Date Me (The Keatyn Chronicles)

The Bad Prince, Logan, and I run through our lines. He tells me that he’s a prince and about the contest. What he fails to tell me is that he has a brother who happens to be the guy I had the most amazing date ever with. He tells me it will be good for my career. That reality shows are all scripted anyway. That even if I’m not chosen to be the princess, I’ll get lots of jobs from the show. I decide to do it. Then he kisses me. And, tonight, Logan actually takes me completely by surprise and kisses me. Wraps his arm around my waist, pulls me in tight, and lays a fat kiss on my lips.

I manage to stay in character. And my character likes his kiss. He’s handsome, and, come on, he’s a freaking prince! Of course I’m going to be fine with a kiss. Even though it’s not a true love kiss—but, then again, the true love kiss guy still hasn’t called.

“Ok,” the director says. “Let’s try that kiss again. Keatyn, I think I’d like to see a little more body language from you. This guy is a prince. I’d like you to lean your body into him. We want this kiss to be very different, visually, from the sweet kiss you had with the Good Prince.”

I nod my head. “Got it.”

Logan says his last line. Then he grabs my waist. This time, I don’t fight it. I push my body into his, slide my hand around the back of his neck, and pull his face toward mine as I kiss him.

“Yes! I like that! That will really make the audience question your intentions. Is she a scheming slut or the sweet true love girl? Love it.”

“Thanks,” I say to the director. To Logan, who still doesn’t really seem to like me much, I ask, “What do you think?”

He grins at me for the first time ever and replies, “I think we could do better than that with a little more practice.”



I walk off the stage and sit back down in my seat. Aiden isn’t here, but his backpack is sitting on the floor. I’m still trying to figure out what Logan meant by that. Does he really want to practice for the play’s sake?

I will admit, he makes a really good Bad Prince. The girls in makeup decided to add a dark henna tattoo across his back for the play. And we all know that he has a damn good back. Honestly, the way the makeup girls were giggling, I think the tattoo is as much for them as it is for the audience. Either way, the audience will get to see his shirtless back when he gets down and dirty with the slutty bachelorette in a hot tub scene. She is the one who just wants him for his money.



Aiden sits back down next to me.

“Where were you?”

“I’ve been surveying some of the other cast members and talking to Logan.”

“Learn anything exciting?”

“Not yet. You need to finish telling me about trying to seduce the gay guy.”

“What else is there to tell? It didn’t work. But he was a great boyfriend. Never looked at another girl. Treated me like a princess. And he was my favorite person to shop with.”

“You haven’t shopped with me yet. And don’t worry, I’m definitely not gay.”

“I liked the shoes you had on at the dance. They were different. You’d be fun to dress.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. You kind of look like a life-sized Ken doll. All blond and lean. You wear clothes well.”

“Thank you. I think when the play is over and you have a free weekend, we should go shopping together.”

“We could stay at my loft. I have extra bedrooms.”

“I heard about your loft.”

“From who?”

“Peyton.”

“What did she say?”

“She said it’s you. Over the top cool but completely casual and comfortable. She said you must have the coolest parents ever.”

I smile. What she said almost makes me want to cry.

Aiden studies me. “Your eyes are all shiny. Did I say something wrong?”

“No, that's just exactly how I hoped it would be.”

“Being here without your family is hard on you, isn't it?”

“Yeah, but at the same time it's like I'm able to grow up. Like I've had to grow up. Do things on my own. I picked the place out completely by myself, bought it, and had it furnished.”

“You bought it? Not your parents?”

I lean closer to him and speak softly. “No one knows this. But when my parents moved it created some problems. Like, they couldn't just sign school notes every day.”

“That’s understandable.”

“So I had to get emancipated. Legally, I’m an adult. And my grandpa gave me my trust fund early. The loft was one of my first purchases.”

“Peyton said that place had to cost $20 million.”

I raise my eyebrows and shrug my shoulders. “It's a really nice trust fund. But I haven't gone crazy. My car and the loft are the only things I've bought. And Grandpa always told me real estate is a good investment.”

“You respect your grandpa. Is he the one that gave you the boots you wore the day you did your speech?”

“Yeah, he is. He lives on a simple ranch. Lots of land and a nice home, but compared to his net worth, very simple.”

“That's how the place in Napa is. Lots of land. The house is big. But it's very causal and comfortable.”

“I love places like that.”

