Model Perfect

Chapter 9: Hellcat

Arlo takes me home. I am still wearing his clothes, his sweat pants are the most comfortable items of clothing I have been offered to wear in a really long time. Even though they are huge on me, I don't bother taking them off. My silver halter is in a plastic trash bag that Arlo hands me. It still smells like spiked lemonade. Model Perfect will take the damages out of my paycheck for the way Tanya treated this garment.

He parks his car in my driveway. I don't want to leave. I want to stay in this moment with Arlo forever. Arlo's fingers are laced around mine, and even though I am technically Hunter's girlfriend I stopped dating him in my head ages ago. It's hard to be with the boy who calls me fat and thinks I am nothing but worthless meat. Hunter's anger gets the better of him, and I am too timid, shy, and scared to tell him off. Arlo isn't like that. I can be me, and be safe. Being with Arlo would be easier than being with Hunter, as far as a real relationship goes. But I am not the sort to have real relationships, the tabloids gossip and I am an actress owned by Model Perfect.

Arlo lets go of my hand and walks me to my front door. Nobody's home. They never are. I am usually alone in that big house. I unlock the front door, Arlo turns me around and kisses me on the cheek. I let him stand there, and put my hand on my cheek when he is done. I instantly blush, his smirk tells me he notices.

"Good night, Emma. See you at school." Arlo Finch makes me want more than a kiss on the cheek and a bad relationship with Hunter. By now, I can admit I am starting to get a crush on Arlo, and the feeling might be a little mutual. Arlo leaves, and the flutters leave me when he drives away.

Rosa comes sneaking out of nowhere with her camera out. All the good feelings from Arlo are replaced with panic. She saw him kiss my cheek, and she'll accuse me of God knows what. All while telling me that I am Model Perfect's property and that Hunter's side piece doesn't deserve happiness. I'm sick of being an appetizer to his manly urges.

"What the hell was that? You left me alone at a party to be with Arlo? Arlo, the camera boy loser, Finch. Are you on drugs right now?" Rosa snaps her lips and bats her eyes lashes furiously.

"I think it's you who should be explaining yourself to me. First, you don't follow me to see if I was okay after Tanya Pennington poured lemonade on me. Then you ditch me to f**k your boyfriend in his house. I didn't ditch you, you were with Jeremiah and perfectly happy playing housewife."

"Seriously, you want to go down that road? I am here now aren't I? And who's outfit are you in?" Rosa pulls the hoodie a bit and reads the name 'Finch.'

"Wow, you're wearing his clothes now. Did you spread your legs open for him too? I bet he really did get some good pictures of you. I guess I'd sleep with the photographer to, and wear his clothes afterward as a trophy."

Rosa's comments are too hard to hear. She's accusing me of cheating on the dipshit I am supposed to love. The boy who hits me when he's mad, and writes love songs as means to settle the score.

Rosa pulls out her phone and shows me the picture of Arlo kissing my cheek. I don't deny that it does indeed look bad, but only to those who are looking to get me into trouble. But surely not Rosa Higgins, the girl who used to keep my secrets.

"Rosa, delete that okay. I left the party to cry in your car. Arlo found me and bought me dinner to cheer me up. He let me borrow his clothes to keep warm. He kissed my cheek without thinking. Really you are making a big deal out of nothing."

Rosa deletes the photo, and hugs me. I am still not convinced she has my best interests at heart. She hasn't been herself lately. I used to tell her secrets, but now I am not sure I can anymore. In fact, I haven't in a long time. No one's my best friend, not really. Trusting people means getting used for fifteen minutes of fame, and I am too exhausted to give her the satisfaction.

Despite asking Rosa to delete the photo, I still hear the sound of her phone sending a text. It's that sound that makes me push her away. If she sent a text, I need to keep my distance from this fiery red head before she spills all my secrets to the world.

"I think it's best if you leave, Rosa." Rosa pulls away from our hug.

"What?"

"I need space okay. I am still mad at you for ditching me at the party. Just leave me alone. I need to think everything through."

"There's nothing to think through. You've made it clear who's bed you want to lay in tonight." Rosa Higgins pushes me to the ground and drives away from my house. Somewhere in the blackness of night, I have lost a friend. A friend obsessed with her popularity, boyfriend, and lollipops. Right now I don't care, I just want to sleep in the comfort of Arlo's hoodie, and remember that someone out there listens to the real me and to him, I matter a little bit.