 
Hidden Gem

India Lee
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

An e-book version of this novel was published in 2011 and available on Smashwords

Smashwords Edition

Copyright (c) 2011 India Lee

All rights reserved.

ISBN-10: 1463636261

ISBN-13: 978-1463636265

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the publisher.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

About the Author
Dedicated to all who were told it couldn't happen.

May you prove them wrong!

# Chapter 1

It was hard for Gemma to imagine that she wouldn't be wearing this outfit again in a long time, if ever. She was powerful in it. Not a set of eyes could resist staring at her in it. She loved it.

Over the course of the summer, the frantic rush to change into it for the final song had gradually gone from stressful to soothing. Gemma knew that bringing out the soon-to-be legendary white feather and pearl ensemble meant the near finish of yet another triumphant show. She stood still in the buzzing rush of makeup and wardrobe. They swarmed her and painted her lips with Lavender Whip lipstick to match her famously lavender eyes. The Bvlgari diamond cuffs were clasped around her delicate wrists. Once the dress was on, they swarmed again to drape the delicate headpiece on her. They were careful not to let it snag on the big, dramatic twist of hair at the crown of her head.

"I hear a rumor," Armand whispered scandalously as he fastened the clasps of her bracelet. For a twenty-six-year-old, he could be easily mistaken for a giddy high school kid when it came to gossip. "That someone special is in the audience tonight. Someone _gorg_ eous." He emphasized the word "gorgeous," his French accent making the news sound all the more alluring.

Gemma eyed him through the thin layer of pearls that hung over her eyes, unable to ask who with a makeup brush sweeping her lips. She let it go. As one of her best friends on the road, Armand was physically incapable of keeping secrets from her. He would spill immediately after the show.

As they fussed over her, she ran her fingers along the soft feathers that covered her bust and reached up over one shoulder and around her neck. Like a baby blanket, Gemma found the dress comforting – despite the corset and fifteen pounds of beading. It meant that she had conquered yet another city, brought another fifteen thousand fans to their feet, chanting her name. Or, technically, Queen Bee's name. The tour had started at Wembley Stadium in London and now, at _Palau Sant Jordi_ in Barcelona, she was conquering her final city for the summer. After this, there would be no more arenas and legions of fans waiting for her. It would be time for home – if she could even call it that.

As Penelope put finishing touches of gloss on her lips, Gemma suddenly felt a pang of anxiety. "Oh," she put a hand to her stomach, the cold Mikimoto pearls on the bodice tickling her fingers.

Penelope's eyebrows knit with confusion. "Nervous? For once?"

"Yes."

"Please. Queen Bee doesn't get nervous."

"No, but Gemma does."

"Over what? Final show jitters?"

"No," Gemma shook her head. "First day of school jitters."

Penelope covered her mouth with surprise. "Oh! _God_. Forgot about that," she smiled, though it was more of a tense pursing of the lips. Gemma cocked her head curiously, but Penelope quickly diverted her attention to her powder kit.

"Don't try to pretend that you didn't make a face!" Gemma laughed incredulously. "What were you thinking? Tell me."

"Mm-mm." Penelope shook her head of glossy copper hair, her excuse for silence being the makeup brush that she held between her lips. Her hands busied themselves by prying the powder kit open.

"Pen, _tell_ me."

"It's nothing," Penelope said, her eyes fluttering nervously as if trying to blink her thoughts away. "I just flashed back to high school. That's all. I was a new kid once too and it was, um, kind of..."

"Say it."

"Horrible. But I was a gawky kid and I hadn't grown into my schnoz yet. It's different for you love, because you are impossibly freakin' beautiful. All the boys are gonna want you and all the girls are gonna want to _be_ you. I mean, you're Queen Bee."

Gemma sighed. "They won't know that."

Before Penelope could respond, the swarm enveloped Gemma once again and ushered her frantically towards stage. Upon feeling the hum of the crowd pulsing through her body and the heat of the lights on her skin, the butterflies in her stomach fluttered away. She caught her own reflection in a pane of glass on her way out and eyed her silhouette. The dazzling headpiece accentuated her elegant neck, which her mother did always say was one that could make supermodels envious. Her long, toned legs looked incredible in the custom designed five-inch Manolo Blahniks that she wore with ease. And the dress, of course, was phenomenal. _To say the least._

At her cue, she sauntered onto stage with a cocky smile to the roar of worshipping fans. She was, without a doubt from anyone, Queen Bee.
SUPERSTAR'S SUMMER OF DISGUISE

Queen Bee closes summer tour in Barcelona

The Pop Source

August 20th

_The music industry's international It girl is closing her monumental summer tour of Europe this Saturday at Barcelona's famed_ Palau Sant Jordi _. Since June, the stunning and mysterious Queen Bee – whose real name and identity have not yet been disclosed – has intoxicated fans in each sold out arena with her voice as well as her signature jaw-dropping outfits. Her standout performance is no doubt the blockbuster single "Tell The World," during which she sports a fine veil of beads and a stunning feather and pearl dress designed by Balenciaga._

_Queen Bee, always traveling with members of her entourage and makeup team, has been spotted at all of Europe's hottest shopping destinations in the past three months, including Milan's_ Via della Spiga _and Paris's_ Avenue Montaigne _. Recently, however, the megastar's team has been forced to up her security due to the legions of fans who mob her upon sight, many of them desperate to uncover her true identity. Despite the drama, Bee is undeterred. "I love my fans and have nothing but gratitude for them. They give me my strength and without them, Queen Bee could never exist."_
"Sweetheart, you were _so_ perfect last night," Emily pulled her daughter close to plant a big kiss on the top of her head. Gemma instinctively rolled her eyes the way she always had as a child. It was a reflex despite the fact that she enjoyed the affection. She didn't get to see her parents often. "Tell her Malcolm! We were just saying throughout the entire show how perfect it was, weren't we?"

"Yes, you were fantastic, Gemma," her father said.

Gemma took a break from her chocolate dipped churro to rub her sore ankle. "Well, aside from me tripping on my heels backstage and falling on my face, I guess it was."

"If nobody saw, it doesn't count," Malcolm said.

Gemma laughed as they got up from their chairs to head to their next destination. It had been ages since she had spent quality time with her parents, and months since they had even seen her out of costume. They had decided to catch her final show in Barcelona and take her shopping and sightseeing in a city they knew well from visits to friends in Spain. They were reunited for the first time since flying into London together – Gemma so she could begin work on her tour and her parents so that they could move in with Gemma's ailing grandmother in her Kensington and Chelsea flat. Their hope was to bring her home to live with them in their Upper East Side townhouse by the time of Gavin's high school graduation. Grandma Audrey however, was very much attached to the home that she had lived in with Gemma's grandfather before he passed.

"So," Malcolm changed the subject to something that he was much more interested in. "Are you excited to go to school with Gavin?"

After only half a year at The Browning School, a private all boys academy, Gavin had gotten himself expelled for pulling an elaborate prank on a teacher who had humiliated his friend. Gavin never revealed the details of the prank to his parents, but they knew that following his expulsion, the school posted a large bulletin reminding students that exotic animals brought onto school grounds was not just a breach of their conduct code but a violation of New York State Law. Since other schools refused to take Gavin after what became known in the Upper East Side as "Capybara-gate," he chose to live with their Aunt Mira in Beauford, New Jersey and attend Beauford High School. Mira had plenty of room and had recently remodeled her house, which previously belonged to Gemma's grandparents on her father's side. The small, affluent town was known for its exceptional education system and athletics – something that was important to Gavin as an outstanding shooting guard. The change proved to be what he needed to refrain from disruptive mischief, although everyone knew that that side of him would never be completely gone.

"Of course I'm excited," Gemma replied. "We haven't hung out in forever."

The concept of hanging out had become foreign to her – not just in the past few months, but the past few years. Around the time of Gavin's second year at Beauford, Gemma's career took off. After organizing an intricate performance complete with original song, dance and costume for her parents' charity event, a friend of Mira's took notice and shortly after, cultivated Gemma's talent into the creation of Queen Bee. Queen Bee quickly found a devoted following in Europe, Asia and Australia while the United States had shown very little interest until her most recent tour. Emily was continually impressed and pleased with her daughter's burgeoning career while Malcolm, who had not been born into his fortune, wished for his daughter to live a more conventional teenaged life.

And now that the tour was over, she could. Gemma finally had a chance to breathe and remember life outside of her disguise. She rarely got to actually see the cities that she toured in because most of her time was put towards rehearsal. When she did get to make the occasional public appearance, her publicity team pushed for her to appear as Queen Bee. They reasoned that with fashion houses like Jean Paul Gaultier and Issey Miyake frequently sending her free clothing, she had to wear them _some_ where to show her gratitude. Gemma couldn't say those outings weren't enjoyable, but with her five-inch heels and protective security team, she could never go very far.

Now in her leggings, silk-blend T-shirt and linen Prada sneakers, she felt prepared to comfortably explore the city. All she had to do was fight the occasional feeling that she was naked or exposed somehow. Without the weight of headpieces and beaded fabrics, she constantly felt as if she were missing something, the way people feel when they leave behind a wallet or cell phone.

_Enjoy Barcelona,_ she told herself. _You're not in school yet._

At the _Mercat de la Boqueria_ , freshly squeezed juices of every combination were laid out in a patchwork of multi-colored cups stuck with multi-colored straws. The open market boasted bright splashes of reds, pinks, oranges, greens, purples – every color was represented in some form, whether in flowers or exotic fruits or candies. Gemma marveled as she sipped on a fresh cup of kiwi, strawberry and coconut juice.

Later that night, they wandered through the city's narrow roads and alleys before settling on a cozy bar where they stood elbow to elbow with strangers. They paired glasses and flutes of _xampenet_ and _cava_ with cheeses, olives, tomato-garlic toast, smoked fishes, _jamon_ , and _chorizo_.

Music floated in from the streets. The golden hue of the antique space coupled with the buzz she felt from downing too much carbonated alcohol made her wish she weren't with her parents, but perhaps a boyfriend. As the private Queen Bee, there was never a chance to even entertain the thought of a relationship. But as Gemma, it could happen for her soon. It would be her first, and sixteen was the perfect age for that, wasn't it?

Suddenly, she couldn't wait for Beauford.

~

Gemma was thankful that Mira's friends arranged for a private jet to take her back to New Jersey. For some reason, she felt less alone when completely alone.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor with all her luggage open, she sifted through the souvenirs that she had bought for Gavin and Mira. For Gavin, she bought a miniature replica of the mosaic lizard in _Parc Güell_ – and about fifteen sticks of chorizo. Despite being so tall already, he constantly claimed that he was "a growing boy" and needed as much food as possible. "Don't worry, Mom," he always said. "My metabolism is a beast." And it was true. He never lost his lean muscles no matter how much junk he inhaled.

For Mira, Gemma bought a print of their favorite painting from the Dali museum, _Museo Picasso_ and the _Fundació Joan Miró_ – even though Mira probably had friends who could buy her the real things.

The final minutes of the flight felt the longest. Her feet tapped in her jelly flip-flops, anticipating the feeling of the jet touching ground. To pass the time, she scrolled through her digital camera and smiled at her pictures of Penelope and Armand. They were her best friends while touring, the only ones her family trusted to keep a secret. All the other friends Gemma made didn't truly belong to her. They belonged to Queen Bee.

Before she could wallow in the sorrow of missing Penelope and Armand, she felt the slightly bumpy landing of the jet onto the strip. The moment that she had imagined for so long had finally arrived. Before then, it had always felt like a faraway dream. Or nightmare. But now there was no turning back. It was time to abandon Queen Bee for now and become Gemma Hunter once again.

# Chapter 2

Gemma woke up when she heard the car door slam. Gavin was already walking towards the house with the bags and Mira was waiting beside her town car.

"Gemma, I hope you remember that here," Mira tapped her braided Miu Miu sandals against the dirt. "You open your own doors."

"Ha-ha, Aunt Mira." Gemma grunted as she pushed the door open and swung her bare legs out of the car. The sun was shining hard but before Gemma could even raise a hand to shield her eyes, Mira handed her a pair of oversized Chanel sunglasses.

"You have a week to get over your jet lag, honey. Public school doesn't exactly start whenever you feel like it," she said as she adjusted the dip-dyed silk scarf on her wide-brimmed straw hat. Along with it, she wore a crisp linen halter top tucked into a pair of navy sailor shorts. Standing just a little under six feet, tanned from outdoor tennis and toned from Pilates, she easily looked a decade-and-a-half younger than her forty-five years. Gemma stared at her, suddenly very aware of how pale and without makeup she was.

"I think I could use a tan, Aunt Mira," Gemma said as she walked with her towards the house. "I don't know how I didn't get one at all this summer."

"Well it's not easy when you're under all that makeup and costuming, is it?" Mira laughed. "Don't worry, honey – you'll catch up this weekend. I'll make sure of it."

Gemma smiled. She was grateful to have this time to settle into her new life before school started. Mira's lake house was just two hours away from her actual house in the quiet, upper-middle class town of Beauford, New Jersey. The Beauford house was the childhood home of her father, Mira's older brother. Since movers were still unpacking and setting up Gemma and Gavin's rooms, Mira decided it would be more relaxing to wait it out in one of her four vacation homes. Her Ibiza holiday villa was out of the question because they had just exhausted Europe – not to mention that Mira had been renting it out to an unnamed celebrity couple every fall for the past three years anyway. If it were up to Gemma, she would've picked the Sonoma cottage, but Mira reasoned that the Wine Country was swarmed with unsavory tourists during this time of year.

"They don't know they're not supposed to actually _swallow_ all the wine during tastings," Mira rolled her eyes. "Plus, it's not like you two are even legal to drink," she added with a wink.

"Well, why couldn't we have hung out in your loft? I miss Manhattan," Gemma said as she trudged up the steps of the front porch into the cozy wood cabin. Mira sighed dramatically, tossing her ostrich Birkin onto a varnished rocking chair.

"Do you not remember what Manhattan summers _feel_ like? There's a reason why everyone's in the Hamptons," she shook her wavy blond hair loose from the hat. Gavin emerged from the kitchen, a bottle of Gatorade in hand.

"Why _aren't_ we in the Hamptons?" he asked.

"You two! Why can't you be happy spending some time here? I am proud of this place – I built it with my own two hands!" she exclaimed, holding up two perfectly French-manicured hands. Her glistening bangles slid down her skinny wrists.

"No you didn't," Gavin laughed.

"Yes I did, young man," she retorted as she struggled to wrap her arms around his neck and ruffle his hair.

Only then did Gemma realize how much Gavin had grown since she was last home; he looked nearly six-foot-four. Only a year apart, she had always loved being mistaken for twins when they were growing up. As they got older though, their once identical shade of straight, blonde hair darkened – Gavin to a dirty blonde and Gemma to a light brown. Her hair also grew out into waves worthy of Malibu while Gavin's hair remained straight as a stick. And at five-foot-six, Gemma's height was fairly average so there was little left shared between the two.

"Before you two go knocking my pride and joy, why don't you follow me out back and take a look at the view," Mira said, waving them over to the French doors leading to the backyard. "When I was house-hunting with that ex-husband of mine, we _did_ choose this land for a very specific reason..." She threw the doors open theatrically.

Gemma stepped out, her jaw dropping in awe. A stone pathway led to a vast, glistening lake lined with shining rocks and a small stretch of silver sand. The sun hopped over the soft ripples of the deep blue water. Reflections of the emerald leaves on the tall, skinny trees made the lake look like some kind of shimmering, liquid silk.

"Oh man," Gavin murmured as he ran out towards the lake, immediately whipping his T-shirt off and jumping in.

"I've been trying to get your brother to see this place for ages but he always has something better to do," Mira smirked. "I told you this place was awesome!" she yelled out to him. She turned to Gemma with a playful smile. "Watch out for him. This lake has a reputation for causing trouble."

~

In the morning, Mira's friend dropped by to pick her up for a private luncheon that they had both organized for a friend at The Guggenheim. He was fairly recognizable to even Gemma, despite not watching a lot of television or reading many gossip magazines. Hudson Gunn was the head chef at the trendy and highly exclusive West Village restaurant, Lilac, and often a guest judge on various cooking competitions on TV. He was handsome with his deep tan and prominent chin. Armand was fond of referring to older men like Hudson as "silver foxes."

To make up for leaving them behind for the afternoon, Mira had Hudson arrive early to prepare them a lavish breakfast of truffled egg toast, buttery home fries, grilled chicken apple sausage and Belgian waffles topped with fresh strawberries and crème-fraiche. Gemma and Gavin ambled downstairs just in time to see her helping Hudson top a flute of fresh-squeezed orange juice with champagne.

"I am so sorry, my loves," Mira said. "I'll be back as soon as the luncheon is over and I promise it'll be fast."

"Don't get yourself so worked up, Mira," Hudson squeezed her shoulder. "They're teenagers. I'm sure they're happier without their aunt in the way." Mira slapped him on the back playfully and he retorted by flicking a glob of crème-fraiche at her. She yelped, jumping back in panic as she checked her saffron DVF wrap dress for stains.

"You, Hudson, don't understand. Just because your kid doesn't think you're cool doesn't mean my niece and nephew don't think _I_ am. Correct?" Mira arched her eyebrow threateningly. Gemma and Gavin nodded in agreement.

"You guys really didn't have to go through all this trouble," Gavin said as he eyed the feast spread across the kitchen island. "I was just going to have Cinnamon Toast Crunch."

"Oh, please," Mira said with genuine disgust. "Cereal is not by any means a sufficient breakfast for my perfect darlings, so eat up. And wait two hours if you're going to go swimming." Hudson gazed at her, shaking his head and chuckling. Mira crosses her arms, "What now?"

"Nothing. I like hearing you talk like a mom. It's funny. And cute," he said, making Mira snort in response. Gemma smiled. It was sweet that Hudson obviously had a crush on Mira, and funny that Mira seemed to have no clue whatsoever.

After saying goodbye to them and finishing as much as they could of their sumptuous meal, Gavin collapsed in a food coma on the couch while Gemma paced around in hopes of feeling less bloated. Without her nightly dance practices, she could already feel her body growing sluggish. Her choreographer often ran their vigorous sessions for three consecutive hours, keeping every inch of her figure outrageously toned. _First step of being normal,_ Gemma thought to herself sarcastically. _Losing Queen Bee's physique._ She wandered out the front door and gazed down the long road, perfect for a run. Unfortunately, running was not an option because of the sore ankle she was still suffering from, courtesy of Manolo Blahnik.

She wandered onto the back porch, the breeze blowing the soft knit cloth of her dress against her legs. She kicked off her sandals and walked barefoot to the plush green hammock hanging between two skinny trees. She crawled into it, luxuriating in the way it enveloped her, hiding her and lulling her into a light sleep. With her eyes closed, Gemma could see the stage clearly, practically feeling the weight of the pearls on her body. The smell of the breakfast that was delivered to her hotel suite every morning wafted through her nose, making her badly miss _Le Meurice_ and their lovely arrangements of fresh fruit and croissants. She could vividly see the _Champs-Élysées_ , the Cartier store that closed for two hours so she could shop for relatives privately, the gorgeous Parisian heir who had pulled all his connections just to get to her security team and ask for a chance to speak to her. He couldn't muster up any words when he did get the chance, so Gemma smiled gently and kissed his cheek before being rushed away from the gathering paparazzi.

When she opened her eyes, the feeling of Queen Bee quickly disappeared. It felt as if a formidable energy had been sucked out of her body. She worried now. She hoped that her parents were okay, that her grandmother was feeling better. She wondered why Gavin didn't seem worried about college applications at all. But most of all, she wondered if she would fit into public school when all she had ever known was private and home schooling. Movies painted a fairly vicious picture of high school, and Penelope seemed to have confirmed that portrayal. Entering as a junior just had to add to the difficulty of it all.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a loud splash. She was glad to be snapped out of her melancholy trance – until she heard a tiny yelp of distress. She sprang up in the hammock and squinted. Far off towards the back of the lake, a black and white object struggled to stay above the water. Gemma tumbled out of the hammock, ignoring the sharp pang in her ankle as she ran towards the water. The small object started barking.

"Oh my God!" Gemma swam towards what she could see was a puppy, eyes wide and stricken with fear. She tried to rush to it but the material of her long dress clung to her legs, slowing her and forcing her pained ankle to work even harder. When she finally got close enough, she treaded slowly so not to scare what she saw was a little Border Collie puppy. Its collar had caught onto the boat dock at the edge of the water. To her surprise, the puppy reached towards her and swam straight into her arms, burying his head under her chin. She pet his matted fur, soothing him as she untangled the stray rope from his collar.

"Who do you belong to, little guy?" Gemma cooed. Just as she turned the silver tag on his collar to read it, she felt a sharp shooting pain in her ankle. " _Ouch!_ " She clutched the startled dog tightly, trying to swim towards the sand despite how much it hurt to. "It's okay, pup. Everything's okay," she whispered, though she was more so trying to comfort herself. With the puppy in one arm and her ankle relentlessly throbbing, she felt herself getting slower and sinking deeper in the water. "Gavin!" she yelled as loudly as she could, despite knowing what a notoriously deep sleeper her brother was.

Her energy was completely zapped by the time she was just a few yards from the lakeside. _Really, Gemma?_ she thought to herself incredulously. Just when her mind began to picture the worst-case scenario, a strong arm reached around her.

"Oh, thank _God_ ," Gemma panted as she let herself get pulled from the water. In an impressively short amount of time, she was back on the ground of silvery sand and pebbles. "Gavin," she coughed, letting him pull her to her feet. "I didn't even see you jump in."

To her surprise, the boy standing in front of her wasn't her brother. _Definitely not._ The puppy happily ran in circles around his ankles. The boy bent over to pick it up.

"I'm Lucas," he said, offering his free hand to shake. Gemma swallowed in embarrassment but extended her hand anyway. She didn't say anything in response as she looked Lucas over. He smoothed back a mess of his dark, wavy hair and wiped his hands over his face to get the water out of his eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked, his strong jaw clenched slightly as he gazed at her with brows knit in concern. Water dripped from his wide shoulders and from the hem of his "Beauford Warriors" T-shirt. She averted her eyes skyward in an effort not to stare, but he was almost as tall as Gavin. This meant looking instead into his warm, hazel eyes. Gemma blushed immediately, realizing how long it had been since she had last uttered a word.

"Oh! Fine. I'm fine," she managed lamely while gathering herself. "I'm sorry, I'm just... recovering. I'm Gemma."

"Gemma, right. Mira told me Gavin and his sister would be here," he said, furrowing his brows some more as he recalled. "I'm helping her remodel the back porch so I came in today to take measurements."

"Oh yeah? Cool," Gemma said, slowly regaining her regular speaking voice. She still felt nervous and self-conscious about how insane she probably looked. For the past few days, she had fantasized about her first day at Beauford and the impression she would make on the kids there. In her head, she exuded sophistication and an effortless cool. Now, in her true first impression with a fellow Beauford high schooler, she felt absolutely ridiculous. It didn't help that he was hot.

"So," Lucas smiled to lighten the mood. "Did you save Leo or did Leo save you?" He scruffed the happy puppy's head.

Gemma laughed. "He was stuck to something so I jumped in to help. It's just that I hurt my ankle last week, so I couldn't swim as well."

"Oh. Wow, thank you for doing that," Lucas said, lightly brushing flecks of duckweed off Gemma's shoulder. She hoped that he didn't feel her goosebumps. "I could tape up your ankle if you want. I got pretty good at it after spraining mine last season," he offered. He was so sweet. Gemma wondered who he was at Beauford High. _Definitely popular. Definitely athletic – I mean obviously. Definitely... not single. Or maybe single? Please, let him be single._

Again, Gemma realized that she had gone far too long without speaking. "Oh! My ankle. No, it's okay," she looked down at her wretched ankle, realizing that she was standing crookedly from putting all the pressure on one foot. _Way to look more ridiculous. What is wrong with you?_

Nerves. She chalked it up to that. It wasn't often that she interacted with boys and when she did, she always had on some elaborate designer costume – the around-the-clock Queen Bee disguise. She liked the unusual colored contacts. She felt girly and otherworldly with those lavender eyes. Not that she disliked her own emerald eyes – it was one of the last physical traits she shared with Gavin. But with the lavender eyes, costumes and make-up, she possessed an unmatched confidence. She was Queen. She had everyone at her beck and call.

But here, in her soaking wet dress, matted brown hair and duckweed-covered skin, Gemma didn't feel like she could carry a conversation for much longer. Not with a guy like Lucas. She was out of her league – a feeling that had been entirely unfamiliar to her all summer.

"I better go," she murmured, almost to herself.

"I'll walk you," Lucas quickly said. "Since your ankle hurts. I mean it's the least I can do since you saved Leo. I owe you."

"No, no. I owe _you_ , really."

He only smiled in response, planted before her as if to say that he wouldn't be taking no for an answer. "I'll walk you," he said again.

Rather than have him watch her limp away pathetically, she let him. He offered his arm for her to link hers in as if he were escorting her somewhere. Through a crowded ballroom, perhaps.

But once she was back in the house, in the quiet of her room, all she felt was an unfamiliar and swelling insecurity.

~

The remainder of the stay at the lake house involved Gemma dancing around her desire to pry and ask Gavin details about Lucas. Lucas had left before Gavin woke up and Gemma refrained from divulging details of her little mishap – she knew Gavin would never let her live it down.

In her room at night, she lay in bed daydreaming of their next encounter and how she would wow him. It would be her second chance. _She walked down the hall in her favorite red sweater – one that cut about two inches lower than it should and hugged every curve and dip of her body. It was a soft cashmere that no one could resist running their hands over. Her jeans hugged at her hips and highlighted her tiny waist. Her hair would be blown out, flowing behind her. Her heels clicked confidently along the floor. Girls would look at her with envy as their boyfriends' heads turned and jaws dropped. Lucas would be the last to notice, turning to see what all the fuss was about. She'd walk past him and he'd be unable to resist following her when she had stopped all else dead in their tracks._

" _Have we met before?"_

" _I'm not sure, have we?" she would tease, smiling coyly with her full, glossed lips._

" _I could've sworn..."_

Gemma sighed, burying her face in the pillow. She couldn't complete her fantasy without thinking of what she actually looked like the day Lucas pulled her out of the lake. In her mind, she had been somewhat of a sea monster. _Maybe I should just hope I don't see him again._

# Chapter 3

"We will stand here until you figure it out," Mira said, arms crossed. Gemma struggled to get the key to turn. They were outside of Mira's Beauford home and Gemma was dying to just get inside and settle into her new space before the first day of school, which was in less than twenty-four hours.

"Please just do it for me this once? I'm exhausted," Gemma begged, collapsing against the door. Gavin sighed and picked up his bags from the walkway.

"I'm going in through the back," he said as he grabbed Gemma and Mira's bags. "I'll take these in for you as a welcome home gesture." He smiled and waved sarcastically as he marched off to the backyard. Gemma groaned.

"There will be days when Gavin and I won't be here, and there's no front desk or bodyguard to let you in if you forget your room key. I spent forever remodeling this house so you could live happily in it and now you want me to open the door for you? I will not!" Mira said indignantly. "That being said, hurry the hell up because I am ex _haust_ ed and I need to pee!"

Gemma laughed and gave the key another try. The door opened. "Thank God!" she cried. Gavin stood at the other side of the door, his hand on the knob. Both Gemma and Mira frowned.

"I couldn't listen to her whine anymore," Gavin said as Mira shook her finger at him.

"She won't learn if you keep helping her!"

Gavin laughed. "I was helping _you_! You would've been out here forever."

"Have some faith in your sister! But thank you," Mira sighed, heading for the stairs. "Before I use the restroom, let me show you your room, Gemma."

It was nice to know that Mira had all the unpacking and setting up taken care of so she wouldn't have to worry about living in a mess before classes started, but at the same time, Gemma was disappointed that she didn't get the chance to personalize the space on her own.

"I am so excited for you to see how I designed it," Mira gushed as she took Gemma's hand and led her up the winding staircase to the top floor. They made their way down the hall where Gavin had already faceplanted on his bed, an open bag of Doritos sitting next to him and music blasting from his Macbook.

Mira led Gemma to a heavy cherry wood door with intricate carvings of lilies and leaves trimming the corners. The doorknob was an antiqued brass handle shaped like an "S." Mira signaled for Gemma to open the door and she did so without hesitation.

It swung open, and inside was a room that rivaled every luxury hotel suite she had ever stayed in. The ceilings were high and sloped with skylights that let in a sea of sunshine. A large picture window sat opposite the side of the door with a luxurious cream-colored, silk-lined chaise lounge beneath it. Her four-post bed was draped with a sheer, rose-colored canopy. Plush, matching cushions sat on the king-sized mattress. Sheets of ivory Egyptian cotton hugged the bed and were completed with a darker rose quilt, knitted with fine threads of the softest cashmere.

Her desk was made of the same cherry wood as the door with matching carvings winding up the legs. A vanity and a full-length mirror stood against one wall, but it all paled in comparison to what Gemma quickly decided was the best feature of the room by far – an antique dress form placed in the corner near her walk-in closet. Her feather and pearl Balenciaga dress was wrapped around it, standing tall and as beautiful as she had remembered.

"This isn't just another hotel or dressing room, Gemma," Mira said as she looked at Gemma's awed expression. "This is _your_ room. You don't have to check out of it. This is where you're going to have sleepovers and get ready for dances and make amazing memories for yourself." Gemma turned and hugged Mira, who nodded towards the dress form. "That doesn't mean I want you to completely forget about Queen Bee. I just want you to enjoy Gemma."

Gemma sniffled, overwhelmed. She turned away from Mira and noticed something moving outside the window.

"Oh," Gemma said. "I can see right into our neighbor's!"

"Well," Mira smirked. "That's suburbia for you. Reminds me, I still have to call and see if they've finished the curtains for this window. Until then, enjoy the view – that Lucas is a cutie. He's helping me redo my porch at the lake house."

Gemma gasped. _What?_ She crept over to the window slowly and peered out to see Lucas sitting on his bed, reading a book with Leo curled in his lap. _How could he leave out the fact that they were neighbors?_

"What's wrong, honey?" Mira asked.

"Nothing," Gemma said quickly. "Just a little cold, I think."

"Oh, well grab a sweatshirt! All your clothes should be hung up in the closet. I'll let you get settled in," Mira said as she kissed Gemma on the forehead and left. Gemma exhaled, closing the door gently. This room was no doubt better than all the hotels she had ever stayed in because it was _hers_ and hers _only_. It was a teenaged girl's dream room in every way – complete with her very own boy next door.

~

"I really only hang out with the team, and I'm not introducing you to them," Gavin said as he pulled his dark blue BMW coupe into the Beauford High parking lot. "If they said anything to or about you, I'd kill them."

Gemma smiled as she slicked on peach-tinted lip gloss in the passenger seat. Gavin was generally more the type of older brother to give her noogies than be protective. It was nice to see him acting sweet, if only for a moment.

"Like what? What would they say?"

Gavin wrinkled his nose as he searched for a parking space. "I don't know. Like if you're...hot or something. God, I don't know. Gross."

Gemma threw her head back and laughed at his discomfort. "Don't you have any female friends then? Cheerleaders? I just need someone to guide me around my first day."

"You don't need that, Gemma. Stop freaking out."

"I'm not freaking out!" she insisted, spinning her bracelet rapidly around her wrist, over and over.

"Then what the hell are you doing _that_ for?"

Gemma stopped playing with the bracelet. "I'm just not you. I don't play a sport. I can't fit in immediately." She quietly took in a deep breath and released it as silently as she could so Gavin wouldn't make fun. "I mean, I've never been to a real school and been around... _real_ high schoolers."

"Stop acting like you're a caveman or something."

Gemma squinted at her brother. "Are you calling me a caveman to add to my current insecurity?" she joked.

"Shut up. You'll be fine."

She sighed and crossed her arms. "I think you're just too lazy to introduce me."

"Kind of. But I'm also being honest when I say that I just hang with the guys on the team."

"How about Lucas?"

Gavin turned smoothly into a tight space and creased his forehead as he adjusted his parking job. "How do you know Lucas?"

"Oh," Gemma swallowed. His name had been on the tip of her tongue all weekend. She hadn't realized just how desperate she was to say it aloud. "I met him at the lake house when he was helping Aunt Mira measure her porch. He said he knew you."

"Yeah, he's on the team too."

" _Really?_ " Gemma brightened, sounding much more excited than she meant to. Gavin shot her a quizzical look. "I mean... I guessed that he might be. It looks like he'd play basketball. That's all. He's tall."

Gemma quickly turned her face to the window so Gavin wouldn't see her blush. She brushed her fingers through her hair, which she had blown out straight the way Armand taught her. It wasn't perfect, but it was close enough.

The hours spent mulling over a first day outfit came down to the decision of simplicity combined with good accessories. She didn't want to appear as if she were flaunting – she couldn't think of a quicker way to get on girls' bad sides. On top, she wore a vintage camel-colored leather jacket over an ivory silk T-shirt. The neckline dipped just low enough to show some pushed-up cleavage. _As much as I can get from a small B cup,_ Gemma thought with a shrug. Paired with her fitted jeans were suede, slightly over-the-knee boots. She had wondered if they would be too sexy for the first day, but determined that the rest of her outfit was tame enough for it to be permissible. She still didn't quite look the way she had imagined, but she felt just about as confident as she could.

Gemma exited the car, swinging her tote bag over her shoulder. "Alright, well... I guess I'm going in." She looked at Gavin expectantly for moral support. He heaved a sigh, running his hands through his dirty blonde hair with exasperation.

"I'm not worried about you. You're going to be fine."

She smiled, knowing he was exhausting his kindness on her. " _You_ can say that because you jumped into a new school halfway through the year and still ended up popular."

"Can't help it," Gavin smirked, pulling her close to put her in a headlock.

"Gavin, my hair! Please don't."

"Relax, I'm not giving you a noogie," he laughed. His smile then faded slightly as his twinkling eyes gave Gemma a rare serious look. "If anyone knows what popular is, it's Queen Bee. It's not like she disappeared into thin air," he reasoned. He grinned again. "Just because she can't be Queen here doesn't mean she can't bring her swagga."

Gemma snorted as they neared the school's front entrance. "Did you just say 'swagga?'"

"Yeah," Gavin pretended to kick her in the butt. "Now get away from me and go make some friends."

~

Gavin's words carried her confidently through the first half of the school day. Along the way, she had friendly exchanges with some classmates and noticed she was even being looked at – _checked out_ , really – by more than a couple of boys in the hall. Under normal circumstances, she would be thrilled, but none of these boys were Lucas. He was M.I.A. for the first five periods. She stayed on alert though, prepared to see him at any turn.

She prayed he would be in her lunch period. Gavin wasn't, and Gemma could just see herself having to wander the perimeter of the cafeteria over and over as she searched for an inviting table. When her lunch period finally arrived, she was disappointed but no longer surprised to see that Lucas was nowhere in sight. She gazed at the sea of students, beginning to panic. She was suddenly aware of how long she had been standing around just looking out at the cafeteria. Several pairs of eyes began watching her. _Oh God, please help a girl out here._

"Love your bag," a voice suddenly said. Gemma turned to see a girl smiling at her, though she was not so much a girl as a bombshell. Gemma was floored. "Stella McCartney Falabella? I have it in the pale blue."

"Oh! Yeah. Thanks!" Gemma said, admiring the girl's radiant blonde hair. It was waist-length, stick straight and glossy. Gemma felt suddenly insecure over her less-than-perfect blowout.

The blonde side-eyed the kids who stared at them from nearby tables. "Need a place to sit?" she nodded towards a table and began strutting away in her python-embossed sandals. Gemma followed without hesitation. She tried desperately to keep her cool as they approached the row of tables against the wall by the cafeteria exit. They stood far apart from the rest of the tables in the room and were occupied by raucous jocks and pretty girls flipping through WWD magazines.

"I'm Madison," the blonde said loudly over the tables of screaming boys in their letterman jackets. "Welcome to Jock Row – that's what they call us in the cafeteria." She rolled her eyes at the nickname and led Gemma up to the first table, occupied by three of the most flawless-looking girls Gemma had ever seen despite having been at various fashion weeks all over the world. "This is Jillian, Leah, and Kate."

Jillian had similar hair as Gemma, light brown and wavy. Somehow it looked fantastic on her rather than a little boring like it did on Gemma. Leah had Madison's stick-straight and glossy hair in black, styled sharply and falling at a chic angle at her collarbone. Kate's hair was a strawberry blonde and framed her heart-shaped face in large, bouncy curls. The three were huddled over a plate of sushi in the middle of the table. They were all gorgeous but paled in comparison to Madison's radiating beauty.

"I'm Gemma," she replied, feeling at once nervous and excited. The girls smiled, glancing at the empty seat at the end of the table. Gemma hesitated.

"Were you on your way somewhere or can you grace us with your presence for a second?" Madison laughed. Gemma laughed back, though nervously, and slid into the seat. "Did you just move here?"

"Oh yeah. From Manhattan. I wanted to go to school with my brother – he's a senior here," Gemma replied, hoping that the name-dropping would be beneficial.

"Oh! Me and Jillian are seniors," Madison said, her crystal blue eyes gleaming. "Who's your brother?"

"Gavin Hunter."

"Oh, _Gavin_!" The girls all burst into giggles.

"We love him," Madison said. "Some more than others." She eyed Leah, who blushed.

"Don't say anything?" Leah said, turning to Gemma. Her intimidating supermodel looks softened as she pleaded with big brown eyes. Gemma laughed, feeling more at ease.

"I won't say anything," she reassured.

"I mean, at some point," Leah's plump lips turned up into a smile. "I might _want_ you to say something. But I just need to be ready for that day – whenever it may come."

"The day her tatas grow in," Jillian quipped, nibbling a chocolate chip cookie.

