How to (Not) Date a Popstar |✓|

6.3 The Human Cliché

That night, there was a tail-gating party down at Coral Lake. A bunch of kids parked their trucks in the sand uphill, and a big bonfire was lit by the water. It was the perfect time to get drunk, eat marshmallows, and trash the lake—but that's not why I went.

Eric was sitting by the bonfire; he and his basketball buddies were celebrating the night's big win. They hogged the beer to themselves, using the coolers for benches. As soon as I approached, his friends lowered their voices to a mocking half-silence, their smiles as cheap as the beer. Jocks are the worst.

"Wassup, girl?" Eric looked up at me, bottom lip disappearing between his teeth. "I know—you came here to congratulate me on my winning shot."

I shook my head. "Nope. I just came to find out if Robin was worth it, if she really did make you a prince. Let's see." I leaned down, seized him by the shoulders—and struck him with a lightning kiss. He was so stunned he lost his beer in the sand, but the surprise didn't last. Eric came alive in a way he never had when we dated, wrapping me in his arms as he jumped to his feet and kissed me back as hard as he could. Not bad...

But not Tyler.

I pushed Eric and he stumbled backwards, landing on the cooler and slipping right off.

"Oh, shit, son!"

"Damn! Look what she did to him!"

I smirked, primping just like Robin had taught me. "Nope. Still a frog."

And Eric was still on the ground when I left.

***

I never loved Eric for one second, we were together, but finding out that he had cheated on me with Robin was a blow my ego couldn't withstand. After being humiliated by Robin's flagrant video, I couldn't allow this latest betrayal to go unpunished—kissing Eric was better than slapping him. But I never had the chance to gloat over my victory. As always, Tyler interrupted—even when he wasn't around.

All of a sudden, Tyler was... unavailable. He forgot to meet me between classes. His phone adopted a strange habit of going straight to voicemail. In English, he stopped passing notes—and could go the entire period without looking at me once. It was like he didn't know me. Worse. He didn't care. Tyler's silence was a sharp knife, bitter pills, a hangman's rope.

It killed me.

But Eric was there, willing to pick up where Tyler left off. Three days after I embarrassed him in front of his friends, Eric made his move. There he was, leaning against my locker, looking both ways... Deciding my chemistry book wasn't worth the cost, I turned and hiked it the way I came.

I was still pacing that afternoon, back and forth in my bedroom, tracking endless grooves in the carpet as I waited for Tyler to give up the strike and call...

Well, obviously he's mad at me...

But what the hell for?

"I didn't do anything!" I threw my hands up at the girl in the mirror. "This is crazy! He should just grow up, talk to me, and tell me what's wrong!"

"Or you!" Trina's shout had come from the other side of the door. Already her shuffling footsteps were receding into the distance. But her wisdom still rang in my ears. She was right. So I got in my car and drove to the Maison.

Inside, I headed straight for the golden elevators, rehearsing what I would say. So far, I hadn't gotten much further than the lyrics to Human, the song playing in the elevator. I pushed the up button, eyes on the blinking panel above the doors, tracking the lift's journey down to the lobby. The doors opened with a cheerful ding—and Tyler's parents were revealed. Startled, I took an immediate step back, clearing a path for the uncouple.