Diamond in the Rough (20 page)

By evening, Gemma finally handed him a plasma cutter from the new set of tools that she had purchased as his Christmas gift.  He stared at it with confusion before realizing what she had done.  While it took some coaxing for him to take the gift, he eventually accepted it with a childish excitement that made Gemma beam.

Afterwards, Gemma suggested going to Agata’s, the hole in the wall pizzeria that served Lucas’s favorite margherita slice.

“I think it’s time for your Christmas gift,” Lucas said, crumpling up his napkin and tossing it into the trashcan across the room. 

“Alright big guy, show me what ya got,” Gemma grinned.  Her grin quickly faded into a look of astonishment as Lucas pulled out a small box from his pocket.  The label on the box read
Addison English
.  Gemma immediately recognized it as the name of a local jeweler known for her handmade charms.  People were known to drive in from the city just to buy her work.

“Lucas!” she exclaimed.  “This is…” she trailed off, not wanting to say the word “expensive” like it was that surprising.  But it was.  She knew that whatever lay inside the box was far beyond Lucas’s regular budget for anything.

“Open it,” Lucas said, placing it in front of her.  She reached for it hesitantly.  “Come on, Gemma,” he laughed.  “Don’t be scared.”

“I’m not, I just…” Gemma bit her lip back as she opened the box.  She smiled.  Inside was a charm bracelet, sporting a single beautiful charm.  “It’s an apple,” Gemma giggled, removing it gingerly and letting Lucas fasten it to her wrist.  She dangled her wrist in the air, letting the crystal apple catch the light of the candles on the wall.  But as much as she enjoyed the bracelet, it gave her a sense of guilt.  She had worried that Lucas would feel pressure after seeing Tyler’s ridiculous barrage of Christmas gifts.  She gazed at him.  “You shouldn’t have, Lucas,” she said softly.  When she saw his smile fade just slightly, she spoke again.  “But I’m happy you did, because it’s beautiful.  And I’m going to wear it everyday.”

“Everyday?” Lucas narrowed his eyes at her playfully.  “Even… in concert?”

Gemma smiled.  “If I ever perform again, I’ll wear it with pride.”

~

Winter Break was a blessing.  Gemma needed the free time to create.  There was nothing left in the house to decorate, but she felt a restless energy circulating her body.  It was a creative energy that she hadn’t felt in years, since the days of creating Queen Bee.  

Her mornings and nights were spent holed up in her room.  She kept her closet door open.  Simply gazing at the antique form inside inspired her.  It once wore the famous white feather and pearl Balenciaga gown that she had made worldwide headlines with.  Since that gown no longer existed, Gemma decided that it was time for another iconic outfit.  Sitting cross-legged in bed, she designed in her leather sketchbook.  She penned lyrics on the adjacent page.  The words poured onto the paper.  They felt new to even Gemma when she read them back to herself.  It was as if her unconscious had spoken for her, and in her opinion, rather correctly.

By the time Winter Break was over, Gemma felt a new surge of liveliness.  For both lives.  Armed with an ode to her fans and an entire sketchbook of designs, she felt a new understanding about what it meant to be Queen Bee.  A more personal one.  And she couldn’t wait to share it with the rest of the world.

QUEEN BEE: UNORTHODOX POPSTAR OR TOTAL FLOP?

Celeb-o-Matic

December 30

Did the music industry count its chickens before they hatched?  From the looks of the past few months, the answer seems to be a resounding “yes.”

Last year, pop sensation Queen Bee came to America’s attention after an epic European tour that stunned hundreds of thousands with outstanding vocals and jaw-dropping costume.  The impressive ingénue’s talent and following had her on the fast track to being crowned America’s next queen of pop.  Though you may not have been a fan, you had to admit: The girl knew how to put on a show.

Odds are she still does, but no one would know considering the 17-year-old’s seeming unwillingness to make appearances, perform in concerts and shoot music videos.  After putting off the shoot for blockbuster single “Tell the World,” Bee finally released a video nearly a year later, featuring only computer-generated images and none of the star herself.  The impressive 90 million hits on YouTube have not deterred critics from questioning the teenaged singer’s work ethic. 