“You’re an interesting girl. Like, the more I find out about you, the more I want to know. And I need to know more in order to finish the sex survey.”

“I’m pretty sure we’re done with the sex survey.”

“No, we’re not. There are questions you didn’t respond to.” He flips back a couple pages in his notebook. “Okay, so the Keats guy you knew for two years, but once you got together, you waited eight days. What about the virginity guy?”

I close my eyes. “A day. But there were extenuating circumstances.”

“Such as?”

I hang my head. “The Keats guy upset me. And . . .”

Aiden’s hand brushes my knee as he leans across me.

I look up at him. I expect to see judgmental eyes, but I don’t. They are soft and caring. Like he wants to know.

“And what?” he says gently.

“I was tired of waiting for love.” I sigh big. “The Keats guy and I got together. Like, we kissed. We hung out. It felt different. He quoted me poetry and I was so happy. Then there was this camping trip I was supposed to go on with him and his friends. They left without me. I thought he was hooking up with other girls. That was the first time he sort of broke my heart.”

“And the second time he broke your heart, was that Labor Day Weekend?”

“That was the third time.”

“Is that why you slept with Dawson in the Hamptons?”

“I never said I slept with Dawson in the Hamptons.”

“Who did you sleep with the second time he broke your heart?

“No one.”

“What’d he do?”

“He wouldn’t dance with me at my birthday party.”

Aiden shakes his head. “What a douche. Why would you even give a guy like that a third chance?”

I blow out a big breath of air. “Love.”

Aiden puts down his notebook. “Want to know the findings of my survey?”

“Uh, sure. When you figure it out.”

“I already have. I think I learned it last year, but after interviewing a lot of people, I’ve confirmed it.”

I nod my head at him, telling him to go on.

“Sex doesn’t equal love.”

I think about my sweet, sexy ass Dawson and say, “I agree with you on that point, but sometimes, if you’re really lucky, sex can lead to love.” I grab my phone and say, “Excuse me,” to Aiden.

“Hey,” I say when Dawson answers.

“Hey, yourself. You about done with practice?”

“It’s not really over yet, but I don’t think they are going to get to my next scene, so I’m going to sneak out of here. I need some real kisses. Not fake play kisses.”



The first thing out of Dawson’s mouth when I get to his room is, “Just how many fake kisses did you get tonight?”

“Just one. But the director didn’t like it, so he made us do it again. Differently.”

“Who did you kiss?”

“The Bad Prince.”

Dawson pulls me onto his bed and kisses me. “I can be bad.”

“I’m pretty sure we couldn’t do your kind of bad in front of an audience.” I run my hand through the back of his hair and down his back. Then I just wrap my arms around him and hug him. Tightly.

He pulls me closer to his chest and hugs me back. “What’s this for?”

“I love you, Dawson. I did this survey thing tonight about sex and the person’s conclusion was that sex doesn’t equal love, but I told him that sometimes, if you’re really lucky, sex can lead to love. I feel really lucky to be with you. I can’t tell you how excited I am for you to meet my family. For us to spend the weekend with them. I’m sorry that I waited so long to tell you that I love you. I was just scared. I’m not scared anymore. I totally and completely am in love with you.”

He buries his head in my chest and gives me another hug. “I love you too, Keatie. I know we did things a little bit backward, but it worked for us. You made me believe in love again.”

I get tears in my eyes because he makes me so happy. “You made me believe in love too.”

He kisses me. Just kisses me. Over and over again until I have to leave to make curfew.



An emergency landing.

11pm



After I get to my room, I dig through my clothes and pack for our trip. We’ll be leaving at six, which doesn’t give me much time to shower and get ready after dance practice.

I pack mostly casual clothes. Yoga pants and sweatshirts for hanging out with the girls. A cute sweater dress and boots to wear for dinner Saturday night. A sexy bra and panties for Dawson’s enjoyment. A skirt, tights, sweater and boots to wear back home.

I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. My little sisters are going to be so surprised. Mom and Tommy will be happy. And I’ll even get to meet Kiki, my namesake dog.

I fall into bed, close my eyes, and imagine how good it will feel to hug my family again.



I wake a few hours later in a cold sweat. I was on the plane with Dawson. I told him everything and he was super supportive and understanding, but then the captain announced that we were making an emergency landing. Vincent walked out of the cockpit dressed as a pilot. He pulled a gun out of his pocket and shot Dawson. I started screaming.





