I smacked him lightly on the arm. “Not funny.”
His grin faded. “Sorry.”
Shoot. I didn’t want him to drive off thinking I was some over-sensitive loser. “I’m just kidding.” I swung out of his Jeep and landed on the driveway with a graceful thump. “If you ever need a stand-in for the keyboard again, let me know.”
His smile disappeared and he got this really awkward expression on his face. “Um, about that...”
All my happiness suddenly vanished, but I shrugged like I didn’t care. I hadn’t meant to force him to reject me. The offer had just tumbled out. “It’s no problem. I know you already have a keyboard player. I just meant—”
“She’s my girlfriend.”
I felt sick. “Who is? Angel?” I knew it!
“No, Paige. The girl who plays the keyboard.”
Oh…no wonder she’d scowled at me when Crusty had accused me of flirting with Rafe. Now that little exchange felt even more embarrassing. Did the two of them think I’d been flirting with Rafe when they both knew he was taken? God, that was irretrievably embarrassing! I took a deep breath and tossed my hair, trying to be so casual that he’d never think I’d been after him “Whatever.”
He frowned. “I just didn’t want you to think, well, I mean, because I gave you a ride today and stuff.”
Oh, God, this was the worst! I was getting dumped before I’d even dated him! “Rafe, seriously, it’s no biggie. I was just having fun on the ride home. I have a boyfriend already, so I’m glad it’s not an issue,” I blurted out before I could stop myself. Yikes! Had I really just said that?
Surprise flickered across his face. “You have a boyfriend?”
Too late to back out now. “Yep. Sophomore over at Inverness. Plays football.” Wow. Two fake boyfriends in three days. My social life was rocking. I managed a smile, even though I felt like running into my house and curling up into a miserable little ball. Was my life so pathetic that I had to lie to everyone about it? Yes, yes, apparently it was. “He can sing, though, so don’t tell him I stink, okay? That’s our little secret.”
His mouth curved into an intimate smile, all his tension gone now that he knew he didn’t have to worry that I had a crush on him. Sigh. “Our little secret,” he agreed. “Deal.” He started the Jeep back up. “So, I’ll see you around.”
“If you’re lucky.”
That same look of surprise crossed his face again, as if he hadn’t expected me to be so blasé about his girlfriend news. “If I’m lucky,” he repeated. Then he shifted into reverse and backed out of the driveway.
I refused to stand there and stare after him, so I turned and ran into the house, jumping over two geraniums in case he was looking. Girls who had just been rejected by a guy they had a major crush on didn’t leap over flowerpots. They sobbed and cried and got all pathetic.
But not me. No way.
I vaulted up the steps, shoved my key in the lock and danced inside, then slammed the door shut so I could collapse on the floor and be a loser in private.
CHAPTER FIVE
When my mom got home after work, I had decided that two fake boyfriends were all the lies I could handle for the moment, so I told my mom the truth about what happened at the lesson. I even admitted that I cried, and that I just couldn’t take the pressure anymore. I don’t know what delusion was dogging me, like I thought that she’d suddenly hug me and say that it didn’t matter how well I did because she loved me anyway.
Nope, not so much. What she did was run off to call Miss Jespersen and find out her side, not believing me when I told her that Miss Jespersen was laying the pressure on way too thick.
Lucky for me, Crusty wasn’t home, but my mom still made me practice. For four horrific hours.
By the end of the night, even my mom admitted I sounded awful. That put me in an even worse mood, especially when she started talking about the audition again.
I practiced for another hour, trying too hard to remember what it was like to enjoy piano, but failing miserably. Then I did homework, because I had nothing else to do, unlike my friends, who were probably hanging with Inverness guys getting ice cream or something.
My decision was made. There was space in my life for one more deception.
I was bailing from my life on Thursday and going to Inverness with my friends to meet guys.
* * *
I was in awe.
Was this really what other girls did while I was playing the piano? I couldn’t believe it. After taking the cross-town bus over to Inverness, I was sitting with Delilah and Erin, catching late afternoon rays on the bleachers at Inverness. The cold metal benches were hard, but the breeze was warm and the hot sun was like a gift on my pasty skin.