All About the Hype (17 page)

‘Who is it?’ she calls.

I open the door and poke my head round. ‘Me.’

‘Hey!’ She’s lying in bed with a book and she sits up, looking happy to see me. ‘Come in!’

‘I’ll be in my room,’ Jack says, turning away. I flash a rueful look at his departing back, then go inside and shut the door.

‘How was the concert?’ Agnes asks. ‘Nice T-shirt,’ she adds with a smirk.

‘I love this one of yours.’ I tell her, perching on the end of her bed. ‘The gig was awesome. They had the most amazing laser display. How are you? What have you been doing
tonight?’

‘FaceTiming Brett,’ she replies downheartedly.

‘Is he missing you?’ I ask.

She nods sadly. ‘He had to go and do something, but he’s calling me back in a bit.’

‘You still on for our spa day tomorrow?’

‘Definitely. I can’t wait.’

‘Me neither.’

She smiles at me and nods at the wall that she shares with Jack’s room. ‘It’s OK. You can go.’

I grin and get to my feet, pressing a kiss to her cheek. ‘It’s been killing us that Sam had to babysit tonight,’ I confess in a rush.

She grins at me as I back out of the room.

Jack is playing The Strokes when I walk down the hall. I knock on his door softly, but don’t wait for him to tell me I can go in.

‘You were quick,’ he says, seeming surprised. He’s lying on his bed with his arms folded behind his head.

‘Your sis is pretty switched on. She could tell I needed some alone-time with you.’

He props himself up on his elbows. ‘Come here.’

I don’t need to be asked twice.

‘At last,’ he whispers, when I’m finally in his arms. I tilt my face up to his and we kiss, slowly and languidly. His tongue brushes against mine, making me shiver all over. He
places one hand on my hip, his thumb slipping beneath my T-shirt to trace the curve of my waist. I breathe in sharply and then my hands are on his taut stomach, wanting to feel the skin under his
T-shirt. His kisses become more frenzied, more urgent, and then he roughly manoeuvres me so I’m sitting on top of him. His hands slide up the back of my top and brush over my bra strap. I
gasp into his mouth.

‘Jack.’

He doesn’t stop kissing me.

‘Jack,’ I say again and he pauses, realising I have something to say.

‘What?’ He pulls back so he can look at my face.

I’ve got to tell him.

‘I haven’t gone the whole way with anyone before,’ I whisper.

His attention sharpens. ‘You’re a virgin?’

I nod.

‘But Tom…’

I shake my head. ‘We never did it.’

‘When you said you were serious about him, I thought… Damn.’ He takes his hands out from under my top and rests them lightly on my hips.

‘I’m only fifteen. Well, sixteen now,’ I correct myself, blushing.

‘I forget you’re not older,’ he admits with a furrowed brow.

I tuck my hair behind my ears, looking at him uncertainly, and then I decide that yes, I do want to know, even if I’m not going to like the answer.

‘How many girls have you slept with?’

He takes a deep breath.

‘Yes, we really are having this conversation now,’ I tell him drily, mimicking his comment at my birthday party just under a month ago.

‘Six,’ he replies on an exhalation of breath.

‘
Six?!
’ I exclaim. ‘Who?’

Too uncomfortable now to continue sitting astride him, I slide off, perching on the bed at his side.

‘Eve,’ he replies, folding his hands behind his head again. ‘You don’t know the others.’

I feel a small flood of relief. ‘Not Lottie?’

‘No!’ he scoffs. ‘Sure, we’ve messed around a bit, but nothing like that.’

‘Great,’ I say sarcastically, still not happy to hear from his own lips that he’s made out with her, even though Agnes did warn me. ‘Who was your first?’ I ask.

‘A friend of Drew’s,’ he replies.

‘Was she older?’ His brother is two years his senior.

‘Yeah.’ He shrugs, then frowns, thinking. ‘They’ve all been older, actually.’

‘How old is Eve?’

‘Nineteen,’ he tells me.

‘How old were you when you lost your virginity?’

‘Fifteen.’

That’s younger than I am now
, I think dolefully. ‘Were any of the girls you slept with virgins?’

‘No.’ He stares at me directly.

‘God,’ I mutter, looking at the wall. That’s going to make me seem so inexperienced.

‘Are you done with your questions?’ he asks, raising one eyebrow at me as I look back at him.

‘I think so.’
For now
.

