Page 8 of Don't Love the Boy Next Door
I fold my arms across my chest. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Holding it in isn’t good. You’ll explode one day.”
I don’t say anything.
“Look. I know it’s been hard for you the last few months. But you don’t have to keep everything bottled up. You don’t have to talk about your mom if you don’t want to, but can you at least tell me if something else is bothering you? I’m worried about you, Katie. I just want you to be happy.”
I sigh again. “I know. And I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to worry about me. You should have fun gaming and doing your live streams.”
“Forget about that. It’s not important.Youare.”
I avert my gaze to my knees. “Fine. I made a total fool of myself yesterday at rehearsal.”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Is that all? Phew, I thought something terrible happened.”
“Something terrible did happen!” I moan and cover my face. Then I tell her in exact detail what happened yesterday. I don’tlower my hands from my face because I want to hide in a hole and pretend it never happened.
“I don’t know how I’ll face him,” my muffled voice says. “And we have band practice in a few hours. I’ll text Ethan that I’m sick.”
“Wait, wait, wait.” She tugs on my hands to lower them from my face, but I paste them to my cheeks. “C’mon, Katie!”
“Maybe if I hide away like this, it’ll go away.”
“Ha, sure.” She yanks so hard my hands slip right off my face. “Look, I get that you’re mortified. But these things happen, right? You have an embarrassing story for every musical or play you’ve done. It’s like a classic Katie.”
“But it’s different now.”
“Why?”
I throw my hands up. “Idon’tknow!”
She studies me for a bit, her eyes growing wide. “Katie…do you like Eric?”
“What? No way. Of course not.”
“You sure? I mean, youfreakedoutafter he kissed you.”
I shake my head resolutely. “I’m one hundred percent sure I do not like Eric Palmer.”
“Hmm.”
“And I don’t know how I’ll face everyone at rehearsal on Monday. Who knows if I even still have the role?”
“Of course you do,” she says. “You’re probably the only one obsessing over it. I doubt anyone else is giving it a second thought.”
“Besides for Eric,” I mutter.
“And if he is? Are you going to let this small blip hold you back from playing one of your dream roles? Katie, you’re Belle.Belle. You’ve wanted this forever.”
“I know.”
“You’re a strong, confident young woman. A strong confident young woman who makes mistakes. Because she’s human and she’s awesome, and she won’t let anyone or anything stand in the way of her dreams. You’ll be the best Belle in the history of Belles. I know it.”
Her words fly right past my ears. Because nothing she or anyone says can make me feel better.
We’re quiet. She stares at the paused show and I gaze out the window, trying not to think about my embarrassing moment.
“You’re not the only one who had an incident yesterday,” she says after a few minutes.
