“Well, you should.” He grinned at her. “There’s room for everyone.”
She took a sip of soda, then using every ounce of determination, she locked eyes with him. Eye contact. “I guess I’ll check it out,” she said as evenly as she could. With trembling knees, she stood and slowly removed her towel and started walking toward the hot tub. Every move she made felt calculated and careful. This was something else Kate had taught her. When you feel self-conscious, insecure, or uncomfortable, slow down.
“Whether it’s your movements or your words, don’t fall into the speed trap.” She had explained that when Chelsea spoke too quickly or moved too quickly, it sent the message that she was fearful and anxious. “It sets you up to be a target,” Kate said. “So just slow down. Think and move and speak carefully. Then you’ll sound confident.”
Chelsea took a deep breath as she approached the Jacuzzi. She made eye contact and smiled at the blonde girl in the tub as she eased herself in. “This feels good,” she told her.
“Yeah, it’s not bad.” The girl smiled back. Chelsea tried not to act surprised, but she’d been prepared for a snub from the pretty girl. Instead, she was acting friendly. It seemed that Kate’s tricks really did work. You smiled and made eye contact, and just like that people were friendly. Who’d’ve thunk?
The dark-haired guy got into the hot tub too, slipping into a seat next to Chelsea. “I’m Jake,” he told her. He pointed to the other teen guy, who was coming their way. “That’s my buddy Adam. We’re both ball players, and our coach is taking us to a Royals game tomorrow.”
“That’s cool.” Chelsea nodded, trying to remember all of Kate’s tips.
“Baseball?” the other girl said. “What position do you play?”
Jake turned to her. “Catcher mostly.”
“Cool.” The girl nodded. “I’m Nora. My older brother plays college baseball, so I’m kind of into that too. Who are the Royals playing?”
Jake started to tell her a bit about the team and how he hoped that he’d be good enough by his senior year to get a college scholarship or even get picked up by a minor league team.
“Wow,” Nora said, “you must be good.”
Jake shrugged and turned to Chelsea. “So you know our names. How about telling us yours?”
“Sorry.” She smiled again. “I’m Chelsea. My dad and I are on a road trip to California.”
“California.” Jake nodded. “Where ’bouts?”
She explained about the job change and San Jose, and Jake acted as if it were the most interesting topic in the world. Chelsea glanced over to see Nora watching them closely. “How about you?” Chelsea asked her. “What are you doing in Topeka?”
Nora explained that she was on a family vacation. She nodded toward the noisy throng of kids in the pool. “Some of those brats are my siblings.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m supposed to be watching them, but I’m secretly hoping they drown.”
Jake laughed, and Chelsea imitated him by laughing too. Jake’s friend had joined them, and now Chelsea found herself flanked by two very good-looking guys. Nora chatted easily with them, and Chelsea tried to keep up with the friendly banter, hoping that her insecurities would remain at bay. Then a couple of the other teen girls came into the Jacuzzi too.
“It’s getting cozy in here.” Jake slid closer to Chelsea to make more room.
Chelsea just smiled, continuing her attempt to act natural. The conversation became more animated, and it was clear that the two newcomer girls were flirting with the boys. One of the girls was a little overweight, but she was witty and funny and had the kind of confidence Chelsea was still wishing for. The other girl was eager to show off a recent tattoo on her lower back.
Still, it seemed clear—although extremely unbelievable—that Jake and Adam were more interested in Chelsea than in the other three girls in the hot tub. Chelsea felt almost giddy at this totally unexpected attention. Here she was sitting in a Jacuzzi with three other girls, whose looks ranged from quite pretty to just okay, and the two guys seemed to be vying for Chelsea’s attention. Chelsea Martin had turned not just one guy’s head, but two.
Although it was fun and exciting, it was also dizzyingly overwhelming, and at times she felt lost in keeping up with the witty banter. Plus she had occasional flashbacks to times she’d been teased or put down. She wondered if she suffered from some kind of post-traumatic stress disorder. Was it possible that girls who’d been picked on and bullied were similar to soldiers who’d survived combat zones? Really, other than explosives and physical injuries, what was the difference?
