- Chapter 8 -
GET READY FOR US, BEE ;)
12/28 3:39PM EST
posted by Tara C.
Her Royal Secrecy
So it finally happened.
Whether it was the online petition hosted by her many fan clubs or the People Magazine cover (plus those loads and loads of Us Weekly “investigations”), Queen Bee’s team has finally decided that Americans have worshipped her enough to be graced with a tour.
Yippeeee!
Not.
I know that many of you readers here have started to take a liking to Queen Bee, but I still remain suspicious. As long as she hasn’t come out with her real identity yet, I haven’t gotten over my theory that she is just a random chick who lip-syncs some fat girl’s amazing voice. Or worse, some loony whore who is going to infect Tyler Chase with the herp and convince him to get a septum piercing or neck tattoo.
That being said, I’m going to buy tickets for her New York show. Hello? Some investigating needs to be done here. Speaking of which, here’s my latest report:
* Queen Bee’s management is listed as the Roebling Hunter Group based in New York City. The Roebling Hunter Group was founded by Harvey Roebling and Mirabel Hunter almost ten years ago. (yes they recently got broke into, no it wasn’t me because I wouldn’t have gotten caught.)
* Queen Bee’s exact birthday is not listed, but a British blogger reports that she announced she’d be celebrating her Sweet Sixteen soon during one of her first summer performances. Being that she just finished her summer tour in Europe, we know that Queen Bee is currently sixteen and will be turning seventeen next summer.
* During a show in Prague this summer, Queen Bee announced that her song “So Wicked” was inspired by her brother. So, she has a brother. Duh.
There are the facts, my loves. Put them together in your Queen Bee research papers and hopefully one of you will come up with an accurate report even before I do. In the meantime, keep sending me your leads, suspicions, and links. If I think anything is worth investigating, I’ll post it. But thus far, I have to say, there hasn’t been anything worthwhile (I mean really people? You’re guessing Desiree Silver to be Queen Bee? At least DListed and ONTD commenters are making educated guesses here).
And one more thing to little miss Bee herself: I do hope you’re ready for the U.S. We can be nice, but we can also be oh so mean. :)
“Oh my God ladies, be excited,” Kate squealed as she jumped up and down, her springy curls bouncing about. School had started again and they were convened at a Starbucks during lunch, looking up cute bathing suits online for spring break. “Guess what I have in my hands!”
“Tyler Chase’s heart? Oh no, wait – you wish,” Madison smiled at her own joke.
“Well, Madison, it’s actually pretty close to Tyler Chase’s heart…” Kate fanned out five tickets. “We’re going to go see Queen Bee at Madison Square Garden!” Leah and Jillian squealed and grabbed at the tickets while other customers buzzed over their good fortune. Madison and Gemma sat with little emotion. Madison turned to Gemma and smiled genuinely for the first time in what felt like ages.
“We’re so not like them,” Madison said. “I’m not a bandwagoner.”
“How did you get tickets?” Leah screamed. “Even my dad’s firm was trying to get them and they couldn’t!”
“I have my ways,” Kate said as she batted her eyelashes. “But really, I was just one of the early subscribers to Queen Bee’s website and got to buy them during the private pre-sale. But aren’t you girls lucky that I’ve chosen you to go?”
“Yes!” Leah and Jillian squealed as they took the tickets.
“I can’t make it that day,” Gemma blurted out.
“You don’t even know what the date of the concert is!” Kate laughed. “I’m not taking no for an answer. I mean, do you realize you’re saying no to like, the hottest ticket of the decade?”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Gemma said, softly.
“Seriously,” Madison muttered. “I don’t get why everyone’s like, jumping off a cliff for her.”
“Have you even listened to her music, Madison? Or seen her gorgeous clothes? And shoes?” Jillian asked with urgency. “You are going to come right?”
“Who cares about those two,” Leah turned her nose up. “We can totally sell their tickets and go on a Neiman’s spree.”
“Maybe take Lucas and Elisa,” Madison suggested. Gemma’s eyes widened. “Elisa’s crazy about Queen Bee. Of course that’s normal for a tween but for you girls – you should be ashamed.”
“And you think Lucas would want to go?” Gemma asked.
“God, no,” Madison snorted. “He just wouldn’t trust these psychos to take care of Elisa for the night.”
“Fine. I guess it’s better if the tickets go to people we know. Especially a real fan like Elisa,” Kate said.
“Are you sure? Because I still think we can make a profit on this,” Leah said as the girls rolled their eyes and laughed.
