Daphne's Questionable Bet, page 21
More bears fell to their demise as I shoved as many into my mouth as I could. The leftover cream from the cupcake mixed with the gummies, adding a nice touch.
I fished out a white gummy bear—best flavor—and stared into his non-existent eyes. “I’m datable, right? Yeah, I got some quirks, but who doesn’t? He’s only known this girl a day. A day!” I popped the gummy into my mouth. “She’s probably gorgeous. Like, drop-dead, in a totally different league than me, gorgeous.” I threw up a hand. “Of course he’d land someone like that. Weston’s the hottest guy I ever met.”
The tears started to trickle out. Down my cheeks, the warm water landing in my ears.
Then it hit me: I was going to lose the bet to Sierra. #Daphton couldn’t win Prom King and Queen if there was no #Daphton!
I grabbed the entire gummy bear bag and dumped it over my face, some landing in my open mouth, others bouncing off my nose, chin, and cheeks, and falling to the ground.
My picture would go viral. I’d become the Care Bear Underwear Girl, which was a total mouth-full and not clever at all.
Why? Why, why, why?
“Daphne?” Mom’s face came into view above me. “What on earth are you doing?”
“Weston left me for a gorgeous model!” The words spewed out, along with pieces of gummy bear.
Mom stepped back, her face scrunched in both confusion and disgust. “What?”
I finished off the food in my mouth before speaking again. “It’s over. Me and Weston.” Although it never really began.
Mom frowned. “Why?”
“He met someone else.” I pulled the hood of my onesie over my face. “I’m just going to go die now, thanks.”
Rustling sounded next to me—probably Mom clearing a path—then she sat down and pulled the hood so I could see her.
“Are you sure? That guy likes you. I know he does.” Mom reached across me and snatched up a Hostess Cupcake.
“He’s moved on, Mom. I’ve lost the bet. I’ve lost Weston. Really, what’s the point of going on?”
Mom rolled her eyes. “A little dramatic, no?”
I shrugged. “Maybe.”
She took a delicate bite of the cupcake, like a normal person.
“How does someone move on so fast? I mean, we almost kissed the other night, and then, bam! He’s canceling our date to Sadie Hawkins.”
Mom’s jaw dropped. “You almost kissed, and you didn’t tell me?”
Red worked its way onto my face. “Oops.”
She pointed her cupcake at me. “You’re supposed to tell me these things.” Her voice softened. “He really canceled your date?”
I nodded.
Mom licked her lips, looking out the window. “This doesn’t make sense. It seems out of character for him.”
“Maybe I never really knew him,” I said in a whisper.
“Oh, sweetie.” Mom finished off her cupcake and then laid down beside me, linking our arms. “I’m sorry this happened. Relationships suck, don’t they?”
“Yup.”
She sighed. “Why does life have to be so complicated?”
“I wish I knew.”
“Well, tonight, we’ll do whatever you want,” Mom said, turning to face me. “We can watch movies, play games, lay here on the floor until we fall asleep. Your choice.”
“Just you and me?” I asked.
Mom nodded. “Of course. Just me and my Daphne girl. Did you turn off your phone?”
“Yep.”
Mom reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and then turned it off. “Me, too. I’m all yours tonight.”
A night of Mom and me consuming all the junk food and watching sappy Hallmark movies was just what I needed. It was the perfect way to mourn the loss of a potentially amazing relationship.
The doorbell rang, followed by Alexa’s voice. Cody Brooks is at the door.
Mom pulled back a little in surprise. “I didn’t know he was coming over.” She wiped some tears that had fallen from my eyes, kissed my cheek, then stood to answer the door.
I so wasn’t in the mood for Cody. I wanted a night of just Mom and me, eating our feelings away. Well, my feelings.
“I brought Chinese!” Cody said from the doorway.
I groaned. He’d brought us dinner?
Then, I sat up. He brought dinner. My stomach rumbled, wanting something other than sugar.
Cody marched into the house, giving a shocked Mom a light kiss on the lips before he went into the kitchen and began pulling plates from the cupboards. Three plates, to be exact.
