I grab my bag and pull out the folder, my heart pounding. Mia’s research paper is tucked into the left side — 10 pages, MLA format, an A+ scrawled across the top. All I need to do is erase a few things and make it mine. I head to my dad’s office and dig through the desk drawer till I find a bottle of Wite-Out.
At my desk, I try hard to keep my hands from shaking as I carefully dab the Wite-Out over her header, her grade, and the few red marks the teacher made. I turn on my computer and scan her paper in, then make a document with my own name, date, class name, and teacher’s name. I print it out and then use that paper as the first page when I print out a copy of Mia’s paper. It looks perfect, and I stick it in my bag, letting out a deep breath.
Miss Linley is new, and I haven’t turned in much this semester, so she doesn’t know enough about me to know that I would never pick Emily Dickinson as a topic for a research paper. For once, I’m glad I never turned in any of the preliminary assignments for this project, so she has no idea what I intended to write about.
I’m nervous when I see Mia in the hallway, and I feel like she knows exactly what I’m doing even though I know she doesn’t have a clue. I would avoid her, but her locker is too close to mine, and she’s probably expecting my kiss after the last few days. And I want to kiss her. This relationship might be fake, but those kisses feel real, and I wonder if she likes them as much as I do.
I think I might be falling for Mia, and I have no idea how she feels about me. Is this all still a game to her, a way to improve her social status, or is she starting to feel something for me like I am for her? Sometimes, when she looks at me, I swear there’s something there, but I still feel like she’s pushing me away at the same time.
There’s no reason for her to like me. What do I really have to offer her? I may be popular, but now that people know who she is, she could probably get any guy she wanted. I think Dylan likes her, and he’s almost as good an athlete as me, plus he’s good-looking and a whole lot smarter.
I head towards Mia, plastering on a big smile to hide my nervousness. I sidle up beside her and slip an arm around her waist, splaying a hand on her hip. “I had a great time at the movies last night.”
I wink, and she cracks a grin. I know it wasn’t a date, but it sure felt like one. And watching a movie with Mia was so much more fun than watching one with Chloe. Chloe would’ve never wanted to watch an X-Men movie, for one thing. She only likes chick flicks. But Mia laughed at the crude jokes and cheered during the fight scenes, and she didn’t insist on having her own bucket of unbuttered popcorn. Of course, Chloe and I usually made out during the kissing scenes, and I was really tempted to reach for Mia when the characters kissed, but I chickened out.
I can kiss her now, though; it’s part of the deal. I lean in and peck the side of her cheek and she turns her lips towards me. I take my time, tasting her, and let my hand rest on her middle. She clenches her belly when I do that, and I’m tempted to move my hand up to her breast.
I pull away when I start to get too worked up and try to interpret the look on her face. She looks like she enjoyed it, but is it just an act?
“Good luck at the game.” Kerri grins and crosses her fingers, holding them up. “Are you gonna go watch him play tonight, Mia?” Mia frowns and shakes her head like she’s disappointed. Did she want to come watch me?
“No, I need to go shopping to buy something to wear to the party. Bianca actually offered to help me.”
I smile, imagining Mia in something like what Bianca wears. “That’s great. I’m sure she’ll help you find the perfect thing.”
Mia frowns again, and I don’t really understand what I did wrong, but I know I screwed up somehow.
“I’ll miss you tonight,” I say, and I mean it. I’d almost rather be with her than play. Her frown softens into a smile, and hopefully I’ve made up for whatever I said wrong before.
At lunch time, I make sure to let everyone know to bring a swimsuit to Mia’s party, and the excitement goes up a whole other level. I’m riding that high when I get to my English class and Miss Linley asks us to turn our research papers in.
My heart races and my mouth goes dry as I pull out my paper. I’m not hurting anyone, and no one’s ever gonna know, I keep telling myself over and over again, but my nervousness must be showing, because Jake eyes the paper in my hand then gives me a weird look.
“You actually have a paper to turn in?” He grabs the paper from me and starts laughing. “Emily Dickinson? What’s up with that?”
