Famous

by Jessica Burkhart

  The smell of Chinese food made my mouth water, and I hoped Dragon Palace had speedy service!

  The waiter seated Drew and me at a great table near an ascending row of candles along the wall.

  “My name is Wei,” the waiter said, smiling. “To start, what can I get you to drink?”

  “Root beer would be great,” I said. “Thank you.”

  “I’d love the same,” Drew said. “Thanks.”

  Wei nodded and disappeared.

  “This place is so cool!” I said. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

  Drew glanced around, nodding. Most of the tables were filled, and waiters zipped around with food and drinks. “One question,” Drew said. “Where’s the dragon?”

  “Ooh, yeah,” I said. “Where is it?”

  We both looked behind us, over each other’s shoulders, toward the exit—everywhere.

  “Uh, Laur,” Drew said. “Look up.”

  I did as he said. A giant, intricate red-and-yellow dragon was painted on the ceiling. Smoke and fire blasted from his nose, and he was exactly the type of dragon I associated with the Chinese culture.

  “Wow,” I said. “That’s gorgeous.”

  Drew didn’t take his eyes off the ceiling. “It’s amazing. Someone worked really, really hard on that.”

  I looked back down at the table, opening my menu. “It’s been way too long since I’ve had Chinese food! Before I moved to Union, I ordered it at least once a week when I lived in Brooklyn. I’ve missed it so much at Canterwood.” I scanned the menu. “They have everything! Ahhh! You’re going to have to help me choose.”

  Drew looked at his own menu, playing with the corner. “Confession time,” he said. “This is the first time I’ve ever had Chinese food.”

  “What?!” I slapped my hand over my mouth. “Drew, that was so rude. I didn’t mean to make it worse. I was surprised because you seem like the kind of guy who’s tried everything.”

  He smiled. “Everything except this Asian cuisine. Would you, um, help me order?”

  “Of course! No big deal at all. Usually, when I get Chinese food with my friends, we split a couple of appetizers and then get bigger dishes to share. There’s always so much food, and it’s not too expensive, if you want to do that with me.”

  Drew nodded. “I’m game.”

  “For appetizers,” I said, scanning the list, “I think you’d like a spring roll. When I suggest something, read over the description and say yes or no based on whether or not you like what’s in it.”

  “Spring roll is a go,” Drew said.

  I reached back, grabbed a pen from my purse, and started writing down our order on my napkin.

  “Another great dish is cold noodles with sesame sauce. The sauce is peanut buttery, and it doesn’t sound the greatest from the description, but if we get it and you don’t like it, then I would be shocked.”

  “Add it, please,” Drew said.

  Together, we went through the menu. We’d just finished when Wei appeared with our root beers.

  “Ready to order?” he asked.

  “Yes, please,” I said. “Can we have two spring rolls, one cold noodles with sesame sauce, a small kung pao chicken with white rice, and an order of pork dumplings with extra soy sauce?”

  Wei scratched down our order and read it back to us. “It’ll be ready soon!” he said.

  “Thank you, Lauren. I’m sorry I had to make you order and do all of the work.”

  “Stop,” I said. “I was happy to do it, and I know you’re going to do the same for me one day.”

  “So,” Drew said, swirling his straw in his soda. “How did last night go?” He still looked a little embarrassed.

  “Better than I could have hoped for,” I said. “I really took to heart all the advice you and everyone else gave me about forgiveness and giving people second chances. Just because I told Brielle and Taylor we could be friends again does not mean I’m dropping my guard back to where it used to be.”

  “I think that’s smart,” Drew said. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Me either. Until they both prove that I can trust them, my wall has to stay up. But I’m so, so happy, Drew, to have them back in my life. I missed them. I think I BBMed you that I called Ana, too, right?”

  He nodded a yes. “I’m happy that Ana seemed to have learned a hard lesson but is so grateful to be your friend again. Honestly, from what you told me about these guys prior to this mess, I don’t see any of them hurting you like this ever again. If they do”—Drew made a face like the Hulk and rubbed a clenched fist again an open palm—“it’s on.”

