1-800-OOPS

Seventeen: Uh oh

"He's leaving," I admit to Melanie. We are upside down on the couch, our legs are up on the couch while our heads hang down. Mel's blonde hair falls long enough to touch the carpeted floor while mine floats a few inches above.

"And you are admitting that you don't want him to," Mel urges. She's trying to get me to confess that I'm upset at the fact that Everett is going on tour but it's not going to work because it's not true.

I take a bite of the sour patch kid i'm holding in-between my fingers. As I finish chewing, I respond, "No that's not it."

"So you are saying you'll miss him?" I roll my eyes, aggravated. Melanie has a talent. It's a talent where someone says one thing and she hears the complete opposite.

"No! Chase...attack," I laugh, hitting Mel on the shoulder. She goes to retaliate but her legs are pushed off the couch and she tumbles off backwards with a yelp.

"Now can I beg Bernie to make me food?" Chase calls, with a pleading voice.

"All yours." I grin widely as he starts walking away. Redirecting my focus to Melanie, I see her wicked facial expression. "Hey! Mel no...let's be rational here, I'm sor--" My words get cut off as she yanks me off the couch strongly. My tank top rises up as I slip off, my skin rubbing against the leather of my white couch.

I sit up and scowl at my best friend. "That was totally uncalled for."

"I beg to differ," she sticks her tongue out like a child. "Anyways, let's get going. You start work in an hour and knowing LA traffic, we should leave."

I nod and stand up, fixing my tank top and my disheveled hair. "Should we leave him here?" I point down the hallway that leads to the kitchen.

Melanie shrugs, a smirk on her face. "He'll be fine."

We leave my house, and hop into Chase's car. Of course Melanie took the keys so this means Chase is stuck here until she comes back. She's evil and that's why she's my best friend.

Los Angeles traffic is indeed brutal. I barely made it on time. And when I mean barely, I mean I was running at full speed across the boardwalk to make it on time. I think I may have knocked some kids ice cream because I heard cries but I didn't look back.

As soon as I swung the door open, Rowan was staring at me with an unreadable expression.

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The walk back to the car was embarrassing. So freaking embarrassing that I walked with my head down low. As soon as Melanie saw me slump into the passenger seat, she turned to face me.

"What happened? You were gone for like 10 minutes." Her brows crease in confusion.

"I got fired."

And that was why Rowan was had that expression on her face. She had to fire me. She made it clear that it was the last thing she wanted to do but her hands were tied.

It wasn't her fault and I'm not mad. The reason for my firing, if its still not obvious enough, is because of Everett and my name all over the media. That's why I can't be mad.

But also it's so dumb. Who the hell does SCOOP think they are to fire me? Especially of media. Doesn't the media's attention bring more customers in?

Their loss.

"It's okay Carter. You'll find another job," Melanie says as she turns back into the driveway. "Look at it this way, now you can make it to Chase's baseball game tonight."

A small smile replaces the frown on my lips. "Yeah, I guess that's true." I tug at the sleeves of my hoodie and stare out the window.

Is it bad that all I can think about right now is butts. Really nice butts in tight pants.

I don't even bother getting out of the car because I know Mel is just going to drag Chase out of my house. His game is in an hour and he needs to be there now. I stifle a laugh when I spot him from the rear view mirror, a whole ass sandwich stuffed in his mouth.

"Heard you got fired Carter," He says as he gets into the driver's seat and Melanie shuffles towards the back. "That sucks."

I roll my eyes at his blatant comment. "I hate you sometimes. Let's get going."

Arriving at the school's field, Chase takes off running towards the locker rooms. Melanie goes off to buy snacks because she claims there is no point in watching sports if you don't have tons of food to devour during it.

I find a spot on the bleachers towards the very top. It's shady and empty. I pull my knees up and lean against the cool of the metal fence.

"Funny seeing you here." A familiar voice says.

I try my best to control any unwanted emotions but a smile slips from my lips. I cast my gaze downward in avoidance. "I could say the same. I didn't know pop stars were fans of high school baseball games," I tease.

"I didn't know you made a habit of wearing pop stars clothes. So tell me, how much did you bid on ebay for my hoodie?" He jokes. Of course I hadn't planned on seeing the idiot, if not I would never have worn the hoodie he let me borrow. It's not my fault it's so warm and fleece lined inside.

I turn to face him. He's got on a plain baseball cap, enough to shield his unique eyes from the unwanted attention, and a long sleeve forrest colored top.

"Very funny. Aren't you supposed to be packing to go on tour?" My reply comes out a bit more bitter than I had originally planned.

Maybe Melanie is right. Don't tell her I ever said that. But maybe I don't really want Everett to go on tour. I mean, what other idiot will I bicker with?

Chase doesn't count because he's more of an annoying brother.

"I leave in two days. I wanted to ask you if you'd want to hang out tomorrow?" The look on his face is sincere which surprises me a bit because our talk is usually banter.

"Yeah ok, sure." I nod just as I notice Melanie approaching us with a bucket of popcorn and red vines.

"I'll pick you up. And then you can admit how much you miss me," he laughs.

"Never going to happen," I reply casually, running a hand through my faded pink hair.

The rest of the game is spent sneaking glances at Everett who actually stayed for the game. The entire time it seemed as he had been shifting closer and closer. I can feel our thighs touching. By halftime I grabbed Melanie's handing abruptly and said I had to use the bathroom.

"He keeps inching towards me! Do I need an alarm that says 'PLEASE DON'T TOUCH?'" I place back and forth in the bathroom. Melanie is smirking at me. I throw a redvine at her face.

"He totally digs you," She says as if it's the most obvious thing.

"Nope," I lean against the wall of the bathroom, "He's an idiot. Also a celebrity, Mel. He's famous. As in tv interviews and worldwide concerts. I'm lucky he's good at hiding from the media or else my face would be plastered literally everywhere. Hell, my parents even saw me on the news and they aren't even in Los An--"

"Shut up Carter! You're spiraling." Mel's hands are placed on my shoulders in a reassuring manner.

"I'm spiraling? Mel, why am I spiraling? I don't spiral."

"You are freaking out about being seen in the media because you are around Everett so much. The simple thing would be to cut off all ties with him but I don't think that's what you want," she says softly, "Carter, I think you may like this idiot."

I think she may be right.

uh oh. 

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I'm back from vacation. Feelings are being acknowledged? Say what!? Next chapter is a date...or is it?