Friday, October 14th

Effortless.

Drama



Just as the bell rings for the end of drama class, my teacher says, “Miss Monroe, could you stay for a moment, please?”

“Sure,” I say.

He walks up to the stage and sits on it.

“We called you on stage at 9:45 last night to do a scene and you weren’t here.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I left a little early because I didn’t think you’d get to any more of my scenes.”

“You have a lot of raw talent. Acting seems to be effortless for you. But you need to understand that acting is a business. It’s long hours, hard work, and commitment.”

I’m tempted to tell him that I know exactly what is required of an actor. I’ve seen it. Lived it.

I’m also tempted to tell him that I quit. It pisses me off that he has the nerve to suggest I’m not committed.

I’m the only one who has all her freaking lines memorized!

And it sucks not seeing Dawson every night from seven until ten. That’s really our only free time all day. And I’m not sure a stupid school play is worth it.

“I’m thinking about quitting,” I blurt out.

“That would be upsetting. You have star potential and I’d hate to see you waste it because of a boy.”

“It’s not just because of a boy,” I lie.

“Tell you what,” he says. “Take this weekend to think about it. I’ll expect an answer from you on Tuesday.”



Second-guess myself.

5:30pm



I'm sitting on Dawson's bed trying not to second-guess myself.

But my drama teacher pissed me off and that stupid dream left me rattled.

So, now I’m worried about, well, everything.

How will Dawson take the truth?

Will he understand? Will he be mad?

Will he freak out about Vincent? Will it make him treat me differently?

Will Tommy and Mom get pissed at me for showing up?

And the fact that Dawson still isn’t packed is making me even more stressed.

Our car will be here in ten minutes.

He’s standing in his mess of a closet, not really doing anything, just staring at it.

I’m about to start pulling clothes out of it and packing for him when his phone buzzes.

I glance at it.



Whitney: Baby, please.



I instantly can't breathe.

I want to look at the rest of their texts. I want to know what else she said. I could be sneaky and read them. He wouldn't notice. But I decide on a direct approach instead.

“Dawson.”

“Yeah?”

“You just got a text from Whitney.”

He walks out of the closet looking pale. “Uh, I, um . . . we’re just talking.”

“Just talking does not say, Baby please. I get it. We did it. Our image makeover was successful and now she wants you back, right?”

He stands stick still. "Yeah, I guess.”

Tears start to prickle my eyes. "When were you going to tell me?"

He still doesn't move. "She just started texting me. I wasn't sure what to tell you.” He finally moves, grabs his phone off the desk, and hands it to me. "Just read it."



Whitney: When we danced for old time's sake at Homecoming, you can't deny that we both felt something. You and I together is how it was always supposed to be. That's why you stopped dancing with me so suddenly, because you felt it, right?



Dawson: I stopped dancing with you because I didn't want to hurt Keatyn.



Whitney: I'm sorry I broke up with you.



Dawson: Thanks for saying it, but it's too late.



Whitney: It's never too late. I'm really sorry, baby. If I could take it all back, I would. Don't go out of town with her this weekend. Stay here with me. We can hang out and see what happens. I promise I'll make it all up to you.



Whitney: Baby, please.



I want to tell Dawson that she is a lying bitch who slept with his brother. But I don't want that to be the reason he chooses me.

I want him to choose me because he loves me.

“Is that really true? Is that why you stopped dancing with her?”

“She said, Peyton never would’ve won if we were still together. And I said, Yeah, you're right, but then you dumped me for some college a*shole. That’s when I got pissed and walked away.”

“And now she's begging?”

“Yeah.”

“And that was what you wanted all along.”

“Yeah.”

“Is that all we were? You took my idea of making her want you? Was it all about making her jealous?”

“No, it wasn’t. Keatie, I do love you. I meant everything I’ve ever said to you.”

I hold up my hand. “Don’t, okay. Don't lie.”

“I’ve never lied to you about anything.”

“This week when I was at rehearsal. Were you talking to her then, too?”

“No. This completely caught me off guard. And I want to meet your parents but . . .”

“But why bother?”

“No. Just give me a minute. I just need a minute to think.”

“You don't need a minute to think, Dawson. You’ve already decided. You're not packed. That says it all.”

“I just . . . try to understand.” He puts his hand to his forehead and rubs it across his temple. “It's what I wanted for so long."

I nod, holding back the tears, and calmly walk past him to the bathroom.

