V is for Virgin (20 page)

“She’s alive!” I teased when Cara finally called me. “I thought the dark side of the rock n’ roll VIP world might have sucked you under for good this time.”

“It just might,” Cara said. “Where are you?”

“School. Where are you?”

“School. Where are you more specifically?”

“The cafeteria. It’s lunch already, incase you failed to notice.”

“I’m in the cafeteria and you’re not—oh.”

She hung up.

“Was that Cara?” Stephanie asked.

“Yeah, I guess she’s all recovered from her wild night. I should go find her.”

“Val, you don’t have to go anywhere.”

“Yeah,” Lacy said. “She can join us if you want.”

“Ugh, does she have to?” Olivia whined. “She is so wretched. No offense, Val, but how can you stand her?”

“You guys talking about that drama chick?” Devon asked. “She scares me.”

“Me too,” Mason admitted.

“I think she’s hot,” Jeff said. “Hey, Val, hook a brother up?”

“Yeah, right Jeff,” Mason said. “That chick is way too much woman for you. She would eat you for breakfast.”

We all had a good laugh at that. I love that people are scared of Cara. I’m pretty sure Cara loves it too.

“Don’t hurry to come find me or anything,” Cara said appearing over my shoulder.

“I was just coming,” I said, still laughing a little. I patted the spot next to me where Stephanie had scooted down already. “Have a seat.”

When Cara didn’t sit I looked up behind me. Cara was eying my new group of friends, and for once she wasn’t showing any emotion on that overly dramatic face of hers. “Or, I could come with you,” I suggested instead.

Both Stephanie and Isaac tried to tell Cara she was welcome to stay, but I was sure Cara wanted to ask about my chosen seating arrangement today and she couldn’t exactly do it in front of everyone. “It’s all right,” I said standing. “We have lots of things to catch up on. I’ll see you guys later.”

Before I could leave, Isaac caught my hand. “Can I give you a ride home today?”

“On the motorcycle?” My heart jumped in my chest at the thought of climbing on behind him and holding tight all the way home.

Isaac laughed and said, “Be adventurous, Val. You’re good at that.”

“Well, when you put it that way.”

“I’ll meet you by your locker.”

“’Kay.”

Cara had the decency to wait until we were out of the cafeteria before pulling me to an abrupt stop. “Okay, dish the drama already. I’m dying. I almost couldn’t enjoy the party last night because I kept thinking about you. What happened? Obviously things went well. But how well? Are you guys together or what? I couldn’t tell. But it’s totally going that way isn’t it? Dang girl, I can’t believe you’re eating lunch with Stephanie DeWitt and driving home on Isaac Warren’s motorcycle!”

I couldn’t help myself and burst into laughter. I don’t know how she ever managed to contain herself before. “No, you first,” I insisted when I’d calmed my giggles. “I feel bad that I haven’t wanted to hang out with you and Shane much. I mean you know I don’t care for the whole party scene, and especially with Kyle and everything, but, still, Shane’s important to you. I should have gone with you last night, so, I’m sorry, and now I want you to tell me all about it. Were there any famous people there? How many dates did Kyle bring?”

Cara’s face lit up and she squealed. “There’s the V I know and love! Okay, first of all, Jimmy Eat World was there, which is more awesome than I can tell you, and secondly Kyle didn’t bring a date at all.”

“Really?” I hated that this news interested me, and I hated the way Cara cocked an eyebrow at me when it did.

“Nope, he didn’t bring anyone,” she said. “It’s a good thing too because he danced or made out with just about every girl there, and then took home some other guy’s girlfriend.”

“Nice.”

“Don’t worry, V. He still asked about you.”

“Oh, yeah? What’d he say?”

Cara looked worried for a second, or maybe guilty, and then changed the subject. Whatever Kyle had to say about me wasn’t exactly a compliment. Oh, well. That was probably for the best.

“Never mind what Kyle said. You know how you said you’ve been a lousy best friend lately, and that you totally owe me for not coming with me to the party last night?”

“Not exactly what I said, but, yeah?” I asked warily.

“Well…” Cara cringed. Whatever this was, it was going to be bad.

“Just spill it, already.”

“Tralse is filming a music video on Friday for Cryin’ Shame. They wanted me to ask you if you’d be in it.”

“Excuse me?”

“Val, it’s
your
song. Kyle wrote it for
you
. Now that you’ve been in the news, they thought it would be cool to have the real Virgin Val be in the video. Even their manager thinks it’s a really good idea.”

“Definitely not a good idea.”

“Think of the publicity you’d get. You’re about to launch your jewelry line and they want you to be wearing your necklace in the video.”

“Probably
only
my necklace. Cara that song is about him wanting me to give up my virginity to him.”

“I know! It’s perfect. The manwhore swooning over the virgin. It’s delicious.”

“It’s also not happening.”

“But V—”

“No buts. No. My answer is no. Not only no, but
hell
no. Somehow that would be like letting Kyle win.”

Cara sighed and I expected more of a fight but instead she smiled. “I told them you’d never go for it. Promised I’d ask, but told them you wouldn’t do it.”

“And that’s why I love you, C.”

“Don’t love me yet.”

“This can’t be good.”