I grab the paper back and lean over, whispering. “Shut up, dude. I had some help, okay?”
“Help? Like you paid somebody to write your paper for you?” He smirks.
I pass my paper forward. “No! Mia is really smart. She’s helping me with my schoolwork so I don’t get kicked off the team.”
“So you’re saying she gives good head.” He deadpans.
I roll my eyes and punch him in the bicep when Miss Linley isn’t looking. He grabs his arm and whimpers, scrunching up his face like he’s dying, then turns it off and grins at me.
“So that’s why you dumped Chloe for Mia. I wondered. Mia’s cool and all, but she’s no Chloe, know what I mean? I knew there had to be something else going on.”
My eyes bug out. The last thing I want is for him to think we have an arrangement. That would not be good for Mia or me.
“What the hell? That’s my girlfriend you’re talking about. There’s nothing else going on. Mia’s awesome. I’d take her over Chloe any day.” When the words come out, I realize I mean them. At first, all I wanted was to save face and get back at Chloe, but now maybe I want something more.
“If you say so.” He shakes his head, looking skeptical.
“I do say so. I’ve been with her every night this week.”
His eyes get big and he wiggles his eyebrows. “So quiet, little Mia is a freak in the sheets?”
Crap, this conversation is getting out of control. “You must not be getting any if my love life is this interesting to you.”
He scowls, and I know I’ve hit a nerve. “Girls just don’t appreciate my awesome sense of humor.”
“You mean they don’t like getting pranked?” I grin, remembering some of the crazy stunts he’s pulled on girls over the years. Jake still thinks you can get a girl’s attention by playing tricks on her.
I’m not sure if I feel more or less anxious after I turn in Mia’s paper, but what’s done is done, and there’s no going back now.
Chapter Fourteen
Mia
I yank my dress down for the hundredth time as I stare in the mirror at the alien body I’ve invaded. She’s wearing a tight, black, tube dress made of some kind of stretchy material that refuses to stay put and instead wants to shimmy up from the bottom and down from the top so only my belly is covered. Her long, thick hair is styled in loose curls that bounce around her boobs which are defying gravity thanks to a pushup bra, and her smoky eye shadow and bright red lips are on point. The only thing about her that looks familiar is the way she’s tottering on spiky, strappy heels. Yep, probably gonna trip and crack my head open wearing those.
“You look super hot, Mia. Austin’s gonna flip,” Bianca says, admiring her handiwork, which is weird because I’m pretty sure she has the hots for him herself. Or maybe it’s just him that likes her. Probably both, seeing how they end up whispering and grinning at each other every time they come in contact. I still can’t figure out why she volunteered to take me shopping and help me get ready tonight. Nice is one of the few things not on my sister’s long list of pluses.
I cross my fingers and pray that Bianca doesn’t hang all over Austin tonight in front of everyone who thinks he’s going out with me. But maybe I won’t need him anymore after tonight. Maybe this party will be enough to cement my social standing in the upper echelons of the high school hierarchy. I’m not ready to give him up yet, though. He agreed to be my boyfriend till Valentine’s Day, and I still want that. I like having someone hold
my hand and kiss me in the halls, even if it is just pretend. It’s still better than nothing.
When Austin shows up half an hour before the party is supposed to start, his eyes rove up and down my body, and this time I think he likes what he sees.
“Damn, Mia. Is that you? You look great. Did Bianca pick this out?”
I swallow down my irritation and nod. Why does he assume I can’t pick out a nice outfit myself? I mean, just because I dress like a bum most of the time doesn’t mean I don’t know how to dress nicer.
“You look really good, too. I like your, uh, outfit.” Geez, I sound like such an idiot.
“Thanks.” He chuckles and looks down at his tight, dark jeans and deep, v-neck tee. They’re simple, but he’s got this “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts” thing going on that makes them look way sexier than they ought to.
