V is for Virgin (23 page)

The weeks passed, and turned into months, but Shane’s prediction that the hype would fade never came true. It was all Kyle’s fault. Basically, Kyle was obsessed with our little “feud” and ran his mouth off about me any time the opportunity arose. Due to the insane success of Tralse’s second album, that was all the time.

Originally, things had calmed down for a while. Then the album came out, and Kyle gave an interview on a late night TV show announcing to the world that he’d personally dedicated the album to me (and my legs) because he’d written every song on it with me in mind. This sparked a lot of tabloid gossip because there were some seriously dirty songs, and some really angry songs, and even a few completely romantic songs on the album.

Apparently what I inspired in Kyle Hamilton was a multiple personality disorder.

Kyle was right, though—the album was hot. If I hadn’t known who wrote it, or whom it was about, it would have made me swoon the way it did every other girl in the world.

It was titled S Is For Sex. This was, of course, a lot better than Kyle’s original threat of Deflower the Virgin, but it was still a personal dig at me. Needless to say, the media had a field day with it.

The paparazzi followed me all over the place, always wanting a comment about something that Kyle had said. I tried my best not to rise to their bait, but seeing as how my best friend was glued at the hip to Kyle’s best friend, and Kyle was hell bent on making sure we ran into each other, I wasn’t very good at not adding fuel to the fire. No one knew how to push my buttons more than Kyle. Every time we had to be in the same room together I managed to lose my temper, and our fights were always caught on film.

Half the time, because I refused to read the tabloids, I was the last one to even know all the drama in my soap opera life. The day the Zach accusation hit the stands was one of those times.

I’d just gotten out of a meeting in the school’s administration office, and was trying to make it to lunch while I still had time to eat, when I was cornered by a group of junior girls I knew vaguely from the JV cheer squad. “There she is!” one of them hissed and then they were all getting up in my personal space.

“You are such a slut!” one girl shouted. “How could you do that to Sophia?”

I raised my eyes to the heavens and sighed. “I don’t have time for this today.” I rubbed the ache in my temples and focused on the girl who appeared to be the ringleader. “I have no idea who Sophia is, and whatever Kyle claims I did this time, it’s a lie. Okay? Everything settled? I’m sorry. I’d love to stay and chat but I’m in a hurry.”

“I don’t think so
chica
.” A really tall Amazon-looking girl stepped to the front of the crowd not hiding the fact that she wanted to pound me into the ground. “Sophia is my best friend and
this
isn’t a lie!”

The girl shoved a magazine in my face, and I instantly forgot about everything I was supposed to be doing right then.

I’d learned how to keep myself from shedding tears, but there was no way I could hide my reaction when I saw the image on the cover of the magazine. It was a picture Cara had taken over a year ago from a camping trip we’d gone on with Zach and a few of his friends. The caption read, “‘I slept with Virgin Val!’ Ex boyfriend comes clean about his steamy secret getaway with the notorious good girl.” A smaller caption underneath read, “Rock God Kyle Hamilton reacts to the shocking news,” and showed a picture of a seemingly heartbroken Kyle.

I knew the picture well. I loved it even. Until now.

Zach and I had been swimming and were lying out to dry off, but we got cold so we’d covered up with a blanket. Zach had made some cheesy comment about needing body heat to keep from dying of hypothermia and pulled me on top of him. I was laughing as he kissed me when Cara snapped the picture.

It became a notorious picture among our small group of friends because the swimsuit I’d been wearing was a tube top and with the blanket, and the angle of the picture, you could only see the tiniest part of my swimsuit. It basically looked like Zach and I were naked under that blanket.

We weren’t.

We’d never even gotten further than that one kiss that whole trip. We even slept in separate tents.

“This was taken over a year ago,” I said numbly. “We’re wearing swimsuits.”

“Yeah, right liar!”

“You’re a fraud!”

“Fake!”

“Slut!”

“Skank!”