"Ex _cuse_ me, not everyone can be like you. Eating cookies and putting all the weight on in your boobs," Leah retorted. The girls laughed and Gemma joined tentatively. Leah's hand suddenly flew to her mouth. "Which reminds me, how _rude_ of us – Gemma, help yourself to the sashimi! We do this every first day of school but we're usually out for lunch otherwise." Gemma looked down at the colorful wheel of sushi, remembering the tour she did in Asia last year and the private _omakase_ meal she had in Tokyo with a group of girl fans who insisted on taking her out. She remembered how fresh the fish was and how perfectly melded all the flavors were, but how little she ate because of the elaborate headpiece she wore that day. It had been the last time she got to hang out with girls her own age and feel like a part of a group.

"Thanks. I'm so glad I caught you guys on your one day in the cafeteria," Gemma said. She reached for a piece of the tuna and put it on a napkin in front of her to be polite. Her stomach was lurching with both nerves and excitement, so she couldn't imagine eating. She watched the girls eat. Jillian and Kate popped the pieces like popcorn. Leah and Madison picked off just the fish to eat, leaving little mounds of rice all over the platter.

"Gavin's usually too busy pranking the locker room and checking out _every_ girl in the school except Leah," Madison said, eyeing Leah playfully before returning her gaze to Gemma. "So if you ever need a tour guide, you're totally welcome to come with us to our spots. I have an extra seat in my car."

Gemma could hardly believe her luck. She smiled broadly. "Of course. I'd love to."

~

"I _can't_ walk home!" Gemma hissed through her teeth as she stood outside the driver's door of Gavin's BMW. Students poured out of the school at the final bell and headed towards the parking lot full of Mercedes SUVs and other BMWs. "I barely know my way yet! Might I remind you that _I've_ only been in Beauford for two days, you jerk!" Gemma pulled desperately at the handles of the car doors, which Gavin kept locked.

"You don't understand. Kylie has shot me down for a solid year and today she finally wants to do something. If you saw her, you would understand that she's not someone that you can turn down."

"Ugh, Gavin – you're so gross sometimes."

"I'm not gross, I'm a _guy_. There's a difference, kind of," Gavin said. "Do you know how much shit I'd get for passing up an opportunity like this? No one says 'no' to Kylie Savino. Plus, there are only like, a handful of guys who can say they've hooked up with her post-implants."

"And you just proved your incredible grossness," Gemma rolled her eyes.

"Who's being gross?"

Gemma and Gavin turned to see Madison swinging her lambskin tote over her shoulder. She walked towards them with a smirk.

"If it's Gavin, then I'm not surprised. He's just a gross guy in general."

"Hah, Madison," Gavin sneered. "Stop pretending like you didn't think the capybara was cute." She narrowed her eyes at him till he put his hands up in the air. "Alright, I'm really sorry that it pooped in your backpack. Not that I didn't say that already."

"It wasn't just a backpack, Gavin. It was an Alexander Wang Marti."

"Okay?" Gavin looked at her strangely as if she had begun speaking a different language.

Gemma stared at Gavin in disbelief. "Why and how do you keep getting your hands on those things?" she asked. Gavin laughed.

"So sue me, I think those big rats are cool. Have you ever seen them swim? I'm going to raise ten when I have my own place and throw them all into a pool together."

Madison cooed. "Well that's almost kind of endearing, only not really. Anyway, want a ride Gemma?"

"She does," Gavin said, grinning ear to ear. "Can't take her 'cause I have a date with Kylie Savino."

"Cute. Guess she's starting her slut campaign early this year."

"She's not a slut, she's just more inclined to take her clothes off than other girls," Gavin said as he started his car. He yelled before pulling out of his spot and zooming out of the lot. "Don't be jealous, Maddie!"

"Uck, I hate when he calls me that," Madison said to Gemma as they walked to her car.

"Yeah, sorry about him. And I'm sorry to bother you for the ride," Gemma said, quickly overanalyzing her words. _Shut up, you're being too polite. Just be normal._

"It's totally not a bother, I know someone who lives near you. I was on my way there anyway."

"Thanks so much. I would've totally gotten lost walking back."

"Don't even. I can't be _lieve_ Gavin would make you walk back in Jimmy Choos," Madison winked at Gemma. "Been dying to buy those."

Gemma smiled proudly as she opened the car door to Madison's silver Range Rover. She reveled in the stares of her classmates as they no doubt wondered who the new girl hanging out with Madison was.

"I like your car," Gemma said as she buckled her seatbelt.

Madison shrugged. "I'm cool with it," she said breezily as she drove towards the main street. "It wasn't my number one choice and it totally doesn't match who I am, but my boyfriend helped me choose and he was super into it. Poor thing, I don't think he has anything to drive when he gets his license." She swiftly removed a pair of oversized sunglasses from a compartment and put them on without taking her eyes off the road. "I'll just use it for now and give it to my little brother once I go to college. I won't need a car in New York anyway."

Madison did most of the talking during their brief ride home, but Gemma didn't mind. It gave her a chance to fully examine Madison for flaws like a crooked tooth or stubby fingernails. As far as she could see, there were none. Madison went on about the various school events that she chaired and all the college dance programs and ballet companies that were personally courting her. Gemma would have hated her if it weren't for the fact that Madison seemed to love her company.

Once they pulled up to Gemma's house and parked, Madison immediately began texting on her iPhone.

"Sorry I'm being totally rude, I just need to check something," Madison said. "I'll see you tomorrow though."

Gemma smiled, leaning into Madison's glossy pout so Madison could kiss her on both cheeks. She couldn't be more relieved about Madison's intent to hang out with her beyond the first day.

Feeling as if she were walking on air, Gemma strolled into the empty house, tossing everything aside and heading straight for the fridge. She poured herself a glass of coconut water and smiled peacefully. It had been an incredibly successful first day of school, despite not running into Lucas. Befriending a girl like Madison was like hitting the jackpot. Besides, she had plenty of time to run into Lucas considering he played basketball with her brother.

Lost in her thoughts, she accidentally sloshed her drink onto her shirt as she closed the fridge door. "Ugh, Gemma," she scolded herself despite the smile that still curved her lips.

She made her way up the grand flight of stairs and walked down the length of the hall. Through the circular window above the front door, she noticed that Madison's car was still parked outside. _Maybe she wants to come in and hang out,_ Gemma thought to herself. She continued to her bedroom to change into something more comfortable but still remotely cute, just in case Madison did decide to ring her doorbell. She settled on a striped sweater dress that reached her mid-thigh, pulling the neckline slightly off one shoulder.

Through her window, she could see movement in Lucas's room. Leo bounced up and down on his bed, barking excitedly. Lucas was curled on the bed around him, tossing a rubber ball. Gemma smiled as she watched Leo shoot out of the room after the ball, which bounced off the bed and out the door.

Then her smile quickly faded.

Madison walked into Lucas's open door, the rubber ball in her left hand and Leo cradled in her right arm. She leaned over and kissed him on the lips with Leo yapping happily in between them. Gemma quickly turned away, her heart sinking. _I'm an idiot._ She leaned against the wall and slowly slid down against it to the floor, her cheeks absolutely burning. Her whole face burned. _How could I not put two and two together?_

She cursed her windows for not having curtains and slipped out of her own room as discreetly as possible. She ran down the stairs and plopped down on the living room couch, trying to normalize her heartbeat as she reasoned with herself. There was no reason to be so upset. After all, she and Lucas had only spoken once. They barely knew each other. Plus, Madison was her best chance at having not just a normal life at Beauford High, but an amazing one. An enviable one. _It's not worth torturing yourself over,_ she tried to convince herself. _He's your friend's boyfriend. It's not worth it._

~

Forgetting about Lucas proved to be easy. He was usually too busy working for his dad's custom carpentry business to hang out with Madison and her friends. Madison often pouted and complained, but it was nothing Pinkberry and a mani-pedi couldn't temporarily solve. The few times he did hang out with the girls, Gemma was thankful he never brought up her near-death incident at the lake. With Gemma, he usually just made small talk about Gavin's latest troublemaking or the progress he was making on Mira's porch.

It wasn't until a night out in Manhattan that things began to change.

"Oh, I know this place," Kate gasped as she struggled to walk on the cobblestone street in her braided espadrilles. "It's opened by that guy Andrew. No Andre. He's dating that actress."

Leah rolled her eyes and bopped Kate on the head playfully. "Yeah, you totally know this place."

Along with the girls, Madison had invited Lucas to a new club in the Meatpacking District. Everyone but Gemma had fake IDs, but Jillian assured Gemma that there would be no problem getting in because she was "friendly" with the cute bouncer. With a wink in Jillian's direction, he bypassed Gemma while checking IDs.

"See, I told you. The guy loves me," Jillian smiled as they sauntered through the doors. Gemma dared to cock a curious eyebrow at Jillian, who guffawed. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Gem! He's totally just a family friend." Madison snorted.

Gemma bit her lip nervously upon setting foot in the club. It was dimly lit in amber and gold hues. An enormous circular bar served as the centerpiece of the room. Even the cocktail waitresses wore chic metallic mini dresses. Gemma hadn't thought to add nightclub attire to her wardrobe during her summer of shopping overseas. Everything she had purchased was more for high tea at The Peninsula rather than grinding with Leah in the Meatpacking District.

Prior to leaving the house, she had begged Mira to let her wear something out of her Queen Bee wardrobe for the night. While the haute couture fashions were in storage, the smaller pieces that she had worn had been placed in the attic. "Something small – like this!" Gemma grabbed the leather Valentino miniskirt that she wore to an autograph signing in Prague. "No one would recognize it! Please, please, _please_."

Mira didn't budge and Gemma ended up leaving in a sequined sweater dress. It was cute, but she didn't feel sexy in it. Especially not with Madison waltzing about in her skintight Hervé Leger bandage dress. Her bright pink lipstick matched the dress perfectly and her normally straight blonde hair had been styled to be wild and wavy. "Like sex hair," she said. "Except I haven't had sex tonight. _Yet_." The girls laughed and Gemma tried not to grimace.

She tried again not to grimace when Lucas gave Madison's butt a quick squeeze as she leaned over the bar to order drinks. Their public displays of affection were generally on the tame side and Gemma had grown accustom to those. She couldn't quite stomach the raunchier displays. She looked away as Madison trailed her finger down Lucas's chest and whispered in his ear, flirting as if they had only just met.

"Having fun yet, gorgeous?" Leah suddenly appeared, forcing a flute of champagne into Gemma's hands. "Ugh, are you still bummed about what you're wearing?"

"No, I'm not. Really, I'm not."

"Good, because see that hot-ass guy over there? He invited us to join him in the hot tub. And if you _are_ still bummed about your dress, this is the perfect opportunity to take it off."

"There's a hot tub here?"

Leah tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Of course."

"You brought a swimsuit?"

"Would a swimsuit fit in here?" Leah asked incredulously, waving her clutch in the air. "I mean, as small as my bikinis are, the answer is no. Not that it matters." Without a thought, she pulled down the neckline of her beaded mini-dress to flash Gemma the top of her intricate red lace bra.

" _Leah!_ "

"Oh relax, silly! There's no point in a bra like this if you can't show it off, right?"

Within minutes, Leah and Jillian had stolen the show at the club by hopping into the hot tub in their sexy lingerie.

Madison, Kate and Gemma watched as other club goers followed suit by joining Leah and Jillian in the tub. Madison laughed with a glance towards Gemma. "You and I are classier than that."

"And what about me?" Kate inquired.

"You know you _want_ to, Kate," Madison said as Lucas returned from the bar. He wrapped an arm around her tiny waist. "You're just not wearing cute enough underwear."

"You're flattering me. It's actually because I have the world's grossest stomach. Total flab."

" _Is not_ ," Madison and Gemma said in unison.

"Is too," Kate insisted, sighing.

It wasn't long before Gemma was compelled to excuse herself elsewhere. For over five minutes, Kate had done nothing but watch the hot tub forlornly while Madison's hands began wandering about Lucas's body again. Gemma pretended not to notice as he peered apologetically at her, trying to gently remove Madisons's hands.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," Gemma eventually announced, quickly excusing herself. She busied herself while in there, hoping that by the time she exited, Madison's PDA-fest would have ended.

It did, because upon stepping out of the bathroom, Gemma walked straight into Lucas.

"Hey," he smiled.

Gemma tucked her hair behind her ear. "Hi."

"No hot tub for you?"

"Nope. And none for you?" she countered.

"I guess it's not my type of thing," Lucas shrugged. "Not yours either, huh?"

Gemma felt his arm clearing the path for her as they wove through the throng of people. "Not tonight. It looks a little intimidating."

Lucas nodded seriously. "Wouldn't want you to drown or anything."

Gemma's eyes widened and she stared at him. It was the first time they had acknowledged the lake incident since it happened. Strangely, it made her smile. He cracked a laugh and put his hand on her back, nodding towards the booth where Madison and Kate sat. "Come on, let's go."

It was almost three thirty in the morning when the six of them left the club. Upon stepping out, they immediately heard the piercing sound of glass shattering. The girls shrieked and ducked for cover. Gemma's own instinct was to close her eyes, but she opened them quickly to find herself in Lucas's arms. They blinked at one another, both aware that he had protectively grabbed her over his own girlfriend. He let go of her as quickly as he had held her. They both turned to Madison, who didn't notice. No one had.

Like the lake incident, the glass incident went unspoken of between them. They returned to polite small talk whenever he and his friends joined the girls for dinner or a night out. Gemma began to wonder if in her drunken state, she had imagined him shielding her. One thing she knew, however, was that she wasn't imagining the way he stole glances at her every time she walked away from the group to make a call or buy a drink. She reasoned that he was probably curious about how someone so quiet could be related to Gavin and Mira. But of course, in her deepest subconscious, she hoped it was something more.

Because of Madison and the girls, her first month of school went by quickly and smoothly. Other than the lack of quality boys to develop her first real crush on, she couldn't have asked for a better way to start her true high school career. Unlike Kate and Leah, she didn't have to prepare for the SATs because she had already done so during her one-on-one schooling while touring. Madison, accompanied by Kate, took this time to introduce Gemma to their weekly routines around town – manicures, pedicures, facials, shopping. She was a perfect hostess and Gemma still had yet to detect any flaws on her. She was everything a girl wanted in a friend, and Gemma knew that lusting after her boyfriend was definitely not a proper way to say thank you.
TYLER CHASE SINGLE!

The Pop Source

October 2

Teen heartthrob Tyler Chase and actress girlfriend of ten months, Desiree Silver, have reportedly broken up. Silver, 17, met the 16-year-old pop sensation while starring in his music video for "Chasing You." The pair famously kept their relationship under wraps for almost a year before going public at the MTV Movie Awards. Silver has been quoted as saying that she regretted ever announcing their relationship. "I wish we never did it. The paparazzi started waiting outside my house. But they weren't nearly as bad as his fans."

There were reports of Chase's notoriously hounding and possessive fans sending angry Twitter messages to Silver, which proved to be the least of it. Silver was also the target of verbal abuse on the streets as well as the burglarizing of her home in early June.

On Thursday, Silver announced the break-up on her Twitter page. "Unfortunately our careers have come in the way of our relationship but I will always have a special place in my heart for Tyler." Silver's representative has denied claims that she broke up with Chase because of her fear of his obsessive fanbase.

Chase has yet to make a statement.

# Chapter 4

The Mall At Beauford was surprisingly full for a Tuesday at 1PM. Young mothers dressed head to toe in designer labels had their babies dressed to match. They pushed Bugaboo strollers through the wide, glossy walkways. They examined furniture in Restoration Hardware and cookware at Williams Sonoma. From the way they were dressed, it was safe to guess that they had already bought out the current seasons of Neiman's and Saks.

Madison had convinced the girls to cut class after lunch to go shopping and avoid the afterschool crowds of kids from the next town over.

"They just come here to be seen," Madison stated simply. She leaned in to check her reflection in the dark windows of Chanel's storefront. Gemma laughed inwardly every time Madison checked her reflection because there was never anything to touch up. "I'm not trying to be mean or anything. But from the way they're dressed, you know that they're not from Beauford and they can't afford to buy anything here. Not even from Anthropologie."

"And," Jillian added. "There's this one guy here who hits on Madison every single time. Like, no fail."

"What's his name again? He's introduced himself like a million times. It's a bit much," Madison rolled her eyes. "Not that he isn't cute, he's just _so_ not my type. But I don't know, maybe one day if I'm feeling like taking a walk on the dark side." She giggled. "Actually, I invited him to my party." The girls followed her into Chanel.

"What? Hel _lo_?" Leah stuck her neck out. "Are we forgetting about Lucas, here?" Kate nodded solemnly. Gemma looked to see Madison's reaction, which was to toss her hair over her shoulder and laugh.

"Come _on_. Can't a girl joke around?" she stood in front of a square shelf boasting the Chanel Flap Bag. "So my mom wants to get me another one for my birthday. Do I want the turquoise or the red? I already have it in black."

Gemma was excited for Madison's birthday party. Her family friend owned a club close to the one they had gone to a month ago. He offered to close it down for a night so Madison could celebrate in style. She invited nearly the entire school, but with no guarantee that they'd get in. Gemma was thankful she was on the VIP list and arriving with Madison via limo. _Not that Queen Bee ever had to worry about being on the VIP list,_ she lamented. She was, however, excited to buy a normal party dress and go as herself for a change. She just wasn't entirely sure how to go about that.

Madison had settled on a jewel-toned, colorblock silk satin dress from Gucci. It had a crossover halter neckline with a sexy cutout that showed off a small sliver of her ballet-toned waist. Jillian and Kate bought pieces from Nicole Miller and Betsey Johnson respectively while Leah opted not to buy anything.

"My mother has an Hervé Leger signature," she said. "I've been wanting a reason to take it from her."

"C'mon, Leah," Madison nudged. "The point of this was so we'd _all_ buy something new. Besides, Gemma hasn't gotten anything yet either."

"Well, I mean... I can probably find something in my closet too," Gemma said. It was true, but she also wasn't comfortable with the idea of trying on clothes in front of the girls. While she had frequently done wardrobe changes in front of her crew as Queen Bee, she had also had things made or bought for her specifically without having to worry about whether or not they would fit. Seeing Jillian struggle to stuff her boobs into half of the dresses and enduring the girls' laughter was enough to deter Gemma from suffering a similar fate. She understood that it was all in good fun, but she wasn't prepared for it.

Somewhere along the way, Kate had picked up a People magazine. On the cover was Tyler Chase, by far the biggest popstar in the U.S and arguably, the world. Aside from his sweet and soulful voice, he was known for his swift dance moves and shaggy boyish haircut. He was Gemma's age and rumored to have secretively attended the final concert of Queen Bee's summer tour.

"Not sure how that'd be possible," Jillian shook her head. "Girls would've noticed him and mobbed him _ASAP_."

The girls bit their smiles back as they flipped through photos of Tyler. He wasn't her type, but Gemma had to admit that he was cute with his floppy brown hair and somewhat innocent charm. She wasn't particularly familiar with his music, but the little she had heard surprised her. His soft crooning had an unexpected edge, and he did have a way of making her blush at the choruses.

"Kate – did you take that from the table next to us when we were at Starbucks?" Jillian asked.

"Yes, I did," Kate chirped from behind the magazine. "I love his song 'Galaxy Girl.' When he tells the girl her freckles are sexy, I'm like, 'But mine are so much sexier!' And I used to hate my freckles."

"Easy, Kate. Don't tread on Madison's crush territory," Leah said. "You know her cougar ways."

"Shut up, Leah." Madison narrowed her eyes playfully. "I'm only a year older than Lucas. And he's _so_ worth the cougar title."

Gemma held back a pout. She could imagine.

"You're almost two years older than Tyler Chase," Leah said.

"So? It's legal in Jersey," Madison scoffed.

" _Ew!_ " the girls shrieked.

Jillian doubled over in laughter, gasping for breath. "What would Lucas think if he heard that?"

Madison shrugged. "Whatev. I let him crush on Taylor Swift 'cause he just can't resist the blondes."

"Well if it doesn't work out with Lucas, it says here that Tyler Chase just broke up with Desiree Silver," Jillian said, reading over Kate's shoulder.

"Okay, I will freak out for that," Madison said, jumping up and down and squealing with excitement. She quickly stopped to laugh with the girls and regain her composure. Gemma thought about how Tyler Chase would most certainly fall for Madison had he seen her in that radiantly adorable moment. In the least, he would write a song about it. She could feel herself falling back into a cloud of self-doubt when Leah suddenly gasped.

"Look!" she pointed at the magazine. "Oh my God, if they sold that dress in stores I would sell my little sister for it." The girls huddled around. There, under the tip of Leah's red-painted fingernail, was a small photo of Queen Bee in her Balenciaga gown.

"I would get married in that," Jillian breathed.

"How much do you think it costs? And who's Queen Bee?" Madison asked.

"A European pop star, I think it says?" Kate held the magazine closer to her blue eyes. "It says it was custom-designed for her. God, that's crazy. I wish Balenciaga would custom design something for me. I'd be happy if like, _J.Crew_ custom designed something for me."

Gemma felt at once uncomfortable and delighted. Mira had said that she was starting to gain notice in the states. It was exciting to see a picture of herself in People magazine, even if it wasn't a particularly big photo. Even more exciting was that her friends hadn't the slightest suspicion they were standing just inches from Queen Bee herself. If keeping a secret was this easy, Gemma thought she might enjoy it after all.

~

"So what, are you guys an item now?" Gemma asked as she looked out the passenger side window. It was raining hard and she had stupidly opted for suede flats that day. She spent most of the day walking around in soaked shoes that angrily squeaked their way down the hall. She couldn't want to go home, kick them off, and take a nice hot shower.

"Kylie's not into labels," Gavin answered matter-of-factly. "And I don't like her _that_ much, so I wouldn't say we're an item. All we really do is – "

"No! Stop right there," Gemma shouted over his voice. "I don't want to know what you and Kylie do during your playdates."

"O _kay_. Damn, what bug crawled up your ass?" Gavin frowned. "Cranky virgin."

"Ex _cuse_ me!"

"Sorry, sorry. Uncalled for," he laughed. "Where's your babysitter today anyway?"

"If you're referring to Madison, she left school early to practice for her NYU audition."

"Alright, well, don't play with matches while you're home alone and what not," Gavin said as he pulled the car halfway into their driveway. He grabbed his black nylon backpack from the backseat and tossed it into Gemma's lap. "Can you bring this inside for me? I need the backseat clear."

"Oh my God," Gemma wrinkled her nose with disgust, taking the backpack reluctantly.

"I made Kylie wait while I drove you home to the opposite end of town. Can't you do me a small favor without judging?"

"I can do the favor, I can't promise not to judge," Gemma said as she got out of the car and shut the door.

"Fine by me!" Gavin called through the window before speeding off.

Lugging both heavy bags, Gemma ran for cover as quickly as she could. She squeezed herself under the bit of roof that hung over the front steps as she searched her bag for keys. She couldn't feel them. Slightly panicked, she dug deeper and checked in every pocket.

_Oh shit._ Gemma noticed the unsnapped front pocket of her tote and quickly remembered that she had stored her keys and phone in there. The pocket was empty. _Shit, how did this happen?_

"Damn it, Gavin!" Gemma blamed him for her predicament. She would have noticed that her phone and keys had fallen from her bag had he not made her carry his as well. That was at least how she saw it.

_Please come back, please come back._ She stared hopefully down the street, willing Gavin's BMW to come barreling through again. It didn't. To make matters worse, the extended portion of the roof was not wide enough to keep her dry. The wind whipped the rainfall in steady streams towards her and she cursed her luck, tossing her soaked hair back.

Through the sound of the heavy rain hitting the pavement, Gemma suddenly heard barking. She looked towards Lucas's house to see him by the window. He appeared to be trying to calm Leo, who was just as troubled by the rain as she was. Leo then turned towards her direction, barking yet again. Gemma watched as Lucas looked over at her for a moment before disappearing from the window.

Just as her mind began to wonder if he had seen her at all, the front door of his house swung open and out he ran with an umbrella. Smiling.

"What are you doing out here?" he yelled over the rain, holding the umbrella over her. His body leaned in close to hers.

"I left my keys in Gavin's car. And my phone. Do you think I could borrow yours for a second?"

"Yeah, sure," he replied. "Come inside."

"Oh. Okay."

They looked at each other for a moment, blinking raindrops out of their eyes. Lucas laughed and shook his head. "Sorry, this umbrella's too small." He pulled her closer so they could huddle tight underneath, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"It's okay," Gemma said, feeling the warmth of his torso through his soaked t-shirt.

~

It was disturbing to think about what Gavin was so busy doing that he couldn't pick up her calls. Gemma eventually gave up on him to call Mira, though Lucas only had her work number. She scolded herself for not bothering to memorize any of the numbers in her contacts. She was only able to reach Mira's assistant, who informed her that she had just stepped out.

Gemma sighed. "I guess I wouldn't want her to drive back from Manhattan just to let me in anyway."

"Well. I'm here for now," Lucas said. "Usually it's just Leo by himself until dinnertime." He rubbed the yapping puppy's belly and smiled up at Gemma in a way that made her heart pound. "You can stay here while you wait for someone to get back. My parents are at my sister's piano recital right now, but they wouldn't mind if you stayed. Actually, they told me that they wanted to meet you."

Gemma's stomach lurched and she blushed. "Why?" _He's told them about me!_

"My mom was excited when Mira said Gavin's sister was coming to live here too," Lucas explained with a chuckle. "My mom loves Gavin, he's got her convinced that he's a good kid somehow."

"Oh," Gemma's ears burned. She changed the topic. "How old is your sister?"

"Elisa? Thirteen. She'll be at the high school next year."

"That's so nice. Are you guys close?"

"Yeah, she's a pretty cool kid sister," Lucas said. "Except for when she overplays Tyler Chase."

"Oh, give her a break. Every girl has a crush on Tyler Chase."

"Oh yeah?" Lucas squinted at her playfully. "Do you?"

Heat raced to Gemma's cheeks. "He's not really my type," she mumbled, suddenly feeling silly and a bit self-conscious. Having all of Lucas's attention on her made her feel exposed somehow. She realized that she looked close to how she did the first time she met him – soaked to the bone and totally insecure. As if he sensed it, Lucas got up from where he sat on the floor and started up the stairs.

"Do you want some clothes to change into?"

The thought of wearing his clothes made her skin tingle. "Oh. No, you don't have to get anything," Gemma said apologetically.

"I don't want you to be cold," Lucas said. He nodded up the stairs. "Come on."

"Okay."

Gemma followed him up the steps and into his bedroom. She commended herself for the calm she exhibited despite the bubbling excitement that surged through her body. _Stop being so hormonal,_ she scolded herself.

She could see her own bedroom from his window, the custom curtains finally installed and drawn. "So close yet so far," she joked, putting her hand to the window. Lucas laughed as he rummaged through his closet.

"I'm giving you my stuff since Elisa's like, barely five feet tall," Lucas laughed to himself. He took a Beauford Warriors sweatshirt, a pair of basketball shorts and a towel out. "I hope these fit okay. They're the smallest things I have."

"Thanks," Gemma said as Lucas placed the clothes in her arms. He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"I'll be downstairs."

"Okay," she called after him. Once the door clicked shut, she examined the room. She was somewhat familiar with it from stealing glances out her bedroom window. The walls were midnight blue with white borders and his bed was covered in a deep silver and charcoal striped comforter. A large framed photo of him with his family sat on his desk. Stuck to the corner of the frame was a photo booth strip of him and Madison making silly faces.

Water dripped from her hair and onto the desk as she leaned in to look. She wiped off the drops with her bare hands and stepped away, peeling her wet shirt from her body. It was strange to be undressed in Lucas's bedroom. Strange and exciting. She could hear him opening cupboards downstairs in the kitchen. Gemma wondered if he was thinking about her at that moment.

When she finished getting dressed, she searched the room for a mirror. There were none. Lucas clearly didn't hold vanity to the same importance that Gavin did. It was strange to think they were friends somehow.

As she made her way downstairs, Gemma couldn't help feeling silly and most definitely unsexy in the oversized sweatshirt and pants. But Lucas didn't seem to notice when he looked up at her.

"Do you drink hot chocolate?" he asked as he set two mugs on the coffee table in the living room.

"Of course."

"I wasn't sure because Madison doesn't. Which sucks because it's the one thing I make well."

"You made this from scratch?" Gemma marveled as she wrapped her hands around the warm mug.

"Well, no. I just get the right amounts of milk and mix together," Lucas laughed sheepishly. Gemma laughed with him as she sipped the hot chocolate. It _was_ perfect.

"So, what is your type then?" Lucas asked.

"What?" she blinked.

"You said Tyler Chase wasn't your type. So what is?"

"Oh," Gemma said, taken aback. She had forgotten about that exchange. She hardly remembered anything that happened prior to undressing in his bedroom. "I honestly don't know. Why?"

"I don't know, just curious. All the girls talk about who they like. Leah has a huge crush on Gavin."

"I thought that was a secret!" Gemma laughed.

"Well, only to Gavin. Everyone else knows, though," Lucas smiled as he put down his hot chocolate. He crinkled his nose. "So you really don't have a type?"

"I guess not. Do you?"

"No."

"I thought you preferred blondes," Gemma blurted. Lucas furrowed his brow.

"I don't think I do. Where did you hear that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Just 'cause of Madison," she shrugged. There was a brief moment of silence.

"Damian's been asking about you," Lucas finally said. "I think he's interested. Would you be?" He watched her face closely, as if trying to interpret her reaction. Gemma's emerald eyes widened.

"Damian? Really?"

She had certainly noticed Damian. He wasn't as tall as his teammates, but he had quite an appeal that no one could put their finger on. Kate, whose weakness was lips, said that Damian's was perfectly shaped like a Cupid's arrow. Jillian theorized that his quiet demeanor paired with his smirking, inquisitive eyes was what made girls swoon. "It's very confusing like, are you a bad boy or are you a good boy?" Jillian had wondered. "I can't tell but like, I want to find out, you know?"

Gemma giggled at the memory of her friends' musings. "Damian is everyone's type," she joked.

Lucas didn't laugh. "Yeah, well," he picked Leo up from the ground to play with him, but the dog promptly fell asleep in his lap. "Too bad he can't play defense to save his life." Gemma smiled.

"And how good are _you_ at basketball?"

"Me? I'm amazing."

"Oh yeah?" Gemma challenged coyly. "Here I thought you were the modest type."

"I am modest. But I don't want to lie to you," Lucas said with a grin. He was somehow even sexier when he acted lighthearted. It was a side Gemma didn't get to see often enough. He always played the role of the silent and solemn protector when he was out with Madison and the girls. With that thought, Gemma became suddenly aware of their solitude. She was alone with him in his home. She was wearing his clothes. No one else knew what they were doing. They could do anything.

She lowered her lashes and blushed. Lucas turned away right at that moment too, as if he had suddenly had the same exact thought.

# Chapter 5

TYLER CHASE REVEALS CELEBRITY CRUSH

The Pop Source

October 16

Just a week after his split with actress Desiree Silver, Tyler Chase announced on his Twitter page that he has his eye on a new girl: Queen Bee. The sixteen-year-old sensation sent the following tweet out to his nearly two million followers: "New celebrity crush: Queen Bee. Fell for her at the Barcelona concert, when is she coming to the US?"

The tweet sparked an internet firestorm, sending millions of Chase's teenaged fans into a curious frenzy. Queen Bee has been trending worldwide on Twitter and has been one of the top searches on the internet since the tweet. A blog titled "Her Royal Secrecy," created to uncover Bee's identity, has reported nearly one million hits in just three days. It is one of many newly launched websites dedicated to exposing the pop idol's well-hidden identity.

Bee has been MIA since her summer tour in Europe, but her official website has reported that she will soon be announcing the date and location of a concert in New York and will also be releasing the video for hit single "Tell The World."
Madison's backyard was vast. A pool with a stone fountain trickled a steady and relaxing stream of water. The lawn was perfectly manicured and a glistening, vibrant green. Beyond the stretch of dewy grass was a lush forest of trees boasting beautiful reds, burnt oranges, and chocolate browns. Autumn was always Gemma's favorite season in the city but with the open space and beautiful woods of the suburbs, Autumn was an entirely different creature.

"Pumpkin spice lattes, ladies?" Leah's voice called from around the side of the massive house.

Gemma, Madison and Kate all turned in their plush lounge chairs. Wrapped in soft cashmere throws, they had been enjoying the crisp air while waiting for Leah and Jillian to join them. Pumpkin spice lattes quickly sounded like the absolute perfect way to complement their outdoor lounging.

"I bought everything because I'm clearly a pig," Leah announced. She set down eight cups and two paper bags.

"Don't be modest, LeLe," Jillian said. "She got half of this for free because the counter guy thought she was cute."

"Okay, he never explicitly said it but he _was_ totally checking me out. But who even _cares_? Pumpkin spice lattes here and if you don't want that, caramel apple spice in that other tray. Don't mind me while I have one of each."

"What happened to your diet, Leah?" Madison questioned as she snatched the latest copy of Vogue from Kate's lap.

"I don't know," Leah grumbled, shoving a cranberry bar of into her mouth.

"We saw Gavin at Starbucks..." Jillian said with a sympathetic eye. "He forgot Leah's name."

"He called me Lisa," Leah said. "And he was with that _thing_ , Kylie."

"But the counter guy totally thought you were cute," Jillian said brightly as she smoothed Leah's hair back.

"Yeah, well Gavin didn't see."

Gemma pouted sympathetically as she sipped on her latte. She leaned over to give Leah an encouraging kiss on the cheek. "I'll make sure he learns your name."

"Who cares, don't even think about it anymore," Madison instructed. "It's not worth it." Jillian and Kate nodded in agreement.

The girls were brushing it off, but the truth was that boys had been on all their minds. Madison was approaching her one-year anniversary with Lucas, a milestone known by everyone in the school. Though Lucas was a sophomore at the time, he proved to be a catch with his charm and athleticism. In fact, he had the attentions of scouts early on when he, Gavin and Damian led Beauford's basketball team to state. The three were even interviewed by ESPN. It seemed only natural that he wouldn't date just _any_ girl. No one expected him to get the attention of someone like Madison, whom even senior boys could hardly impress. But when it happened, it suddenly seemed as if they were made for each other.

Leah's overwhelming four-year crush on Gavin began when she first spotted him buying breakfast at Beauford Bagels as an eighth-grader. She dated a few guys on the various athletic teams that Gavin took part in, but only in hopes of gaining his attention. She never did, so she ultimately gave up at what Madison called her " _faux_ -mances." This wasn't before breaking a boy's heart in each athletic season her sophomore year and earning herself the school-wide title of "Maneater."

Jillian and her boyfriend Derrick maintained a long-distance relationship. She had met him as a camp counselor in Vermont after her sophomore year and returned with steamy accounts of losing her virginity in a makeshift bed under a maple tree. Though the girls never met him, they adored him for sending Jillian extra large boxes of maple syrup candy that they would all tear through together.

"And here I am, painfully single," Kate huffed, blowing a strawberry blonde curl out of her face. "And a virgin," she added begrudgingly.

"I'm single too," Gemma offered, deciding not to disclose the fact that she was also a virgin.

"Because you choose to be," Kate grumbled. "Everyone knows Damian wants you."

"Well he hasn't asked me out or anything."

"Do you want me to give him a nudge?" Madison asked excitedly. "I can always ask Lucas to put in a good word for you."

"Oh, Lucas already knows I'm interested," Gemma said nonchalantly. "I told him that Damian's everyone's type."

Madison furrowed her perfectly shaped eyebrows. "When did you guys have that conversation?"

Gemma paused. "Just in passing when he was walking by my house."

"Oh, okay. Hand me the Us Weekly?"

Gemma got up and grabbed the magazine for Madison. On the cover's side panel was a photo of Queen Bee from her Asian tour, wearing a Nina Ricci embroidered dress. The headline read, "Who is Queen Bee?" Gemma gasped.

"What?" Madison asked.

"Oh. Nothing," Gemma replied. "Just a cool outfit on the front." She gave the magazine to Madison who reclined her seat and began thumbing through the pages.

"Is that the Queen Bee girl again?" Jillian pointed to the cover. "She's in the magazine I'm reading too."

"Really?" Gemma craned her neck to see which magazine Jillian was reading. It was a Vanity Fair. _Nice!_ Gemma congratulated herself.

"I need that girl's outfits," Leah griped. "Life is so unfair. I bet Gavin would go for Queen Bee."

"Ew!" Gemma screamed. The girls jumped in surprise and stared at her quizzically.

"Oh, sorry Gemma," Leah said apologetically. "We'll stop talking about Gavin so much."

"You mean _you'll_ stop talking about Gavin so much," Jillian corrected.

"Right."

"Who _is_ she? Like, I know she's a singer but why is she so popular all of a sudden? I've been hearing her name all week," Madison said with frustration.

"It's because of Tyler Chase's tweet," Kate said. "It caused like, craziness all over the internet. He tweeted it Thursday."

The girls stared at her.

"What?" Kate asked quietly. "I follow him on Twitter. I really, really hope he follows me back because he actually follows and responds to fans! I made an account just to follow him. I've been since he said he likes girls with freckles."

"So what, is Queen Bee covered in them?" Madison snorted.

"No!" Kate exclaimed. "She doesn't have freckles. I mean, she might, but she's always wearing makeup or like, a veil. Here, there's a whole article on her." Kate held the magazine out to the girls. Gemma peered over to see a full-page photo of her. A hand flew to her mouth. Under the photo was a headline that simply read, "Inspiration."

"Oh my god," Gemma breathed. The picture was from a day off in Beijing during her tour of Asia. She had been shopping for exotic fabrics with an up-and-coming designer named Zhe. Gemma wore an emerald sheath mini-dress over thigh-high copper snakeskin boots. She donned a bright red wig that was twisted in a side chignon and reflective oversized sunglasses. In the picture, she was pulling out a sheet of sheer, jewel-encrusted silk from a shelf. The fabric had caught the light in a perfect way, creating a fluid halo above her head. In her shades, she could see the reflections of admirers peering in from outside the fabric shop.

