“It’s really okay.” Gio pulls me into his embrace and brushes a kiss against the top of my head. The warmth of his body softens me, and I melt against him. “Most of the people there didn’t even see it, and some who did didn’t understand what the cotton balls were for. Besides, if anyone made fun of you, they’re not my real friends. I wish I knew who laughed so I could deck ’em for you.”
I smile against his chest. “Thanks. Still embarrassed, though.”
“You shouldn’t be. To be honest, that was the sexiest thing I’ve seen in a while.” I yank back to face him, and I’m met with a naughty grin. My face becomes igloo-melting hot. “And I’ll admit, it was a little funny because of the cotton balls. But I would never laugh at you. I hope you know that.”
“You just basically admitted you did.”
“Well, can you blame me?” Gio’s voice lilts, and his lips twitch as he works hard not to laugh. “Do you really not see even the smallest bit of humor in this?”
“I might in a few years…”
“Well, I’ll give you that. I just wanted you to know we’re good. And by the way, you don’t need to stuff your bras or bikini tops. You’re perfect the way you are.”
“But…” I was about to say, “But nothing fits,” but Gio’s a guy. He won’t understand.
“I could show you my own goods if that would make you feel better.” He waggles his eyebrows suggestively, making my stomach ache with laughter.
“I think I’m good. Thanks, Gio. The party was great up until my big blunder.”
“It would have been better if we could have spent more time alone together,” he says, and I nod in agreement. “When can I see you again?”
“Whenever you want, neighbor,” I remind him with a grin.
“Right…of course.” He brings his fingers up above my ear and combs them through my hair gently, causing my breath to come out in a shudder. “I really like you,” he whispers, and my heart sings. Scenario 1 just got confirmed.
“I really like you too.”
His eyes glow with a smile. “I have to get back now, but I’ll text you later.”
“Okay. By the way, how’s Ana doing?”
“She went out in Cass’s Jag to get you something as soon as you left. Don’t ask me what it is, I have no clue.” The red convertible Jag is Cass’s spare car, and yesterday she gave Ana a key and said we can use it in case of an emergency.
“Well, okay,” I say, smiling because I know exactly what Ana’s getting me. It’s what I always want when I’ve been sick or I’ve been through something hard: a giant bag of cheese puffs and a pint of chocolate ice cream. Not sure why it’s taking her an hour to get it, but I should have known I could count on my Ana. “Text you later,” I say, and Gio gives me a soft, clinging kiss on the forehead before releasing me and trudging downstairs. I wish that kiss had been about four inches lower, but I guess we’ve got time.
Ten minutes after he leaves, Ana comes up and opens my door without knocking. She’s carrying a big bag of stuff from the grocery store and some knives and spoons.
“Sorry that took so long,” she says. “Weird that a grocery store would be so busy at this time of night. Then I got lost on the way back.”
“Ana, you are an angel sent from heaven.”
She lays the bag down on my bed, and not only are there cheese puffs and ice cream, but she also got us chocolate hazelnut spread and vanilla wafers, my other favorite weird combination. There are two sodas in there too. “Are you trying to fatten me up?”
“No, although that may be an unintended benefit.” Ana giggles as I throw my arms around her in a hug.
“I’m so sorry I ruined your conversation with Smart Girl.”
“It’s okay, she asked for my number before I left.” I can hear the smile in her voice.
“Nice!” I pull back and study Ana intently. She said that in the same tone of voice I used when I told her Gio asked for my number. “Hey, is there something I’m missing here?”
“Uh, no? Why?” Those words were uttered in her breathy, high-pitched ‘I’m lying’ voice.
I really want to press her, but I won’t. If Ana has something to tell me, she’ll tell me. “No reason. So, JR and junk food?”
“JR and junk food.”
We sit down on my bed side by side, just like we always do back in Kentucky. Ana finds Never Really Alone on Netflix, and we dig in to our snacks while we watch the movie again.
“Do you think we’ll meet JR while we’re here in Cali?” Ana asks.
