“They’re just jealous, you know.”

“Jealous of what?”

“Of us. What we have is real. Everything those girls cherish is fake. They only care about appearances, not what’s real. Fake relationships. Fake feelings. They fake their way through life. If it weren’t for me, you might have become one of them.”

“I am one of them, whether I want to be or not. At least until I get out of school. And Vanessa’s been surprisingly nice recently.”

He looks at my phone. “She wasn’t going to come to your party because you haven’t texted her in two days. How is that a good friend?”

“I’ve had sex with you all summer, and you’re not coming to my party. What does that make you?” I snap back.

“Don’t turn this on me.”

“I just don’t think it’s fair of you to slam her for something she has no intention of doing. She’s threatening to not come because she’s mad that I’ve been ignoring her. She’ll be there. She flew to New York to buy a dress, and she has a hot date that she’s dying to show off. I’m going to my own party dateless.”

“So take a date. Ask one of your boy toys.”

I stare at him for a few beats. He doesn’t back down.

“Fine. I will.” I grab my phone out of his hand, scroll past Cush and straight to Sander. Brooklyn hates him. “You sure you don’t want to be my date?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

“Okay.” I hit Sander’s name, and my phone sends out the call.

Brooklyn says, “He’s an asshole.”

“Well, I thought about asking Cush, but since I slept with him, I thought that might be awkward.”

I know I’m being mean, but I’m hurt. I’m lashing out a little.

Brooklyn’s face turns to pissed just as Sander answers.

“How’s my favorite T-Bird?” I flirt.

Brooklyn wants to see the fake me, so be it.

“Great. Heard you’re having a big birthday bash tomorrow night,” Sander says. “Where’s my invite?”

“I figured you were busy filming. Any chance you could come, maybe be my date?”

“Thought you were into the surfer dude?”

I catch the surfer dude’s eye. “Yeah, I thought the surfer dude was into me too, but I was wrong.”

Brooklyn gets up and walks out the door. I swallow hard and try not to cry.

“Sweet. You gonna do a big entrance? Walk the red carpet or some shit?”

“Hell yeah, I plan on making an entrance. It is my birthday. What do you say? Wanna come on the party bus with us?”

“I say you’re fucking awesome.”

“Good. My house. 8:30.”

I text RiAnne. I really don’t want to go with Sander. Regardless of what Vanessa says, I’d rather go dateless. I don’t know how Brooklyn pushed me into that. I guess I wanted to prove something. I just don’t know what I was trying to prove. Sander won’t care who his date is.

Me: Did you find a date for the party?

Ri: No :(

Me: I have a date for you.

Ri: Who??!!!

Me: Sander. I’d say he trumps a no-name lacrosse player. Even one that got buff over the summer. But don’t tell. Make it a surprise.

Ri: I thought we weren’t allowed to date each other’s exes?

Me: I’m okay with it. Really.

Ri: Vanessa will be pissed, but OMFG!! I LOVE YOU!! He’s so hot. I’ll be at your house at 8:30, looking AH-MAZZZING!! You liked my dress, right?

Me: Your dress is more than ah-mazing.

Ri: Sander will totally be my love slave by the end of the night. I’m sure of it.

How to play the game.

11:45pm

After dinner, I decide to walk the beach. I think I jinxed myself when I said that my life was perfect.

I don’t understand Brooklyn. Why can’t he go just because he loves me? If he really loved me, wouldn’t he go?

Were Vanessa and RiAnne right? Was it just a fling? Is he really not that into me?

I sit down and stare at the moonlight glistening on the water. I love the beach. It totally relaxes me. The sound of the ocean rushing and retreating is incredibly soothing.

I close my eyes and just breathe.

I think about how I sat here on prom night. How I wondered about my true love. How I wondered if he was looking at the moon too.

At the time, I thought Brooklyn was my true love.

But I’m starting to think I was wrong.