~
Gemma had been out of school for a few days to fly back and forth between coasts to do talk show appearances. Reuniting with Penelope and Armand was so exciting that she completely forgot about making up a good excuse for why she was out. She opted for the classic flu excuse and was mildly disappointed that the girls had barely noticed her absence. They only asked in passing if she was feeling better when she returned. Lucas, however, was a different story. Despite the fact that he continued to restrict his contact with Gemma, Gavin had reported that he dropped by the house to check if Gemma needed someone to bring her make-up work from school.
“That’s a good friend,” Gavin said. “I love that dude. I’d marry him if it were legal.”
Gemma laughed. She had figured out that Gavin’s way of showing true appreciation for a friend was through homoeroticism. “How does that work considering you’re both straight and have girlfriends?”
“We would build a loving marriage based on our strong foundation of bromance. And we’d get rid of Madison and share Kylie.”
“Hm, you’re funny, Gavin,” Gemma said absently. She wanted to know why Lucas had really dropped by. They shared no classes and she wondered why he would assume the responsibility of collecting her work. She was desperate for these answers but of course, since her return, Lucas was elusive once again.
~
Mira had dubbed the American tour “Queen Bee: Homecoming.” She decided that for such a magnificent event, at least a few new pieces of clothing and jewelry needed to be added. It was an easy task because a slew of American designers had recently begun sending free dresses and even offering to custom design for Queen Bee. Mira accepted but refused to use any of the new dresses as the final costume. They would still finish with the Balenciaga gown that had since been moved to the showroom where the team was preparing wardrobe.
Luckily, Penelope had already done most of Gemma’s adjustments before the blizzard hit. Two feet of snow piled onto Beauford with nearly just as much along the path towards New York. Everyone was snowed in and school was canceled for the second consecutive day. Gemma and Mira watched the snow fall outside the window while Gavin seemed to shovel endlessly without any progress.
“Poor kid,” Mira said. “If he doesn’t get past that front part of the driveway in ten minutes, I’m sending you out there to help.”
“Me?” Gemma sputtered. “Why me?”
“Because my poor arms have been through too many hours of pilates sculpting to lift a shovel right now.”
Gemma frowned and continued to watch Gavin, hoping for more progress. He was comically bundled up in a down jacket that looked huge with two Beauford Warriors sweaters on underneath and a gray Gucci knit cap pulled over his eyebrows. He suddenly stopped and threw his shovel aside with frustration, yelling something.
“What’s that boy saying?” Mira asked, leaning towards the window. “Looks like it’s your turn, Gemma.”
“Really?” Gemma pouted.
They watched Gavin as he turned towards Lucas’s house. Mira cracked open the window so that his muffled cries became clearer.
“Snowblower!” he yelled. “Give me your damn snowblower!”
Out of the mist of snow, Lucas seemed to appear magically. He pushed the snowblower down the sidewalk and onto their driveway. Both Gemma and Mira laughed at the sight of him, bundled up like Gavin in a North Face jacket and multiple scarves.
“Oh so that’s how good suburbanites do it,” Mira mused.
Once the two boys successfully cleared the driveway, Mira insisted they both come inside for her homemade chai. She boiled spices and milk as the boys tried to warm themselves on the couch. Gavin sat on one end, wearing a pinstriped Yankees Snuggie.
“Do you need me to hold you Lucas?” he asked. Lucas laughed, inching away from Gavin and towards Gemma. Gemma tensed.
“No thanks.”
“Gavin!” Mira shouted from the kitchen. “What have I told you about making guests feel uncomfortable in our home?” She brought out a tray of three piping hot mugs. Gavin was in the midst of answering her but opted to grab a mug and slurp his chai instead.
“Thanks, Aunt Mira. Don’t you have one for yourself?” Gemma asked as she reached for the tray. She took a mug and handed it to Lucas without making eye contact.
“No, I’ll reward myself with one later. I need to make some calls regarding one of my clients upstairs,” she winked at Gemma. “But you kids have fun.”
Once Mira was gone, the room was silent aside from Gavin’s slurping sounds. He clearly had no intention of starting any conversation. Gemma’s pulse raced as she tried to think of an appropriate way to break the silence.
“Gavin,” Lucas suddenly said. Gemma let out a silent sigh of relief. “Do you know where you want to go yet?”
Gavin chugged his chai and slammed down an empty mug. Lucas grimaced. “I don’t know. I don’t really care, I just know I want to keep playing ball,” Gavin answered. He peered into Lucas’s mug. “How are you drinking that so slowly?”
“It’s kind of scalding hot,” Gemma interjected.
“Right?” Lucas looked over at Gemma, as if he suddenly had permission. He laughed, seemingly relieved to be able to say something to her.
Gemma nervously averted her gaze to notice Gavin grabbing Lucas’s mug off the tray and bringing it to his lips. “Oh no, Lucas he’s – ” she failed in her attempt to warn Lucas and he turned to see his chai gone, already washed down Gavin’s throat.