“You never know.” Jacie Redinger is an A-list actress now, and horror movies are mostly in her past, but she does still act in one on occasion. “After what just happened, though, I really don’t want to think about meeting anyone that important.”
“Aw, but she’s your favorite!” Ana persists. “Come on, I bet she’d love to meet the daughter of the Grim Weeper.”
A derisive laugh escapes my throat. “Doubt it. She’s got much more important things to do.”
We sit in silence for a while, watching Raven Jones, JR’s character, creeping through dark hallways and listening to the sounds of the evil spirits that call to her in the night. Weird that her character’s name is Raven, considering the revelation we just had at Gio’s party. I guess they named her after the character’s pitch-black hair and somber disposition.
Ana’s mind is following the same track as mine, which happens a lot. She knows all about my missions since I showed her the AYMM posts in my blog. “Hey, JR has naturally dark hair, and she’s a little uppity in her interviews. Do you think she might be…?” Ana trails off, not wanting to say the word.
“Also doubtful. She might be uppity, but everybody loves Jacie Redinger. She’s great with her fans, and as far as I know, she’s never done anything remotely criminal in nature.”
“Yeah, but look at her.” Ana points up at the light-skinned, blue-eyed actress. “She looks just like you except for the nose.”
I study JR intently after that and identify several similarities in our looks. Eyes? Check. They’re the same shade of blue with the same long, dark eyelashes. Cheekbones? Check. Height? Double check. I could probably fit into her shoes. Our noses don’t match, but I know for a fact I got my nose from Dad. Our chins don’t match, either, but there’s an obvious reason for that too. Then I study her mouth, and a deep sense of dread washes over me. There’s no mistaking that our mouths match. We smile the same, we frown the same, and we even—
“That’s my smirk!” I yell in horror. Jacie has that sarcastic, arrogant, know-it-all smirk I’ve seen on my own face in the mirror zillions of times. It’s my trademark…or at least, I thought it was. I guess it was hers first.
Ana hyperventilates next to me. “Oh my God! Did we just find your mom?”
“No…it-it can’t be.” I shake my head, unable to take my eyes off the TV. “She’s not notorious, she’s a good person. I mean, she gives half of her money to charity, for God’s sake. Plus…she already has a daughter near my age.”
“Oh yeah…Raven,” Ana reminds me.
Both our eyes grow wide, and we gape at each other. “Oh my God. Her daughter’s name is Raven!”
“Raven Redinger is your doppelgänger?”
“Raven Redinger is my doppelgänger,” I repeat.
“Whoa…she’s hot!” At my shocked expression, Ana quickly backpedals. “I-I mean, she’s gorgeous. You should be happy to look like her.”
“That seems like a weird thing to focus on right now, dear,” I retort.
“Right…sorry,” Ana says. “Does she really look that much like you?”
I picture Raven in my head. “I dunno…maybe.”
“What do you think that means? You know, that you look like them?”
“I…I don’t know…” I shake my head incredulously. “I mean, if JR has a daughter our age, that pretty much rules her out, right?”
“Yeah…I guess so.”
We both turn to watch the movie again, and I shake
my head as I stare at JR. “She really does look like me. That’s odd. Maybe they’re long-lost relatives or something.”
“That would mean your mom is related to them.”
“I don’t think the Redingers have any actress relatives, though.”
Ana shrugs, and we fall silent again. So weird. Jacie fits nearly every category, but she’s not my mother. So far this mission keeps hitting dead end after dead end.
***
Morning comes, and I don’t wake up until 11:30. The only reason I wake up then is because Dad bursts into my room with a picture on his phone and a massive scowl on his face. I rub my eyes sleepily as I sit up and try to make sense of what’s going on.
“Do you know what this is, Madison Alexandria?”
Uh-oh. When he uses my first and middle name, that’s when I know I’m in trouble.
He holds the phone up in front of my face, and I am instantly horrified. It’s a picture of me in the pool after my swimsuit flipped down. It’s mercifully censored, but still, I am now in the deepest trouble I’ve ever been in.
