Milo says immediately. “Her DVD player was jammed, and I stopped in to help her.”
“And he didn’t want to put a wet towel on my floor,” I say, jumping to his defense. “So he wrapped it over his swim trunks.”
“The door was open the entire time,” Milo says. “Nothing happened. I fixed her DVD player. That’s it. Nothing more.”
My heart hurts just a little when he says it. Nothing more? You offered to get tickets to the premiere of the biggest movie trilogy out right now, and then you basically begged me to be your date. How is that nothing?
“His swim trunks are under the towel,” I say instead, just to re-emphasize that Milo was not naked in my bedroom.
A crowd has gathered behind us. I don’t look over my shoulder at the other Saturn guys, but Noah snickers, and Tate mumbles something about ‘getting it on.’ Aralie laughs afterward. What a traitor! Then again, I didn’t help her with Jules. The real traitor is Emery. What happened to secret Saturnite sisters? I’m keeping Harry Styles a secret. How would she feel if I said she liked a 1D guy more than a Saturn guy? If she wasn’t a five-year-old, I’d blast it over a loudspeaker.
“I can show you,” Milo says. “They’re blue.”
Mom opens her mouth, but Emery screams again. I never realized she was hiding behind Godfrey.
“ Nooooo!” Emery’s footsteps hurry back down the stairs. “I don’t want to see his butt!”
Dear creatures of Saturn, please inject me with the infection that destroyed Jules’s face. Don’t give me cosmetic surgery. Just let me die and carry my shame and embarrassment to my grave with me. Sincerely, Chloe Branson
Mom steps forward. “I’m sorry, you guys. This was just a huge misunderstanding. Emery’s little, and she just…I’m sorry.”
She waves the crowd behind us to go on. There are a few footsteps and shuffles. I assume everyone is gone since Mom waits a moment to speak.
“I’m really sorry, Milo. Chloe’s used to Emery’s mouth by now,” she says. She’s using that tone. The Deacon break up tone. “I really hope she didn’t embarrass you too much. I know nothing happened, so please don’t worry about that.”
Um, infection, now please. Straight to my brain. Kill me on impact. Please!
Milo shakes his head.
“It’s fine,” he says. “Next time, I’ll change before I attempt any handiwork around the house. I’m gonna go get dressed now.”
He quickly excuses himself and disappears around the corner down the hallway. Mom mouths “Sorry” to me, but the damage is done. The humiliation and embarrassment and defamation are all done deals. She hurries back downstairs, probably to lecture Emery, and I turn back to my bedroom door.
And there he is. Tate’s freaking head plastered back on my door. Emery probably ran to Aralie’s room as soon as our Darby session was over. What a little Saturnite traitor. I debate ripping Tate’s face apart because he’s smiling so goofily at me. In the depths of my mind, I literally hear his laughter. Instead, I look directly at the picture, say, “Shut up,” out loud, and slam my door.
CHAPTER 10
Two days.
Two long, boring, heart-wrenching days.
Two days of silence and distance and avoidance of eye contact.
This must be what it feels like to stand outside of a venue watching your favorite person in the world sign autographs for hundreds of other girls then having security guards pull him away just before he writes that first letter on your CD cover or band photo. I can’t even get an M from Milo. I feel like those hopeless girls with giant posters hoping to stand out in the packed auditoriums. Or the girls who camp out in the hotel parking lots and never get close enough to snap a picture. Ugh. I feel like the cougar who wanted to date and mate with Tate, minus the Tate part, obviously.
Noah has given me sympathy eyes over his strawberry milk each morning. I want to ask him what he knows, what Milo has said behind the scenes, but
“And he didn’t want to put a wet towel on my floor,” I say, jumping to his defense. “So he wrapped it over his swim trunks.”
“The door was open the entire time,” Milo says. “Nothing happened. I fixed her DVD player. That’s it. Nothing more.”
My heart hurts just a little when he says it. Nothing more? You offered to get tickets to the premiere of the biggest movie trilogy out right now, and then you basically begged me to be your date. How is that nothing?
“His swim trunks are under the towel,” I say instead, just to re-emphasize that Milo was not naked in my bedroom.
A crowd has gathered behind us. I don’t look over my shoulder at the other Saturn guys, but Noah snickers, and Tate mumbles something about ‘getting it on.’ Aralie laughs afterward. What a traitor! Then again, I didn’t help her with Jules. The real traitor is Emery. What happened to secret Saturnite sisters? I’m keeping Harry Styles a secret. How would she feel if I said she liked a 1D guy more than a Saturn guy? If she wasn’t a five-year-old, I’d blast it over a loudspeaker.
“I can show you,” Milo says. “They’re blue.”
Mom opens her mouth, but Emery screams again. I never realized she was hiding behind Godfrey.
“ Nooooo!” Emery’s footsteps hurry back down the stairs. “I don’t want to see his butt!”
Dear creatures of Saturn, please inject me with the infection that destroyed Jules’s face. Don’t give me cosmetic surgery. Just let me die and carry my shame and embarrassment to my grave with me. Sincerely, Chloe Branson
Mom steps forward. “I’m sorry, you guys. This was just a huge misunderstanding. Emery’s little, and she just…I’m sorry.”
She waves the crowd behind us to go on. There are a few footsteps and shuffles. I assume everyone is gone since Mom waits a moment to speak.
“I’m really sorry, Milo. Chloe’s used to Emery’s mouth by now,” she says. She’s using that tone. The Deacon break up tone. “I really hope she didn’t embarrass you too much. I know nothing happened, so please don’t worry about that.”
Um, infection, now please. Straight to my brain. Kill me on impact. Please!
Milo shakes his head.
“It’s fine,” he says. “Next time, I’ll change before I attempt any handiwork around the house. I’m gonna go get dressed now.”
He quickly excuses himself and disappears around the corner down the hallway. Mom mouths “Sorry” to me, but the damage is done. The humiliation and embarrassment and defamation are all done deals. She hurries back downstairs, probably to lecture Emery, and I turn back to my bedroom door.
And there he is. Tate’s freaking head plastered back on my door. Emery probably ran to Aralie’s room as soon as our Darby session was over. What a little Saturnite traitor. I debate ripping Tate’s face apart because he’s smiling so goofily at me. In the depths of my mind, I literally hear his laughter. Instead, I look directly at the picture, say, “Shut up,” out loud, and slam my door.
CHAPTER 10
Two days.
Two long, boring, heart-wrenching days.
Two days of silence and distance and avoidance of eye contact.
This must be what it feels like to stand outside of a venue watching your favorite person in the world sign autographs for hundreds of other girls then having security guards pull him away just before he writes that first letter on your CD cover or band photo. I can’t even get an M from Milo. I feel like those hopeless girls with giant posters hoping to stand out in the packed auditoriums. Or the girls who camp out in the hotel parking lots and never get close enough to snap a picture. Ugh. I feel like the cougar who wanted to date and mate with Tate, minus the Tate part, obviously.
Noah has given me sympathy eyes over his strawberry milk each morning. I want to ask him what he knows, what Milo has said behind the scenes, but
Similar Books