When I open the door, Jake is standing naked in front of the sink. He shoves a towel in front of himself and yells, “Keatyn, what the hell?”

“You and Whitney are still going out, right?”

He looks at me like I'm an idiot. "Yeah, I’m getting ready to go pick her up.”

“You should maybe look at this first.” I hand him Dawson’s phone.

He reads the texts and his eyes get big. “That bitch.”

"Yes, she is," I say as I walk back into Dawson’s room.

“So, congratulations, you’re finally getting what you dreamed of." I take the key from around my neck, drop it into his hand, and say, “I understand perfectly.”

Then I walk out his door and hope the drama of giving him back the key to his heart will make him think. Will make him realize her doesn’t want her.

I stand outside his door for a minute, expecting him to come running out to say, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I don't want her. I love you.

But he doesn't.

I wait for a few more minutes.

I picture him tossing the key on his dresser and happily calling Whitney to tell her yes.

And it starts to sink in.

We're over.

I start to tear up as I walk down the hall in a daze because I can’t believe it.

Can’t believe he would do that.

Aiden walks by me. “Boots, are you okay?”

I look at his green eyes and shake my head. Because I’m not okay. But I say, “I’m fine,” and walk quickly past him.

Then I start running. I don’t even think about where to go. I run straight to Dallas and Riley’s room and pound on their door.

The minute Riley opens it, I lose it. I dive my head into his chest and start bawling.

“Aw, shit,” he says, “Am I gonna have to kick my brother’s ass?”

I nod my head and keep crying. Then I start babbling about Whitney, and her text, and how he never loved me. How no one ever really loves me.

He wraps me in a tight hug and pats my back to comfort me.

Dallas walks in saying, “I just ran into Jake. Keatyn and Dawson just broke . . .” He sees me and stops talking.

"Up," I say, finishing his sentence. "We were supposed to leave for the airport in a few minutes."

My phone buzzes with a text.

I hold it tight to my chest and pray it's Dawson.

That he's sorry. That he's stupid. That he realizes he made a mistake. That he doesn't want her.

That he loves me.

Only me.

For the first time in my life, I'm a little disappointed to see a text from Damian.



D: I don't care what plans you have for this weekend. Change them. One of the Moran Films' jets is sitting at an airport near you waiting for your arrival. (Don't tell Dad. I worked it all out with Margie, his assistant.) The crew is "waiting to pick up guests who won a contest." I didn't want anyone you knew from the past on the plane, so there is just a pilot and co-pilot. Bring the guy who treats you too well, bring some friends. Whatever you want. Just get your ass here. We'll tell your friends we know each other from grade school. Which is true.



Me: You have NO idea how perfect your timing is. Just broke up with the guy who was treating me too well. His ex texted him and said baby please and now he wants her back. I was supposed to take him on a trip this weekend. To meet my parents.



D: I can't believe your parents were okay with that.



Me: I was going to surprise them all. I figured if no one but me knew I was coming, V couldn't know. He said he loved me, Damian. I believed him. I was going to tell him everything. I'm an idiot.



D: Guess my ass-kicking list just got longer.



Me: Are you talking about my ass? Because I'm stupid to believe boys when they say they love me?



D: We'll see :) Bring something hot for the club. Don't worry about a place to stay.



Me: I love you. Seriously.



D: Are you gonna cry on me?



Me: Shut up. Me and my tears will see you soon.



I look up at Riley as he says, "Good news?"

"Do you two have any plans this weekend?”

“Not really," Dallas says. “Unless you consider trying to avoid Ariela and Katie plans.”

I smile. All three of us are single. “Sounds like the perfect time for us to get the hell out of here and have some fun." I hold up my phone. "That was my friend."

Riley shakes his head. "I was hoping it was my brother, coming to his senses."

I shake my head as tears flood my eyes again. "No, my friend is going to be performing at a club in Miami. He invited us to come."

"We just gonna go to the airport and catch a flight?" Dallas asks.

"I have that taken care of."

Dallas grins at me. "Sound like me and Riles here need to pack quick."

"I need to repack. I was taking Dawson . . ." I stop myself and try not to start crying again. "I packed for colder weather. Now all I need is a couple bikinis, a hot outfit for the club, and maybe something to wear to dinner." I smile at them. I'm so glad they are coming with me. "Meet me at my dorm in five. A car is coming to pick us up."



