Chapter 7 Fooled?
1110 Words
Nightfall crept in quietly.
Molly and Colin had returned home, but there was still no sign of Leslie.
Rachel placed his headphones on the table, growing more uncertain by the minute. 'Have I been too harsh earlier? Is he upset and decided not to come back?'
She heard the door open downstairs and quickly ran to the hallway railing to see who it was.
But it wasn't Leslie—it was Alison.
She had brought over some barbecue and was complaining to Rachel's mom about how Connor was still buried in the library, and Leslie had inexplicably lost interest in the meal.
"He's the one who insisted Sean and I make a big dinner for them when we had the time," Alison said with a sigh. "Kids these days... You never know what's going through their heads. It's enough to drive me crazy."
Molly offered a few words of comfort before seeing Alison out. When she called Rachel down for dinner, Rachel felt too drained to eat.
"See? Alison is right," Molly muttered to Colin with a frustrated shrug.
*****
After her bath, Rachel slipped into some comfortable pajamas and lay on her bed, staring at her phone.
Leslie's profile picture on Skype sat quietly in her friend list, with no new messages in sight. After all he'd done to help her with the flower beds incident, she should at least check in on him.
'What's going on today? Is it because... I didn't agree to let him come over to change the bandage? Or is it about the music festival?'
She remembered the way he had sat across from her, his eyes wide and full of hope, his expression almost pleading...
Rachel shook her head. She couldn't let her mind wander like that.
'I've been acting so strangely lately, worrying way too much about what Leslie thinks. Maybe he just got busy and forgot about the headphones...'
After staring at the screen for what felt like forever, Rachel only felt more frustrated.
*****
The past few years brought unexpected growth to Seabreeze Bay. More tourists were visiting, and even some celebrities had fallen in love with the scenic town.
Looking at the giant "Echo Veil" poster at the entrance to the beach music festival, Rachel still couldn't believe she had ended up there.
She had even gone out of her way to get dressed up.
Her long hair, pulled into a high ponytail, had been freshly curled, the ends bouncing with renewed energy. A pair of headphones hung around her neck, and she wore a silver mini dress adorned with sparkling rhinestones that caught the light, her smooth, bare back exposed. Even among the trendy crowd of young people, she still turned heads, with guys whistling as she passed by.
"Hey there, gorgeous."
In the past, Rachel would have been thrilled to be in a place like this. But now, she was just here to take a chance.
'It is not because I miss Leslie,' she told herself. 'It's just that he hasn't come to pick up his headphones, and that is a bit of a hassle.'
Echo Veil hadn't taken the stage yet, but the venue was already packed. Rachel had to maneuver carefully to avoid stepping on the bodies of lounging fans or tripping over discarded beer bottles.
'This is a nightmare.'
After a lap around the grounds, Rachel began to regret coming at all. The general admission area was hot and noisy, and there was no guarantee Leslie was even there. She should have just gone straight to his house. If he wasn't home, she could have left the headphones with Alison...
There was no real reason for her to be here.
Frowning, Rachel started to make her way back out, but then she spotted a familiar figure.
Leslie looked different today, wearing a white tank top covered in graffiti, with his brown hair streaked with temporary color and casual face paint on his right cheek. He looked even more handsome, his smile more captivating than ever.
"Leslie!" Rachel called out, feeling a wave of relief. Maybe this trip wasn't for nothing after all.
But the next moment, she saw a girl with messy orange curls wrap an arm around Leslie's shoulder as they posed for a selfie. The girl had a sun-kissed tan, a fit, sexy body, and looked about Leslie's age. Together, they could have been a couple straight out of a magazine.
Rachel's smile froze.
'Who is this girl?'
'Hasn't Leslie said he invited me because he didn’t have a date? Was he playing me?'
The memory of catching Trevor with Emma was still vivid in her mind, and the sting of betrayal hit her hard. She hated the feeling of being deceived more than anything.
Rachel turned to leave, nearly tripping over a beer bottle in the process. A group of drunk fans were roughhousing nearby, oblivious to her presence.
"Dammit!" Rachel muttered, kicking the bottle away in frustration. "Bunch of idiots!"
"Rachel? Wait, Rach!" Leslie had spotted her and broke away from his group to chase after her. Rachel didn't want him to see her like this and regretted dressing up like a showy peacock.
'He'd probably get a good laugh out of it.'
*****
"Rach!" Just as she was about to stumble, Leslie caught her arm. She tried to pull away, but his grip was firm, giving her no chance to escape.
"Why are you walking away, Rachel?" he asked, his voice laced with urgency.
"You liar," Rachel shot back, thinking about how sincere he had seemed in front of her these past few days. She couldn't hold back her emotions. "Didn't you say you didn't have a date? I just saw her—with you, taking pictures!"
Leslie blinked and then asked, "You mean Elena? Is that why you're upset?"
Rachel regretted her outburst immediately. 'God, I'm such an impulsive idiot.' But looking at Leslie, she couldn't deny the anger that was bubbling up inside her.
"Yes, I hate being lied to."
Leslie sighed with relief but quickly tried to explain, "You've got it all wrong, Rachel... The girl in the photo is just a friend, Elena. She's been taking pictures with everyone. You have no idea how happy I was when I saw you here. Did you... did you come looking for me?"
Rachel had put extra effort into her makeup today, with colorful sparkles dusted across her collarbone, trailing down to the deep, enticing curve of her cleavage. She looked even more stunning than usual...
Leslie couldn't take his eyes off her. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, and he felt a tightening below his waist.
- Writer
