Underneath //H.S. AU

fourteen.

"You can't avoid me forever, you know."

Aubrey's high-pitched tone reels throughout my body. I resist the urge to kick her for waking me up yet again. I roll over towards the window and see that the city is still overcast with dark skies. It's so early that the sun isn't even up yet.

I turn into the pillow and bury my face inside of its warmth. "Yeah, I was hoping to until at least a decent hour. What time is it?"

"Six-thirty."

"And you're waking me up because why?" I barely sound audible through the muffles of the pillow.

"We have to be at St. George's University by eight. We're doing another photoshoot with your sexy movie star and his directors to promote his new film."

That sentence alone raises me out from under my warm blankets. I throw the covers off of me and stand in front of her confused. Why in the world would we be doing publicity for a film? The only time that we pose with actors is when they're featured in our magazine and we never promote films.

"He's not mine," I begin to clarify Aubrey's wrongful assumption.

She looks at me like I have twelve heads and crosses her arms in front of her chest. "Really? Huh, then why is he doing you favors?"

"What do you mean?" Oh God. She can't possibly be saying what I think she's saying.

"Do you really think that our agency started spontaneously promoting films out of nowhere? Noelle, he did this for you," she confirms my previous thought. This doesn't make any sense. I know that Harry felt badly about my situation but why is he suddenly going to such lengths to prove that? He owes me nothing and I fail to believe that he is truly doing this out of a random act of kindness. That just doesn't seem like his style.

"Come on. I'm sorry that you walked in on me and I know you're freaked out by it. We've been friends forever and I think you're acting super immature." She reaches over and tucks a stray hair behind my ear. Her gesture makes me flinch and I dart away from her touch.

"I'm not being immature. I'm just pissed that whenever I need you, you're always preoccupied with something . . . better."

"What do you mean, what's wrong? Is this about the money stuff again? Honey, you know you just need to cut your shopping sprees short, that's all. It sucks I get it. You have to trust me, I know that you can do it."

I want to tell her. I want to be able to divulge my financial struggles to her. I know that if I did that, I would have to reveal my secret. There should be no excuse as to why I can't support Jaxon and myself here in this apartment, the money from the photoshoots should be more than enough. She has no idea that half of those paychecks go towards textbook expenses and tuition payments.

"Never-mind, I'm over it," I declare.

I quickly change into an Adidas tracksuit, not caring that I look absolutely ridiculous. They're only going to pry it off of me later so there's no point in trying to appear presentable. Aubrey clearly does not express the same attitude since I never once have seen her in sweatpants and her natural face.

On the way to the front door, I peer my head in every room in search for my brother. When he's nowhere to be found I ask, "Did you see Jax?"

"He was on the way out when I came in. Did he get a job yet?" Aubrey's long locks bounce every time she takes a step forward. She opens my door for me and we walk out into the hallway.