Virtual Attraction [COMPLETE]

31| Brooke and Adam

"You're late," Victoria snapped, opening the door of her house. It took her a minute to realize I wasn't alone. Her gaze landed on Brooke beside me, taking in her worn leather jacket and frizzy mane. Victoria raised her eyebrows at me as if to say where did you find her?

"This is Brooke," I said, answering her unspoken question. "She's my friend...from Rochester." Victoria didn't know about Hovsepian School for Delinquents. She didn't know I'd been to juvie before. I felt bad for lying to her, but honestly, now wasn't the time to reveal my big, dark secret.

Even though Victoria was the closest thing to a best friend that I had right now, it wasn't lost on me that we hadn't been close for long. There was a whole other life I'd had before her and up until now, there had been no reason for the two to intertwine.

Brooke looked at me quizzically. "Rochester?" she asked.

I widened my eyes at her, sending her a silent message to just go along with it. And she quickly straightened up and nodded.

"Right," she said, impatiently, moving from foot to foot. "I'm Blaze's friend from Rochester. Now can we come in?"

"Of course," Victoria said, though she looked like she was considering saying no. She stepped back from the doorway tentatively, then gestured towards the living room. "I planned a spa night for Blaze's birthday."

"Aw thanks V," I said, kicking off my shoes and glancing around me. Even though it was winter in New York, stepping into Victoria's house was like stepping into spring. It smelled of rose-scented perfume and lilies and the walls had recently been painted a new bright, light-yellow color. I wondered how Victoria's father felt about the redecoration of their home.

There was spa stuff everywhere, collections of nail polish and soft Dido music playing in the background speakers of Victoria's house.

I wasn't really the kind of girl who enjoyed being pampered, but I wasn't about to tell Victoria that. It was obvious she had put a lot of effort into this, so I placed a bright smile on my face and hugged her.

"I didn't plan for there to be more than just you, Blaze." She said it pointedly and stole another glance in Brooke's direction.

Brooke whistled and folded her arms behind her head. "Plans change."

I elbowed her in the ribs.

As Brooke and I removed our jackets and stepped into the living room, Victoria asked, "Why is your hair all wet?"

Brooke spoke for me. "We went swimming in Lake Wemt."

Victoria narrowed her eyes, but didn't say anything. What was going through her mind?

"What died in here?" Brooke asked, scrunching up her nose and taking in the room around us. "It smells like shit."

"Excuse me?" Victoria replied, tersely.

Brooke didn't answer her question. Instead she plunked down onto the plastic wraps that covered the furniture and propped her feet up onto the ottoman.

"It's aromatherapy," I answered, frowning at Brooke.

"Anybody want refreshments?" Victoria asked, barely concealing her disdain for Brooke. Even though her question had been for both Brooke and I, Victoria's eyes were laser focused on me.

"Yes please," Brooke said. "Anything to take my mind off that smell."

Victoria rolled her eyes so hard I thought her eyes would pop out of their sockets.

"Be nice," I said, elbowing Brooke when Victoria had gone into the kitchen to find some caviar and grapefruit soda.

"This place is like a caricature," she said back to me. "It looks like Ana Wintour threw up in here. Do you seriously hang out with these people?"