“Guess we scared those two away,” Nora was saying a bit smugly. Chelsea looked up to see the two newcomer girls exiting the Jacuzzi. Judging by their expressions and demeanor—which were painfully familiar to Chelsea—she thought it was possible that something might’ve been said to drive them away.
“So what are you into?” Jake asked Chelsea.
She felt stumped. A guy her age had never asked her a question like this. Instead of blurting out something that would forever categorize her as a geek girl, she reminded herself of Kate’s “slow down” advice. “Just the usual stuff,” she told him. Even though she knew she probably sounded silly and shallow, she started to blab on about a reality show. Fortunately, they were all familiar with it, and the conversation continued moving along.
“You remind me of Todd Davis,” Nora told Adam. It seemed she was focusing all her attention on him, hoping that he’d return the favor. Chelsea knew that Todd Davis was the hottie on the reality show they were currently dissing and discussing.
“Thanks a lot,” Adam said. “Todd’s a total dork.”
Nora laughed. “Yeah, but he’s a good-looking dork.”
“I think Chelsea looks like that Amanda character,” Jake said in a tone that oozed of approval.
“You mean Miranda,” Nora corrected. “I don’t really think so.”
“Amanda, Miranda, whatever.” Jake put a finger beneath Chelsea’s chin, turning her head as if to study her even more closely.
She controlled herself from cringing or trying to hide, but she couldn’t help letting out a nervous giggle. This was so totally weird . . . so unsettling . . . and yet she knew by his expression that he liked her looks and was enjoying himself immensely.
“I think she looks like Cameron Diaz,” Adam said as he moved in closer on the other side. “I mean when Cameron was younger. She’s like, what, forty now?”
“Yeah. She’s old, but she’s still hot.” Jake nodded. “Yeah, I think you’re right. Chelsea does look like a younger Cameron Diaz. Except for the eyes.” He looked intently into Chelsea’s eyes. “I think Cameron’s are blue. But Chelsea’s are brown and lots prettier.” The expression on his face was almost frightening, like he thought she was a deluxe cheeseburger and he was about to gobble her up.
Nora stood up. “Well, since you two guys are having so much fun at your Chelsea love festival, I think I’ll bow out.”
“Don’t go yet,” Chelsea said quickly. “These guys are just teasing me.”
Nora’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she sat back down.
“You know who Nora looks like?” Chelsea was racking her brain, trying to come up with a believable actress’s name.
“Who?” Nora asked.
“Keira Knightley!” Chelsea exclaimed. Okay, she knew that was crazy, but it was the only name that came to her. As she watched the boys looking from Nora to her and then back again, she remembered why that name came to mind. Kate had mentioned that she thought Chelsea looked like Keira.
“No, Nora doesn’t look like Keira Knightley,” Jake said. “You do.”
“I am so outta here.” Nora stood again, adjusted her bikini, and, without any protest from the guys, made her exit.
“Now I guess we’ll just have to fight over you,” Jake said in a teasing tone.
Chelsea laughed nervously.
“So, if you had to choose between us,” Adam said enticingly, “who would you ch
oose?” He struck an attractive pose.
Jake pushed his friend on the shoulder, and Adam feigned a fall. “She’d pick me, of course,” Jake told him.
Chelsea was feeling more than just a little light-headed now. She was actually dizzy. “I think I need to get out of here,” she said as she grabbed the handrail and stood. “I’m feeling kinda fuzzy. I think it’s the heat.”
Suddenly the two guys were helping her from the Jacuzzi and into the pool. Compared to the heat of the hot tub, the pool felt icy and the shock made her jump. With a pounding heart, she took in a big breath and dove under the water, then swam the length of the pool in an effort to calm herself and put some space between her and the two guys. Back in middle school, she’d been on the swim team and not such a bad swimmer. It felt good to have this kind of control now.
