The way Drew and I danced, there was no way I could have panicked about Taylor even if I’d wanted to. We’d been moving all over the floor. I’d learned that Drew’s dance skills rivaled his riding ones.
I leaned into Drew’s ear. “So thirsty,” I said. “You?”
Drew nodded. “I’ll get sodas. Mind grabbing snacks?”
“No prob. I’ll find you in five.”
We split up, and the music lowered, as did the lights. They were dim enough so the jack-o’-lanterns glowed brighter, the twinkly lights draped around the room seemed to wink at me, and the room really felt like Halloween.
I hadn’t seen Taylor while Drew and I had danced. I’d been careful not to look for him too often and be rude to Drew. Khloe and Zack had swayed beside Drew and me for a couple of songs. It had been fun to dance with my friends!
Just when I’d started to worry that I hadn’t seen Taylor, Lexa had given me the “okay” signal with her fingers when I’d mouthed Taylor to her. Instinctively I think I knew that my friends were keeping an eye on Tay and weren’t going to let any more surprises occur at my party.
I smiled to myself as I grabbed a black plastic plate, thinking about how much fun I’d had on the dance floor.
I used a ladle to pour candy corn onto my plate. Next, chocolate-chip-and-marshmallow-sprinkled Chex Mix that Jill had created a couple of days ago. A ghost cookie for me. A bat cookie for Drew.
“LT!”
I popped an M&M into my mouth, looking up at Khloe. She slid to a halt in front of me. She’d come so close, I thought she’d topple us over.
“Hey! How are things going with Zack?” I asked.
Khloe smiled. “Amaze! He’s perrr-fect! If we’re not dancing, he’s getting me a drink or snack.”
I danced in place. “Yay! I’m so glad you guys are having fun. I’m getting food, and Drew’s on drinks duty.”
Khlo gave me a sideways look. “Tell. Me. Everything.”
I nodded, making a serious face. “I will! But if I did that right now, we’d miss the rest of the party. You’ll get the full report tonight—I promise.”
Khloe groaned, then made puppy eyes at me. “At least tell me one thing: Did Drew and Taylor meet yet?”
“Nope. I’ve been with Drew the entire time until now. I haven’t even seen Taylor, but Lexa signaled that things were okay with him a while ago. I hope he’s still here.”
Khloe and I turned away from the food, both of us scanning the room.
“It’s too crazy in here,” I said a few minutes later. “I don’t see Jill or Cole, even.”
“I’m sure Taylor wouldn’t leave without saying good-bye,” Khloe said. “But maybe he did want to go without interrupting you and Drew.”
I turned back to the table and picked up my plate again. “I’m just glad that a serious fiasco was avoided and that Drew and Taylor each know the truth.”
Khloe put a handful of cheese popcorn onto a plate. “And I know you—the party would have been ruined if you felt guilty all night. Instead you’re having fun, and so is everyone else.”
I gave KK a one-armed hug. “Thanks to you, Lex, and Clare. You guys saved me during my Taylor thing.”
Khloe gave me a sharp salute. “Sworn to best friendship duty, ma’am.”
Giggling, we separated, and I finished getting snacks. I scanned the chairs for Drew and, thankfully, spotted him at a round table nearby.
“Who’s the adorbs guy you came inside with?” Lacey asked, bouncing into step beside me. We had glee club and fashion class together.
“Um, that’s Taylor,” I said.
“More deets, Laur!” Lacey jerked her head toward the pool table. “Raquel and, well, all the girls are freaking out!”
I looked at the cluster of girls, who had gathered to watch a pool match.
I took a breath. I had to get used to explaining my relationship to Taylor. No better time than now to get started.
“Taylor’s a friend from home,” I said. “He transferred to Canterwood.”
Lacey’s glossy coral mouth stretched into a wide grin. “Oh my God, he’s going here?”
I nodded. “Now you’ve got the scoop. Talk later?”
I phrased it as a question, but it was more of a statement. We were strides away from Drew, and I didn’t want to be discussing Taylor in front of him.
