The Backup Girlfriend (Grove Valley High Book 2) Read online

  “Abigail!”

  “Okay, okay. I know.”

  “Abigail…you might not graduate! What part of that do you not get?”

  “I know, I know.”

  “You need to a get a tutor.”

  “I know.”

  “You need to get Brett Sanderson or someone like that that.”

  What the hell? How does everyone know this kid’s name but me?

  “How do you know him?”

  He shrugs. “Everyone knows him. He’s really smart, and he tutors too.”

  “Okay. Right, well…yeah, I’ll go find him tomorrow.”

  “No. You need to text him now and see when he’s free. Schedule your first tutoring session for tomorrow.” Apparently I don’t answer him quickly enough. “Abigail!”

  “Okay!”

  Chase reaches for his phone, taps a couple of times, and then holds up a number for me.

  Of course he has Brett’s number. Just my luck.

  I roll my eyes at his apparent need for such urgency but dutifully type the number into my own phone before sending a text telling him who it is and asking if he’d be free to tutor me over the next couple of months.

  I hold it up to Chase and he nods in satisfaction, but he’s not done yet. “What are the charities you can pick to fundraise for?”

  I actually haven’t even looked at the pamphlets since Ms. Sallinson gave them to me. I grab my bag and rummage around, looking for the papers before pulling them out and handing them over to Chase, who immediately starts looking through them.

  “Sup?”

  I glance to my right and see that Aaron, Brendon, and Jackson have appeared next to us at the booth.

  “Hey,” I say quietly, looking away. I’m definitely not ready to deal with these guys yet.

  Brendon clearly doesn’t have the same problem because he slides straight into the seat next to me and helps himself to some of Chase’s fries. “Okay, now that we’re all sober, can we acknowledge what an incredible gentleman I was on Saturday night and the insane willpower I showed when you started stripping?”

  My face burns bright red as an easy grin covers his face.

  I could have done without him informing everyone that I took my clothes off—even if they did see the video.

  “I mean, I am always going to be able to say I turned down Abigail Baker.”

  “Shut up,” I mutter, my face burning even brighter, but I know he’s teasing me.

  “The Abigail Baker.”

  “Oh my god, stop.”

  “The way you shut Sarah down today?” Aaron starts with a grin from his spot next to Chase.

  I look over at him. I genuinely think Aaron is one of the nicest guys around, and he and Chase have always been inseparable. I guess I’ve missed him over the last couple of months too.

  He winks at me. “That was awesome.”

  I clear my throat, straightening in my seat. “I’m sorry, guys. I don’t know what I was thinking. I was just really drunk and messed up—”

  “Forget it,” Aaron interrupts. “I have.”

  “I haven’t,” Brendon says. “I’m going to dream about that moment for the rest of my life.” He points at Chase. “You owe me.”

  Chase rolls his eyes. “Bro, shut up.”

  Jackson starts laughing, his eyes on the menu. “Hey,” he says, looking up at me. “I’m just offended you didn’t look at me. Chase and I aren’t that good of friends.”

  Chase scowls, Aaron laughs, Brendon pulls me into a side hug, and I remember that maybe I haven’t lost these guys after all. Maybe I just need to get out of my own head for a bit and actually look at the people around me who haven’t changed and be thankful for that.

  Aaron stands, muttering something about what pies they have today, and lumbers off to the pie display near the back of the room to check them out, with Brendon and Jackson right behind him.

  Chase looks over at me. “You okay?”

  I nod.

  “Feeling better?”

  “Yeah.” I really am. I’ve avoided them a lot the last couple of weeks, assuming they wouldn’t want to hang out with me anymore and deciding I didn’t want to inconvenience them. Looking at it now, I can see that it’s all come from me, and maybe I need to stop being my own worst enemy for a while. I guess I’ve missed them all more than I realized, and having them laughing and joking with me like always is exactly what I needed.

  Chase smiles. “Good.” He slides one of the brochures he’s been looking at over to me. “I think we found your charity.”

  I pick it up, turning it around to face me, and the smile drops from my face.

  It’s for a domestic violence charity.

  7

  The next day, it’s not Chase who’s waiting for me outside one of my classes just before lunch.

  It’s his girlfriend.

  Livy smiles hesitantly and steps toward me, and it takes everything I have not to turn around and walk right back into my history class.

  “Hey.”

  “Hi,” I reply, my eyes darting over her. She’s just so damn pretty—naturally, without even trying. I feel some of that familiar jealously I’ve always had toward her flare up, and I immediately push it down. I’ve always been harsh and bitchy to Livy, and she’s never deserved it. It wasn’t her fault that Chase was so into her without her even knowing. It wasn’t fair then, and it isn’t fair now.

  “So…um…I spoke to Chase…”

  Wait a minute.

  Really?!

  “Look, Livy, if this is you coming to me to tell me to leave him alone then—”

  “What?” She looks genuinely surprised at my words.

  “I know we went to Ferguson’s, and I’m sorry if that offended you. From now on I won’t—”

  “Stop!” She processes my words and shakes her head rapidly. “Abigail, I don’t care at all that you and Chase are friends. I know you’re important to each other.” She holds her hand to her chest. “I still see Jessie all the time and would never give up our friendship,” she says, referencing the guy she was in love with for years and dated for the briefest of times before realizing Chase was the right guy for her. “And Chase would never ask me to.”