“Boyfriend stealer!”

The JV girls began spouting a rather vulgar cheer they’d made up just for me as I walked away, but I didn’t care. I didn’t know them, and they obviously didn’t know me. Their insults weren’t what hurt. I was upset because only three people had copies of that picture, and in order for the tabloids to have it, Zach would have had to give them his. Because Cara and I sure as hell didn’t give them either of ours.

I took a few deep breaths before entering the cafeteria. I’d refused to ever let Zach hurt me again, but since that plan had failed I told myself, at the very least, I wouldn’t have another public breakdown because he’d broken my heart.

I walked in the room expecting things to fall silent upon my arrival, but it seemed word of this scandal hadn’t gotten out yet. It was business as usual in the Huntington High cafeteria.

I saw my friends laughing at something Mason was saying and almost let a tear escape. Those people at that table were my safe haven. They were my foundation in all of this madness. The one stable thing I could always count on. I needed them right then. Especially Cara. She could laugh about the picture clutched in my hand, and tell me that it was no big deal, and that it would all blow over before I knew it, and I would believe her. I needed to believe her. But I needed something else first.

I scanned the sea of students and steeled myself when my eyes fell on my target. I tried not to draw attention to myself as I walked over to Zach. I didn’t want to make a big scene, but I needed to say something. I couldn’t just ignore it.

I came right up behind Zach and, one by one, his friends noticed me and fell silent. Zach was the last to look up. “Val?” he asked, surprised. “What’s up?”

Zach’s jaw fell open when I dropped the magazine down in front of him.

“You know?” I asked. I wanted to pat myself on the back for how calm I sounded. “I thought no one could ever break my heart worse than you did. It’s kind of ironic that the person who finally did turned out to be you again.”

“Val—”

“In every interview I’ve ever given, I’ve always defended you. I’ve apologized publicly and shared the blame for our breakup. I’ve told the world that you weren’t a bad guy even though you hurt me so badly.”

I had to take a deep breath. My voice was starting to shake. “This might have just ruined everything I’ve worked so hard for this year. Never mind that it’s tarnished my reputation beyond repair. Whatever I’ve done to deserve this, I just want you to know you’ve succeeded. It hurts more than you could possibly understand. I hope it’s worth it.”

Everyone at Zach’s table was frozen in shock. They all gaped at me as my eyes welled up. I’d told myself I wasn’t going to cry, but a few tears fell despite my best efforts. I tried to wipe them away with grace, and then turned my back on my audience.

I got a few steps away before Zach called out my name. He even said please when he asked me to go talk with him. Part of me wanted to. Part of me wanted to know why he’d do something like this to me, but I couldn’t talk to him right then. I couldn’t do it without breaking down, and I would
not
do that.

I ignored Zach and forced a bright, cheery smile on my face as I joined my friends. Zach backed off when Isaac pulled me close and give me a kiss. “My life,” I said taking my lunch from my backpack, “is officially nuts.”

“Where’ve you been?” Stephanie asked as Isaac sniffed out a peanut butter cookie that my mom put in my lunch especially for him. “You weren’t in class just now. I was going to ask if I could borrow your notes for history. Eric said there’s going to be a pop quiz.”

“Just dealing with the insanity that has become my life.” I dug through my backpack for my notes. I found a bottle of Excedrin and quickly popped a couple for my growing headache after handing Stephanie my history notebook.

“Ooh, thank you! You want to have a mini cram session before class?”

“Can’t,” I replied while scarfing down my lunch as fast as I could. “I’ve got a guest lecture at a high school in Whittier this afternoon. I’ve got to leave in fifteen—” I looked at my watch and corrected myself. “Ten minutes before I have to leave.”

“Dude,” Mason said with a frown. “I’ve got to find a cause that gets me out of school as much as you.”

“Trust me, it sucks a lot more than you think. I still have to do all the work. I just have to do it in my free time. It’s like having tons and tons of extra homework.”