  “I wanted to ask you something, and please be honest with me,” I said. “Are you mad even the tiniest bit or bothered that I wanted Taylor back as my friend so bad?”

  “Not for a second,” Drew said, not even hesitating. “I know where your feelings lie, Lauren. You didn’t want to befriend Taylor to win him back as your boyfriend. You did it because he has been a good friend to you for a long time. In this crazy world, I think we need all of the good friends we can get. I promise you that it doesn’t bother me at all.”

  I beamed as Wei stepped up to our table carrying a huge tray of food. He placed it in front of us with speed and precision.

  “Here are your chopsticks,” Wei said. He reached into his apron and pulled out two plastic-wrapped pairs of wooden chopsticks. “Enjoy, and I’ll be back to check on you.”

  “All right,” I said. “Something else I get to teach you tonight! Chopsticks.”

  “A fork and knife are totally cool for me,” Drew said.

  “Nope.” I leaned over and swiped his silverware off the table.

  “Whoa, Towers,” he said, laughing. “I guess it’s chopsticks or my fingers then!”

  “It’s easier than you think, and it’s fun. Plus, we’re at the Dragon Palace. We’ve got to go all in here.”

  Drew looked up, then glanced down at me, his expression serious. “I think you’re right. If we don’t follow all ancient Chinese traditions”—he leaned closer to me—“we might release the dragon!” he said in a whisper.

  I giggled. “Open your chopsticks. At least that’ll give you a weapon if the dragon gets loose.”

  We unwrapped our plastic.

  “Put one in each hand and rub them together like this,” I said.

  Drew watched me for a few seconds, then mimicked me.

  “Perfect,” I said. “Now, here’s how you hold them.”

  I walked Drew through the demonstration three times before asking him to try. He came so close that I told him where to place his last finger.

  “That’s it!” I said. “Awesome job! Before you try picking up food, try to grab something on the table. Use your fingers like this. . . .”

  Drew’s eyes followed my fingers. Within minutes, he tried using his chopsticks, and he’d picked up a napkin and napkin ring.

  “You’ve got it,” I said. “You’re quite the student.”

  Drew smiled, looking at me in a way that made me feel like I was in a sauna. “I think you’re quite the teacher.”

  We dug into our food, with me explaining a little about each dish and getting Drew’s feedback once he’d tried it. I’d guessed right on everything we ordered, and there wasn’t one thing Drew didn’t like.

  Wei came back, took our empty dishes, and handed each of us a fortune cookie.

  Drew ripped the plastic off his as I set mine aside.

  “Don’t you want to read your fortune?” Drew asked.

  I smiled. “I did all the time when I was a kid. But I’ve read them all by now. They say the same thing.”

  “Aw, c’mon, Laur. Read one more?”

  I couldn’t say no to him.

  “What does yours say?” I asked as I unwrapped mine.

  “ ‘Love is for the lucky and the brave,’ ” he read.

  I stopped fumbling with my wrapper, very aware of his eyes upon me. I looked up and our eyes locked. Drew’s eyes were the blue I loved t
he most—the color of the ocean, clean, clear, and at its most beautiful.

  “I’ve never heard that one before,” I said, my voice a whisper.

  “Maybe it wasn’t time for you to hear it until now. Go on, open yours.”

  I cracked open my fortune cookie and tugged out the tiny slip of paper. I read the fortune. And read it again. And again. Wordlessly, I handed it to Drew.

  “ ‘There is a true and sincere friendship between you and your friends,’ ” he read aloud.

  Our eyes met, and he placed the fortune in my palm, gently closing my hand over it.

  “Never heard that one either?” Drew asked.

  I shook my head.

  “I think both of our fortunes are keepers.”

  I squeezed the paper in my hand, wanting more than anything to believe it was true, and watched Drew do the same with his paper.

  Drew paid the bill and, holding hands, we left the restaurant. He stopped just down the sidewalk, letting go of my hand and sliding his around my waist.

  “I wanted to do this at Dragon Palace,” he said, his voice deep. “But I was afraid I’d release the dragon.”