“Dad, I…I can explain—”
“Explain what? That you went to a party without even tellin’ me? That you decided to go naked in front of a bunch of high school guys? I really thought you were better than this!” He’s yelling now, and his nostrils are flaring. He looks incredibly disappointed in me. “Someone posted this on the Internet, and now everyone is lookin’ at it and talkin’ about you! Where did I go wrong?”
“Everyone?” My voice is hoarse with tears. I should have known…social media makes it possible for someone to humiliate you in front of the whole world in a nanosecond. Now I really won’t be able to show my face in L.A. again. “Listen, it was an ac—”
“Don’t bother. I would ground you, but I doubt it would do any good.” He turns on his heel and tromps out of the room. Ana is still in my bed from staying with me last night, so she sits up after he leaves, looking sleepy and confused.
“What’s going on?” she asks through a yawn. Sobs take over, and I can’t reply. My crying wakes her up completely. “Mads, what’s wrong?”
“Someone took a picture of me in the pool, and now it’s all over the Internet. I…” Hiccup. “I might as well be dead.”
“Oh my God…” Ana slips her arms around me. “Who posted it?”
I shake my head and lean against her. “I don’t know…but whoever they are, I hate them.”
Ana nods against my head. “Me too. What kind of sick person does that?”
“Now Dad hates me.” I cry even harder. “He…he wouldn’t even let me explain.”
“Shhh…” Ana strokes my hair, which she knows has a calming effect on me. She holds me for a long time, telling me it’s all going to be okay.
***
Later, Ana and I leave in the Jag, with Cass’s permission, to go to Griffith Park and hike up to the Hollywood sign. Seeing the sign up close is something I’ve always wanted to do, and I figured physical activity would help me purge some tension and anxiety. I felt like I was about to go crazy in that house with Dad. His wrath is the last thing I want to face right now.
As we hike up Mount Lee, I am once again amazed at how vastly different California and Kentucky are landscape-wise. Cali is basically a dry dustbowl, and Kentucky is a lush, green oasis in comparison. That’s one of the few things I’m starting to miss…Nana, the horses, and the land.
“Almost there.” Ana struggles to breathe as she trudges up the mountain in front of me. Her family doesn’t live on a farm, so she’s not quite as used to physical activity as I am.
“Come on, you can do it. Push through the pain,” I tease her.
Ana grins down at me. “Shut up.”
We arrive at the top of Mount Lee, and both of us gaze upon the giant white letters in awe. Then Ana strikes several poses in front of the sign while I take pictures with her phone. This kind of thing happens a lot with us—Ana practicing her modeling and making me be the photographer. After that, we sit down side by side in front of the sign to drink some water.
I lay my head down on Ana’s shoulder as we take in the expanse before us. From the top of the mountain, you can see a lot of L.A. dusted in a fine layer of smog. The area directly in front of us is mostly comprised of neighborhoods, but then in the distance you can see the towering skyscrapers, and sapphire-blue Lake Hollywood is over to the right.
“I could stay up here forever,” Ana says.
I chuckle, still smarting from my exposure to the world. “I wish I could.”
“Why did you fall? Were you pushed?”
“I don’t think so. I’m just clumsy, and I didn’t have my glasses on.”
“Why didn’t you have your glasses on?”
I bite back a sheepish smirk. “Gio.”
Ana chuckles. “Ah. The things we do for love.”
“I wouldn’t say ‘love.’ More like intense, frustrating ‘like.’” I sit up to drink more water.
“Why is it frustrating?”
“Because he didn’t kiss me. He says he ‘likes to make a woman wait.’ Of course, for all I know, he really doesn’t want to kiss me.”
“I’m sure he does,” Ana says. “He seems like a bit of a tease. I bet he just likes to see you squirm.”
“Well, today I definitely feel like squirming.” I sigh, shaking my head. “I’m such an idiot. I kind of wish I could die.”
