17. Little Red and Woody
LITTLE RED AND WOODY
GRAYSON
I walk through the door onto the indoor basketball court and find Bea practicing tumbling on a blue mat. Bea tries throwing a back tuck but when she lands, she falls. She gets up, and groans and sits on the ground. “You know you have to try again to get it right,” I say.
“It’s hard,” Bea groans.
“Well, you won’t get right unless you keep trying,” I tell her as I walk down the steps to the court.
“Do you want me to move my mat over?” Bea asks, ignoring my advice.
“No.” I only need half the court anyway.
“How was dinner night at Emmy’s?” Bea asks.
“Good, how was your photoshoot and tutoring?” I ask, dribbling my basketball.
“The shoot was fine. My issue of teen Vogue should come out within three months and tutoring was boring. I miss real school,” Bea answers, while going over the prepping steps for a tumbling pass.
“When do you go back?” I shoot the ball, and it goes in the net perfectly and I run to get it.
“Dad said I should be able to go back once break is over. This time for more than two weeks,” Bea answers and then I hear her tumbling.
We carry on like this till it's time to meet our dad in his office for our bi-weekly family meetings. They are supposed to be weekly, but it doesn’t happen like that. It's more like whenever he needs to announce something and make its importance to him known. I make sure to freshen up and put on a different outfit before I enter his office.
I’m the last one here, as normal. Bea sits in one of the left leather chairs in a floral dress while dad leans against his desk. “I have called you both here today to discuss your career plans I have made,” Dad states and hands Bea a folder. He throws a file at me, and I catch it. “First things first, this showed up today,” Dad says, and I open the folder. Inside is something I knew would show up eventually. It's just what people assume is going on with Alexia being around so much. It’s a Starstruck Magazine and on the cover is a picture of Alexia and how the winner of the sweepstakes has been changed and who she has been hanging out with recently. “I don’t want this kind of stuff showing up anymore, she is to be left in the dust,” Dad tells me.
“We agreed that you do my career, not personal life,” I say and toss the folder to the floor while taking a seat.
“She is affecting your career by bringing in unneeded press months before your tour,” Dad says.
“That’s going to be hard considering Emerson agreed she is the rightful winner and she’s recording in my studio, and I film with her,” I reply.
“No scandal with her. Now for Bea.” Dad moves over to Bea. He never has much to say to me because my career is established, hers is just getting started.
“You have a dress fitting tomorrow because we have a Golden Star event to attend. You will also be expected to attend Grayson,” Dad says and reaches behind him and hands me two tickets and Bea one.
“Choose wisely,” he says, looking at me.
“I want the public to see a happy family at this event, no embarrassing me,” Dad demands. “You can go now and Bea you have modeling practice tomorrow, be up by eight.”
We both get up and exit his office, not giving him another chance to say anything else. “I hate modeling.” Bea sighs as I walk her to her room.
“Then say that.” I shrug.
“Archie, you going against dad is already bad enough and I know what he does to you, we don’t need more problems,” Bea replies. I know she’s right, but I hate that she’s stuck doing things he forces her to do all because he was claimed to be the “more stable parent” when he and my mother got a divorce. Sure, dad still has to pay my mom, but the court thought he has more money, yard space, connections, and looking to remarry, while mom just wanted to live in a quiet place to paint and take over her family's winery instead of continuing her modeling career. One thing I am sure of is if he ever hits Beatrix, then that would be the day I’d do something.
Sunday comes faster than I would have liked. Before I know it, I’m getting on the elevator to go to the recording studio. “Hey,” Alexia says as she comes and gets in the elevator beside me.
“How are you?” she asks.
“Fine,” I reply and reach to press the button.
“Is this weird? This is weird. I totally didn’t mean to get into your personal space last night, should have stayed in my space. I swear I’m not a crazy fan girl even though I am a fangirl but not a crazy one-” I stop her by covering her mouth so she can’t rabble, although I’m flattered.
“Stop talking,” I tell her.
She looks up at me and It’s probably one of the hottest things I’ve ever experienced. Her big brown eyes staring up at me and her warm breath against my hand. I wonder what it’d feel like if I kissed her. Actually, I shouldn’t think like that, but I bet that would feel amazing.
“I didn’t mind at all. You’re good. With that I was wondering if you would go to a Golden Star event with me?” I say and remove my hand from her mouth. I know my dad is going to kill me, but who cares?
“Are you sure? Me?” she replies.
“If I wasn’t sure, I wouldn't have asked,” I say.