He gives me a small, thoughtful smile and opens his arms up. I lie down beside him and rest my face against his chest.

He was surprisingly forthcoming about his answers. I have to give him credit for that. ‘We’ll take it slow,’ he murmurs, holding me tight.

The scary thing is, I’m not sure I want him to.

‘How did it go last night?’ Agnes asks with a significant look.

We’re sitting in the cafe at the spa, both dressed in white dressing gowns and having our second mint tea of the day. I reach for a biscuit and shrug. ‘Fine.’

‘I know he’s my brother, but I won’t tell him anything we talk about.’

‘Does he confide in you about me?’ I ask candidly.

‘No,’ she replies with a shrug. ‘But I can tell he likes you. More than some of the other girls he’s gone out with.’

I sigh. ‘I like him, too.’
Really
like him. ‘But I’m freaking out a bit. If we break up, I can’t see me staying in the band, and that seriously upsets
me.’

‘God, can you imagine them having to go through that audition process again? Rock on.’

The thought makes me smile, but I’m morose a moment later.

‘Aw,’ she says. ‘Listen, don’t worry about it. Everything works out for a reason, right?’

I used to think so. But then my mum died and nothing anyone ever says will make me think her death was for the best.

I don’t say this out loud to Agnes. I just nod agreeably and say, ‘Sure,’ before moving the conversation on.

Agnes has been noticeably absent from most of the teen girl squad pictures that our famous classmates have posted online. I’ve been wondering if she minds.

She shakes her head and rolls her eyes when I ask.

‘No offence, but most of it’s bullshit. Margarita and Gina are all about the publicity.’

I’m a little hurt. Is that all Agnes thinks I am to them? A publicity stunt? I thought they liked me.

‘Sienna’s not like that, though,’ I say defensively. ‘She’s pretty cool. We’re going shopping this week, actually.’

‘When?’

‘Wednesday. I’m not doing my driving lessons after school any more so I have some more free time during the week.’

I say free, but I should be at home revising for my GCSEs, doing my online Driver’s Education course or practising my singing and keyboard skills, but jeez, a girl’s gotta have a
break sometime.

‘Why have you stopped your driving lessons?’ Agnes asks with a frown.

‘I haven’t stopped them. But from this week I’m going to be doing them on the way to school instead.’ I’ve been practising on the driveway in my cool little car and
I’m really starting to get the hang of the clutch now. Most teenagers here learn on an automatic, but Johnny was insistent I master ‘a stick’ – the American term for manual
cars. Anyway, earlier he suggested I move my lessons to the morning so I can make the most of the journey to school. My driving instructor is an ex-Navy Seal, so Johnny just about trusts him to get
me there safely. By the end of this week, I will have clocked up all six of my required hours, but Johnny wants me to keep going. The more practice I get, the better I’ll be when I actually
get my provisional licence. I’m lucky he’s happy to pay for my lessons.

‘Well, I imagine Sienna can be trusted when it comes to helping you pick clothes,’ Agnes says, pretend huffily. ‘As long as she doesn’t get any ideas about being your
stylist.’

‘Never,’ I vow.

A woman in a pristine white uniform comes into the room. ‘Miss Jefferson and Miss Mitchell?’

I tense at the sound of my name. I know Annie made the booking under Pickerill-Jefferson, but I feel like I’d be making too much of the issue by correcting the woman.

‘Yes?’ we say in unison.

‘We’re ready for you now.’

Time for our massages…

‘You’re not bothered about Sienna’s sister any more?’ Agnes asks as we follow her.

‘A bit,’ I admit. ‘But Johnny hasn’t mentioned her for a while, so I think I’m off the hook.’

‘Until the next photo of the two of you gets posted online,’ Agnes points out wryly.

That’s exactly what happens a few days later when Sienna and I finally make it out for our shopping trip.

We’re in a gorgeous little boutique called Elodie K on Melrose Place and Sienna is holding up a pair of black stiletto-heeled boots with gold butterflies coming out of the back of
them.

‘These Sophia Websters would look
amazing
on you.’

‘I’m not sure I could carry them off,’ I say with trepidation.

‘Are you kidding? Of course you could,’ she insists. ‘You should try them on.’

I shrug and take them from her. I don’t suppose it could hurt. Sienna has great taste, but she’s into high-end fashion, whereas I’m more of a rock chick.

‘And these,’ she says, passing me a pair of red stiletto sandals with a lace, fanned detail around the heel and ankle.

