Char (15 page)

“Whatever. When are you going to be here?”

“The driver told me we should get there right after nine.”

“Okay, awesome,” I say. “I’m going to have breakfast with Tristan and his mom, so when you get here you can just chill or whatever. I should be back like by ten or eleven, then we can hang. I can’t wait for you to meet Tristan!”

“Oh.” I can hear the disappointment in Aaron’s voice. “Is he your boyfriend now?”

“Shut up. No, he’s not a boyfriend.” I feel my cheeks getting warmer. “But you have to be nice to him. He’s awesome, and I know you will love him as much as I do.”

“Love?”

I roll my eyes even though Aaron can’t see. “You know what I mean. Best friend love. You’re such a jerk.”

“I’ve been replaced.” It’s not a question.

“Aaron, chill. You’re acting like a jealous girlfriend. And I say girlfriend, because you
are
being
a girl right now. Suck it up.”

“Fine,” he says. “But remember I get you one night to myself. I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too. But I have to go now. I’ll see you soon.” I end the call as we walk into the house.

“I so told you. Aaron is in love with you,” Tristan says as we walk towards my room.

“Whatever. He so is not. He loves me like a best friend, that’s it. We’ve been best friends since I was like five,” I tell him. “My parents had just gotten divorced when I started school. I thought it was awesome that he had two dads since I basically had no dad. I don’t think I would have survived my childhood without him. My mom was always gone doing stuff with Chloe, and then Candi when she got older. My mom left me home alone when I was like seven, so I’d just go to his house.”

“I don’t care how long you’ve been friends. I’m telling you, that boy wants you.”

I think about Tristan’s words. What if he’s right? What if Aaron really does like me as more than a friend? Is it really worth throwing away fourteen years of friendship? I don’t think so. Especially considering I’m not sure how
I feel about him. I’ve never thought about Aaron as more than just my best friend. And I don’t think we have chemistry to be more. I mean, I’m sure I’d be happy with him, but I want fireworks — not predictability.

“It doesn’t matter,” I tell Tristan. “I don’t like Aaron as more than a friend. He will always be the boy next door to me. He’s the boy I learned to surf with. He’s the first sleepover I had as a kid. And he will always have a place in my life and in my heart, but only as a friend. Never anything more.”

Tristan smiles at my answer. “What about me?”

I laugh. “It’s way too early to get into that conversation. All I’m saying is that last night was… wow.”

“So when Aaron kisses you this weekend….”

I roll my eyes. “Aaron won’t kiss me. But
if
he does, it could never compare.”

“Good. Now get dressed. My mom is excited to meet you.”

I grab my dress and then get a quick shower. I’m a little nervous about meeting Tristan’s mom, but his dad liked me. Hopefully his mom will too. Moms are a
little
harder to please than dads, but Landon’s mom always liked me just fine, so hopefully Tristan’s mom will too.

9am

The good sister.

Tristan and I get to his house just before nine. While this house looks less like a museum than the penthouse in New York City, it’s still massive. Like I’ve seriously stayed at smaller hotels. I wonder if anybody has ever gotten lost in here. It would be easy.

“This house is huge,” I tell him as we walk into the foyer.

“Fifteen thousand square foot,” he says.

My dad’s beach house is two thousand square foot. Wow. And I thought Dad’s house was huge, but it seems so small
next to his.

“Tristan?” I hear a woman call out. I watch a woman walk into the room. I’m assuming it’s Tristan’s mom, but she looks so young. She has dark brown hair, and blue eyes. She’s very fit, and she’s wearing a beautiful black dress with huge diamond earrings.

“Mom, this is Charlotte York. Charlotte, this is my mother, Lauren Becker.”

“It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs. Becker.”

“York… Are you the…” Her voice cuts off, and I know exactly what she’s thinking.
Sex tape
. God, I’m not even Candice and her mistake is still going to haunt me for the rest of my life. I can only imagine how bad it’ll be for her.

“No. That’s my older sister, Candice. Unfortunately I can’t control her,” I say.

“So are you an actress?” she asks, still frowning.

“No. That would be my
other
older sister, Chloe,” I answer. “I’m still in high school — a senior. I’m thinking about going to Columbia next year. I haven’t decided what my major will be, but I do know that I want nothing to do with the life my sisters live.”

