Confessions of a High School Supermodel

Chapter 24

 

24

The next morning, Maddie was awakened far too early by the rude blare of her alarm clock.  She rolled over in bed, the giddy smile from last night still permanently etched onto her face.  Who could have expected her evening would take such an unexpected turn of events?  After everything that had happened with Sawyer when she was babysitting, it was a total surprise when her night turned out as good as it did. 

Not just good.  Make that amazing.  She still hadn’t quite gotten over the fact that Evan had left his own awards ceremony just to come to her rescue.  She recalled how they had arrived at the theater just as the award for Best New Actor was being announced.

“And the winner is… Evan Reed!” the presenter yelled.

A sudden surge of cameras sought to capture the reactions of Evan and his surprised date.  Maddie was suddenly extremely glad for the floor-length Versace gown the stylist had insisted on squeezing her into as hundreds of flashbulbs dazzled in front of her face.  Evan’s acceptance speech on stage had been the best part!  “As an actor, much of my inspiration comes from everyday life,” he explained, not taking his eyes off Maddie, while she blushed in her seat, embarrassed but secretly delighted.

It had been a little awkward right after the ceremony.  People weren’t quite sure what to make of Evan randomly turning up with a date.  The press had eaten it up with a spoon of course.  A Victoria’s Secret supermodel dating a movie star?  It was just too perfect!  The attention was all well and good for their careers and all, but Maddie wasn’t sure how Evan actually felt about her. 

“How long have you guys been dating?” one interviewer asked as they were leaving the theater.

“You two make a great couple!” another person told them.

“Kiss, kiss, kiss!” a photographer chanted, hoping to get the million dollar shot.  Maddie felt mortified and Evan too was cringing. 

He must be so embarrassed that everyone thinks I’m his girlfriend now! she thought desperately.  I wish I was a mind reader so I could see inside his head and know exactly what he’s thinking!  Did he pick me up and bring me here just to be nice or does he actually like me?  Boys can be so confusing!

By the time Maddie had gotten home, it was well into the early hours of the morning.  She immediately collapsed into bed but had to wake up for school only a few short hours later.  Maddie hadn’t meant to stay out all evening on a school night but she wouldn’t trade last night for the world! 

Madie dragged herself out of bed and blinked the sleep from her eyes.  Today was Friday and she had a vocabulary quiz she had no idea how she was going to pass on just two hours of sleep.  And after school was Sundance’s pool party that she’d invited Maddie and Bree to a few days earlier.  Maddie hastily threw a Victoria’s Secret bathing suit into her school bag and slumped to the kitchen, still in her pajamas.

Maddie was exhausted, but a Red Bull energy drink from the 7-Eleven next to school perked her up enough to get through the day.  Bree had been shocked to hear what had happened- outraged when she heard how Sawyer had tried to hook up with her, and then excited when she heard about Maddie’s surprise turn as Evan’s date.

Maddie didn’t see Sundance until after school when she and Bree turned up at Pool Party Friday. 

A few hours later, Maddie sat on the edge of Sundance’s pool, her legs dangling in the water, her face tilted up to catch the warmth of the sun.  Looking around, it was easy to see why the popular kids loved hanging out at Sundance’s place so much.  She lived in a modern, stylish mansion in a gated community.  Her backyard was spacious and lush, with brightly colored tropical flowers sprinkled across the perfectly manicured green grass.  She had a hot tub and an Olympic-sized swimming pool.  Maddie overheard Sundance say her parents had designed the pool to look like the one at the Playboy Mansion, with an underground grotto and a waterfall cascading between some large rocks.