Brooklyn startles me when he sits down next to me.

He runs his hand through his hair in frustration. “I’m sorry. I didn’t grow up with all this. I don’t know how to play the game.” Brooklyn’s dad sold his internet company just four years ago. Before that, he lived a very middle class lifestyle. “I’ll go to the party, okay?”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to. Just don’t make me walk down the red carpet. Can I sneak in the back?”

“I don’t care how you get in, just come dance with me. Make my birthday feel like a fairytale.”

“I was hoping I already did that.”

“Prince Charming always goes to the ball; you know that.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Are we cool? You’re my best friend. I don’t wanna lose that.”

I kiss him. “What the hell am I supposed to do about the asshole?”

He laughs, but says seriously, “You were playing games with me; serves you right.”

Saturday, August 20th

Kill the troll’s bubbles!

5:15pm

Brooklyn just dropped me off at home. We had a late lunch of spicy shrimp at Buddy’s. I don’t know what’s going on, but Brooklyn is acting weird. He was going on and on about the shrimp, and he was savoring it like he wouldn’t get to eat it again for years.

Cush texted me during lunch and told me he’d be here tonight. That he would be riding in the party bus with us to the club. But he hasn’t said much else.

I walk in my front door to total chaos.

Avery is riding a stick unicorn and wearing a tutu and a crown.

Ivery is dressed as a mermaid and is blowing bubbles down the hall.

Emery is chasing the bubbles and swatting them out of the air with a plastic bejeweled sword, screaming, “Kill the troll’s bubbles!”

Gracie is wearing a swimsuit, tutu and fairy wings. Her hair has been “fixed” by one of the girls and has about thirty multi-colored barrettes in it. She’s riding her red trike into the mahogany fireplace wall and giggling each time it practically gives her whiplash. The nanny laughs along with her.

I walk back to Tommy’s office, following the smell of cigar smoke. They have the big sliders open to the courtyard, but I can still smell it. Tommy is sitting at his big wooden desk, and James is in one of the sleek, brown leather chairs across from it.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready?”

“Probably, but I’m a little worried about your children. Gracie is riding her bike into the fireplace giving herself whiplash, and laughing about it.”

Tommy chuckles. “They are a handful, but so cute.”

“Kym is almost here,” James tells me. “You better go shower. You know how she gets when we’re not all on schedule.”

Tommy leans back in his chair and takes a big puff of his cigar. “So are you excited for the party?”

“Of course I am! And Brooklyn is coming as my date, so it’s kinda a big deal.”

“Why is it a big deal? You’ve been with him all summer.”

“You know that, but my friends from school don’t really know that. Like they expect me to be with Cush.”

“High school drama?” James asks.

“Hopefully not,” I reply.

Mom and I are sitting in her huge travertine bathroom getting our makeup done. My hair has been blow out, flattened, then teased at the crown for a bit of a retro look. My finger and toenails have been painted a gorgeous pale peach, and my makeup looks simple and natural.

It’s amazing how much makeup it takes to look perfectly natural.

Kym wanted me to look beach-kissed. Lots of peaches and bronzes, which will look really pretty with my cream-colored, scalloped Herve Leger dress.

I love my dress. It’s both sinfully sexy and little-girl flirty.

The strapless neckline is scalloped, and the dress fits tight through the bodice and down to my hip, then there is a flirty little flounced skirt that hits mid-thigh. I feel very sexy in the dress and can’t wait for Brooklyn to see me in it.

And then there are the shoes.

Oh, how I love these shoes.

Nude-colored, satin, platform, t-strap sandals that are embellished with what looks like a vintage jeweled choker and a big ribbon tie at the ankle.

The makeup and hair stylists leave and I’m ready to head back to my room.

“Keatyn, wait. Tommy and I want to give you a present.”

Tommy walks out of their closet with a small wrapped package in Tiffany & Co.’s iconic robin’s egg blue paper.