I run back to my dorm with my head down. I don't want anyone to see me. I'm sure I'm a mess.

I make it back into my room without having to talk to anyone, kick my suitcase, grab a different bag, and toss some clothes into it.

Jake texts me.



Jake: I’m so f*cking pissed.



Me: I told you this would happen.



Jake: Funny thing is, I thought I was using her.



Me: Yeah :(



Jake: I cheated on her. I felt bad about it.



Me: I know you did. Please don't tell her even though you are mad. It would be bad for the girl.



Jake: Are you okay? Dawson’s an idiot if you ask me. He’s gonna realize what a big mistake he made.



Me: Doubtful.



Jake: Wanna hook up? Piss them both off?



Me: I'm pretty sure your moral code points just north of sleazy.



Jake: <3 That may be the best compliment anyone ever gave me, Monroe. I'm touched.



Me: I'm going out of town but when I get back, let’s party.



Jake: You sure you're okay?



Me: Not really, but I'll live.



My phone rings. I want to ignore it, but I see it's school security. I answer, ask them to send up the car, and meet Dallas and Riley out front.



Looking good is the best revenge.

6:15pm.



We pile into the town car and head to the airport.

On the way there, Dawson calls three times. I don't bother answering, so he texts me.



Dawson: I keep trying to call you. You need to let me explain.



Me: You weren’t packed. You don’t need to explain. Have fun with Whitney. And don't text me again.



When we get to the executive airport, the town car pulls out onto the tarmac, and we hop out, grab our bags, and board the plane.

“Miss Monroe? I'm Captain Cummings. Were you informed of our situation for the flight down?"

I shake his hand. "Situation?"

"We're running without a staff for this flight. I was told you could handle seating and serving yourself?"

I smile. "I think we can handle that."

"Excellent," he says. "My co-pilot and I will do our pre-flight check and then we'll announce when you should take your seats. Please help yourself to the galley. It’s fully stocked."

He shuts the cockpit door as Riley whistles and runs his hand across the leather couch. "This is nice."

Dallas is already at the bar. "Miss Monroe," he says to me. "You look like you could use a drink."

"I think we all need a drink," Riley says.

Dallas pours us three shots of top shelf tequila. I start to down mine but Dallas says, "Not so fast there, Kiki." He holds his glass up and sings. "Here’s to the three best friends anyone could have.”

“Shouldn’t we be the two best friends?”

“I’m including myself. There’s three of us.”

"I love you guys," Riley says.

Which makes me start crying again. His voice sounds like Dawson's.

And it doesn't help that my phone keeps vibrating.

I look down and see I have eight missed calls and a couple texts.



Dawson: Keatie, please.



Me: "Baby, please" might have worked for her. Keatie, please, is NOT going to work for you.



I slam my phone down. "Riley, please call your brother and tell him to stop calling and texting me. It's stressing me out," I cry. "I can't take it."

He grabs his phone as Dallas hands us each another shot. I down it quickly.

Riley calls Dawson. "Hey, bro. Just thought I'd let you know that me and Dallas are headed out of town with Keatyn for the weekend. Please quit calling her. She's not going to answer."

“Um, yeah, very. What the hell did you expect?”

“Yeah, well you know how I feel about her. And that makes you an a*shole in my book.”

“Yep.”

I interrupt Riley. “Wait! I do want to talk to him.”

Riley hands me his phone and I say, “Why do you keep calling me?”

He replies, “Keatie, I’m sorry. I just wanted it for so long. And now she’s offering and I just feel like I need to see. Please don’t be mad at me.”

“Don’t be mad at you? Are you f*cking kidding me? This is what you wanted all along. Congratulations. Now you’ve got it. You won.”

“Will you stop saying that? Yes, it’s what I wanted, but when you walked out that door, I felt like part of me died.”

“I’m actually glad to hear that. Bye.”

I immediately get on Facebook and do something I usually don’t care about. I change my Facebook status from In a Relationship to Single.

Then I put as my status, Gonna party all weekend with my two favorite boys and tag Riley and Dallas.

Dallas sees it. “Hey, you tagged me. Sweet. I’m gonna change mine too. Read it.”

I scroll down my newsfeed and read, “Dallas McMahon is fly like a G6. Cute.”

Riley holds out his phone, so I can see his new status.



Riley Johnson: My brother’s an a*shole. Team Kiki all the way!



Dallas laughs. “I have to like that status.”

