Fake Boyfriend - Kate Brian (14 page)

"Why won't you tell me?" Vivi demanded, not used to being shot down.

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"Because it's more fun to make your face do that blotchy red thing it does when you're frustrated," he said, getting out and closing the door. "See ya!"

"Jonathan--was

"I've got a lot of work to do," he said, lifting his bags and waving. "Bye!"

"Fine!" Vivi shouted, half-laughing, half-annoyed.

"Fine!" he replied jovially.

Vivi shook her hand and peeled out, lifting her hand out the top of her car in a wave. She bit down hard on her bottom lip to stop herself from smiling.

"He's Izzy's guy. Izzy's guy," she said as she zoomed toward the highway. "Jonathan is all for Izzy6'

.

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* * * * thirteen * * * *

Lane glanced up from her English notes, yawned, and looked out the plate glass window at Lonnie's, where school buses and carpools were rolling by. It was so different here in the morning. Instead of the lively chatter of gossip, the place was relatively quiet, the peace disturbed only by the sound of the cash register pinging open or the occasional cell phone ring. Five men and one woman were in line, all wearing brown or black trench coats to ward off the slight drizzle outside. Lane glanced at her watch and wondered what train these people were catching. Her mother was out of the house by six every morning to get to breakfast meetings in the city by eight. Apparently the Lonnie-goers had less demanding jobs.

Outside on Washington, Vivi trudged by, the hood of her sweatshirt up over her head. At the same time, Isabelle approached from the other direction, walking jauntily, her

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pink plaid umbrella protecting her hair. They met at the door, and then Isabelle dragged Vivi inside and practically flung her into the booth across from Lane. Isabelle was all smiles. Vivi was giving off seriously irritated this-is-way-too-early vibes.

"Hey, guys!" Lane said brightly.

Vivi shoved her hood back and, with a grunt, accepted the coffee Lane pushed across the table to her.

"I am so sorry for the emergency meeting, but I have the biggest news!" Isabelle said, standing at the end of the table.

Lane looked at her quizzically. "What's up?"

"Shawn broke up with Tricia last night!" Isabelle announced, bouncing up and down on her toes.

Lane had never been punched in the stomach, but she had a feeling it would feel a lot like this. She actually lifted her two braids (a necessity for her frizzy hair in humid weather) and covered her eyes with them, not wanting to see Vivi's head actually explode.

"What!?" Vivi shouted, fully awake for the first time.

"He called me last night," Isabelle said. "Now, don't freak out. I did not get back together with him. And we didn't even talk about the prom."

"Thank God," Vivi said, slumping.

"But I do think he wants to go with me," Isabelle added.

"Iz! Come on!" Vivi blurted.

"But I was so good, you guys!" Isabelle said, ignoring Vivi's protestations. "I told him that he'd hurt me, and that if he wanted me back, he was going to have to earn it this time," Isabelle said, grinning like she'd just announced her biggest triumph ever.

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"Wait, so you are getting back together with him?" Lane asked. "What about Brandon?" Vivi added.

"Brandon will understand," Isabelle said, waving a hand. "Y guys, this is Shawn. And it's our senior prom. And I'm sorry, but I think going with

ou someone I know and love is a much better idea than going with someone I've never met."

Lane's heart beat an insane pitter-pat rhythm in her chest. This could not be happening. Isabelle could not really be considering getting back together with Shawn after everything he'd done to her--and after everything she, Vivi, and Curtis had done to try to protect her.

"But you're going to meet him! This weekend!" Vivi blurted, standing up.

"I can always cancel that," Isabelle explained. "Brandon won't mind not having to drive all the way down here."

"B. . . but . . . Isabelle! Y like Brandon!" Lane said. "Y can't just blow him off."

ou ou

"She's right!" Vivi added. "Don't make any snap decisions."

Isabelle's face dropped slightly, and she looked at the freshly waxed floor, where her umbrella was making a small puddle. "Y guys, I know you don't

ou like Shawn--was

"This has nothing to do with Shawn," Lane lied. "We just. . .

She looked at Vivi for help, widening her eyes.

"We just want you to keep your options open!" Vivi put her hands on the sides of Isabelle's arms and squeezed. "Iz, at least meet Brandon before you decide."

