your cheek,” Tyler said innocently. “Kind of.” He broke into a grin, helping Gemma forget about whatever anxieties she had just minutes ago. He held her to his side and they walked up the length of the red carpet.
“Have you met Zoe yet?” Tyler asked as they were ushered to the event space.
“I haven’t had the pleasure,” Gemma smiled.
“She’s been telling me to back off of you and let her take you out sometime.”
“You guys are friends?” Gemma asked.
“Yeah, we’ve kept in touch since I did that guest spot on ‘Outta This World,’” he said. “She’s cool. She’s just a lot to handle when she’s with Harper.”
“Which is always.”
“Lately, yeah. I’m pretty sure Harper’s a cool girl too, though,” Tyler said. “But I wouldn’t know for sure ‘cause my people won’t let me near her,” he laughed.
Despite Tyler’s efforts to stay at Gemma’s side all night, he was eventually herded elsewhere for interviews. Gemma tried not to look visibly disappointed as she watched Penelope approach from across the room.
“Hey. Perfect chance for me to fix your eyelashes,” she said, nodding towards the VIP room. “I thought that punk would never let go of you!” she joked. Gemma smiled weakly and let Penelope walk her away from the party.
She studied the mirror when they got into the room, finding nothing wrong with her makeup. She couldn’t help but feel like the dork with the overprotective parents. “What are you even fixing?” she asked Penelope.
“Do you not see this feather coming off?”
“Not really,” Gemma muttered.
“Well I do,” Penelope said tersely. “And since I let you go without a veil, you need to let me fix the one thing that counts as your disguise.”
“You let me go without a veil,” Gemma snorted.
Penelope glared. “Yes. I did. Your aunt wanted one, for your information.” She applied the finishing touches with the eyelash glue and then held her hands in the air. “There. I’m done.”
Gemma glanced into the mirror. “Big difference.”
Penelope narrowed her eyes at her before heaving a sigh. “Do not sass me. I’ll call Armand in here and whip your ass with his skinny tie. Not even kidding.”
Gemma cracked a smile.
“See, you laughed. Now let’s go.”
“Let me just hang in here for a bit?” Gemma asked, taking out her cell phone. “I’m just gonna call Lucas real quick.”
“Ooh, how sweet.” Penelope made a smooching noise before excusing herself from the room. Once the door closed, Gemma slipped her phone back into her clutch and plopped down on a chair. She heaved a sigh, staring into the mirrored walls and enjoying the silence. Unfortunately, it didn’t last very long. She soon heard urgent hissing coming from down the hall. It was accompanied by the sound of dragging heels.
“Hurry up! Hurry up , I think he saw us!”
Gemma stood up instinctively, though she wasn’t sure what to do next.
“ Ouch ! Come on , just stand up.”
Gemma inched towards the door and put her hand on the knob. Just as she creaked it open a few inches, two bodies came barreling through, knocking her over.
“Shut the door! Fast !”
Gemma struggled to her feet and quickly pushed her body against the door. Only then did she turn to see who had crashed into her. It was Zoe Mercury and Harper Gunn – a heavily intoxicated Harper Gunn.
“Omigod! Hi, it’s so crazy to meet you. Did I hurt you? Ugh, God, I’m so sorry,” Zoe rambled, trying to drag Harper’s dead weight towards a couch. “Her dad’s like two seconds from sending her to rehab and he can’t see her like this.”
“Is he here?” Gemma asked. She knew Harper’s dad, Hudson. During the school year, she had many times come home to find Hudson in her house, cooking dinner for the family. Despite being a celebrity chef, he seemed to stay away from media attention as much as
“Have you met Zoe yet?” Tyler asked as they were ushered to the event space.
“I haven’t had the pleasure,” Gemma smiled.
“She’s been telling me to back off of you and let her take you out sometime.”
“You guys are friends?” Gemma asked.
“Yeah, we’ve kept in touch since I did that guest spot on ‘Outta This World,’” he said. “She’s cool. She’s just a lot to handle when she’s with Harper.”
“Which is always.”
“Lately, yeah. I’m pretty sure Harper’s a cool girl too, though,” Tyler said. “But I wouldn’t know for sure ‘cause my people won’t let me near her,” he laughed.
Despite Tyler’s efforts to stay at Gemma’s side all night, he was eventually herded elsewhere for interviews. Gemma tried not to look visibly disappointed as she watched Penelope approach from across the room.
“Hey. Perfect chance for me to fix your eyelashes,” she said, nodding towards the VIP room. “I thought that punk would never let go of you!” she joked. Gemma smiled weakly and let Penelope walk her away from the party.
She studied the mirror when they got into the room, finding nothing wrong with her makeup. She couldn’t help but feel like the dork with the overprotective parents. “What are you even fixing?” she asked Penelope.
“Do you not see this feather coming off?”
“Not really,” Gemma muttered.
“Well I do,” Penelope said tersely. “And since I let you go without a veil, you need to let me fix the one thing that counts as your disguise.”
“You let me go without a veil,” Gemma snorted.
Penelope glared. “Yes. I did. Your aunt wanted one, for your information.” She applied the finishing touches with the eyelash glue and then held her hands in the air. “There. I’m done.”
Gemma glanced into the mirror. “Big difference.”
Penelope narrowed her eyes at her before heaving a sigh. “Do not sass me. I’ll call Armand in here and whip your ass with his skinny tie. Not even kidding.”
Gemma cracked a smile.
“See, you laughed. Now let’s go.”
“Let me just hang in here for a bit?” Gemma asked, taking out her cell phone. “I’m just gonna call Lucas real quick.”
“Ooh, how sweet.” Penelope made a smooching noise before excusing herself from the room. Once the door closed, Gemma slipped her phone back into her clutch and plopped down on a chair. She heaved a sigh, staring into the mirrored walls and enjoying the silence. Unfortunately, it didn’t last very long. She soon heard urgent hissing coming from down the hall. It was accompanied by the sound of dragging heels.
“Hurry up! Hurry up , I think he saw us!”
Gemma stood up instinctively, though she wasn’t sure what to do next.
“ Ouch ! Come on , just stand up.”
Gemma inched towards the door and put her hand on the knob. Just as she creaked it open a few inches, two bodies came barreling through, knocking her over.
“Shut the door! Fast !”
Gemma struggled to her feet and quickly pushed her body against the door. Only then did she turn to see who had crashed into her. It was Zoe Mercury and Harper Gunn – a heavily intoxicated Harper Gunn.
“Omigod! Hi, it’s so crazy to meet you. Did I hurt you? Ugh, God, I’m so sorry,” Zoe rambled, trying to drag Harper’s dead weight towards a couch. “Her dad’s like two seconds from sending her to rehab and he can’t see her like this.”
“Is he here?” Gemma asked. She knew Harper’s dad, Hudson. During the school year, she had many times come home to find Hudson in her house, cooking dinner for the family. Despite being a celebrity chef, he seemed to stay away from media attention as much as
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