  Yeah, because have you seen Chase and Jesise standing next to each other?

  “I would never expect Chase to not be your friend.”

  I stare back at her.

  “Seriously, I have no problem with you two hanging out yesterday.”

  How completely alien to be so comfortable in your relationship with someone so thirsted after that you don’t have a problem with him hanging out with his ex-girlfriend, who quite honestly hasn’t always been that nice to you and who you know still has lingering feelings for him.

  How strange.

  “Okay,” I say after a pause.

  I wait as she hesitates, looks away, and then turns back to me. She clearly has something to say.

  “Um…well…” She clears her throat. “Chase told me you’re doing a bake sale for charity.”

  I nod and try to push past the annoyance that he also probably told her I have to do that or else I won’t be able to graduate. “Yeah?”

  “Well, I was just…um…”

  She stops and clears her throat.

  “It’s just…”

  She still doesn’t say anything as her eyes flit around behind me.

  “I was thinking…um…well…”

  “Spit it out, Livy. You’re making me nervous.”

  “Do you know my mom has a bakery?”

  Know? I spent years trying to keep Chase out of there. “Yeah.”

  “Well, if you want…you don’t have to…but…”

  I bite my lip to stop myself from snapping at her. She’s clearly nervous for whatever reason.

  “Anyway, it closes early on Sundays, and we have all the equipment and everything…” Her voice trails off, and I still don’t know what she’s saying.

  “You’re gonna have to spell this out for me.”
/>   “You can use it to bake everything for Monday,” she says quickly. “And for as long as you need. Chase told me that’s when you’re planning on having your bake sale, and you can use the bakery to get everything ready. You can even use the supplies there. We get everything in bulk from the suppliers and it’s way cheaper than in the grocery store, so my mom said we can just have it at cost price and that will save a bunch of money on supplies.”

  I gape at her.

  “I’ve been working there since I was a kid, so I could help you with the baking, show you the quickest and easiest way to make things and the timings for the ovens and everything.”

  I’m speechless.

  “I already asked my mom last night, and she’s totally cool with it. She even said I can take all the profits we make from the cheesecake sales on Saturday as donations toward the charity. It’s one of our bestsellers, so it should be worth at least a hundred bucks.”

  At least. The cheesecake from Livy’s mom’s bakery is famous around here, and people are always raving about it. In fact, they’re always raving about everything she bakes. If I sell food that’s basically from there, I’m guaranteed to make a sizeable chunk of money for the charity.

  “I mean…only if you want to. You don’t have to or anything.”

  I snap out of the daze I’ve managed to fall into over her offer.

  I can’t believe anyone can be this nice and helpful when they have no agenda of their own.

  Does she want something from me?

  “Um…well…do you need something from me? Like in exchange for this?”

  She looks flabbergasted at my question. “Exchange? No. I just thought I could help make it easier for you.”

  Oh.

  “I mean, I’m not trying to intrude or anything, and if I’m just getting in the way—”

  “No, no, that would be great. Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, definitely. I want to help.” She hesitates. “I really want to help you, Abigail. If that’s cool with you.”

  Of course she does. In some weird, messed-up way, she probably feels my downward spiral is partly her fault just because she and Chase are together. That’s just how nice she is.

  And how much of a worrier. Livy is a major worrier.

  “And the charity sounds like a really worthy cause.”

  My body freeze at these words, and I assess her carefully as she looks back at me expectantly. “What do you mean by that?”

  Her eyes widen slightly at the change in my tone. “About the charity?”

  I nod.

  “Just that…well…domestic violence is a big issue for a lot of people in society, and they need our help.”

  If Chase has told her anything about my home situation, I will kill him. I swore him to secrecy years ago, and as far as I know, he has never betrayed my trust.

  Livy looks worried again. “Did I say something wrong?”

  “That’s all?” I ask sharply. “You just think we need to help victims of domestic abuse? Chase didn’t say anything else?”

  She sends me a look of such confusion that I know he hasn’t said anything, even though I’ve probably just opened up a bunch of questions in her mind that she may or may not ask Chase about.

  “Right, okay,” I say, my voice relaxing and my defenses dropping.

  “Um, yeah.” She straightens her bag on her shoulder. “Look, Chase wouldn’t tell me anything you’ve told him in confidence, just so you know. And the reason my mom wants to help by donating the cheesecake profits is because she knows a lot of people in those domestic abuse shelters don’t have anyone else, and she was a single mother for years with me, so she knows what it’s like. Not the abuse part, just the being alone part…that’s all.”

  I need to stop being so paranoid. “Yeah, of course. Sorry. I was just thinking about something random. Totally random.”

  She nods.

  “Thanks, Livy. This is really nice of you. I’m sure I’d just mess it up if I were baking by myself.”

  “It’s no problem. So…I’ll see you at the bakery on Sunday? At around four?”

  “I’ll be there.”