He looked over at me, his smile falling. “You okay, Daphne?”
“Bad day,” I mumbled.
His smile came back. “Well, some food will cheer you up.”
I slowly rose to my feet so he could see Grumpy on my onesie. “Cheer my stomach? Yes. Cheer me, though? Uh, no.”
Cody chuckled. “It doesn’t do any good to wallow. Just makes things worse.”
Mom went to Cody’s side. “Did we make plans?”
He shook his head as he took boxes from the plastic bag and set them on the counter. “Thought I’d surprise the two of you. I got orange chicken, Mongolian beef, chow mein—”
Mom cut him off. “That was really sweet of you, Cody, but now isn’t the best time. Daphne needs some space.”
Cody scooped some orange chicken onto a plate. “What happened, Daphne? It couldn’t have been that bad.”
I folded my arms, getting annoyed by the guy. “It’s really none of your business.”
Cody looked at Mom like he was waiting for her to scold me. But Mom nodded. “I think this is something best left between Daphne and me.” She placed a hand on his arm. “But it was really nice of you to bring dinner.”
Cody set the box down and rested his palms on the counter, his gaze settling on my junk food body outline on the floor. “You ladies are going about this all wrong! My sisters always do the same thing, and it just makes things worse. You need to put yourself in a happy mood. The right mindset.”
“I’m in exactly the right mindset I want to be, thank you very much,” I said, lifting my chin into the air. “I want to wallow tonight, so wallow I will.”
Mom offered me a soft smile. “It’s her coping mechanism.”
“Not a very good one,” Cody said, giving me the scolding look that Mom hadn’t.
I pointed at him. “Dude, you’re not my dad! Back off.”
Cody sighed. “Now, Daphne, let’s not use angry words.”
Mom put her hand on her hip. “My daughter will use whatever words she wants. My daughter knows how to handle her own emotions.”
Cody motioned to me. “She keeps having panic attacks. That’s not a sign of handling her emotions well.”
“When did you become a doctor?” I asked.
He rubbed his forehead. “This is coming out all wrong.”
“Ya think?” I said.
He opened his mouth, but Mom cut him off. “Cody, I think it’s time for you to leave. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
He pushed away from the counter. “Enjoy your dinner, ladies.” He turned and left the kitchen, heading for the front door.
“Oh, we will!” I said.
Mom shot me a look, telling me to shut it. When he closed the door, Mom came to my side. “Speaking of doctors, I have an appointment set up for you next week. It was the earliest I could get.”
I tugged on the hood of my onesie. “Thanks. I think it’s overdue.” I swallowed the thick lump in my throat. “Sorry for yelling at Cody like that.”
Mom pulled me into a hug. “He overstepped. I’ll talk with him tomorrow and get everything straightened out. He was only trying to help.”
“I know,” I said, holding her tight. “But it’s—”
“None of his business.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “I know.” She pulled back. “Ready to pig out?”
I pushed up the sleeves of my onesie. “I was born ready, baby.”
Chapter Forty
The rest of the week hadn’t gone any better. Weston hardly talked to me. Rarely made eye contact. He’d even unfriended me on every social media site, taking me by surprise. I mean, we couldn’t even be friends? I thought we’d gotten along so well.
My Grumpy Grooves playlist accompanied me everywhere I went, casting an ugly, dark cloud over the whole dismal thing.
We were in English, waiting for class to start. Mr. Buckley’s desk had been moved off to the side, all the students’ desks pushed back, so there was enough room up front to perform the skits.
Weston stood nervously off to the side, wringing his hands together. I knew this whole thing was difficult for him, getting up and performing in front of the class. I went to him, putting my hands on his shoulders so he would look at me.
“We can do this, Weston,” I said, trying to convince me as much as him. “Just shut out the noise.”
“Shut out the noise,” he repeated, nodding as wildly as a freaking bobblehead.
“We’re in this together,” I said.
He let out a breath of relief. “Together.” Then his eyes went wide, like he suddenly remembered he didn’t want to be my friend.
Would that honestly kill him? Being my friend? I mean, we had so much in common and hanging out with him was fun.