I unwrap the box and look inside. “Wow! These earrings are gorgeous!”

“Tommy thought we should get you something timeless, so he chose the gold and diamonds. I thought we should get you something fun, so we settled on these. Do you like them?”

I hug her tightly. “Mom, of course I love them. They’re incredible, really. I don’t know if I can wear something like this. These suckers look like the earrings you see at the Academy Awards.”

Tommy quips, “Well, baby, you don’t have to worry about security. People are gonna think the President is in town.”

“Do you really think you still have to worry, Mom?”

“We’re just not taking any risks, honey. James has it all taken care of. Don’t worry about it. You just have fun at your party!”

I put the earrings on.

“I knew they would look perfect with that dress,” Mom says.

I hug them both again then twirl around.

“Do you think I look okay?”

“You look gorgeous, honey. I can hardly believe you’re seventeen. It seems like just yesterday I was holding you in my arms.” Mom starts to get misty-eyed.

“I want to go show Brooklyn my dress before Vanessa and everyone get here.”

“He’s in the living room with James.”

“Tommy, would you tell him to go in my room? I want to surprise him.”

“Will do,” Tommy says as he saunters out of the room, looking handsome as usual in a charcoal suit and black shirt.

“We have another surprise for you tonight,” Mom whispers.

“I don’t need anything else, Mom. These earrings are plenty. Plus the party. I’m sure it’s costing a lot. I’m sorry I asked for so much. I think I got a little carried away.”

“Keatyn, I think it’s fine you got a little carried away. It’s your seventeenth birthday. Lots of kids here have parties like this every year. This is the first big party we’ve ever had. And you never go crazy shopping. Although I swear you have more bikinis and shoes than anyone I know. Just enjoy it, okay. Forget about all the security, eat cake, and dance all night with your friends.”

“I will. Thanks, Mom, for everything.”

Mom nods as I run down the hall, through the entry, and back to my wing of the house.

I take a deep breath and open my bedroom door, expecting to dazzle him.

“That dress is awfully short,” he says.

“I, um—does that mean you don’t like it?”

“I mean, you look nice. Is it maybe a little skanky?”

“No! It’s longer than the one you picked for me to wear to dinner the other night, and it was very expensive.”

“I’m sure it was. Those the amazing shoes?”

I hold up my foot, so he can see the shoes up close. “Yes, aren’t they adorable?”

“What’d they cost?”

I sigh. “It doesn’t matter.”

“So, I just realized I forgot my wallet. I’m gonna run down to the house and grab it.”

“Okay,” I say, holding back tears.

Is it bad that I’m half wishing he’d just stay at his house? He was supposed to be dazzled by my dress, not think I look like a skank.

The boy who likes all of me.

8:10pm

Although I had fun hanging out with Vanessa and RiAnne at the hotel, I’ve been avoiding them a little the last few days on purpose. I had such an amazing, stress-free summer. I just didn’t want it to end. I’ve been pretending that I could just incorporate Brooklyn and all his friends into my life, and that everyone would be happy and get along.

I’ve been pretending that my life could be perfect.

That I could have it all.

But I’ve been lying to myself, I realize, as my two formerly separate lives come crashing together right before my eyes.

And it has nothing to do with Vanessa and RiAnne not accepting Brooklyn, and everything to do with the boy who just walked through my front door.

Cush.

When I opened the door, he gave me a grin so big I could see those dimples. Then he stood there and stared at me.

“You look amazing, Keatyn.”

I stared back, because I couldn’t seem to move. I could only stand there and look at him.

After a few awkward moments, he takes a step toward me, wraps me in a big hug, and kisses both my cheeks. Then he gently pushes me away from him and looks me up and down again.

“I’ve missed you,” he says sincerely. “And I owe you a big apology. The stuff I said, blaming you for what Mandy did. I was upset. Not thinking straight. I’m really sorry. I know it wasn’t your fault.”