Verse Six

I took a quick shower in the luxurious guest bathroom attached to the guest bedroom and I had never felt so pampered in my life.

I used all of the fruity scented shampoo and conditioner left over from his sister and when I got out I wrapped myself in the fluffiest towel in the world.

Fake eyelashes in the trash can, I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

My hair was wet so obviously it was still darker than normal, but I could see the red tints in it.  I had thought about cutting it when I saw how long it was getting, trailing close to my belly button, but thought better of it when a girl in our class cut her hair and said how much she regretted it.

My mutant eyes stared back at me in the mirror and I wanted contacts now more than ever.

They were green in the center and blue around the edges, mismatched forever.

I stared at my complexion then, noticing how my tan skin looked lighter in the fluorescent lights of the bathroom and how my sculpted cheekbones from my Native American heritage framed the rest of my face.

I always hated my freckles though.  They weren't that noticeable in the summertime, but in the winter they came out with a vengeance.

They dotted along my nose and dusted my cheeks, making me seem younger than I actually was.  I always hated getting mistaken for someone who was fourteen or fifteen instead of almost a legal adult.

And although the majority of that could be fixed with a little bit of makeup and nicer clothes in the morning when I got ready for school or to go somewhere, I just didn't really have it in me to dress up all girly.

That is, until that night.  Dressing up made me feel confident for the first time in my body and in who I was as a person.

Shutting off the light in the bathroom, I quickly went to my cell phone and texted Josie telling her that I was safe and staying at another friends' house.

She said that she had rode with a friend to the after party since she thought I had taken the car back home after not answering her texts and calls for so long, and that she had already made it back to her house safe and sound.

I locked my phone after sending a good night text to my mother, pretending that I'd been up all night painting my nails or some other dumb teenage girl shit with Josie instead of at a concert where I was accidentally kidnapped by the singer we went to go see.

I could just see the headlines now.

I slipped under the covers in the soft bed and closed my eyes, hoping that the music would die down soon so that I could get some sleep.

***

The incessant blaring of my alarm clock that I had forgotten to turn off the night before woke me up and I stared around the room, dazed and confused for what seemed like hours until I finally realized where I was and what had happened the night before.

The concert.  The microphone. The alcohol.  The accidental kidnapping.   The flat tire.

It all came rushing back in one big blur and I blushed out right when I thought of how close I'd been to actually kissing Sebastian Jennings, a person who, before that night, I'd thought was untouchable.

Three knocks sounded on my door after I was up and getting ready and I went over to it to see that Sebastian was at the door, looking refreshed and sexy as ever with his mussed up black hair and sleep in his eyes.

I almost fell to my knees right then and there at the sight of how gorgeous he was.

I thanked the heavens above that he wasn't shirtless because I honestly didn't think I would make it if he appeared at my door without a shirt on.  It would have been game over for me.

'Here lies Holly Vickers, the girl who died after seeing Sebastian Jennings shirtless' is what my epitaph would read.

I blushed at the thought.

He was, however, wearing a tight white t shirt and black jogger pants, his muscles standing out and from where I could see, he definitely worked out.  A lot.

I wondered if I was drooling...

"I figured you could use this," he said, handing over a toothbrush still in the package and some travel sized toothpaste and mouthwash.

"Thanks," I said, reaching out to grab it and our hands touched briefly as I did so, sending shockwaves of tingles down my body.

I was so startled at the feeling that I almost dropped the things in my hand as soon as they were in my possession.

Smooth, real smooth.

"No problem.  Listen, I've gotta get moving, I have a bunch of press meetings all morning but I'll have my favorite driver take you to get something to eat and take you home.  Is that alright?"

"Sure, but what about the car?" I asked him.

"Already taken care of.  It's in one of the best car shops in California getting a brand new tire and once its done I'm having them drop it off at the rightful owner's home.  Its the least I could do since it was probably my fault for the flat tire in the first place..." he trailed off.

"You mean blown tire?  That thing was hanging on by a thread," I joked, his green eyes lightening with mirth at my joke.

He chuckled.

"Yeah I guess you're right.  But anyway, I guess this is goodbye for now, Holly Vickers," he said, offering his hand to me to shake.

I stared at it awkwardly not knowing what to do with it so I kind of gave him a high five except his hand was out to the side so I gave him a side five?

I was so stupid...

He laughed again.

"You are so weird."

"At least I know how to change a tire," I rebutted at him.

He rubbed his heart as if I'd hurt him physically.

"Ouch, Red.  That hurt."

"Red? So I have a nickname now?  Where'd you come up with that one?" I teased him.

He stepped closer to me and I held my breath, obviously ridiculously affected by his closeness.

"Your hair," he said, pulling a strand of it into his fingers and twirling it around a little bit.

"Is brown..." I trailed off stupidly.

"Not in the sunlight.  Its definitely red," he said, his voice gentle and quiet, almost as if he was reminiscing about something.

"Whatever you say superstar," I joked, wanting the mood to lighten and not feel so...romantic?

"Just call me Sebastian," he said and my eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh, so the rockstar has a nickname.  Alright Sebastian, since you gave me one I get to give you one.  Hmm.  I think I'll call you Mr. Fluffy Pants." I joked and he looked very serious for all of two seconds.

He leaned in very close and whispered as if he were talking about trade secrets.

"How did you know about Mr. Fluffy Pants?!" he asked in all seriousness, and I'm sure my face was very confused before he pulled back quickly and started laughing, obviously at my expense.

"Yeah yeah, joke's on me.  I honestly thought you had a stuffed animal or something still and named it that and you didn't want word to get out to the press that you still sleep with toys," I joked along with him.

His face suddenly transformed in a nanosecond and I almost thought it was a joke again, until I looked into his eyes and saw all happiness drain from them instantaneously.

"If you don't mind, could we keep last night between us?  If you go to the press and tell them what happened and how you stayed here last night, it'll only get ugly for the both of us.  I know some girls only want their fifteen minutes of fame, but I'd really appreciate it if-"

"Wait.  You think I'd go to the press and start talking about you just to get on TV?  How shallow do you think I am?" I asked him incredulously.

"I don't think you're shallow but, I don't know, I have no idea who you really are and-"

"The entire night I could've tipped off the press, done something to harm you and I didn't, nor will I ever.  I didn't want last night to even happen to begin with, its not like I'm a fan of your music.  You have no right to assume such awful things about my character without even properly knowing me first.  But its okay, I get it.  You must have these things happen to you all the time.  It was nice to meet you Mr. Jennings." I said hotly, shutting down at the last part of my mini monologue.

"No wait, Holly that's not how I meant for it to come out!  I really didn't mean it like that I just-"

"'Some girls only want their fifteen minutes of fame?' Sounds pretty clear what you were trying to say, Sebastian.  Don't worry about it, I'll be out of your hair in less than fifteen minutes so you can go worry about your press meetings and whatever else superstars do in their spare time."

"Holly, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset, its just that these things have happened to me before!  I never know who I can truly trust!"

"I'm not upset, just disappointed.  I thought you were different, I thought I saw a nicer side to you last night but I guess I was wrong," I said to him, turning my back to him and hoping that he'd get the hint.

"I thought I was, too."

I heard the door shut behind me and I felt a tear slide down my face at what had just transpired between us.

We had fought like we were a couple or something, not two people who had just met.

So then why did it feel like he had just broken my heart?