Lovesessed (10 page)

“
Where is she
now?”

“
She ran to the ladies’
room.”

“
Maybe you should go talk
to her, and see how she’s feeling.”

I would rather have gone into the
ladies’ room and dunked my head in the toilet. But I knew that I
had to see if she was ok. Her two bodyguards stood on either side
of the ladies’ room door. There was a long line of girls, but the
bodyguards, or rather the bouncers, wouldn’t let anyone
in.

“
Hello, I really need to
go in.” They shook their heads. Alicia had barricaded herself in
there, and the girls were getting desperate. “I’m Chase Carson’s
date,” I tried.

They stepped aside.

Alicia was in a stall with the door
locked. I could hear her crying loudly, and blowing her
nose.

“
Umm, Alicia, it’s Phoebe,
Chase’s date.”

“
What do you want? You’ve
already stolen the love of my life. Do you know that he gave me a
promise ring?” she said emotionally.

“
I wanted to say that I’m
very sorry about what happened. I didn’t know that you two were
together.”

“
That’s because of his
manager. We can’t be seen in public together because then his fans
will get upset. He has to maintain an aura of mystery, so that
every teen girl can carry on dreaming that they have a chance with
him. Why can’t they just enjoy his music?”

I felt ashamed because I had been one
of those teen girls living in a dream world. “I suppose it’s
because he’s a ‘teen idol,’” I offered weakly.

She opened the door and came out. Her
mascara had run all over her cheeks. She was more upset, than
angry. “Do you know what it’s like not to even be able to go to the
movies with your boyfriend? I couldn’t even take him as my date to
the Teen Choice Awards. I had to pretend that I hardly knew him,
when really, I love him so much.” She burst into tears
again.

“
I didn’t know that you
were so sensitive. Your songs always talk about playing the field
and things like that.”

“
That’s the music
business. My record label has created an image for me, of the sexy,
flirtatious pop star. But it’s all an illusion. I’m really a
romantic.”

I moved towards her and hugged her,
while she blew her nose. Underneath all her expensive clothes,
make-up and hair extensions, she was just a vulnerable teen girl
like the rest of us.

After she had fixed her make-up, I
convinced her to come out of hiding and exit the ladies room, at
least so that the line of girls wouldn’t break the door
down.

#

As soon as we came out, I spotted Liz,
Ben, and Nathan’s table. I held Alicia’s hand and led her
there.

“
Everyone, I’d like you to
meet Alicia.”

“
Alicia, this is Liz,
Nathan, and Ben.” Nathan looked like a deer in the
headlights.

“
Hi, everyone, I hope that
you don’t mind if I sit down for a minute, I need to catch my
breath and regroup.”

“
Of course we don’t mind,”
Liz and Nathan said in unison.

They even talking alike, which meant
that they really were a couple.

Chase was occupied signing autographs
on the stage. Some girls were even asking him to sign body parts,
like their arms and legs. When he saw me, his face lit up, and he
ran over.

“
Ben, dance with me,” I
blurted, in an effort to avoid Chase and his zombiness. I grabbed
Ben’s hand and pulled him to his feet.

I thought that he would protest the way
Liz had when I dragged to the hallway, but he didn’t. He came with
me freely.

As we found a spot as far away from
Chase as possible, a slow song filled the room. It was Murphy’s
Law. I wanted to walk off again because I hadn’t expected a slow
song. Just as I started to turn around, Ben reached out, and put my
arms around his neck. His arms encircled my waist. He smelt so
good, so fresh. I put my head on his shoulder, and a content, safe
feeling washed over me. I suddenly felt drawn to him, like he was a
magnet.

“
Phoebe, look at me…” He
gently lifted my chin, so that our eyes met. His tender brown eyes
pierced right into my soul. “You look beautiful tonight. I wanted
to tell you the moment I saw.”

It sounded so much better coming from
Ben than Chase. It was sincere and genuine. He looked so
sophisticated, so gorgeous. Why had I never noticed how strong, yet
gentle his face was? It was a good thing that he was holding me
tightly, because my knees felt so weak, like I could collapse at
any minute. Ben had always been my support, my anchor, my rock. I
knew that if I ever needed anything, he would always be there. That
knowledge made me feel safe.

We swayed to the sweet music. He gently
brushed a strand of hair off my neck. My heart beat seemed so loud,
I was sure that he could hear it. It felt like we were the only two
people in the room.

“
Aren’t you going to say
anything?” he whispered in my ear, and shivers ran up my whole
body, like a cold wind had caressed me.

“
You look incredible…” I
said nervously.

“
Thanks,” he blushed, and
his smile melted my heart. “So, what’s happening with Chase?” He
asked softly, nodding in the direction our table. Chase was glaring
at us with his arms folded. Alicia looked like she was trying to
win a food eating contest at a state fair.

“
We’ve driven a pop
princess to binge eat,” I said, shaking my head.

He laughed lightly. I was grateful that
he hadn’t asked me why Chase Carson had suddenly become my stalker.
I think that he knew that some things were better left unsaid. But
others weren’t. “I know that you love him and now he loves you too.
So I guess I missed my chance…” He looked away.

“
Ben…” I couldn’t finish
because his lips were on mine. He kissed me and we floated up on a
cloud. My head swirled, and I felt high. My whole body turned to
jelly in his arms.

“
I’m in love with you,” he
whispered when he pulled away. “I’ve always loved you, but for a
long time, I’ve been in love with you.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but Chase
had marched over when he saw Ben kiss me.

“
Get off of her!” he
shoved Ben.

I quickly stood in between them before
Chase threw a punch.

“
No need to get excited.
Chase, I think that you should take Alicia outside and have a talk
with her. She looks like she could do with some fresh air.” I said,
pointing to her devouring yet another plate of snacks.

