Char (22 page)

“Why didn’t you call me when you passed out? I would have come back home,” I tell her.

“It happened when we weren’t talking…”

Right. When I called her a whore. Which makes me feel
that much worse
about how horrible I acted. “I’m really sorry about what I said. I was mad, but I had no right to say that about you.”

“No, you did,” she says. “I’m only nineteen, but sometimes I forget what high school was like. I remember some people only liked me because of who my older sister was. And I know it has to be worse for you, having not one but two sisters in the spotlight. Especially with me being…
me
. And me, well, I should have known better. Now I have a reputation as a whore, and there isn’t anything I can do about it.”

“Why did you do it?” I ask, because I want to know. What made my sister want to become the person she is today? What triggered it?

“It’s the attention I get,” she answers. “When I first started, I told myself I wasn’t going to do any naked poses. I was, or
am
, too classy for stuff like that. But then I realized the more skin I showed, the more attention I got. And the more skin I showed, the easier it got to take a little more off. Before I knew it, I was posing naked, and I was sleeping around. I thrived on the attention. I wasn’t satisfied unless I was the center of attention.”

“What gave you this eye-opening revolution?”

“When I woke up in the hospital. I was hooked up to an IV, and the only person in my room was me. Mom wasn’t there. Chloe wasn’t there.
You
weren’t there. Just the camera crew, and a few of the cast from
Shores of Malibu
… and the only reason they were there was for the cameras. It was then that I realized how pathetic I really was,” she says. “I lived for work… and work was all I had left.”

“Why wasn’t Mom there?”

“She was busy, and since it wasn’t life-threatening she didn’t bother showing up.”

Her words piss me off. How could Mom just
not show up
at the hospital when Candi needed her? And better yet
why
wasn’t she there? Candice has always been her favorite. Wherever Candi is, Mom is sure to follow. So what changed?

And this just confirms that my mom
hasn’t
changed. Like at all. She’s still the same selfish bitch she’s always been. And if she thinks I’m going to fall for her little manipulative game, she’s got another thing coming.

“Mom is such a bitch,” I tell her. “I wish you would have called me. I don’t care how mad I am at you, you’re my sister. I would have been on the first flight if I had known.”

“I think I needed to be alone. It was very liberating,” she says. “But yeah, Mom is a bitch. Which is why I fired her.”

Candice fired Mom. Which explains why she wasn’t at the hospital. She was mad and basically throwing a hissy fit. But still, how could she do that to her own daughter? “I’m glad you fired her, but why did you do it? I always thought you were mom’s favorite.”

“Mom kept trying to pressure me to do more nude shots,” she says. “Which is why I have lost so much weight, honestly. There is always something on my body that I’m unhappy with. And being nude all day just makes me that much more self-conscience.”

“But you’re beautiful…”

“I’m beautiful because I spend five hours a day working out, and I eat less than twelve hundred calories a day. I’ve been slowly starving myself.”

“No, you’ve always been beautiful,” I tell her. “Even before you started obsessing over your weight.”

She smiles at me. “I think you’re mistaken. Chloe and you are the pretty ones. I don’t even look like you two. I’m five-eight, you two are both five-five. I have brown hair, you both have blonde. You both have a size seven foot, mine is a size nine… Everything about me is bigger.”

Candice has
always
hated her brown hair. She’s been dying it since she was fourteen. I had almost forgot that brown is her natural color. “Everybody tells me that I look just like you,” I tell her. “And so what… you’re taller… Being tall is a good thing. If you weren’t tall, you couldn’t be a model.”

“I’m actually thinking about quitting. I am considering going back to college. I’m looking at NYU. The tuition will be a killer, but I have a lot of money saved up from modeling. I can live comfortably for quite a few years on what I have saved.”

I think about the college fund that Dad told me about. “Actually, I don’t think you will have to worry about paying for college.”

“Why?”

“Dad still has your college trust,” I tell her. “He’s been saving it
just in case
. And NYU would be perfect, because I’m considering going to Columbia next year. We will still be close and can see each other often.”

Her face lights up. “You really
want
to be close to me after everything?”