“Well, I told them you’d never go for it in a million years, so Shane said that if you didn’t then I should. This morning I went to meet the guy who’s directing the video and auditioned for him. He said the part’s mine if I want it, but I told him I had to check with you first.”

Cara was trying to go for that whole poker face thing again, but she was holding her breath—praying I wouldn’t be upset. I wasn’t. Even though it was for Kyle’s music video, I was nothing but excited. “C, that’s great!”

“Really?”

“Of course! All you’ve ever wanted is to be an actress. Being in a music video has to be a step in the right direction, doesn’t it?”

“Exactly!” Cara released a giant breath of relief. “It could get my foot in the door at other auditions. Maybe even help me get an agent.” Cara sobered herself and said, “So you really don’t mind if I do it?”

“Of course I don’t. I’m happy for you. Plus, if you do it, then I don’t have to, right?”

“Right. So you want to come watch us film it on Friday? Call time isn’t until 4 p.m. so you don’t even have to miss school.”

Now it was my turn to hesitate. “Um,” I said, cringing. “You know I would, Cara.”

“But?”

“I sort of already made plans.”

“What plans? You made plans without me?”

“Sorry. It just sort of happened. I was telling Robin this morning about how Isaac wanted to go out but I was kind of nervous to go, so Robin suggested we double.”

I knew Cara had been jealous of how much time I’d been spending with Robin lately, but I honestly didn’t expect her to be as hurt as she was. She didn’t even get mad. She didn’t say something snarky or yell at me or anything. Her face simply dropped a little and she asked, “You dished your Isaac drama to Robin?”

I’d never seen Cara respond to anything calmly. I felt awful, but I couldn’t back down and apologize for doing nothing wrong. Robin was my friend now, and so was Stephanie. Cara was going to have to learn how to share.

“You weren’t here or answering your phone. Robin asked, so I told her,” I explained with a shrug. Then I tried to change the subject as quickly as possible. “If it makes you feel any better, I told off Zach and I kissed Isaac.”

“Really?”

Cara smiled brightly. It was the first time I think she’s ever turned on her acting skills trying to fool
me.
She’s good, but she couldn’t quite accomplish it. The smile was a fake.

“Are you still coming with me to the launch on Saturday?” I asked. I half expected her to make up an excuse to bail on me.

“Of course I’ll be there. I’ve got to go to the office right now. My mom wrote me a note for missing school this morning.”

“’Kay. I’ll see you in seventh then.”

Cara left and I dragged my feet all the way to my next class. Things were weird between us. We were fighting, and granted we did this every other day, but it was different this time. We were fighting but we weren’t. Cara was my very best friend ever. I hated being at odds with her, but the problem was, I wasn’t sure what we were fighting about this time, or how to fix it.

Saturday night and the Virgin Jewelry launch came all too quickly. There’d been a million things I had to do, and, suddenly, I was somehow standing in the back office of Margret’s jewelry store waiting to face the crowd gathered out front. The term “office” was generous. It was more like a supply closet with a desk, but it was quiet and empty of all people except Margret and me, so it was a sanctuary at the moment.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous in my life,” I muttered. “There’re so many people here.”

Everyone had shown—Misters Cartwright and Jackson of C&J Jewels, Christina and Darla from the Not Everybody’s Doing It Foundation, my parents, the entire Huntington High student body, a whole slew of reporters that had been invited by some publicity team C&J jewels hired, and lastly Tralse was here.

Tralse was slated to be the evening’s entertainment no matter how much I’d protested the idea. Everyone from both the C&J Jewels’ people as well as Tralse’s people said it would be a good idea. They must have been right because even CNN was here. We were going to make national news tonight.

“All this over a lowly high school student, a cause and a necklace, bracelet, earrings combo.”

“Come now dear, it’s exciting,” Margret said. “Everyone loves to see young people doing extraordinary things.”

“But I didn’t do anything extraordinary. It’s just a chain with a V on it. I only got the deal because Kyle Hamilton wrote an obnoxious song.”

“Fiddlesticks! You yourself are extraordinary. All those people out there are here to support you because they can see how special you are in standing up for something you believe.”

“But Margret, I’m not special. I’m terrified. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I don’t think I can do it. I can’t go out there.”

“I’ll be right there with you, and so will your parents, and all of your friends. In fact, I believe I saw a very handsome young man waiting for you out there.”

Margret raised an eyebrow at me causing my cheeks to turn bright pink. “So?” she asked.

I smiled at the idea of Margret wanting to gossip about “handsome young men” with me. It was a welcomed distraction so I told her about Isaac and about our date the night before. The night had gone well and I was pretty sure Isaac and I were officially an item now even if we hadn’t come out and said it.

Talking to Margret wasn’t as good as spilling the details to Cara, but things were still weird between us and we’d both been so busy—her with the video shoot, and me with the launch—that we hadn’t talked yet. She promised she’d come tonight with Shane, but I hadn’t seen her yet. Awkwardness or not, I hoped she was out there waiting for me. I didn’t think I could get through this night without her.

After a few minutes someone knocked on the office door, and Margret ushered me out. I let out a huge breath of relief when Isaac was standing there waiting for me. He looked so amazing in the suit he’d worn for the evening that I briefly toyed with the idea of attending Sunday school with him. I squeezed his waiting hand, and when he felt me trembling he pulled me into his arms.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Just nervous.”