Jealousy (7 page)

“Thirteen,” Khloe said, “is a
big
deal, and I, along with all of your friends, hope your birthday wishes come true. I'm so happy you came to Canterwood and that we're besties. Mwah!” She touched her lips to her fingertips and blew me a giant kiss.

“There are a few more people who want to say happy birthday,” Khloe added.

“Happy birthday!” Clare, Jill, and Lex sang into the mic. “We love you, LT!”

I flashed them the
I love you!
hand signal and couldn't stop smiling. I was the lucky one.

“Guests, please join us at the cupcake table to sing ‘Happy Birthday' to Lauren,” Khloe said. Her eyes settled on me. “And c'mon up here, LT.”

“Come with me?” I whispered to Drew.

“Absolutely, birthday girl.”

Drew held out his hand, and I slid mine into his.

The crowd parted, making a clear path for Drew and me. We walked across the ballroom and stopped near Khloe. The tiers of cupcakes looked
très
yummy! My parents had shipped cupcakes from Butter Lane, my favorite bakery in New York City. The huge strawberry cupcakes had vanilla icing that looked delicious.

One cupcake, slightly larger than the rest, was covered in confetti sprinkles and had a blue candle in the center.

Khloe picked up the cupcake, placed it on a round black plate, and held it out to Zack. He produced a Bic lighter and lit the candle wick.

“Happy birthday,” he said, smiling at me.

“Thanks, Zack.”

Khloe's guy was one of the first who had welcomed me to Canterwood. We'd been friends since day one.

“Guys?” Khloe asked, pursing her lips. “I think Laur needs to be a little, oh,
higher
.”

“Wha—”

Before I could get the words out, Drew and Zack stood shoulder to shoulder. Garret and Cole put their hands gently on my waist, carefully lifting me into the air.

“Ah! Guys!” I squealed, giggling.

They lowered me onto Zack's and Drew's shoulders.

“You okay?” Drew asked, looking up at me.

“I feel like a princess!” I never,
ever
imagined something like this would happen during my birthday. I was literally swept off my feet and having one of the best nights of my life.

“Yay!” Khloe said. “Lex, your idea was
brill
.”

“But are you all right?” I asked Drew. “Zack? Am I hurting you guys?”

Both guys shook their heads.

“Please, LT,” Zack said. He used a deeper-than-normal voice. “Don't question our strength.”

Nodding, I laughed. If Zack and Drew weren't careful, I'd be asking them to carry me everywhere.

Cole moved behind me, placing a steadying hand on my back. “We won't let you fall,” he said. “Promise.”

“Thanks, Cole,” I said. His extra support did make me feel more stable. From my new seat, I could see over everyone's heads—the guys were taller than I'd thought.

Khloe stepped in front of me, lifting my cupcake and the flickering candle.

“It's like you're holding up an offering,” I teased.

Khlo laughed. “Don't get too used to being up there, goddess.”

Khloe led the room into singing “Happy Birthday.”
They sang the
entire
song, and I was embarrassed when I started blinking back tears of happiness. I couldn't believe I was
here
at my dream school, surrounded by friends, and having the best birthday ever. Thirteen was
definitely
my lucky number.

“I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO THANK YOU ENOUGH,”
I said, hugging Clare. People exited the ballroom as the party ended. A bunch of people had pitched in to clean up and put my gifts into bags, and Zack had left a note for the janitor that we'd be back in the morning to clear out the decorations. It was late, and we had to get back to our rooms.

Clare tossed her red curls over her shoulder. “Omigod, it was so much fun. I'm glad you had a good birthday!”

Next to me Lexa slung her arm across my shoulders. “If you feel the need to repay us, you can, oh, tell us
everything
about Taylor tomorrow.”

“Deal,” I said. “I'm meeting up with him to talk, so I'll BBM you guys after and we can hit The Sweet Shoppe.”

I hugged Lex good night, and she and Clare headed
out. Zack had offered to walk Khloe back to Hawthorne a few moments ago. I'd waved the two of them off, promising Khlo that I'd be in our room in five.

With a happy sigh I turned around and walked toward the table with my PINK totes stuffed with Happy Birthday cards.

Drew and Taylor stood near my things. They weren't speaking to each other. Taylor's arms were crossed, and Drew's hands were in his pockets. Both of them stared in opposite directions.

Oh, mon Dieu!

I hurried over, my legs feeling heavy—like I was wearing ankle weights.

“Hi, hey,” I babbled.

And I had nothing else.

What was I supposed to say to my almost-boyfriend and my ex?

“I wanted to say thanks for inviting me to your party,” Taylor said. “I'm about to go back to Wren Hall.”

I played with a sequin on my dress. “Thanks for coming. Um, Taylor, have you met Drew Adams?”

Taylor nodded, smiling.

Smiling?

“We met while you were saying good-bye to your
friends,” Taylor said. He uncrossed his arms.

“Drew, I mentioned that Taylor's my friend from Union,” I said. “We went to school together.”

Drew, like Taylor, smiled. “That's what Taylor said.”

The guys were being way cooler about this than I'd imagined. Maybe it wouldn't last a second after the clock struck midnight and it was officially not my birthday. But I'd take whatever civil behavior between them that I could get.