While the industry seemed to know what it was getting into last year by subscribing to the antics of a double-identity popstar (with a high school schedule no less), it surely didn’t sign up for the complete disappearance of Bee since mid-August of this year.  While she has been technically MIA since then, industry critics can agree that Bee had disappeared from the music scene since June, after being admitted into an exclusive circle of young Hollywood party girls.  Since befriending the notorious Zoe Mercury (whose socialite best friend, Harper Gunn, is even better known for her wild ways), Bee’s behavior has been erratic and unpredictable.  She has even dragged media darling Tyler Chase into her path of destruction, sending him into a lovesick tizzy as close sources report that Chase has recently been “dejected” and “withdrawn.”  While Bee and Chase never confirmed their relationship, it is widely believed that the two shared a romance until the songstress’s complete disappearance from the music world and Hollywood scene.

So is it time to throw the towel in? While Bee’s devoted following have stayed loyal, others have begun to grow impatient with the performer’s, well, complete lack of performance.  Perhaps we were all too quick to dismiss the fact that Bee’s “other life schedule” simply didn’t permit for a conventional pop career.  Why did we even allow for it to happen in the first place? Perhaps the music industry can consider itself the enabler.  Considering the extreme amount of early praise that was given, it is almost no surprise that Queen Bee ended up taking the tragic road of promising star-turned-royal flop.  It may just be safe to say that this regal fad is completely over.

BRUINS’ ROOKIE LIGHTS UP TROJANS FOR 38 POINTS

Top Headlines

January 4

UCLA point guard Damian Evans stunned the USC Trojans on Wednesday when he went 12-for-17 from the field and 4-for-4 from three-point territory for 38 points.  Additionally, Evans racked up 9 assists including a buzzer-beating alley-oop pass to teammate Andy Logan from beyond halfcourt.

The Bruins completed a rout of the Trojans, 79 – 63.

With Mira out of town, the family back in Manhattan and Gavin back at Syracuse, Gemma was looking forward to a Saturday lazing around the house by herself.  She felt lucky yet entitled to the luxury of alone time.  The holiday break was filled with creative expression and her first week back greeted her with more college acceptance letters.  At this point, she wasn’t sure if anything could get her down.

The familiar rustle of the mailman sounded from the front door.  Gemma leaped from the couch, bounding towards the entrance in hope of more good news.  She pulled open the door in time to wave goodbye to the mailman as she grabbed the stack of magazines, junk mail and to her delight – another large packet with a university insignia.  As she stepped back into the house, she noticed a large truck parked in Lucas’s driveway.  In cheery blue letters, it read
Parker Brothers Moving Company.
 

Her heart dropped.  She rushed out across her lawn and onto Lucas’s despite being in her bedroom slippers.  Two men were lifting The Greys’ backyard furniture into the back of the truck.

“What’s going on?” Gemma asked.  Lucas emerged from the garage carrying a large box.  She turned to him, repeating the question with even greater urgency.  “What’s going on?”

“Calm down, Gemma.  It’s not what it looks like,” Lucas laughed, setting the box down on the back of the truck and pulling Gemma in for a kiss.  Gemma turned to see the box labeled with Lucas’s name.

“It looks like you’re moving,” she breathed.  She looked up at him.  “So what’s going on, really?”

“Well, okay.” Lucas rubbed his chin, sighing.  “My family
is
moving, but not yet.  We’re just getting the summer items over to my aunt’s place until we figure out our plan.  My dad likes to be gradual about things.  So that is what you’re seeing.”

“How could you not tell me?” Gemma asked as she backed away from Lucas, crossing her arms.  “Didn’t you think maybe I would want to know something this big?”

“I told you it was a possibility.  And up until this truck came in, I still thought it was just a possibility,” Lucas explained, crossing his arms as well.  He averted his eyes from Gemma’s, watching as the movers continued to work.  “It’s not exactly my decision.”

“Well…” Gemma grasped for something to say.  “I mean.  It’s your
family
moving. 
You
have college so you won’t be going with them, right? Are you still considering Rutgers?”

