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Chapter 2
Izzy
“Dang, Mr. President.” I look up at Matt Hillard as I stop myself from stumbling back. “Trying to pull a Bill Clinton?”
“What?” His jaw drops, and I can’t help but crack a smile.
If it was someone else, I might’ve played it out a little longer, making them squirm, but Matt’s always seemed like a good guy. He’s insanely hot and our class president, but he’s never let either of those things give him an ego. At least, not that I’ve seen. He’s got dark brown shaggy hair that seems all over the place but also made up at the same time. Almost like beach head, which makes sense, since he’s got a great golden tan, no doubt from hitting said beach. And he’s got a little scruff under his chin too, which I find really sexy. My last boyfriend had a little, and I loved it. Plus, Matt stood by his best friend when his reputation imploded last month, which means he’s loyal. That’s endearing.
“It’s so easy with guys.”
“Very funny.” He smirks, the red in his face dying down a little. “Seriously, sorry.”
“It’s all good.” I wave him off and keep heading to my next class. Maybe I’ll make fun of him later in our sociology class. Even if he doesn’t have an ego, it’s always good to keep a possible future one in check.
As I make my way to my next class, I can already feel the excitement about next weekend. Just one week until I’m in the Big Apple. Talk about your first time in New York. It’s even better that I’m getting flown out there. Next weekend is Big Apple PopCon. It’s one of the biggest comic book and pop culture conventions on the east coast and I got invited to attend and be a guest judge for their cosplay contest because of my YouTube channel. I’ve got thirty-two thousand subscribers, which isn’t huge as far as top YouTubers go, but one of my subscribers likes my show and is a big-time cosplayer. She’s one of the judges and recommended me as the third judge. How awesome is that?
Peeking around, I check for any teachers before I pull out my phone and start recording myself.
“What’s up, people? So Cal Nerd Girl here.” I smile and make sure I tilt my head at the right angle. “Just making a super quick update at school, but I gotta be fast because I’ve already been warned once about filming at school.” I look around again. It’s all clear. “Okay, last week I said I had a big surprise, and I’m so excited about it, that I just had to post a quick update. No, not revealing it yet, but the reveal will come a week from tomorrow. And, I’ll give you a hint. I’ll be in New York for it!”
I can’t keep the smile from spreading ear to ear. Just then, Veronica wraps her arm around me. “Oh, is Nerd Girl filming in school again?” She giggles, looking up at my phone.
“Well, looks like we got a special guest today. How’s your morning, V?” I pan the camera to her.
“Sucks.” She frowns before pointing at the camera. “Any seniors out there have a teacher that loves to offer you homework over Spring Break? Well, I have one. I mean, who does that?”
“Remember, no homework talk on my channel. We talk exclusively about new summer movies, great comics books, and hot anime guys.”
Veronica grabs my phone and gives it the steamiest look she can. “I want Chris Evans’ babies.” Handing it back to me, she flips a smile. “That count?”
“It certainly does. I’m sure we all do. Okay, I better go, guys. I’ll post a mid-week update next week, leading up to my big surprise. Oh, and if Principal Tanner is somehow watching this video, I did this after school hours. I promise.”
Veronica laughs with me as we head to our next class. She’s about the same height as me and same black hair; only hers is really curly. She’s a little on the heavier side, which I know she is self-conscious about, but I think she’s adorable. She and Cindy have been my best friends for years.
“I’m so jealous of you and Cindy. I want to go to New York.”
“I know, I’m sorry.” I give her a hug. “I would’ve tried to convince my dad to buy a second ticket, but I had enough trouble getting him to give his ticket to Cindy as it was.”
“I hate her.”
I let out a laugh as Veronica sticks out her bottom lip. “No, you don’t. V, the only reason she got the ticket was because me and my dad were having that argument.”
I’d just received my invite to the convention, asking me to be a guest judge for their cosplay contest. An invited guest. That means they pay for the flight, they pay for my hotel room, and I get to roam the convention and do everything I’d normally do at a show. But only I was invited, which meant only one ticket. And my dad wouldn’t hear of it. I love my dad. He’s great. But, being as I’m an only child and the daddy’s girl to his single father, he wouldn’t hear of me flying across the country all by myself. Even if I did just turn eighteen, that didn’t matter to him.
The next day he told me he bought himself a ticket. As I said, I love my dad, but I don’t want to be chaperoned around like I’m five years old. Luckily, Cindy had just come over to my house while we were arguing about it and I threw her name out. At first, he didn’t budge.
“Then it’d just be two girls alone in New York,” he argued.
But I hounded on him, batted my eyes, and gave him my best ‘Daddy’s little girl’ look that I could. I know it might seem low, but I know how to work over my dad if I really want something. And he finally caved. I’ll have to check in with him every hour, which I thought was excessive, but he finally said Cindy could have his ticket and he got the airlines to change everything.
“I know, I know,” Veronica laments.
“You could try and get her to give it to you.”
“Oh, please. Look, I like this stuff and all, but we both know she’s your bester best friend.”
“V, that’s not true.”