At the end where the younger kids were jumping and yelling and splashing, she quickly turned and swam back to the hot tub area where the guys, who reminded her of hungry sharks, were still waiting for her. She wanted to play this cool, to act like this was nothing out of the ordinary for her, but the truth was, like the water on this end, she was in way over her head.
“You guys are great,” she told them in as smooth a voice as she could muster while she used the ladder to climb out of the pool. “But we have to get up really early tomorrow. I’m helping my dad with the driving, and it’s getting kind of late.”
They protested as they followed her over to get her towel, but she managed to make them see her point. However, they did talk her into giving them her email address. “In case we’re ever out in San Jose,” Jake told her. But when they asked about Facebook, she pretended not to have a page, saying she thought social networks were lame.
As she returned to the hotel room, feeling like she’d just dodged some sort of bullet, she reminded herself she’d have to remove her Facebook page now. Too bad she’d put it under her own name. But no way did she want anyone to see the phony pics she’d put up. Of course, with her new image, she could put up real photos without embarrassment now.
Dad was just emerging from the bathroom when Chelsea returned to their hotel room. Toweling off his damp hair, he was wearing one of the motel bathrobes and had a slightly worried expression. “I was about to come looking for you,” he told her.
“Why?” She tightened the towel around her waist, making her way toward the still-steamy bathroom.
He gave a sheepish grin. “I don’t know that I’m too comfortable having my drop-dead-gorgeous daughter running around in a strange city all by herself.”
“Oh, Dad!” She shook her head like she thought he was crazy. But in reality, she wondered if he might not have a healthier understanding of what had just transpired down at the pool than she did. She considered asking him about it but didn’t want to make him any more concerned than he was. This was something she would have to get used to . . . and learn to handle on her own. “Remember, I’m not a little kid anymore.”
He looked doubtful. “I don’t know about that, but at least you’ve got a good head on your shoulders. That’s more than a lot of kids your age have.” He stifled a yawn. “Don’t know about you, but I’m hitting the hay.”
She glanced at the clock between the two beds. “It’s not even ten yet.”
“I know, but I’m beat. Go ahead and turn the TV on if you like, just keep the sound down. Okay?”
“Okay.”
After her shower, she flipped on the TV. She knew it was silly, but she wanted to find a movie with Keira Knightley or Cameron Diaz starring. No such luck. She considered digging out her laptop and doing an internet search for photos of the two beauties, but then she realized she was about to cross over from mild curiosity to obsession. She never used to be like this. Who cared who she looked like? As long as she didn’t look like the old Chelsea.
As she carefully combed her freshly shampooed and conditioned hair, which was still as smooth and silky as before swimming, she wanted to wrap her head around her new and interesting dilemma. How was a girl supposed to act when guys treated her the way Jake and Adam had tonight? It was a thrill and a rush for sure, but how was a girl like Chelsea ever supposed to get used to that kind of attention? Nothing had prepared her for this.
She came to a movie channel that was playing the Sandra Bullock film Miss Congeniality, and although she remembered seeing it a long time ago, before Mom died, she started watching it again. Sandra’s situation was different (she was older and playing an FBI agent), but some parts of the movie felt painfully similar. Going from drab to fab didn’t come without its own special set of challenges. As she watched Sandra’s clumsy pratfalls and corny mishaps, all of which were pretty humorous, Chelsea decided that when they got settled in San Jose and she was going to her new high school, she definitely did not want to end up looking like that kind of a goofball.
It might’ve made for a humorous movie, but Chelsea had been there, done that. She’d spent way too much time on the losing end of lame jokes and bullying and teasing, and she had no desire to set herself up for more. She realized that if that Jacuzzi scene had lasted any longer, or if Nora or the other girls had stuck around, Chelsea would’ve eventually stuck her foot in her mouth. Pedicure or not, she would’ve ended up making a complete fool of herself. It wouldn’t have been such a big deal tonight since it was unlikely she’d ever see those kids again. But eventually it could be a big deal.