“I’d love to go there,” Lucas said, remaining at a distance with his eyes still focused on the truck.  “But even with the little money they gave me and the state price, my family can barely afford it.  And with the out-of-state prices after we move… it’ll be hard to continue after freshman year.”

“Rutgers is perfect for you! It’ll be near me because I’ll make sure to stay in the city and it’s a great sports school which you’ll love.”  Gemma could hear her voice getting higher-pitched than she had intended.  She wasn’t sure what Lucas was resisting and it made her nervous.  He reached forward and took the mail from her arms, examining the large college packet.

“And I guess New Hampshire’s not too far either,” Lucas smiled as he handed the mail back to her.  “As of today, you have a choice of more than one Ivy League school and you’re going to try to stay in the city? Did you even apply to any schools in the city?”

“I did,” Gemma said.  “But honestly, Lucas, I told you I’m probably going to put college off for a year or two.”

“I know.  I’m thinking of doing the same thing.”

“Why? What would you do? You
have
to go to college.”

“Really, why?” Lucas finally turned to meet Gemma’s eye.  “So I’m not just building things for the rest of my life? So I don’t end up like my dad?” Gemma jaw dropped with resentment, the envelopes in her hand dropping to the ground.  Lucas’s warm hazel eyes suddenly looked cold.  His tall body was stiff and defensive.  It lasted for all of a second before he softened and knelt to the ground to help gather her envelopes.  Gemma knelt beside him.

“You know that’s not what I mean, Lucas,” she whispered.  He didn’t reply.  Not knowing what else to do, Gemma got up and dashed back into her front door.

~

That night, Gemma woke up to the sound of someone walking through her house downstairs.  She jumped to her feet with the sudden realization that she was supposed to be home alone.  Gemma grabbed a flashlight, feeling the heft of it in her hand as she crept out her bedroom door.  Her heartbeat seeming to pound through her ears, she caught a glimpse of the clock perched on her night table.  It was just past midnight.  By the time she reached the top of the stairs, the light came on in the foyer.  Lucas was closing the door.

“
Lucas
! How did you get in?” Gemma yelled, her heart still pounding.  “Why wouldn’t you just call me or ring the doorbell?” She was just as much relieved as she was angry, and suddenly, she began to cry.  She sat herself down at the top of the stairs, burying her face in her hands.

“I just got in from showing the movers how to get back on the highway and I saw your door was cracked open.”  Lucas walked up the stairs and sat two steps below her.  “I was worried something had happened.”

“No, nothing happened.” Gemma said, shaking her head and wiping her eyes.  “I didn’t even know I left it open.”  She heaved a quivering sigh.  “I was just upset before.  I ran back in without thinking.”  She hadn’t meant to bring up their awkward exchange earlier that day, but she was still disoriented from it and even more so from being unexpectedly roused from her sleep.

“I’m sorry about before,” Lucas said.  “I didn’t mean to take my anger out on you.  I swear I only found out about moving right before you did.”  He shook his head with a look of defeat.  “I should have just known that it would be like this, the way my dad talked about it for so long.  Just one day, he decides that he’s done and we all have to leave.”  Lucas ran his hands through his hair, elbows propped on his knees.  Gemma put a soothing hand on his back.

“I know.  I was just sad and… I didn’t mean the whole college thing the way it came out.  You know that, right?”  Gemma lowered herself to the step that Lucas was sitting on, resting her head on his shoulder.

“I know.”  Lucas nodded, placing a hand over hers.  “I kept telling myself that I would be okay if college turned out not to be an option, but I’m starting to feel the reality now, and it’s harder to swallow than I thought.  I was thinking about taking out loans but I don’t want to end up like my dad.  He
just
finished paying everything off and he’s selling the house to deal with all our mortgage issues.  I just don’t want to end up like that.”

“So you’re just not going to go?”

“In my mind, I’m just putting it off.  I’ll find work and make enough money to put myself through school somewhere.  I’m just more comfortable not having my parents worry about this when they still have Elisa,” Lucas replied.  Gemma nodded, unconsciously agreeing with his point.  “Besides, it’s an easier decision for me since unlike you, I don’t have a dozen schools begging for me to pick them.”