Hidden Gem (14 page)

“Do you know if he and Madison are doing okay?” he asked one night, sitting up on the living room couch as he and Gemma watched television.
 
“He’s just quiet lately – I mean, even more than usual.”
 
Gemma simply shrugged the questions off, citing stress and schoolwork as probable causes of Lucas’s stress.

“I mean, it
is
junior year.
 
Not everyone is you, Gavin,” she said.
 
“Some people actually care about doing well in class.”
 

“Hold on,” Gavin rubbed his chin.
 
“The pop star that didn’t actually go to a real school for the past two years is lecturing me?”

Gemma smiled.
 
Poking fun at Gavin was usually the best way to distract him from a conversation that she didn’t want to have.
 
Gemma needed to do all she could to keep the subject of Madison and Lucas out of her home.

~

The morning of Christmas finally arrived and to the surprise of Gemma, Gavin and Mira, there was a heavy knock at the door.

“Malcolm!” Gemma heard Mira shriek from downstairs.
 
Gemma jumped out of bed and threw on her sweatshirt and slippers, practically shoving Gavin out of the way as they charged through the hall and all but tumbled down the stairs.
 
The four embraced and laughed as they helped Malcolm carry in suitcases and boxes full of gifts.
 
He had managed to find a roundtrip flight at the very last minute.

“Your mother wanted to stay with your grandma,” Malcolm explained to Gemma and Gavin.
 
“They felt terrible so they had me bring quite a bit of food and presents.
 
Look here, Grandma’s been well enough lately to bake cookies.”

Gemma helped unpack neatly tied boxes of chocolate chip cookies, peppermint bark, peanut brittle, and fudge.
 
She and Mira took apart the rest of the boxes, pulling out treat after treat.
 
Gavin retreated to the tufted leather chair by the fireplace and sat in silence, popping caramels in his mouth from the box that sat on his lap.

Gemma wasn’t sure how they’d be spending Christmas this year without her family altogether.
 
Mira was unaccustomed to organizing family events.
 
She rarely even attended them since she was always “obligated” to attend her friends’ lavish soirees.
 
Her only plans for this year with Gemma and Gavin were to open gifts and perhaps go ice-skating later in the day.
 
She considered inviting Hudson Gunn just so he could cook a worthy meal for their holiday dinner but decided that it was cruel to do to a man with kids of his own.
 
“We don’t need a crazy feast, silly,” Gemma had said to ease Mira’s pressure the night before.
 
All Gemma really needed was her family near her and
A Christmas Story
on television.
 
Having her father there was just the icing on the cake.

“Well, since you’re back Malcolm,” Mira said as she spread some strawberry preserves and clotted cream on half a scone.
 
“I know there’s something you wanted to talk about with Gemma.”
 
Malcolm put down his coffee and nodded.

“I had a whole long speech prepared, but I’ll spare you.
 
It boils down to the fact that I am just so proud of you for how well you’ve adjusted to this new life.
 
I want you to keep maintaining this balance,” Malcolm said, putting his hand over Gemma’s.
 
“And I’m sure you’ve been tempted to tell someone about your secret, but you have to understand that you cannot.
 
Especially since you’re gaining attention in the states.
 
Your life as Gemma would completely change, and in a terrible way.”

Gemma snapped a piece of peanut brittle, sending a shard flying through the air.
 
She popped one of the halves into her mouth and chewed.
 
Malcolm and Mira exchanged looks.
 
She thought about Madison.
 
And Lucas.
 
“My life’s not the greatest right now anyway.
 
I honestly can’t wait to be Queen Bee again.”

There was a long silence as her family stared at her.

“Your life is fine, drama queen,” Gavin finally said through a mouth full of caramel.

“You know what, let’s just have some fun right now.
 
It’s Christmas,” Malcolm said, smiling genuinely.
 
Gemma managed some sort of smile back.
 
She had missed him.
 
She hadn’t seen him since Barcelona.
 
Being near him made her feel close to Barcelona again, close to Queen Bee and the whole experience of the tour.
 
She bit down on the other half of brittle dejectedly.
 
If only,
she thought to herself.

QUEEN BEE ANNOUNCES NYE PERFORMANCE & U.S TOUR DATES

Celebomatic

12/
28
 
10:43AM

Let’s just call it a late Christmas gift.

Pop diva Queen Bee has given her curious U.S fans exactly what they’ve been waiting for – an American tour, starting in early March.
 
The fashion icon appeared on “Good Morning America” via satellite this morning to confirm the rumors that her killer vocals will indeed be gracing the states very soon.
 