“I’ll go with you, but don't take an attitude with me,” Alexia says as the elevator dings and she walks off. I follow behind her and we make our way to the recording studio.
“Finally, the group is complete,” Charlie says, walking over to us.
“Well we finished the music,” Kenan says.
“I’m ready to listen,” Alexia says.
“We tried to stay true to your vision,” Cooper says.
“We added a touch of flare though, so I hope you still can sing to it,” Stacy adds before pressing a button on the sound board. Alexia sits in the chair next to them and me and Charlie go over and take a seat on the leather red sofa.
“Now remember don’t stare too hard while she sits there,” Charlie whispers to me and I elbow him.
We take a seat as the music starts. “I asked Alexia to the Golden Star event tonight,” I tell him.
“You’re bringing Alexia!” Charlie exclaims.
“Yeah?” I answer, confused.
“Will your dad be a complete dick with Alexia there with you?” Charlie asks.
“It’ll be cool.” I shrug and begin listening to the music. Stacy and Conner definitely did a good job with mixing everything together.
“Do you think you’re ready to record?” Stacy asks.
“Yeah, I can give it a shot,” Alexia says and stands up. She wipes her hands off on her black flared jeans that seem to have a lace print on them before walking toward the booth.
“You got this, Lexi!” Scarlett says, giving her two thumbs up. Alexia takes a seat on what looks to be the center stool and puts the headset on.
“Okay in five…four…three…two…one,” Stacy counts down while holding her fingers up, counting while talking. Conner starts the music. Alexia stares down for a while until the cue in the song and her voice begins to fill the air.
It sounds just as amazing as it did the first time. The first time I heard her sing, I didn’t even care that she was using my guitar, one of my most prized possessions. I was so captivated by how lovely her voice sounded. It’s like an angel. She’s a true star singing with Scarlett and Raven, it looked like she didn’t have a care in the world just like she does now. You can tell making music was something she was born to do.
All of us clap as she finishes singing and takes a bow in the booth. “Amazing, we want to get one more recording and then we will do our magic and get you back after,” Conner says. Alexia gives a thumbs up, and we play the song again.
“You are so whipped,” I hear Charlie whisper, but I choose to ignore him.
I am not.
“I’m sure everything will be fine,” Scarlett tells Kenan as I walk back into the recording studio from walking Alexia out to leave.
“I hope so. I know she’s been stressed with her first year of college,” Kenan says.
If they are speaking about Nevea, that’s still no reason to hit on your boyfriend’s friends. Best friends at that.
“My parents are still pissed that I choose this over college,” Raven says, rolling her eyes. Our band got really popular our sophomore year of high school and it got hard balancing going to school in person and this, so we all switched to online school our junior year and graduated early, but some of us delayed college.
Raven isn’t going to college, Scarlett does classes online but only takes like three classes at a time, Kenan and Charlie do the same and somehow, they balance it. My dad made me skip two years for work, and Shawn he already has like three degrees. Somehow, he still claims he’s not a genius, when he had a degree before we graduated. He’s on his way to getting a doctorate in biochemistry.
“When aren’t your parents pissed at you?” Charlie says.
“True, they always are, but they are jerks,” Raven replies with a shrug.
Raven’s parents are never happy with her choices, and they hate the fact she’s a rockstar. They think she should have gone to school to be a lawyer like her other siblings. She’s a triplet but her brother and sister chose law school, and she picked music. What they don’t know is that her sister is trying to become a Victoria’s Secret model. They will really lose their shit when they learn that.
After practicing vocals in the studio and some songwriting with Austin we all get to go home.
There are still a couple of hours till the event, which is a costume party, that I am very not excited to go to. But Alexia being my date makes it better. Not that I would call it a date.
“Yes, you have a crush,” Charlie says, as if he has read my mind.
“That’s not what this is,” I reply, staring at the pool in front of me.
“I’m telling you; this is a crush,” Charlie says, in a sing-song voice.
“How would you know?” I scoff.
“I went through the same feelings of denial before I came to terms with liking Scar. I just don't want you to be like me and wait years to tell someone you like them, or she ends up getting a boyfriend and you lose her.”
“How did you figure out you liked Scarlett?”
“Well, I would see how I felt when we did things together like hug, hold hands, be close to each other, or even when she talked to me and if I felt symptoms of what a crush, I would add a point to me liking her. It took about a week of me letting myself just feel it instead of blocking it out and then I knew,” Charlie answers.
I guess this method could be useful. It’s like science, I’m forming a hypothesis. If doing this work, only then will I say I like her.
