Star Power (15 page)

W
hen Charly and Nia walked out the back door and into the yard, they were all standing there, staring at her. Rory stood behind Trent, and Mya was next to him. Mya's arms were crossed, Rory's expression said she was livid, and disappointment masked Trent's face. Charly eyed them all, while the cast and crew finished setting up around them.

“Well?” Charly said, breaking the silence. The way Rory had demanded she come out of the pool house, she'd expected to be throwing blows by now, but nothing was happening. But just in case, she'd snatched her tendrils tightly and stepped out of her summer sandals. “Well?” she asked again, her neck snaking with attitude.

Trent stepped forward. “Charly, you've got a lot of nerve. I thought you were different. All you care about is camera time. You don't care about any of us.”

Liam, who was standing next to Charly, walked around her and came face-to-face with Trent. He appeared cool, but Charly knew better. Somewhere behind that beautiful face of his, his teeth were clenched. He reached up, then twisted his baseball cap backward, which Charly knew meant business. The only time she'd seen Liam do that before was when he really had to concentrate. “Trent, you good? We need to talk one on one, man to man?” he asked, his expression serious.

Trent nodded, but said, “No, Liam. I'm not good, and you wouldn't be either.” He tsked, then spat on the ground. He looked over at Charly. “Do you think because we're from a small town that means we're slow, or do you just lie to and on everybody, Charly? Is that it?” he inquired, ignoring Liam asking him if they needed to talk man to man.

Mya's eyes began to water, and she wiped them. “Yes, Charly. Is that it?” Her voice cracked and rose with each word. “Because I'd like to know. Really know. Here I was thinking we were cool, thinking that I could trust you—telling you
every
thing and thinking you were my girl—and you'd lied on me to Trent. I'd never leave Trent stranded.”

Rory opened her mouth to speak, and Charly held up her hand. She knew she was wrong, but she wasn't going to just stand in front of the firing squad without fighting back. “Well, that's not really true, Mya.” She looked at Rory, slicing her hand through the air. “And Rory, don't even comment on it. Our wrongs cancel each other's out.” She turned back to Mya, feeling that it was her she needed to appeal to the most. Mya had been right; they'd developed some sort of relationship while hanging out, and Charly didn't want her to think it was all a game. Charly did like her now that she'd gotten to know her better. “Can we talk inside the pool house? There are too many ears out here, and I don't think it's a good idea for the cast and the rest of the adults around here to know about your candy habits,” she said, referring to the Skittles party, and hoping it'd make a difference, but it didn't.

“Who cares?” Rory boomed, making the backyard freeze and everyone within earshot turn their attention toward them. “So what if we have Skittles parties? Who doesn't?” she began.

Mya stepped on her foot. “Shuddup, Rory! You might not care, but I do. Just because your family is different . . .” She paused. “Never mind. Just don't forget who my dad is,” she said, then began taking the few steps toward the pool house.

Rory snatched Mya back by her arm, twisting the sleeve of her shirt. She was in her face with spittle flying out of her mouth before anyone could stop her. “And what does that mean? Huh, Mya? What ya tryna say? 'Cause last time I checked, your family was just as messed up as mine. Just because your dad is the mayor don't mean y'all ain't got problems. Just look at the way you treat your sister, and after the way you wrecked her face.”

Mya pushed Rory off her, then Charly jumped between them. To distract the ever-growing audience that was trying to see what was going on, she laughed loud and carefree, eyeing Liam to follow suit. She couldn't let anyone at the house know what was going on. She wouldn't dare expose the other teens or herself. If Mr. Day had gotten a whiff of what she'd done, the lies and manipulation she'd worked to uncover secrets, she knew he'd snap from the smell of it, and would call it for what it was: bull manure.

“Good one, good one,” Liam said, laughing, then elbowing Trent to join in. Trent shook his head, obviously preferring not to front for the onlookers.

Rory glared at Charly, then at Mya. “I can't stand either one of you think-you're-cuter-than-everybody heifers,” she said, then pushed past Charly, grabbing for Mya.

Charly stood there with her eyes bulging. She didn't know what happened or how it occurred, but something had indeed transpired. Something quick and hard flashed in front of her eyes before she could make it out, and suddenly Rory was facedown on the ground. Charly's gaze went from Rory's back, to the foot pressed against it, then traveled up the person's leg it belonged to. “Nia?” she questioned.