In the meantime, Bee will hold us over with a New Year’s Eve performance in Times Square, her first performance in the U.S to date.
 
If you’re one of the lucky ones in New York City on the 31
^st
, make sure to stake your spot out fast to catch a glimpse of the rising star.

As far as the tour, tickets don’t go on sale until January, but mark your calendars! The schedule goes as follows:

3/2:
New York, NY
.
 
Madison Square Garden

3/3:
New York, NY
.
 
Madison Square Garden

3/9:
Miami, FL
.
 
American Airlines Arena

3/12:
Austin, TX
.
 
Frank Erwin Center

3/15:
Los Angeles, CA.
 
Staples Center

3/18:
Denver, CO.
Pepsi Center

3/20:
Nashville, TN
.
 
Bridgestone Arena.

3/24:
Chicago, IL
.
 
United Center.

GET READY FOR US, BEE ;)

12/28 3:39PM EST

posted
by Tara C.

Her Royal Secrecy

So it finally happened.

Whether it was the online petition hosted by her many fan clubs or the People Magazine cover (plus those loads and loads of Us Weekly “investigations”), Queen Bee’s team has finally decided that Americans have worshipped her enough to be graced with a tour.

Yippeeee
!

Not.

I know that many of you readers here have started to take a liking to Queen Bee, but I still remain suspicious. As long as she hasn’t come out with her real identity yet, I haven’t gotten over my theory that she is just a random chick who lip-syncs some fat girl’s amazing voice. Or worse, some loony whore who is going to infect Tyler Chase with the
herp
and convince him to get a septum piercing or neck tattoo.

That being said, I’m going to buy tickets for her New York show. Hel
lo
? Some investigating needs to be done here.
 
Speaking of which, here’s my latest report:

* Queen Bee’s management is listed as the Roebling Hunter Group based in New York City.
The Roebling Hunter Group was founded by Harvey Roebling and Mirabel Hunter
almost ten years ago. (
yes
they recently got broke into, no it wasn’t me because I wouldn’t have gotten caught.)

* Queen Bee’s exact birthday is not listed, but a British
blogger
reports that she announced she’d be celebrating her Sweet Sixteen soon during one of her first summer performances.
 
Being that she just finished her summer tour in Europe, we know that Queen Bee is currently sixteen and will be turning seventeen next summer.
 

* During a show in Prague this summer, Queen Bee announced that her
song “So Wicked” was inspired by her brother
.
 
So, she has a brother.
 
Duh.

There are the facts, my loves. Put them together in your Queen Bee research papers and hopefully one of you will come up with an accurate report even before I do. In the meantime, keep sending me your leads, suspicions, and links.
 
If I think anything is worth investigating, I’ll post it. But thus far, I have to say, there hasn’t been anything worthwhile (I mean really people? You’re guessing Desiree Silver to be Queen Bee? At least
DListed
and ONTD
commenters
are making educated guesses here).

And one more thing to little miss Bee herself: I do hope you’re ready for the U.S.
 
We can be nice, but we can also be oh so mean. :)

“Oh my God ladies, be excited,” Kate squealed as she jumped up and down, her springy curls bouncing about.
 
School had started again and they were convened at a Starbucks during lunch, looking up cute bathing suits online for spring break.
 
“Guess what I have in my hands!”

“Tyler Chase’s heart? Oh no, wait – you wish,” Madison smiled at her own joke.

“Well, Madison, it’s actually pretty close to Tyler Chase’s heart…” Kate fanned out five tickets.
 
“We’re going to go see Queen Bee at Madison Square Garden!” Leah and Jillian squealed and grabbed at the tickets while other customers buzzed over their good fortune.
 
Madison and Gemma sat with little emotion.
 
Madison turned to Gemma and smiled genuinely for the first time in what felt like ages.

“We’re so not like them,” Madison said.
 
“I’m not a
bandwagoner
.”

“How did you get tickets?” Leah screamed.
 
“Even my dad’s firm was trying to get them and they couldn’t!”

“I have my ways,” Kate said as she batted her eyelashes.
 
“But really, I was just one of the early subscribers to Queen Bee’s website and got to buy them during the private pre-sale.
 
But aren’t you girls lucky that I’ve chosen you to go?”

“Yes!” Leah and Jillian squealed as they took the tickets.

“I can’t make it that day,” Gemma blurted out.

“You don’t even know what the date of the concert is!” Kate laughed.
 
“I’m not taking no for an answer.
 
I mean
,
do you realize you’re saying no to like, the hottest ticket of the decade?”