“
Fine, I won’t be long,”
he said through gritted teeth. He shot Ben an aggressive
look.

“
I need to go to the
ladies’ room,” I said to Ben, and quickly ran over to where Liz and
Nathan were slow dancing.

“
Liz, may I please borrow
your lipstick in the ladies room?” I gestured with my
head.

“
Sure, let’s go, but don’t
drag me this time. I’ll be right back,” she said to
Nathan.

When safely inside the ladies’ room, I
checked under the stall doors to make sure that we were
alone.

“
It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
she asked cheerfully.

“
In a disastrous kind of
way…”

Her smile disappeared. “What do you
mean? This is what you wanted. Not many people get their wish
granted.”

“
Chase is crazy in love
with me.”

“
That’s what you wished
for. I, Cupid, granted your wish.”

“
But now that my wish has
come true, I don’t know if it’s what I really want. I don’t feel
anything for the real flesh and blood Chase. In fact, his cheesy
pick-up lines are really getting on my nerves.”

She laughed.

“
It’s not funny. He’s a
stalker.”

She was laughing uncontrollably. “I’m
sorry, it’s just so ironic. He’ just lovesessed with
you”

I rolled my eyes. “No, he’s not
lovesessed, he’s obsessed, and it’s creepy.”

“
But isn’t this what you
wanted?”

My heart sank. “It is what I wanted,
well, I mean, what I thought I wanted, but now I don’t know what I
want.” I leaned against the wall for support. “I’m a home wrecker,
and now I’ve turned the most famous pop princess in the world into
a binge eater. If she carries on like this, she’ll have to retire,
and she’s only 15,” I said hopelessly.

“
Don’t be so dramatic
Phoebes. So, I take it you don’t love Chase anymore?”

I hesitated. “I don’t
think that I ever
really
loved him. I think that it was infatuation, as
you explained to me. Maybe it was the chemicals or the chemistry
screwing with my mind. Now the chemicals have screwed with Chase’s
mind, and he’s a love zombie.”

She laughed, and held my hand. “He
seems really into you, and maybe it’s meant to be.”

“
I don’t think so Liz. If
it was meant to be, then it should have happened without the help
of a love potion.”

“
You’re probably right,
Phoebes. But maybe you should milk it for all it’s
worth.”

“
Huh? Are you calling
Chase a cow?”

“
No, silly, I mean that
you should enjoy your newfound popularity, dare I say,
fame.”

“
I wish that I could. I
always thought that Chase loving me and being popular would make me
happy. I thought that I knew how I would feel. But I don’t feel
like that. It doesn’t feel like I thought it would, because I know
that it’s not real. I want someone to fall head over heels in love
with me. I want them to do it because they love me for me, not
because they have been forced to by our Chemistry
experiment.”

“
You mean the way Ben
loves you…” she concluded.

I nodded because I couldn’t speak as
the words caught in my throat, and the tears wet my
face.

*****

10. True Love

“
Ok, I can fix this,” Liz
said resolutely.

I perked up, and dabbed my eyes with a
tissue. “Please be right.”

“
After I saw how nuts
Chase acted at school, I mixed an antidote for the love potion,
just in case something like this happened at the dance.” She opened
her black clutch purse, and pulled out a plastic vile the size of a
thumb.

“
All we have to do is get
Chase to drink this, and he will be back to his old
self.”

“
Liz you are the most
brilliant 14-year-old who ever lived!”

“
Nah, I just look really
good for a 40-year-old,” she joked.

“
I never thought I’d say
this, but I all I want, is for Chase
not
to love me. So if he drinks the
anti-dote, he won’t be lovesessed with me anymore?”

“
Right, he will remember
everything that happened, but he will no longer be infatuated with
you. I say ‘infatuated,’ because it’s obvious that he wasn’t really
‘in love’ with you.”

“
You’re preaching to the
choir. I know that it’s not real love, it’s artificial. I don’t
want creepy, stalker, zombie love.”

“
Not cool,” she said,
shaking her head.

“
Ben kissed me by the
way,” I said blushing.

“
Wow, really, your first
kiss! I’m glad it was with Ben, and not Chase.”

“
You know what, me too. I
see Ben with new eyes tonight. I actually think that he looks
better than Chase. I can’t believe I never realized how cute Ben
was.”

“
Earth to Phoebe…Come in
Phoebe,” she said as though she was on
Star Trek
.

“
I just hope we can fix
this whole love potion fiasco. I feel really bad about the mess
it’s caused.”

“
Go get Chase a glass of
punch, and slip the antidote in the punch. Then make sure he drinks
it.”

“
Ok, sounds easy enough.”
I held the anti-love potion tightly in my hand. “This had better
work.”

I walked quickly to the refreshment
table, and poured a glass of punch. Making sure that no-one was
looking, I opened the vile of anti-love potion, and poured it in
the punch. As soon as I had finished, Chase came up behind me. I
jumped. “Oh hi, I was just getting you some punch.” I handed it to
him.

“
That’s my job,” he said,
winking. “But thanks, I’m really thirsty.” He downed the whole
glass of punch.

I kept one hand with my fingers crossed
behind my back.

“
Did I tell you that you
are the most beautiful girl in the whole world?”

“
Uh, yes, several times…”
I wondered why the anti-love potion wasn’t working.
Maybe Liz hadn’t made it right?

“
Your eyes are like the
ocean, and baby, I'm lost at sea.”

“
Er…thanks,” I
stammered.

“
I must be in heaven
because I see an angel…” He froze, and looked around like he had
just woken up from sleep walking. He paused for a few seconds and
shook his head. “Umm, I’m sorry, but I don’t know what was wrong
with me today, or why I was acting like that. I don’t even know
you.”