Talking about my sisters makes me sad. I haven’t talked to Chloe since dinner on Tuesday night when we got into an argument, and that was the last time I talked to Candi too. No matter what happens between us, I hate fighting with them. I hope everything with us gets resolved soon.

Lauren smiles. “Well that’s good. Your dad is Robert, right?”

“Yes.”

“Oh so you’re next door. How nice,” she says. “I didn’t know that any of Robert’s daughters lived with him.”

“I actually just moved in with him about a month ago.” When I was caught smoking weed. But she doesn’t need to know that. I’m pretty sure she hates me solely based on Candice already.

Thankfully, the doorbell rings, and Lauren is off to greet more guests.

“Your mom hates me,” I whisper to Tristan.

“No she doesn’t. She was just worried that you were Candice.”

I roll my eyes. “Well maybe you should assure her that we definitely won’t be making a sex tape.”

He laughs. “At least not one that everybody else will see.”

“Shut up,” I say. I sort of like the idea, but I’d never do it. That kind of stuff has a way of getting out, and I do
not
want to follow in Candi’s footsteps.

The rest of breakfast is kind of awkward. Lauren wasn’t the only one who mistook me for Candice, which is very frustrating. I’m the good sister. I don’t want people to think I’m the bad one. At the first opportunity, Tristan and I sneak off.

I can’t wait to see Aaron.

10am

Different.

When Aaron sees me, he runs up to me, lifts me up, and spins me in a circle. To be honest, it’s kind of awkward. He’s never acted like this before. But we’ve also never spent a whole month apart. Part of me wonders if it’s for Tristan’s benefit, but I’ve had boyfriends before. And Tristan ISN’T my boyfriend. So that can’t be it. But something is definitely up with him.

“I’ve missed you,” he tells me.

“Me too.”

“So what’s with the hair.” He looks at me. “And the clothes. Seriously. One month in New York, and you’re already a yankee.”

I roll my eyes. “My hair is darker because I don’t get to surf everyday. The sun lightens it… And the dress — well, we just came from breakfast at Tristan’s mom’s house. Oh… Aaron, this is Tristan Becker. Tristan, this is Aaron Rouse.”

“Nice to meet you.” Tristan holds his hand out to Aaron, but Aaron pretends to not see it.

Ugh. Seriously? Way to make it awkward Aaron.

“Don’t even think we’re done talking about this. Seriously. You’re so not a brunette. I don’t like the hair. You should get highlights or something.”

I put my hands on my hips. “Seriously, Aaron? This is my natural hair. And if you don’t like it, fuck off.”

“It’s not just the hair,” he says. “You’re a completely different person — the clothes, the hair, even your attitude is different. I’m just wondering what’s up with you.”

“Well, if you’re my friend you will accept me. I’m not acting any different. Just get over yourself, and stop being such a douche to Tristan.”

“Sorry,” Aaron says to me, but he still doesn’t look at Tristan. “I promise I’ll try. Besides, you’re coming back to California like next month.”

“Why would I come back to California next month?” I ask. “My senior year JUST started like two weeks ago. I won’t be coming back until at least the summer. But I am thinking about going to school at Columbia. I plan on being in New York City for a while.
If
I come back, it will just be for a visit.”

“Seriously? Ugh…” Aaron looks at Tristan. “Let me guess,
pretty boy
goes to Columbia.”

Tristan looks angry at Aaron’s comment, but he keeps his mouth shut. He really isn’t one to let anybody walk over him, so I know he’s being nice for my benefit.

“You are being rude. You need to be respectful of me and my friends,” I tell him. “I am going to put on my bathing suit, and we are going to go chill by the pool. When I come down you either need to be nicer, or you need to be gone. I’m not going to let your ruin my weekend.”

“Fine.”

I take Tristan with me to my bedroom. I don’t dare leave him alone with Aaron. And I get dressed in my closet. When I come out, Tristan is in him swimming trunks too.

“I just want to say sorry about Aaron. He never acts like this,” I say.

“He’s just jealous.”

“Oh my God, stop saying that. He’s not jealous. He’s just having a hard time. I’m his BEST FRIEND. We have never gone a whole month without seeing each other. And he thought I would be coming back. I mean, I thought I was too when I left. But now that I’m here I don’t want to leave, and he doesn’t understand that decision. But he will get over it. He’s my best friend. He has to.”

