He laughs. “Actually, I am. Garrett has the privilege of explaining it all to your mother. So I’ll call Wong’s and place an order,” he nods his head at the kitchen table, “and you go take control of your fake life.”
As I sit down, Mom says, “How about you’re an orphan, but your parents had some life insurance money, and your executor didn’t want to deal with you, so he sent you to boarding school?”
“No,” I say. “Come up with something cool.”
“You got kicked out of your last school, and you’ve been in rehab?” Tommy asks. “Isn’t rehab kinda cool these days?”
“Definitely no rehab. That would mean I couldn’t party. But maybe I got kicked out of my last school. Can I get kicked out for something cool? I could pretend to be a bad-ass trouble maker!”
“What would be cool?” Millie asks.
Mom says emphatically, “No, on the bad girl. No getting kicked out of school. I don’t want you to start there with a bad reputation.”
“Oh, I know!” Millie says excitedly. “How about you got pregnant, had a baby, and your parents made you give it up?”
“Millie, this is not your prime time soap opera. Next are you going to suggest I killed my mom because of it and buried her body in the backyard?”
Millie laughs. “That was a storyline on my show, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, it was. I need to be normal. And do I look like I just had a baby? Do I want boys to think I’m easy? Is that what you want? Tommy? Mom?”
Mom mutters, “No. This is harder than I thought it would be.”
Mr. Moran states. “You want close to the truth. We could go closer to the truth. Your father died in a plane crash . . .”
I stand up, knocking my Red Bull all over the table. “Don’t even say that! You guys suck. I’ll make up my own backstory. You’re all freaking fired.”
My fake lives.
7:30pm
I run out the door, down to the beach, and drop myself into the sand. Three of the security guys, including James, are on my heels.
“You know you aren’t allowed out here by yourself,” James yells at me.
“I’m pretty sure since you’re all following me, I’m not by myself.”
He drops into the sand next to me. “I can’t imagine having to deal with all this at your age. I know they treat you like an adult, but you’re still a kid, and I’m sure it’s scary.”
“I feel like I was cast in some bad horror movie. It seems like it can’t possibly be real.”
“Don’t let yourself think that for one second. No matter what you do from now on, this always has to be in the back of your mind. It has to influence everything you tell people, every decision you make. Got it?”
I sigh because I know he’s right. “I’ve got it. So do you have any ideas for my backstory?”
“I agree with keeping it close to the truth and keeping it simple. You’ve traveled the world with your mom and stepdad and were tutored. You recently lived in L.A. Your parents decided to move, you didn’t want to go with, so they shipped you off to boarding school. Or maybe you decided to go on your own because you didn’t want to go with them. Depends on whether or not you wanna pretend to be pissed at your parents.”
“I like that. They moved to France. I didn’t want to go with. It’s simple, and I can be me, just without my famous parents.” I laugh. “And we don’t have to kill anyone off.”
“Everyone is really upset, Keatyn. They’re trying not to show it.”
“I know.” I swallow hard. “I’m pretty upset myself, and I feel really bad about Cush. What if you went and talked to him? What if I sent him a letter?”
“What would I tell him?”
“I don’t know. That I’m sorry. That I won’t be at school with him this year. That I’m sorry I told him I loved him and then just ditched him.”
“You told him you loved him? When was that? I thought you loved Brook?”
“I did. I do. I don’t know.”
“It’s been almost a week already. I’m sure he’s figured out you’re not calling.”
“I know you’re right. I just feel really bad.”
“You’d feel worse if he started posting on Facebook that he knew you were okay. If he told friends that he’d heard from you, and Vincent went after him. Keep him safe and in the dark. Also, Brook texted me and wanted to know if he could see you tonight. I ordered enough food for an army. Why don’t we have him come down?”
“Okay.” I get up, look around at the beach, and see the couple that lives a few houses down. I watch the guy take off his shirt and images of Vincent come flashing back. Of him taking off his shirt, of him grabbing my wrist with his strong hand. “I, um, I need to go back inside now. I kinda feel sick.”
“Keatyn, look at me. What’s wrong?”
My breathing gets heavy, my hands start to shake, and I feel like I’m going to cry, or puke. I can’t decide.
In between deep breaths, I say, “It’s just the first time I’ve been out here. I was fine when I was looking at the ocean, but then that guy took off his shirt. It reminded me.”
James grabs my arm. “Let’s get you back inside.”