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"Y eah. Just wait until after Saturday," Lane added, turning on the bench so that her legs were dangling over the edge. "Then you'll be able to make an informed decision."

"We saw how Brandon made you feel," Vivi implored. "And that was just on IM. Imagine what it would be like to hang out with him in person! Iz, he might be, like, your soul mate!"

Lane almost laughed, but bit her tongue. She knew how much effort it must have taken Vivi to utter the phrase "soul mate" without rolling her eyes.

"Y think?" Isabelle said, raising her eyebrows.

ou

"Totally!" Lane put in, feeling like a complete heel. But there was nothing else she could do. Jonathan was their only hope. "But, if you blow him off now, you'll never know."

Isabelle sighed, her shoulders slumping. She stared down at her manicured fingers and fiddled with the cord on her umbrella. "Maybe ..."

"Come on. It's just one date. One meeting," Vivi said.

"And if you still want to go with Shawn after that, we'll shut up about it," Lane added. Vivi glared at her, but Lane shrugged. Honestly, if Isabelle picked Shawn after meeting Jonathan, there really was nothing else they could do for her.

"Okay. Fine," Isabelle said with a resolute nod. "I will not get back together with Shawn without giving Brandon a shot first."

"Y es!" Vivi cheered loudly.

"Good decision," Lane said.

"Thanks, you guys." Isabelle gave Vivi a quick hug, then leaned down to cheek-kiss Lane. "Sometimes you two are

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good to have around," she joked. "Want anything? I'm gonna grab a bagel and juice."

"I'm good," Lane said.

"Me too," Vivi added, finally sitting down again. She waited until Isabelle was on line with the trench coat patrol and out of earshot before speaking again. "Whew. That was close."

"Tell me about it," Lane said, pulling her notebook closer to her. "But now we have to make sure that Jonathan is seriously irresistible. Shawn is going down!" Lane whispered, her eyes sparkling.

"Wow. Y ou're really into this all of a sudden," Vivi said, amused.

"Well, that was scary!" Lane hissed, glancing across the shop at Izzy, who was inching forward on the line. "I do not want her getting back together with Shawn. And obviously Brandon is our best chance."

"Hm. Haven't I been telling you that from the beginning?" Vivi said nonchalantly.

"Y eah, yeah," Lane said. "So you were right. Don't let it go to your head."

They looked at each other and smirked. "Too late!" they said in unison.

Then Lane laughed and settled back to study. First she was going to ace her English quiz and then, this afternoon when she and Vivi met up with Jonathan, she was going to throw herself into this project for real. After this close call, nothing was more important than keeping Isabelle away from Shawn.

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Lane was hanging out in front of the school after the final bell, waiting for Vivi as the younger kids ran for the busses and the older kids headed for their cars. She tipped her head back slightly as the sun attempted to peek its way through the clouds, and she smiled. Her English quiz had been a snap. In fact, she had finished twenty minutes before the end of the period and spent the rest of the time coming up with quizzes to test Jonathan's knowledge of the various books she'd given him. He had to have read at least a couple of them by now, and if not, Lane was going to sniff him out.

It was Taskmaster Morris from here on out.

"Getting a tan?"

Lane's head snapped forward, and she opened her eyes to find Curtis standing before her, one foot on his skateboard. Her face turned crimson. "Oh ... I was j... uh ..."

"What are you doing now?" Curtis asked, popping his skateboard up and into his hands.

Lane swallowed hard. "Vivi and I are going to Jonathan's."

"Oh." He looked off toward the parking lot, put the board back down, and pushed it back and forth with his toe. "I was gonna see if you wanted to do the Calc homework together."

The sun pushed its way farther through the clouds, and Lane's skin prickled with heat. "I'm sorry. I can't," she said, wishing more than anything that she could. "This morning

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Isabelle told us she's getting back together with Shawn unless Brandon is, like, her soul mate. So we kind of have to--was

"Make him into her soul mate?" Curtis supplied.

"Y eah." It sounded stupid now that someone else had said it out loud.

"Okay. I guess I'll go, then," Curtis said, hopping on his board. He hadn't looked her in the eye in two minutes.

"Wait!" Lane blurted. "Are you mad?"

"No. Operation Skewer Sluttig is important," Curtis said flatly, shrugging and looking pointedly toward the parking lot. "Y gotta do what you gotta do.

ou Catch you later."