He shrugged away from me, turning his attention to his phone. Man, he was a bundle of nerves. Was he that scared to perform? It would be over in five minutes. His phone buzzed in his hands, startling him, even though he’d been looking at the screen. It flew from his hands, landing with a thunk on the carpet, right next to my feet.
Bending down, I picked it up, handing it back to him. But it had been enough time to see he had a text from someone named Mercy. And this Mercy person was excited to see him tonight.
Tonight. It was my birthday party. Was he not coming anymore? What had I done to upset him that much?
I’d had this hope that I’d be getting a birthday kiss from Weston, especially after our almost kiss. But that obviously wasn’t going to happen now.
The bell rang overhead, making both Weston and me jump where we stood.
Mr. Buckley must have seen how flustered we were because he picked us to go first. With all the prep for our birthday bash, and the growing doom inside me, we hadn’t even practiced. We’d just passed the script around, getting it to a place we could all agree on. The skit was going to be interesting, to say the least.
Sierra stood in front of the class. “Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you, Pride and Prejudice.” She hurried off to the side, keeping a wide distance from me, like she might catch a disease from being near me.
Weston, dressed as Mr. Bennet in a brown vest and white cravat, sat on a chair, reading a book, his right ankle lifted and resting on his left knee.
Bentley, dressed as Mrs. Bennet in a pale Regency dress and a white bonnet, came running in. He spoke in a high-pitched squeaky voice. “Mr. Bennet! Mr. Bennet! Netherfield Park has been let at last! You must go there at once and introduce yourself to a Mr. Bingley, letting him know about your five wonderful, single daughters.”
Weston smiled over the book at his adoring wife. “It’s already been done, my dear. Hopefully, we’ll have a daughter off our hands by the end of the season.”
“Oh, Mr. Bennet!” Bentley squealed. He ran off to the side.
Weston stood, moving the chair out of the way. He quickly donned a brown suit coat and a top hat.
Sierra (as Elizabeth in a green Regency dress), Bentley (still as Mrs. Bennet), and I (as Jane in a blue Regency dress) strutted toward Weston (now as Mr. Bingley).
“Oh, you handsome man!” Bentley sang. “You must marry … uh, I mean, dance with one of my daughters.” He shoved me toward Weston. “This is Jane. My eldest and most beautiful. I think you’ll find her to your liking.” He curtsied, and then ran off to the side, changing over to Mr. Darcy’s black suitcoat and top hat.
I smiled at Weston, but he just bowed while I curtsied before we did a few steps of a dance, Weston looking everywhere but at me. When we finished, he moved like he couldn’t get away from me fast enough. Pushing the negative thoughts from my mind, I ran over to get into my Charlotte costume, a pink floral dress, while Bentley went to chat with Weston.
“Why aren’t you dancing?” Weston asked him. “There are so many young ladies here to choose from. Surely, one must catch your eye.”
Bentley snorted, holding onto the lapel of his jacket and sticking his nose in the air. “I rarely dance with anyone below my station. There’s no one here worth my time.”
Sierra and I linked arms, walking in circles near the guys, chatting away.
“What about Miss Elizabeth Bennet?” Weston said, pointing at Sierra. “She seems favorable.”
“Hardly,” Bentley said. “I’m just really not feeling her vibe.”
Sierra glanced over her shoulder at him and glared, though he did not notice, as he still whispered with Weston.
I patted Sierra’s arm. “What do you think about Mr. Darcy?”
“That odious thing?” Sierra spat. “Please. I’d rather listen to Mary play the piano for twenty hours straight than spend one second with him.”
We rushed off, Weston switching to Mr. Bennet, Bentley changing to Mrs. Bennet, and me changing back into Jane’s dress. Sierra, of course, stayed as Elizabeth because she’d refused to be anyone else.
I was breaking out in a sweat like I was in Zumba class with all the running around I was doing. At least it was keeping my mind occupied. Well, for the most part.
“Mr. Bennet,” Bentley said in his high-pitched voice, “we need to send our darling Jane to Netherfield Park. Mr. Bingley won’t fall in love with her if he can’t stare at her beautiful face.”
