Desperate

Chapter 3

It was Sunday morning and I smelled bacon. I sat up in bed and wiped the sleep out of my eyes as I yawned. As I slid out of bed I put on some slippers and then scooted out to the kitchen. Shayla was cooking and Keaton Wes and Drew were all sitting at the table eating.

"Morning Bri!" Shayla called setting a plate down for me.

"Morning." I yawned again sitting down.

"Well if it isn't mister Wesley Stromberg's new lady!" Drew smiled as Wes punched him.

"I'm not his lady." I mumbled around a mouthful of bacon.

"That's not what the media says." Drew sat a magazine on the table.

On the cover there was a surprisingly great picture of Wesley and I standing outside the parking garage. We looked kind of cute together if you ask me. I looked at the cover then flipped to the page with the story. Apparently Wes's found love again and they give it a month to last since I'm just a rebound (no basketball pun intended). I shook my head.

"People are stupid." I laughed handing Drew the magazine back.

"So who wants to go surfing today?" Keaton asks changing the subject.

Drew said he was in and Shayla agreed of course. She's like the best surfer ever. I looked at Wes and he shook his head. "I went this morning before you guys were up. I just wanna chill today." He said.

Then everyone looked at me. "I'm going to the store today." I said. "We need food in the house since you guys plow through it all the time." I laughed.

"I'll go with you." Wes smiled.

"Awe shopping together is a couple activity!" Drew said batting his eyes dramatically.

Everyone laughed and I just shook my head. I finished eating then put my dish in the sink. After that I took a quick shower and got dressed in cut off shorts and an old Sublime T-shirt. I went back to my room and brushed my hair into its natural waves and applied some mascara.

"Did everyone else leave already?" I asked Wes as I joined I'm in the kitchen again.

"Yeah, Shayla said to pick up some chicken for dinner while we're out." He said.

I nodded and stepped into my flip flops. I grabbed my keys and Wes followed my to the car. I drove to the store as Wesley chattered about music. We pulled in and parked then made our way inside. We strolled down isles and put things in the cart as he continued to tell me what it was like to go touring across the country.

"I wish I was more adventurous." I sighed.

"Well to hear Shay tell it you're the most outgoing person ever." He laughed.

"I was in high school, but I don't know what happened." I shrugged. "That's a lie. I do know what happened. I got a great paying job at my advertising company and I work to much to ever do fun stuff really."

"Do you work because you love it or because you want to keep yourself busy?" He asked tossing granola bars in the cart.

"I used to love it, but now I kind of hate it." I admitted.

"You shouldn't be stuck doing something you hate." He told me.

"So what, I should just quit and do what?" I laughed.

"Do whatever you want." He shrugged.

"Did Shayla ever tell you how we ended up out here?" I laughed again realizing he really doesn't know me.

"She said you moved out here after high school." He said tossing some more stuff in.

"When I was younger I used to say I was going to run away to California all the time. I applied to like three schools out here just to see if I could get in. I got into a small school for writing so I got a summer job and saved up a ton of money. She got in with me and we were going to be roommates. I rolled out all my money and bought a one way ticket." I smiled remembering how happy I was to leave my small hometown. "I hated it here. I resented the heat and thought everyone walked around like they were stoned. I dropped out of college and got a shitty job as an assistant to some struggling actress who paid me next to nothing. Shayla paid rent with me while she finished school and eventually I got off my ass and took some business classes, and I got hired at the place I work now all by luck."

"That's crazy! I've never met someone who hated it here. Do you still hate it?" He asked.

"No, it kinda grew on me actually." I smiled. "The carefree attitude is my favorite thing now."

"So you just moved out here on impulse basically?" He said more as a question.

"Yeah, and it all worked out. I never would've been okay without Shayla though, she's like the mother I always needed." I laughed. "I'm the girl who's on the fence all her life though. I hate making choices."

"Well then, that's my new goal." He smiled.

"What to make choices?" I giggled as we walked to get in the checkout line.

"No, to make you more impulsive again." He said.

"Why would you want to do that?" I asked.

"I like a girl who makes impulsive decisions." He shrugged.

I paid for my stuff then we were loading it I the car when camera people flooded around us. They snapped pictures and bombarded us with questions. Wes just finished what he was doing unaffected. He seems so used to this it's crazy. After we finished he took the keys from me and made his way to the driver side. I got in and he started the car.

"This is insane! Does this happen everywhere you go?" I asked looking out the window.

"Most of the time." He shrugged. His phone rang and he took, it out of his pocket and handed it to me. "Put it on speaker. The passwords 2-0-1-2."

I did as he asked and cringed at the sound of the angry girl on the other line. "Wesley! Why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend? I shouldn't have to see in on the Internet like everyone else you jerk!" She squealed.

"Sorry Carly. It just happened." He looked at me and shrugged.

"Just happened!" She sounded like she wasn't buying that for a second. "Well tell me about her!"

"Her names Brianna. She's pretty and she makes impulsive choices." He chuckled at the end as I smacked his arm.

I'm not going to lie, I totally blushed when he said I was pretty. "She's there isn't she."

"Hi Carly." I laughed when Wes gestured for me to talk.

"Oh my gosh! How'd you guys meet?" She squealed.

"This isn't E News Carly. We gotta go. Bye." Wes took the phone and ended the call.

"What was that all about?" I asked realizing he seemed ticked off.

"I don't want her all up in my business like that." He said.

"She seemed nice." I said.

"She always seems nice." He laughed.

We went back to mine and Shayla's place and put the groceries away. Once we finished we sat down on the couch and he was tapping his foot on the floor thinking. I waited until he stopped then asked what was wrong.

"Nothing's wrong, but um, I need to ask you a favor." He prompted.

"Sure thing." I smiled.

"Well since we're like fake dating, I need you to be my date to this party coming up." He said.

"When is it?" I laughed.

"Next Friday. Wear a black dress and heels." He said.

As soon as the words left his mouth and I'd agreed Drew Keaton and Shayla came in the door. They were all sunburnt and looked exhausted. I made dinner and we ate then the boys went home.

"So how's the relationship?" Shayla laughed.

"We're just fake dating Shayla." I rolled my eyes.

"He's perfect for you ya know?" She smiled.

"What makes you think that?" I laughed.

"He's just like you. I've never met two people who are so much alike. He's literally guy you." She said.

"Whatever Shay I'm going to bed." I hugged her then went to my room. That girls losing it I swear.