My phone buzzes with a Facebook notification. “Oh, wow.”

“What?” both Riley and Dallas say.

“Aiden just liked my status. The single status.”

“Well, of course he would,” Riley says. “He likes you.”

“He does not.”

“He also liked my team Kiki status.”

Riley’s phone keeps buzzing and buzzing.

“Damn, baby, lots of people are team Kiki. We all love you.”

“Thanks Riles,” I say, then I grab a blanket, put my head in his lap, and try to sleep.

But, of course, I can't. I lie here instead and think about Dawson. How could I have been so wrong? How can you go from crazy happy and You own me to I just need to see. I think about Brooklyn. About Cush. About how I thought I was being so smart by waiting until I knew I loved Dawson to tell him. How I waited until I was sure he loved me. And how I even waited for a while after that. I waited until after he asked me to Homecoming. Until I knew I felt it. Until I really trusted him. I was going to tell him everything tonight. I am an idiot.



I guess I do doze off because Riley wakes me up. “Baby, I gotta pee.”

“Oh, sorry," I say, sitting up.

“Besides,” Dallas says, “how can you sleep? We are in a freaking amazing jet. I’m living a rap video.”

“So where is the Cristal and all the hot girls?” Riley asks.

I smile. “Well, your crew is kinda small, but no one really likes you, so that’s no surprise.”

"There isn't Cristal, but I saw a few bottles of Dom,” Dallas says with a grin.

“Pop it," I say.

When Riley comes out of the bathroom, Dallas tells him, “Let's make a video.”

"A video?" I ask.

"Yeah, my own personal rap star video."

I pour myself another shot, slam it, and decide to have some fun. “Hang on.”

I grab my bag, run in the bathroom, and redo my makeup. Heavy eyes. Red lips. I tease my hair out with my hands, flip my head upside down, and hairspray it, making it big and slutty looking. Then I put on one of my bikini tops, a pair of daisy dukes, and my highest platforms. I pull my thong up so you can see it just above my low-cut shorts. Mom always says, Looking good is the best revenge.

And I’m about to get some revenge.

Riley whistles, “Damn, baby.”

I look at the boys. They are both still in some version of their uniforms. I make Riley take off his shirt and tie, then throw the tie back on, so that it’s on his naked chest. Then I have him put his navy blazer back on. "Sunglasses?" I ask.

He gets a pair of Aviators out of his backpack and puts them on.

I stand back and look at him.

Perfect.

Next I grab Dallas, spike up his hair way up with some gel, strip him down to his boxers, then put his shirt back on, leaving it all unbuttoned. Then I throw his loosely done tie back around his neck. He grabs a pair of Ray Bans out of his bag and puts them on. He looks at himself in the small mirror above the bar.

"Oh, yeah," he croons. "Let's make a video." He plugs his iPhone into the speakers, sets it to repeat, and cranks up the volume.

I start by shaking the bottle of Dom.

Riley videos the bottle.

Me popping it.

Then Dallas holds the bottle as champagne shoots suggestively into my mouth.

Dallas swigs from the bottle, and I start dancing up against him.

I also figure, What the hell. It's not like we've never kissed, so I grab him and make out with him a little.

Dallas videos Riley rapping.

Then some shots of me sitting in Riley's lap.

I grab a pilot's hat and jacket from the closet, make Riley change into them, and then sit him in one of the Captain's chairs. It's not the cockpit, but we can pretend.

Dallas videos me walking up to Pilot Riley, straddling him, and playfully putting his pilot’s hat on my head.

Riley pretends to fly a plane, while I'm pretending to, uh, fly him.

I give him a lap dance of sorts.

Then we all get up and dance. Riley holds the camera out away from us all grinding together. Drinking champagne. Being naughty.

Looking like we’re ready to have a wild threesome.

I pull on Riley’s tie, pulling him toward me.

Kiss Dallas again.

Then kiss Riley on the cheek.

All of us singing.

Riley adds some pan shots of the inside of the plane then decides he wants a few shots of me by myself.

Me with a new bottle of champagne.

Me in sunglasses dancing.

Me doing a slutty dance in front of the kitchen counter.

Some of just my ass.

Then Dallas pulling me into the bathroom, like we're joining the Mile High Club.

I get behind the camera and film the boys together, pretending like they are trying to get me to come with them.

Then us all doing shots.

Finally Riley says, "I think I have enough," then pulls out his Mac, uploads all of the video, and starts editing it.

