Chapter 4


    "Wouldn''t you like to know?" I said with a wry smile.


    "I''d love to." He tucked a piece of my hair back, or rather a piece of my fake hair back. I pushed him


    away. "Fine, you want to know my name first?"


    Michael chuckled loudly, blowing on one of those vapor things. "She probably already knows your


    name," he said, which was true, but I didn''t say anything since Andrew was too drunk to care.


    Andrew sent me a drunken smile. "The name is Andrew Carter and yes, if you were wondering…" He


    paused, putting his hand to his chest, probably trying to stop the throw up from leaving his mouth. "I


    sure as hell throw some badass parties. You''re wee toe to the next one, but if you do, which I


    know you will, wear something a little hotter." He pulled at the sleeve of my hoodie.


    "Twelve more minutes of this misery and then I''m free," I muttered to myself after checking the time on


    my phone.


    Who was stupid enough to show up at schoolpletely drunk off their ass? I mean, he''s throwing


    away his whole life and for what? A pack of cigarettes and a twelve pack of beer? It''s repulsive. I don''t


    know how Stacey even puts up with this if he''s like this on a daily basis.


    Jack seemed to hear me because he responded to thement, "You know, you don''t have to stay


    here. I mean, Mr.Ollie only shows up on Wednesdays. You''re safe since it''s Monday. "


    "No, no, no," Andrew said, jumping down from the teacher''s desk and almost tripping into another


    desk. “The nerd can''t leave. I mean, she''s too good for all of that. Stacey would be pissed as hell if she


    found out that you didn''t even get a real punishment."


    I narrowed my eyes. Was he really threatening me with Stacey?


    "I spilled coffee on her shirt; big deal. I can pay for a new one if it''s seriously that much of a problem,” I


    snapped, getting fed up with everyone in this room.


    "No, it''s okay. If you have some ce to be then I''ll just let her know. She shouldn''t mind too much," he


    said giving me a pathetic taste of sarcasm.


    I tapped my nails against the desk irritably, I wasn’t in the mood for all of this. “Well, I guess it’s a good


    thing I’m not leaving yet.” I said making myself morefortable in my seat before I pulled out my


    phone, scrolling through my timeline on Instagram that was mostly filled with celebrities I knew and only


    a few people from school.


    “Huh, I guess so.” He said staring at me longer than necessary before he turned to his friends again.


    I felt myself slouch slightly as I sighed in relief, happy to have him off my back. It only stayed like that


    for another fifteen minutes, him and his friends talking andughing obnoxiously before I knew I had to


    get going if I wanted to make it in time for my photo shoot.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I doubled checked the time on my phone before I stood up.


    “Where do you think you’re going?” Andrew asked, noticing my standing figure.


    “I need to leave.” I said slipping my book bag on my shoulders.


    “And what did I say about leaving? Unless you have some type of memory loss and suddenly forgot in


    this short time?”


    I scowled, “Fine, what do you want?”


    "I don''t know yet." Andrew lightly tapped his stubbled chin with his index finger. “But I''ll make sure to let


    you know when I think of something."


    I sighed. "Okay, whatever."


    I left it at that and headed out of the room just as my phone rang loudly throughout the hallway. I pulled


    the device from my back pocket and frowned at the name that appeared on the screen.


    "Mary," I said with fake happiness.


    "Clover Ann Thompson! Where the hell are you? The photo shoot starts in less than ten minutes! You


    should be here by now!" Mary yelled through the phone, causing me to cringe, slightly pulling it from


    my ear.


    "I know, I know. I totally forgot, I''m at Tori''s house, and I''ll leave right now and meet you there," I lied.


    I could picture her shaking her head in disappointment. "You should know how important this shoot is. I


    mean, it''s being done by Mandy Francisco," she said with a sigh. "If you want to go to that fashion


    show this year then you need her to approve everything from this shoot."


    I used fake sweetness as I responded to the lecture I''ve only heard a million times, "Yes, Mary, I know.


    I''ll be there in ten minutes."


    "Good, because that''s all you''ve got," she snapped before disconnecting the phone call.


    I nced at my phone and shoved it inside my pocket. "Sure, Mary, my day was fine. Thanks for


    asking," I said in a posh tone, sarcastically making little faces.


    "Do you always talk to yourself or only on special asions?" a man asked and I gasped, rushing over


    and throwing my arms around him.


    "West Thompson," I said with a wide smile. "What are you doing here?"


    "I was in town. I''m supposed to be staying at your ce for a night,” he told me and I squealed, giving


    him another hug.


    West Thompson is my cousin from my father''s side. He didn''te around much, but he''s always that


    one cousin you want to do everything with. He''s the one who goes to the parties and the one who will


    sneak you out of the house if you needed him to. He''s that older cousin that you can''t help but


    completely adore.


    "You know, you''re looking hot right now," hemented, his eyes skimming my nonexistent figure in


    these clothes.


    "Oh, please shush," I said before scanning the parking lot cars, stopping on the familiar Escde from


    my garage. The car wasn''t 100% mine, but I kept it in my garage for an old boyfriend of mine or, well,


    current boyfriend of mine. Things were a bit confusing with him since he was a few years older than me


    and left a while back to join the military. We never really ended things, so I can''t exactly say we''re


    together, but it''s been about a year if not longer since he left for boot camp and wherever else they


    shipped him off to.


    I took off my sses and pouted, blinking a few times for the effect. "West, my amazing cousin, want to


    give me a ride to the shoot?"


    "Why else do you think I''m here? Your agent showed up while I was at your house and got all pissed


    when you she found out you weren''t home," he exined. "She sent me toe and pick you."


    "How''d you even get in?" I asked usingly.


    He smirked, lightly patting his chest. "I''m West Thompson. How do you think I got in?"


    I sent him a t look. He wasn''t amusing.


    "You guys still leave the spare key under that rock under the second step out front," West said.


    I frowned. "Something told me I should move that."


    He waved me off. "Only me and your parents know. It''s not a big deal."


    I bit my lip, still thinking about it. I mean, they weren''t the only ones who knew that since I’d told Tori


    and Damien, but they were trustworthy, so I wasn''t worried. I was just worried about the paparazzi


    snooping around and one of them seeing it.


    "Hey, you alive in there?" West asked, tapping my forehead with his fist, lightly. "C''mon, you''ve been


    staring out into space. We gotta go if you want to get there on time, so we don''t get killed by Mary."


    I nodded. "Right, let''s go."