“Not cool, I just helped you clear your driveway,” Lucas said, suppressing his amusement.
“Aw man, that hit the spot,” Gavin said, punctuating his remark with a belch. “I’m sleepy.”
“That’s because you just guzzled a liter of warm milk,” Gemma said. She handed her mug to Lucas. “You can have mine if you still have an appetite after what we just witnessed.”
“Thanks,” Lucas accepted, keeping his eyes on hers. Gavin stretched out on the sectional, bundling himself in the Snuggie and resting his head on Lucas’s lap.
“You don’t mind, right?”
“Come on, man, don’t you ever stop with this?” Lucas moved away laughing. He tucked a cushion underneath Gavin’s head for comfort.
“Aw,” Gavin cooed, fluffing the pillow. “I knew you still loved me.” He stretched, his long body taking up an alarming amount of space on the couch. Lucas continued to inch away until he was thigh to thigh with Gemma. Within moments, Gavin was breathing steadily, sound asleep.
“Wow,” Lucas said under his breath. “He really has a talent for that.”
“What?” Gemma asked. “Living the life of a spoiled housecat?”
“Exactly!” Lucas whispered. Gemma smiled at his sincere amazement.
“Thanks for helping us finish the driveway, by the way,” she said. “Aunt Mira was two seconds away from making me go out there and help.”
“Oh no, not that,” Lucas said dramatically.
Gemma laughed, grateful that he was joking around with her again. “Shut up,” she said. “I owe you one, okay?”
“You always say that.”
Gavin stirred on the couch, kicking his feet like a child. Lucas and Gemma jumped.
“Maybe we should move downstairs so we don’t wake him. He gets surprisingly cranky,” Gemma said in a hushed tone as she got up from the couch.
“Surprisingly?” Lucas questioned. Gemma laughed. “But uh, maybe I should just head home.”
“You don’t have to!” Gemma whispered, her desperation surprising even herself. Lucas, however, didn’t seem to notice. “You haven’t even finished your chai. Let’s just go downstairs.”
She led Lucas to the lower den. It was decorated like an old log cabin with wooden walls, old family photos and a brick fireplace. Mira had left a fire crackling from the afternoon. The couch was smaller and undeniably cozy seating for two. Okay, what was I thinking? Gemma asked herself.
“Wow, it’s really nice down here,” Lucas said, touching the warm fleece throw on the couch. “I guess Gavin never hangs out in this room. I’ve never seen it before.”
“Yeah, there’s not really enough space for him to sit comfortably.”
“That’s because he doesn’t know how to sit like a civilized person,” Lucas joked, plopping himself down on one side of the couch. He looked at Gemma expectantly. Gemma approached the seat, hoping Lucas wouldn’t notice her hands trembling. And sweating. Attractive, she told herself. She leaned as far from Lucas as she could but it still only left a mere two inches between them. “It was really nice of you and Madison to give the Queen Bee tickets to Elisa. I’ve been meaning to thank you for that.”
Gemma frowned, disappointed. Is that all he’s been trying to tell me? “It’s no problem, I couldn’t make it anyway and Madison said she’s a fan. But wouldn’t it be torture for you to go to a Queen Bee concert?”
Lucas laughed hard. The fire reflected in his eyes and Gemma let go of her nerves a little. She hadn’t seen him so relaxed since the day in the rain. “Well, between you and me, I’m kind of curious about her. I want to know what she has to hide,” Lucas said, his eyes narrowing as he looked into the bright fire. “Also, Coach has been playing her songs during our warm-ups.”
“Are you serious?” Gemma giggled. Gavin hadn’t told her, but then again he never talked much about Queen Bee.
“Yeah, Gavin had it on his iPhone and said it was good music to pump everyone up with.”
“He did?” Gemma gushed excitedly, her hand clasping her heart.
“We all made fun of him at first but now everyone knows all the lyrics. So really, I think I might be the envy of my team,” Lucas said with a laugh. Gemma laughed with him. She was ecstatic to know how truly supportive Gavin was of her. “So are you a fan?” Lucas asked. “I know Madison’s not, but she’s not a fan of a lot of things.”
“I honestly don’t know her music very well,” Gemma lied. Pretending to not know anything about Queen Bee had become second nature to her.
“It would be fun if you could be there with us,” Lucas said sincerely with a sleepy yawn. He tilted his head and looked at her with a placid smile. Gemma felt goosebumps ripple across her arms. “Are you cold?” he asked perceptively. Without waiting for her to answer, he took the fleece blanket off the arm of the couch and wrapped it around her.
“Thanks,” she said. Her breaths were shallow as she watched him lean back against the couch, his head resting just inches from hers.