Since being initiated into Madison's clique, her pop star past had fallen by the wayside and become a blurry memory that felt more like a dream. But seeing the photos and her friends' excitement made Gemma suddenly want to be Queen Bee once again.

Kate sighed. "I can see why Tyler Chase fell for her."

"What?" Gemma asked, genuinely confused.

"His tweet," Kate said as she read from a magazine. "It said 'New Celebrity Crush: Queen Bee. Fell for her at the Barcelona concert, when is she coming to the US?'"

"He said that?" Gemma couldn't suppress her dorky smile. She ran to Kate's side to read over her shoulder. Sure enough, the words were there and she rejoiced only in her head. _Tyler Chase has a crush on me. Tyler Chase that literally every girl in the world wants has a crush on me!_ Gemma wondered why she didn't get any texts from Armand or Penelope about this but then realized that they no longer had her phone number. Her father had instructed Mira to do everything possible to get Gemma perfectly acclimated to her life as a regular high school student. That meant no contact with Armand and Penelope for at least the first few months and as few reminders of Queen Bee as possible. Mira kindly let Gemma have her Balenciaga dress, but the rest of her costumes and jewelry were off-limits.

Kate groaned and tossed the magazine aside in mock fury. "Kill me! I just want to be her."

"So do I, just so I can have her clothes," Leah said, picking up the magazine to examine the page dedicated solely to Queen Bee's top fashion choices. She pointed to the Alexander McQueen dress that she had worn to a charity event in London last year. "Like that. That would be perfect for prom, wouldn't it?"

Jillian nodded. "I want to be her just to travel everywhere and get free stuff," she said.

"Well _I_ wouldn't want to be that girl," Madison scoffed. "Who knows what's under all that disguise? She's probably hideous." The girls laughed. Gemma's eyes instinctively darted at Madison but she stopped herself from shooting a dirty look. Madison continued. "And if that boy saw _my_ gorgeous face, he'd be tweeting about me instead." She smirked and struck a mock fashion pose for the girls. They whipped out their iPhones to conduct a little photo shoot. She was a fairly convincing model with her long slender limbs and pouty lips, but Gemma couldn't help comparing Madison's amateur moves to the ones that she posed in while serving as the face of Zhe last year.

Kate stopped whining about Tyler Chase to join in on the photo shoot. They of course would post the photos on Facebook within the hour and all their Beauford High fans would comment with envy and admiration ("Ugh, I can't stand how gorgeous you are!!!" "Pretty girls!! Looks like you're having fun"). Gemma sat away from them. Jillian told her to strike a pose but gave up trying to get her attention after a few seconds. Gemma was too lost in thought to recognize that she looked like a loner. She missed her life as a beloved and even worshipped pop star. In that moment, she was desperate to spill the beans. Not that they would believe her if she did.

Now, quiet and unnoticed by the others who were deep in their pretend world, even Gemma had a hard time believing that she had ever been Queen Bee.
OKAY, SRSLY WHO THE $#%! IS THIS CHICK (and is she even hot?!?!)

10/20 7:34PM EST

posted by Tara C.

Her Royal Secrecy

Welcome new readers! For those who have already been checking in, thanks for the support and I'm happy to announce that we've surpassed 1 million hits as of today! Hopefully Queen Bee is reading this.

I just have to say...is it just me, or did this Queen Bee come out of f*cking nowhere? I went from not knowing who she was (or maybe hearing her name vaguely but not really caring at the time) to seeing her on every celebrity or fashion web site that is suddenly obsessed with her oh-so-designer wardrobe. I'm not sure what's more frustrating – the fact that Tyler Chase declared his love for her or that WE CAN NEVER REALLY SEE HER FACE. Maybe I wouldn't find this crush so un-crushworthy if I could see that she is actually a hot chick (unlike Desiree "Fake Tan" Silver). For all we know, she's a hot mess of greasy hair and acne without those supposedly $30,000 hair extensions and tons of makeup. Hey, I could probably attract the hottest guys in the world if I had millions of dollars too.

Anyway, being a dutiful Tyler Chaser, I studied up on this girl. She came out a little more than a year ago as an opening act at Gate Theatre in Kensingon and Chelsea (which is a fancy shmancy neighborhood in London). According to a London blogger, she got hot there before the rest of Europe caught on, so they totally take credit for discovering her first. Then Asia caught on. Apparently Australia digs her too (as evidenced by the tons of people who dressed up as her for Halloween last year. Click here for the pic). It seems the rest of the world had a huge boner for this girl before any of us dumb Americans caught on.

Psh.

Okay, I listened to her music and it's fine. I'll say that much. Sure, she can dance. Whatever. But why is she keeping her identity such a secret? Does she have a horrible criminal record or something? Was she a psycho-maniac killer? Or is she just plain fug? I mean, we know your eyes aren't really lavender, sweetheart. Honestly, all I can see that isn't covered by makeup or jewels is her plain Jane nose.

What I can say for now is that I'll continue keeping you all posted on the latest news that comes out about Her Royal Highness Secrecy. And I'll do a little digging myself (you know how good I am at it).

Queen Bee, if you're reading this just know...nothing stays a secret forever.
"What on earth are you doing?" Mira asked, standing at the door of Gemma's bedroom. Gemma had found old sheets in the linen closet and was using them to wrap around her Balenciaga gown. "Gemma, honey – you're going to wrinkle that!"

"I just don't want to keep looking at it. It's depressing me."

Mira's jaw dropped as if she were personally offended. "Why would that gown _upset_ you, it represents so much of what you achieved this summer."

Gemma let herself fall in a heap on the floor. "That's why it's upsetting me. I miss it so much. I don't know what I'm even doing here. Everyone wants more Queen Bee and they all want to find out who she is so why is she hiding in Beauford, New Jersey? As _Gemma Hunter_?" she said her own name with disdain. Mira walked over to the dress form and expertly finished securing the cotton sheets around the last swatch of exposed gown. She opened Gemma's closet and pushed the whole thing inside.

"Thanks," Gemma sniffled.

"Yes, you're welcome and everything – but listen to me, Gemma. I know that this is a strange situation, but we Hunters face our trials straight on. I'm fine with you putting the gown away but not because I'm allowing you to lament over 'hiding as Gemma Hunter.' You are first and foremost Gemma Hunter." Mira tipped Gemma's chin up with her pointer finger. "Queen Bee is your job, a part that you play. I never want you to lose touch with who you really are."

"I don't know who I really am."

"Oh, please. What sixteen-year-old girl does? This is the time that you figure it out. Besides, once you're on tour as Queen Bee again, you're going to be sniffling about wanting to be a normal girl."

"On tour again?"

"Gemma, as your aunt I'm going to keep all the business stuff from you but as your manager, do you really think I wouldn't give the public what they want?" Mira smiled mischievously.

"Really? Are we touring the states?" Gemma asked excitedly.

"They ask, we give," Mira shrugged. "We begin press around Christmas and Queen Bee will announce that she's giving into demands for an American tour in January. We'll sell tickets and you'll do a brief teaser tour. Just going to take you out of school for a month in March and hit the major cities. You'll only miss three weeks since you have spring break then."

"Oh," Gemma suddenly remembered. "The girls and I were supposed to take a cruise to the Bahamas then."

"You'll have summer with them."

"Yeah, I guess so," Gemma grumbled. "I just wish I could tell them who I really am."

"Gemma, honey. You know why we're keeping this under wraps," Mira sighed. "For starters, mystery sells. But really, how creepy would it be to wake up to paparazzi outside your bedroom window? After the craziness of what this tour will be, you'll be thankful to have your privacy and normal life. Speaking of which, did you get a dress for Madison's birthday?"

"I'm just going to look now through the things I bought while touring. I've actually never worn half of these things."

"Alright, sweetie. Don't stay up too late," Mira began to close the door. With a wink, she added, "And choose kindly. You don't want to upstage the poor birthday girl."
QUEEN BEE'S MANAGEMENT OFFICES BURGLARIZED

The Manhattan Local

October 24

Offices of Queen Bee's management company were broken into on Sunday night, authorities say. Police were notified around 12AM that alarms had sounded at The Roebling-Hunter Group, located in Manhattan's Flatiron. According to police reports, the burglars broke into the building through the roof and were caught within ten minutes of reaching the offices of Roebling-Hunter. Because the suspects are minors, their names have not been released.

Police have not confirmed motives, but it is widely believed that the teenaged burglars trespassed into Roebling-Hunter in attempts to uncover documents regarding the true identity of pop singer, Queen Bee.

Harvey Roebling and Mira Hunter have yet to release statements regarding the matter.

# Chapter 6

"We're pulling into your driveway!" Madison teased. Gemma wedged her cell phone between her ear and shoulders as she strapped on her silver jeweled sandals. She admired the hanging rhinestones on the ankle strap as she tightened it. "In case you're not sure, we're the black stretch Escalade behind your brother's tiny wuss car."

"Did I hear her insult my car just now?" Gavin asked as he examined his hair in the foyer mirror. He wore a black dress shirt untucked over a pair of dark washed Diesel jeans.

"I'll be right out!" Gemma said, hanging up the phone and slipping it into her silver python clutch. She ran out into the yard just as the sun was setting. The golden rays caught on the lighter-colored accessories, making them gleam against her black sequined cocktail dress. She couldn't see into the limo, but she hoped they were looking. She had thought hard about what to wear, wanting to look good but not so good that she would outshine Madison. _As if I could,_ Gemma thought sheepishly.

Madison, Leah, Kate, Jillian and Lucas were already inside. Madison and Lucas sat on one side while the three girls sat on the other. Looking like a page ripped out of WWD in her Gucci dress, she leaned against Lucas with a leg crossed towards him. Dangling at the end of her foot was a nude lace peep-toe pump.

To Leah's dismay, Gavin plopped down next to Lucas, instantly mirroring Madison. He snuggled up against Lucas and crossed a leg towards him, sandwiching him in the middle. "'Sup cutie," Gavin puckered his lips and directed his pout at Lucas. The girls tittered as Lucas slowly backed away.

Gemma took a seat next to the girls. She thought Lucas looked incredibly handsome in the outfit that Madison not only chose for him, but bought for him. He wore a cornflower blue, French-cuffed dress shirt tucked into black slacks.

Gemma felt silly about her disappointment that no one had commented on her outfit yet. But Madison _had_ made a fuss about finally seeing her outfit since she was wearing black while the girls were all wearing bright colors. She crossed her jeweled ankles and sat quietly.

"Mr. Grey," Gavin said, leaning over Lucas and towards Madison. "If you could excuse me for a moment, I'd like to give your girlfriend a birthday gift."

"If you try to kiss me, I'll kill you," Madison scowled.

"First of all, gross. Second, I'm faithful to my man Lucas, okay?" Gavin's emerald eyes twinkled as he pulled out a bottle of Dom Perignon from behind him. "Happy birthday, you old bag." He popped the cork off expertly, though nearly hitting Leah in the shoulder.

"Hey!" she shrieked, dodging.

Gavin leaned over and touched her bare knee. "Shit, I'm so sorry," he said, his eyes devoid of mischief for a second. Leah blushed. Gavin turned back over towards Madison. "So, do we have champagne flutes?"

"No, Lucas forgot," Madison lamented.

"Well I guess we're chugging it from the bottle," Gavin grinned. He held the bottle to Madison. "Birthday girl gets first chug." Madison laughed and took a sip from the bottle, careful not to spill on her dress. Gavin quickly snatched it back to take a full swig.

"Such a gentleman, Gavin," Madison rolled her eyes.

"I am. If it's less full, it's less likely to spill on you gorgeous ladies. Which reminds me, here you go Lucas."

Lucas took a quick sip from the bottle before handing it to Gemma.

"Here," he said, looking straight at her for the first time since she got into the car. She smiled at him and reached for the bottle, her fingers brushing against his. She took a sip and handed the champagne to Jillian, who didn't notice that Gemma and Lucas's eyes were still locked on each other. They quickly averted their eyes.

When they got to the city, Gavin convinced the group to drop into The Red Deer so he could "eat a burger or two." Most of them had already eaten – or chosen not to in their tight dresses – but they didn't mind the brief detour. "More pregaming?" Leah dared to ask Gavin, who nodded enthusiastically.

The restaurant was actually quite empty, so they enjoyed the feeling of practically having the place to themselves. They sat in a back corner booth, lounging on the deep red leather seats and sharing a bottle of wine and some raw oysters. Gavin switched between bites of his burger and a _croque-monsieur_. He even took the liberty of ordering Leah a French onion soup when she commented on how good it smelled. Leah poked at it with a spoon, no doubt wondering how she'd look in front of Gavin with strings of melted cheese hanging from her mouth.

Gemma noticed Lucas wasn't drinking much, though she remembered that he never really drank much when they went out. Madison was distracted with helping Kate smooth down her blowout so she could flirt with a waiter, who according to her, looked like "an older Tyler Chase with blonde hair." Gemma felt a little buzzed. She leaned in towards Lucas.

"Are you going to finish your wine?" she asked in a whisper. It came out a little sultrier than she had expected. She watched as he blushed. Lucas pushed the glass towards her.

"You can have it."

"Why aren't you drinking?"

"I like being a little less drunk than everyone else, just in case," he said. Off her incredulous expression, he nodded at her glass of wine and said, "For example, if you were to get too drunk to walk, I could carry you without falling myself." He smiled.

"This is only gonna be my third glass," Gemma protested with a giggle. She plucked the glass of wine from him and eyed him from under her feathery lashes, taking a sip.

"You're just..." Lucas shook his head with a grin.

"Just what?" Gemma said, tossing her glossy flat-ironed hair to the side and looking him straight in the eye. Her boldness was involuntary and her stomach began to flip.

"Just a little different than your usual self," Lucas concluded, lowering his eyes to the table.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, not bad. It just takes some getting used to."

"How am I different?" Gemma asked. She crossed her leg under the table and felt it rub against his. He didn't move away. He didn't speak either. "How am I different?" she repeated.

Lucas suddenly stood up from the table. He touched her arm gently, though his face was not so lighthearted. "I don't know," he said as he began to walk away. "But you are."

~

The club was huge with high ceilings and two floors. The architecture was old-fashioned and intricate which contrasted in a chic way against the minimalist, space-aged inspired décor. A well-known deejay that Queen Bee had once collaborated with scratched on a stage on the lower level while Madison gathered her VIPs on the upper balcony.

Gemma wasn't sure what had gotten into her at dinner, but she felt it was safe to say that it was the wine. The buzz had long since left her and she refrained from another drink in her nervousness. Leah, on the other hand, knocked back shots like a frat boy. She was determined to dance with Gavin at the very least. It had been awhile since any of them had seen Madison and Lucas. The last time they were in public view, the two were dancing sensually, interlocked and face-to-face. Gemma frowned at the thought.

"You look amazing," a voice said from behind her. Gemma turned to see Damian. Her mouth dropped slightly. He looked even _more_ amazing in his white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, half-tucked into a pair of fitted designer jeans.

"Oh, thanks," she smiled, eyeing his muscular forearms as they handed her a Tequila Sunrise.

"How long have you been here?"

"I came in with Madison, so awhile... you?"

"Lucky. The rest of us had to wait outside to see if we'd get in," Damian laughed. "I mean, the basketball team got to stand in the VIP line, so we knew we'd get in, but some people really didn't." He bit his lip back a little. "I was hoping to see you here."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Well," Damian said, hooking his fingers with hers and swinging their arms just slightly. It made Gemma smile. "I've been trying to ask you to dinner for weeks but it was hard since Gavin banned the team from talking to you."

Gemma smiled. She should have known that Gavin was behind the delay. "Well Gavin's not here right now," she said. She had meant to sound sexy but her voice trailed off with the last word because she spotted Lucas over Damian's shoulder, making his way to the bar.

"So in that case," Damian leaned in towards her. "Would you like to go to dinner with me sometime?" Gemma didn't answer, looking over Damian's shoulder as she watched Lucas order a drink at the other end of the bar. He looked in her direction.

"I...um..." she stuttered absentmindedly. _He's not looking at you,_ she told herself. "Of course. We definitely should." She could barely hear what Damian was saying as she watched Lucas wait on his drinks, leaning on his side against the bar.

He _was_ looking at her. He was staring at her.

"Awesome. I'm excited," Damian grinned.

Gemma forced a smile. "Me too," she lied.

Feeling bad about how inattentive she had been with Damian, Gemma decided to make it up to him on the dance floor. He was a great dancer and she was beginning to genuinely enjoy herself. Her own dancing wasn't on par with Queen Bee's choreographed moves, but it was nice to move about freely without having to think about choreography. She knew she was the envy of the girls around her and she reveled in it. For the first time in awhile, Lucas was not on her mind.

"They're watching us," Damian yelled over the music.

"Who?" Gemma looked around. It seemed like everyone was watching them.

"Your brother and the rest of the team," he pointed up. Gemma looked up at a balcony to see Gavin whispering to some of the other basketball players. Lucas was among them. "They're jealous 'cause I'm the only one who can actually dance," he laughed. Gemma smiled and pulled herself into him. It was nice to be as close to him as she was.

Up on the balcony, Gavin grimaced and shook his head. The team laughed, unaccustomed to his serious, protective side.

"Calm down, Gavin," one of the boys said. "You can't expect your sister to be a nun."

"I'm just gonna go downstairs and keep a closer watch," Gavin finally decided as he weaved through the crowd.

"Don't be a cockblocker, Hunter!" Matt, a stocky football player, yelled after him. "Your sister needs some play too!" Gavin gave him the finger as he made his way down the staircase. Matt laughed to himself and turned his baseball cap backwards before leaning over the balcony again. He nudged a few of the other guys as they watched Gemma dance.

"Careful, bro," Adam, one of the basketball players shouted over the music. "Gavin gets serious when people talk about Gemma."

"Who's saying what about Gemma?" Madison peered inquisitively at the boys as she sauntered towards them and wrapped her arms around Lucas's waist.

"Nothing _bad_ , we're saying she's hot. It's a compliment," Matt said. "And that we can see straight down her dress from up here. Not that there's a whole lot to look at." Another boisterous laugh rumbled from his mouth before he knocked his beer back and threw the empty plastic cup over the balcony.

"Oh please, just because a girl's got smaller boobs doesn't mean she can't be attractive," Madison chided. She rested her chin on Lucas's shoulder, frowning. "Babe, your muscles are all tense," she craned her neck to see what he was looking at over the balcony, but all she could see was Gemma.

"I didn't say that she wasn't attractive, Maddie, you did," Matt snorted. " _I_ was gonna say she makes up for it with those lips. Mad DSL right there." The other boys laughed, loosening up in Gavin's absence.

"Feels like she could be a closet freak," Adam said as he finished his beer. "Crazy's gotta run in the family."

"Alright, well that settles it," Matt declared, holding out another beer in a mock toast. "Here's to boning Gemma Hunter before the end of the football season, huh? Can't imagine it'd be too hard." They boys cheered, toasting their beer cups and making obscene gestures.

"Don't talk like that."

The boys quickly stopped and looked over in surprise. Lucas hadn't said a word the entire time on the balcony and they had practically forgotten that he was there. Madison squinted at him in curiously as well.

"It's okay, honey, they're just idiots," she comforted Lucas, resting a hand on his chest though looking uneasy herself. "Guys, Lucas is really good friends with Gavin and you're all being really disrespectful." She looked up at Lucas, whose jaw was clenched tight. He took Madison's hand from his chest and set it down gently on the balcony.

"It's warm in here," he said into her ear. "I'm gonna get some air." She blinked in confusion as she watched him turn and leave.

"Oh shit, Maddie," Matt said. "Looks like your boy might have a boner for her too." They all laughed. Madison was silent as she looked over the balcony and watched her boyfriend make his way out of the club.

~

Gemma was relieved when she found out that her friends weren't the type to make a big deal of Halloween. From her knowledge of pop culture, Halloween was the day that girls had the excuse to dress in a way that would never otherwise be appropriate. Since her career as Queen Bee was all about disguise and dressing to the nines, she grew to find the practice rather routine and was happy to hear that Madison had already gotten everyone's Halloween costumes.

"I just stepped into the supermarket and Lucas started flipping out," Madison explained. "Apparently some guy who plays for The Jets was there and Lucas, like, loves him. They practice nearby or something. He was really nice and was completely checking me out but Lucas was like, actually _happy_ that he approved."

The football player, whose name Madison couldn't remember, ended up inviting Lucas and Madison to a game and giving them passes to the locker room. Madison apparently convinced the boys to literally take their shirts off for her.

"So now I have like, five authentic jerseys. I had them dry-cleaned so they're not disgusting and I think we'd look cute wearing them over bike shorts and pumps. Then afterwards, we can give them back to Lucas because he was totally bummed that I didn't give him one."

"Can I keep mine?" Kate asked. "I think my dad is a Jets fan. Or a Giants fan. Shit, I don't remember which..." she trailed off.

"You can keep yours," Madison said, nonchalantly. She turned towards Gemma and did a quick sweep of her from head to toe. "Actually, you can all keep them. Lucas will really only want the one I wore anyway."

"We should wear these to The Turkey Bowl!" Leah squealed. "It would be like good luck! And they're big enough that Jillian won't have to wear three sports bras to hide all that bouncing."

Jillian shot Leah a look. "I'm not playing this year, I'm just cheering," she said. "Some of the guys tried to cop a feel last year. It totally went from touch football to molestation football."

"I'll cheer with you," Madison said. "Do we want to do matching outfits?"

Gemma was surprised to hear the girls planning more for the Turkey Bowl than Halloween. On their first date, Damian had told her that "Jock Row" held a yearly football game – a longstanding tradition that was organized by the varsity basketball team members. It was done in a secretive manner since their coach had banned them from engaging in physical activities that could result in injury. The girls invited also played, usually resulting in flirtatious bouts of contact. Damian said there was absolutely always a post-game hook-up. Apparently this year, bets were on Gavin and Leah – simply because Leah announced she would make a major push for it despite the fact that Kylie would be in attendance.

Halloween turned out to be pretty boring – the students of Beauford High were either too stoned or apathetic to dress up or care. Despite what little they did, the girls did receive nonstop attention for their costumes. Gemma wasn't sure if it was because of the story behind the jerseys or the fact that their skintight hot shorts were barely covering their behinds. She had to admit, paired with her four-inch Louboutin pumps, her legs looked incredible.

At home, Mira had taken the day off and invited friends over to assist with the finishing touches of her elaborate Marie Antoinette costume. While still at home, she took pride in distributing little bags of rum-infused truffles to the children. When Gavin told her that the chocolates were a questionable choice for children, she replied, "They're meant to be the leftovers that the poor parents get for walking door-to-door with those sugar-crazed rascals all night." She personally handed out as many as she could before leaving in a town car to attend her own affairs. It was her idea of participating in suburban trick-or-treating despite having to attend her friend's yearly Halloween bash at Capitale in Manhattan.

Gemma was definitely more excited for the Turkey Bowl than she was about Halloween. She didn't know much about football, but she knew that she enjoyed watching it when Gavin's friends came over the house to play in their huge backyard. She also had a cute outfit picked out to honor the school colors – an orange raglan t-shirt over a pair of dark blue leggings and white thigh-high socks tucked into white Nike hightops.

Gavin was also excited because he and Damian were appointed captains and had plans of playing the entire game in elaborate superhero costumes. Gavin had chosen Ironman, which was undoubtedly going to be a challenging costume to run in, while Damian opted for Batman.

"There's some elastic in it," Damian said. "So I should still be able to move around pretty decently."

"You're not afraid the boys are going to make fun of you guys?" Gemma questioned.

"Not at all," Damian grinned. "Last year Gavin convinced our team to dress up as Power Rangers, so everyone expects it again. We can't disappoint." Gemma rolled her eyes at her brother's antics and Damian laughed. His laugh was mischievous but somehow sweet. She wondered what it would be like to kiss Batman. Her eyes ventured to his lips and wondered if they could be the couple that hooked up after the game. A large part of her hoped that they would be. Damian's lips turned up in a smile – she could tell he was hoping for the same.

~

The day of the game was pleasantly breezy and sun-drenched. Leaves crunched under her sneakers as Gemma walked beside Damian's. As silly as the whole game was, Gemma was proud to be arriving with Damian. He managed to look pretty sexy in his Batman outfit.

Madison also looked undeniably sexy in her short, pink cashmere sweater dress. Jillian, dressed in the same outfit, paled in comparison despite her two-cup advantage on Madison. The pair brought orange and blue pom-poms with them. Gemma watched as Madison used one to tickle the back of Lucas's neck as he tied his shoe.

Leah and Kate had taken old, fitted t-shirts and shredded them down the middle. They strategically ripped horizontal slits to show off bits of cleavage and toned midsections. Kate went around painting lines of black under everyone's eyes – everyone except for Kylie of course. All the big talk that Leah had made prior to the game about seducing Gavin seemed unlikely now. She stood all the way across the field and watched as Kylie draped herself around him, wearing a football jersey sheared right under her bustline. She showed off muscular abs and to the boys' delight, occasional glimpses of her lacy black bra.

Damian chose Gemma for his team along with Leah while Gavin chose Kate and Kylie. The rest of the boys were chosen at random with Lucas ending up on Gavin's team. While the game started out seriously, it soon became a show of who could run the fastest and throw the hardest. While the majority of the boys were busy flexing their biceps and showing off the yardage on their passes, Damian opted to keep his arms wrapped around Gemma. She had made a passing comment about being cold and didn't realize that it was dating code for "hold me and never let go." Not that she was complaining – Damian's arms were strong and warm and she felt peaceful with her head tucked under his chin. Every once in awhile, the ball would land in front of them and they would kick at it lazily with no real intention of playing.

But every once in awhile, Gemma would hear cheering and look up in time to see Lucas doing something spectacular. Though his long and lean body was clearly made for basketball, he was obviously not limited to one sport. He moved around swiftly and made what Gemma had always deemed a violent sport look like art. Damian gave her a squeeze.

"He's pretty good, huh?" he said with a big smile. "Hey, if we kept playing we probably wouldn't be freezing right now."

"I'm not freezing," Gemma said.

"That's 'cause you're wearing me as a jacket," he laughed. He pulled Gemma in tightly and brushed his lips against the side of her face. She turned her head to look up at him. His smile was sweet and content as he planted a small kiss on the tip of her nose. She giggled as she turned back to the field in time to see Lucas miss a pass. He had been looking at them. Instead of picking up the ball, he marched over.

"Hey," he called across the field as he made his way to the pair.

"Uh oh," Damian joked. "We're about to get yelled at..."

Lucas stopped at an arms-length from Gemma and Damian. His sober face forcefully broke into a silly grin. "You're letting your team die out there, Batman. I'm not even _on_ your team and I'm embarrassed for you."

"I know, I know," Damian laughed. "But you know how it is," he looked down at Gemma. "Got more important things to take care of."

Lucas bit his bottom lip. His smile disappeared as he looked at the ground, kicking at some dried leaves. Madison began to run towards them, pom-poms in the air as she cheered loudly.

"Are we done playing?" she shouted from across the field. "Let's go get dinner!" Gemma looked around. The game was no doubt over – it was clear that no one even knew where the ball was anymore. Damian wrapped an arm around Gemma's waist as he began to make his rounds to chat with team members. "This okay?" he asked, tickling her. "Don't want to piss off Gavin."

"It's okay."

"Just tell me if I'm moving too fast," he joked with a look of feigned seriousness. "We can always take it back to holding hands. Just let me know."

"Oh, I will," Gemma laughed.

She turned away from Damian to see that Lucas had remained standing in front of them, still gazing at her. Her eyes fluttered in surprise.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, timidly. She was unsure if it was the right thing to say. He nodded. A breeze blew a strand of hair across her face. Without thinking, Lucas reached over and brushed it away, his hand lingering for a second behind her ear. She smiled, brushing her fingers lightly over his.

"What's going on over here, kiddies?" Madison glided over. There was a smile on her lips but not a hint of it in her voice. She slipped one arm around Lucas's waist and placed the other possessively over his chest.

Upon hearing Madison's voice, Damian turned back to face Gemma. "What? Did we get caught?" he asked playfully, letting go of Gemma's waist and putting his hands in the air with exaggerated innocence.

"Someone definitely got caught," Madison said, looking Gemma in the eye.

"I...I..." Gemma stuttered.

Damian examined Gemma's face of panic and then looked up at Lucas, who watched Gemma with worried eyes before shifting them to the ground. He nodded briefly to himself as if he suddenly understood what they were thinking. He moved his hands up from Gemma's waist to her shoulders, giving them a squeeze to get her attention.

"We got caught red-handed, Gem," Damian said. She looked at him, confused. "No point in trying to hide it now."

"What are you talking about?" Madison scowled.

"Gemma and I have been dating for awhile but we didn't want Gavin to know. We were just trying to lay low so we wouldn't get him upset," Damian replied.

Madison's expression softened though her brows remained furrowed. "You two are dating?"

Gemma and Damian nodded. _Yes, we're dating,_ Gemma told herself sternly. _No reason to be looking at Lucas when you have a boyfriend._

"Lucas," Madison broke the brief silence. Her eyes were still locked on Gemma, who stood frozen in anxiety. "I was thinking maybe we should get dinner just the two of us? What do you think, babe?"

The four stood awkwardly for a beat.

"Okay," Lucas replied. He took her hand from his chest and held it by his side, leading her away. "Bye guys. Good game," he said with a faint smile. Madison glanced over her shoulder, once more at Gemma. It gave her a chill as she watched them walk away. Damian ran his hands up and down her back to soothe her.

"I think there's something big that you're not telling me," he said. He looked contemplative but offered a smile as he draped an arm around her shoulder. "Hey. If I can't be anything more than a listener, I'll still be happy to be _something_ for you."

Gemma sighed, burying her head into the crook of Damian's neck. She felt her heart wrench with emotion. It was a longing for Lucas's attention, guilt over Damian's compassion, but most of all, fear of Madison's wrath.

# Chapter 7

QUEEN BEE INTERVIEWED BY PEOPLE MAGAZINE

Celebomatic

11/28 2:24AM

Gracing the cover of this week's People magazine is Queen Bee, the American pop megastar whom ironically, Americans have only recently caught onto. Bee, who found her fame overseas, addresses her new American following in a phone interview with People and gets down and dirty with rumors tying her to heartthrob Tyler Chase. Here's a snippet from the issue, which hits newsstands on Monday!

**PM:** You have a very devoted fanbase throughout the world, especially in Europe and Asia. How does it feel to finally tap into the U.S, where you're from?

**QB:** It feels incredible. I do live in the states, and to go out eating or shopping and hear my own music – it's so rewarding.

**PM:** How many people know your real name?

**QB:** I'd say less than ten.

**PM:** Is it difficult for you to keep such a big secret under wraps?

**QB:** I do get moments where I just want to tell my friends, but I really treasure the privacy I have in my life outside of Queen Bee. I'm at a place right now where I need the time to get to know my life off stage.

**PM:** Your name has been in the news a great deal lately, especially with Tyler Chase's tweet about his crush on you. Is it difficult to continue keeping such a big secret?

**QB:** It's certainly work, but it's not too bad. I have some very dedicated and amazing team members who help keep everything under wraps. They're everything to me.

**PM:** Getting back to Tyler Chase's tweet. Had you two met before the Barcelona concert?

**QB:** No, I'd never met Tyler before the Barcelona concert or the tweet. I've actually never met him at all! But he's a great musician and I'm flattered that he's a fan of my work.

**PM:** Have you experienced any harassment from Tyler's fans at all? You know they call themselves the Tyler Chasers.

**QB:** [Laughs] I haven't gotten any death threats or anything. Well, not that I know of. I actually have so many things going on in my life outside of Queen Bee that it's sometimes hard to keep up with what everyone is saying about her.

**PM:** And that's a good thing, isn't it?

**QB:** [Laughs] For the most part.
Between Madison's college applications and Gemma's midterms, the two had few interactions after the Turkey Bowl. What little conversation they shared only furthered Gemma's confusion. Madison was cordial – friendly, but not necessarily as casual as she once was. But before she could even question it, Madison simply told all the girls that she had been stressed with applications and just wanted to be as relaxed as possible for her auditions.

Gemma wasn't sure what to believe. She wanted to think that she had imagined the awkward incident at the Turkey Bowl, but Damian confirmed the story for her. Since that day, their relationship faded from courtship to friendship. Gemma was grateful for that. She had the comfort of talking openly to him since he was the one person who not only knew her feelings for Lucas, but also noticed Madison's odd behavior. She tried not to take advantage of Damian's admiration, though it was so soothing to vent about Lucas while reclining in his arms. She reasoned that Damian knew what the situation was and allowed it anyway. They enjoyed each other's company and she needed the guise of a relationship to throw Madison off her trail.

Winter break was fast approaching and with Christmas around the corner, Gemma was desperate to come up with a perfect gift to show her appreciation for Damian's friendship and support. While lounging at his house one day, she noticed a peculiar poster hanging above his couch in the family room. It was a '70s-looking black and white photo of a man dressed like Zorro, holding a basketball.

"What's that?" she asked. Damian switched on the television and looked up at the poster.

"Oh," he smiled "That's Walt 'Clyde' Frazier. He's my dad's all-time favorite Knick. He forced me to watch old videos of his games when I was a kid, which is what inspired me to be a point guard, really. Plus, the man's got an insane sense of style."

"Like dressing up as Zorro on the court," Gemma laughed.

"Well he's not wearing a cape here," Damian examined the poster. "Not that I'd put it past him. He just does what he wants without worrying about what other people say. Which is pretty admirable, I'd say."

Gemma cocked her head at the poster. She didn't know a thing about basketball but at that moment, she decided she liked the guy too.

~

"I've met Walt many times! That man is everywhere," Mira said, nonchalantly. "He's _omnipresent_. So autographed basketball, no problem. Maybe I can get him to give up an old fedora or something too."

Within a week-and-a-half, Mira came through with her promise. By the last day of school before break, an autographed basketball and two game tickets (for Damian and his father) were gift-wrapped and nestled under the grand Christmas tree that Mira had decorated herself.

"You didn't. _Did you?_ Is this – wait a second. Gemma!" To say that Damian was impressed and excited was an understatement. He ran around practice showing his teammates the autographed basketball. Gemma was slightly disappointed that the rest of the team showed no interest for anything but the second game ticket, though ultimately she was just pleased by Damian's pure joy.

She tried to keep her distance from Lucas. Since the Turkey Bowl, they hadn't talked once and she had barely even seen him in the halls. Since Madison had stopped rounding everyone up for nights out on the town, she never saw Lucas outside of school either.

But now it was basketball season, and being Damian's "girlfriend" and Gavin's sister meant that she would be at almost every game. Coach even let her stick around for practice sometimes, simply because she had impressed him with Damian's Christmas gift.

Gemma sometimes stole glances at Lucas during practice. He sat away from the team, lacing his sneakers on the bleachers while the rest of them gathered around Coach. Something was wrong and even Gavin noticed.

"Do you know if he and Madison are doing okay?" he asked one night, sitting up on the living room couch as he and Gemma watched television. "He's just quiet lately – I mean, even more than usual." Gemma simply shrugged the questions off, citing stress and schoolwork as probable causes of Lucas's stress.

"I mean, it _is_ junior year. Not everyone is you, Gavin," she said. "Some people actually care about doing well in class."

"Hold on," Gavin rubbed his chin. "The pop star that didn't actually go to a real school for the past two years is lecturing me?"

Gemma smiled. Poking fun at Gavin was usually the best way to distract him from a conversation that she didn't want to have. Gemma needed to do all she could to keep the subject of Madison and Lucas out of her home.

~

The morning of Christmas finally arrived and to the surprise of Gemma, Gavin and Mira, there was a heavy knock at the door.

"Malcolm!" Gemma heard Mira shriek from downstairs. Gemma jumped out of bed and threw on her sweatshirt and slippers, practically shoving Gavin out of the way as they charged through the hall and all but tumbled down the stairs. The four embraced and laughed as they helped Malcolm carry in suitcases and boxes full of gifts. He had managed to find a roundtrip flight at the very last minute.

"Your mother wanted to stay with your grandma," Malcolm explained to Gemma and Gavin. "They felt terrible so they had me bring quite a bit of food and presents. Look here, Grandma's been well enough lately to bake cookies."

Gemma helped unpack neatly tied boxes of chocolate chip cookies, peppermint bark, peanut brittle, and fudge. She and Mira took apart the rest of the boxes, pulling out treat after treat. Gavin retreated to the tufted leather chair by the fireplace and sat in silence, popping caramels in his mouth from the box that sat on his lap.

Gemma wasn't sure how they'd be spending Christmas this year without her family altogether. Mira was unaccustomed to organizing family events. She rarely even attended them since she was always "obligated" to attend her friends' lavish soirees. Her only plans for this year with Gemma and Gavin were to open gifts and perhaps go ice-skating later in the day. She considered inviting Hudson Gunn just so he could cook a worthy meal for their holiday dinner but decided that it was cruel to do to a man with kids of his own. "We don't need a crazy feast, silly," Gemma had said to ease Mira's pressure the night before. All Gemma really needed was her family near her and _A Christmas Story_ on television. Having her father there was just the icing on the cake.

"Well, since you're back Malcolm," Mira said as she spread some strawberry preserves and clotted cream on half a scone. "I know there's something you wanted to talk about with Gemma." Malcolm put down his coffee and nodded.

"I had a whole long speech prepared, but I'll spare you. It boils down to the fact that I am just so proud of you for how well you've adjusted to this new life. I want you to keep maintaining this balance," Malcolm said, putting his hand over Gemma's. "And I'm sure you've been tempted to tell someone about your secret, but you have to understand that you cannot. Especially since you're gaining attention in the states. Your life as Gemma would completely change, and in a terrible way."