And then, he zoomed off down the hill, lifting a hand in a wave, but not looking back. Lane's stomach was all tied in knots. Curtis had never been that cool to her before. Not in all the years that she'd known him. Did he have a problem with Jonathan? With the plan? What had she done to offend him?

"Hey, Lane!" Vivi shouted, jogging up behind her.

Lane shook off her negative vibe and turned to her friend. Time to put her game face on. She could obsess about Curtis later.

"Hey! Y ready to go?" Lane asked, trying to reclaim the determination and excitement she'd been feeling moments ago.

ou

Vivi yanked her backpack straps onto her shoulders. "That's what I came over to tell you. Y can have the afternoon off," she said.

ou

Lane blinked. "What?"

"Y can have the afternoon off," Vivi repeated, slapping

ou

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her shoulder. "Kick back. Relax. Or, you know, study. Since that's what you always want to do anyway," she joked.

She started past Lane, who stood there dumbly for a good five seconds before finding her voice.

"What are you, my boss?" she asked.

Vivi stopped and turned to her, looking surprised. "No. It's just that Jonathan's gonna watch some of the movies we gave him, so our services aren't needed," she said. "Well, yours aren't, anyway. I said I'd go over there and watch them with him."

Lane studied her friend. Vivi checked her watch and suddenly became very interested with the long line of cars jockeying for position at the parking lot exit. The longer Lane stared at her cheek, the pinker that cheek grew.

"What?" Vivi snapped finally.

"Oh my God. Y like him!" Lane blurted. "That's why you don't want me to go! Y want him all to yourself."

ou ou

Vivi huffed, but still looked out at the traffic. "You're cracked."

"I so am not!" Lane blurted.

Vivi stood up straight and stared Lane right in the eye. "I do not like him. I only offered to go over there because I'm not entirely sure he's going to get the appeal of Dead Poets Society"

"But you don't get the appeal of Dead Poets Society." Lane reminded her.

"Well, no, but Isabelle explained it to me once, so I can just regurgitate that to him," Vivi replied. "It's just business," she added, looking away again. She could barely stifle a giddy smile.

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"Oh, God! It is so not! Y like him! I don't care what you say. Y like our best friend's fake boyfriend!" Lane had to will herself to keep from

ou ou screeching.

"Lane, please--was

"Vivi, you can't do this. If you go over there alone, you could screw up the whole plan," Lane begged, throwing her arms out at her sides. "Y ... ou Jonathan... alone in the dark. Watching semi-romantic movies ... I know you. Y jump him. Y won't be able to stop yourself."

ou'll ou

"Do you really think I have no self-control?" Vivi snapped.

"No! But--was

But when you want something, you usually go for it without thinking about other people's feelings. Lane couldn't say that to her. Vivi would flip out.

"Okay. I know you like to think that you know me and Isabelle so well, but this is one time that you have no idea what you're talking about," Vivi said. "I am not about to jeopardize the whole plan and send Izzy running back to Shawn, just because I may be slightly attracted to Jonathan. Every girl he knows is probably attracted to him."

Lane glared at Vivi. "I'm coming with you." She pushed past Vivi toward the parking lot, but Vivi put out her arm, stopping her.

"No. Y ou're not," she said, holding Lane back.

"Vivi!" Lane cried.

"Lane!" Vivi replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

For a long moment, Lane engaged in a staring contest with Vivi, feeling like she was back in kindergarten fighting over the last cupcake. She was not going to back down. Not

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after blowing off Curtis--who was now apparently mad at her--so that she could go to Jonathan's. She was as much a part of this plan as Vivi was. There was no way she was going to be shut out now. But the longer they stood there, the more Lane felt herself cave. There was no winning with Vivi. There never had been. There never would be.

"Fine. If you want to obliterate this whole thing, be my guest," Lane said finally. "I don't care anymore."

She turned on her heel and stormed off the other way, headed for home. For the first time in Lane's life, a pack of freshmen jumped out of her way. Apparently she looked intimidating when she was about to burst into tears.

"I'm not going to obliterate anything!" Vivi called after her.

"We'll see!" Lane shouted back, sure that Vivi couldn't hear her over the roar of an approaching bus.