Tristan smiles. “Nope. It’s more than that. He’s definitely jealous.”

“He’s never been jealous. I’ve had boyfriends before…” I stop myself. Crap. Never say the “b-word” in front of a non-boyfriend. It scares them. Ugh. WHY did I just do that? I wait to see if Tristan bolts.

“Soon I will be your boyfriend. But not until Aaron kisses you. I want to make sure that the feeling is only one-sided before I give you my whole heart.”

“Whatever. Just know that I am sorry about Aaron. Just ignore him.”

“It isn’t me that you have to worry about.”

Tristan is right. Aaron IS kind of a drama queen. Or king. Whatever. He takes everything to the extreme. It’s just how he is. “I know. And I’m sorry. I promise I’ll talk to him. I think he’s just mad because I ditched him.”

Just then, my bedroom door swings open and Aaron walks in. “Are we going to swim or what?”

“You can’t just come into my bedroom without knocking,” I tell him. “Seriously, what if I was naked?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen you naked.”

I roll my eyes. “That is not true.” I turn to Tristan. “He’s never seen me naked.”

“I so have. In your kitchen.”

“You saw my boobs. And that’s because you didn’t knock. I am seeing a pattern here.”

“So you just let him stand in here and watch you get naked?” Aaron asks. “I guess you are just like Candice.”

And that was a low blow. We both know it. “Get out of my room! I don’t even want to see you right now.”

Aaron’s face drops. “I’m sorry, Charlotte. You know I didn’t mean that. I am just being an idiot.”

“GO! I can’t talk to you right now.”

He opens his mouth to say something else, but once he sees the serious look on my face he turns and leaves the room. The second the door shuts, I walk into my bathroom, shut the door, and cry. I definitely don’t want to cry in front of Tristan.

I don’t know what’s gotten into Aaron. Have I really changed
that much
since moving to New York? I really don’t think I have, but maybe he’s right about that. I always thought my life in California was laid back, but the truth is I have always been uptight there. I’ve always had so much pressure from my mom and even my older sisters… Them with their perfect lives and their celeb statuses… I had to work twice as hard at everything, and I was pretending to be mellow. But it’s different here. Dad doesn’t pressure me. Sure, he has expectations, but his expectations are about my grades and my future college… Not about my weight, exercise routine, or how good I look in front of the camera. So yeah, I guess I have changed. But it’s definitely for the better.

I cry for a few minutes over what Aaron said. I think the reason that it hurt so bad was because he reminded me of my mom. He pressured me to be somebody that I’m just not anymore. And Aaron has ALWAYS been my laid back friend. He’s who I go to when my home life gets overwhelming. But he’s changed, and I don’t like this side of him. The side that only likes me when I’m a certain way, or at a certain location. Friends don’t do that to friends.

I have always heard that after graduation friends grow apart, and I thought
that will never happen to Aaron and I.
Though I haven’t graduated, I have moved away. And I finally get it. You do grow apart. It’s different because I’m not seeing him everyday. It totally sucks that we’re like this.

There is a knock on the door right before it opens. Tristan sticks his head in. “You should go talk to him.”

I wipe the tears from under my eyes. “You’re right.”

“I’m going to go to my house, and you should hang out with him.
Talk to him
. I’ll just come over tomorrow.”

I really don’t want Tristan to go home, but Aaron did just fly to see me. I do need to give him some best friend time. “Okay, I’ll see you in the morning. We will probably get up at like five in the morning to surf if you want to come?”

“I’ve never woken up that early, but I will be here. And you can teach me how to surf.”

“Sounds good. I will see you then.” He backs out of the bathroom, and I take a minute to wash my face. You can hardly tell that I’ve been crying, but Aaron will know.

I make my way out of the bathroom, and downstairs. Aaron is sitting on the couch with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He looks up as I sit down on the couch beside him.

“I’m sorry,” he says. I can tell that he means it.

“I know.”

“There is absolutely no excuse for my behavior. But I get here, and you’re with this guy that I don’t know… And I see the way you look at him. It isn’t the same as it was with Landon or any of the other guys. And the way he looks at you is… intense. I guess I just always hoped one day that it would be you and me,” he says.