He has a brown paper bag in his hand, and I’m pretty sure it’s full of liquor bottles. Do I even want to know how he got them? Nope, not asking. “Come on, let’s hide those before anybody gets curious.”
Austin gluggs a bunch of vodka into the punch bowl, and we stash the bag of bottles under the bar in the game room. A Martin Garrix techno beat is thumping from the stereo system, and my heart is racing against it. The most alcohol I’ve ever drank is a sip of wine, but when the doorbell rings, I pour myself a cup of punch and down it in one gulp. Austin gawks at me.
“They don’t call it liquid courage for nothing.” I shrug, and Austin smirks and nods and pours his own cup.
He pulls a small, silver, gift-wrapped box out of the bag and fiddles with the red bow. “I got you a present. I wanted—”
The doorbell rings again, and I roll my eyes. I told Berta she could have the night off; I didn’t want her hovering around, bringing down the party, and my parents decided to go out for dinner. I guess Bianca thinks answering the door is beneath her.
“I better get that.” It’s pretty obvious I’m nervous by the way my heels are clacking as I stumble back into the foyer, and I take a deep breath then yank open the door. It’s just the pizza guy, and I let the air rattle out of me and force my face into a smile. He’s got a huge stack of pizzas, and Austin reaches out to take them from him while I grab the money.
We take the pizzas to the game room and set them on the bar, and the doorbell rings again. Okay, this one’s got to be for real. I suck in another deep breath, and Austin runs a hand down my arm and twines his fingers with mine.
“Hey, it’s gonna be fine. The house looks awesome, you look awesome, and everybody’s gonna have a great time, including you. So just relax and have fun, okay?”
I nod and head back to the foyer, and Austin doesn’t let go of my hand, even though it’s sweaty and kind of gross.
It’s Kerri, and she eyes our joined hands and subtly wiggles an eyebrow at me but doesn’t say anything about it. That just means I’m gonna get an earful later.
“You look fierce, girl.” She bites her lip and looks down at her own outfit. She’s wearing a flirty, green dress that looks great with her red hair and pale skin and emphasizes her toned arms and legs (basketball must be good for the bod, maybe I should try it), but she looks more cute than sexy. Is she jealous of me? That would be a first.
I grab a hold of her dress and swing the skirt a little. She’s always dressed better than me, but I’ve never seen her in this kind of outfit before. “I love this on you, Ker. You look great.” She grins and, oh my God, is she blushing?
The guests start pouring in then, and Kerri and Austin get lost in the crowd as I’m suddenly surrounded by people I recognize but have never talked to in my life. Now here they are, in my house, celebrating my birthday. Everybody is wishing me a happy birthday, and hugging me, and telling me how great I look, and piling presents on the table in the foyer like we’re all the best of friends. They spread out through the house like an invasion of insects, and this huge mansion actually starts to feel crowded. Is the entire school here? I’m glad I took Austin’s suggestion and locked the doors to the rooms I didn’t want them in because there’s no way I could police them all.
Most of them find their way to the game room and start in on the punch. The music is pounding, the arcade games are beeping and blooping, the pinball machine is clacking, a couple guys are spinning the poles on the foosball table, cars are revving their engines on the Xbox, the popcorn machine is popping, and the noise level gets even louder when the alcohol starts to kick in.
“This room is getting too crowded. Let’s spread the party out a little,” Austin says and puts music videos on the giant screen in the theater then hollers for people to check it out. The room becomes a dance club when a ten-foot-tall Beyonce starts gyrating on the screen. Yikes, that’s a little scary.
But I’m starting to relax a little now that everybody is having fun and the attention is off me. Of course, Bianca shows up then. Either she wanted to let me be the star for a while or she just likes to be fashionably late. People start gawking at her as soon as she walks in, though, including Austin.
Why wouldn’t he, though? He’s a red-blooded male, and she’s a smokin’ hot fashion model. Her bright blue dress is looser than mine but somehow still sexier, and her skin glimmers in the dim party lighting. What’d she do, put glittery body lotion all over herself? She looks like a Twilight vampire, all perfect and sparkly. Everyone stares at her as she glides through the crowd, scoping out the scene like a panther, even Chloe, who looks amazing as usual but not quite as good as Bianca.