Gemma snapped a piece of peanut brittle, sending a shard flying through the air. She popped one of the halves into her mouth and chewed. Malcolm and Mira exchanged looks. She thought about Madison. And Lucas. "My life's not the greatest right now anyway. I honestly can't wait to be Queen Bee again."

There was a long silence as her family stared at her.

"Your life is fine, drama queen," Gavin finally said through a mouth full of caramel.

"You know what, let's just have some fun right now. It's Christmas," Malcolm said, smiling genuinely. Gemma managed some sort of smile back. She had missed him. She hadn't seen him since Barcelona. Being near him made her feel close to Barcelona again, close to Queen Bee and the whole experience of the tour. She bit down on the other half of brittle dejectedly. _If only,_ she thought to herself.
QUEEN BEE ANNOUNCES NYE PERFORMANCE & U.S TOUR DATES

Celebomatic

12/28 10:43AM

Let's just call it a late Christmas gift.

Pop diva Queen Bee has given her curious U.S fans exactly what they've been waiting for – an American tour, starting in early March. The fashion icon appeared on "Good Morning America" via satellite this morning to confirm the rumors that her killer vocals will indeed be gracing the states very soon. In the meantime, Bee will hold us over with a New Year's Eve performance in Times Square, her first performance in the U.S to date. If you're one of the lucky ones in New York City on the 31st, make sure to stake your spot out fast to catch a glimpse of the rising star.

As far as the tour, tickets don't go on sale until January, but mark your calendars! The schedule goes as follows:

3/2: _New York, NY._ Madison Square Garden

3/3: _New York, NY._ Madison Square Garden

3/9: _Miami, FL._ American Airlines Arena

3/12: _Austin, TX._ Frank Erwin Center

3/15: _Los Angeles, CA._ Staples Center

3/18: _Denver, CO._ Pepsi Center

3/20: _Nashville, TN._ Bridgestone Arena.

3/24: _Chicago, IL._ United Center.

# Chapter 8

GET READY FOR US, BEE ;)

12/28 3:39PM EST

posted by Tara C.

Her Royal Secrecy

So it finally happened.

Whether it was the online petition hosted by her many fan clubs or the People Magazine cover (plus those loads and loads of Us Weekly "investigations"), Queen Bee's team has finally decided that Americans have worshipped her enough to be graced with a tour.

Yippeeee!

Not.

I know that many of you readers here have started to take a liking to Queen Bee, but I still remain suspicious. As long as she hasn't come out with her real identity yet, I haven't gotten over my theory that she is just a random chick who lip-syncs some fat girl's amazing voice. Or worse, some loony whore who is going to infect Tyler Chase with the herp and convince him to get a septum piercing or neck tattoo.

_That being said, I'm going to buy tickets for her New York show. Hel_ lo _? Some investigating needs to be done here. Speaking of which, here's my latest report:_

* Queen Bee's management is listed as the Roebling Hunter Group based in New York City. The Roebling Hunter Group was founded by Harvey Roebling and Mirabel Hunter almost ten years ago. (yes they recently got broke into, no it wasn't me because I wouldn't have gotten caught.)

* Queen Bee's exact birthday is not listed, but a British blogger reports that she announced she'd be celebrating her Sweet Sixteen soon during one of her first summer performances. Being that she just finished her summer tour in Europe, we know that Queen Bee is currently sixteen and will be turning seventeen next summer.

* During a show in Prague this summer, Queen Bee announced that her song "So Wicked" was inspired by her brother. So, she has a brother. Duh.

There are the facts, my loves. Put them together in your Queen Bee research papers and hopefully one of you will come up with an accurate report even before I do. In the meantime, keep sending me your leads, suspicions, and links. If I think anything is worth investigating, I'll post it. But thus far, I have to say, there hasn't been anything worthwhile (I mean really people? You're guessing Desiree Silver to be Queen Bee? At least DListed and ONTD commenters are making educated guesses here).

And one more thing to little miss Bee herself: I do hope you're ready for the U.S. We can be nice, but we can also be oh so mean. :)
"Oh my God ladies, be excited," Kate squealed as she jumped up and down, her springy curls bouncing about. School had started again and they were convened at a Starbucks during lunch, looking up cute bathing suits online for spring break. "Guess what I have in my hands!"

"Tyler Chase's heart? Oh no, wait – you wish," Madison smiled at her own joke.

"Well, Madison, it's actually pretty close to Tyler Chase's heart..." Kate fanned out five tickets. "We're going to go see Queen Bee at Madison Square Garden!" Leah and Jillian squealed and grabbed at the tickets while other customers buzzed over their good fortune. Madison and Gemma sat with little emotion. Madison turned to Gemma and smiled genuinely for the first time in what felt like ages.

"We're so not like them," Madison said. "I'm not a bandwagoner."

"How did you get tickets?" Leah screamed. "Even my dad's firm was trying to get them and they couldn't!"

"I have my ways," Kate said as she batted her eyelashes. "But really, I was just one of the early subscribers to Queen Bee's website and got to buy them during the private pre-sale. But aren't you girls lucky that I've chosen you to go?"

"Yes!" Leah and Jillian squealed as they took the tickets.

"I can't make it that day," Gemma blurted out.

"You don't even know what the date of the concert is!" Kate laughed. "I'm not taking no for an answer. I mean, do you realize you're saying no to like, the hottest ticket of the decade?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Gemma said, softly.

"Seriously," Madison muttered. "I don't get why everyone's like, jumping off a cliff for her."

"Have you even listened to her music, Madison? Or seen her gorgeous clothes? And shoes?" Jillian asked with urgency. "You _are_ going to come right?"

"Who cares about those two," Leah turned her nose up. "We can totally sell their tickets and go on a Neiman's spree."

"Maybe take Lucas and Elisa," Madison suggested. Gemma's eyes widened. "Elisa's crazy about Queen Bee. Of course that's normal for a _tween_ but for you girls – you should be ashamed."

"And you think Lucas would want to go?" Gemma asked.

"God, no," Madison snorted. "He just wouldn't trust these psychos to take care of Elisa for the night."

"Fine. I guess it's better if the tickets go to people we know. Especially a _real_ fan like Elisa," Kate said.

"Are you sure? Because I still think we can make a profit on this," Leah said as the girls rolled their eyes and laughed.

~

Gemma had been out of school for a few days to fly back and forth between coasts to do talk show appearances. Reuniting with Penelope and Armand was so exciting that she completely forgot about making up a good excuse for why she was out. She opted for the classic flu excuse and was mildly disappointed that the girls had barely noticed her absence. They only asked in passing if she was feeling better when she returned. Lucas, however, was a different story. Despite the fact that he continued to restrict his contact with Gemma, Gavin had reported that he dropped by the house to check if Gemma needed someone to bring her make-up work from school.

"That's a good friend," Gavin said. "I love that dude. I'd marry him if it were legal."

Gemma laughed. She had figured out that Gavin's way of showing true appreciation for a friend was through homoeroticism. "How does that work considering you're both straight and have girlfriends?"

"We would build a loving marriage based on our strong foundation of bromance. And we'd get rid of Madison and share Kylie."

"Hm, you're funny, Gavin," Gemma said absently. She wanted to know why Lucas had really dropped by. They shared no classes and she wondered why he would assume the responsibility of collecting her work. She was desperate for these answers but of course, since her return, Lucas was elusive once again.

~

Mira had dubbed the American tour "Queen Bee: Homecoming." She decided that for such a magnificent event, at least a few new pieces of clothing and jewelry needed to be added. It was an easy task because a slew of American designers had recently begun sending free dresses and even offering to custom design for Queen Bee. Mira accepted but refused to use any of the new dresses as the final costume. They would still finish with the Balenciaga gown that had since been moved to the showroom where the team was preparing wardrobe.

Luckily, Penelope had already done most of Gemma's adjustments before the blizzard hit. Two feet of snow piled onto Beauford with nearly just as much along the path towards New York. Everyone was snowed in and school was canceled for the second consecutive day. Gemma and Mira watched the snow fall outside the window while Gavin seemed to shovel endlessly without any progress.

"Poor kid," Mira said. "If he doesn't get past that front part of the driveway in ten minutes, I'm sending you out there to help."

" _Me?_ " Gemma sputtered. "Why me?"

"Because my poor arms have been through too many hours of pilates sculpting to lift a shovel right now."

Gemma frowned and continued to watch Gavin, hoping for more progress. He was comically bundled up in a down jacket that looked huge with two Beauford Warriors sweaters on underneath and a gray Gucci knit cap pulled over his eyebrows. He suddenly stopped and threw his shovel aside with frustration, yelling something.

"What's that boy saying?" Mira asked, leaning towards the window. "Looks like it's your turn, Gemma."

"Really?" Gemma pouted.

They watched Gavin as he turned towards Lucas's house. Mira cracked open the window so that his muffled cries became clearer.

"Snowblower!" he yelled. "Give me your damn snowblower!"

Out of the mist of snow, Lucas seemed to appear magically. He pushed the snowblower down the sidewalk and onto their driveway. Both Gemma and Mira laughed at the sight of him, bundled up like Gavin in a North Face jacket and multiple scarves.

"Oh so that's how good suburbanites do it," Mira mused.

Once the two boys successfully cleared the driveway, Mira insisted they both come inside for her homemade chai. She boiled spices and milk as the boys tried to warm themselves on the couch. Gavin sat on one end, wearing a pinstriped Yankees Snuggie.

"Do you need me to hold you Lucas?" he asked. Lucas laughed, inching away from Gavin and towards Gemma. Gemma tensed.

"No thanks."

"Gavin!" Mira shouted from the kitchen. "What have I told you about making guests feel uncomfortable in our home?" She brought out a tray of three piping hot mugs. Gavin was in the midst of answering her but opted to grab a mug and slurp his chai instead.

"Thanks, Aunt Mira. Don't you have one for yourself?" Gemma asked as she reached for the tray. She took a mug and handed it to Lucas without making eye contact.

"No, I'll reward myself with one later. I need to make some calls regarding one of my _clients_ upstairs," she winked at Gemma. "But you kids have fun."

Once Mira was gone, the room was silent aside from Gavin's slurping sounds. He clearly had no intention of starting any conversation. Gemma's pulse raced as she tried to think of an appropriate way to break the silence.

"Gavin," Lucas suddenly said. Gemma let out a silent sigh of relief. "Do you know where you want to go yet?"

Gavin chugged his chai and slammed down an empty mug. Lucas grimaced. "I don't know. I don't really care, I just know I want to keep playing ball," Gavin answered. He peered into Lucas's mug. "How are you drinking that so slowly?"

"It's kind of scalding hot," Gemma interjected.

"Right?" Lucas looked over at Gemma, as if he suddenly had permission. He laughed, seemingly relieved to be able to say something to her.

Gemma nervously averted her gaze to notice Gavin grabbing Lucas's mug off the tray and bringing it to his lips. "Oh no, Lucas he's – " she failed in her attempt to warn Lucas and he turned to see his chai gone, already washed down Gavin's throat.

"Not cool, I just helped you clear your driveway," Lucas said, suppressing his amusement.

"Aw man, that hit the spot," Gavin said, punctuating his remark with a belch. "I'm sleepy."

"That's because you just guzzled a liter of warm milk," Gemma said. She handed her mug to Lucas. "You can have mine if you still have an appetite after what we just witnessed."

"Thanks," Lucas accepted, keeping his eyes on hers. Gavin stretched out on the sectional, bundling himself in the Snuggie and resting his head on Lucas's lap.

"You don't mind, right?"

"Come on, man, don't you ever stop with this?" Lucas moved away laughing. He tucked a cushion underneath Gavin's head for comfort.

"Aw," Gavin cooed, fluffing the pillow. "I knew you still loved me." He stretched, his long body taking up an alarming amount of space on the couch. Lucas continued to inch away until he was thigh to thigh with Gemma. Within moments, Gavin was breathing steadily, sound asleep.

"Wow," Lucas said under his breath. "He really has a talent for that."

"What?" Gemma asked. "Living the life of a spoiled housecat?"

"Exactly!" Lucas whispered. Gemma smiled at his sincere amazement.

"Thanks for helping us finish the driveway, by the way," she said. "Aunt Mira was two seconds away from making me go out there and help."

"Oh no, not _that_ ," Lucas said dramatically.

Gemma laughed, grateful that he was joking around with her again. "Shut up," she said. "I owe you one, okay?"

"You always say that."

Gavin stirred on the couch, kicking his feet like a child. Lucas and Gemma jumped.

"Maybe we should move downstairs so we don't wake him. He gets surprisingly cranky," Gemma said in a hushed tone as she got up from the couch.

"Surprisingly?" Lucas questioned. Gemma laughed. "But uh, maybe I should just head home."

"You don't have to!" Gemma whispered, her desperation surprising even herself. Lucas, however, didn't seem to notice. "You haven't even finished your chai. Let's just go downstairs."

She led Lucas to the lower den. It was decorated like an old log cabin with wooden walls, old family photos and a brick fireplace. Mira had left a fire crackling from the afternoon. The couch was smaller and undeniably cozy seating for two. _Okay, what was I thinking?_ Gemma asked herself.

"Wow, it's really nice down here," Lucas said, touching the warm fleece throw on the couch. "I guess Gavin never hangs out in this room. I've never seen it before."

"Yeah, there's not really enough space for him to sit comfortably."

"That's because he doesn't know how to sit like a civilized person," Lucas joked, plopping himself down on one side of the couch. He looked at Gemma expectantly. Gemma approached the seat, hoping Lucas wouldn't notice her hands trembling. And sweating. _Attractive,_ she told herself. She leaned as far from Lucas as she could but it still only left a mere two inches between them. "It was really nice of you and Madison to give the Queen Bee tickets to Elisa. I've been meaning to thank you for that."

Gemma frowned, disappointed. _Is that all he's been trying to tell me?_ "It's no problem, I couldn't make it anyway and Madison said she's a fan. But wouldn't it be torture for you to go to a Queen Bee concert?"

Lucas laughed hard. The fire reflected in his eyes and Gemma let go of her nerves a little. She hadn't seen him so relaxed since the day in the rain. "Well, between you and me, I'm kind of curious about her. I want to know what she has to hide," Lucas said, his eyes narrowing as he looked into the bright fire. "Also, Coach has been playing her songs during our warm-ups."

"Are you serious?" Gemma giggled. Gavin hadn't told her, but then again he never talked much about Queen Bee.

"Yeah, Gavin had it on his iPhone and said it was good music to pump everyone up with."

"He _did_?" Gemma gushed excitedly, her hand clasping her heart.

"We all made fun of him at first but now everyone knows all the lyrics. So really, I think I might be the envy of my team," Lucas said with a laugh. Gemma laughed with him. She was ecstatic to know how truly supportive Gavin was of her. "So are you a fan?" Lucas asked. "I know Madison's not, but she's not a fan of a lot of things."

"I honestly don't know her music very well," Gemma lied. Pretending to not know anything about Queen Bee had become second nature to her.

"It would be fun if you could be there with us," Lucas said sincerely with a sleepy yawn. He tilted his head and looked at her with a placid smile. Gemma felt goosebumps ripple across her arms. "Are you cold?" he asked perceptively. Without waiting for her to answer, he took the fleece blanket off the arm of the couch and wrapped it around her.

"Thanks," she said. Her breaths were shallow as she watched him lean back against the couch, his head resting just inches from hers.

"I don't know how Gavin shoveled for as long as he did," Lucas yawned again. "I had the snowblower and I was exhausted..." His voice trailed off. The fire continued to crackle softly, emitting a warm glow. Gemma guessed that she had the fire and chai to thank for the peaceful laziness they were experiencing. Less than an hour ago, their tension was thick and awkwardly palpable. Gemma smiled, grateful for where they were. The two soon drifted off to sleep.

~

Gemma awoke to the sound of Madison's muffled voice coming from upstairs.

"Yeah, I don't know. I was sleeping," Gavin's voice came through a little clearer as Gemma shook off her grogginess.

"He's not home and Elisa said he was shoveling for you. I know he can't be far in this weather," Madison replied. Gemma's heart pounded upon looking to her side and seeing Lucas still asleep, curled under the fleece blanket with her. She slid out from under the cover and tip-toed away from him.

"Let me check, maybe he's in Gemma's room or something," Gavin said. Gemma's heart hammered. Madison had yet to respond but she could somehow feel a sudden tension.

"I'll come with you. I can't believe Lucas has seen Gemma's room and I haven't – what kind of friend _is_ she?" Madison laughed, her friendly tone sounding painfully forced. Gemma waited, listening for the pair of footsteps to make its way upstairs. She stole a glance at Lucas. He looked adorable and sexy at once, leaning into the seat that Gemma had been in just moments before. All she wanted to do was nestle back into that spot. Instead, she tiptoed upstairs.

Gemma bustled through the kitchen and grabbed an armful of vegetables from the fridge as well as a cutting board from the cabinet. She smoothed down her rumpled sweater and leggings, then quickly pulled her hair into a smooth ponytail. She retrieved a knife from the drawer and began chopping just as she heard Madison and Gavin's footsteps return.

"Ah, here she is," Gavin said. Gemma arched an eyebrow as she popped a piece of red pepper into her mouth.

"Oh, hey," she said as casually as she could. Madison's accusing blue eyes bore sharply into hers. "What are you doing here, Madison?"

"I'm looking for Lucas," Madison said, cocking her head threateningly to one side. Gemma tried her best to stay on top of her nerves.

"Oh right," she said. "I think he might still be here. Those two chugged all our chai and fell asleep somewhere." She squinted at Gavin. "Wasn't he out on the couch with you?" From the corner of her eye, she could see Madison's gaze frozen on her face.

"Yeah," Gavin stretched, looking confused. "He was right there when I fell asleep but when I woke up, I was taking up the entire couch. I probably kicked him off." Gavin walked groggily downstairs. Madison crossed her arms and sidled up next to Gemma.

"What have you been up to?" she asked, her gaze unblinking.

"Just catching up on homework," Gemma said, casually. "Being snowed in is giving me a lot of time to get work done. I have a ton of stuff to make up from missing school last week."

"I found him!" Gavin's voice called from downstairs. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. Do you need me to kiss you?"

From the kitchen, the girls could hear Lucas jerking awake and tumbling off the couch, probably to avoid Gavin's lips. Both Madison and Gemma cracked smiles upon hearing the sound. The boys soon marched upstairs and into the kitchen.

"Man, how knocked out were we?" Gavin asked, massaging his own shoulder. "Manual labor and warm milk is more powerful than a bottle of Patron." Lucas laughed but stopped abruptly upon noticing Madison.

"Madison! What are you doing here?" he asked. His confused, questioning eyes darted over to Gemma for a brief moment.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Madison countered.

"I helped them snowblow their driveway and then Mira gave me tea and I totally passed out," Lucas grumbled. "Are the roads clear now?"

"They've been," Madison said sternly. "I wanted to go out. I've been trapped in the house for two days."

"Okay. Okay, let's go," Lucas nodded, rolling his shoulders back and stretching. They all said their good-byes as Gavin and Gemma walked Madison and Lucas to the door.

"Oh," Madison said in a surprisingly bright tone. She turned to Gavin. "Now that my boyfriend's dug your car out of the snow, you should give Gemma the keys so she can get her tote bag."

"Oh, sure. You left it in there, Gemma?" Gavin asked.

"I, um..." Gemma stammered, shaking her head, confused.

"Oh honey, on my way in I just saw that you left your bag in Gavin's car with all your books and binders. It must've sucked that you couldn't even catch up on homework while you were snowed in," Madison said with a stiff smile. It slowly fell from her face. As she whipped her hair around and marched towards the car, she glanced over her shoulder at Gemma with a look of feigned wonderment. "I really wonder how you managed to pass all that time."

# Chapter 9

To the disappointment of most students, Beauford High was open the following day. Gemma was relieved. She knew for sure that she wasn't imagining Madison's behavior and she couldn't go another hour wondering what Madison may have told the rest of the girls. _Exile,_ Gemma said to herself as she sat in her morning classes. _They're going to exile me._ To her relief, she received a text from Leah a few minutes into their lunch period asking her where she was. Gemma responded that she was meeting with teachers about make-up assignments but in reality, she had relegated herself in the girls' bathroom. Suddenly she worried about going outside to meet the girls. Madison had to have something in store for her. _She definitely turned them all against me. She had to._

She hadn't. When Gemma stepped outside, she found Leah, Jillian and Kate huddled around a magazine in their usual spot.

"Hey babe," Jillian said. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but Gemma remained unconvinced. Within moments, Madison's Range Rover pulled up to the curb and the girls hopped in. Gemma shuffled toward the car tentatively, making sure to establish eye contact with Madison before getting in. Madison smiled normally though she said nothing.

The day went by in such an ordinary manner that Gemma was once again left to believe that she was overreacting or going crazy. Or both. She couldn't help feeling as if she had witnessed the calm before the storm during lunch. To play it safe, she decided to beg Gavin for a ride home instead of hopping back in the car with Madison. Gemma headed towards the boy's locker room door when suddenly she felt someone grab her from behind.

She gasped and curled up in shock only to hear Damian's laughter.

"Did I scare you?" he asked, smoothing down her hair and kissing her on the forehead. "I'm sorry."

"That's not a normal way to greet someone," Gemma said, on edge.

"I always greet you this way," Damian said. He cocked his head. "Is something wrong?" He didn't wait for her to answer before wrapping his arms around her, and only then did the tears fall from Gemma's eyes. A group of sophomore girls whispered as they passed her. Gemma felt her tears soaking into Damian's t-shirt and the distant sound of the girls chattering. She whipped her head around to shoot them a look but they were undeterred, planted in their spot. "Come on," Damian took her hands. "Let's go inside." He led her into the boy's locker room.

"Damian, I shouldn't be in here," Gemma managed through her tears.

"It's okay, I'm always the first one here. There won't be anyone for awhile." He sat Gemma down on a bench and took the seat beside her. "We can sit it out or talk about it, whatever you want." Gemma leaned her head on his muscular shoulders, sliding her hand under his.

"I'm scared of Madison."

"What'd she do?"

"Nothing," Gemma grumbled. "Nothing at all."

Damian frowned. "I missed something here."

"She thinks there's something going on between me and Lucas."

"Is there?"

"No!" Gemma lifted her head to look Damian in the eye. " _No_ ," she repeated sternly.

"Well if there's nothing going on, what are you worried about?"

"I'm worried about what she's thinking. He was at my house the other day to help Gavin shovel and we fell asleep on the couch together. Madison didn't see but I'm pretty sure she guessed... and then some," Gemma said. Damian raised an eyebrow. "What? Is it the worst thing in the world that we fell asleep next to each other _sitting up_? It was a total accident."

"It's not bad. I might just be jealous," Damian said, managing a bit of a laugh. He pulled her into him for a hug and she wrapped her arms around his body, releasing a breath that she hadn't even realized she was holding.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Gemma heard a gruff voice and the sound of squeaking sneakers accompanied by clicking heels. Gemma peered around the lockers to see Matt, a football player she recognized from parties including Madison's birthday. His arms were wrapped around a giggling Kylie. Gemma gasped, catching their attention.

"Oh no way. I knew it!" Matt doubled over in laughter upon seeing the two on the bench, spurring Damian to release Gemma from his arms. "I _told_ everyone the good girl thing was just an act." Kylie kept her hands down Matt's back pockets, untroubled by the fact that she was in the presence of her boyfriend's sister.

"Unlike you, we're not doing anything wrong," Damian said, standing up.

"Really?" Matt snorted. "Then what's she in here for? There's no other explanation."

"Uh, no. You're the only dude gross enough to use this place like a hotel room," Damian said. He turned to Kylie. "What, do you just go for an off-season athlete so you can get rides home after school?"

"What'd you say to my girl?" Matt asked, letting go of Kylie to approach Damian. Gemma stood still, feeling nervous and completely useless. Damian was tall and lean but Matt was, well, _big_. A fight could go either way.

"Aw Matt, come on," Damian said, stone-faced. "We all know Kylie isn't really anyone's girl."

Kylie scoffed, putting a warning hand in Damian's face. "I know you're not trying to call me a slut."

" _I_ know Gavin isn't seeing anyone else," Damian countered. "So I'm not sure why you are."

Matt snickered. "Enough, D. I think it's clear who the real slut in this room is." He nodded towards Gemma. "Heard you tried to fuck Lucas this week. Pretty sure _you're_ the one who doesn't know what 'taken' means."

Before Gemma could even react to the comment, Damian's elbow had propelled itself into Matt's chest, sending him reeling backwards towards Kylie.

"Damian, _no_ ," Gemma ran to stop him. She could only think of his college scholarships, all the Division I schools that had scouted his stellar play for their own basketball teams. "It's not worth it, Damian!" She clutched his arm and backpedaled her feet in an attempt to pull him away. She finally succeeded, though she suspected Damian had given up on the fight for the sake of her panic. He interlocked his fingers with hers and stepped back to give her a look of reassurance.

Matt huffed as he struggled to get back on his feet. "You're wasting your energy on her," he smirked. "She's using you to get closer to Lucas. She's a whore."

As Gemma's jaw dropped with mortification, she felt Damian's hand release hers and watched it land a hard punch in Matt's eye. Kylie screamed as Matt lunged forward, shoving Damian to the ground. Gemma rushed to push Matt off of him but he flung her arm back, throwing her against the lockers.

Just then, she heard the creak of the locker room door opening and looked up.

Madison stood at the doorway in shock. Lucas had already run towards the fight and grabbed Matt by the back collar. He lifted him off of Damian, who remained on the ground holding his head. Kylie simply stood staring in shock while Gemma eased herself off of the cold floor.

"What's going on here?" Lucas yelled. Gemma froze. She had never seen him so much as raise his voice let alone look so furious. Veins protruded from his neck. He looked to her, his normally calm hazel eyes now frantic in search of an answer.

"Damian's playing superhero as always," Matt spat, trying to laugh it off despite his obvious pain. He touched his face gingerly with one hand and pointed to Gemma with the other. "Trying to defend this dumb bitch."

Lucas let go of Matt's collar violently, sending him sailing into the lockers. The loud crash made everyone but Lucas jump.

"The fuck, man!" Matt growled. "You too? Is there something about her that I'm missing?"

"What are you talking about?" Lucas seethed.

"Everyone knows she tried to get in your pants and you're _such_ a good boyfriend for turning her down," Matt dripped with sarcasm. "But I don't know now, I'm starting to doubt you did by the way you're defending the slut."

Gemma looked to Lucas's face, which creased in utter confusion. A crowd had gathered outside the locker room. Madison was holding open the door. She watched with an eerily peaceful look on her face.

"Leave Lucas alone for defending Gemma," she said diplomatically. "He just has a good heart. And I don't blame Gemma for _whatever_ it was she was doing, I'm just glad it's over now." Madison walked towards them with her hand over her heart. She turned to the crowd behind her. "Could everyone please leave us alone?" They stayed put. Madison didn't persist. Instead, she held her hand out to Gemma. With everyone watching, Gemma accepted. Madison jerked her arm up so hard that Gemma gasped in pain. She ignored Madison's smirk and hurried to Damian, whom Lucas was helping to his feet.

"Are you okay?" she asked breathlessly. Damian smiled softly but didn't look back at her. "Damian?" She stood watching his back as he headed towards the door.

"Yeah, Gem. I'm good, don't worry, okay?" he answered hastily before making his way towards the door. "I just need some air." He pushed through the crowd, successfully dispersing them. Gemma wanted to follow him but couldn't ignore Lucas, who sat slouching on the bench. She noticed that he had sustained a small injury during the fracas – a bleeding cut right above his cheek. _Now I really owe you one,_ Gemma couldn't help thinking.

"Lucas," she turned to him. "Lucas, I don't know what you heard but I hope you know me well enough to know I didn't do any of...whatever people are saying."

"Yeah, it's fine," Lucas said. He got up, running his hands through his hair. "Madison, I think I left my sneakers at your place. Can you drive me to get them before practice?" Madison nodded with a sympathetic pout, running a hand across his chest. Lucas walked ahead of her and out of the locker room.

"So, Gemma," Madison said, lifting an eyebrow. "I'm sure you'll find your own way home today?" She slinked closer to Gemma, leaning over her shoulder. She whispered into her ear. "On second thought, you should probably just find one for the rest of the year."

~

There was a knock at her bedroom door. Gemma groaned, finally stirring from her deep sleep. She had gone straight to bed after coming home from school.

"Come in," she called, her voice cracking. The door pushed open and Gavin walked in, still dressed in his sweats from practice.

"Gemma, what happened?" he asked. His expression was somewhere between anger and concern.

"I don't even know," Gemma pulled a pillow over her head miserably. "Madison just... I walked home because I'm pretty sure the girls all think I went after Lucas too. The whole school does. And I think Damian's mad at me too, but I almost don't know why." She pulled the pillow off of her face to see Gavin still standing at the door. "You can come in, you know. Have you talked to Kylie?"

"Nah. I really couldn't give less of a shit about Kylie anymore. But I appreciate Damian sticking up for me. He's a good guy. If you were going to date any of the guys, he'd be the one I'd be cool with," Gavin said with a laugh, but then his face became serious. "I do need to know though, and I want you to be honest with me... what is going on with you and Lucas?"

"Nothing, Gavin! You don't believe me either?"

"No, I believe you. I just wanted to hear you say it," he finally walked towards her. He plopped down in bed next to Gemma and put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't ever worry about you know, your honor being defended. In the locker room or anywhere else. You know who's got your back." He pulled Gemma in for a bear hug. "If you need proof, check out Matt's other eye tomorrow. He looks like a raccoon."

~

Though once again, Gemma was thoroughly prepared for complete exile from the clique, she didn't get it. Things returned almost entirely back to normal, and the girls went about their lives as if the whole school wasn't talking about the locker room fight. From the way they still exchanged daily gossip, advice and text messages, Gemma could tell that her friendships with Leah and Kate had not changed. They still sought her out for lunch and pouted when she said that she had to spend the period in the library, making up work. Jillian, ever loyal to Madison, was still friendly with Gemma though somewhat strained.

Madison, however, was a different story.

She was perfectly civil with Gemma. She even smiled and sometimes played with her hair – though this was usually in front of the whole cafeteria or some other location with plenty of student onlookers. The school buzzed with praise for her saintly act of giving Gemma a second chance at friendship. Her show was well acted, and she sometimes convinced even Gemma that everything was fine. But it wasn't, and Gemma knew she would be stupid to believe otherwise.

Occasionally, she would look up from her magazine or phone to see Madison observing her with steely blue eyes. Rather than looking away once Gemma caught her gaze, she would unblinkingly turn up the ends of her glossy lips in a smile. Or rather, something resembling a smile. Gemma found that its fakeness hardly qualified. She also found that Madison was constantly watching her, seemingly taking mental notes of her every move and familiarizing herself with her daily routine. It was chilling for her to even think about what was going through Madison's mind. Though practically everything else had returned to normalcy, Gemma lived in constant fear of Madison, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

So she threw herself into all her schoolwork, thankful for the opportunity to get it done and be caught up when she got back from the tour. The bright fluorescent lights and tense murmurs of the library would soon be replaced with awe-inspiring lighting and cheering crowds of the arenas. Her life as a high school student was caving in on her, but outside the walls of Beauford High, she was an international pop star who just sold out five major cities. She reasoned to herself that there was nothing she could frown at. _Just as long as I can leave Gemma behind._
ZOE MERCURY: "I'M OBSESSED WITH QUEEN BEE!"

Celebomatic

1:44PM 2/25

Zoe Mercury is the latest to join the list of celebs on the Queen Bee train. At the premiere of her own film, "Outta This World: The Movie," the D Network star shared her love for the pop singer's style.

" _I'm obsessed with her voice and her whole persona. I'd love to meet her, I feel like we'd have a lot of fun," Mercury said in an interview on the red carpet. "She and I would paint the town red."_

Mercury, a D Network star since the age of ten, has recently come under fire for partying and being linked to multiple Hollywood heartthrobs. D Network is reportedly renegotiating her contract for a breach in her 'good behavior clause,' which states that Mercury must keep her social life under wraps and avoid any negative publicity.

# Chapter 10

Despite having done the routine hundreds of times, rehearsals still felt grueling. It took every last drop of Gemma's energy to make up for the six months she spent relaxing and losing her physical capabilities to dance for hours on end. However, despite her exhausted energy, she felt no pain. After everything that happened over the past month, the early wake-up calls and shuttling from location to location felt like nothing.

The night before her first performance at Madison Square Garden, Mira took Gemma to The Spa at Mandarin Oriental. A masseuse worked out all of Gemma's knots and sore muscles on the cushy, luxurious massage beds. The crisp, clean décor helped relax her mind and after the massage, Gemma felt fully refreshed and revitalized. After lounging in the soothing warmth of their sparkling amethyst-tiled steam room, Mira and Gemma luxuriated in the spa's tea lounge, wrapped in plush white robes.

"Nervous?" Mira asked, raising a teacup to her lips. Gemma shrugged, smiling.

"Excited."

"I heard from Gavin that our next door neighbors got a hold of some tickets. Must be big fans."

"Well, I gave them the ticket...that Kate bought for me," Gemma said. Mira laughed hard, nearly spitting out her tea.

"Do you think they'd recognize you?"

"Never," Gemma frowned. "But it's better that way, right?" She shrugged, trying to look carefree. Mira set her tea down and put her hand over Gemma's.

"We're not so delusional that we think you can keep this secret for the rest of your life. We just want you to get as much as you can out of your young life right now and keep your options open. Okay, my love?" Mira patted Gemma's hand. Gemma nodded. "Anything else Gemma wants to talk to me about? Because when we leave this building, your mind officially switches to Queen Bee."

Gemma thought about telling Mira that she had fallen hard for her former friend's boyfriend and that this boyfriend happened to be the next-door neighbor that was going to be attending the concert. She was never nervous for a show before but she had never performed knowing that people she knew and spent time with would be in the crowd. Gemma didn't know if she could ever go completely back to Queen Bee now that she had truly lived as Gemma.

~

To call the first performance a success would have been the understatement of the decade. Apparently being the hottest ticket in town meant a huge celebrity guest list. A red carpet and press wall was set up outside of Madison Square Garden to greet the A-listers and help them into the building without being disturbed by fans.

"I didn't see Tyler Chase out there tonight but I hear he's hot on your tail," Armand said to Gemma as he and Penelope worked to strip her down from Queen Bee back to her own self. In addition to practicing her dance routines again, Gemma and her team had also practiced "The GTFO Routine." This was what they called the moment between signing autographs for fans as Queen Bee to getting her back to looking like any ordinary girl. It involved shuttling Gemma to a pitch-black secret location where they would strip her of her costume, remove all her make-up, put her in the most nondescript outfit possible and dispatch fifteen other girls that looked near identical to Gemma. The girls would wear similar outfits and they would all exit at once, walking out looking like Queen Bee's make-up team or maybe even backup singers and dancers. Gemma would hide among them and even "The Clones" (what Armand and Penelope called them) didn't know which of them was Queen Bee. The routine was exciting and eerie. Gemma always felt like she was the star of some bad sci-fi movie when she marched out with The Clones.

From her town car, Gemma watched as crowds of fans and paparazzi waited at all the exits of the arena in hopes of catching a glimpse of Queen Bee's true identity. In Europe and Asia, this lifestyle had felt like make-believe. But now, not only in her own country but her home city, it felt truly unreal.

~

"It says, 'Psyched for the concert, wish you were coming – miss you lots!' And then there are like, six different types of smiley faces," Mira said, reading through Gemma's iPhone. Leah, Kate and Jillian had been texting Gemma all day but she was busy having rhinestones carefully applied down her arms for the opening number. "Do you want to text them back?"

"What time is it supposed to be in London right now? Could I be in bed? Can they trace the text and find out I'm really in the states still?"

"Stop worrying," Mira said. "I'm texting them back that you miss them and you're going to sleep. Then I'm turning off the phone, _which_ you should have done from the beginning young lady. Focus."

Gemma nodded. _You heard her. Focus,_ she told herself. She had kept her phone on in hopes of receiving a text from Gavin, in case he had overheard Lucas perhaps talking about his excitement for the concert. _Not that that's important,_ Gemma tried convincing herself as she prepared her anxious body to perform in front of her classmates.

~

"Another city, another success. Another screaming twenty thousand fans," Penelope feigned a yawn. "No big deal."

Armand's fingers weaved through Gemma's corset, deftly loosening the strings. "Pen, why must you speak incessantly when we are in a hurry? Ugh, _c'est des conneries_." French profanities were known to fly out of his mouth at the end of concerts, especially when they were nearing the GTFO Routine.

Within five minutes, Penelope and Armand were able to remove Gemma from the Balenciaga gown and zip her into one of the meet-and-greet outfits designed for the American tour. The dress was easier to walk in and something the team would actually allow her to wear when being grabbed at by fans.

Armand put away the Balenciaga gown the way one would put a baby to sleep in a crib. Gemma looked at her reflection in the mirror, admiring the new dress. It was a sleeveless turtleneck mini-dress made only of silver lace. It was most certainly something Leah would throw herself under a bus for. Underneath the dress, Gemma wore a thin, nude slip by Agent Provocateur. Armand sewed Mikimoto pearls onto the slip so that they peeked out from under the lace. The outfit hugged her figure tightly as if it were painted on. It was most definitely one of the sexiest outfits she had ever worn as Queen Bee, and there had been many.

On her head, she wore an elaborately styled jet-black wig and an ornate Venetian mask that covered her face above her red-stained lips. Hand-painted, purple detailing lined her eyes.

"Ready for the craziness?" Penelope called from the exit, where her security team waited. Gemma took one last look at herself in the mirror before calling back.

"I'm ready."

Gemma wondered if Leah, Jillian, and Kate would be out there waiting for a possible autograph or photo. She hoped she'd at least get to catch a glimpse of their faces. She missed them, having avoided them for so long.