By the time we start our descent into Miami, I'm tipsy and the video is complete.

Naughty, fun, and complete.

We watch it one more time and laugh hysterically.

“Dawes is gonna come unglued,” he says with a naughty grin.

“He probably won’t even see it. He’s probably all enthralled by Whitney.”

"Whitney is nothing like you, Keatyn," Riley tells me. "She's a cold-hearted bitch."

"You have no idea," I say. Shit. I shouldn't have said that. I immediately look guilty.

“What? What do you know?"

"I can't tell you."

"You can tell me and you will," Riley says very sternly.

I grab Dallas and whisper what I know into his ear. He looks at me and says, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Peyton told me."

Dallas tells Riley what Whitney did. How she slept with his brother, and when she couldn't get him, settled for Dawson. How this was supposed to be their year.

"You can't tell Dawson," I say. "It would kill him. We talked one day about Peyton being pretty and he said he could never like her because she'd been with his brother. How that would be sick. He has no idea."

Riley shakes his head. "I can't believe Cam never told me."

"Dawson was a freshman when it happened, so maybe you were too young or something."

"He's had plenty of time since then. And why the hell didn't he tell Dawson? They didn't have sex for months after they started going out. He should have told him."

"Yeah, probably.”

Riley leans over and kisses me on the cheek.

I’m half tempted to kiss him back.



Riley uploads the finished video to YouTube then links it to Facebook. Pretty soon, his phone starts buzzing like crazy. "People are seeing the video and commenting!"

Dallas messes with his phone. “Holy shit, we have 67 likes already!”

“Uh, oh,” Riley groans.

“What?”

“My brother is not a happy camper. Look what he just texted me.”

I look.



Dawson: WHAT THE F*ck?



“Reply!" I almost scream. "You have to reply. I want to know what he’s gonna say.”



Riley: What?



Dawson: Saw the video. You’re dead.



Riley: No, you’re dumb. You should be here with Kiki, not kissing the bitch's ass.



Dawson: Are you showing our texts to Keatie?



Riley: No.



Dawson: I wanted her back for so long. Now finally she’s begging me, saying baby please and all that shit. And I just feel like I need to see.



Riley: Then get off Facebook and go hang out with her. You finally got what you wanted. Enjoy your weekend, bro. I know I am :)



Dawson: You kissed her. I hate you.



Riley: Only on the cheek.



Dawson: FML



Riley: This is what you wanted, remember?



Dawson: Now I don’t know what I want.



Riley turns to me and Dallas, “What should I say?”

Dallas says, “Tell him you think he should watch the video again, then go hang out with Whitney.”



Riley: I think you should watch the video again, bro. Then go hang with Whitney.



Dawson: Can’t watch the video again. Threw my laptop across the room. It's broken.



Riley: Borrow Jake’s. Baby’s already got over 100 hits, and it’s only been online for about 10 minutes. Every guy at school is sitting around simultaneously thinking what a dumb f*ck you are and thanking you for being one. I’m out.





Surf the crowd with me.

11:40pm



We’re dropped off at a beachfront mansion and are told that Mr. Moran is in flight and will be arriving late. To make ourselves at home.

When I go in the bathroom to pee, I realize I’m getting my period.

Seriously, Mother Nature? Do you really need to kick me while I’m down? But then again, not getting it would be way worse.

I’m exhausted, so I tell the boys I’m going to bed. I change into a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top and snuggle up under the covers.

I can’t seem to sleep, though. I keep waking up then dozing off. Then waking up again.



This time I wake up because someone is bouncing on the bed.

“Hey, Keats,” Damian says sweetly. “How’s my girl?”

I jump into his arms and try not to cry. “God, I’ve missed you.”

He gives me a squeeze then pushes me back and studies my face. “How are you doing, really?”

“I’m okay, sorta. I’m really glad to be here. To see you. How are you? You look tired. Too many late nights with groupies?”

He gives me a little grin then sprawls flat out across the bed. “Honestly, I’m exhausted. I had to fly commercial, and you know I can never sleep on a plane. I’ve been up for the last twenty-seven hours. So, tell me what happened.”

I tell him all about Dawson. How crazy and amazing the physical side of it was. How that part was so different than it was with B. How I still haven’t talked to B. About the music video we made on the way here.

“That I have to see. Pull it up.”

I pull it up on my phone.

“Damn, girl. Did Dawson see this?”

