Page 2 of Don’t Love the Boy Next Door (Hotties Next Door #2)

Chapter Two

Katie

I bury my face in my pillow and groan.

It’s three AM Friday night—or is it Saturday morning?—and I can’t sleep. Because it’s been about twelve hours since The Incident happened.

It keeps playing over and over in my head. And each time, I want to dig myself deeper and deeper in the ground. I wish someone invented a device that could suck out your last few memories, particularly the ones that make you ashamed to even exist.

Or maybe I can find a time machine somewhere? We live in the twenty-first century. Surely someone figured out the secret to time travel by now.

“Ugh!” I moan as I flip over to my back and throw my arm over my eyes. “It didn’t happen. It didn’t happen. It did not happen.”

Except, it did. And in front of the whole cast and crew.

The memory bangs against the walls of my mind, demanding to be heard, demanding to be accepted with all my other memories.

Demanding to become part of me. I’ve been battling it all these hours, but the truth is that it’s not going anywhere.

So with a sigh, I lower my arm from my face and stare up at the ceiling, allowing it to fully play in my mind for the very first time.

“Please don’t leave me,” I sob as I fall over Eric, my hands desperately clutching his arms. “I love you.”

His beautiful blue eyes flutter open. He gets up from the floor slowly, careful not to hurt me as I slide off him. After spinning around, he holds out his hand and sings a short song, claiming that it’s him, the Beast. I half-lie on the stage floor, staring up at him in total shock and confusion.

Then recognition enters my eyes when I soak in his familiar features. He is my Beast. My Beast that has been transformed into a man.

He takes my hand and sweeps me up to my feet, staring into my eyes, a look of uncertainty on his face. Blood rushes to my head, making it hard to think coherently. Because it’s time for the epic kiss between Belle and Beast.

Eric closes the small distance between us as he brings his face close to mine, his long dark hair falling in his face. Since he’s so tall, I have to stretch my neck. It’s so quiet in the auditorium, I wonder if everyone is even still here.

Eric lowers his face and presses his lips to mine.

An electric shock passes through me, spreading to every single part of my body. His lips are warm and soft, and my heart pounds so hard I swear it’ll catapult right out of my chest.

My eyes shoot open. I stumble back, nearly tripping over my feet. Confusion passes over Eric’s face as he watches me edge further and further away from him.

Whipping around, I hurry toward the stairs, my heart beating so fast this time I know it’ll fly right out of my chest. I keep my eyes on the floor as I run, feeling my face and neck—no, my whole skin— light on fire.

I reach the stairs, taking them two at a time, feeling every single pair of eyes on me. But I don’t dare look back. I need to get the heck out of here.

My knee caves in and I tumble down the stairs, until I go splat on the floor. I’m sprawled at the foot of the steps, my right leg bent over the last step at an awkward angle. My ears ring and my head throbs, my vision a little spotty.

“Katie!” Miss Diaz gasps, her heels click-clacking in my direction. “Are you okay?”

I blink a few times and catch Eric sprinting toward me. He leaps down the stairs and reaches to help me up. Just as his hands are about to make contact with me, I scamper away. But I’m so disoriented I fall to my knees.

“Katie!” Now Miss Diaz is at my side, and she, too, reaches for my hand. But I duck away and yank myself off the floor, dashing to grab my bag from the front row and then running toward the door.

“Katie!” Miss Diaz calls after me.

But I don’t stop running until I’m out the school doors.

“Ugh!” I roll back on my stomach and squeeze my face into my pillow, shoving the memory away. I won’t let it make a home in my mind with all the other memories. No, this one is not welcome here.

I don’t even understand what happened. I’ve done quite a few kiss scenes in various plays and musicals. But for some reason, I totally freaked when Eric’s lips touched mine. Why? What’s wrong with me?

And then I made a complete fool of myself when I tumbled down the stairs and fell flat on my back. To make things worse, I fell again, even hurt my knee. I just got the role of Belle, and then I acted like a complete idiot. I’m sure I can kiss it goodbye.

“Why?” I moan as I smash my face in my pillow. “Why am I such a weirdo?”

***

Saturday morning isn’t any better. I managed to fall asleep for only three hours. But the memory hasn’t stopped attacking my mind. How many times do I have to tell it to keep out? I don’t want it.

I pour myself some cereal and milk, but I spend an hour sitting there and staring at the bowl.

My eyes keep creeping to my phone, worried someone from theater or Miss Diaz might text me.