I arrive at Alexia’s house and she comes out in a Red Riding Hood costume. As I watch her walk up my car begin to let my eyes drift over her outfit: black headband in her curly hair, she wears a white shirt and a gray button-up vest over it, then a short pleated black skirt that's high-waisted so the vest is slightly over the skirt, white socks that stop inches below her knees and shiny black platform heels that little rhinestones around the ankle strap. Of course, Everything is compiled by a red cape. She looks perfectly adorable.
I love it.
Alexia runs to the car, and I open the door for her, once she's in I close the door and go around to the driver's side. She sits a little basket down on the floor before applying some shiny red gloss. I didn’t even notice she included the little basket.
“You look great,” I say, trying not to compliment her the way I want to.
“Uh… Thanks, you too,” she says, putting her lip gloss up. I can smell the strong cherry scent of the gloss from here and it almost makes me wonder what it tastes like. A moment of silence lingers through the car before I pull off and make my way to Golden Star.
Luckily, she doesn’t speak because I’m too fogged in the head to think about anything other than tasting her because of that damn cherry-scented gloss. There’s no way a lip gloss is that strong, she must be wearing perfume too.
Arriving at Golden Star, the valet takes my keys once I get out and gives me a ticket to keep. I hold my arm out for Alexia to take once I open her door. “So, you’re being a gentleman,” Alexia says, looking up at me.
“I’m playing nice tonight,” I tell her and apply my red cowboy hat to my head. I’m dressed as Woody from Toy Story because Charlie wanted to wear matching costumes with me, so I didn’t feel left out, so we are Woody and Buzz Lightyear. I wear the signature outfit, nice blue jeans with a big belt, Woody’s signature shirt but it’s a little tighter and his cow print vest along with the golden sheriff badge. I’m not wearing the red bandana around my neck, but I have the brown cowboy boots on.
“Let’s go, Ranger Rick,” Alexia says, taking my arm.
“I’m Woody the cowboy,” I tell her.
“I know, Popstar,” Alexia says as we walk up the steps. The event is being held in the Golden room where everything is either golden or has some golden hue to it. This party isn’t for anything special, except Mr. Hayden thought it would be fun and a way to kick off the upcoming release of Emerson’s TV show, my band's summer tour, and new artists joining the company. Mr. Hayden will give any reason to throw a party, honestly.
Entering the Golden Room, we hand the doorman our tickets and he stamps it and gives us the end half back. Alexia puts hers in her basket and I just stuff mine in my front pocket.
I notice the room is decorated in an enchanted-haunted forest theme and even the DJ is dressed up as the Grim Reaper high on this platform in the air in the far corner. I guess everyone is in costume tonight.
“I’ll be right back,” Alexia whispers while lightly touching my arm. I nod, letting her know I heard her, and then Alexia walks off through the crowd of people. I look over to see where she is going, and I notice her mom, Aaliyah, and Marina across the room.
“Looking for someone?” I turn and see Scarlett is now in front of me. When did she get here? And in front of me. Scarlett is dressed as Poison Ivy in a very sparkly green dress with vines going up her legs and arms.
“No, not looking for anyone,” I state, not turning to her.
“Oh, watching.” Scarlett nods.
“No. Admiring,” I say and turn to her.
“So have you seen your father yet?” she asks.
“Thankfully, no,” I state and sip some of my drink.
“Well, in case you want to avoid him, do not go near the pumpkin patch food and drink service,” she tells me.
“Pumpkin food service?” That does not sound like it would taste great.
“Not everything is pumpkin flavored. It’s just the food and drinks in the pumpkin patch are,” Scarlett explains. I raise a brow at her, then I turn to look around the room, this time not for anyone in particular.
“Have you seen the others?” I ask Scarlett.
“Yeah, Charlie is eating, Emmy and Noah are making rounds. Shawn and Zara are out on the carriage ride in the gardens. And I actually do not know where Raven is and Kenan went to the restroom before I came over here,” Scarlett tells me.
“Wanna go find Charlie with me?” I ask her, because standing in one spot is boring now.
“But your dad is over there,” she reminds me.
“I don’t care,” I tell her and turn around looking for the pumpkin patch sign and once I spot it, I make my way over.
I’m not letting my father scare me into not having a good time tonight. I walk right over to the pumpkin patch that has a big fence surrounding it. Walking in, pumpkins are lined up till you get to a stone area that has a couple of tables in the circle center, and around the outer edge of the circle are tables of food. Above us are string lights with vines hanging from them and on the sides are pumpkins and scarecrows.