  Kisskisskisskisskisskiss ran through my head. My brain went silent as we leaned into each other. I smelled the fresh-scented cologne he’d put on for tonight, and then our lips touched. Every single thing in my world disappeared, both the good and the bad. All I could feel—all I could process—was the slight pressure of Drew’s soft lips touching mine and his hands holding me tight.

  We pulled apart, and I felt dizzy.

  “Wow,” I said, whispering.

  “Wow is right,” he said back.

  The gaslit lanterns lining the sidewalk cast soft shadows on his face.

  “Drew, I want you to know that I’ve never felt like this before. Ever. You . . . do something to me, and kissing you or thinking about kissing you makes me dizzy! I get so nervous before every date and obsess over every detail, from what color hair band I’m going to use to what socks I want to wear.”

  Drew smiled.

  “When we get together, though, you make me feel so comfortable. We fit together like we’re old friends who will never run out of things to talk about. That makes me as happy as the thrill of kissing you.”

  Drew leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “That was the sweetest, most amazing thing anyone’s ever said to me, Lauren. I’ll never forget it. I’m so glad I make you feel good, because you do all that and more for me. When I’m not with you, I’m thinking about ways we can be together. Then when we hang out, I go back and forth between trying to impress you and then forgetting and just having fun being myself.”

  Our breaths were visible in the night air, but I wasn’t cold.

  “You’re my girl, LT.”

  I beamed, grabbed his hand, and tugged him forward, making him follow me as I skipped down the sidewalk, not caring how silly I looked. Our laughter rang over campus, and I knew this was a night that I’d never, ever forget.

  THREE FOR THREE

  OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, life slowly, very slowly, returned to normal. Brielle reintegrated herself into my group of friends, and it was as if she’d never left. Everyone was welcoming, and I couldn’t have been happier to have her back. Part of me was still careful around Bri, but most of me saw my old friend and hoped so hard that one day our friendship would be completely back to normal. Brielle’s acceptance back in our group appeared to lift stress off Clare, too. Each of us was happy. For those of us on the intermediate team together, it translated to our riding as well. Mr. Conner had commented on how together we looked and how we were definitely ready for the upcoming show.

  It was then that I realized my group of friends was so tight that our individual happiness depended on each other. If one of us was upset, it threw the entire group off balance. That realization had made me feel closer to my friends than ever, and I vowed to never take my friends for granted.

  Taylor seemed to look better overnight after he’d met Brielle and me in my room. Color had returned to his face, and he didn’t look sickly skinny or permanently disgusted with himself. We went back to sitting together in classes we shared and traded greetings when we passed each other in the hallway. Drew and I had passed Taylor in the lunchroom, and both guys managed polite hellos. I’d given Drew a giant hug and thanked him for being such a good boyfriend.

  The night after my talk with Brielle and Taylor, I’d called Ana. Conversation had been a little stiff at first, but it didn’t take long before we got comfortable with each other and I told Ana about my talk with Bri and Tay. I told her that Brielle had put Ana in a tough position, and when I tried to put myself in Ana’s place, I didn’t know what I would have done. If Ana had told me, she would have betrayed two friends. By staying silent, she was trying to keep one, me, safe and protect the secret of two, Brielle and Taylor. Ana had started crying and apologizing. Whenever Ana cried, I cried. We had a teary sobfest and communicated how much we’d missed each other. By the end of the conversation, I had Ana-Banana back in my life. I was three for three.

  Over those days, I thought more and more about my holiday idea and tried to work through any holes in the plan. It was going to take a Christmas miracle to pull it off, but I had belief in Santa this year.

  With that thought in my head, I sent a mass e-mail:

  To: Khloe Kinsella, Lexa Reed, Cole Harris, Drew Adams, Taylor Frost, Carina Johansson, Clare Bryant, Brielle Monaco, Zack Reynolds, Garret van Camp

  From: Lauren Towers

  Subject: A meeting of the minds on Thurs (tmrw)

  Hey, everyone!

  Sorry for the mass e-mail, but if I wrote you all individually . . . yeah.