Her mind was made up. Even if it took a lot of work and preparation, and even if she had to memorize all of Kate’s secrets to self-esteem or tattoo CliffsNotes on her palm, Chelsea was determined she would master this. Kate had pulled out all the stops to turn Chelsea into a new person on the outside, and it was up to Chelsea to do all she could to make sure the rest of her matched up.
The next two days passed relatively uneventfully. When Chelsea wasn’t behind the wheel, she was studying the notes she’d made based on advice Kate had given her, as well as reading a variety of fluffy fashion and pop culture magazines that she picked up during their meal stops.
“You’ve been awfully quiet all afternoon,” Dad said as the city of Albuquerque came into view on their third day on the road.
“Sorry,” she told him as she closed the magazine.
“Are those, uh, magazines really that interesting?”
She laughed. “Not at first. But I want to try to fit in better, you know? I was kind of a geek before.”
“You weren’t a geek,” he said. “Academic, yes. But not a geek.”
“You’re my dad,” she reminded him. “You have to say that.”
“Yes, but I don’t think—”
“It’s okay, Dad.” She sighed loudly. “I know what I was. And I know I don’t want to keep on being that. But just because Kate helped me with the outside package doesn’t mean my troubles are over.”
He frowned. “So you really think that just by reading those”—he nodded to the pile of glossy magazines piled around her feet—“you’re going to learn some secret social code for being accepted into a new school?”
“I honestly don’t know. Probably not.”
“Even if you weren’t admitted into whatever high-ranking clique is ruling and reigning in your new school, would it matter so much?”
She laughed. “Oh, Dad, I don’t expect to be admitted into any high-ranking clique. Just because my hair is blonde doesn’t mean I’ve lost some brain cells.”
He laughed.
“I just want to have something of a life. I don’t have high expectations. I just want some good friends and to do some fun things, and not to feel like I need to make myself invisible all the time.” She almost added that she also wanted to learn how to deal with boys, but she knew that would probably result in some kind of lecture that she wasn’t in the mood to hear right now. Besides, Dad was pulling into one of the freeway motels.
“Last stop until San Jose,” he said as he pulled up to the lobby entrance. “I’ll be right back.”
She could see from where t
he car was parked that this hotel had a nice-looking outdoor pool, and it looked fairly crowded. Not surprising when the car’s exterior thermometer indicated it was 98 degrees out there. And it was past six.
“I think I’ll check out the pool,” she told Dad when he returned with their room keys. “If you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. I’ll give Kate a call while you’re swimming. The hotel restaurant didn’t look too bad. Maybe we can just eat in later tonight.”
This time as Chelsea got ready to go to the pool, she decided to try out the daring string bikini that Kate had gotten for her. After all, if Kate thought it was okay, why wouldn’t it be? Besides, Chelsea figured this would be a good test of whether or not she could act comfortable in her own skin. Of course, once she had the bikini on and saw herself in the bathroom mirror, she nearly fell over at how much of her own skin was actually showing. Even her underwear offered more coverage than this little number. But her faux tan was still holding up, and really, she looked pretty hot in a bikini.
However, she knew her dad might have a stroke if he saw her so scantily clad. Did she want to get him all worked up? She started to switch the bikini for the more conservative suit, then stopped herself. No, she needed to do this. Walking around in public in this bikini would be like her badge of courage. In fact, that’s about how big the pieces of the bikini were—like badges.
To bolster her confidence, she touched up her lip gloss and even put on some of the waterproof mascara she’d gotten at their previous hotel gift shop that morning. To protect her dad’s heart health, she put her tank top and shorts on over the suit. Grabbing a towel and a few other things, she headed for the door and waved to Dad, who was still on the phone.
“Tell Kate hey for me,” she called as she exited. She was relieved he couldn’t see her in the bikini. Hopefully he wouldn’t venture down to the pool and see his nearly naked daughter.
As she rode the elevator down, she questioned herself. Was she being stupid? Or crazy? Or compromising herself or her values? As the elevator doors opened, she told herself that this was simply going to be a test, and after she passed this test, she would pack the bikini away and never wear it again.
Jerk Magnet, The (Life at Kingston High Book #1) Page 5