“Sure,” Lacey said, flipping her long hair over one shoulder. “This is the best Halloween ever! A new hot guy on campus!” Lacey let out a little squeal and twirled on her heel, heading back in the direction of her friends.
I reached the table where Drew stood next to two chairs.
“Ooh, good choices,” Drew said, eyeing the plate.
“I got to the snacks and desserts and felt like a little kid,” I said. I slid into the chair that he pulled out for me.
He sat next to me. “How?”
I giggled. “There’s so much candy and treats everywhere. I picked whatever I wanted, and it reminded me of Halloweens when my parents rationed candy to me and my sisters. Otherwise we’d eat our entire loot in one night and get sick.”
Drew laughed and took a sip of one of the glass bottles of root beer he’d gotten for us. “I know exactly what you mean. After trick-or-treating one Halloween, my dad let me have some candy before he put it away. I was probably six or seven, I think.”
“What was your costume?” I asked.
“Pirate,” Drew answered.
We both laughed.
“Aw, did you have an eye patch and fake parrot?”
“I didn’t say I was a lame pirate.” He grinned. “My costume even had a plastic sword and stuff that made my teeth look black.”
“Well, excuse me,” I teased.
“After my dad went to bed, I found my candy . . . .”
“Uh-oh . . .” I covered my mouth, suppressing a laugh.
“Major. I ate every piece. Dad says he found me asleep on my bedroom floor the next morning with candy wrappers stuck to my face.”
I laughed, taking a sip of my drink. “Did you get sick?”
“I’ll just say that the next Halloween, I gladly gave my best friend all of my candy.” Drew unwrapped a mini Snickers bar and took a bite. “But I think I got over it. Obviously.”
We grinned at each other.
“Now I’m going to keep an eye on you, Adams. If the candy wrapper pile gets bigger than your head—I’m cutting you off.”
Drew laughed. “I think that’s fair.”
His knee brushed mine, and the tingles where we’d touched made me wonder what it was going to feel like when we kissed.
I slid my gaze over, catching Drew looking at me.
“Tell me about a Lauren Towers Halloween,” Drew said.
“Okay, hmmm . . .” I thought for a few seconds. “In third grade my teacher promised my class that if we all did well on our October vocabulary tests, we’d have a haunted house at our Halloween party at the end of the month.”
“Good incentive to study,” Drew said.
“For sure. We got to have the haunted house. I still remember the orange flyer that went home to our parents, asking for volunteers.”
“Did your parents volunteer?” Drew asked. “I think third grade was the last year I was cool with my dad showing up at school events. Then it was ‘I don’t know you!’ and I walked a million feet in front of him at all times.”
Laughing, I twisted more in my seat to face him. “Third grade was the year for me too. I really wanted my parents to be at the party that year, but after that I went rogue.”
Drew laughed.
“Mom couldn’t because it was during a Friday afternoon and she had to work,” I said. “Dad came.”
“You said he’s a writer and your mom’s a lawyer, right?”
I loved that he remembered. “Right. I think he bought Haunted Houses for Dummies to help him. Dad and a bunch of other parents worked all day that Friday to set up a haunted house. My friends and I couldn’t pay attention to anything
—we kept ‘stretching’ and looking out the window. Parents were scurrying all over the recess field.”
Drew smiled, flashing white teeth.
“What?” I asked, elbowing him. It was easy to be happy around him. He kept making me laugh.
“I like this story,” he said. “You should be a writer.”
I smiled. “No one’s ever told me that before. Now the pressure’s on to finish the story well.” I sipped my drink. “So, our party was probably a couple of hours away when it started to rain. Actually, it wasn’t just rain. It was a crazy, ridiculous downpour.”
Drew hung his head. “Not cool.”
“The downpour turned into a thunderstorm. Dripping-wet parents ended up in my classroom. My class freaked. My dad gathered the other parents, and I knew the party was going to be awesome. I just knew.”
“Sounds like we both have pretty cool dads,” Drew said.
I nodded. “Dad organized everything, and my class ended up with an amazing haunted house in the gym.” I giggled. “Even the tough guys in my class screamed.”
Squeeeeak!
Drew and I covered our ears. At the front of the room, the guilty culprit gave everyone a please-don’t-kill-me smile. Khloe gave the wireless microphone in her hand an exasperated look.