‘They’re not very me,’ I say. ‘Why don’t you try them on?’

She checks the price. ‘Why not?’

I take a quick look at the price of the boots and gulp at the sight.

How
much money? I hope Johnny doesn’t think I’m taking the mick.

‘Your dad can afford it,’ Sienna says drily, seeing my expression. ‘Mine too, for that matter.’

‘What does your dad do?’ I ask, as we take a seat on a padded black sofa and wait for the shop assistant to come back with our size.

‘He’s a talent agent.’

‘Is he very successful?’

‘Not as successful as my mom.’ She notices my quizzical look and shrugs. ‘My dad owes me. He wasn’t around for a lot of my childhood.’

Suddenly she’s on her feet and making a beeline for a sparsely filled clothes rack. I watch as she flicks through the pieces hanging there. She pulls out a tiny dress with a white puff
skirt and colourful dragonfly wings printed onto it. The bodice is fitted and strapless.

‘This?’ she asks me.

‘It’s pretty, but I can’t think when I’d wear it…’

‘What about Gina’s launch party?’ She holds it up against her body and cocks her head to one side.

The launch party for Season 3 of
Blood Ten
, the crime drama that Gina stars in, is this Saturday. Gina cornered me outside my locker this afternoon and said that an invitation from the
show’s publicity team would be making its way to me via Johnny’s PA. She said she was only inviting a few people from school, so not to mention it to anyone else. I felt very honoured,
even if Agnes is right about her just liking the publicity of this whole teen girl squad thing.

‘It is kind of cool.’ I stand up and walk over to Sienna, my heels clipping across the polished dark-wood floor. The lighting in here is like an art gallery and the merchandise works
of art. There are only a few pairs of shoes and handbags on the glass shelves. I hold the dress up against myself and look in a mirror.

‘Sure, I’ll give it a go,’ I say.

Half an hour later, we walk out of the shop. It’s sunny again, despite being early February. Sienna slips her glasses back onto her nose and hooks her arm through
mine.

‘Paps,’ she whispers, grinning. She swings her shopping bags and broadens her smile, then acts as though the paparazzi are not even there as she continues to chat merrily away to me.
I follow her cue, ignoring them, but right behind me is the big bear of a man that is Sam.

Why is it that so few of my friends have bodyguards? Even Margarita and Gina get to walk around pretty much unaccompanied unless they’re going to be in crowded public places. I suppose
it’s a testament to the level of Johnny’s fame that even his ‘part-time daughter’ chalks up a need for security.

Sometimes I want to ask how much of it is really necessary, but then I remember that someone tried to kidnap me last year and that shuts me up.

Johnny is back late that night after tour rehearsals, but he hunts me out soon after he arrives home. I’m in my bedroom, messing around with melodies on my Yamaha. I
still can’t believe Jack bought it for me.

‘I thought you weren’t taking it any further with Sienna,’ Johnny says, pulling a chair out from my new desk and sitting down to face me. Annie ordered the desk earlier in the
week because the downstairs office isn’t always quiet or private enough for me to do my homework. Sometimes she has to work late to make phone calls abroad.

‘How did you kn—?’ My voice trails off. Of course he knows. Sam or Annie would have been onto him immediately. ‘We just went shopping,’ I say instead. ‘I like
her, Joh— I mean,
Dad
. She’s nice. She’s not like Dana.’

His eyebrow twitches even at the
sound
of Dana’s name.

‘I’d prefer you to stay away from her,’ he says, folding his arms and sitting back in his seat.

This makes me angry. As if I don’t have enough on my plate! The one time I get to do something as ordinary as shopping, he has a go at me!

‘Seriously, do you know how ridiculous you’re being? Sienna doesn’t even speak to Dana! I need to let my hair down. She’s nice to me. She’s funny. We get along.
I’m so busy at the moment with school and GCSEs. God, why am I even bothering with GCSEs? It’s crazy!’

‘OK, OK,’ he says, holding his palms up and looking taken aback. ‘Forget I said anything. Fine, if you’re sure about her. Just be careful.’

‘I will be. You have nothing to worry about.’

‘I won’t bring it up again,’ he promises, but he’s still eyeing me with trepidation.

‘Good.’ I let out a frustrated sigh and press the off button on my Yamaha. I’ve had enough for one day.

‘Did you have a good time with her?’ Johnny asks, raking his hand through his hair.