“Yeah. He said he threw his laptop across the room.”

“You are so going to be in our music video. You look very hot.”

I smile. “Thank you. You don’t think I looked silly?”

“Not at all. You looked like, well, like you became the part.”

“Is that good?”

“It’s very good. Have you ever thought about acting, Keats? I know you’ve always liked writing scripts, but I think you would be an amazing actress. You’ve always been able to shift seamlessly from one situation to the next and fit in. I think that’s why you were having trouble at school. You can play any role you want and convince people that you are the surfer girl, the popular girl, the star’s daughter, the rebel. You really don’t let a lot of people see the real you.”

“You’ve always seen it.”

“Yeah, I know. I love you. All of the yous.” He laughs at his own joke.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

“I don’t know? Is it a good one?”

“This is hard for me to admit. I’ve always wanted to be an actress, but . . .”

“But your mom is good at it and you’re afraid you’ll fail?”

“Exactly. And be an embarrassment to the family or something. But, at school, no one knows. So I tried out for the school play. I mean, it’s nothing big, but I got the part that I wanted. And it feels like I have a little part of my life back.”

He studies my face. “Being off by yourself is good for you, isn’t it?”

“In some ways, Damian, it’s incredibly freeing. But I miss my family and I miss my friends.”

“Do you really miss your friends? Like who do you miss?”

“I miss you. And even though I kinda hate B, I miss him. Surprisingly, I miss Vanessa and RiAnne. They may have been catty and superficial, but I knew what to expect from them. And Sander. He was always really good to me, and the best shopping partner ever. I’ve sort of been following news from his set. It sounds like the movie is close to being done. I admire him for having the guts to do what he did. To go for it. I’m proud of him.”

“I’m proud of you.”

“And what about you, Mr. Rock Star? Getting all famous.”

“It’s pretty cool, but it’s tiring. I also understand what you used to talk about. How you played a role at school and sometimes it felt fake. I feel that way sometimes. Like people are all screaming my name and acting like they love me, but they don’t even know me.”

“I think that’s okay. You can have two lives. The image you present to the world, and the you that you are at home. Mom told me the other day that it doesn’t matter what everyone thinks. It only matters what the people you love think. I thought that was pretty good advice.” My mind immediately goes to Aiden. Telling me that he did the dance for the people he loves.

I suddenly feel exhausted.

“I’m really tired,” I tell Damian.

“Me too.”

“Will you sing me the song? Like a lullaby? Maybe you can put us both to sleep.”

He holds his arm out so I can snuggle up on his shoulder.

Damian has been making me feel better since my dad died and lying on his chest makes me feel like no matter how bad things seem, it will all be okay.

He starts singing.



“She's the kind of girl

Everybody wants be.

But no one sees what's inside,

Or that she cries herself to sleep.



But I see, baby, yeah, I see.



She's Miss Popular

Floating with the crowd.

But it all feels so empty

That she wants to scream out loud.



But I see, baby, yeah, I see.



So forget about them,

Come surf the crowd with me . . .”





Saturday, October 15th

The single biggest reason.

10:30am



I don’t know when I fell asleep, but I do know that Damian singing to me was so comforting. I haven’t felt that calm and relaxed since before I started dating Brooklyn.

I get up, go out into the kitchen, and find the ingredients to make Damian’s favorite breakfast. Cinnamon French toast and bacon.

Dawson and Riley wake up to the smell and congregate in the kitchen. I take a piece of bacon into the bedroom and wave it under Damian’s nose.

“Your ability to make French toast might be the single biggest reason why we have been friends for so long,” he teases as he takes a big bite of the bacon. “Is that what I smell?”

“Yeah, do you want to get up yet, or do you want me to put it in the warming drawer for later?”

“What time is it?”

“Almost eleven.”

He pops out of bed. “I better get up. We’ll eat, then go out on the boat.”

“Whose house is this? It’s amazing.”

“It’s our record producer’s. He said he hardly ever uses it. Comes to a few Heat games and throws parties a couple times a year, but that’s about it.”

I introduce Damian, my long time friend from grade school, to Riley and Dallas. They hit it off right away. We have fun out in the boat, then come back and sit in the hot tub on the deck overlooking the water.

Damian entertains us with all sorts of stories about touring with the band. The good, the bad, and the groupies. Dallas and Riley particularly love the stories about the groupies.



Now we match.

11:15pm