I spot Charlie at a table, waving us over while holding up some pumpkin-shaped cookies. We walk over to him, and I take out the chair beside him before sitting. “So, when did you get here?” Charlie asks, with a mouth full of cookies. Scarlett kisses his hand before sitting down.
“Like ten minutes ago,” I reply and take a small pumpkin candy corn from his plate. As I chew it, I realize maybe the pumpkin flavored candy corn isn't my favorite.
“Grayson,” I hear my father state behind me. Scarlett gives me a sympathetic look as I turn around to my dad.
“Father,” I reply, turning back, looking at him, then looking away.
“I heard you brought a guest, ” he says. I assume he already knows who it is due to his tone.
“Now where did you hear a thing like that?” I ask, acting clueless.
“Garner. He’s here dressed as Dracula somewhere.” My father rolls his eyes at his sentence.
“Hmm and who would that guest be?” I ask him. I know me playing dumb is only going to irritate him, but I don’t care.
“Haven’t I made it clear to you that this girl is not good for publicity?” my father grits out and I look at him boredly.
“You told me to be wise on my choice and I did. I picked Alexia,” I reply and stand up.
“Alexia is nobody. You need someone people know to make your image better after your previous choices in women,” Dad says, us now standing eye to eye.
“If you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere to be,” I say, not acknowledging what he just said, and I walk around him.
He’s right, my previous choices in women weren't great but Jazzlyn doesn’t have anything to do with Alexia. They are different. At least I hope so.
As I walk out of the pumpkin patch, Alexia comes toward me with Astrid and Aaliyah.
“I was looking for you,” she says.
“Well, here I am,” I say and grab her hand, turning her around and leaving this space.
“Why are we leaving?” she asks. I don’t answer, I just pull us through the crowd.
“Your dad is here, isn’t he?” she says and I feel a weight holding me from walking. “Are you embarrassed you came with me?” she asks.
“No, I just don’t like his assumptions,” I answer.
“What he thinks I’m like is not good enough or something,” she says, letting go of my hand. “You’re running away because your dad doesn’t like something.”
“I’m not running, I just don’t want to worry about him tonight,” I tell her, as I turn around to face her.
“Then you should stand up to him, Popstar. Stop pulling away and following your daddy’s plan,” she says, grabbing my hand again. I’m not sure if she’s meant to be comforting me or not.
“Me coming with you is nowhere in his plan. If anything, isn't this standing up to him,” I point out.
“So, what, I'm your pawn to stand up to your dad?” she says.
“No.” I really hope she believes me. Sure, my dad does not like her but I like her, and I don’t see a reason to stop. Plus, it getting on my dad’s nerves is just icing on the cake.
“Go to your room, Beatrix,” Dad orders as soon as we step into the house. Bea looks at me and I reply,
“Go, I’ll be up soon, Bee.” Beatrix sighs and kisses my cheek before retreating to her room. This good night is about to be ruined. One moment, I’m dancing with Alexia, having fun, and now I’m about to have an argument with my dad before going back to The Fortress.
“Yes?” I ask.
“I told you not to be seen with her, she may be the winner of some contest, but she is nothing!” Dad yells. “If you disobey me anymore, there will be more consequences. There are going to be pictures of you two at the party everywhere,” Dad states.
“You think so, I can’t wait to see them,” I tell my dad, and he steps closer to me.
I stand up straighter, looking slightly down at him.
“She’s nothing but a slut like your mother, do you really think she’ll truly love you. All she cares for is the money just like Jazzlyn did,” Dad grits out. My fists tighten at my sides.
“I don’t give a shit about Jazzlyn but my mom really, we’re going that low. Last time I checked, you married her and cheated on her. She loved you and you fucked her over. And it seems you’re doing the same to Lena,” I reply.
“They both deserve it,” Dad states.
“Don’t be seen with the girl again.” He starts to back up from me.
“I plan on being seen with her as many times as I feel like it,” I state. I know I shouldn’t have said anything to make him madder, but I do, and I get punched for it.
“Every time you are seen with her, you’ll get one of those,” he says before fixing his suit jacket.
“Looking forward to it,” I say and head for the stairs.
I find Bea sitting beside my room door with tears streaming down her face.
“Come on,” I say, knowing she’s going to sleep in my room tonight. We both get ready for bed and lay down, staring at the ceiling.
“Why won’t you hit him back?” Bea asks.
“Maybe one day I will.”