Just Talk to Him! (IM5)

Chapter 22

July 26th, 2013 - 8:30 p.m.

I thought Anna was pretty darn perfect, but now that I see Kate, I know Anna has less than no chance with Dalton. Kate is tall, but not so tall that Dalton is shorter than her. Her blond hair is curled perfectly and her makeup is on point, not too much, not too little. I almost think she hired a team of professional stylists this morning. Her high-waisted short shorts and floral crop top match her tanned skin and slim figure perfectly. To top it all off, she dons a pair of superstar-style sunglasses, which she slowly removes from her eyes in the perfect dramatic slow-motion.

Upon noticing Dalton, Kate grins, her red lip gloss and shimmery white teeth sparkling in the light. “Dalton!” She hugs him briefly, acting like she’s made of glass. Don’t hold her too tight; she might shatter. She pecks him on the cheek, leaving a pinkish stain on Dalton’s pale skin. “Are these your bandmates?”

“Yeah,” he answers with pride. “I can introduce you to them.”

She shoos away the idea. “No, that’s not necessary.” She giggles. “I came here to talk to you!” Kate snatches his hand, her miniature handbag swinging in her other hand. Then she leads him away to a table for two, giggling and poking him in the chest.

“Wow.” Dana states. “I can’t believe he likes her.”

“What does Dalton even see in her?” Will mocks in a falsetto voice, “‘Are these your bandmates?’ She acts like we’re just dolls or something. ‘No, that’s not necessary.’ Ugh, that attitude.”

“At least he’s happy,” Gabe points out. “Did you see him grinning? I haven’t seen him acting that much like a five-year-old since he and Madison were together.”

“I miss Madison,” Will whines. “She dressed in T-shirts, not…” he makes a weirded out face, “Not like a runway disaster.”

“Hey! I like how Kate dresses!” I defend.

“Well, you’re a girl,” Cole says. “Your fashion sense is different from ours.”

I stare at Kate from across the room. “How rich is she?”

They follow my gaze. “Who knows.”

“Did she buy a plane ticket just to follow him?”

Cole sighs. “Probably.”

July 26th, 2013 - 1:00 a.m.

“Disneyworld’s here, right?” I confirm.

“Yep,” Will says. “My brother’s here, too.”

“Your brother? I thought you lived in L.A.”

He nods. “Yes, but Alex and my parents are on vacation. We’re planning on meeting up in our hotel lobby and then they’re gonna take me to Disney World.”

“Hey!” Gabe accuses. “You can’t just go to a Disney-themed place without your fellow Disney Dudez! That’s treason.”

Cole whacks the back of Gabe’s head. “Hey, let him have his fun.” Behind Will’s back, Cole exchanges a knowing look with Gabe. Dana muffles a snicker.

“What?” blinks Will, oblivious. “Hey, where’s Dalton?”

I grimace. “Over there,” I motion. On the other end of the fancy lobby, Dalton and Kate are cuddled up in the same armchair, their heads twisting and moving as though pulled by magnets. I fake a gagging motion.

Will snorts. “They’re worse than Dana and Kylie.”

“What?” Cole snaps. He clenches my wrist in one hand like a clamp. My bones feel like they’re about to shatter, but I pretend I don’t notice.