“Definitely,” I answer. “You’re my sister, and I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She pulls me in for another hug, and I like it. We did waste a lot of time with stupid sister-rivalries. But not anymore. And I plan on making up for every second that I can.

The
real
Candice is back.

7pm

Crash and burn.

Since Candi is here, we decide to celebrate. Dad takes Candice, Tristan, Christian, and I out to dinner. Christian pretty much invites himself. He wants to meet my “
hot older sister
”. I can’t believe he even thinks she will give him the time of day, but I will enjoy watching him crash and burn… It’s the small things in life.

At the table I set between Candice and Tristan. Christian
tries
to sit on the other side of Candice, but my dad beats him to it, so he’s stuck between my dad and Tristan. I want to laugh, but I contain myself.

“I’m glad you could come, Candice,” Dad tells her. “I’ve missed having you around.”

“I’m actually thinking about moving to New York City,” she says. “I’m looking at going to NYU. I don’t know if I can get in for the winter semester, but I’m going to try for fall next year.”

Dad smiles a huge smile, and I can tell he’s thrilled by the idea. “Both of you. In college. In New York City. This is wonderful. And if you really want in for the winter, I can get you in.”

“Really? How?” she asks.

“I know the head of admissions. I can call him and pull a few strings.”

Dad knows everybody in New York City. Probably because he handles basically
every
divorce case in the city. No wonder he stays so busy all the time.

“That would be great,” Candice says. “I’ve already told the directors of
Shores of Malibu
that I won’t be coming back there next season, and I only have a few contracts to fulfill between now and then. I have quite a bit of money stored back, so it should get me through seven years of schooling.”

“Seven years?” Dad asks.

“Yeah. I want to be a lawyer,” she answers.

Candice? A lawyer? I try to picture it, but it’s hard to imagine. But Dad sure looks like he likes the idea. In fact, he looks like he’s going to cry. I’m pretty sure he’s wanted all three of us to follow in his footsteps. I think Candi is the last one of us he expected to go to college.

I’m happy for Candice. She knows
exactly
what she wants. And for that matter, so does Chloe. She’ll have her cute baby, live in Hollywood, and continue her rise to fame. But me, I have no clue what my future holds. I know I want to go to Columbia, but what do I want to study once I get there? I have considered being a lawyer, but is
that
really what I want in life? I don’t know.

“You’ll figure it out,” Tristan whispers to me, as if he knows what I’m thinking.

He’s right. I will eventually figure out what I’m supposed to do. Hopefully it’s before I’m enrolled at Columbia. “I know. I’m so happy for Candice.”

“Me too,” he says. “And I am glad that you two made-up. Family shouldn’t stay mad at each other.”

Christian speaks up. “So, Candi, since you’re going to be in New York, maybe we could hang out sometime.”

Candice giggles, and then she sees that he’s not joking. “How old are you?”

“I’ll be eighteen in February.” Christian looks nervous now, and it’s funny to see him like this. He’s never
actually
had to work to get a girl, so this is new for him… I wonder if this means he’s finally moved on from trying to get into Layla’s pants.

“No offense, but I’m really not interested in dating right now,” she says. “Especially not somebody in high school.”

Tristan laughs, and I can’t help it, I join in. Christian shoots us both a mean look and we immediately stop.

“You know,” Christian says to Candi, “you’re not even two years older than me. And I’ll be at NYU next year too.”

“I’ll tell you what… If we are both still single next year when you get to NYU, I’ll let you take me on a date,” she says. “One date only.”

“Deal,” he agrees.

I have to admit, Christian gets what he wants. And if I know Christian, he
will
be single next year. He will definitely get that date if he has his way.

“Your brother is crazy,” I tell Tristan.

“That I know,” he says back.

“So what are we doing for my birthday on Sunday?” I ask everybody.

“That’s completely up to you,” my dad answers. “It’s your eighteenth birthday.”