Maybe ask me if I had a mental breakdown or something?

I was so unprofessional yesterday. I wouldn’t be surprised if Miss Diaz found a replacement for me already.

Or maybe she convinced—begged?—Harper to give up cheerleading for theater because the new Belle is a complete disaster.

Breathe, Katie , I tell myself.

But I think the only way I could breathe normally is if I would get transported to another dimension and start my life over. Hey, where’s that time machine? I’d pay every single cent in my bank account to take me back twenty-four hours.

I know, I’m obsessing. But the stupid memory refuses to leave me alone. What am I supposed to do?

I nearly shoot to the ceiling when my phone dings. “Please don’t be Eric,” I whisper, grabbing my phone and squeezing my eyes shut. Then I pop one eye open and scan the screen. My whole body deflates like a balloon when I see it’s a text from Phoenix.

GM, sleepyhead. How ya doin’?

Well, if you really want to know, I’m a nervous wreck. But I just respond with, Doing okay. You?

She sent me a few texts last night, but I didn’t answer them.

I locked myself in my room and buried myself under the covers, wishing I could disappear from the world.

Her text seems neutral, but I’m sure she’s worried about me.

But ugh, I’m so embarrassed by The Incident I don’t think I can even talk to my best friend about it.

Phoenix: What are your plans for today?

Me: Nothing, really. You?

Phoenix: I think—

“Oh no!” I gasp as I sit forward in my chair, knocking the cereal bowl away and causing some milk to slosh onto the table. “No,” I moan as I cover my face. I have band practice this afternoon.

The memory of last night conquers my mind again. Eric’s lips closing over mine, me running from him. Him rushing to help me as I lay sprawled on the steps. Everyone staring at me. Miss Diaz calling after me.

“Get out,” I moan again. Then I notice the mess on the table and groan again. Why do I feel like my life is falling apart?

I wish my mom were here. Maybe she’d be able to tell me why I freaked out like that.

Or she’d at least make me feel better about the whole thing.

Instead, I’m alone in my house with a puddle of milk on the table and my best friend blowing up my phone because I’m too distracted to respond to her texts.

How on Earth am I going to face him at band practice?

The next text Phoenix sends me sounds louder than the others, like she’s yelling at me. I sweep my phone off the table.

Phoenix: I think I’ll take a break from the vlogging and streaming and maybe record a gameplay of that super hard strategy game people swear is impossible.

But I’m so lazy, I just want to stay in pajamas and watch TV and eat popcorn and ice cream.

Hey, want me to come over and we can binge-watch something on Netflix?

Phoenix: And here I thought you’d jump for joy at the suggestion. But all I’m hearing are crickets.

Phoenix. I’m still hearing crickets.

Phoenix: I hope my boring texts haven’t sent you to the morgue…

Phoenix: Ugh, Katie? Did your phone die?

Phoenix: Okay, now you’re starting to scare me a little. You okay? You were acting a little odd yesterday. Did something happen at rehearsal? Hello, you’re Belle! That’s so exciting! I’m so happy for you.

Phoenix: Katie, if you don’t say anything in the next five seconds, I’m going to come over and knock your door down!

Me: I’m here.

Phoenix: Finally! You really know how to scare a girl. What’s up?

Me: Nothing. Just cleaning up the kitchen.

Phoenix: I’m coming over for lunch. I’ll bring yummy food.

Me: Leftovers? I love your mom’s cooking.

Phoenix: You bet. Your fridge will be stocked with goodies to last you weeks.

Phoenix sometimes brings over what she claims are leftovers from her family’s dinners, promising me they have so much extra they don’t know what to do with it.

And it’s such a shame for it to go to waste.

But I know it’s just an excuse. I think her mom feels bad for me and my dad.

Dad took care of dinner some nights, but it was usually Mom’s department.

I hope Phoenix didn’t tell her mom how I have to manage on my own most nights, because that’s a little mortifying.

Even though I’m super grateful for the gesture.

Not to mention Mrs. Ellis’s cooking is delicious .

Phoenix: You still in pajamas?

Me: Yeah, why?

Phoenix: Because I won’t bother getting dressed if you’re not.

Me: Lol, you’re going to walk outside in pajamas?

Phoenix: People have done worse things in the neighborhood…

Me: I think you’re one of the only people in the world who actually has the guts to do something like that.

Phoenix: Nah, I’m just too lazy to dress. See ya in an hour.