Her bodyguards stood by her side as they opened the doors to let her out. A red rope and nearly a dozen policemen stood between her and the fans. Over the sea of people, Gemma saw one person stand out. Lucas was ten people deep, but since he was taller than the average Queen Bee fan, he was easy to spot. On his shoulders was a screaming Elisa who practically wheezed with excitement as Gemma approached. She signed autographs and took pictures with the fans up in the front, her eyes glued to Lucas and Elisa. Next to the two were Leah, Jillian and Kate. They had their iPhones out in front of them, snapping photo after photo, reminding Gemma of the time they staged a mini-photo shoot on Madison's deck.

"Please exit immediately after you've gotten your autograph or photograph! One picture per person! If it didn't come out right, too bad!" The security boomed their orders over the crowds. Gemma felt nervous, signing CDs and posters as fast as she could. She knew she couldn't get to everyone but she wanted to disappoint as few people as possible, and of course, hopefully get to her friends. With her head ducked, autographing furiously, she suddenly recognized a familiar pair of red-manicured hands shove two CDs at her.

"I know it's supposed to be one per person but please, please, _please_ make an exception!" Leah squealed. Gemma giggled at her friend's panic as she signed them both. "Oh my God, thank you. The other one is for my friend Gemma – she's having like the shittiest time at school right now and this would make her day, I'm positive it would!" Leah tried relaying the rest of her story but security pushed her towards the door. Gemma laughed, happy to know she was still on their minds as she posed for a picture with Jillian and Kate.

"Alright!" security yelled. "No more! That's it!" They took Gemma by the arm and led her back towards the way she came in. She looked to see Elisa and Lucas look on, mouths agape with disappointment.

"No, no!" Gemma pulled her arm from her security's grip. "Just one more."

Elisa's eyes widened in amazement as Gemma made a beeline for her. She jumped down from Lucas's shoulders and attempted to compose herself as Gemma approached. Lucas's own excitement was palpable as he grabbed his camera to take a picture for them. The moment the camera flashed, Elisa's knees gave out beneath her and she hugged Gemma in tears.

"Oh my God, Queen Bee, I love you! I dressed up as you for Halloween!"

Lucas laughed as he restrained her. "Thank you so much," he said as he put a hand on Elisa's shoulder and led her towards the door. "You don't know what this means to us."

Gemma looked up at Lucas, his gorgeous eyes absolutely gleaming with gratification. It was one thing to impress Leah and the girls, but an entirely different thing to impress Lucas. She could hardly contain her own happiness. "Well, I've owed you one," she laughed heartily. Lucas's smile faded into confusion.

"What?" Lucas looked deeply into Gemma's face.

_What did you say?_ Gemma's eyes widened just slightly as she realized her mistake. Feeling her heart pound, she pressed the back of her hand against the small of her back – a signal used for security to extract her from dangerous fan situations. While this one was far milder than the mob situations that occurred in Europe and Asia, she felt a panic that she had never felt before. _He probably didn't hear me. I'm sure he didn't even understand if he did._ Her security arrived at her side immediately, hustling her away from Lucas. As they pulled her away, another guard pushed Lucas back towards the exit. He had yet to take his eyes off of her, and Gemma saw in them a look of vague comprehension that seemed to increase by the moment. He had heard her.
THE RISE TO ROYALTY

Queen Bee's popularity skyrockets in States amidst first American tour

The Pop Source

March 7

It's hard to go anywhere these days without hearing about pop megastar, Queen Bee. You hear her songs blasting in stores, restaurants, and cars that zip past you on the highway. You may very well be playing the number one Billboard hit "Tell the World" in your very own car. Her constantly concealed yet obviously stunning face can be seen on a dozen magazine covers this month. Page Six reported that a slew of A-list celebrities have reached out to the house of Balenciaga in hopes of getting their hands on a replica of Queen Bee's feather and pearl stunner – only to be rejected one by one. And this, of course, only furthers America's worship of this teenaged prodigy.

_Despite our country's obsession with the private lives of celebrities, Bee has not lost any popularity for keeping hers completely, well,_ private _. That of course is not to say that many fans aren't desperately trying to pry their ways into it. In fact, many websites have popped up in honor of that mission itself – uncovering the true identity of Queen Bee._

Regardless, it's refreshing to have a celebrity on the scene who has made it because of her talent and not her celebrity social circle or extracurricular drama. Though that's not to say that Bee won't soon see her fair share of drama (what with millions of Tyler Chasers heavy on her tail). But in the meantime, we're pretty stoked to welcome the future and very worship-worthy Queen of pop.
Off the high of the New York concerts, Gemma went on to do two of her most solid performances to date in Miami and Austin. She didn't tell anyone about the incident with Lucas for fear of an extreme security overhaul. She could almost see Mira sending a team of intimidating security over to Lucas's house with hush money to keep him quiet. She tried to reassure herself that in such a moment of frenzy, Lucas probably couldn't be certain of what he heard. And even if he were, he wouldn't necessarily make anything of it.

It was easier to calm herself over her slip of the tongue when she was out of Lucas's knee-weakening presence. Plus, she had plenty of things to distract herself with.

In their one day off between the Austin and Los Angeles concerts, Penelope had convinced Gemma and Armand to stick around so she could drive them through her home city. To get in the spirit of the trip, Gemma put on a red plaid Ralph Lauren shirt over a pair of Hudson jeans. Penelope provided her with a cowboy hat and the three drove to get some Texan barbecue.

The Salt Lick was a restaurant somewhere in the Hill Country. Gemma found it charming, looking hand-built with its wooden walls and wooden tables. A hand-laid brick pit boasted the most fragrant barbecue brisket, ribs, and sausages.

"Oh well, no diet for Armand today," Armand declared as he untied the Imprimeur Fou Hermès scarf from his neck and tore through the first round of the meal. "I read this article that says men are turned on by the smell of barbecue, so before we leave, we should all rub the brisket on our necks and wrists, yes? They have done studies, ladies, so don't look at me this way."

Gemma and Penelope stared for a few moments before all three burst into laughter.

"As if our jobs would allow us to have boyfriends," Penelope lamented.

"In due time, ladies," Armand said. "We will each find a man. I think the baby's going to be first!" Armand teased, flicking a balled up paper towel at Gemma. "We didn't see Tyler Chase in New York or Miami or Austin so I think I win our little bet, Penelope. He is going to be at the LA show, and he is going to declare his love."

"Not fair. I didn't realize he was from LA until recently, okay?" Penelope licked a drop of barbecue sauce from her lips. "His Twitter said he was shopping for his mom on Rodeo yesterday. How precious is that? You guys would be so cute together."

"Aren't we forgetting that he has no idea what my face actually looks like? And he's never actually spoken a word to me? I have no idea how he developed this weird crush," Gemma said. "It's strange."

"Oh, boo hoo," Penelope pouted dramatically. "Do you hear that, Armand? She's so sad because that adorable famous boy is semi-stalking her. There are worse kinds of stalkers out there, Gem, you shouldn't be upset about this one."

"I'm not _upset_ ," Gemma said as she looked down at her ringing phone. "I'm just saying he doesn't even know who I actually am, so why is he so convinced he'd like me?" The caller ID on the screen of her phone read "Leah."

"You should pick up," Penelope said. "They seem like they really miss you."

Gemma nodded and answered. "Hello?"

"Hey girl," Leah yelled over the phone. "You're on speakerphone and Kate's here and we miss you so much!"

"We miss you so much!" Kate repeated. Gemma laughed. "How's London? How's your grandma doing? Is everything okay?"

"Things are going okay," Gemma smiled. "How are you?"

"The Queen Bee concert was insane. In _sane_!" Leah shrieked. "We kind of sort of met her. I got you an autographed CD. I wish you were there, you should see that Balenciaga gown in person."

"It's a hundred times more gorgeous in real life!" Kate said. "Totally breathtaking. I read on ONTD that Balenciaga refused to make another one, even when it was Christina Aguilera requesting it for some premiere. But one of the comments said that this little shop in Nolita is making cocktail knockoffs of it so I totally put my name on the waiting list."

"Do you hear her? She's so obsessed she's not even jealous of her anymore," Leah said. "Tyler Chase tweeted about Queen Bee again saying that he knew the stars would have them meet. Or something. So corny." She made a retching sound.

"I think it's romantic!" Kate squealed.

"Anyway Gem, you and Madison _so_ missed out."

Gemma instinctively stiffened at the mention of Madison. She could tell by the silence over the phone that the girls were probably eyeing each other awkwardly.

"I'm sure," she finally said. "I'm sure we missed out." She had to muster up the courage to say "we" rather than "I." She was thankful that for the rest of the conversation, they talked about what the girls were buying in preparation of Spring Break. It was nice to hear their voices and know in her heart that they didn't believe the rumors surrounding her and Lucas.

Once Armand signaled to her to finish up, Gemma quickly said good-bye and added, "I miss you guys."

She heard a sad sigh on the other line. It was Leah's voice. "We miss you too. All of us, okay?"

"Okay," Gemma said, though she knew not to believe it.

~

The bright sunshine of Los Angeles felt different than the sunshine on the east coast. Gemma was convinced that it even made her hair look better, though she couldn't enjoy it much because she spent her days almost entirely indoors.

She couldn't help but let her thoughts run a little wild with all the rumors of Tyler Chase attending her L.A. concert. She wondered where he might be during the concert, what he might do to get her attention. No one had thought it possible that he had gone incognito to her concert in Barcelona, yet he had. Maybe he would pull off the same thing again.

Like the other shows, Gemma was able to forget about her nerves and let her alter ego take over. Her mind quickly forgot Gemma and took on Queen Bee upon feeling the microphone in her hand and the spotlight shining. Her skintight wardrobe was always more of a release than a constraint. The outrageous looks let her act and say whatever she wanted, without anyone questioning her. Queen Bee was provocative, alluring, sexy – all the things her fans expected.

She and the crew had easily gotten back into the swing of things. The Queen Bee team moved swiftly through rehearsals, concerts and most importantly, the GTFO Routine. Despite all the standard procedures, Gemma was still awed by the amount of people who bought tickets to see her. Those who couldn't get tickets waited outside the arena in hopes of hearing her through the walls and perhaps seeing her after the show.

The meet-and-greet outside of Staples Center had by far the most security she had seen yet. It was the first one outdoors, and a part of her worried about the huge open space. Moving purple spotlights glazed over the green palm trees surrounding the arena. The crowd was vast. Gemma couldn't see where it ended. She suddenly felt overwhelmed, a sense of danger sitting in the pit of her stomach.

Security cautiously opened the doors and eased her onto the sidewalk. The crowd immediately roared when she stepped out in a skin-tight, lavender leather catsuit. It was a one-piece, covering every part of her body up to right under her chin. The legs ended with built-in boots and the arms ended in fingerless gloves. A silvery-green stitching ran down the sides of her body. A matching mesh veil hung loosely over her face and white-blonde bobbed wig.

Immediately, she began the frenzy of signing CDs and taking pictures. The adrenaline of the crowd was the most intense that she had encountered yet, and she could feel security struggling to hold them back. They screamed. Some cried, and some were pushed away for grabbing at her. She looked back to see Armand and Penelope, a duffel bag in hand and ready to go for the GTFO Routine. They looked more nervous than usual, making Gemma feel all the more anxious.

"Queen Bee, I'm your biggest fan," a male voice said as he handed her a poster to sign. His face was hidden under a low-worn baseball cap. "If you could make it out to Tyler, that would be great."

Gemma froze in the middle of signing the poster. Tyler Chase looked up at her, his perfect lips breaking into an irresistible smile. For a moment, she was starstruck. She couldn't believe that he had made it to the front of the crowd undetected. He looked adorable in his plain, light-blue t-shirt over jeans. His honey-brown eyes sparkled beneath the bill of his cap. Gemma's lips trembled in her attempt to keep her jaw from dropping. She could finally see why Kate and even Madison were so awestruck by him. It apparently took being up close for her to see it.

"Oh my God!" A girl next to them shrieked. " _It's Tyler Chase!_ "

Suddenly, arms were reaching for both of them. Gemma felt her hair and arms being grabbed. She could even feel hands grabbing at her legs. She whipped her head around to search for Tyler's security, only to realize with a sudden fear that he hadn't come with any. _He's crazy to do this,_ she thought. In the pure chaos of the situation, she had no time to relish the fact that he was doing something so unbelievable just for her.

The weight of the crowd was close to toppling her over when security finally grabbed her as well as Tyler. Police began pushing fans back and the security team tried desperately to herd Gemma away, despite the crowd's increasing force. She could only see random flashes of color as she felt herself being propelled in all directions. Within moments, the strong arms of the security team lost grip of her. She cried out as the wild crowd began to swarm her again.

"Bee!" Gemma heard Armand yell. "This way!"

Gemma looked up to see Armand and Penelope shielding Tyler from the crowd. She did her best to run towards them in the six-inch platform stilettos, feeling pushing and grabbing along the entire way. Penelope held open a door and pushed both Gemma and Tyler in. Armand and a security guard were already on the other side. They slammed the door shut and felt it shake from the weight of fans rushing towards it.

"This door doesn't have a strong lock," the security guard called from outside the door. "Continue down this hall and make a right at the very end. There's a room there that locks up well. Go there _now_."

Tyler and Gemma ran down the long narrow hall with Armand and Penelope behind them. As Gemma's ankle buckled to the side in her stilettos, Tyler caught her.

"I'm sorry I messed everything up for you," he panted. "I'm really sorry. I knew it was a bad idea coming here alone. I just really wanted to meet you."

"I wanted to meet you too. Just not like this."

Gemma made the right turn into the room with Tyler. An automatic fluorescent light flickered on as the door shut behind them. They had somehow lost Penelope and Armand. Gemma tried opening the door to find them, but with no luck. "It's locked from outside," she hissed as she shook the knob. She pounded on the door with her fist. " _Pen! Armand!_ Can you hear me? We're in this room!" There was no answer. Gemma felt the side of her hand ache. The door was heavy and clearly somewhat soundproof.

"There's another door over here," Tyler said. He looked out a small window at the top of the door. "But I think it leads outside."

"No, I can't go out in this outfit. I need to wait for Pen and Armand to do my routine or I'll blow my own cover."

"Why do you want to keep your identity a secret anyway? Your publicist's idea, I'm guessing?" Tyler asked, keeping a polite distance while eyeing her curiously. He shook his hair out of his eyes, gazing at her with a sort of fascination.

"Yes, but not for the reasons you might think," Gemma said. She plopped herself down on a stray chair. "I won't go into it because you wouldn't understand. Our careers are different, so you can't compare."

"I don't want you to explain, I just want to know who you are."

"I'm Queen Bee. Only two people outside of my family know who I _really_ am, so don't take it personally," Gemma rolled her lavender-colored eyes.

"Will you at least tell me what your real eye color is?" Tyler smiled mischievously. He leaned back against the wall casually, dipping his head as he looked up at her. Gemma bit her lip. She had never given into the hype surrounding him, but seeing him in person was a different story. She had always found him attractive, but perhaps undeserving of all that exposure. Standing in a room with him however, made her feel entirely different. He certainly had the cockiness of a celebrity, but he was also mild-mannered and polite. On top of all that, he was desperate to meet her and it was flattering to say the least.

"Why do you want to know about me so badly?" Gemma asked.

"Well, everyone does."

"And you're assuming that since every girl in the world wants a piece of you, Queen Bee probably does and will reveal her secret to you?"

"No!" Tyler said emphatically as he stood up straight. He took a step towards her. "That's not at all what I was trying to do. Listen, I'm two people right now too. I'm Tyler Chase, the musician who respects your tenacity and the way you lead a normal life outside of this. I'm jealous that you're able to. But I'm also Tyler, who's a big fan like everyone else and buys magazines because you're on the cover. And who also has a Queen Bee playlist on his iPod – that includes rare covers and live performances." He laughed. So did Gemma.

"I don't believe you."

"Be _lieve_ me," Tyler glanced towards the ground shyly and dug his hands into his hoodie pockets. "I'm kinda annoyed that everyone's on the bandwagon now when I've been listening to you since your first single. I was on tour in Hong Kong when I first heard it." He peered up at Gemma as if looking for approval. His smile was something of relief when Gemma softened. She got up from her chair and walked over to him.

"That's sweet," she laughed genuinely. "Thank you to one of my earliest fans then." She embraced him. He laughed with her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She felt his fingers interlock behind her and grip firmly. His laughter faded to a sigh.

"I thought," Tyler began hesitantly. "I thought that if anyone in the world might understand me, it would be you. And all I can imagine now is that we would be perfect together."

Gemma swallowed, suddenly feeling very conscious of what she was doing. She was almost as tall as Tyler in her heels. Their embrace immediately felt too intimate for two people who had met just moments earlier. The fresh, foresty fragrance from his neck and the touch of his hair against her cheek made her entire body buzz with restlessness. Through the soft leather of her outfit, she felt his heart beating against her collarbone and hers just below his chest.

She suddenly felt her hands begin to tremble and dropped them quickly from Tyler's shoulders so he wouldn't notice. He didn't notice, but instead took her withdrawal as a sign to back up. He took a sweeping glance at her, smiling sadly, almost as if in defeat. Gemma felt her heart pound.

"I still can't tell you who I am, Tyler," she exhaled. "I'm sorry."

Tyler nodded. "I didn't expect you to. I just wanted to get those words off my chest. Call it a hunch or something – I just have a feeling we were meant for each other." This time, Tyler's smile was brighter. His famous boyish charm shone through in an infectious way that made Gemma weak in the knees. She recovered quickly.

"Maybe someday," she said coyly. And suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Bee, are you in there?" Penelope's muffled voice called through the door. Gemma ran towards it.

"Yes! Can you open the door? It's locked from in here!"

"I can't, it's jammed. Is there another way out in there? Is Tyler with you?"

"Yes. To both questions. But the other door leads outside," Gemma called back through the door. "How the hell could this happen? Is there someone coming to help?"

"Bee," Penelope said. "Even if we could get the door open, the fans are relentless. Security messed up; we need to figure out another exit route. It's going to take a while so you guys hang tight." Gemma turned to see Tyler with the chair up against the door, looking out the narrow rectangular window at the top of the door.

"There's no one out in this area," Tyler said. "We can leave through here."

"I can't leave in this outfit, someone's bound to see and follow me back."

"It's completely empty out there. It leads to a sidewalk and it's pitch black. We can sneak out now."

"Tyler, I just can't risk it in this outfit. I can't even run in this ridiculous get-up."

"What's that?" Tyler asked, pointing to a duffel bag in the corner. It was _the_ duffel bag. _The_ duffel bag required for the GTFO Routine.

"Oh my God, how did that even get in here?"

"I brought it in. Penelope dropped it while we were running." Tyler said simply.

"These are my street clothes," Gemma breathed, kneeling next to the duffel bag. "Oh thank God. I have an idea." She rushed to the door again. "Pen? Can you hear me? Just meet me back at the hotel, I can find a way out."

Gemma immediately heard Penelope and Armand scuffle about, sounding panicked. She was fairly certain she heard Armand hissing curses.

"No, Bee," he said sternly. "You are risking your career _and_ your safety. I won't allow it."

"No, no," Gemma reassured them. "Tyler brought the duffel bag. I have a plan, and he's going to help." Gemma held the duffel to her chest. She couldn't let Tyler see the street outfit but she was going to need his help out of the catsuit. She eyed the light switch.

"What's going on?" Tyler asked softly, walking towards her. Gemma kept her back towards him, looking over her shoulder.

"Do you see the zipper pull at the base of my neck?" she asked. "Do you see where it starts?"

"Yes," Tyler replied, confused.

"Come here," Gemma commanded. She flicked the light switch off and the room went dark. They could only see each other's silhouettes. Gemma felt Tyler approach her slowly, cautiously. "I can't reach it myself. I need you to unzip me."

She heard Tyler let out a breath upon hearing her words. There was a brief silence before his voice managed to confidently say, "Okay."

In the darkness, she heard his soft breathing and the warmth of his torso leaning into her back. She could tell he was nervous as he ran his fingers lightly over her shoulders, searching for the zipper. Gemma unpinned the wig from her hair and tossed it to the ground, feeling Tyler's breath on the back of her bare neck. Her own wavy hair came unwinding down her back, spilling over Tyler's quivering hands as he carefully pulled the zipper down. A rush of cool air hit her and traveled along her skin, ending right below the small of her back. She had forgotten how far down the zipper went.

"That's as far as it goes," Tyler murmured.

"Okay." Gemma kept her back to him as she peeled the upper part of the catsuit off her shoulders and chest. She was concentrating too hard on getting Queen Bee out of the arena to even think about the fact that she stood topless in her Marlies Dekkers bra with Tyler Chase just an inch behind her. She pushed the sleeves down to her elbows before feeling constricted once again. The outfit had taken Penelope and Armand nearly thirty minutes to get on her and she had no idea then how difficult it would be to get out of. She was practically working up a sweat in her attempt to strip it off.

"I need you again," Gemma panted slightly. "Take the top of the sleeves and pull them down towards my hands." She felt Tyler's searching hands reach for her shoulders again, his fingertips touching the top of her bra straps. He ran his hands down until he felt the leather sleeves at her elbow. He carefully peeled the leather down her lithe forearms. She realized this was the first time she had ever been so exposed in front of a boy that wasn't Armand.

Once the sleeves were off, she pushed the catsuit down over her hips and got it down just above the knees. Even as Queen Bee, she blushed with a bit of embarrassment over what she was about to ask Tyler.

"Tyler...I can't get it down all the way."

"It's okay, I don't mind helping," he said quickly. He cleared his throat. "I mean, what I meant was...it's the least I can do for getting you into this mess." They both laughed, though nervously.

"Ok, so..." Gemma lowered her eyes, feeling Tyler's body kneel beside her. She waited for a few moments, unsure of where his hands were until she felt them suddenly lay flat on her thigh. He slipped his fingers between the leather and her skin and struggled to pull the skintight material down past her knee.

"I see why they leave this outfit for after the concert," Tyler said with an attempt at a laugh. Gemma could hear his voice shake with nerves. His hair grazed her thigh as he leaned in to get a better grip on the leather. Even he was beginning to breathe heavily as he struggled with the material. Gemma could feel his panting breaths on her knees while his knuckles grazed the delicate skin of her inner thigh. She consciously breathed slowly and steadily in hopes of calming her racing heart.

Finally, Tyler pulled the leg of the catsuit down to her ankle and Gemma kicked one bare leg out of the outfit.

"I'll get the other one," she said hastily. She felt Tyler rush back to his feet. Her heart pounded furiously. She could hear her pulse in her ears as she leaned against the wall, pulling the other leg of the outfit off.

"Are you doing okay?" Tyler asked. Gemma could see his silhouette settle onto the chair by the door. He leaned his elbows on his knees and grasped the back of his neck with his hands. He probably didn't know that she could see the outline of his nerve-wracked posture.

"Yes, I got it," she exhaled in relief as she unzipped her duffel bag, pulling out her sweatshirt, jeans and sneakers. She shoved the wig, catsuit and mask in and zipped it up, crossing her fingers that nothing would be ruined.

"Thank you for not hating me," Tyler said as Gemma got up from the floor. She paused, clutching her jeans and sweatshirt to her chest. She may have been down to her bra and panties, but without her street clothes on, she still felt the remnants of Queen Bee. She walked towards the chair as Tyler stood up. He was about four inches taller than she was without her heels. She could see the faint reflection of a distant street lamp sparkle in his eyes.

Gemma looked down and removed her lavender contact lenses. She looked back up into Tyler's eyes, detecting a faint smile.

"Green," he whispered. "Beautiful green eyes."

"I'll give you that much," she said. She wanted to hug him but instead, her hands reached behind his neck and pulled him in towards her. She pressed her lips to his, feeling the softness of his lips as she kissed him. She felt his tense body relax into her embrace, one hand settling down on the bare skin of her back while the other ran along the curve of her narrow waist. He kissed her back sweetly. Gemma could feel his daze as she pulled away. She stepped back, jumping quickly into her jeans and pulling the sweatshirt over her head. She slipped on the sneakers and grabbed her duffel bag, running out the door.

"Don't come looking for me. You're never going to find out who I am," Gemma teased as she ran into the darkness of the downtown streets.

"Well obviously not tonight," he called after her, laughing. "But maybe someday."

# Chapter 11

OH. MY. MOTHER#@%!ING. GOD.

3/16 3:02PM EST

posted by Tara C.

Her Royal Secrecy

By now you all know that Tyler Chase attended Queen Bee's concert incognito on Friday at the Staples Center. This of course was the concert that occurred a week after the one I attended, where I was hoping to gather clues regarding the Queen's identity but didn't see shit as far as excitement or juiciness. As if that weren't bad enough, I missed Tyler Chase by a freakin' week. Obviously God was punishing me for my endless snark. Of all people, I deserved to be present at a full security meltdown that left Queen Bee and Tyler Chase unprotected amongst a horde of rabid fans (whom I hear were foaming at the mouth and becoming borderline feral). Unlike them, I would've prioritized mystery-solving over my squealing fangirl compulsions. Which leads me to the question: WHY DID NOBODY AT LEAST SNATCH HER STUPID WIG OFF?

Fans who were present at the fiasco have taken to le internetz to report what they saw, and while you'd think this would be a great place to gather clues, a lot of you idiots who weren't present have begun making up facts which is why Star Magazine is reporting today that Queen Bee is Elle Fanning (Really, Star Magazine? Really?).

We only have two solid pieces of news that came out of this fiasco. One is a statement that QB's security has been completely overhauled, which is kinder way of saying that a dozen or so bodyguards are now unemployed. And I'm sure this also means that it'll be harder to get close to QB now, which is bad news for stalkers (in before the trolls call me a "stalker" myself - IDGAF).

The second, according to fan video footage, is that Queen Bee and Tyler ran off together with some randos from her team. So...does this mean that Tyler Chase now knows the identity of Queen Bee? As if we needed more reason to be obsessed with him.
"I could kill you!" Penelope screamed as she sat on the hotel room bed with her arms and legs wrapped around Gemma like a koala. She had been so relieved to see Gemma safe and sound in the suite that she cried for a solid fifteen minutes before calling Armand into the room. He in turn cried even harder.

"I'm _fine_. I totally figured it out, didn't I? And on top of that, Tyler still has no idea what I look like," Gemma said, using her t-shirt to wipe the thick-rimmed glasses that Penelope had fogged up with her tears. Armand lay flat on his back on the ground, a half-empty bottle of cabernet sauvignon in his left hand.

"Gemma, Gemma..." he said slowly, shaking his head. "You almost made me die tonight. If I did not die on my own, I would have died at the hands of this crazy woman here," he nodded towards Penelope. "Who was throwing ceramic curling irons at the wall. And if _that_ didn't kill me, Mira would have made sure to kill me, _then_ she'd have her connections in the afterlife continue to torture me in Heaven. Or maybe the other place. I am sure she knows people there too."

Penelope cackled. "I don't know how you got that catsuit off without totally destroying it," Penelope said as she wiped her tears carefully with her pinky and put her glasses back on.

"Yes," Armand said, flipping onto his stomach. "I had thought maybe we'd cut you out afterwards and here you are, catsuit fully intact." He and Penelope exchanged a glance.

"Should we check a certain someone's Twitter to see what he might have to say about tonight?" Penelope giggled as she grabbed her iPhone excitedly. Armand jumped onto the bed with her as she turned her phone on.

"'Got touchy-feely with royalty today.' Hashtag, teenage turn-ons," Armand giggled as Gemma smacked him with a pillow.

"No, no – how about 'Got officially knighted. I provided the sword,'" Penelope rolled on the bed, cracking up. "Gross. We're totally going to hell, Armand."

"I'll bet he didn't even say anything," Gemma said as she changed into a pair of Egyptian cotton pajama pants.

"' _Insane night. Inspired talk. Interrupted moment. In love?_ '" Penelope read.

"What was that?" Gemma asked.

"That's Tyler Chase's latest tweet. About two hours after the concert."

"God, what a teenager," Armand scoffed. "He thinks he's in love because he got to put his hands down your catsuit."

"If you got to put your hands in say, Ewan McGregor's leather catsuit, you'd be saying the same thing," Penelope said. "Except less poetically." Armand shrugged and smiled.

"Either way," he reached for his bottle of wine. "Seems like our Bee has become a mankiller of the highest degree, yes? I think we should toast to that."

"No," Gemma laughed. "I doubt he even tweeted that, it was probably his PR people." Gemma said as she pulled the sheets back and got under the covers. However, she knew there was nothing to doubt. She had an effect on Tyler and it was obvious. Even in the dark, she could feel her impact on him. Gemma imagined this type of unwavering confidence was what gave girls like Madison the ability to walk, talk and live the way they did. Maybe it wasn't just a matter of luck and perfect hair.

"Ready to go home, missy?" Penelope suddenly asked.

The thought of home jolted Gemma. She had done such a good job of forgetting about it for the past few weeks. Somehow, she dreaded seeing Lucas more than she did Madison. On the topic of going home, her mind began to imagine Lucas figuring out her entire secret identity as Queen Bee, based solely on the bit of conversation she let slip during the autograph signing. A part of her hoped this would happen.

Her heart desperately hoped that upon returning to Beauford, she would be able to readjust to her high school life without hearing a word about Queen Bee. Her mind, of course, knew that that would be impossible.

~

When Gemma arrived at home the Sunday before her first day back, she found the Balenciaga gown back on the dress form in front of her closet door. She had no idea how everyone worked so quickly that the dress managed to beat her back home. Hanging above the dress was the Venetian mask she had worn during the Los Angeles fan meet. Stuck to it was a Post-it that read, _Back undercover again, Bee! We'll miss you. – Pen & Armand._

Gemma sighed, peeling off the note and sticking it in her drawer. She began to cover the dress with the old sheets only to drop to the floor, cross-legged. She played with the hem of the dress and the hand-sewn pearls. She had hoped that her body would naturally adjust to Beauford upon returning home, and perhaps even be excited for high school and suburbia. It hadn't though, and she couldn't be less unenthused about becoming Gemma again. Aside from seeing Leah, Kate and Jillian, she couldn't think of anything to look forward to.

Though lost in her thoughts, she was able to hear her name being called from a distance. Gemma stood up quickly and looked outside to see Lucas leaning out his window. She blushed and in her surprise, knocked over the dress form. She scurried to it, standing it back up and pushing it out of view.

"Hey!" Gemma said, brushing her hair back as she opened the window. "How are you? How have you been?"

"Pretty good. How's your grandma?" Lucas asked. Gemma flinched.

"Um," she stammered. She realized it had been a long time since she had even spoken to her parents. "She's fine. I think she's going to move in with us soon."

"I have something for you," Lucas said as he ducked out of view. He popped back up with a Queen Bee CD. "Leah said to give this to you when you got back." Gemma frowned. _Why wouldn't Leah just give it to me herself? And of all people, why would she give it to Lucas to give to me?_ "So?" Lucas called when Gemma didn't answer. "Can I come over?" Gemma shook herself from her thoughts.

"Oh. Sure! I'll be right down!"

Gemma hurried to her mirror and tossed her hair a few times in hopes of creating more volume. She grabbed her makeup bag, wondering if she had enough time to put on mascara and lip-gloss. She decided against it. The last thing she wanted was to look done up for Lucas with what people were saying about her. She rubbed her hands quickly over her cheeks and blinked the sleepiness out of her eyes before rushing down to the front door. When she opened it, Lucas was already there.

"Hey," he smiled. Gemma did all she could not to swoon immediately. _Leave it to boys to help me switch between lives._ Just a week ago, she was kissing Tyler Chase and now a suburban high school boy was making her knees weak.

"It's so nice to see you. I'm kind of surprised you're okay coming here, you know, with everything..." Gemma trailed off. She wasn't sure if it was a mistake to bring it up.

"It's okay," Lucas shrugged. "Although maybe we shouldn't just stand in the doorway and let everyone who drives by start new rumors?" They laughed and Gemma invited him in. He sat on the couch as she closed the door.

"Leah was so excited about this when she called me. I kind of thought she'd want to be the one to give it to me," Gemma said as Lucas handed her the CD. She tried to hide the sadness in her voice, but it was clear that Lucas detected it.

"She did," he said. "But there was a mob of people grabbing at it when she took it out at the diner that night, so I said I'd get it back to Mira." Lucas explained.

"Oh. Oh, okay."

"The show was really fun," he said. Gemma smiled a stiff smile, unsure of how much she should say on the subject. Lucas nodded at her silence and continued. "I didn't really feel out of place because there were a lot of other guys there."

"Really?"

"Well. They were dressed up as Queen Bee and wearing spandex, so I felt a little out of place," he laughed. "Elisa took forever trying to put together a Queen Bee costume but she just ended up ruining a lot my mom's clothes."

Gemma giggled. It always made her smile to hear Lucas talk more than his usual couple of words. She had figured out that he was quiet only because he was surrounded by people like Gavin and Madison who never shut their mouths. Her own quiet nature seemed to lend well to whatever Lucas had to say. She was more than happy to be that person for him.

"I really want to thank you for giving up your ticket for Elisa. We got to see Queen Bee really close after the show," Lucas said as he looked at Gemma. She waited for him to continue with his story but he gazed at her in silence for a second or two. It felt like an eternity. Lucas continued. "It was weird, something about her reminded me of you."

"Really?" Gemma held her breath nervously.

"Yeah," Lucas said. Gemma squinted at him, trying to detect signs that he might in fact know her secret. He scratched his chin. "I can't really explain it though. Hopefully she has another show here soon and you can see for yourself."

Gemma released her breath and smiled. "Definitely. Sounds like fun," she replied. Lucas kept his eyes on her for a beat before he smiled.

"Anyway, I'll let you get back to unpacking or whatever you need to do," he said as he got to his feet. He paused for a moment before turning towards the door. "And, um, about the rumors," he waited till he caught her eye before continuing. "I don't want you to worry. We both know nothing happened. Gavin and I are making sure everyone else knows too."

"Oh," Gemma blinked. "Okay. Great."

"And Madison's not mad either," Lucas said. Gemma felt a chill at the mention of her name. "She knows it's not true, she's just as angry at whoever started it."

Gemma managed a weak smile, knowing well that Lucas's words weren't true. It disheartened her to know that he believed them, but then again, Madison was quite the actress.

"That's a relief to hear," she said.

"Why does it feel like it's been like a year since I've seen you?" Leah yelled as she jumped onto Gemma, wrapping her arms around her. Kate and Jillian joined in the hug, all looking tanner than usual. "We missed you so much in the Bahamas! We took like, a million pictures. It's going to take forever to upload on Facebook."

Gemma had forgotten she missed spring break. She knew she'd feel jealous looking at their photos.

"Cute guys hit on me!" Kate nodded excitedly. "I mean, not as much as Madison, but you know." Just then, Gemma noticed Lucas walk out to their usual waiting spot.

"Did you hear that Lucas?" Jillian called to him. "People hit on your girlfriend because you didn't come with us."

"I went to the Queen Bee concert with you guys, isn't that kind of a big deal? Besides, not all of us can just up and go to some exotic place whenever we want."

"Ew, Debbie Downer," Leah frowned.

Gemma felt anxious. She knew any second now, Madison's Range Rover would be rolling around the corner and she'd see her for the first time in over a month. Everyone had reassured her that Madison seemed fine and was over the rumors. Gemma wasn't so sure. Only she saw the side of Madison that was bitter and vengeful. Plus, it made no sense that anyone else would have started the rumors about her and Lucas.

"Shotgun!" Leah shouted as she spotted Madison's car coming around.

"Doesn't the boyfriend usually get shotgun?" Lucas asked as he approached the car.

"Not if the boyfriend isn't a regular of the lunch crew," Leah said as she got into the front seat. Gemma peered in the car, waving timidly at Madison.

"Hey girl, how's it going," Madison said flatly. "How are you all going to fit in the back?" Jillian, Kate, Gemma and Lucas looked at each other.

"Oh yeah," Kate said, softly. "I forgot we were one up today."

"Why are we talking like we've never shoved a million people in one car before?" Leah asked, her voice squeaking. "Let's go! We're not going to have enough time to look through all the pictures."

"I'll take the far back," Lucas said as he climbed into the car then jumped over the backseat, plopping himself down in the trunk. The girls laughed as they climbed into the remaining seats.

"We're going to go to Agata's," Madison announced. "It's Lucas's favorite and since he's sitting in the trunk, I think it's the least we can do for him."

"I can't eat carbs!" Leah cried.

"So hold the pizza to your face and scrape the cheese off with your teeth," Jillian said. "It's not like we haven't seen you do that before." Gemma snorted and looked in the rearview mirror to see Leah's reaction. Instead, she caught Lucas looking at her. He quickly lowered his eyes.

"Oh that's such a good idea," Kate said. "Do you think I can have them just give me a bowl of melted cheese?"

"Please don't embarrass me," Madison wrinkled her nose. Kate and Leah sighed in disgust.

"You wouldn't understand," Leah said.

"Yeah," Kate chimed in. "Miss Perfect and Boobs McGee."

"Oh stop," Madison said, a small smile on her face. "I'm far from perfect. My dance instructor keeps telling me I need to lose weight."

"This isn't ballet world," Leah rolled her eyes.

"If it was, I'd just go ahead and off myself. Dancers have the best bodies," Kate sighed. "I wish I didn't quit ballet when I was ten. I want to dance like Queen Bee."

"She was amazing," Jillian breathed, leaning towards Madison in the driver's seat. "They say she didn't even have formal training. Is that possible?"

"It's possible," Madison shrugged. "But trained dancers can probably see she's not very good. Like in _Black Swan_ , I couldn't believe people thought Natalie Portman was actually doing the dancing."

Leah shrugged. "Who cares? Queen Bee was hot."

"So hot Tyler Chase fell in love without seeing her face. I can't believe what happened in L.A!" Kate groaned. "I wish we were at _that_ concert."

At the pizzeria, Leah and Kate stayed true to their carb-free life and peeled the cheese off, discarding the crusts. Madison opted for a gluten-free, vegan slice while Jillian, Gemma and Luke decided to share a pepperoni pie.