“Nia?” Mya was shocked.

“Rory, we're cool, but don't you ever, and I do mean ever, push up on my sister,” Nia fumed, then looked at Mya. “Are you all right?”

Mya, eyes bigger than the sky, nodded. “Yes, Nia. I'm fine.”

“Well, I'm not!” Rory yelled from under Nia's foot. “Get off me or let me up. Something!”

Charly made her way to Nia, then laced her arm through hers. “C'mon, let's go inside the pool house and talk.” She looked at Mya. “You too.”

Nia locked eyes with Charly. “I told you I was going to pay her back. As you see, I didn't mean in a bad way.”

Mya looked to the ground, then she shook her head. “That's okay.”

“No, it's not okay,” Rory yelled, getting up off the ground. “It's never been okay. I've been trying to get you two to get it through your thick skulls, but no,” she sang. “You're definitely twins. Twin hardheads.” She looked at Charly while rubbing her head. “Now do you see why I called the show? These two are a piece of work. They've been too busy trying not to be like the other when it's impossible. Smart? Yes, that they are. Cute?” She flip-flopped her hand. “Kinda, but not as hot as me. Hardhead? Yes. Yes. Yes. Triple yes. And it sickens me. I wish I had a sister my age that I could hang out with instead of a little bratty one,” she admitted, looking back and forth between Nia and Mya. “Heck, I wish I had a family with an ounce of sense.”

Charly just nodded. Rory was on a roll, and she knew Rory would keep talking as long as someone was listening. “Let's go, Nia and Mya,” she said, opening the door to the pool house, then waiting patiently while the sisters walked inside.

“Trent, let's go talk,” Liam said. “There's so much more going on here than girl stuff.”

Charly closed the door behind them, then locked it to prevent Rory from entering. Charly leaned against the wood, crossed her arms, then ping-ponged her eyes between the sisters. “Okay, we're not leaving out of here until we get this settled. You”—she pointed at Mya—“blame her for all your troubles.” She pointed at Nia. “And vice versa. Now let's get to the heart of this, twins, because you and I know that both of y'all are wrong.” Charly eyed them, then saw Nia fidget just a little. “Spit it out, Nia. Please hurry too because I have a show to finish, and you two are holding me up.”

Nia shook her head. “I'm sorry, Mya—”

“Sorry for what?” Mya cut her off. “I'm the one who put you through it.” She shook her head. “I didn't mean to . . . You know I'm sorry about the accident. I didn't mean for it to happen, and I definitely didn't want to see you shut yourself off from everyone.”

“It's my fault, not yours,” Nia said, stepping up. “It's all my fault, not yours,” she repeated.

Charly nodded. She didn't know where this was going, but was glad to see some progress.

Mya froze, tilting her head. “What do you mean?”

Nia shrugged. “I was getting all the attention, and, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you were just acting out to get attention too.”

Mya just looked at her sister for a second, then shot a questioning glance to Charly. Charly shrugged. There was no way she was going to hang herself, and was glad Nia hadn't exposed that she'd shared Mya's revelation with her. Mya nodded, then walked over to her twin sister and embraced her.

Charly exhaled. “Finally! Now can we get to work, ladies?” she asked as loudly as she could to be heard over Rory's knocking on the door.

Mya let go of Nia and smiled. “Yes. I'll do what I can, but I remember my dad telling me to stay out of the way.”

Charly nodded in agreement, remembering when she'd snapped on Mya for not wanting to help. “Okay. Go see what Rory wants then.” After Mya walked out, Charly turned to Nia. “Explain. It wasn't supposed to be that easy, and there has to be a reason you just caved like that.”

Nia reached into her pocket, then pulled out half a red wrapper with white lettering. Charly's brows rose. She remembered seeing a corner of it tucked in Nia's room the first day she'd been in her room, but had forgotten all about it. Now it all made sense. “The night at the party . . . The accident . . .” Nia shrugged. “Mya wanted to stay and I didn't. I figured if she wanted to party with her new friends she should really party with her new friends. It was a Skittles party, so I crushed one up in her drink. We crashed because I drugged her,” Nia admitted, batting her eyes slowly, unsuccessfully attempting to keep her tears from falling. “I'll never admit it though, Charly. I can't.”

Charly looked at Nia. “You put the other half under my hotel room door? Was that you, Nia?”

