CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
LILA MURPHY
I’m not leaving my bedroom today. Not after that. It’s too embarrassing.
BUD LEROY
You can’t hide in your room every time you make an ass of yourself, Lila. You’ll never leave the house.
Vampire Falls. Season one, episode six – “Did You See?”
My beef with Vivian isn’t just because of the gold medal in gymnastics thing, or because she makes me feel like a hovel-dwelling goblin whenever I’m in her vicinity, or even because she calls everyone bitches. It’s also because she’s part of the reason I lost one of my best friends.
When Charlie Chamberlain left after our kiss, I spent most of the evening texting Roxy as she demanded every single detail.
If she was worried our little group dynamic would change, she didn’t show it but instead teased me with kissing GIFs and names for our firstborn.
Because she didn’t need to play it cool the next morning, her head whipped round at school looking for him, probably so she could make fun of him too, but we didn’t see him that morning, not until English, just before lunch.
Roxy and I bustled into the classroom with seconds to spare, so Charlie Chamberlain was already sitting at his usual desk near the back.
Once we were settled, Mrs Egleston explained about the literature project for that term, which we’d be working on with a partner.
Roxy high-fived me, but then Mrs Egleston said she wanted boy-girl groups, and if we didn’t choose our partners, she’d do it for us.
Everyone groaned but my heart fluttered wildly, especially when she started with the back row.
Charlie was the third person she called on, and I hadn’t made eye contact with him since we arrived, so I looked at him over my shoulder and smiled, waiting for him to say my name.
He looked around the room, his eyes almost moving through me, like we were strangers, and then he picked his partner.
He didn’t say my name. I don’t think I need to tell you whose name he said.
Roxy gasped and grabbed my hand, but I pulled away, trying to fold myself up as small as I felt. He ignored both of us for the rest of the week – like the kiss, our friendship, Vampire Falls, all of it, had never happened.
I’d never thought about the word heartbreak until that day.
I’ve never been ashamed of my love for Vampire Falls but being passionate about anything other than contouring or chasing a leather sphere around made me an easy target, so I never trusted anybody.
I let him into my favourite space, and he crushed it.
He broke my heart, he broke me, and he broke us.
Now Vivian’s here too, potentially about to break my ultimate dream. Roxy places a plastic cup in front of me and takes the envelope I’ve been clutching since the steward gave it to me. I pick up the cup and take a long sip, the cool liquid snapping me out of a delirious haze.
“What is this?” I ask.
“Iced latte.” Roxy takes a sip from her own cup, then opens the envelope. “Decaf.”
Probably a good idea.
“Thank you,” I say, slumping back into my wooden seat.
“You OK?” she says, looking up at me from the sheets of paper in her hand.
“Yes,” I say, shaking my head. “I mean, I should be ecstatic, right? I was ecstatic for about thirty-eight seconds.” I look round just as Vivian struts through the foyer, Charlie Chamberlain and Sadie at her side.
She catches my eye and winks at me. I turn to Roxy.
“Of all the people, Roxy. All the people.”
“I know, babe. She’s . . .” Roxy tilts her head, watching Vivian walk towards the lifts, “intimidating.”
Vivian bends over to adjust her trouser leg and Roxy’s eyes kind of mist over. I clear my throat.
“Sorry.” Roxy gives herself a shake. “It’ll be fine. This isn’t about looks or personality.”
“Hey!” I say, crossing my arms.
“You know what I mean,” she says, dismissing my shattered feelings with a wave of her hand.
“Like I haven’t been through enough,” I humph.
“This is about Vampire Falls, babe, and who wants the prize more. You are the biggest fan in this hotel.” She frowns at the notes in her hand, nodding as she turns a page over.
It has the Vampire Falls logo at the top, a table and lots of text.
“It’s all here but, shock horror, times are subject to change.
It’s a quiz later, with points for first, second and third place, cosplay tonight with guest judges, and then a mystery heat tomorrow.
We just need to strategise, and you’ll nail it. I have zero doubt.”
Her faith in me wipes the slate of that comment about looks and personality. A bit. I uncross my arms and lean forward, watching Vivian glide effortlessly through the hotel and life in general. I turn back to Roxy, who is watching me with an eyebrow raised.
“Please share,” she says with a sigh, shuffling the paperwork together and sliding it back into the envelope. “What’s wrong?”
“Did you see how she sat down on that chair on stage?” I say, rolling my eyes.
“I did.”
“I mean, was it necessary? Who sits on chairs like that?”
“Sexy people,” says Roxy, smiling a little.
“But why? Chairs are designed to be sat on in a specific way – comme ci,” I say, with a flourish.
“I get scared when you think you can speak French, babe.”
“Like she didn’t have the attention of the entire hall already, she has to sit on a chair like that. Am I missing something?” I say. Roxy looks like she’s preparing for sudden movements. “I’m trying it.”
“Why,” she says, more of a statement than a question.
“Get into the head of the enemy.” I stand up and turn the chair round. “Maybe I’ve been missing out. Maybe I’ll love it.”
I force my leg over the chair, catching my boot on the seat, but I don’t let that stop me.
“It doesn’t really work if it’s not . . . babe, stop. What’s gotten into you this weekend?” Roxy stands and puts her hands up, looking over her shoulder. “You’re wearing a skirt, Eliza. It doesn’t work with that kind of chair. Nobody wants to see that.”
I ignore Roxy and, though I absolutely hate saying this,I actually see the appeal. Apart from the underpants and tight gusset flashing, I’m extremely comfortable.
“I get it; the backrest is a like a front-rest for your arms. Not bad,” I say, aware that I’m still exposing myself through the open back of the chair. “Maybe if I put my legs . . . through . . . this . . . bit.”
I manage to get a foot through each section. I smile up at Roxy, triumphant.
“Happy?” says Roxy, shaking her head. I nod. I can tick sitting on a chair backwards off my bucket list. “Let’s go then. I don’t want to wait ages for autographs, and it starts in ten minutes.”
“OK.”
I go to get up, pressing my hands on the seat and the back of the chair, which is now the front of the chair.
“What’s wrong?” asks Roxy, in the tone of someone who knows exactly what’s wrong.
I swallow, and look up at her.
“I’m stuck, Roxy,” I say. “I’m stuck in the chair.”