"So," Madison said as she nibbled on a piece of green pepper, leaning into Lucas. "We need to get Leah and Kate prom dates so we can all go to senior prom together. Can you help us, honey?"

"I can definitely try," Lucas said. "How about Gemma?" he asked as he took a bite into his pizza. Madison raised her eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" Madison asked, eyes on Gemma. Gemma shifted uncomfortably.

"Since you didn't ask me to find Gemma one. Do you already have a date?" Lucas looked at Gemma too. The entire table looked at her.

"No," Gemma said. "I'm not sure who'd ask me."

"I just assumed you'd be going with Damian," Kate said with concern. "Did something happen between you guys?"

Gemma suddenly realized that she hadn't heard from Damian since the fight in the locker room. Her phone was constantly dying on tour, so while she didn't receive any texts from him, she reasoned that he could very well have called while her phone was out of battery. "It's just that he didn't officially ask me and I don't just want to assume that he'd take me when he could take someone who's not just a friend," Gemma explained. The table went quiet. Gemma's eyes darted around. "What?"

"Weren't you guys going out this whole time?" Lucas asked. Madison shot Lucas a look while Gemma's lips quivered, trying to formulate an answer. Thankfully, Kate spotted her discomfort.

"They were whatever they were, right Gemma?" she winked. "Or are? They could still be something, who knows? Gemma's always been the mysterious one."

"Seriously," Lucas let out a small laugh and looked down at his plate with a vague smile. "There's no figuring you out." Madison smiled, but not before Gemma caught the microsecond of a scowl.

"Gem, honey, don't worry. We'll find you a date. I'm sure Matt would've been interested, but I couldn't do that to you after everything that's happened," Madison said with an exaggerated cringe. "I'm sure _someone_ is willing to go with you though."

"I'm sure she doesn't need our help," Lucas said before taking a big bite of his slice. Madison turned to him.

"Why do you say that, Lucas? You don't want to help our friend?" she asked icily.

"No, I mean I'm sure she'll do fine on her own," Lucas said, sensing Madison's displeasure. The answer still didn't seem to satisfy her. "Or you could ask Gavin, you know? Not to be your date, obviously, but to help you find someone. That's what I meant."

"Don't help us too much though, Lucas," Leah said, polishing off some stringy cheese and wiping her mouth to reapply lip-gloss. "I want Gavin to come to his senses and ask me out on his own, now that he knows Kylie's a complete bitch-slut-whore."

"And that you're such a lady," Jillian said.

The group laughed and Gemma sighed in relief as the attention on her faded away. With a heavy heart, she watched as Lucas's attention left her as well. Once again, he was focused on Madison's elegant ballerina arms, reaching around his broad shoulders. He leaned in to kiss Madison, clearly forgetting that anyone else was around.

~

"I missed you!" Gemma squealed, throwing her arms around Damian as he lifted her off the ground and pulled her into his house. He laughed and set her down on his couch, sidling up beside her. His father had put the autographed basketball Gemma had given him into a glass case next to the couch. She laughed. "I'm sorry I didn't bring you anything back from London."

"Are you kidding? I'm set. Those tickets you gave me were amazing," he said, his eyes sparkling. "Knicks won and we were so close to the court. Pretty sure I got sweat flung on me at some point, no big deal."

Gemma laughed, hooking her arm through Damian's and leaning onto his shoulder. He got quiet and tensed up.

"Anything to catch me up on?" Gemma asked.

"Not really," he sighed. "Everything's same as always. The rumors died down and people stopped talking about the fight if that's what you're asking. Matt got suspended like he does every marking period and well, no one thought to suspend a good kid like me."

"I wasn't really asking that. But I'm glad to hear it. Did you miss me while I was gone?"

"Of course."

"I sort of thought, maybe you were mad at me after everything," Gemma said, softly. Damian put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in, kissing her on the top of the head.

"No. I just had a lot to think about after the fight. People started rumors that I was mad because Matt told me you were cheating on me with Lucas. Which is crazy of course, because we weren't actually dating," Damian sighed. Gemma felt guilt ride heavily on her heart. She sat up and looked at him.

"Why aren't we dating?" she asked. Damian squinted at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Why aren't we actually dating?"

"Because..." Damian searched his head for the millions of reasons he knew there were for why they weren't a couple. Gemma smiled as she watched him think. At the moment, she could barely understand why they weren't dating either. Damian was truly the best friend she ever had. She hadn't been able to see it early on, but as time passed, it was becoming more and more obvious. "Well I can't think of anything right now, but I'm pretty sure we had a reason." Damian laughed.

"So if we can't remember what it was, what's stopping us now?" Gemma asked. It was as if a light had switched in her head and she could suddenly see. Damian was sexy, sweet, interesting, and so faithful that it made her tear up a little. She couldn't imagine another boy being there for her the way he was.

She watched with amusement as his face went from surprised to puzzled, then finally, happy. Seemingly the happiest she had seen him. He shrugged and pulled her in on top of his broad and muscular chest until they were both lying across the couch. Gemma smiled coquettishly. She liked seeing Damian's confidence waver as he shyly watched her, wondering what she would do next. She leaned in and pressed her lips against his. Damian easily wrapped his arms around her small waist as they rolled off the couch and onto the carpeted floor, giggling between their kisses.
POOR, HEARTBROKEN, SEXY TYLER CHASE </3

4/21 1:27PM EST

posted by Tara C.

Her Royal Secrecy

I can't anymore. Are you seeing these? I know I'm not the only one who follows Tyler Chase on Twitter (because it says 10 million other people do), so why is no one trying to snap the poor boy out of this mushy tweetfest? Look at this bullshit:

April 2: @RealTylerChase gotta be in love...(not an april fool's joke lol)

April 4: @RealTylerChase my amazing fans told me that love at first sight is possible...i'm realizing that it's true.

April 8: @RealTylerChase yes i'm talking royalty...she's better than a princess...

April 15: @RealTylerChase better to have loved and lost they say...what if you lost before you got the chance to love? _(omfg what is he talking about)_

April 19: @RealTylerChase the color of her eyes is haunting me... _(i know Tyler, bb, lavender eyes don't look good on anyone)_

April 21: @RealTylerChase if you want someone, CHASE them. lol

So that last tweet...is he giving us official permission to stalk him? Not that I needed it. Anyway, it's obvious he's talking about Queen Bitchass Bee, who by the way, has pushed back the release of her "Tell the World" music video again and has gone pretty much MIA since her U.S tour. Think the whole L.A. debacle traumatized her or what?

Let's hope so. Maybe she'll hide away forever and Tyler will forget she ever existed. Because I swear, I cannot take these fucking lovesick tweets anymore, especially when they're not about me.

# Chapter 12

Being in an official relationship with Damian suddenly gave Gemma feelings of certainty around her friends. She no longer felt afraid of Madison and she had a clear answer for the girls when they asked what was up with Damian. Gavin also seemed happy, though he constantly cringed at the sight of their public affection, which Gemma made sure to keep at a minimum.

Getting ready for prom was also something Gemma was now excited for. Gavin had rented a shore house on Long Beach Island, which he reassured Gemma was "nothing like what you see in _Jersey Shore_ , I swear."

"It's really nice, mostly old people – so you'd get along with everyone," Gavin joked. Gemma shoved him in response. He had always made fun of her for hanging out only with Queen Bee team before she went to a regular high school. "No, but seriously, the seniors last year had a house there and it was awesome. The teams rent out an entire row of houses by the shore."

"So who's going to be in your house?" Gemma asked.

"Well, it's the entire basketball team except Lucas, because I think Madison decides where they get to stay," Gavin rolled his eyes. "But you're invited if that's what you're asking. I already picked a room that doesn't share a wall with you and Damian." Gavin shuddered.

"Shut up! Besides, we're the ones who should be worried about being traumatized. Who are you taking to prom, anyway?"

"I don't know," Gavin said as he took orange juice out of the fridge. "People usually ask me to the prom, it's been that way since freshman year." He ignored Gemma's dramatic eyeroll. "This is gonna be my fourth one, so I don't really care. Post-prom is what really matters."

Gemma jumped to her feet. "You should take one of my friends!" she suggested brightly. Gavin cringed in mock terror. "Come on. It'd be awesome if they were there too."

"There's the one with the curly hair and the one with the straight hair, right?" Gavin said, pouring himself a glass of juice. "Which one wants to go?"

"Well, they both do. But, I mean – which one would you choose between the two?" Gemma asked curiously, practically willing him to answer with "the straight-haired one."

"Um... I don't know either well. They don't talk much," Gavin said, swigging his drink. Gemma snorted. Few people described Leah as someone who didn't talk much, but then again, few people had the ability to render her speechless.

"Do you want me to choose for you?" Gemma asked, bouncing on her toes.

"Sure, why not?" Gavin shrugged. "They're both cute. Can I take both?"

Gemma stopped bouncing. "No. You can't."

Gavin laughed, going up the stairs. "Fine then. I think I'll ask Leah 'cause she sucked less at football than the other one."

~

"Total emergency situation, duh."

Gemma, Kate and Jillian sat on Leah's bed, watching her twirl around in outfit after outfit while on the phone. Gavin had apparently realized the awkward circumstances of his prom invitation and added an invitation to dinner as well. Gemma figured he was just trying to get to know the girl he had just asked to prom, but Leah had most definitely perceived the invitation as a date.

"Madison. I need your help picking something; you're the only one who will tell me if I look fat. Come _on_ , how often does Gavin Hunter ask me out?" Leah whined as she struggled to put on a powder pink, asymmetrical dress. "Ugh, why does my mom have to be so tiny? Madison, do you have anything I can borrow? _No_ , I'm not calling you fat, my mom is just microscopic." The girls laughed. Leah's anxiety was always an amusing sight.

When Madison arrived, she quickly vetoed the majority of the dresses and ended up pulling out a simple pair of jeans and a crepe blouse just a shade lighter than her skin tone.

"I know you all worship your precious Queen Bee, but a girl shouldn't have to wear something super fancy if she's actually attractive," Madison said. She tossed the clothing at Leah. "Try these on and trust me." Leah frowned skeptically as she pulled on the jeans and blouse.

"Queen Bee can't be ugly. I mean, Tyler Chase wrote a song for her the day after he met her. Oh my God, I have to read it to you," Kate typed away on Leah's leather encased iPad to find the lyrics. "Here. 'I caught a glimpse of those moonlit eyes/I knew you were all I thought you'd be/Your gilded silhouette can smile/You know your secret's safe with me.' So he definitely knows she's hot for a fact."

"Do you really think Queen Bee would reveal her identity to Tyler Chase? I read that only her family knows," Jillian said.

"I'm sure she couldn't resist showing him," Kate said. "If Tyler Chase wanted to see who I was, I'd take off all my clothes and let him see me in all my glory."

Madison grimaced. "Did we get you a prom date yet? Because I really think you need to get laid."

"No. And I do," Kate sighed. "But I want Tyler Chase to be my first."

"You and forty-million other girls. Too bad he's only going to be interested in me," Madison smiled.

"Nuh-uh," Kate shook her head, pointing to her magazine. "He wrote these lyrics for Queen Bee the night after he met her. And he tweeted that he was in love that night! So even you're out of the running, Madison."

"Like I care," Madison rolled her eyes. "I have Lucas." She sat down and tossed her hair, allowing the length of it to smack Gemma across the face. As Gemma blinked in surprise, she caught Madison's cold glare. Madison held it for a second before smiling. "How are you and Damian, sweetie?"

"Oh _yeah_. How _is_ everyone's boyfriend because _every_ one has a boyfriend but me?" Kate cocked her head, her eyes unblinking.

"He's good." Gemma couldn't help but gush when she thought of him. Earlier that day, she agreed to help him practice free throws in Beauford High's empty gym. She couldn't resist making him laugh by throwing fake tantrums and whining about being bored and hungry. He eventually wrestled her to the ground at half court and they ended up lying there for an hour, talking about his dream of playing for the Knicks until a custodian arrived. "He's great, actually. I don't think I could ask for more."

Madison pursed her lips, studying Gemma intently. "What an understanding guy. After everything with the locker room, I don't know if _I_ could date you," she said casually, picking up a magazine from Leah's night table. "I mean, with what everyone's saying about how you have a crush on all his teammates, I would feel totally _emasculated_."

"He's got too many muscles to not feel like a man," Kate sighed. "He could wear a tutu and still feel like a man."

"Kate," Jillian looked up from her magazine. "Stop perving on everyone just because you're horny. You can't talk about Damian like that now that he's officially with Gem."

"It's okay," Gemma smiled breezily. She didn't want Madison to see her upset, which was obviously what she wanted by rehashing the locker room incident. Everything she did gnawed at Gemma's confidence. Even her shots at Queen Bee were making Gemma feel more angry and insecure than she should. At the height of her vexation, she received a text.

"Is that your muscular, masculine boyfriend?" Kate asked. Gemma looked down at her phone. Indeed it was. She read the text with a smile. _Hey beautiful. Still craving cupcakes? Was thinking of driving us to the city to get the ones you like._ Like a perfect boyfriend, he always said and asked the right things at the perfect time.

~

"What are you afraid of her for?" Damian asked as he popped a bite-sized red velvet cupcake into his mouth. "She's harmless – way too into herself to spend her time plotting against someone else."

"You make me sound paranoid," Gemma frowned, leaning back against Damian on the steps of Union Square. He sat behind her, one step above. He reached over her shoulders and presented her with an open white box from Baked by Melissa. Inside were a dozen colorful, frosted cupcakes the size of quarters. They stared up at her with their sparkling sprinkles atop decadent cream. Gemma plucked out a tie-dye cupcake though she no longer had an appetite. All she wanted was for Damian to believe her suspicions about Madison – she knew she was right about them.

"No, I know you must be seeing something weird. I'm just saying maybe it's not what we think," Damian said, smoothing her hair back and craning forward to kiss her forehead. Gemma smiled. She liked the way he said "we." She had never felt more protected.

"I hope you're right," she sighed, popping the tiny cupcake into her mouth.

"If anything, we should be afraid of Matt. Or I should be, since he got suspended," Damian said. "I heard he got his scholarship taken away because it was the last straw. Crazy to think that it could've happened to me."

"Oh, please," Gemma rolled her eyes and smiled up at him. "None of your schools would do anything to hurt their chances of getting you."

"Yeah," Damian grinned. "Feels good to be wanted."

Gemma smiled and hugged his arm against her chest. "It does." She squeezed him tight. "I can't even think about you leaving yet. I don't know how I'll deal without you," she said. Damian stroked her hair as a cool breeze swept through the park.

"If we're still talking about Madison, she's leaving too you know," he said.

"But not nearly far enough," Gemma scoffed, sitting up. "She's going to be at NYU, which means when you visit from UConn or Michigan or UCLA or wherever you end up, we won't be able to do cupcakes in the park without running into her."

Damian laughed. "You know that's not true," he said. "And even if it is, then so what? I promise you she's nothing to worry about. And if she were, I'd be on the next bus or plane to your door. Okay?"

"Fine," Gemma smiled. She popped a cookie dough cupcake into her mouth then turned to kiss Damian. She wasn't sure which tasted sweeter.
TYLER CHASE TALKS QUEEN BEE WITH SPIN!

Celebomatic

5/1 1:23AM

In this month's issue of SPIN, Tyler Chase talks music, ex-girlfriends, "Tyler Chasers," and Queen Bee.

**On writing his own music:** "I co-write most of my songs because I want my fans to recognize my heart and my message when I'm singing. 'Maybe Someday' is the first one I wrote as fast as I did – I'll be recording it this month."

**On the rumor that his loyal "Tyler Chasers" were behind his break-up with actress Desiree Silver:** "I can't say that Desiree didn't notice them, because she did. [Laughs] They're a force to be reckoned with! But they weren't the reason we ended things. It was a mutual decision and out of respect for Desiree, I won't say more on it.

**On whether or not he knows Queen Bee's identity:** "I know more about her than most people do, but that's not saying much. What I do know about her though, I love."
"What are you guys wearing to Lucas's birthday party?" Leah asked as she sat on the massage chair, searching the fanned out magazines for one she hadn't already read. While Madison and Kate attended a senior event, the rest of the girls decided to pamper themselves. Gemma sat between Leah and Kate at the salon spa while pedicurists hunched over their dainty feet.

"No idea. Do we have to buy him something?" Kate asked, reaching over Gemma to take Leah's magazine. Leah swatted her hand away.

"Madison's probably gonna buy him a car or something, so we might as well not embarrass ourselves," Leah said. "Let's save the money and buy ourselves the Bordelle Angela dress – I need Gavin to fall in love with me before prom."

"Ew," Gemma frowned, knowing very well that the Bordelle Angela was the steamiest of lingerie. "I don't know what I was expecting with setting you two up."

"Your brother took me a to the movies and didn't try anything," Leah griped. "I don't know if there's ever been a girl in Gavin's dating history who didn't get the moves put on her. I'm definitely the first. Finally land a date and he doesn't touch me."

"Maybe that means he really likes you!" Kate chirped brightly.

"Doubt it. He needs to sample the goods first," Leah raised her eyebrows suggestively. Gemma pretended to retch.

"That's so slutty, Leah," Kate said as plucked up a new magazine. Leah narrowed her eyes at her. "Oh no, that sounded mean," Kate covered her mouth. "What I meant was, who's going to buy the cow when you're giving out the milk for free? That's an expression, right? I know I didn't make it up."

"Oh, so you're calling me a cow now?" Leah gasped, feigning anger.

"Of course not!" Kate shook her head so adamantly that her curls bounced off her cheeks. "I meant...ugh. I don't know."

"Be nice, Leah," Gemma scolded with a laugh. "You're giving the girl a panic attack."

"Fine. Here's a gift." Leah tossed her magazine to a pouting Kate. "Tyler's in this one too. It said he's going to record that song Queen Bee inspired him to write. Your time's running out, girl."

"Way to be nice, Leah."

"I try."

Kate sighed. "Well I only said that I wanted Tyler to be _my_ first. I'm not dumb, I know I wouldn't be _his_."

"You sure you don't want to just lose it and get it over with?" Leah asked. "Joey Carr is pretty good, I can vouch for him."

"Ew," Kate wrinkled her nose. "That would be weird...that he's been with you already..."

"What, you wouldn't want to have sex with me?" Leah asked loudly. The manicurists looked up along with a few older women. Gemma shrunk into her chair and covered her face with her magazine. Leah didn't seem to notice or care. "Gemma, don't you think I'm hot? I think you're totally hot, I'm not afraid to say it. I mean, I'd totally have a threesome with you – unless I end up with Gavin."

"Oh God," Gemma dropped her magazine and buried her face in her hands. "Please stop."

" _What?_ " Leah threw her hands in the air. "Why can't I ever talk about sex with you two? It's like I'm sitting in a room full of virgins because Kate's virginity is so powerful that she re-virginizes everyone."

Gemma blushed. She had never outwardly lied about it, but she allowed the girls to believe that she was more experienced than she really was.

In fact, she was almost as inexperienced as Kate – everything she did with Damian was always above the belt. He knew she was a virgin, and Gemma knew that he had lost his virginity to a girl in South Carolina where his grandparents owned a summer home. Despite the unspoken knowledge that they were both curious to do more than kiss and cuddle, Damian had never even come close to pressuring her. She knew he was too much of a gentleman to bring up the topic, but a part of her was hoping he would so they could actually _do_ something about it. She didn't quite have the courage to bring it up herself. It was hard to imagine that just a little over a month ago, she had marched up to Tyler Chase and kissed him in only her underwear – even if it was in the dark. Gemma sighed as she watched the manicurist finish applying the last coat of baby pink polish on her toes.

~

Despite the fact that there were half as many people at Lucas's party than there was at Madison's, it felt all the more crowded in the smaller space of her backyard. Madison had hired personal chefs to man a large grill by the pool with two bartenders cracking coconuts and pouring beer next to them. The weather was just warm enough that the boys came in wearing their team t-shirts and the girls in their sleeveless tops and jeans – with the exception of Leah, who wore a sheer white mini dress over a black bikini. With all the boys' eyes on her, Gavin was suddenly more inclined to mark his territory by keeping an arm around her waist all night.

"What can I say?" Kate shook her head. "The girl knows what she's doing." She sat with Gemma and Damian by the pool, drinking from their fresh coconuts with their legs dipped in the water. Gemma wore a navy striped, boat neck top over a pair of white shorts. Kate's outfit reflected her mood, a grey tank top over faded blue shorts. She sadly chewed on her teriyaki chicken and pineapple skewer.

"Don't worry," Damian comforted. "You're going to find someone and you won't need to dress like that to get their attention."

Kate only rolled her eyes. Damian turned to Gemma and shrugged with a face that said, _I tried._ Gemma smiled. She was more aware than ever of what a catch Damian was. Plus, the less she talked with Lucas, the easier it was for her to forget him. Training herself to forget about him was beginning to become routine, and by now, she was becoming a pro at it. Even watching him at his own birthday party, looking handsome in a simple sky blue t-shirt and shorts, Gemma felt numb. She wasn't sure if she was indifferent because she had a boyfriend now, or if she had really trained herself to be that way for fear of Madison. Even wondering about it made her feel guilty as she sat with Damian, their fingers intertwined.

"I seriously should've stuck to dance lessons," Kate said wistfully, looking off into the distance. Gemma turned in the same direction to see Madison eating a giant burger. It was a rare sight to see Madison indulge in anything that wasn't fish and vegetables. Seeing her in a printed Roberto Cavalli dress and managing to look both elegant and sexy as she downed a cheeseburger was a little more than the girls could bear. Kate sighed loudly, tossing her barbecue skewer aside. "At least she'll be at NYU soon and I won't have to look at her and hate myself everyday."

"Kate! Stop being dramatic." Gemma said. "You're gorgeous."

"This is gonna sound corny, but guys like confidence," Damian said. Kate groaned. "I'm serious! We like girls who don't need to ask if they look good, they just know. And when they know, we know."

"Please. Not every guy in the world thinks like you. Actually, most don't."

"You _are_ an exception, Damian," Gemma smiled up at him, though she wondered how he managed to miss her own signs of insecurity. She turned back to Kate. "And so are you, Kate!"

"Let me say one more thing before I let Gemma take over giving the girl advice," Damian said as the girls laughed. "Either you're not into him or you haven't noticed, but Paul has been eyeing you since you came here. And this isn't the only party I've seen him doing it."

"Paul Brendan? _Really?_ " Kate's eyes widened, suddenly brighter. "But he's so cute!" She looked towards the bar where Paul was standing. Gemma watched Paul's eyes immediately dart away upon being caught.

"Alright, I'm in need of another coconut," Damian said as he swung his muscular legs out of the water and stood. "If you come with me, I can introduce you two so you can stop playing... eye footsies, or whatever it is you're doing right now." Damian extended his hand to help Gemma to her feet.

"Oh, you guys go. It'll look obvious if I come too," she said.

"Good thinking!" Kate said quickly. "You stay here!"

Damian laughed. "Want me to get you another coconut?"

"No," Gemma smiled. "Just bring an extra straw so we can share."

"You know, you made me soft. I never shared my food before you came along," Damian grinned as he leaned in to give her a peck.

"Oh, you guys are too sweet. I think I have a cavity," Kate drawled. She began pulling on Damian's arm. "Come on, Damian, time's running out!"

"Alright, alright!"

Gemma felt her cheeks warm as she watched Damian walk away. The pool water made his muscles glisten. She bit her lip back to mask her lustful smile. She barely noticed as two perfectly smooth, tan legs slid into the water beside her. Gemma turned to see Madison pulling the hem of her dress to her knees and flinging her hair to the side. She cocked her head as she looked at Gemma, a colorful cocktail in one hand.

"Why'd your boyfriend abandon you?"

"Oh, he just went to introduce Kate to Paul," Gemma said. She felt a chill on the back of her neck. She hated how every encounter with Madison braced her body to go into fight or flight mode.

"It's okay, even the closest couples need breaks from each other sometimes," Madison smiled and shrugged her perfectly toned, golden shoulders. She sipped from her bright pink drink. "Ugh, this is so good. Wanna try?"

"It's okay."

"Oh, you have to, hon!" she insisted. "It's _so_ good." Madison thrust the drink into Gemma's hands, a large splash of pink liquid swishing out of the glass and onto Gemma's white shorts. Gemma gasped and Madison followed suit, though hers was rather exaggerated.

"Oh my God, clumsy me!" Her hands flew to her mouth. She stood to her feet and helped Gemma up. "I must be tipsy or something. I am _so_ sorry."

"It's fine, I can...I can just dry-clean it I'm sure," Gemma said. She wiped at the stain with a cocktail napkin only to watch it spread through the fine threads. "Maybe I should go home and change. I'll go get Damian."

"Oh no, don't do that!" Madison exclaimed. "I got the most delicious birthday cake for Lucas from Lady M and I know he'd want everyone here for that. Especially you, Gemma." Gemma froze, startled. Madison gently reached for her hand. "You mean a lot to Lucas. You're like...a _baby sister_ to him. I know you guys don't talk much anymore, but it's just because he's _so_ busy, and whatever time he has left is for me. You know?" Her smile was far too sweet. "So you have to stay."

Next thing Gemma knew, she was in Madison's room watching her rummage for shorts in her dresser. Though something about the situation felt strange, Gemma wanted to believe in Madison's sudden kindness. She chalked it up to all the cocktails that Madison had been downing. She always had a tendency to be more affectionate when drunk.

Through the sheer curtains of the second-floor window, Gemma could see Damian still trying to spark a conversation between an awkward Paul and an eager Kate. The sounds of the party below were faint but still audible. Gemma tried to see if she could make out the words among the three.

"I don't know if these will fit you," Madison said as she pulled out various shorts. "Wait. I might have something from when I gained weight after I sprained my ankle."

Gemma shook off the insult with a roll of the eyes. Madison was drunk after all. In fact, her intoxicated state made Gemma almost hopeful about their relationship. Gavin had always told her that the truth came out in people when they were drunk, so perhaps Madison had been truly longing to rekindle their friendship.

"Here we go!" She handed Gemma a pair of cute denim shorts that matched her top.

"Thank you so much," Gemma said cautiously, careful not to say anything that might send Madison spiraling back into hatred for her.

"No problem, sweetie!" Madison leaned in and hugged her. The embrace felt so genuine that Gemma quickly relaxed. "And I really do feel bad about the shorts, Gem, since they look so expensive. Why don't you give them to me so I can have them dry-cleaned for you?"

"You don't have to do that," Gemma brushed it off.

"I can just have someone walk it over! It's down the block and we have an account with them," Madison said. "They love me there so I can probably have them ready before the end of the party. Don't even worry, babe." She twirled a lock of Gemma's hair around her finger.

Gemma finally cracked a smile. "Okay," she slid her shorts off and handed them off to Madison. "Thank you so much."

Gemma had barely finished her sentence when she felt herself being knocked and pinned onto the bed. She was too stunned to utter a word, but as she tried to turn her head to see what was happening, she noticed the closet door was suddenly open.

"What the hell?" she finally managed to squeak as she pushed against the weight on top of her. The smell of beer wafted into her nostrils.

"She has to look like she wants it, Matt," Madison said. Gemma gasped as she caught a glance of Madison positioning her iPhone camera on her and Matt. She felt Matt lift her, grabbing her bare legs so they were positioned around his waist as he sat up in the bed. Gemma shrieked as she attempted to push away from him.

"Don't flatter yourself, Gemma – I'm not actually going to do anything with you," Matt sneered.

"Let go of me!" she screamed. Matt pulled her face into his, kissing her with his beer breath. Gemma gagged. His tight grip crushed her and just when she felt like she might suffocate, he let go. Gemma crumpled onto the bed, gasping to catch her breath. She turned to see Matt pulling up his pants, a repulsive grin on his face.

"Had to make it look real, you know?" he laughed. "If you weren't such a bitch, I might consider actually doing it with you."

Gemma felt her chin quiver, her heart pounding. She wasn't sure if her trembling lips would let out a cry or a scream. " _What the hell is wrong with you guys?_ " She finally screamed as she jumped off the bed, grabbing her shorts from the ground and yanking them back on. She noticed Madison was no longer in the room. In a panic, Gemma ran downstairs and out to the yard, leaving her flip-flops behind.

She didn't care if people saw her in tears. She pushed through the crowds but couldn't find Madison. Whispers began quickly. She knew she must have looked ridiculous with her bare feet, stained shorts and mascara-streaked face. Finally, she spotted Madison standing by Lucas, fiddling with her phone as if nothing had happened at all. Lucas had an arm around her, drinking a beer as he chatted with teammates. Gemma stormed over, drawing attention with each stomp forward.

"Whoa," Lucas's eyebrows ascended, startled. They quickly furrowed in concern. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Honey!" Madison gave another phony gasp. "What's going on?"

"You know exactly what's going on!" Gemma fumed. She grabbed Madison's phone from her hand, pushing her back in the process. Madison flailed exaggeratedly, knocking Lucas's beer to the ground. The bottle shattered, grabbing the attention of the entire party. Those on the deck stopped to lean over the railing and stare.

"What are you doing, Gemma?" Madison demanded, struggling to sound calm despite the visible fury in her eyes as she reached for her phone. Gemma jerked away from Madison's reach and looked through the phone, confirming her suspicions. The video was in the midst of uploading to share. _The_ video of her in Madison's bed with Matt. Gemma clicked furiously at the buttons on the screen in attempts to cancel the upload. Nothing seemed to work.

"Gemma, what's going on? What are you doing?" Lucas asked with frustration. She could see the disapproval in his eyes as he comforted Madison, but she didn't stop. She felt desperate. She could see Damian jogging towards her from across the yard. Gemma knew what the video looked like – what it was _meant_ to look like – and the last thing she needed was for the entire school to see it.

The video continued to load despite Gemma's efforts to stop it. Everyone was already whispering. She knew that the whispers would only grow once the video got out. In desperation, she threw the phone to the ground. Only the glass screen shattered. Gemma picked the phone up only to hurl it into the pool.

"What the hell is _wrong_ with you, Gemma?" Madison pushed away from Lucas's grasp, rushing to her. She stopped with her face just inches away. Gemma could feel Madison's angry breath on her. She couldn't believe her, how she had schemed such an elaborate plan. She was a good performer, a convincing friend to their classmates. But Gemma knew how vindictive and malicious Madison truly was. She was revolted by her, by the subtle sneer she wore on her overly glossy pink lips.

Overwhelmed with her disgust, Gemma shoved Madison back.

The crowd gasped.

Immediately, Gemma regretted her decision. She hadn't realized just how many people were watching until that point. Madison's blue eyes quickly began to tear up. Her face was wretched with fury, but being the performer that she was, she swiftly masked it with a wounded expression. "I knew I shouldn't have invited you with your stupid crush on Lucas. I _knew_ you'd explode some day!" Madison sniffed pathetically as she threw herself into Lucas's arms. "This is my fault. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have ruined your party with this," she sobbed, burying her face in his chest. Lucas embraced her and whispered soothingly her ear. He stole a glance at Gemma before leading Madison away.

Damian approached Gemma carefully. Matt snorted and looked him up and down. "Oh look, the knight in shining armor, coming to save the girl who never wants him." Gemma watched helplessly as the party cleared. "Save your energy, Damian," Matt laughed. He stood waiting for a reaction until Gavin approached threateningly.

Gavin shooed away the straggling spectators as Damian pulled Gemma in for a hug. Over his shoulder, she could see Jillian shaking her head. Leah and Kate looked at her cautiously, their foreheads knit in confusion. It was over. Any chance at a normal high school life was gone with Madison's phone. Gemma cried into Damian's shirt, her vision blurring her from the crowd of questioning stares.

# Chapter 13

QUEEN BEE'S POPULARITY: ON THE RISE

The Pop Source

May 3

Despite scarce public appearances and interviews, pop sensation Queen Bee's fame has skyrocketed, according to polls. The teenaged songstress has gained not only recognition in the U.S, but fans as well. Her single "Tell the World" (for which she has shockingly not yet released a video) sat at number one on iTunes for several months before dropping to its current spot at number four. According to polls, 88% of pop fans are looking forward to purchasing her next single.

According to various hints and clues released by Bee's team, her next U.S performance is widely believed to be at the "Today Show" summer concert series. In the meantime, fan sites continue to speculate over Bee's true identity as well as the state of her relationship with R&B crooner Tyler Chase. Chase has made it clear that while he and Bee have met, he has not seen her in person since the Staples Center security meltdown that left the two pop stars unguarded amongst thousands of wild fans. Gossip hounds across the internet have also weighed in on the mystery of the situation. A commenter on blog "Her Royal Secrecy" writes: "Her real life must be 1000x better than Queen Bee's if she is prioritizing it over fame and Tyler Chase."
On the Monday back to school, eyes followed Gemma at every corner she turned. Behind her, she heard whispered recounts of the weekend. At Gemma's insistence, Leah and Kate told her what rumors were going around. Gemma felt she deserved the pain of knowing what terrible things were being said about her. It was proof. Proof that having a "normal" life was not everything it was chalked up to be. She didn't have the energy for it. She only had enough for one life, and she decided that she preferred Queen Bee's. Somehow, it was less exhausting.

After school, she insisted Gavin and Damian let her walk home on her own. She felt guilty looking at either of them. She had complicated Gavin's easygoing life by choosing an irresistible group of friends that she should have guessed would cause trouble. She could barely look Damian in the eye after the humiliation she had put him through. They were both so good to her even after the continuous episodes of drama. She had complicated their lives tremendously, and simply because Madison felt jealousy for something that didn't exist. Gemma loved Damian. She almost hated Lucas now, for ever being a part of her life.

Gemma walked home through the winding back roads of the town, away from sight. She avoided the town center, the coffee shops, anywhere she would be seen returning home in her self-pitying mood. She was angry – mad at Lucas for ruining what could have been a perfect high school experience. Mad at Madison for taking her in and then turning her back. Mad at Jillian for not seeing through Madison's ways. She was disappointed at Leah and Kate for being too scared to speak against the unfairness that she knew they saw.

It was her parents' fault. Gemma would have felt fine touring or even just being in New York, hanging out with Armand and Penelope and being home-schooled on the road. She didn't need friends her own age, a normal education, the high school experience – these were all things her father wanted for her just because he wanted her to be more like him. And now he wasn't even in the country. He hardly ever called, always assuming that Mira had everything taken care of. He wasn't there to support her.

By the time Gemma had found her way home, the sun was beginning to set. She had walked for hours, taking loops that prolonged her time alone. Gavin's car was not yet in the driveway but Mira's was. She was home early.

Gemma struggled with the stupid lock on the door. She furiously turned the key to no avail. It was the temperamental lock that got her into this whole mess – gave her time alone with Lucas and made her really fall for him. The door swung open and Mira stood inside, taking her Mikimoto pearl earrings off with one hand.

"Do you tear at the door like this everyday?" she tsked. Gemma stormed past her. Mira quickly grabbed the back of Gemma's top. " _Excuse_ you, young lady – what is going on?" Gemma turned towards her aunt and pulled herself free.

" _I hate it here!_ " she screamed in a voice that shocked them both. She choked on her words, crying and covering her face in shame. Mira reached to embrace her but Gemma thrashed away, running towards her room. Mira followed. Gemma tried to close the heavy door in time but Mira intercepted.

"What is going _on_ , honey?" she asked. Gemma could hear Mira's steady voice trying to keep cool, though her eyes were beginning to show panic.

"I don't want to be here," Gemma cried. She felt a pain in her tightening throat. "I never wanted to be here. It was all of you, not me. It was Dad and now he's not even here. I can't _do_ this!"

"Don't scream! You have to preserve your voice."

"Are you freaking serious?" Gemma almost laughed. She could see the hurt on Mira's face but she couldn't stop. " _This_ is my life now, isn't it? This house, this small town, this school, these _horrible_ people. This is it." She paused for just a moment, almost wishing for Mira to say that it wasn't, that she could be just Queen Bee from now on and forget about Gemma. She didn't. Gemma felt her tears stream down her heated cheeks. She kicked the pink ivory chair beside her vanity that Mira so loved. "I'm sick of having to worry about both lives. It makes me literally sick."

"Gemma, honey, please," Mira said softly, reaching for her.

"I can't be Gemma. I can't be this stupid, small town high schooler anymore. This isn't who I am – I feel _horrible_ as her. I'm Queen Bee. I only know how to be her. I can't be confident, I can't be a _real person_ without her."

"Gemma, this is exactly what your parents and I were afraid of," Mira said sternly. "We don't want you to lose yourself. We always knew you were a sweet, shy girl and we loved that you could be larger than life as Queen Bee – but you can't lose Gemma." Mira carefully placed her hand on Gemma's shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. "Queen Bee won't last forever. What will you do when she's gone? Who will you be friends with? What will your life be?"

Gemma turned away from Mira, gasping for air through her sobs. Through her tears she gazed at the train of the Balenciaga gown, peeking out from her closet. She floated towards it, touching the delicate material.

"Gemma," Mira ran her hands through her hair in attempts to soothe her. "You'll be so thankful you did this, trust me."

Gemma shook her head. "Why can't I just tell people who I am, then?" she whispered bitterly. Mira sighed and put her hands to her head.

"The moment you tell people who you are, you compromise Queen Bee's persona." Mira looked Gemma in the eye, gravely serious. "But that will be nothing compared to what you'll have done to your life as Gemma Hunter. Do you remember the paparazzi, Gemma? Do you remember how you never had a moment to breathe with them around? Imagine them when you're trying to get through finals or SATs, or just trying to shop with your friends..."

"What _friends_?" Gemma practically spat. "Do you even know what I'm dealing with at school? Do you know what everyone's _say_ ing? I have nothing because I can't defend myself, because I don't even know who I _am_. Gemma Hunter is nothing."

With that, Gemma stormed out of her room. She continued down the stairs and out of the front door. She ran into the darkness of the early evening and through the front and back yards of her neighbors. She heard the faint cries of her name behind her as she ran farther and farther from Mira. Not a single person in the world could know what she was going through and she hated that they were even trying.