  She offers me a quick smile then looks behind me and nods in greeting at whoever is approaching. I turn and see Jessie Stephenson, Livy’s previous crush and the final part of her and Sophie’s friendship trio.

  “Hey.” He turns to me. “Hey Abigail, how are you?”

  He looks like he’s expecting an answer, so after a beat, I reply, “I’m good.”

  “You ready?” Livy asks him, obviously referring to some plans they have. She was telling the truth after all; clearly her friendship with Jessie means a lot to her and she’s continuing it despite her new relationship. One thing Livy definitely isn’t is a hypocrite, and it would seem she really doesn’t care if Chase and I stay friends.

  Jessie nods then glances at me. “Actually, give me a second. I’ll catch up with you.”

  Livy raises an eyebrow, her eyes flitting between the two of us, clearly thinking what I am—that we have nothing to possibly talk about—before offering me a quick wave then turning and heading down the hallway.

  “Hey Livy?” I call after her.

  She turns to look at me expectantly.

  “Thank you, really. I mean it.”

  She nods in understanding, sends me another wave, and then turns and walks away.

  There really are some good people in the world.

  Jessie clears his throat next to me, and I turn my attention back to him. “What’s up, Stephenson?”

  “Well…I was just thinking…I heard about what happened on Saturday night.”

  Yeah, who didn’t.

  “And it’s hard to get over someone you’ve been really into.”

  I straighten up, crossing my arms and staring him straight in the eye.

  “You know it’s tough for me seeing Livy with Chase too.”

  I just about stop myself from snorting out loud at the sheer audacity of him. Jessie had Livy on a plate for years. It couldn’t have been more obvious to anyone who cared to see that she was into him, and he just liked having her there waiting for him. By the time he figured out he had a good thing going on, she had moved on.

  It is absolutely not the same thing.

  “So, I dunno…maybe we can help each other out?”

  He has a twinkle in his eye as he says this, and it takes me a couple of seconds to figure out what he means.

  Help each other out?

  “Excuse me?”

  “You know, distract each other.”

  “Distract each other?”

  “Yeah, from Chase and Livy.” A smirk flickers on his face. “I bet we could figure out a couple of ways to distract each other.”

  Is he saying we should hook up to distract each other from our respective exes?

  I burst out laughing.

  “What?!” he demands. “What’s so funny?”

  I shake my head, stepping around him, and head down the hallway.

  “Why are you laughing?”

  I turn around to look at him. “Thanks, Stephenson. I needed that today.”

  “You should totally do a kissing booth.”

  I look up from the worksheet my chemistry teacher gave me, one that’s making my head throb.

  I look over at Brendon, sitting across from me at our lunch table. “What?”

  “Kissing booth,” he says smugly. “All money raised goes to your charity.”

  I shake my head. “I’m not doing a kissing booth.”

  “Oh come on! I saw it on that movie.”

  “No one is going to want to be in a kissing booth.”

  “I disagree,” he states, looking around at the rest of our friends. “We could do it.”

  Not everyone looks like they agree with him on that.

  “You’d make heaps of money.” They’ve all been coming up with ideas over the last couple of days. It’s sweet, actually, that they want to help me.

  I can’t help smirking. “Bec
ause everyone’s dying to kiss you?”

  “Well you wanted to do more than just kiss me on Saturday night.”

  Touché.

  “Shut up,” I mutter, my face burning as he smirks over at me. He’s never going to let me live that down.

  “You know, you could do some kind of auction,” Chase says, sitting forward. “And sell off stuff.”

  “Auction? Sell what?”

  “Well, I don’t know…a date with Brendon or Aaron or Jen or anyone else.”

  “Huh?”

  He rolls his eyes like I’m being incredibly annoying. “Come on, Abigail, focus! You need money for your charity. Have you even thought about how you’re gonna raise money?”

  “Uh…well…”

  It’s all the answer he needs.

  “I’m doing the bake sale,” I say feebly.

  “You’re gonna need more than that.”

  He’s right.

  “We could set up an auction where people can bid to win stuff.”

  “We could?”

  “Yeah, it’d be a big money-raiser.”

  “They’d win dates?”

  “Not just dates. You could auction off an outfit in your wardrobe. Anything you want.”

  Sasha jumps in excitedly. “Or you doing someone’s makeup. You’re so good at it. You could do someone’s makeup for a date or for prom or something. That’s such a good idea.”

  Aaron pipes up next. “I could auction off the chance to use one of my dad’s cars for the day.” His dad has a bunch of dealerships and has some incredible cars of his own. It’s his passion. If he’d do that, I’m sure a bunch of people would be interested.

  “You’d do that?”

  “Of course.”

  “How would it even work with insurance?”

  He shrugs. “We’ll figure it out.”

  “Wow. Okay, thanks.”

  Everyone else starts jumping in with offers. Jennifer (who is obsessed with fitness) offers to train someone for a month, Jackson offers up soccer tickets to our local professional team, and someone else offers vouchers to their parents’ restaurant.

  Honestly, it’s shocking how helpful everyone is being.

  “But where will we do the auction?” I ask. It’s all good and well thinking of ideas, but to be totally honest, it sounds like a lot of work, especially when I’m supposed to be studying.