HIGH ABOVE ALPHA ISLAND
MOUNT OLYMPUS
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2ND
12:40 P.M.
As the air-chair dipped in for a landing, Charlie gritted her teeth and hoped the hamster-wheel of nerves in her stomach would slow to a halt soon. She snuck a peek at Allie’s serene-looking face and hoped for the millionth time that her crazy plan would work: that Mel would fall for Allie, and that in time, Allie would be so wrapped up with Mel that she wouldn’t be able to remember Darwin’s name. And most of all, that she would come out of this high-altitude triple date without making any enemies. She glanced across from her at Skye, who looked as bad as Charlie felt. If Syd was as grossed out by Skye as Charlie was, soon all the Jackie O’s would have what they wanted.
“There they are,” whispered Allie, a slow smile creeping across her glossed lips. She looked confident and radiated calm.
“Picnic time,” Charlie sing-songed lamely. She was way too nervous to eat anything, but the mountaintop would make a great romantic backdrop for Allie and Mel’s first date.
Just as they were about to jump off the lift, Allie reached over and grabbed Charlie’s hand in hers and squeezed it hard. Suddenly it was as though the real Allie jumped out of actress-Allie’s exterior and flashed Charlie a wild-eyed look. “Are you sure you’re over Darwin? Something still feels weird about this.”
No, I’m not sure at all!
“Of course,” lied Charlie, praying her voice wouldn’t shake. “I want this to work more than anyone.” Charlie did want this to work, and by this, she meant the Mel-Allie connection.
The air-chair touched down for a moment and Charlie grabbed Allie and Skye’s hands as they all jumped off. Charlie waved at the boys, who stood near a stand of pines on three sides of a huge picnic blanket, and said an internal prayer that Allie wouldn’t find out what she was up to, that Mel would be all over Allie like blue on a Na’vi, and that Darwin would forgive her someday for making him lie. It was a lot to ask, but Charlie would find a way to repay the universe if she got what she wanted. She was an Alpha Inventor, wasn’t she? Maybe she’d cure cancer. At the very least, she would cure Allie’s broken heart. And, if all went well, Charlie would also mend her own.
A few minutes later the three Jackie O’s trudged toward the immense picnic blanket, each nervous for her own reasons.
“This is ah-mazing.” Charlie couldn’t help marveling over the spread.
Darwin was a serial DIY-er, hating to let others do what he could do himself, and this picnic had his trademark favorites all over it. There were three kinds of everything: fresh-squeezed fruit juice (pear-pomegranate, grapefruit-guava, and ginger lemonade), flatbread pizzas (rosemary portobello, tomato basil, and chicken apple sausage), and three cakes (flourless chocolate, lemon mousse, and strawberry shortcake).
“Wow,” breathed Allie, wiping tears of shock-appreciation from her eyes. She smiled sweetly at Darwin as he sat down on the blanket, then shot a furtive glance at Melbourne, who looked ready for his close-up as he leaned against a nearby pine tree. “I didn’t know guys could do stuff like this,” she said to the whole group.
“We’re not your average guys.” Mel’s lavender eyes twinkled as he flashed a smile, highlighting his strong jaw and cleft chin. He wore forest green snowboarding pants with a white down jacket. His straight blond hair matched Allie’s newly restored locks. “It might not be the food court at the mall, but we came close.”
“I love mall food,” Allie sighed wistfully, as if remembering a beloved old friend.
“Me too,” said Mel. “There’s something about Sbarro, Starbucks, and the scent of new clothes that feels so right.”
Charlie smiled as she watched Allie sizing up Mel.
Crush, activated!
“Have you seen the view from up here?” Mel asked Allie in a smooth voice. “There’s a lookout point a few yards that way.”
Allie winked one navy blue eye at Charlie before breezily following Mel. “So where do you shop?” Charlie heard her asking as they disappeared behind a stand of pines.
Careful not to get too close to Darwin lest she inhale the smell of his cinnamon-scented toothpick, Charlie walked toward Syd and Skye on the far side of the clearing.
