• dynasty • | gnr | kiss | bon jovi |

•13•

I guess Marty and Stan made up, because when I pass them by on the stairs the next morning they're avidly engaged in swallowing each other whole. I don't expect anything from them because of this, and pretend not to see them, walking past with a sense of purpose.

"Hey, slow your roll there!" Stan calls a few seconds later. Marty rolls her eyes dramatically as he breaks their kiss and stands, hopping down the steps to meet me.

"What?" I ask, feigning disinterest.

He fights a grin and nudges my arm playfully. "You get home alright last night?"

"If I didn't, would I be standing here?"

He chuckles and nudges me again. "Don't be smart."

"What, did you stay up all night worrying? Did you climb up onto your roof and stare at the sky, wondering if I was looking at the same moon?" I tease him, but he just laughs.

"You're too much, kid. I was thinking..." he sentence trails off into nothingness and his eyes lock on something behind me.

"Thinking what?"

"Uh... I think there's something wrong with your friends."

When I turn around, Blair, Jon and Ellie are glaring at me from their usual perch on the steps. Jon nods me over, so I turn to Stan apologetically.

"Uh... I gotta go, but I'll catch you in history?"

"Yeah," Stan mutters. "If your 'boyfriend' doesn't bite your head off first."

He turns and goes back to his friends, leaving me to steel my courage and walk into the lion's den. The Lost Week started last night, and it hits me like a bag of bricks. How am I supposed to tell them that I blew off Jon's most important event yet to shred a guitar, and develop sexual feelings for the history teacher?

I chew on my bottom lip nervously, knowing I'm going to have to find a suitable excuse, or the trouble will be even worse.

I put on my best sad face with my back still turned to them, I even smudge my makeup a little with damp fingers to make it look like I've been crying.

I sniffle loudly and turn, stoping abruptly once I'm nearer to them so it looks like I haven't seen.

"Callie." Blair's voice is bitterly cold, her eyes are angry blue slits.

Ellie looks as authoritative as ever, sitting up straighter than a pole. Her hands are perfectly folded, her clothing is perfeclty smooth. It's funny how quick she and Blair are to turn on someone, it's almost like they enjoy it.

"Hey guys," I choke, sniffling loudly. "I know you're really mad at me, and I can explain."

Blair and Ellie exchange a look. Jon's jaw grinds, he says nothing.

"It better be a damn good excuse, Jackson. You missed one of the most important parties of the year, not to mention your own boyfriend's societal debut! What the hell went wrong?"

"Yeah," Jon says deeply. "I even went to your place to find you, no one was home."

I manage to force real tears into my eyes, my lips begin to quiver. "You guys... you know I would never miss something this huge, don't you? You know how important Jon is to me, but... but I... something's happened," I blubber.

Immediately the mood shifts, and recognizing my status as higher than their own, Blair and Ellie jump to their louboutin-clad feet to comfort me.

"What is it, honey? What's happened?"