~

Not so surprisingly, the outdoor basketball court where she watched Damian practice was rather lonely without him. Gemma had no idea what time it was. She had left her cell phone at home and had wandered aimlessly about town until she reached the court. It was surrounded by forest and had a soft patch of grass between the trees and cement. The grass reminded her of the picnics she would have with Damian after his hours of shooting. They would lay out on the soft grass, never bothering to use the blanket that Gemma always kept tucked into her straw tote.

Gemma spread herself across the grass, smelling its fresh summery scent. She didn't care about the buzz of what were probably mosquitoes. Their presence just meant that the school year was almost over. In the still darkness, the sounds of crickets and rustling leaves in the breeze felt that much louder. She closed her eyes and listened, letting the sounds engulf her. For the first time in awhile, she flashed back to her concerts. To the hum of excitement in the audience. She wondered how it was possible that that part of her could feel so unreal and distant every time she left it.

Through her closed eyes, she could see a bright light. Gemma sat up to see a car pull in over the grass. She squinted to see if it was Gavin or Mira's car. It was neither.

"Gemma?" she heard a boy's voice call. She scrambled to her feet, trying to recognize the outline of the figure that was approaching. Her eyes had yet to adjust to the bright headlights.

"Damian?"

"No," the figure let out an awkward laugh. "Sorry to disappoint." Gemma could see now that it was Lucas. He was dressed in what she figured were his pajamas – a plain white t-shirt over flannel pants.

"How'd you know I was here?" she asked.

"Mira. She knocked on my door and asked if I could help Gavin look for you."

"Is Gavin with you?"

"No. We drove separately to cover more ground. Mira's still home just in case you go back on your own."

"Oh God," Gemma blushed. "I'm so sorry they asked you to do that."

Lucas waved it off. "Are you okay? We got really worried when Damian and the girls didn't even know where you were."

"You guys called them?" she sounded more alarmed than she had meant to.

"Don't worry," Lucas said. "Gavin made it sound casual."

"Well you're here, so you know I just flipped out and ran off," Gemma huffed, not bothering to hide her mortification. Lucas simply shrugged.

"What does it matter? I'm just glad you're okay."

"Why do you care?" Gemma retorted.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"You didn't care when your girlfriend humiliated me in front of everyone – _twice_. You know I never tried anything with you. It was up to you to tell people the truth." Gemma could hear the disdain drip from her words. It was as if she hadn't realized her anger for Lucas until seeing him again. He opened his mouth to speak but she interrupted him. "How am I supposed to believe that you tried defending me when the whole school is still talking about me? You let them think I'm this pathetic girl who's in love with her friend's boyfriend, who flew into some stupid, jealous rage at your birthday party. You haven't bothered to do a _thing_ about it." She breathed deeply to calm herself as she walked off. "You're just as bad as she is."

"Gemma, can I say something? You can't just make these accusations and walk off."

"What do you want to say, Lucas? Don't tell me that you're on my side here, or that you don't believe I have some psychotic crush on you. That I'm just using Damian to be close to you. Because if that were true you would've cleared things up a long time ago."

"I'm not going to tell you that because you already know it's true. I don't believe any of that. I know you love Damian. And you know I love Madison. We both know the truth."

"So? No one will believe me. And you're too afraid of Madison to say something to her, let alone the rest of the school."

"That's not the reason," Lucas scowled. "Madison doesn't own me. I'm not afraid of her."

Gemma gulped, surprising even herself with her remark. She had hit a nerve, but her stubborn lips refused to form an apology. Lucas sighed, his hand on his chin. He opened and closed his mouth to say something that his own lips seemed to be resisting as well.

"I've wanted to say something to her. To everyone. But I can't because I feel guilty."

"Why? You're not the one who keeps humiliating the person you're dating."

"You're the only person who sees it that way," Lucas said. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine. Other people might see it that way too. It probably does look bad that Damian's girlfriend might like his teammate."

Gemma groaned. _Why is he torturing me?_

"But it's Madison who actually has something to worry about."

Gemma crossed her arms sourly. "So you do think I have a crush on you."

"No. I never said that."

Gemma frowned, confused. She opened her mouth to ask for some sort of clarification, but Lucas's cell phone began to ring. The ring tone practically echoed in the silence of the night. He took a few steps back from her before picking up.

"Hey Gavin," he answered, his eyes on Gemma. "I found her. I'll take her back now."

The ride back felt like an eternity as Gemma debated whether or not she should ask Lucas what he had meant. Her stomach turned at the possibilities. It was more than enough to distract her from what she would have to face at home. Mira would no doubt be fuming. Gavin would definitely have reached his last straw with her. Gemma cringed. She wished she didn't care so much about what her family thought.

Lucas said a short and hasty goodbye upon pulling into Gemma's driveway. Gemma assumed it meant that he had no intention of clarifying his earlier statement about Madison. She decided not to bother asking and trudged towards the front door. Gavin was already home, standing in the doorframe. He looked disappointed more than angry, and it filled Gemma with shame.

"What the hell's wrong with you, Gemma?"

"What's wrong with me?" Her shame quickly morphed into irritation. "Not now, Gavin, please. I don't need this." She pushed past him but he followed, blocking her from going up the stairs.

"Don't you realize you have everything? You're going to just let some spat with a girl get you down? People go through worse and they don't have a secret life to escape to, so grow up."

With that, Gavin turned and went up to his room, shutting the door behind him. Gemma stood at the foot of the steps for a minute. She had never seen Gavin say anything seriously to anyone. She was too stunned to react to him, let alone respond. However her trance was broken upon hearing the sound of ripping. It sounded like ripping fabric, a sound she was familiar with from being on tour and getting outfits snagged. But this was not just ripping – it was shredding. Gemma could only imagine that Mira was behind the sound. With a pounding dread in her heart, Gemma made her way to her bedroom.

She had always known that Mira had a temper. Her father had told her many stories about Mira's "switch." "Once the switch goes off, you can see it in her eyes. All you can do is get out of her way and let her wreak havoc until she feels better." Then, with a fond chuckle, her father would tell Gemma not to worry because Mira had since learned to control her anger. It was something they saw less as she got older – but like Gavin's troublemaking tendencies, there was always the threat of its resurfacing.

Gemma could see now that this tendency had most definitely resurfaced.

Mira kneeled at the foot of Gemma's dress form, clutching the Balenciaga gown. The metal of the shears in her hand gleamed menacingly as it tore through the train of the gown. Pearls ripped from the dress, bouncing away as if they were running from danger. Gemma stood at the doorframe in shock for a few moments before rushing to her dress.

"What are you _do_ ing?" her shrill voice quivered. " _Stop!_ " Mira looked up at her. Beads of sweat were forming on her temples, running down her flushed cheekbones. Feathers, beading and cloth lay all around her. The gown was unrecognizable.

"Gemma," Mira sighed. She looked relieved. There wasn't the slightest hint of anger in her face. Gemma felt her body shaking as she touched the remnants of the dress in her hands. She prayed that her eyes had deceived her, but in her fingers, she could feel the legendary gown was in fact destroyed. It was no longer a gown at all. She ran her fingers across the cloth, tearing up.

"Why'd you do this?" she sobbed, pulling the dress off the form and cradling it in her arms.

"You can't depend on Queen Bee to be secure."

"Why not?" Gemma demanded. She ran her finger along the frayed ends of the dress. "She's all I know at this point."

"Because you haven't given Gemma a chance yet. Don't let one dumb girl take you down." Mira eyed her. "I know you read the tabloids. The ones that like to make up stories about Queen Bee. I know it's tough to keep a secret like this on top of being a teenager. But if you've survived the scrutiny of being an international pop star, I know you can be Gemma," Mira persisted despite Gemma's adamant head-shaking. "You deserve a life outside the fame, with school and friends your own age. In the long run, you'd be sorry if you missed Gemma's life."

"I don't know what you guys want from me. I'm trying to live both lives," Gemma sniffled as Mira gently took the torn dress from her arms. Tears dropped from her eyes as pearls did from the dress. "But I can't have a normal life if I'm not truthful about who I am."

"You can," Mira said softly as she straightened a few feathers on the torn strap of the dress. "You can carry what you've learned from both into the other."

"What do you mean?"

"Give Gemma some of Queen Bee's confidence. After all, Bee benefits from Gemma's compassion. You can see it when she tries to sign every single fan's CD, even if there are a thousand of them. And when she defies her bodyguards to make a little girl's dream come true by taking a picture with her."

"Any singer would do that for a fan," Gemma muttered. Mira draped the dress over her forearm and shook Gemma's hair out from her bun. Her tresses fell in loose waves at her shoulders.

"You might think that, but you'd be surprised by how many stars forget about the people who made them famous. Do me a favor, will you?" Mira asked. "Put the gown on."

" _Why?_ It's not even a dress anymore."

"Of course it is," Mira said plainly. "It's no longer the one you thought you knew. That's all." She was clearly holding in excitement. It gave Gemma hope, though; she couldn't imagine that the gown could still look good.

Gemma tried not to smile. "I think you're crazy," she laughed tentatively.

"Excuse me. I prefer the word 'weird.'" Mira shoved the dress into Gemma's arms. Gemma shot her a glance before pulling her sweatshirt over her head and kicking off her jeans. She felt the lightness of the gown. It was hard to believe it was once the dress she was so excited to get into. She slipped it on, bitterly noting that it was hardly a cocktail dress at this point. It didn't give her the feeling of excitement and anticipation anymore. The feeling of empowerment. Now, the dress made her feel naked somehow.

The hem fell slightly above her knee. She felt a lump in her throat as she looked down at her bare legs. It normally draped like an iridescent silk river down her legs, around her ankles and into a pool of luxurious fabric behind her. It hurt her to know she'd never see the gown as she knew it again.

"There," Gemma said, lips pursed and holding in a sob as she looked up at Mira. "Happy? I'm wearing it and I look crazy."

"But you don't," Mira smiled. She turned Gemma towards the mirror.

Immediately and against her own will, Gemma sucked in a breath of shock.

She didn't recognize what she was wearing. It was so far from the beautiful and flowing spectacle that she had grown accustomed to wearing during her closing number. It was short now – it was simplified. Streamlined. It may not have had any semblance to the original gown it once was, but it was stunning in its own right. It felt _real_.

"You _would've_ looked crazy had you worn that gown anywhere but the stage or say, the Met Gala. But now you can wear it anywhere," Mira faked a bubbly teenaged voice. "Like, I don't know, to prom or something?"

Gemma spun around to look at Mira. She shrugged her shoulders in mock innocence, smiling.

"I don't know if I can do that..." Gemma said.

"And why not?" Mira demanded, hands on her hips. "Isn't every girl on the planet on some boutique waitlist hoping to get a replica of Queen Bee's Balenciaga? I'd say you have the most authentic one."

"I just can't... this is _still_ Queen Bee's dress. I can't pull this off."

"Of course you can," Mira insisted. "I can't have you here day after day looking at that dress and feeling sorry for yourself. The dress doesn't own you, nor does Queen Bee. You own them." Mira winked. "Wear the dress to prom and bring a little bit of Bee's heartthrob-winning confidence with you."

Gemma smiled. The idea didn't sound half bad.

# Chapter 14

Gemma could hear Damian greeting Mira and Gavin downstairs as she put on her freshwater pearl chandelier earrings. She had gotten back from the salon a little late because the stylist had felt "suddenly inspired." He ended up blowing out her hair and resetting it into classic Hollywood waves that skimmed her collarbones. They glittered with the beading of her dress. The cream-colored pearls of the earrings were set in white gold, matching the silver and ivory of the whole ensemble. On her feet was a pair of four-inch silver satin Manolo Blahniks with floral jeweled straps.

When she had everything together, she looked at the mirror hanging next to the empty dress form.

"Huh," she breathed, cocking an eyebrow. She looked like Gemma Hunter, but she was easily as stunning and mysterious as Queen Bee. And for once, everything about her felt right. _Aunt Mira's a genius._

She waltzed down the stairs and spotted Damian's tall frame immediately. Even with his back turned to her, she could tell he was wearing his tux exceptionally well. _The perks of dating a basketball player,_ Gemma grinned.

"There she is," Gavin announced to the room.

"Oh, oh!" Mira clapped excitedly before snapping pictures on her iPhone. "Such a beauty!"

Damian turned, fiddling with a beautiful corsage made of five perfect, miniature lavender roses. He looked dashing in his sharp tuxedo over a black dress shirt and ivory tie. When he looked up, he simply gazed at her, mouth agape.

"I think you took his breath away," Mira teased. Gemma giggled and leaned in to give Damian a peck on the lips. He responded with a shy smile, as if meeting her for the first time.

"Close your mouth, man, you're shameless." Gavin said.

Damian laughed. _That low, sexy laugh._ "You look..." He shook his head and laughing at his own speechlessness. "I don't even know what to say. Words won't get it right."

"Oh God," Gavin rolled his eyes as he headed for the front door. "Let's go get Leah. I can't be near just you two right now."

~

"Oh. My. Effin' God. You bitch!" Leah screeched as she ran down the driveway in black platform stilettos. "Where did you get that dress?"

She looked sexy and older than her age in an elegant one-shoulder gown that fell to her ankles. The golden hue of the satin matched her radiant tan. Gemma declared it a conservative choice for her until she spotted the thigh-high slit that showed off a bare, slim leg. Her raven-black hair was pulled into a low chignon and her smiling face was bronzed and glowing.

"You look pretty good too, Leah," Gemma laughed.

"Shut up. I totally hate you. You know I wanted one of those so badly."

"My aunt had connections," Gemma shrugged.

"Can we maybe swap dresses halfway through the night? It might be funny," Leah suggested almost too genuinely. She forced a laugh. "Just kidding. Kind of."

Gemma's nerves quickly calmed around Leah, and she now felt giddy with excitement.

"Leah, you look gorgeous," Gavin grinned as he held out an arm to hug her. Leah suddenly straightened her posture and posed seductively around him. She blushed and hugged him back.

Pre-prom was being held in Madison's backyard. Understanding that Gemma might not want to revisit the place, Damian suggested they do their own little photo shoot by their spot at the basketball court. The limo driver dropped off Gavin and Leah at Madison's while Gemma and Damian stuck around inside.

"Sir, your name?" Damian asked the driver.

"Joe," the driver replied.

"Joe, could you take this road straight down and I'll direct you from there? And oh, how are you with a camera?"

~

Senior prom was held in an open glass hall on the Hudson River. Their limo arrived right in time to watch the sky fade into the royal purple of early sunset. Gemma looked through the photos from the basketball courts in attempts to avoid eye contact with Madison. To her surprise, Jillian had the guts to betray Madison and talk to her – about her Queen Bee Balenciaga dress, of course. Or as she called it, her "replica."

"It's incredible," Jillian murmured as she ran her fingers through the draping silk. Madison rolled her eyes as she snuggled into Lucas.

"Back off, perv," Leah scoffed. "Let us all admire it."

"It seriously looks so much like the actual gown. Except of course not like the full, whole thing 'cause that thing was like, whoa!" Kate rambled. "It was huge. I think it must've weighed like, fifty pounds. But this one is totally like the original Balenciaga's really cute younger sister."

"Can I take a picture of it?" Lucas asked. The limo fell to an uncomfortable silence. Madison shot Lucas a cutting glare. He either ignored it or didn't see. "Elisa really loved that dress. She hasn't stopped Googling it since the concert."

The silence continued for another quick moment before Leah cooed loudly. "Oh, that's so presh! Elisa is so cute, I just want to babysit her and bake her cupcakes."

"She's thirteen, Leah. Not three."

Everyone broke into laughter, quick to break the thick tension in the car. Even Madison cracked a smile. Gemma let out a silent breath of relief, all the more grateful for Leah. She smiled as she caught Gavin still grinning quietly at Leah's remark.

At the banquet hall, Gemma and Damian observed as the beginnings of Gavin and Leah's mutual flirtation unfolded. They giggled as they watched, sitting in a quiet corner where girls continuously approached Gemma to compliment her dress. There were more Queen Bee fans in the senior class than she would have thought. Several classmates still insisted on whispering and side-eyeing when they saw her, but Gemma shrugged it off. _They can't all be my fans._

Both she and Damian avoided the dance floor all night, but not because Madison and Lucas were there. They both had a quiet knowledge that their days together were winding down and all they wanted was to be close and private. Gemma could tell Damian had decided on which university he would be attending. Beauford High had been waiting eagerly for his announcement. Journalists from local papers had been hounding him. Gemma, on the other hand, dreaded it.

The sun had completely set at this point. The light coming from the windows came solely from the reflection of the city skyline on the dark river. Gemma could feel the night drift towards a close. She leaned her face into Damian's shoulders, feeling his strong arms wrap around her.

"One last romantic song for the couples," the deejay announced over the loudspeaker. Soft chords of a piano began to echo through the room. "This song here's the ultimate love song, guys and girls, inspired by the two biggest music stars out there. In case you don't know it – though I know most of you know it because y'all requested it – this is Tyler Chase's ode to the lovely Queen Bee. Fellas, don't be afraid to get on the floor – this man knows how to croon, and I'll bet he's saying things you wish you could say to a certain special someone. School's almost over and most of y'all are headin' to college. Make a move now and get on the dance floor, folks!"

Amidst the drama with Madison, Gemma hadn't remembered there'd be a vote for the class song or even paid attention to which had won. She felt awkward when she realized what ballad the seniors had chosen, but the feelings quickly dissipated upon looking up at Damian. He extended his hand towards her, looking every bit the Prince Charming. She placed her hand atop his and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor.

She leaned her head into his chest as they danced to Tyler's soft voice. _I caught a glimpse of those moonlit eyes, I knew you were all you'd be. Your gilded silhouette can smile, you know your secret's safe with me._ Gemma smiled to herself. It was the first time she heard the recorded single.

"Have you ever been to L.A.?" Damian asked.

"Yes, once," she replied, laughing at the appropriateness of his timing.

"Did you like it there?" His eyes were serious. Gemma suspected she knew where the conversation was headed.

"It was sunny and spread out. Nothing like New York. My parents hate it, but I don't see why," she shrugged. "I had a great time there. I wish I had more time, really." Damian nodded solemnly, looking off into the distance as he held her tighter. Tyler's song continued in the background. _Who knows when our paths will cross again? Who knows what will happen when?_ Gemma shuddered at the lyrics. She felt a lump in her throat.

"I'm going to UCLA," Damian whispered.

Gemma nodded, her lips pursing into a forced smile. She held back her tears as she pulled him in and kissed him softly. She knew it was a hard decision for him. He was close to his family and had never left the east coast. But she knew it was even harder because they were in love with each other, but had yet to find a chance to say it with all the drama surrounding them.

"I'm happy for you," Gemma murmured.

They held each other close, swaying to the soft ballad, kissing like they were the only two left in the room.

~

Gemma and Damian's room in the shore house faced a back alley of an ice cream shop while Kate, Leah, Gavin and everyone else had rooms upstairs. The two had missed out on the lottery that determined each couple's room. It had happened at some point on the dance floor during prom. When they arrived at the location, everyone ran to their respective rooms, leaving Gemma and Damian in the common space, confused. Madison and Lucas, along with Jillian and her boyfriend, decided to celebrate in the city. Madison had gotten a suite in a boutique hotel that a family friend owned and decided it would be a "senior girls only" situation. No one questioned her decision. They knew why she did it.

And it was a relief to Gemma. There would be no relaxation in her weekend if it meant being in close quarters with Madison.

However, upon seeing their ground floor, nautical-themed bedroom with a window facing a restaurant dumpster, there was a fleeting thought of the luxury that Madison was likely indulging in at that moment. Gemma turned to Damian who tried to shrug it off, though his crinkled nose indicated that he was holding in his thoughts about the undesirable accommodations.

"I mean, if you're okay with it babe, then it's okay with me," he said, laughing at his own words. Gemma shook her head.

"Do all the rooms suck this much?" she wondered as Damian took her hand and led her back into the common space.

"I'm willing to make a bet that the upstairs room facing the beach is bangin'," Damian said, leaping up the stairs two at a time with his long legs. "And I'm willing to bet that your brother somehow got that room."

"Ugh, God," Gemma laughed. "Make sure to knock before you go in there."

Damian and Gemma reached the door to Gavin and Leah's room. The door was open and the room was empty. Gemma's mouth dropped in awe as she walked around. The sun-drenched corner room was breathtaking with picture windows lining two walls. Rays of sunlight peeked through the drapes of the white, canopied bed. Out the window, all Gemma could see was a long stretch of the powdery tan sand and the blue of the Atlantic Ocean.

"And now I see why Gavin's always talking about this place," Damian murmured. Through the open window, they could hear two voices giggling. Damian turned to Gemma with a knowing smile and the two ran to look out the window and onto the porch. There they saw Gavin and Leah, setting up the grill.

"Geez," Gemma laughed. She couldn't believe Gavin's strange behavior – he was quieter and suddenly observant, allowing Leah to be the loud and crazy one. Leah, on the other hand, had obviously relaxed enough around him to be herself. Her hair was a mess and she wore a white t-shirt with simple drawstring shorts. She bumbled about the grill, her outfit dusted with the black coal as Gavin tried to teach her how to set it up.

"Look at that," Damian said quietly. "It only took like three years for him to notice her."

Suddenly, Gavin and Leah looked up, shielding their eyes from the sun. Damian's raspy whispers had drawn attention to the open window.

"Nuh-uh!" Leah exclaimed. "Is someone in our room without our permission?"

"You guys must be hungry," Gemma yelled down. "Your suitcases aren't even unpacked."

"What's there to unpack? We're only here for a weekend. Now get out of our room!" Gavin yelled back. Gemma laughed, flashing back to the territorial fights they had growing up in their Manhattan apartment.

"Nice job tricking your sister and me into taking the crap room, Hunter!" Damian said. "Real classy."

"Yeah, yeah, cry me a river."

"Nah, I won't do that," Damian turned and grabbed Gavin's backpack and Leah's giant leather weekender before running out of the room.

"Oh he better not be..." Gavin sprinted from the porch back into the house.

Gemma ran out to the hallway to see Damian bounding back upstairs with their luggage.

"No! Get back here!" Gavin tore through the front door and bolted up the stairs after Damian, who laughed and panted for air. With one arm holding their bags, he used the other to impressively grab Gemma by the waist and hoist her over his shoulders. He ran to the corner bedroom and locked the door behind him, tossing Gemma onto the bed and jumping in after her. Gemma blushed as he lay beside her, his lips grazing her bare shoulders.

"Hey!" Gavin pounded at the door. Damian and Gemma shot back up to their feet. "Asshole, get out of there!" Gavin yelled.

"Can't believe you guys stuck us with the dumpster room," Damian said.

"Well someone had to take it," Gavin reasoned through the door.

"You've been to post-prom four years in a row, shouldn't you be a good guy and let me and your sister have the nice room?" Damian asked. There was silence on the other side of the door.

"Ew," Gavin finally said. "Now I definitely don't want you to have the room." Gemma burst out in laughter.

"What's going on?" Leah wailed from out the window. Damian and Gemma laughed uncontrollably, falling into each other as they stood in the middle of the room, equidistant from Gavin at the door and Leah at the window.

"Game of one-on-one, winner gets the nice room," Gavin proposed. "Gotta get ready to play against each other at some point, right?" Gemma looked to Damian. His nose wrinkled into a curious expression. He opened the door and extended his hand to shake Gavin's.

"You're on, man," he said. Gemma watched as the two boys exchanged a sad smile. She had noticed in the past few days that Gavin grew quiet at the topic of leaving for college. Just the previous week, he had chosen to attend Syracuse. His friends, like Damian, had all chosen different schools. Gavin knew it was a matter of time before he would be playing against his former teammates.

~

Gemma lounged on the porch with Leah, drinking the white peach sangria that they had made after the boys left. The girls decided to let the boys have their bonding time rather than play courtside cheerleader. The rest of the house had gone off to compete in a hot-wing-eating contest at a nearby restaurant.

"I don't really care about the room," Leah shrugged. "I'd be fine spending my weekend in that ice cream store dumpster, as long as I was with Gavin."

"I know what you mean."

"Ew, Gem."

Gemma snorted, nearly choking on her sangria. "With me and Damian, sicko. I just want every minute with him before he leaves," she sighed.

Leah nodded, combing her long hair with her fingers. "Do you know what you guys are going to do after he leaves for school?" she asked cautiously.

Gemma pursed her lips. She had been asking herself the same question for weeks but had hoped to put off the thought of it until the absolute last minute. She shook her head as she sipped at her sangria. "We haven't talked about it at all," she said as she watched the sky fade into a familiar deep purple. Leah wriggled her toes, examining her pedicure.

"Do you think Gavin's the type to start a relationship before he goes off to college?" Her lips already formed a pout in anticipation of Gemma's answer. She picked at the fruit at the bottom of her wine glass.

"I don't know, Leah," Gemma said. "But I've never seen him act this way before. So I guess we'll all see?"

"It would be my luck that he notices me a week before he graduates and leaves," Leah sighed. She held her arms out dramatically. "I am the unluckiest girl in the world."

"Well, at least he's just going to be in the next state over," Gemma said as she looked out at the vast sparkle of the Atlantic, the salty breeze lifting her hair gently from her shoulders. "Damian is switching oceans."

In the distance, Gemma heard voices laughing and squinted to see Damian and Gavin making their way back. Leah clapped her hands together, shrugging her shoulders in excitement. Gavin bounded up the porch, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Boo," Gemma pouted. "Does that mean dumpster room for us?"

"Leah, how about a nice long walk on the beach?" Gavin asked. "To put off having to go back to that gross back room."

Gemma jumped to her feet with excitement. "So my guy's the winner, huh?" She kissed Damian long and hard on the lips. She felt a slight sway in her step as she steadied herself against his strong torso.

"I couldn't let my girl spend her weekend in those conditions," Damian winked.

"What can I say?" Gavin shrugged. "He's disgustingly good. UCLA is a lucky school." He turned to Leah, pulling her in closer. "I'll make it up to you." He grabbed Damian's towel from the porch and flung it over his shoulder.

"That's mine," Damian said.

"Yeah," Gavin smiled. "I need to borrow it. In case, you know, Leah and I get tired and need to lie down on something." Leah's eyebrow arched and the two exchanged a less-than-subtle glance.

"Okay then. You know what, man – the towel's yours. My congratulations gift for Syracuse and all that." He held his hands in front of him as if to push Gavin away. Leah giggled as she skipped off the porch with Gavin and ran towards the water. Damian winced. "We're doing a favor for everyone at the house by putting them in the downstairs room. No one needs to share a wall with _that_ couple."

In their beautiful corner room, the two rummaged through their luggage in search of their swimsuits. Gemma had brought a rose-colored, retro bikini. The top was a longline halter with a ruched bust. The bottom matched in color, also with a ruching in the back. When she looked up from her suitcase, Damian had already stripped his clothes off and put on his pale blue board shorts. He smiled mischievously at her.

"Did you see anything?" he grinned. Gemma blushed and shook her head, clutching her bikini to her stomach. Damian laughed knelt beside her, tilting her chin up towards his face and biting his lip. "Your turn."

Gemma laughed nervously. "My turn?" she repeated.

"Yeah, get changed! I want to get in the water before it's dark out," Damian said. "Meet me downstairs." He kissed her on the lips, stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. She exhaled in relief and then immediately scolded herself for being relieved of anything. _What are you scared of, you baby?_ She felt a heat in her cheeks. Her body tingled. She steadied herself on the wooden post of the bed as she undid her shorts and let them fall down her smooth legs. A part of her wished that she had caught a glimpse of Damian changing. All she ever saw of the male body were backup dancers changing between sets. There was absolutely nothing sensual about that. Everything about Damian though, was sensual. His full lips, his deep brown eyes, his perfect body. She partly wished he had stayed in the room as she was getting undressed.

She kicked off her underwear and pulled on the bikini top as she gazed out the window. Damian was walking along the shoreline. The remnants of daylight outlined his lean silhouette as he kicked at the water.

Gemma rushed out of the house and sprinted towards him. He turned to see her looking innocently sexy, as if she were running straight out of a 1960s pinup poster. The breeze blew her chestnut waves back. Her lithe legs flitted across the sand. He smiled at the perfect image as he held his arms out. Gemma jumped into his them, wrapping her legs around his waist. They kissed passionately, allowing the waves of the ocean to lull them into the water. They kissed with a hint of knowledge that very soon, they would do more than just that.

~

Around 2am, they noticed Gavin and Leah, wrapped in Damian's towel and making their way back to the house. They had spent hours on the beach, watching from a distance as the other occupants of the shore house came and went.

"We better beat them to the showers," Damian said. Gemma giggled as he picked her up and carried her into the house. Covered in salt water and sand, their wet footsteps tiptoed past the drunk athletes in the common room. Gemma laughed under her breath as Kate woke up for a brief moment to wave at Gemma before passing out fully clothed on top of Paul again.

"Do you want to go first?" Gemma asked as they approached the bathroom door. Damian opened his mouth but said nothing. They stood awkwardly for a second. "I mean, I can go first or..." Gemma bit her lip. She wanted him to join her but she felt too shy to suggest it herself. She was no Leah, who was not only experienced but unabashed about her desires. She tried but couldn't channel Queen Bee, despite reminding herself that she had made the first move on Tyler Chase.

"Um, well... I'll go. I'm a guy, we're quick with these things, right?" Damian shrugged with an easygoing smile that she knew he put on for her sake. He stepped into the bathroom and shut the door quickly. The awkward tension between the two of them had been growing to a breaking point, but Gemma wasn't sure if either of them would ever step up and make a move. She was painfully shy in the department and he was far too much of a gentleman.

When Gemma finished showering, she slipped into the lavender cashmere nightgown she had bought just for the occasion of post-prom. The straps were made of a fine lace that braided into the soft fabric of the fitted gown. It stopped mid-thigh with matching lace trimming the hem. She fluffed her hair, spraying Burberry perfume into the air and twirling underneath the misty cloud of it. She exhaled, shaking off her nerves as she opened the door and stepped into the cool air of the corridor. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she peeked into the room.

Damian's long limbs were stretched out across the crisp white linen sheets of the bed. In his Bruins t-shirt and black boxers, he looked effortlessly sexy. Gemma bit her lip as she stepped into the bedroom. Damian turned to her, smiling for a split second before his jaw dropped.

"I... you..." he stuttered as he laughed at himself. Gemma climbed into bed and draped her body over his, kissing him. She was so nervous her lips trembled as she pressed them against his. He tried to calm her, stroking the small of her back with his fingertips. He propped himself up on his elbows and ran his lips along her collarbone.

She reached a hand up his tee shirt, feeling the smooth skin and muscular ridges of his abs. Her laugh was soft and nervous as Damian sat up and took his tee shirt off for her. He tossed it aside, landing it on the bedside lamp. Gemma reached over, switching the lamp off.

The moonlight beamed in through the picture window beside the bed. In the darkness, she recalled the confidence of Queen Bee in that dark room with Tyler Chase in Los Angeles. With steadier hands, she pulled Damian's face in and kissed him with a greater poise. She felt his hands run up her legs and underneath her nightgown. Gemma raised her arms over her head as Damian pushed the cashmere up over her head, tossing the gown to the floor. She sat in front of him, straddling his hips in only her black lace underwear.

"Your turn," Gemma whispered. They laughed together as she slipped down onto the bed and stretched her body alongside his. He rolled on top of her, kissing her softly as he pulled the lace off her thighs and down to her ankles. She kicked them off the end of the bed as she slid her fingertips under the elastic of his boxers and pushed them down past the V of his hipbones. Their breath picked up the adrenaline coursing through their bodies and Gemma's nerves returned. She began to tremble once again. Damian threw his boxers off the bed and turned back to her. He ran his hands down the soft skin of her shoulders and kissed her on the forehead.

"Are you okay?" he asked, softly.

"Yes," she breathed. "I think so."

"Do you want to do this?"

Gemma bit her lip, peering past Damian's arms at the Bruins tee shirt wrapped around the lamp. "I do." She lowered her eyes, unsure if she should let go of the words on the tip of her tongue. They escaped anyway. "But I don't know if I can handle getting this close to you when you're moving across the country in two weeks." She quickly peered up at him, looking to detect signs of anger before he could mask them. There were none, but it didn't help her distress. "I'm sorry."

Damian nodded, lowering himself beside Gemma and pulling her in close. She could feel his warmth in their embrace with nothing between their bare skin. She tucked her head under his chin and sighed.

"Don't apologize," Damian said as he un-tucked Gemma's face from the crook of his neck. He kissed her softly. "I love you." Gemma felt a lump in her throat as she kissed him back.

"I love you too."

She couldn't think of a better person to be her first love. She remembered wishing for a boy as she sipped on _cava_ in Spain. Even then, she hadn't fantasized something as perfect as what she had in that moment with Damian. She wished she could have recognized earlier how wonderful he was. _Better to have loved and lost,_ she thought with a sigh. _Even if you lost far too early._

They were silent as they rested beside each other. Gemma took in his scent, touched his soft skin and hard muscles, listened to his breath. She wanted every sense to remember the moment.

"Where does this leave us?" Damian asked, his deep voice laced with melancholy. He stroked her hair gently, planting soft kisses on the apples of her cheeks and the tip of her nose.

"I won't even have the summer with you," Gemma whispered. Upon announcing his decision to attend UCLA, Damian's family scheduled a trip to California right after graduation. They reasoned that after visiting relatives in Burbank, he could settle down in L.A to familiarize himself with the city before the fall semester.

Damian smiled sadly. "And you're positive you can't skip senior year and just move with me?" he asked. Gemma giggled, almost to remind herself that she shouldn't actually consider the idea. "I mean, you don't even have to skip senior year, you can just continue high school somewhere near campus! You liked it there, right?"

"Stop it, Damian," Gemma playfully pushed his shoulder. "Can't you just be mean and awful?"

He laughed, his eyes crinkling. "Why?"

"So I'll hate you and it'll be easier to let you go."

"I could never be mean or awful to you," he said. "I don't ever want to see your heart broken."

"You're too good to me," Gemma murmured.

Damian pulled her into him tighter. "You deserve all the good you get. And more."

"Promise not to forget about me when you're a famous NBA star," Gemma teased.

"If that ever happens," Damian laughed. "After I pay off my parents' mortgage and take my mom on a shopping spree, you will be the first person I take out for a night of luxury."

"What do you think your girlfriend then will think about that?" Gemma asked.

"Well, ideally you'd be my girlfriend then and you wouldn't be jealous of yourself," Damian laughed. "But if it's some other girl, then I'll warn her on our first date that this is a promise I made a long time ago, and if she can't deal, we're just going to have to end it now." Gemma burst out laughing and nestled closer against him. They held each other close, watching the sun glitter across the ocean as the day began to break.

# Chapter 15

With her grandmother and Mira on one side her and her parents on the other, Gemma felt comforted as she watched Gavin receive his diploma. They had spent much of his high school years separated, but she knew this separation would feel different. He was going off to _college_. It was an entirely new stage in Gavin's life. Being just a year behind him, she knew that she would face the same thing soon.

"I can't believe this day has come," Malcolm said, pushing his Tom Ford aviators to the top of his head. "Considering the trouble this boy has gotten into over the years."

"I'll say," Emily nodded in agreement.

In the past week, Gemma's parents had successfully moved her grandmother back to the states. Celebrations were being planned left and right and Gemma could hardly keep track. Her house was not only busy and full, but comforting and warm in a way that she hadn't felt in awhile. It was exactly what she needed to keep her distracted from the end of her relationship with Damian. Nonetheless, watching them march to "Pomp and Circumstance" in their caps and gowns made her choke up.

Gemma suspected that Mira had given Malcolm and Emily a brief on her personal life because for once, her parents spared her from the subject of college. Her father especially, was surprisingly silent on the topic of applications. Gemma was grateful for the room to breathe.

"Oh, is that Damian?" Emily chirped.

"Yes, Mom. That's Damian," Gemma smiled. Emily patted Gemma lightly on the knee. She took a good long look as Damian crossed the stage and accepted his diploma.

"Good job, honey," Emily winked. "I can see why he would be hard to let go." Gemma laughed. She lay her head on her mother's shoulder and put on her sunglasses as tears began to well in her eyes.

~

Later that night as Gemma cleaned her bedroom, she noticed Lucas's dog circling the patio, barking happily. Leo had grown four times the size he was when Gemma first saw him at her lake house. He finally settled by the wicker table with Elisa, where she sat with two friends. Gemma could hear the faint sounds of their giggles and Tyler Chase's latest single playing on their iPod dock. She suddenly remembered Lucas's request to take a picture of her prom dress for Elisa. Her eyes trailed from out the window to her closet, where the dress peeked out of a garment bag.

Gemma carried the garment bag downstairs and out the backdoor. Fireflies lit up around her as she pushed her way through the shrubbery that separated her backyard from Lucas and Elisa's. She could hear Leo barking at her, noticing her before anyone else did.

"Elisa?" she called out.

"Oh! It's my neighbor," Elisa she stood up with a polite smile and waved at Gemma before turning back to her friends. "Danielle, Hillary – this is Gemma. She's Lucas's friend, she lives next door." The two girls waved. Danielle was cute but lanky with frizzy hair and braces. Gemma smiled, remembering how she looked similarly at that age. Hillary, on the other hand, was decked out head to toe in designer garments and accessories, all of which bore large logos in case anyone was unaware that they were expensive items. She hadn't quite figured out the meaning of overkill. She forced a tight-lipped smile as if trying to tell Gemma that she was intruding on their time.

"Nice to meet you girls," Gemma said. "Are you celebrating being done with school?"

"God, yes," Hillary said hastily before directing her conversation away from Gemma. "So yeah, can't wait for the summer. I'm going to be an apprentice for my family friend who's a designer in New York. His company's in talks with Queen Bee's team about making something for her, so it's going to be amazing."