“Don’t say that.” Ana pulls me in again and rubs my arm with her palm. “People might talk about you for a while, but eventually it will all blow over, and everything will go back to normal. Trust me, this happens to celebrity girls all the time. People are only making a big deal out of it because you’re new in town. Just ride it out and try not to take it too seriously.” I nod against her, and then my phone buzzes, and I pull it out of my green messenger bag.
Gio: Where are you? Are you OK?
“Aww, Gio’s worried about me. Can I call him real quick?”
“Yeah, sure,” Ana says. I tap Gio’s contact to call him. The phone only rings once.
“Hey, where are you?” His voice is strained.
“I’m at Griffith Park with Ana, and I’m fine.”
“Oh good. I saw the stuff online and got really worried when you weren’t at home.”
I feel myself blush, and not in a good way. This is so embarrassing. If only I could bore a hole into this mountain and live out the rest of my life as a gopher. “Thanks for caring. I’m just getting some BFF therapy right now. By the way, exactly how bad is the post? I only saw it for a second.”
“It’s…it’s bad,” Gio reluctantly informs me.
“How bad?”
“Some gossip websites are posting it, and…well, let’s just say, you’re trending.”
Hammer. Meet. Chest. “Oh my God…”
“They found out who you are, and they’re calling you a party girl. I’m so sorry, Madness. Cass and I are trying to figure out who took the picture so your dad can file a lawsuit.”
“Lawsuit?”
“Yeah, for emotional distress. Cass told me he’s already looking into it. If the person is over eighteen, they might even press criminal charges. I’m not sure who at my party would do a thing like this to a person they don’t even know, but they’re going to pay for this. We’ll get them. Don’t worry.”
“What’s going on?” Ana asks.
“I’ll let you talk to Ana,” Gio says. “Talk to you soon.”
“Okay, bye.”
After I hang up, Ana repeats her question. “Mads, what is going on?”
“Well…you know that picture of me Dad showed us early this morning?”
“Yeah?”
I release a labored sigh. “I think the president has seen it by now.”
After her initial shocked reaction, we take out our phones and Google search my name, and the results pour in.
“Basket Baby Madison Daley returns the way she left us…in her birthday suit.”
“The Grim Weeper
’s daughter is back, and she’s ready to party!”
“Curious about what the Grim Weeper’s daughter looks like now?”
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Michael Daley’s daughter is just as wild as he was!”
I tap on that last link, just to see what Dad did that was comparable to what everyone thinks I did. We see tons of photos in the article of Dad partying it up in clubs, bars, and house parties, dancing with near-naked women and drinking until he was shitfaced.
“So having your swimsuit fall down at a party is the same or worse than all of this? Horseshit!” I throw the phone down on the mountain in anger. Ana keeps it from tumbling down the slope in front of us with her foot, and I pull my knees up to my chest and bury my face in my legs.
“Mads…don’t look at the comments on these articles.” Her voice is thick. “There are some horrible people in this world.”
“What? What are they saying?” I lift my head up and try to look at her phone.
Ana keeps it away from me and shakes her head. “Believe me, you don’t want to know.”
I take the phone in spite of her protests, and I feel sick to my stomach as I read comments like:
“What a whore…”
“Where are her boobs?”
“Her father must be so proud…”
“We missed out on seventeen years of W3 for this?”
My tears come back in a rush. “This is a nightmare. Please wake me up.”
“I wish I could.”
***
Ana drives us back home, and when Kelsey opens the front door for us, I see Dad in the entryway on the phone with a lawyer. His hair is mussed, and his eyes are wild with worry. He talks about some legal-sounding stuff that I don’t understand for a minute, and then he hangs up and sees me. I half-expected him to still be angry, but he immediately scoops me up in his arms and presses me to his chest. “Thank God you’re all right.”
We grip each other for a long time, and I almost start crying again at the feeling of his arms around me. “What’s going on?”
Diary of a Rocker's Kid (D.O.R.K #1) Page 12