going?” Brooke demands. “Marleyna was nice enough to—”

  “You didn't ask us, Brooke,” I interrupt. “You decided without talking to any of us first. Just like you did with the decorations for tonight's party. This place doesn't look anything like the Crab Shack we know and love.”

  “Forgive me for wanting to add a little glamour to our lives,” Brooke says.

  Marleyna puts a hand on Brooke's shoulder and gives her a sympathetic glance. “Brooke, don't ruin your night.”

  “I'm not,” Brooke says. “I just can't believe my best friends would question me about a surprise. Surprises are usually good things.�
��

  “This one isn't,” Hallie says. “Especially if it involves hanging out with her.” Everyone looks at Marleyna.

  Three of the camera guys from the second crew come running over. They turn their equipment on and start taping immediately.

  I look sheepishly at Zac. He hasn't said much, but I feel like my new world is being judged, and seeing it in a harsher light, it doesn't look all that glamorous.

  “I think I'll give you guys a second,” Zac says.

  “You can stay,” a camera guy says. “Addison wants you in the shot.”

  “That's okay,” Zac tells him. “I'll wait over there.”

  I look at my friends and at Marleyna, who is staring at us with a look of disgust written all over her pretty face. “Maybe Marleyna wants to wait somewhere else too,” I suggest lightly.

  “Why?” Brooke snaps. “It's her boat. She can stay.”

  “This is between us, Brooke,” Hallie reminds her. “Unless you're now a package deal.”

  Marleyna holds her hands up in defeat. “I have to say goodbye to a few people anyway. I'll meet you on the boat, Brooke. Don't take long.”

  Brooke looks like steam may come out of her ears. “How could you be so rude?” she asks.

  “Rude? What about you?” Hallie asks. “How could you book a ride on that Kim Kardashian wannabe's boat without even asking? Or do all this redecorating behind our backs? This is my parents’ place.”