“I don’t know how Gavin shoveled for as long as he did,” Lucas yawned again. “I had the snowblower and I was exhausted…” His voice trailed off. The fire continued to crackle softly, emitting a warm glow. Gemma guessed that she had the fire and chai to thank for the peaceful laziness they were experiencing. Less than an hour ago, their tension was thick and awkwardly palpable. Gemma smiled, grateful for where they were. The two soon drifted off to sleep.
Gemma awoke to the sound of Madison’s muffled voice coming from upstairs.
“Yeah, I don’t know. I was sleeping,” Gavin’s voice came through a little clearer as Gemma shook off her grogginess.
“He’s not home and Elisa said he was shoveling for you. I know he can’t be far in this weather,” Madison replied. Gemma’s heart pounded upon looking to her side and seeing Lucas still asleep, curled under the fleece blanket with her. She slid out from under the cover and tip-toed away from him.
“Let me check, maybe he’s in Gemma’s room or something,” Gavin said. Gemma’s heart hammered. Madison had yet to respond but she could somehow feel a sudden tension.
“I’ll come with you. I can’t believe Lucas has seen Gemma’s room and I haven’t – what kind of friend is she?” Madison laughed, her friendly tone sounding painfully forced. Gemma waited, listening for the pair of footsteps to make its way upstairs. She stole a glance at Lucas. He looked adorable and sexy at once, leaning into the seat that Gemma had been in just moments before. All she wanted to do was nestle back into that spot. Instead, she tip-toed upstairs.
Gemma bustled through the kitchen and grabbed an armful of vegetables from the fridge as well as a cutting board from the cabinet. She smoothed down her rumpled sweater and leggings, then quickly pulled her hair into a smooth ponytail. She retrieved a knife from the drawer and began chopping just as she heard Madison and Gavin’s footsteps return.
“Ah, here she is,” Gavin said. Gemma arched an eyebrow as she popped a piece of red pepper into her mouth.
“Oh, hey,” she said as casually as she could. Madison’s accusing blue eyes bore sharply into hers. “What are you doing here, Madison?”
“I’m looking for Lucas,” Madison said, cocking her head threateningly to one side. Gemma tried her best to stay on top of her nerves.
“Oh right,” she said. “I think he might still be here. Those two chugged all our chai and fell asleep somewhere.” She squinted at Gavin. “Wasn’t he out on the couch with you?” From the corner of her eye, she could see Madison’s gaze frozen on her face.
“Yeah,” Gavin stretched, looking confused. “He was right there when I fell asleep but when I woke up, I was taking up the entire couch. I probably kicked him off.” Gavin walked groggily downstairs. Madison crossed her arms and sidled up next to Gemma.
“What have you been up to?” she asked, her gaze unblinking.
“Just catching up on homework,” Gemma said, casually. “Being snowed in is giving me a lot of time to get work done. I have a ton of stuff to make up from missing school last week.”
“I found him!” Gavin’s voice called from downstairs. “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. Do you need me to kiss you?”
From the kitchen, the girls could hear Lucas jerking awake and tumbling off the couch, probably to avoid Gavin’s lips. Both Madison and Gemma cracked smiles upon hearing the sound. The boys soon marched upstairs and into the kitchen.
“Man, how knocked out were we?” Gavin asked, massaging his own shoulder. “Manual labor and warm milk is more powerful than a bottle of Patron.” Lucas laughed but stopped abruptly upon noticing Madison.
“Madison! What are you doing here?” he asked. His confused, questioning eyes darted over to Gemma for a brief moment.
“What are you doing here?” Madison countered.
“I helped them snowblow their driveway and then Mira gave me tea and I totally passed out,” Lucas grumbled. “Are the roads clear now?”
“They’ve been,” Madison said sternly. “I wanted to go out. I’ve been trapped in the house for two days.”
“Okay. Okay, let’s go,” Lucas nodded, rolling his shoulders back and stretching. They all said their good-byes as Gavin and Gemma walked Madison and Lucas to the door.
“Oh,” Madison said in a surprisingly bright tone. She turned to Gavin. “Now that my boyfriend’s dug your car out of the snow, you should give Gemma the keys so she can get her tote bag.”
“Oh, sure. You left it in there, Gemma?” Gavin asked.
“I, um…” Gemma stammered, shaking her head, confused.
“Oh honey, on my way in I just saw that you left your bag in Gavin’s car with all your books and binders. It must’ve sucked that you couldn’t even catch up on homework while you were snowed in,” Madison said with a stiff smile. It slowly fell from her face. As she whipped her hair around and marched towards the car, she glanced over her shoulder at Gemma with a look of feigned wonderment. “I really wonder how you managed to pass all that time.”