“This mic is the best!” Khloe said, feigning seriousness. “That squeak feature totally got your attention. Now get on your feet!”
Everyone laughed.
As I stood, I swept my gaze over the room. There he was. Taylor stood near the front of the room. Four girls from my grade stood beside him. His attention was on Khloe, though, not Lacey and her friends.
No surprise that Tay’s insta-popular, I thought. He’s fitting in, and it’s only his first night.
Lacey stepped back and whispered something to Raquel. Raquel nodded, pulled a compact mirror from her black sequin clutch, and passed it to Lacey. Lacey checked her reflection and carefully applied a sparkly pink lip gloss.
“The time has come,” Khloe said, “to bring on the birthday toast!”
LUCKY NUMBER THIRTEEN
“I’M KHLOE KINSELLA,” SHE SAID WITH A smile. “Roommate of the birthday girl, Lauren Towers. Thank you all for coming, and I hope you’ve had a fun night. We have to start wrapping up the evening, since I promised we’d be out of the ballroom soon.”
I glanced at the wall clock. Whoa. Tonight had gone by so fast.
“After the toast we’ll cut the cake. Er, we’ll have cupcakes.”
I grinned at my roomie when her eyes landed on me.
“Happy birthday, Lauren,” Khloe said. “It’s your first birthday at Canterwood, and I hope it’s one that you’ll look back on and have good memories of. I’m beyond honored that you trusted me with planning your party. I’m so lucky that you’re one of my closest friends and my roommate.”
“Yay, Lauren!” someone cheered, and the room filled with applause.
Khloe clapped too, and minutes seemed to pass before everyone quieted down.
“Thirteen,” Khloe said, “is a big deal, and I, along with all of your friends, hope your birthday wishes come true. I’m so happy you came to Canterwood and that we’re besties. Mwah!” She touched her lips to her fingertips and blew me a giant kiss.
“There are a few more people who want to say happy birthday,” Khloe added.
“Happy birthday!” Clare, Jill, and Lex sang into the mic. “We love you, LT!”
I flashed them the I love you! hand signal and couldn’t stop smiling. I was the lucky one.
“Guests, please join us at the cupcake table to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Lauren,” Khloe said. Her eyes settled on me. “And c’mon up here, LT.”
“Come with me?” I whispered to Drew.
“Absolutely, birthday girl.”
Drew held out his hand, and I slid mine into his.
The crowd parted, making a clear path for Drew and me. We walked across the ballroom and stopped near Khloe. The tiers of cupcakes looked très yummy! My parents had shipped cupcakes from Butter Lane, my favorite bakery in New York City. The huge strawberry cupcakes had vanilla icing that looked delicious.
One cupcake, slightly larger than the rest, was covered in confetti sprinkles and had a blue candle in the center.
Khloe picked up the cupcake, placed it on a round black plate, and held it out to Zack. He produced a Bic lighter and lit the candle wick.
“Happy birthday,” he said, smiling at me.
“Thanks, Zack.”
Khloe’s guy was one of the first who had welcomed me to Canterwood. We’d been friends since day one.
“Guys?” Khloe asked, pursing her lips. “I think Laur needs to be a little, oh, higher.”
“Wha—”
Before I could get the words out, Drew and Zack stood shoulder to shoulder. Garret and Cole put their hands gently on my waist, carefully lifting me into the air.
“Ah! Guys!” I squealed, giggling.
They lowered me onto Zack’s and Drew’s shoulders.
“You okay?” Drew asked, looking up at me.
“I feel like a princess!” I never, ever imagined something like this would happen during my birthday. I was literally swept off my feet and having one of the best nights of my life.
“Yay!” Khloe said. “Lex, your idea was brill.”
“But are you all right?” I asked Drew. “Zack? Am I hurting you guys?”
Both guys shook their heads.
“Please, LT,” Zack said. He used a deeper-than-normal voice. “Don’t question our strength.”
Nodding, I laughed. If Zack and Drew weren’t careful, I’d be asking them to carry me everywhere.