I smirk a little as Chloe scopes her out with disdain and gives her the stink eye. I may not be able to give Chloe a run for her money as the hottest girl in the room, but my sister sure can. When Bianca catches sight of her, they both lift their chins, push out their breasts, and toss their long, blonde hair at the same time like some kind of ritualistic animal showdown, and I start giggling at the ridiculousness of it.
Austin chooses that exact moment to approach Bianca, smiling and whispering something in her ear in front of Chloe. Bianca puts one hand on her chest and the other on his shoulder and makes doe eyes at him as she responds to whatever he’s saying. Gag me. Austin grins and blushes and looks at his shoes, and my good mood goes right down the toilet.
“Hey, didn’t you say this was a pool party? Where’s the water?” Dylan hollers, and the rest of the crowd starts clamoring and looking around. I sigh. Isn’t there enough entertainment here? Do we really have to get wet and half-naked?
“Come on, I’ll show you.” Austin waves at the crowd to follow him and starts heading towards the pool. I stay behind; I worked way too hard on this look to mess it up, thank you very much.
“This is a really great party, Mia. I love this punch.” Kerri sidles up to me, gulping down half a glass of it. Her cheeks are the color of her hair.
I raise an eyebrow at her. “You know there’s alcohol in that, right?”
Her mouth falls open, and she starts giggling and burps then covers her mouth with her hand. “Oh my God, I think I’ve had, like, three of these!” She jumps and shoots the empty cup towards the trash can like a free throw and misses. She’d be totally embarrassed if she wasn’t sloshed.
“Score! Three points for Kerri O’Connor!” She sticks up her hands and waves them around erratically, tipsy in her heels. I grab a hold of her before she falls over.
Her face gets serious then, and she looks me straight in the eye. “You look really good tonight, Mi. Austin couldn’t stop staring at you.”
I roll my eyes. “Until Bianca showed up. Then he only had eyes for her.”
Kerri waves my words away. “Everybody stares at Bianca. That’s why she’s a mo-del.” She drags out the last word, moving her hands up and down her body and shimmying. People start looking at her and chuckling.
“Besides, you still have a couple weeks till V-Day, so you have time to win him over before the deal is up.” Her voice is loud, and I bug out my eyes at her and look around to see if anybody heard her.
“Kerri, hush!” I grab her and pull her out into the hallway.
She squeals and claps her hands and takes off down the hallway when she sees people in swimsuits going in and out of the natatorium. “Let’s go swimming!”
“Kerri!” I run to catch up with her. Well, stagger I guess is the better word for it. I really need to lose these shoes. I’d kick them off, but the straps wrap half-way up my calf. By the time I got them untied, she’d be in the water.
The hot, humid air of the pool room smacks into me as I follow Kerri through the metal doors. Holy cow, it’s steamy in here, and I’m not just talking about all the half-naked people. I grab a hold of her before she reaches the edge of the pool, and I just barely catch myself from falling in when my heels start sliding on the slick tile.
“Kerri! What are you gonna do, jump in with your clothes and shoes on?”
“No, silly! These shoes were expensive!” She giggles and chucks her shoes under a lounge chair and reaches for the hem of her dress.
I slap her hands away. “Kerri, no! You can’t just take your dress off! This isn’t a skinny-dipping party.”
She yanks her dress off faster than I can stop her, but thank God, she has a suit on under it. “I’m wearing a swimsuit, silly! But skinny dipping sounds fun. We should do that!” Her eyes get wide with excitement.
People around us are watching now, and a few of the guys start cheering. “Take it off! Take it off!”
She reaches behind her for the clasp to her bikini top, and I grab her arms and hold them at her sides.
“Kerri, you are not getting naked at my birthday party! Do you understand me? You’re drunk, and you have no business going swimming.”
My Fake Valentine Page 10