  This is kind of last-minute, but are you guys free to meet me in the Hawthorne common room tomorrow? I was thinking seven p.m., but the time is totally open for discussion. I kind of need you all there, so if seven doesn’t work, e-mail me back and we’ll figure out a time that works for everyone.

  No, it’s nothing bad! And no, not one of the people that I invited knows what this meeting is about! (Talking to YOU, Khloe Kinsella!)

  E-mail me back when you can. I hope this works for everyone!

  xo,

  ~LT

  I closed my computer, picked up my cell, and dialed a very familiar number.

  BEST PRESENT EVER

  CHRISTINA HAD OKAYED OUR GROUP meeting in Hawthorne’s common room. As long as the door was left open (she’d winked at me), and she had promised to check on us. Lexa, Khloe, Clare, Brielle, and I all went to the common room about fifteen minutes before everyone else was supposed to arrive at seven—the time agreed upon by everyone.

  “As hostesses,” Khloe had said, “we have to make sure the room is, as LT would say, parfait.”

  Now everyone would start arriving any minute.

  “I’ve got a huge teakettle of boiled water,” I said to the girls. “It’ll stay hot for a long time in case anyone wants tea, instant Starbucks coffee, or hot chocolate.”

  Bri, Clare, KK, and Lex nodded.

  “Perf,” Clare said.

  “And I’ve got an assortment of teas laid out,” I said, sweeping my arm over a basket. Nervous tingles shot through my stomach. I was about to propose something big—no, huge—and it could change e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g about Christmas break.

  Everything.

  “I set out some fruit from Harry and David,” Clare said. “Pears, clementines, and apples. Plus, Bri helped me cut up cheese, and we’ve got cheddar, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, and cracked pepper.”

  Their cheese-and-cracker assortment looked mouthwatering.

  “I did a soda check,” Lexa said. “The fridge has everything. If we don’t have it, it doesn’t exist.”

  “Knock-knock!”

  Our heads swiveled toward the voice at the doorjamb.

  “Hey!” we all said, greeting Cole.

  He stepped inside. Cole’s light-brown hair was tousled, and he’d changed out of riding clothes and into dark-rinse jeans and
a red cotton sweater.

  “Sit anywhere,” Khloe said. “Make yourself at home.”

  “Thanks,” Cole said.

  He sat on an armchair near the lit fireplace. We carried over the food and tea basket, placing them on the coffee table between the two couches.

  “I feel very important,” Cole said, smiling. “It was like you summoned me here, Laur.”

  “And I feel very nervous,” I said, trying to smile back. “This is the biggest idea I’ve ever had!”

  Khloe flopped on one of the couches, pulling me down with her. She pouted. “And LT won’t even tell me. Her best friend forever, who will be there at the very end at her bedside when she’s dying.”

  “Khloe!” all of us cried out, making my roomie blush.

  “Don’t talk about my death!” I said. “Jeez!”

  “I was just trying to make a point,” Khloe said. She patted my arm. “Now you know that I’ll be around forever.”

  “You can say that again,” Lexa said, giggling.

  Her infectious laughter made everyone, including me, laugh.

  “Hey, guys!”

  We turned and waved Carina into the room.

  The lanky blonde walked across the room and sat next to Clare, who was on the couch with Lexa opposite Khloe, Brielle, and me.

  “Thanks for inviting me to your dorm hall,” Carina said. “Hawthorne is beautiful.”

  “Thanks for coming,” I said. “I’ve visited your dorm before. Orchard’s gorgeous too.”

  Within seconds, Drew, Zack, Taylor, and Garret all arrived and were seated on various couches or chairs. Bri and I had gotten drinks for everyone, and the cheese and crackers were disappearing.

  “So,” Zack said, peering around Khloe. The couple looked cozy sitting together. “What’s up, LT?” He popped a Ritz cracker into his mouth.

  I squeezed my fingers around my tea mug and traced the glittery blue snowflakes. What if no one wanted to come? Maybe this was the dumbest idea ever, and everyone would squirm and try to politely decline.