I think for a few seconds. I don’t know what I want to do exactly. In California, every birthday was the same. Aaron and I would ditch school, if there was school on that particular day, and we would always start out the day our favorite way — surfing. After surfing, we would go to our favorite cafe and have waffles for breakfast. Afterward we’d get high and chill for a few hours. His dads always threw me party. One of my favorite bands would play. We’d eat lots of food and dance all night. It was the best. “Maybe we could just chill at the penthouse. We can eat cake, and everybody can buy me awesome presents.”

“Oh, that reminds me,” Candi says. “I want to take you shopping tomorrow. I looked through your closet earlier, and you’re in serious need of winter clothes.”

I so knew that was coming. Candice will
always
be a girly girl. I know a lot about fashion, but everything I know I’ve learned from her. “Sounds fun,” I tell her. But really, I’m kind of sad. Aaron won’t be here for my birthday. I would call him and invite him, but he hasn’t talked to me since he left the Hamptons. Every time I call, he doesn’t answer. When I text, he doesn’t reply. And I feel like it’s my fault. I didn’t share the feelings that he had for me, and I was the one who pushed him away. I just hope I haven’t lost him
forever
. Maybe I will try to call him again, before my birthday. I would feel better if I did just talk to him.

The rest of dinner, we talk more about college. Christian tells Candice all about NYU. He says he’ll be her
personal tour guide
. I ask Tristan why Christian is going to NYU, and he said it’s because that’s where their dad went. Tristan’s dad was proud of him for getting into Columbia, but he would have been just as happy with NYU… It seems weird to me. Their dad seems to be all about labels, and what looks good. Their house in a prime example of that. But when it comes to his kids, he wants whatever they want. It’s so strange.

I get a call from my mom, but I don’t answer. Mostly because I’m mad at her, and partly because we are at dinner. I don’t even know
what
I will say to her after I found out what she did to Candice. It was low of her, but I will confront her. Probably after my birthday, because I don’t want her to ruin this weekend for me. This weekend is going to be awesome. I get to spend time with Candice, and of course Tristan is here. What more could I ask for?

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

8am

Sister Day.

Who would wake me up at seven in the morning on a Saturday for shopping? Candice, that’s who. The only reason I like to get up before noon is for surfing only. But since she is here, I will make an exception… I just know it’s going to be a really long day.

Before shopping, Candice wants to fix my hair and make up. She always wants to get dressed up to go shopping. Really, I’d rather just put on a comfy pair of jeans to go shopping in. But nope — Candi says I should wear a dress. So here I am at eight in the morning, wearing a super-cute dress, make up, and even my hair is fixed. Oh, and we have an appointment at nine to get our nails done.

I text Tristan while we are waiting for our breakfast.

Me:
HELP. Candice is torturing me!

Tristan:
Since when do you considering a day of shopping torture?

Me:
Since I have to do it in four-inch heels.

I take a picture of my four-inch heels and send it to him.

Tristan:
HOT. Maybe when you’re done I can come over and help you take your shoes off. And everything else. ;)

Me:
Only 11 more days.

Tristan:
Trust me, I know. I’ll talk to you soon. Have fun with your sister.

I’m glad he’s just as excited as I am. I’m actually
sort of
happy he’s making me wait, not that I would ever admit it to
him
. He’s right. The wait makes it more suspenseful. It has given us time to get to know one another, and from what I see, I definitely like Tristan a lot. I might
more than like
him, but that’s a thought for another day. Right now, it’s all about Candice. I have a feeling she needs this day a lot more than I do. I will be supportive, and I will
definitely
enjoy today. And if my feet hurt too bad, I’ll just put on the pair of flip-flops I stuck in my purse this morning.

“The producers of
Shores of Malibu
offered me a raise,” she tells me.

“Really? How much?” I ask. Maybe it’s not my business, but

“One hundred and fifty thousand an episode.”

“One hundred and fifty thousand dollars an episode?” I repeat it back as a question, because I’m sure I misunderstood her.

“Yep.”

“How much were you making before?”

“One hundred thousand.”

Oh my God. No wonder my mom was mad about getting fired. I had no idea that Candi made so much money. I mean, I knew she made a
lot.
But I didn’t know a
lot
was one hundred thousand. Last I heard she was making about forty thousand an episode. “That’s crazy,” I tell her. “Are you going to take it?”