“That does suck.”

“So, will you be back after school?” Cara asked. “I’ve got an audition tonight and my mom is springing for mani-pedi’s. You should come with. You need the down time.”

“I wish I could,” I said. “I’ve got a meeting after school with Margret and the C&J Jewels guys. My Virgin line is selling so well, C&J Jewels offered to let me expand my collection. I get to try out a few original pieces of jewelry that are unrelated to the Virgin stuff.”

After a chorus of congratulations from my friends, Isaac slipped his arm around me and gave me a kiss on my neck. “Will you be done in time to come to my game tonight?”

I cringed. “Sorry. You know I try to never miss your games, but I’ve got to go with the prom committee to see a couple of possible venues. I’ll be at the next one though. I swear my life on it.”

“Hey!” Cara protested. “I didn’t know we were choosing venues today!”

“That’s because you’ve missed the last two council meetings,” Olivia said gleefully. “We’ve already assembled the prom committee.”

“It’s not too late to join,” I said quickly when Cara’s jaw dropped.

“Yeah,” she said, “but who was elected committee chair?”

If Cara couldn’t guess from the look on my face, the smug smile on Olivia’s face confirmed it. “You left the fate of our senior prom in the hands of
Olivia Lewis
?” Cara screeched at me.

“Not just me,” I said, going on the defensive. “The whole council voted on it. Honestly, Cara, Olivia is doing a great job. She’s already had some great ideas, and we needed someone reliable who could put in the hours necessary since both Eric and I are so busy with other stuff.”

Cara stared at me as if I’d betrayed her. After the shock wore off she got pissed. I didn’t feel like fighting with her about this so I changed the subject. “So, anyway, you guys want to hear the craziest news yet?”

“There’s more?” Lacy and Stephanie asked at the same time.

I nodded. “I was late to lunch because I was in the principal’s office. Some movie people came to talk to me about optioning the film rights to my story. This was the only time them and my parents could all meet together.”

There was a collective gasp, someone choked on food, and then everyone at my table freaked out.

“Film rights?” Isaac asked with a lot less enthusiasm than everyone else present.

I nodded. “Looks like V is for Virgin the Movie might be coming to a second-rate cable network near you.”

Everyone laughed and congratulated me again except Isaac. He was still frowning. “But do you want a movie made about you?” he asked. “Do you really want that kind of attention? You’re life is hectic enough.”

His concern was so adorable. “I know,” I said, sighing. “I’m not thrilled, but—”

“But you said yes, right?” Cara interrupted. There was something in the tone of her voice, an urgency that gave her away.

“You already knew about this,” I said.

“The guys were talking about it last night,” she admitted sheepishly.

I gritted my teeth at her reference to “the guys.” Cara and Shane were still disgustingly in love, and since Shane was always with Tralse, Cara was always with them too. Cara and Kyle were practically family now. If I weren’t so busy with my own stuff, I’d be insulted that my best friend spent more time with my archenemy than she did with me.

“How does Tralse know?”

“The same guys that called you called them too. They wanted to make sure that if you said yes they could use Tralse’s name and sing ‘Cryin’ Shame’ in the movie.”

“I can’t believe you knew about this before I did.”

Cara just shrugged.

“About this movie thing, Val,” Isaac started hesitantly. “Are you sure that’s something you really want?”

I rolled my eyes. “Not especially.”

“But you’re going to do it, right?” Cara said again. “Val, you have to let them do it. This will be huge for the guys.”

“She doesn’t
have
to do anything,” Isaac muttered. “What’s good for Kyle Hamilton isn’t necessarily what’s good for Val.”

“It
is
good for Val!” Cara said haughtily. “She deserves this. She’s worked her butt off all year. She’s even got other groups involved with V is for Virgin besides the Not Everybody’s Doing It Foundation. Religious groups, AIDS awareness groups… All kinds of people are involved now. It’s not just a campaign anymore. It’s practically a
movement
.”