Nia nodded, walking across the room and sitting on a chair. She exhaled. “You'd never guess how easy it is to know what's going on when you never leave the house, Charly. Especially when you've got loud-mouth friends like Rory.”

“She was just looking out for you, Nia. They all were,” Charly defended.

“But
I
didn't want a makeover, Charly. I just wanted everyone to let me be. What's so wrong with being yourself just because yourself doesn't fit in with society's definition of normal? Plus, with having you around, I figured I'd be exposed, eventually. I mean, how could I hide with you snooping around and trying to make me over?”

Charly was floored. Here she was trying to help Nia, and Nia had been playing her all along. She shrugged. She couldn't say too much. Even Nia had given her a heads-up and tried to make her go away by sliding the Skittles wrapper under her hotel-room door. “Okay. Okay. Okay,” Charly said. “I got it now. I get it!” She raised her voice. “But I've got a trick for you, Ms. Nia. You will get a makeover and you'll enjoy it. And you're going to be the best nerd there is on the planet for a minimum of two years or else.”

“Or else what?” Nia asked, her brows high and wearing a look like she was daring Charly.

Charly held up her cell in the air, waving it back and forth. “Or else I'm going to play this voice recording for the world,” she threatened, lying and smiling, hoping Nia believed her.

T
he camera lights were shining bright and the street was filled with spectators. All were there for the big reveal and clapping on cue when the light indicated they were on air. Charly stood with Liam by her side.

“
The Extreme Dream Team
has decided on doing something different this time—a thing our audience members at home are aware of, but something the great folks of Tallulahville, Minnesota, have no idea about. Right, Liam?” Charly said as perfectly as she could while smiling.

Liam nodded, then shrugged. “Well, Charly, you know that's not exactly true. The town's mayor was aware of what's going on, and what's going on has nothing to do with his office as the town has been led to believe.”

Charly nodded, then jumped right in where she was supposed to, pausing only here and there as the spectators oohed and ahhed. She turned to her right, then waved her arm in the air as pictures of Nia flashed on the screen. Charly went into Nia's story, praised her for her grades and multiple scholarships, then talked about her unselfish heart. “Ladies and gentlemen, let's bring her out,” Charly said, clapping her hands.

Nia walked out from behind the crowd. She was made over and wore a huge smile. Charly waved for the cameraman and boom guy to follow her, then embraced Nia with the phoniest hug she'd ever given in her life. “Remember,” she said into Nia's ear through clenched teeth. It was only one word, but it was a huge threat. She turned back to the camera. “Now, ladies and gentlemen, to give you an example of the reason Nia was nominated for this show,” she began, then thrust the microphone into Nia's face.

Nia smiled, nodding and crying. “As everyone here knows, I'm an identical twin. My sister's name is Mya, and I want her to have everything I have because she deserves so much more than what other people know—including her own car. So since I'm getting a full scholarship, I've decided to donate part of my savings to Mya's car, and half of my new wardrobe . . .”

Charly nudged Nia a little, then batted her eyes slowly. Nia was going to give her what she'd requested or Charly was going to deliver what she'd promised. No, she didn't have the main part of the conversation recorded, but she was able to get the end of it on a digital recording application on her phone. “Wow, that's great, Nia. So you're going to donate half of your savings to help pay for your sister's car?” Charly said into the camera, then turned and masked her sneer behind a genuine-looking smile at Nia, and held that same grin until the show had wrapped.

The cameras' lights died, the microphones were cut off, and Charly exhaled. She couldn't believe a nerd had played her like that, but it had happened. Still though, she smiled because, played or not, she'd succeeded with the makeover. She'd given Nia and Mya complete overhauls from the inside out, and through all the turmoil, commotion, and years of hurt, the sisters had even found a way to bond again.

Hands clapping pulled her attention. “Very good, love,” Liam said, walking up to her with a huge smile on his face.

Charly gave a slight bow, then stood up, readying herself to speak, but she couldn't. She wasn't able to because Liam's lips pressed against hers very quickly, then drew back. “Wow! Why'd you do that?” she asked, looking around. The kiss wasn't a kiss kiss, but it was enough to make her heart race.

Liam winked. “I've never kissed a real star before.”

Charly laughed. “Well, if I'd have known that was all it took, I'd have flexed my star power much sooner.”

Liam wrapped his arm around hers. “Really? Let's go for a walk, and you can tell me all about it.”