Chapter 7

"Adriana Paige. You can't really think I'm going to believe that!"

"It's the truth, Mom. We just started hanging out together. It's nothing, we're just really good friends."

I'd known Mom would freak out about the idea of Alec taking us on a trip. I hadn't expected she'd be so concerned about my having a new guy friend. We'd been arguing for the last ten minutes and it was starting to look like Alec had been right.

"You're lying to me. Don't tell me you're not, I can tell."

I opened my mouth to protest and she cut me off again. "You obviously like him, and based on the way he was looking at you, he's very much attracted to you."

That made me pause. It was so easy to forget Alec really liked me. Without outside reminders I was always talking myself into believing it was a temporary thing for him.

"What have you been up to while I've been gone? He's probably been over every night."

I shook my head emphatically. "Mom, I can promise nothing has happened that you need to worry about. It's true that I'd like for Alec and I to be more than we are. He's really a good guy."

"Alec…Alec Graves?"

I hadn't expected Mom to know his last name. That didn't seem to bode well.

"Yes, he's Rachel's brother."

"Sweetie, I really liked Rachel, but the Graveses have more money than is healthy for any six families. Everything I told you regarding Brandon goes double for Alec. Boys like that just aren't sincere about things. They grow up learning how to manipulate everyone around them."

"Mom. You were right about Brandon, okay? Alec is completely different though. That's why he and Brandon never got along. Alec is an incredibly thoughtful, mature guy who always does the right thing."

Mom shook her head again. "What kind of boy dates a girl without coming in and meeting her parents? I mean, really."

"First of all, we're not dating. Not really. Second of all, Alec wanted to come meet you just now but I convinced him not to. I wanted to prepare you for the idea first."

"Adri, you wouldn't have worried about preparing me if there wasn't something to prepare me for. This is more serious than you want to let on. I have half a mind to ground you just to keep the two of you apart."

I collapsed so fast I didn't even realize I was falling. When I came to again, my mom was pacing back and forth with her phone in her hand. It was such a familiar sight. It'd been so long since I'd really had panic attacks I'd nearly forgotten our highly-practiced responses.

"Adri…ana. Are you okay? I should have been more careful. I guess I've gotten out of the habit of calling you by your full name. Too much time away at photo shoots."

I groggily pushed my way back onto my hands and knees. "It's okay, Mom. Please believe me though. There's nothing going on with Alec and me that you need to worry about. He'll come over so you can meet him and you'll see what I mean. Until then, can you please not freak out?"

I could see the decision making itself in her eyes. She couldn't keep me away from Alec. Not all the way, not as long as we went to the same school. She could forbid it, but unless she was ready to move again there wasn't much she could do to enforce her decree.

"Okay, sweetie. I'll trust you for now. I just don't like the way that you don't have any other friends. It's not healthy to get too attached to one boy at your age."

"Oh, that has changed while you were gone. I've got Rachel as a friend and a few other kids. In fact Sam and Alison asked me if we could all go to lunch together on Saturday."

Mom blinked slightly, almost as if having a hard time believing that I really had other friends. "Oh. Well then, that's good news. I'm glad to hear that you're branching out. What ever happened to Britney?"

"We don't really talk now. It turns out she was really jealous when we thought Brandon liked me. She said some things, I said some things. I don't think we'll be spending time together anymore."

Mom nodded, but she'd picked up her camera and started absently fiddling with it. There was no surer sign that Mom had moved on to thinking about another project.