Page 86 of Back for More

Wes

*That Project We Started Last Week*

I feel like I’m in a fucking Shakespeare play, lurking here behind the door to the rehearsal room. But I came by to bring Lily takeout for lunch and heard her voice, and she said my name, and my instinct was to stay here and hide and listen like a creeper. I don’t know who she’s talking to, but Lily sounds so young and happy, speaking in hushed tones and giggling.

“What’s his name?” the other girl asked.

“It’s Wes,” she said. “But it’s sort of a secret, so you can’t tell anyone, promise?”

“Promise. How’d you meet?”

“Oh, we’ve known each other forever. Since we were teenagers.”

“So, like, what? Fifteen years?”

“Nine years, Clarissa. Nine. I’m only twenty-three.”

“Oh sorry, I couldn’t tell. I’m not good with ages. So, he’s old too?”

“He’s older than me. Twenty-five. Actually, he’ll be twenty-six in like a month.”

“Is he cute?”

“He’s so cute. Actually, cute isn’t a word I’d use to describe him. Although, his dimples are really cute. He’s hawt. Like, movie star hawt. Like, who’s the best-looking actor you can think of?”

“Zac Efron.”

“My boyfriend makes Zac Efron look like Zach Braff.”

“I don’t know who Zach Braff is.”

“Exactly.”

“My boyfriend.”I like the sound of that. But now I don’t feel like I’m in a Shakespeare play so much as a Disney Channel show.

“I don’t believe you,” the girl says. “Nobody’s hotter than Zac Efron. Not in Belford, anyway.”

And that’s my cue to enter stage left. But then the other girl continues, so I stay where I am.

“Are you saying that you would run away if your father didn’t want you to marry him?”

“In a heartbeat,” Lily says. “I would give up everything for him. I tried giving him up for everything else, and it just wasn’t worth it.”

Andthat’smy cue to enter stage left. “Hey, baby.” I carry a paper bag full of tacos in one arm and put the other one around my girlfriend. “Brought you lunch.”

Lily’s glassy brown eyes look up at me, totally confused. “What are you doing here?”

“I was in the neighborhood. Hi,” I say to the teenage girl next to her. “I’m Wes.”

She turns bright pink and covers her mouth. “Oh my God. He’s way hotter than Zac Efron,” she squeaks.

“Okay, breaks over!” says Mrs. Naylor from across the room. “Time to warm up our instruments.” She does some weird neck roll and sticks her tongue out, and then sees me and says, “Oh hello, Wes!”

“Mrs. Naylor, is it okay if I just say good-bye to Wes really quick?”

“Well, he’s welcome to stay and watch if he’ll behave himself,” Mrs. Naylor says while stretching her fingers out and shaking them. “Would you like to watch us do physical and vocal warm-ups before we do our acting exercises?”

Lily tries to push me toward the door.