Cole moved behind me, placing a steadying hand on my back. “We won’t let you fall,” he said. “Promise.”
“Thanks, Cole,” I said. His extra support did make me feel more stable. From my new seat, I could see over everyone’s heads—the guys were taller than I’d thought.
Khloe stepped in front of me, lifting my cupcake and the flickering candle.
“It’s like you’re holding up an offering,” I teased.
Khlo laughed. “Don’t get too used to being up there, goddess.”
Khloe led the room into singing “Happy Birthday.” They sang the entire song, and I was embarrassed when I started blinking back tears of happiness. I couldn’t believe I was here at my dream school, surrounded by friends, and having the best birthday ever. Thirteen was definitely my lucky number.
EX-BF, MEET MY ALMOST-SORT-OF BF
“I’LL NEVER BE ABLE TO THANK YOU ENOUGH,” I said, hugging Clare. People exited the ballroom as the party ended. A bunch of people had pitched in to clean up and put my gifts into bags, and Zack had left a note for the janitor that we’d be back in the morning to clear out the decorations. It was late, and we had to get back to our rooms.
Clare tossed her red curls over her shoulder. “Omigod, it was so much fun. I’m glad you had a good birthday!”
Next to me Lexa slung her arm across my shoulders. “If you feel the need to repay us, you can, oh, tell us everything about Taylor tomorrow.”
“Deal,” I said. “I’m meeting up with him to talk, so I’ll BBM you guys after and we can hit The Sweet Shoppe.”
I hugged Lex good night, and she and Clare headed out. Zack had offered to walk Khloe back to Hawthorne a few moments ago. I’d waved the two of them off, promising Khlo that I’d be in our room in five.
With a happy sigh I turned around and walked toward the table with my PINK totes stuffed with Happy Birthday cards.
Drew and Taylor stood near my things. They weren’t speaking to each other. Taylor’s arms were crossed, and Drew’s hands were in his pockets. Both of them stared in opposite directions.
Oh, mon Dieu!
I hurried over, my legs feeling heavy—like I was wearing ankle weights.
“Hi, hey,” I babbled.
And I had nothing else.
What was I supposed to say to my almost-boyfriend and my ex
?
“I wanted to say thanks for inviting me to your party,” Taylor said. “I’m about to go back to Wren Hall.”
I played with a sequin on my dress. “Thanks for coming. Um, Taylor, have you met Drew Adams?”
Taylor nodded, smiling.
Smiling?
“We met while you were saying good-bye to your friends,” Taylor said. He uncrossed his arms.
“Drew, I mentioned that Taylor’s my friend from Union,” I said. “We went to school together.”
Drew, like Taylor, smiled. “That’s what Taylor said.”
The guys were being way cooler about this than I’d imagined. Maybe it wouldn’t last a second after the clock struck midnight and it was officially not my birthday. But I’d take whatever civil behavior between them that I could get.
Taylor straightened, shifting his weight off the table. “I’ve got to go. ’Night, Lauren. Happy birthday.”
We stared at each other for a millisecond before Taylor smiled, walked around me, and headed for the exit. Hugging Taylor in front of Drew didn’t feel like it would have been right. Luckily, Taylor had made the decision about how to say good night for me.
The door closed behind Taylor, leaving Drew and me alone in the ballroom.
“Was that weird?” I asked. “Be honest.”
“It was at first,” Drew said. “I’m going to try not thinking about him as your ex.”
I stared at the floor. I should have been there when they had met and . . .
“Laur?” Drew asked. “I see the look on your face. I was going to add that as much as I didn’t want to like Taylor, he might be okay. I mean, he had to be if you dated him. He’s in your past. Everyone’s got an ex. I’m not going to start any problems.”
The sick feeling in my stomach started to disappear. “You’re really okay after meeting Taylor? Really?”
“Really.”
I threw my arms around Drew, almost knocking him over.
Laughing, he hugged me back.
“You’re being so great about everything,” I said. I let go of him, realizing that I’d just launched myself into his arms. “Thank you.”
“No thanks necessary. Just let me ask two things?”
I met his eyes. They seemed to change shades with his mood.
Jealousy Page 4