Gemma watched Danielle and Elisa's faces glow in awe. "Oh my God, Hil, you're so lucky," Elisa said, her lower lip protruding.

"Are you interested in fashion design, Elisa?" Gemma asked.

"Maybe. I don't know. I just really love Queen Bee's clothes," Elisa shrugged. "Lucas told me you wore a replica of Queen Bee's Balenciaga gown."

"I did," Gemma giggled. She held the garment bag in front of her. "I actually came to show you."

"You did?" Elisa jumped to her feet and shrieked once she noticed the feathers and pearls peeking out from the bag. Danielle clapped happily while Hillary observed with skeptical eyes. Gemma helped Elisa take the gown out, draping it into her arms.

"Oh my God! It's so heavy! It's so _gorgeous_ – it looks exactly like the real thing, except shorter. Can I take a picture of it?" Elisa squealed.

"Why don't you try it on?" Gemma suggested. Elisa's eyes widened.

"But it was probably so expensive, I don't want to hurt it."

"Hurt it?" Hillary snorted.

"I mean ruin it. You know." Elisa shrugged sheepishly.

"It seriously looks _just_ like the actual gown," Danielle breathed.

"It is a really close replica, but not as close as the one I bought," Hillary said as she examined the dress, which Elisa held to her torso. "Besides, I don't know how you're going to fill out the bust."

"True." Elisa frowned.

"Well," Gemma pressed her lips together, amazed that she was allowing a thirteen-year-old to irritate her. "Queen Bee's bra size isn't exactly big either. Also, this dress is actually the only replica that used the same Mikimoto pearls _and_ it managed to get the same exact silk that they used from a small boutique in China."

"That's not possible," Hillary scoffed. "I would've read about it."

"It's true," Gemma snapped. She laughed quickly at herself to hide her annoyance and Elisa joined, overwhelmed in joy as she hugged the dress and twirled around.

"Lucas, look!" Elisa squealed.

Gemma snapped her head over to see movement at the screen door. Lucas stepped out.

"Oh hey, Gemma," he smiled so big that Gemma knew he was truly happy to see her. "How was your post-prom? I wanted to hang out with the team but Madison had other plans."

"Yeah, I know. It was great!" she said cheerily. "And yours sounded like a good time too."

Lucas shrugged. "Did you bring the dress to show Elisa?"

"She's letting me try it on!" Elisa exclaimed.

"Actually," Gemma interjected. "My family's moving back into the house for the summer and I want to make room for them by doing a little spring cleaning." Gemma surveyed the group. Everyone stared in silence.

"Gemma, if you're suggesting what I think you're suggesting..." A smile of disbelief curled on Lucas's lips.

"I mean, I'm not going to wear it again so I don't see why I shouldn't give it to someone who'll appreciate it," Gemma smiled at Elisa's wide-eyed stare.

"Oh my God, I don't know if I can. This must have cost like... more money than I'll ever have in my life," Elisa shoved the gown back into Gemma's arms. "I feel like I'm looking at the real thing. I know everything about that gown."

"It's true," Lucas laughed. "She talks about it so much my parents and I know the exact number of pearls and feathers sewn on."

"Three hundred eighty-seven pearls," Elisa blurted. "Fourteen hundred feathers. That's the number it said on the website, but I feel like it couldn't have been fourteen hundred exactly."

"So it sounds like you deserve this dress more than I do!" Gemma exclaimed. Elisa looked to Lucas, as if for permission to accept.

"Well now you owe Gemma big time," Lucas relented. "But anyway, Elisa, I just came out here to tell you the cookies you're baking were burning. By now they're probably ashes."

"Oh shoot!" Elisa darted back into the house in a flash.

"We'll have Gemma bring the dress to your room," Lucas called after her, gesturing for Gemma to follow him. Gemma bit her lip. She stayed a step behind Lucas as she walked into the house. Nothing good ever came of her being alone with him.

Upstairs in Elisa's room, Lucas handed a satin-covered hanger to Gemma.

"She bought a set of these after her first babysitting job," Lucas said. "It's for her 'nice clothes,' though she doesn't really have any. It means a lot that you would give her something like this. Our family can't exactly keep up with the rest of the town." Gemma nodded as she hung the gown on the pink satin hangers. She spotted Elisa's autographed Queen Bee CD on her desk. It was propped up next to a collage of Queen Bee's outfits that Elisa had no doubt pasted together herself.

"Well I'm even happier to then," Gemma said genuinely as she handed the gown to Lucas and watched as he hung it in Elisa's modest closet. Gemma thought about what a sweet and nurturing brother he was, especially compared to Gavin when she was growing up. But she surprised herself by looking at him and otherwise feeling a calm. Once upon a time, she would nearly hyperventilate around him. "Anyway, I should get going. I'm waking up early to say goodbye to Damian and his family."

"I can't believe they're _driving_ to California," Lucas crossed his arms.

"Probably his mom's idea, she loves road trips," Gemma laughed.

"So are you guys doing the long distance thing?" Lucas asked. Gemma shifted her feet, feeling awkward. As awkward as she felt, she didn't look away when Lucas gazed straight into her eyes, waiting for her answer.

"No," she shook her head. "After tomorrow, we're on our own again. It's easier that way."

"Probably," he nodded. "Madison keeps wanting to talk about it and she's only going to school thirty minutes away."

Gemma nodded, mentally congratulating herself for not shuddering at the mention of Madison's name. "Yeah... well, anyway. I'm going to go," she said, backing out of Elisa's bedroom door.

"Oh. I'll walk you out," Lucas offered.

"No, no, I'm fine." She was already halfway down the hall. "Good night!" she yelled as she ran down the stairs and out of his house.

"Good night."

~

Mira set an arrangement of two-dozen lavender roses on the lake house coffee table. "These came to my office yesterday," she said with a bold smile. Gavin and Gemma had been staying at the lake house since Malcolm and Emily were remodeling Gavin's room for their grandmother. Gemma was happy for a change in location now that Damian was gone.

"Who are they from?" Gavin asked.

"From Tyler, for Queen Bee," Mira winked.

"Man, he's persistent," Gavin shook his head.

"There's a note attached," Mira said as she put on her tan Burberry trenchcoat. "Let me know what it says later, I have to head to work. I just wanted to drop that off."

As Mira head out the door, Gemma opened the small envelope on the flowers and pulled out the card. _Dear Queen Bee, I hope this finds its way to you and I hope we'll find our way to each other. All my heart, Tyler._ Gemma smiled to herself, holding the card to her heart. She couldn't believe how much she had captivated the world's biggest heartthrob.

"Is it supposed to rain later?" Gavin asked through a mouthful of popcorn, shaking Gemma from her thoughts.

"It looks kinda cloudy."

"I'm going swimming anyway," Gavin said.

"You just ate and there might be lightning."

"What can I say, I'm a rebel," Gavin grinned, running out the front door. Gemma shook her head as she watched him bound towards the lake. She felt obligated to worry but she knew there was no need. As soon as she plopped herself back onto the couch, there was a knock at the door.

"God, Gavin," Gemma huffed. "Make up your mind about what you do so I can relax already."

She opened the door to find Lucas standing there.

"Hey," he smiled.

Gemma blinked. "Hi. Looking for Gavin?"

"No. And I'm not doing construction work for Mira either. I was actually wondering if you could talk for a second." He looked serious. Gemma nodded and let him in, gesturing towards the couch.

"Everything okay?" she asked, sitting at a slight distance from him.

"Yeah. I just wanted to thank you again for giving that dress to Elisa," he chuckled to himself. "She wears it around the house. She's just literally been glowing since... so again, thank you."

"Oh you guys already thanked me, it's no big deal."

"Actually, I also wanted to thank you for making it a point to sign Elisa's CD after the concert. I was worried about how upset she'd be if she'd waited that whole time and had to leave without an autograph."

"Of course. I wasn't about to let her go without one," Gemma said. Lucas nodded, staring intently at her. For a moment, Gemma hadn't even realized what was wrong with what she just said. Just as quickly, her mistake hit her and she clasped her hand hard against her mouth, practically slapping herself in the face.

"I had kind of suspected..." Lucas started.

"Suspected what?" Gemma asked hastily. "I'm sorry, I just woke up from a nap and I kind of was just nodding along to what you were saying. Could you repeat that?"

"You don't have to pretend, Gemma. I kind of thought there was something familiar about Queen Bee when I met her," Lucas smiled. "Every time Elisa told me some fact she'd read about Queen Bee, it would cross my mind. I thought I was crazy and then I forgot about it. But when I was putting the dress away for Elisa, I noticed the little tag inside. The Balenciaga tag."

"It was a replica dress," Gemma shrugged. "So what?"

"Don't forget that I know everything there is to know about that dress thanks to Elisa. I know the company refused to make another one or anything close to it. It was one of a kind," Lucas laughed. "And now I am even _more_ embarrassed that I know so much about Queen Bee because I'm sitting in front of her."

"No you're not!" Gemma laughed, thankful for the confidence in her voice despite the rapid hammering of her heart. "I'm flattered, Lucas. Really. But you couldn't be more wrong."

"I've also worked for Mira for three years. Odd jobs here and there. I know she's a talent manager, and I know she's involved with Queen Bee's team," he eyed Gemma, whose body language was beginning to signal defeat. He tried to suppress his smile of satisfaction. "I also take her garbage out when Gavin forgets and I swear, I thought you guys killed a swan a week ago. Feathers were flying everywhere when I dragged that thing to the curb."

"Oh my God," Gemma buried her face in her hands.

"What can I say, I like playing detective," Lucas teased as he reached over to peel Gemma's hands from her face. "I was pretty happy when I cracked this case."

"I can't believe this. Aunt Mira's going to kill me. This could totally mess things up for me."

"Why would it?" Lucas asked.

"Because you and Elisa know. It'll get out. Eventually."

"You know you don't have to worry about me saying a word. Elisa, however, would be a problem..." Lucas admitted. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small strip of cloth. "Which is why I took the tag off. She would've figured out it was the original in a heartbeat." He handed the Balenciaga tag to Gemma. The edges were frayed, tiny delicate threads hanging off the edge. Gemma closed her hand over the piece of cloth. She was silent for a moment.

"I'm sorry, I can't really wrap my mind around this yet," she said, clutching her stomach, which performed somersaults of anxiety. "Lucas, no one – and I mean no one – knows about this. Other than my immediate family and my makeup artist and stylist. No one."

"Wow," Lucas's hazel eyes widened, shining. "How have you been able to keep it from the girls? They're almost as bad as Elisa with the gossip rags and everything. They're your biggest fans." He stopped to correct himself with a laugh. "Well, except for Madison. She's jealous that Tyler Chase is after Queen Bee."

"And everyone thought she couldn't hate me more," Gemma laughed dryly.

"Well you keep stealing all her men," Lucas joked.

"What, did she have a crush on Damian that you never told me about?"

"No," Lucas exhaled. "You know what I mean. The rumors about you... and me... joke. It was a joke"

"Oh," Gemma cringed. "Well the rumors were that I was obsessed with you and failed in seducing you. Not that I took you away from her."

"She saw it differently," Lucas shrugged. "She always thought there was something between us. Probably still thinks there is."

"I just don't know where she gets that idea from."

"I probably don't help the situation," Lucas said, shoving his hands into his pockets. Gemma looked up at him. He had turned to look out the window towards the lake where Gavin was floating on his back. He chuckled at the sight, but his laugh soon wound down to a sigh. Gemma recalled the night he found her by the basketball court and how he had wanted to say something before Gavin called.

"How did you not help the situation?" Gemma asked. Lucas turned back to face her.

"I didn't do enough to hide how interested I was in you," he said. Gemma swallowed hard. "I mean, I wasn't sure what the interest was exactly. I didn't think it was anything worth hiding, but I guess I underestimated what it was. I'm still not sure what I mean."

Gemma nodded as they sat in silence. She had convinced herself that the moments they shared throughout the school year were not actually worth analyzing. All along, they were. It was bizarre to realize. The whole time, Madison had seen something that Gemma and even Lucas had not noticed until now.

Lucas broke the silence with a nervous chuckle.

"What?" Gemma managed a smile.

"This must be a lot for you to take in."

"What? That you know my secret identity and have weird feelings for me?" Gemma laughed incredulously. "No big deal. Totally not blowing my mind." Lucas burst into laughter that made Gemma smile. A break in his quiet demeanor was always a refreshing sight and she had forgotten what his charming laugh looked like.

"I do want to say sorry though," Lucas said. "I feel like I made you into a target for Madison. I care about her and everything but I know how she can get. I do." He shook his head and raised his eyebrows. "I always think about how lucky I am that Damian's a good guy and didn't beat the shit out of me."

"Why would Damian beat the shit out of you?" Gavin suddenly walked into the front door. "And what are you doing here?"

"Bored. Everyone left town and Mira said you guys were here, so I came to hang out."

"Oh, okay," Gavin shrugged. "It totally started raining out of nowhere so we're stuck in here for awhile. I'm gonna dry off." Gavin strode up the stairs. Gemma looked out the window. She noticed the continuous ripples of raindrops hitting the surface of the lake.

"Remember when you saved me from drowning in the lake?" she asked. Lucas smiled with a nod. "And remember that time you saved me from the rain?"

"Well, that second situation was probably less life-threatening than the first," Lucas laughed.

"Either way," Gemma said. "I can't really think of a better moment to thank you for both those things." They looked out the window, watching the rain beat down harder on the lake. The hammock rocked slowly in the breeze. Gemma remembered the anticipation she had felt for everything the last time she was at the lake house. She remembered the excitement, the nerves, the feelings she had when she first met Lucas. She had wondered if she would make friends, if she would do well in school, if she would have a boyfriend. She wondered if she could keep her two lives from colliding.

Then, Gemma Hunter was Queen Bee's secret. But now, a full school year later, Gemma Hunter's life had become fuller than she could have ever imagined. Even Madison was responsible for giving her something – her friendship with Leah, Kate, Jillian and the athletes. Damian was more than she could ever ask for in a first boyfriend, or any boyfriend for that matter. Any boy who followed had a lot to live up to.

Lucas gazed out the window. He now knew her in a way that no one else could. She had always had a different place for him in her heart, but now she felt close to him in a way that she couldn't with the girls or even Damian. Gemma couldn't help but wonder what this meant for them.

She looked at the roses on the coffee table. Tyler wasn't the only one who was after Queen Bee. The whole world had developed an interest in her and Gemma knew she'd be spending much of her summer in costume. Suddenly, she felt the same nerves and excitement she had felt that first time she was at the lake house. There was so much uncertainty but for once, she looked forward to it. She had gained twice as much knowledge in her year of living as two different girls. Mira was right – she needed to find a way to bring the best of Queen Bee to benefit Gemma Hunter. She was strong enough to make it work and tough enough to keep it going.

She had never felt more equipped to conquer the world.
SCHOOL'S OUT! AND QUEEN BEE IS BACK

Pop's It Girl on Her Wild Summer Plans

The Pop Source

June 7

In less than a year, Queen Bee has captivated America and won the hearts of millions of teenaged fans across the country – including pop sensation Tyler Chase. While Bee continues to keep mum about her true identity, the sultry songstress opens up to The Pop Source about her year in public high school and her plans for the summer.

**TPS:** We're so happy to hear that Queen Bee is going to be back in full force this summer, especially after such an incredible American tour. But let us start by congratulating you for a successful junior year in high school!

**QB:** Thank you! It was an amazing experience.

**TPS:** Any high school boys in your life?

**QB:** There was one. We're not together anymore, but he's still a great friend to me and he taught me a lot about myself.

**TPS:** What about Tyler Chase? He has gotten "#CHASETHEONE" to trend worldwide on Twitter and has made it very clear that he's referring to you. What can you say about Tyler?

**QB:** He's a great guy and he definitely has a special place in my heart.

**TPS:** He has suggested that he may even be in love with you. Do you have any similar feelings for him?

**QB:** I'd say we have a special understanding of each other.

**TPS:** Fair enough! One last Tyler question – are you worried about the Tyler Chasers?

**QB:** [Laughs] Not yet. If he and I ever become a couple, I'll start worrying.

**TPS:** So there's a chance that you and Tyler could become pop's royal couple in the future?

**QB:** I don't know. Never say never.

**TPS:** On the topic of your celebrity admirers...Zoe Mercury, who is of course the star of the hit show "Outta This World," is notoriously a huge fan of yours. Have you two had the chance to meet?

**QB:** Not yet, but Zoe's team has contacted me about appearing on her show and I'd be honored to. She's such a talented actress, I've been a fan for a long time.

**TPS:** So what can we expect from you this summer?

**QB:** I'll finally be releasing a music video for "Tell The World" and I promise it will be amazing. And I'll be kicking off my summer performances at the Today Show concert series.

**TPS:** How exciting! We look forward to it.

**QB:** So do I!

**TPS:** Before we wrap up this interview, is there anything you'd like to say to your fans?

**QB:** My amazing fans – thank you so much for supporting me! And if you think Queen Bee was crazy last summer, I have so, so much more in store for you this year. I promise.
WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN

6/20 11:12AM EST

posted by Tara C.

Her Royal Secrecy

If you silly bitches think I'm quitting my hunt for Queen Bee because I haven't gotten any great leads yet, you're wrong. As my title suggests, we've only just begun. In fact, I'm going to take this opportunity to round you all up for a pep talk.

Okay listen, gang. We've been going at this hard but we haven't gotten results yet – but don't be worried. This was practice. We were just luring QB onto our home court, and now that she's here for the long haul, we've got tons of opportunities to track her down (cough, TODAY Summer Concert Series, cough).

Word also has it that that hot mess Zoe Mercury is looking to be besties with QB this summer, and we all know how much Zoe loves her fans. Maybe she'll let us in on the royal secret? Just take the girl out for a few drinks – it's not exactly a secret that she sucks at keeping things on the down low.

Just know that I'm not giving up. I've gathered quite a few close sources in the past seven months and I'll be on Queen Bee's tail till her secret is out – that's a promise.

* * *

Turn the page for a bonus excerpt of the sequel to _Hidden Gem: Diamond in the Rough_ , as well as a bonus excerpt from _HDU?_ a new series by India Lee
Bonus Excerpt From the Second Novel in India Lee's  
Hidden Gem Series: Diamond in the Rough

Summer maybe here but sixteen-year-old Gemma Hunter won't have much time to relax. The world is hungry for more Queen Bee, her pop star alter ego who has recently become music's newest sensation. Among those longing for more of her is the world's biggest teen heartthrob, Tyler Chase. His desperation to be with her sparks jealousy in not only his loyal "Tyler Chasers," but Lucas, Gemma's only friend who knows both of her identities. Meanwhile, notorious party girl and D Network TV star Zoe Mercury befriends Queen Bee and shows her just what it means to be a celebrity It Girl. With concerts, video shoots, parties and two gorgeous boys after her, Gemma knows her life is about to take on the wildest year yet.

"Of course I want to meet her!" Gemma exclaimed, practically spilling the almond milk she poured into her coffee. "I _need_ a friend who's actually in the industry."

It was the first time in ages since Armand, Penelope and Gemma had a chance to sit down and relax without the madness of Queen Bee. Armand had set up a brunch spread on his apartment balcony in hip downtown Brooklyn. Penelope cut another piece of the chocolate almond cake that he had baked on his own.

"Let's not detract from the point here – don't you think Zoe Mercury possibly maybe perhaps wants something out of this?" Penelope stabbed at her cake, looking disturbed. "It's a little strange that she's making such a huge fuss about being your friend. Maybe she needs good publicity because of all the rumors going on about her. Or she's been after Tyler and wants to keep her enemies close. I mean, what if she just wants to steal your thunder?"

Armand shook his head and clucked. "Pen, since when were you such a skeptic? Zoe's successful on her own and all this partying is making people like her _more_. Maybe the girl is just a fan."

"Yeah, maybe she does like my music and isn't trying to use me," Gemma pouted. "Way to boost my ego, Pen," she said sarcastically.

"This _is_ an ego booster," Penelope said. "The biggest stars are so threatened by you that they need to join our side before we squash them with our sheer genius."

"Okay, maybe," Armand shrugged. "Either way, no reason why you can't meet the girl, yes? Can you imagine all the little girls going crazy when they find out Queen Bee might have a guest role on _Outta this World_?"

"Yes! It'll be so fun," Gemma squealed.

"But I guess I do agree with Doomsday Penny to watch your back with all these other stars. Girls can be evil."

Gemma's shoulders slumped. "I know. I learned quite a bit with Madison," she rolled her eyes.

"So this might not be the best time to tell you that I saw her name on the guest list for Queen Bee's Birthday Bash?" Penelope bit her lip.

"No way! How?" Gemma whined. "She didn't even like Queen Bee."

"Rich girls and their well-connected parents, sweetie," Penelope shrugged. "And I'm sure she likes Tyler Chase, and everyone believes he's coming. Including me."

Gemma flopped back onto the bed and covered her face with a chenille pillow. "I thought I never had to see her again," she groaned.

"Honey, there are one thousand people on the guest list. I don't think you have anything to worry about seeing her regardless," Penelope said. She reached over to yank the pillow off Gemma's face. "Come on, cheer up! Shall I send Zoe Mercury an invitation?"

"Yes!" Gemma popped back up in bed. "I want to meet her. I promise I'll be careful. I just need to know more people _like_ me, you know?"

"Well what about Tyler Chase? Have you heard from him?" Armand asked. "Goodness, all these admirers. I can hardly keep track."

"Ugh, if he comes then we'd have to invite his security so he doesn't cause another disaster like he did in L.A. Still can't believe that punk did that," Penelope laughed. "Though I guess it was sweet that a guy went through all that just to get your attention. But seriously, heart attack. Almost died that night."

"If we invited all his security, we'd go over the club's capacity," Armand joked. "Fire hazard."

"It's a fire hazard just to have Queen Bee and Tyler Chase in the same room. All those sparks!" Penelope teased, waving her hands in the air. "There was chemistry there, I know it." Gemma blushed, popping a strawberry in her mouth so she wouldn't have to speak. The mention of Tyler Chase never failed to make her anxious and excited.

"Stop eating those strawberries," Armand scolded. "Have more cake before I am forced to eat the leftovers alone."

"Armand, no," Gemma frowned. "I've never sung in broad daylight for a national audience and the last thing I need is a food baby."

In less than twenty-four hours, Queen Bee was scheduled to perform on The Today Show for their famous summer concerts at Rockefeller Center. Queen Bee hadn't made a live appearance in months, and after Gemma pointed this out, Penelope and Armand called for an "emergency hang-out" in order to calm her nerves.

"Oh shush your mouth," Armand waved a hand in front of Gemma's face. "All this – your face, the eyes, that cute little nose – we take care of it. If you have a cake belly tomorrow, we put you in the empire-waist Givenchy gown," Armand said. "We spend hours perfecting Queen Bee – _just_ like I spent hours slaving away over flour and butter. Now eat this almond cake before I am offended."

Gemma and Penelope burst out laughing. Penelope cut Gemma a piece of the cake and Gemma popped a piece in her mouth, feeling the luxurious, buttery texture melt on her tongue. She could always count on her team to make her worries magically fade away.

"Guess what, my love?" Armand said as he tightened the corset of the custom designed Marchesa gown around Gemma's waist. "No need for the other dress. I think I've just given you a twenty-inch waist."

"I think I'm going to faint," Gemma squeaked. She stared into the gilded mirror in their hotel suite. "And I'm pretty sure I can still see the food bulge."

"Oh hush!" Armand shook his head. Gemma took a deep breath in. They had decided to get into half of the costume before arriving at Rockefeller Center so she would be in disguise before leaving their secret quarters. At a vanity next to them, Penelope carefully removed a delicate headpiece from its case.

"It took three hours for me to hand sew these beads onto your veil," Penelope explained as she held up a headpiece with an attached mesh veil. The bottom of the veil was trimmed with a fringe of hanging beads. "Dance your heart out on that stage, but if you break one bead off this veil, I'll murder you."

"Wow, okay. Love you too, Pen."

"It's just that these beads cost more than the outfit," Penelope explained.

Gemma laughed. "Why are they necessary?" she questioned.

"Because Queen Bee is huge now, and your popularity is growing," Penelope said. "We have to outdo your every step from now on. We've been talking... we need to build a team that's not just Armand and me. There's a lot on our plate. On everybody's plate, really."

Gemma nodded in silence as she observed Penelope's seriousness. She knew that the phenomenon of Queen Bee had been growing by the day, but she never thought about how their small and private operation would have to expand to accommodate her fame. Gemma wondered if this meant that more personnel would be let in on the secret of her identity.

"Stop it, Pen," Armand shushed Penelope. "Why get all our nerves up right before a performance? You're made of worry these days."

Penelope nodded and hushed herself as she placed the beaded satin headpiece atop Gemma's head. It was a rich jeweled rose color and shaped in a crescent moon. The attached veil was short and ended right below her eyes with the beaded fringe hanging past her nose and grazing the top of her lips.

"This is gorgeous, Pen," Gemma smiled. "I love it." Penelope finally cracked a smile.

"Thank you, but it's all you. Everything I make is inspired by who you are," Penelope said as she adjusted the headpiece and gave Gemma a hug. "You're going to slay onstage."

In the green room at the studios, Gemma admired her ensemble in the mirror. The deep green of the skirt contrasted against the jeweled rose of her corset and headpiece but still nothing detracted from her signature lavender eyes. The skirt draped like liquid in the back while it was open in the front, showing off her gold silk stockings and six-inch black suede pumps with beading that matched her headpiece.

"You two are geniuses," Gemma marveled joyously. She felt the energy in her body fully shifting into Queen Bee mode.

The crowd roared the moment she stepped out onto the stage. The sound of their cheering was deafening and she struggled to hear the host's questions. Gemma gazed out at her fans and waved at them. For once, because of the broad daylight, she could see all their faces rather than mere outlines of their bodies. The excitement was visible – the smiles, the screams, the tears.

"Before we wrap up this interview because I think the fans are getting a little antsy," the host chuckled. "I have to ask – how many people know your true identity?"

"Many people know my true identity," Gemma teased. "But since they know that one, they don't get to know this one." Both the host and the crowd laughed.

"How many people know both identities, then?"

"Just my family members, and not even all of them."

"Any chance they'd let me in on the secret?"

Gemma laughed. "Not at all!"

"Well, you can't blame me for trying!" the host said affably. "Regardless of who you are, Queen Bee, we are all very excited that you're here today and ready to perform for us. Why don't you let the audience know which one of your hit singles you'll be performing today?"

"Today I'll be singing 'My Choice,'" Gemma answered to an immediate roar of approval. It was a single from her new album and a song she had written at the lake house the summer before.

Gemma made her way to the front of the stage. She waited for the music to begin, standing in front of the mic with her eyes closed. As the chords came in, she felt a peace wash over her. She could feel herself falling comfortably into this role again.

" _Move by move we move the pieces/Step by step the steps repeated/List by list we list our days/Then move by move we move away_ ," Gemma crooned into the microphone, remembering all the emotions that coursed through her when she wrote the words. She had had a tumultuous year but she couldn't be happier to be where she was now. " _Movements, steps and listless nights/Day by day it's fight or flight/And through the wind we carry on/Through the wind we hear our song._ "

The band began to pick up, ready for the chorus. Gemma opened her eyes and saw her fans surrounding her, singing along with her. The song had barely been released, yet everyone knew it. Then suddenly, the loudspeaker echoed.

"We've got a surprise for you, Queen Bee," the voice boomed. Gemma's eyes shot open as she looked around. "A special celebrity fan is here to sing with you."

Gemma's eyes darted to the hosts who clapped excitedly. She caught a glimpse of Armand and Penelope, looking confused in the wings. For a moment, her heart feared that Penelope was right. Zoe Mercury had come to crash her performance and steal her thunder.

Gemma continued to look around, but no one came out. She heard her cue for the chorus and continued to sing. " _On repeat like a song you can't get outta your head/We live our lives roaring, we can wake the dead/And you and I both we can make the choice/You and I both, I can hear your voice/Singing my choice, my choice/You're my choice, my choice._ "

In the moment of the chorus, she had almost forgotten about the secret guest – until she heard a familiar voice echoing her words. Just when she thought the crowd couldn't get louder, it did. She opened her eyes and turned to see Tyler Chase walking towards her, mic in hand. He smiled as he sang her lyrics, shaking his hair from his eyes so he could better gaze at her upon getting closer. Her lips parted in surprise. She batted her lashes, stunned and speechless.

" _And on repeat you're singing in my head/On repeat, remember all that you've said,_ " Tyler crooned, his honey-brown eyes focused only on Gemma. " _You and I both, I can hear your voice. 'cause you and I, baby/That is my choice..._ "

The crowd roared with excitement as Tyler reached in, boldly scooping Gemma into his arms and planting a kiss on her cheek. She giggled as he pulled her away from the mic and leaned in close.

"I've been chasing you for almost a year," he whispered into her ear. "Are you going to let me catch you already?"

Gemma smiled mischievously. "I think you've got me."
IS 'MY CHOICE' ABOUT TEENAGE PREGNANCY AND DID TYLER CHASE KNOCK UP QUEEN BEE?

If so, I'm offing myself now

Posted by Tara C. 3:21pm

June 12th

Her Royal Secrecy

For once, the tabloids are saying things that are more deranged than the shit that comes out of my own (admittedly) unstable mouth.

As you Tyler Chasers well know, Tyler hijacked Queen Bee's performance at the Rockefeller Center concert yesterday (some call it a duet, but I call it showing that bitch who's boss) and sang a verse of 'My Choice,' which include the lyrics, "You and I both, I can hear your voice. 'Cause you and I baby, that is my choice."

Those lyrics plus QB's weight gain/period bloat/constipation/growing fetus have started a shitstorm on the internet that I kinda can't believe I wasn't behind. But then again, I could never fathom the idea of Tyler Chase bumping nasties with anyone besides myself the person he truly loves. I have to say, I'll be bummed as fuck if Tyler did choose to lose it (yes, I believe he's still pure) to that masked, possibly fugly weirdo. I mean, if he's just into his girls wearing costumes while doing the dirty, I'll do that for him. Just don't make me sing 'My Choice,' okay?

In defense of my Tyler, there are other possibilities of baby daddies if QB really is preggers. Word has it that there's been a tall, teenaged, dark-haired hottie lurking around her entourage lately who is not a dancer, makeup artist, stylist, or professional ass kisser. I'm going to place my bets on him being the one who knocked QB up – either that, or the girl really needs to take some Dulcolax. Because Tyler Chase's golden swimmers have millions of little "Reserved" signs on them, and those reservations were made by me, or an equally deserving Tyler Chaser.

And I swear to God, Queen Bee, if I hear any more bullshit about you corrupting my baby, I am hunting you down.

Oh wait – I already am.

* * *

_Hidden Gem 2: Diamond in the Rough_ is available now
Bonus Excerpt From the First Novel in India Lee's  
New Series: HDU?

_Last summer, 22-year-old Amanda Nathan had a lifelong best friend, her first real boyfriend, a new apartment and a wonderful life. But it all fell apart when her best friend stole her boyfriend and kicked her out of the apartment. Now Amanda's back in Merit, Missouri, the small town she'd spent her life trying to escape. As the barely-paid moderator of_ HDU _, the Internet's largest gossip community, her only catharsis is posting stories of bitter Hollywood breakups – most of them about Liam Brody, her former bestie's favorite actor and a playboy Amanda loves to hate for dumping models on a monthly basis._

_So who would've thought that Liam_ Brody _would be Amanda's answer to escaping Merit? When the notorious playboy needs an image boost to land a new role, he turns to none other than_ HDU _for some good press. As it turns out, Liam is as eager to shed his womanizing image as Amanda is desperate to move out of Merit. The solution to both problems?_

Fake a relationship in which Hollywood's biggest playboy falls for a sweet and shockingly Plain Jane from Missouri. Simple, right? Not quite. As she's shot into stardom in her new city of Manhattan, Amanda finds that in her faux Hollywood romance, everything and nothing goes according to plan.

A crowd spilled outside the doors of the West Village hotspot, waiting to be seated in the bitter New York cold. Upon noticing Liam, members of the herd murmured and nudged one another but refused to appear openly giddy. At Lilac, they were supposed to be accustomed to the sight of celebrities.

"Don't look like that," Liam said, referring to the apologetic glances that Amanda gave the crowd as he pulled her through them and into the restaurant. The dimly lit space was packed and busy, but it didn't stop both hostesses from rushing to make a greeting.

"Hello, Mr. Brody," one managed to say before the other, subtly straightening the black mini dress on her long and slender frame. "Your table is ready for you."

"Thank you," Liam smiled, making eye contact with her for perhaps a little too long. Amanda took the time to readjust her outfit. Liam's sweater fell like a dress on her body, the slouchy look seeming to translate as chic or at least passable. No one seemed to notice her worn-out tights. If anything, the crowd stared at her face, trying to place her in their memories.

"Is she that girl who hosts the show on Travel?" someone asked.

"No, she has a shorter face than that girl," came the answer.

Amanda let out a breath of relief upon hearing such neutral words. They weren't bashing her, and that was all that she had hoped for from a place like Lilac. All her ego needed for a boost was to survive dinner without anyone laughing in her face.

"Enjoy your meal," the flirty hostess said, daring to wink at Liam before sauntering off from their cozy corner booth. Amanda watched him watch her go. He turned back only to grin, unrepentant. "What?"

Amanda laughed. "You're going to have trouble with this. I can tell."

"Trouble with what?" Liam scoffed.

"Staying faithful to me," she smirked, studying her menu. She could tell that his eyes were still on her though hers were decidedly on the cocktail list.

"You do remember that this is a fake relationship, right?" he asked.

"No way, really? I'm just saying it has to look real to the press, and if they catch you cheating on poor little me you'll look worse than you did before I came along," Amanda pointed out, trying not to cackle at the realization taking over Liam's face. "I'm sorry," she said, laughing. "I know it sucks. Maybe we can hire someone for you to cheat on me with and make her sign a contract of confidentiality."

Liam thought about it hard for a few long seconds before shrugging it off. "I'm stealthy. Don't worry about it."

"Okay," Amanda snorted. She suspected he probably was stealthy anyway – there had to be hundreds of women he had slept with that the media had never known about.

"For example, I just noticed the idiots across the room without actually looking at them," Liam said.

"What idiots?"

"The ones recording us on their phones," he answered nonchalantly, reading through his menu. "Doesn't usually happen here."

"Well, just make the best of it," Amanda said simply. Before she could suggest how, Liam slid down the booth, sidling up next to her and draping an arm around her shoulder. She held her breath.

"Alright." He leaned in close, his lips grazing her ear. "This is me whispering sweet nothings to you right now," he said in a smoldering voice. Amanda burst out laughing, covering her mouth as he continued. "Now I'm complimenting something about you, probably not your ridiculous outfit," he whispered through a smile. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm being receptive despite the fact that you're a total douche," Amanda murmured, taking his hand.

"Nice touch," he said. "You ready?" he asked.

"For wha – "

Liam cupped her face with his free hand and kissed her on the lips. The shock eventually subsided into amusement. She was kissing Liam Brody. He was pretending to like it. She kind of was too. Through a laugh, she kissed him back. Before Amanda knew it, the unreal moment was over and she thankfully hadn't done anything extremely embarrassing. An A-List actor had just kissed her in public and she had been too amused by their previous banter to really think about it. Liam leaned back in his seat to watch her laugh.

"I can tell you're actually happy right now because you have one of those ugly laughs."

Amanda wiped the tears in her eyes that had emerged from cackling so hard. "You're so annoying. You're worse than I could've imagined."

"I'm glad we're having this conversation. It's good to hash things out."

"Totally," Amanda agreed, fanning at her face as she came down from her hysterics. "God, I hope they didn't catch that on camera."

"Oh, they did," Liam replied simply, barely able to peck her cheek without snorting. "But it'll be good for us."

~

SO SHE WASN'T THE MAID, GUYS.

January 13 4:21PM

Posted by FilmFreak

HDU via Pop Rock Gossip

Liam Brody has officially stepped out with new girlfriend, 22-year-old blogger Amanda Nathan. Brody, known for his repertoire of supermodel exes, has shocked just about everyone by showing off his new relationship with Nathan, a virtual unknown in the Hollywood world. Could this be some sort of publicity stunt? A video of the couple at New York's Lilac seems to prove otherwise.

Footage recorded of the date shows the lovebirds laughing and whispering throughout most of the night, even sharing a hot and heavy kiss right before dinner. Also seen in the video is a confident Nathan unruffled by Brody's wandering eyes around a flirty hostess.

" _This is a sign of a true and healthy relationship," says celebrity analyst Monica Kinsey. "We've heard a lot about jealousy issues with Liam's former girlfriends. Here, Amanda appears at ease and can even joke with Liam about his behavior – she is confident that there is nothing to worry about, and he is unabashed because he knows that she knows this."_

(Hold on... is this real life?? Somebody find Pretty and ask her what she thinks about this because I don't know how to feel right now. I thought Liam Brody was supposed to be HDU's favorite douchelord. What's going on? L - FF )

TOP COMMENTS

so_effin_cute

publicity stunt. liam brody is a pervy asshole and always will be

howboutno89

i want to believe this for how sweet it'd be but i feel like she's got to be a paid actress. if not, he'll prob cheat on her FAST

mrstylerchase

idgaf that video is kind of adorable. but ia with everyone, he'll probably cheat on her L hope not tho

#  About the Author

India Lee is a YA author and lover of fashion, entertainment, shoes, good food, coffee, jetsetting, luxury, mild debauchery, and dogs. Her Manhattan home bodes well for most of these things but she could use a little more space for her wardrobe and pets.

Connect With the Author

**Twitter** <http://www.twitter.com/IndiaLeeBooks>

**Blog** http://indialeebooks.blogspot.com

**Tumblr** <http://indialeebooks.tumblr.com/>

**Official Website** www.indialeebooks.com