Taylor straightened, shifting his weight off the table. “I've got to go. 'Night, Lauren. Happy birthday.”

We stared at each other for a millisecond before Taylor smiled, walked around me, and headed for the exit. Hugging Taylor in front of Drew didn't feel like it would have been right. Luckily, Taylor had made the decision about how to say good night for me.

The door closed behind Taylor, leaving Drew and me alone in the ballroom.

“Was that weird?” I asked. “Be honest.”

“It was at first,” Drew said. “I'm going to try not thinking about him as your ex.”

I stared at the floor. I should have been there when they had met and . . .

“Laur?” Drew asked. “I see the look on your face. I was going to add that as much as I didn't want to like Taylor,
he might be okay. I mean, he had to be if you dated him. He's in your past. Everyone's got an ex. I'm not going to start any problems.”

The sick feeling in my stomach started to disappear. “You're really okay after meeting Taylor? Really?”

“Really.”

I threw my arms around Drew, almost knocking him over.

Laughing, he hugged me back.

“You're being so great about everything,” I said. I let go of him, realizing that I'd just launched myself into his arms. “Thank you.”

“No thanks necessary. Just let me ask two things?”

I met his eyes. They seemed to change shades with his mood.

“Can I walk you back to Hawthorne? And will you go out with me next week?”

I grinned. “Yes and yes!”

Drew picked up my bags, slinging them over one shoulder. I took his free hand and he enclosed it around mine. Together we walked across the silent ballroom and stepped out into the cool night air. Drew's hand in mine kept me warm the entire walk across campus to my dorm hall.

THE SECOND I SHUT MY DOOR BEHIND ME, I
ran across the room, grabbed my BlackBerry without even looking up, and started typing.

“Lauren, oh my God!” Khloe said. She was still in her party dress and had pulled her hair up into a cheerleader-esque ponytail. “Sit and spill! Like, five minutes ago!”

I stopped typing, looking at her. “I will, promise. I'm BBMing Ana and Brielle first. I have to know
what
is going on.”

Khloe nodded. “Totally understand. I'm going to change while you talk to them.”

I nodded, looking back at the message I had already started to Ana. It was after ten, but Ana was a night owl,
and her parents didn't mind if she texted or BBMed late once in a while.

Lauren:

Ana, r u up?

I sent the message. It delivered, and I waited for thirty seconds before writing again.

Y didn't u tell me abt Taylor??? All of a sudden, he was HERE and said u & Bri knew.

I hit send while the message before it was still unread.

He said he asked u guys not 2 tell me, but c'mon—girl code! Ana, it was srsly almost the biggest disaster!!! Taylor didn't just surprise me by coming, but he KISSED ME! U r obvi asleep, so I'll stop writing. We have 2 talk. Call me 2mrw?

Still standing, I exited out of Ana's name and clicked on Bri's.

Lauren:

Hey, r u there? I really need 2 talk 2 u . . .

I sent the message and waited. The
D
for delivered changed to an
R
for read!

Lauren:

OMG, so glad u r there!! Can u call me now? Or will parentals freak? If u can't at least we can BBM. I SO have 2 talk 2 u abt 2nite.

I kept my finger moving over the cursor to keep my
phone awake. I waited to see
Bri's writing a message
appear. But five minutes later nothing had changed. My second message was unread, and Bri hadn't written me back.

She's probably checking to see if her parents are asleep,
I thought.
Then she's going to call you. That's why she's not writing back.

Khloe came out of the bathroom, dress in hand, and had changed into a neon-yellow thermal long-sleeve shirt and pink flared pj pants.

“You getting any answers?” she asked.

I groaned. “No one's up. Well, Bri read my first BBM but not the second one. I think she's going to call, though.”

“I'm sure. If she read your first message, then she's up. Maybe your phone has a bad signal?”

I checked the bars. I had full reception. “No, but I'll turn it off and on in case it's messed up.”

Khloe opened the trunk at the foot of her bed and pulled out a plum-and-white-dotted throw blanket. She threw it across her bed and climbed under the covers.

I turned off my phone and kicked off my shoes. I sat at the edge of my bed and reopened BBM once my phone restarted.

Nothing.

Half an hour ticked by before I started my last message to Bri.

Lauren:

Going 2 sleep. Maybe talk 2 u 2mrw.

I punched the off button and put my phone facedown on my dresser. Khloe was reading the latest issue of
Celeb Dish
when I glanced over at her.

“I guess Bri couldn't call,” I said. I tried to swallow the disappointment that I felt from Bri and Ana's secret keeping. “I'm going to get into pj's too.”

In the bathroom I took off my dress and turned on the hot water in the sink. I splashed handfuls of it over my face and washed off my makeup. I pulled on black leggings and a warm button-down orange-and-black-striped shirt.

When I finally climbed into bed, I was so tired, I could barely keep my eyes open.

“I feel like I'm dreaming,” I said to Khloe. “I had the best party imaginable, and this crazy thing happened in the middle of it.”

“I'm so happy you had a good birthday,” Khlo said. “Want to sleep now and save the boy talk for tomorrow morning? Over tea and pancakes?”

I covered a yawn. “Sounds good. Thank you, Khlo. For
everything. Tonight was the best party. You're the greatest best friend.”