“Well, yes, Mrs. Bennet,” Weston said in a deep voice. “That would be a pity. Everyone should have the chance to gaze upon our beautiful Jane.” Those last words were strained, like he didn’t want to say them.
Ouch.
“Oh, Mr. Bennet!” Bentley slapped Weston with a handkerchief, then turned to me. “Jane, dear, take a horse at once to Netherfield Park.”
I snatched a stick horse from the ground, straddled it, and trotted across the room while Weston and Bentley changed back into Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. They looked to be sweating as bad as I was. Sierra, on the other hand, looked so cool and poised.
As I “trotted,” Sierra threw some water at my face for a rain effect, going a little too far with the amount. I sputtered as water ran down my face, making it hard to see. I tripped over my own feet, stumbling to the ground.
I scrambled back to my feet, glaring at Sierra. She was sure making it easy to hate her again. She just answered with a shrug as I hurried over and switched to a burgundy dress so I could portray Miss Caroline Bingley.
Bentley and I stood in the “parlor,” chatting away. Weston “opened” the door for Sierra and led her into the room with us.
Scoffing, I put a hand to my chest, taking in her outfit. “What on earth happened to you? I daresay, Miss Bennet, you look like a pig fresh out of a mud pit.” I turned to Bentley, setting my hand on his bicep and gently squeezing, my smile sly. “Don’t you agree, Darcy?”
He harrumphed. “Did you walk the whole way here, Miss Bennet?”
Sierra smoothed out her dress. “I do love a good stroll on a beautiful day like this.”
I choked back a laugh, but it evaporated when I saw Bentley wasn’t laughing. He was really embracing his Mr. Darcy character. He looked entranced by Sierra, who stared at him, a smile sliding onto her lips.
I cleared my throat. When Bentley and Sierra continued to stare at each other, I looked over at Weston to see if he noticed, but he was checking his phone, which was totally out of character for him. There was more to this scene, but it obviously needed to end.
“Your sister is all better, Ms. Bennet,” I said. “Take her home. Next time, she should really consider a carriage.”
Grabbing Sierra by the arm, I yanked her over to the side.
“Ow!” Sierra ripped her arm from me. “Settle down.”
“If you’d stop gawking, I would,” I snarled.
A few people near us snickered, reminding me that the skit needed to continue.
We rushed through it, switching back and forth between characters, stumbling over one another and our lines. But we finally got to the final scenes.
Weston (as Mr. Bingley) came back to Netherfield and visited me (as Jane). He was unbelievably shaky, like really selling his role. I thought he might pass out.
Weston nervously licked his lips, his eyes on a piece of paper on the floor. He read from the script, his voice monotone. “Jane, from the moment I met you, there was a spark I couldn’t deny. You’re everything I want in a wife.” Swallowing, he got down on his knee. “You’re the most beautiful lady I have ever laid my eyes upon. Will you marry me?”
Yeesh. Was a fake proposal to me that awful?
“Uh, yeah,” I quietly said.
“Great.” He immediately jumped to his feet, shook my hand like we’d just made a business arrangement, then moved away.
Bentley (as Mr. Darcy) got down on one knee, facing Sierra. “Miss Bennet. Elizabeth. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the moment we met. You drive me wild, yes, but in a good way. I love that you challenge me and push me to think differently. I will only ask this one more time. If you say no, I’ll be out of your life forever. If you say yes, you’ll have my heart unconditionally. Elizabeth Bennet, will you marry me?”
Tears formed in Sierra’s eyes. Like, actual tears. Were they real? Or part of the acting?
Sierra put a hand to her lips, covering up her smile. Then, she finally lowered her hand to speak. “Yes!” She threw her arms around his neck, hugging tight.
The class broke out in applause.
Sierra leaned back and looked into Bentley’s eyes, and I felt like I was intruding on a very personal moment. Again. She pressed her lips against his, kissing him softly.
The applause in the room shut off quickly, everyone gasping. That so hadn’t been in the script. But neither had a lot of things we’d said.