“And now, allow me to woo you,” Syd was saying, brandishing a slim volume of Emily Dickinson poetry. His moss-green eyes gazed at Skye like he was an island castaway and she was a case of Aquafina.
Skye grabbed the book out of his hands, grinning at Charlie and wiggling her eyebrows significantly. “How about I read it to you, Pooky,” she said, reaching up to scratch her scalp under her greasy blond dreadlocks.
“Of course, my love,” said Syd, his angular face stretched into an adoring smile. “Page sixty-four is the one I was going—”
“Got it, Pookers,” Skye snapped, turning to the page he’d bookmarked and clearing her throat. She raised the book to cover her face and pulled a scallion out of her parka pocket, shoving it in her mouth and chewing it up.
Ew! Charlie cringed on Syd’s behalf. Watching Skye and Syd was like watching American Idol auditions. You didn’t really want to see it, but you couldn’t look away.
Skye leaned toward Syd, nuzzling her face in his shoulder, and began to recite the poetry in her breathiest voice: “Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all.”
Syd sniffed the air as Skye read. His eyes were suddenly pink and watery.
“What’s wrong, Pookers McGookers?” Skye asked, her voice dripping with faux-concern.
“I’m sort of stuffed up today,” Syd said. “I can’t smell a thing, not even your delicious Aveda shampoo.”
Skye slapped her forehead and moaned in defeat.
“It’s okay, babe, it’s just a little cold. I’ll get well quick, I promise,” Syd’s bee-stung lips formed a reassuring smile and his gray-green eyes glittered.
Charlie couldn’t bear to hear any more. She spun around and sat down a few feet away from Darwin, careful not to get too close. Her eyes caught his and he grimace-grinned at her through clenched yet adorably white teeth. Pretend you don’t like him, Charlie reminded herself, quickly staring down at the plaid picnic blanket. “This is so nice, Dar—”
“Just tell me how long I have to keep this up,” he hiss-smiled.
“As long as it takes for Allie to realize Mel and she might be soul mates!” Charlie snapped. Didn’t he know she was doing this for him?
Charlie met Allie’s gaze and she giddily beckoned Charlie over, waving her flame-red fingertips toward her chest. “Charlie, you need to see this view!”
“On my way.” Charlie jumped up, brushing a few rose petals off her butt before jogging over to Allie. Meanwhile, Mel strode back to the picnic with a pleased look on his face. “Spill it,” she commanded when she reached Allie.
“You were right, Mel is ah-mazing, and I can already feel my confidence making a comeback.” Allie smiled wide, her eyes crinkling with genuine happiness.
Charlie’s spirits soared higher than the tops of the snow-capped evergreens surrounding them. Now that Allie liked Mel, she would forget all about Darwin. When that happened, Charlie could get back together with him without disturbing the peace at Jackie O.
“So? Did Darwin seem jealous while I was gone?” Allie’s voice broke through Charlie’s daydream and brought her back to earth.
Oh.
“Uh… maybe? I’m not sure.” Charlie reached down and wiped some mud from the tops of her gold boots. She needed to put this conversation in reverse and get Allie back onto the right BB. “Mel and you will make such a gorgeous couple. You guys could model together!”
“It’ll never work.” Allie shook her head, setting a honey-blond wave loose from her headband. She widened her navy blue eyes and gave Charlie a stern look. “Actors and models are destined to fight for the spotlight. Now that I’m serious-leh pursuing acting, I need a down-to-earth guy like Darwin more than ever.” Allie blinked her thick black lashes emphatically, but when Charlie didn’t say anything, her blue eyes narrowed. “Are you sure you’re not falling for Darwin again?”
“I told you, no!” Charlie snapped. “I’m here for you. Not me.”
“Good. Then find out if he’s jealous, would you? Acting like I’m interested in Mel is my most challenging role yet!” Allie smiled, then turned toward the picnic to continue her performance.
Charlie swallowed hard, wishing she could yell cut and put an end to the sordid scene. Her comedy of manners was quickly turning into a tragedy of epic proportions.