How To Salsa in a Sari (20 page)

“Now the Snow Queen will choose a King to have her first dance with.”

Before Issa could say a word, Rake appeared onstage a second later. Applause boomed from the audience as Rake pulled Issa into his arms and kissed her.

She pulled away and tried to shove the tiara out of her eyes.

This was not how it was supposed to be. She was supposed to be triumphant. This was her moment. The moment she'd been waiting for two months for. Instead, she just felt dread and disappointment in herself. She had played dirty and it had worked. She'd gotten what she'd wanted so badly. Rake, the spotlight, Cat crying in the back of the room. But she'd never felt so low.

Issa dared to glance into the crowd as Rake led her to the dance floor.

Cat hadn't moved. One hand was over her mouth and her eyes were locked on Issa's. A few feet away, Gigi and Ishaan stood, holding hands, both looking disappointed. The three of them were the only people in the room not applauding.

The Nice Thing About Being a Celebrity Is That If You Bore People They Think It's Their Fault

“This
place is awesome! Who's bringing the music?” Rake's soccer teammate Ralphie ran through the front doors of the Morena mansion, six-pack of beer in his right hand, cell phone in his left.

Issa tailed close behind to make sure the soccer team didn't do too much damage on their way out to the deck. Looked like Ralphie was spreading the news of the party to beyond just the soccer team and the cheerleaders.

“Damn these idiots,” Rake grumbled as he followed Issa. “Whose idea was this party anyway?”

Issa shrugged innocently. “One of the guys, I guess. Cat must have said it was fine with her.”

The lies just kept on building. She couldn't remember the last person she'd been honest with lately.

I had no choice,
she told herself.
This lie was totally justified.

After their first dance as Snow Queen and King, Rake was practically pulling her off the dance floor in his eagerness to get her to leave…and out of her gown.

Issa had sweetly excused herself and asked Megan to spread the word that there was a happening post-party party at the Morena mansion. As predicted, half the school was now parking their cars on the vast driveway and on the street. Rake's disposition was darkening more and more by the second.

“If I wanted to come to one of these stupid parties, I would have done it when Cat Morena was throwing them every weekend,” he grumbled. “Why don't you and I go out back for a bit and leave these clowns alone?”

“Um, well—”

“You said you wanted to be alone with me, right? I hear the hot tub's pretty private.”

Issa hoped and prayed it wasn't
too
private. She would have to take her chances. “I'll go change.”

“Leave your crown on. It's hot.”

Bathing suit and a crown sounded a bit too Miss America for her. All she needed was a speech about saving the world from bad hairdos and she was all set.

Issa shivered as she ran back to the guest house. She couldn't believe she was throwing a wild, Cat Morena–style party. At the dance, she had felt like she was on a high. Everyone coming up to her, telling her how beautiful she was, how hot she and Rake were. The night had been unbelievable so far, despite the nagging guilt that weighed her down more than the ten pounds of bling she wore around her neck.

Cat had quietly disappeared from the ballroom sometime during the night. Issa hadn't seen her, Gigi or Ishaan since. She had, however, seen Adam. He stood in the shadows and didn't take his eyes off her once. She put those thoughts out of her head and tried to focus on the present.

She stared at herself in the mirror after taking off her formal jewelry and putting on her brand-new bikini. Per Rake's request, she left the tiara on her head. She'd never shown so much skin before. She was wondering if this was such a good idea considering Rake's amorous mood that night.

Before she could deliberate further, she heard the thumping sound of loud 50 Cent music as another round of cars pulled into the driveway. She sighed and ran out to see what was happening.

What the hell…
Issa stood out on the driveway, a cover-up tightly wrapped around her waist. The whole school seemed to have shown up. Girls still in their formal gowns and guys in half-undone tuxedos were storming the house.

Issa shook her head as she ran for the house. Word did travel fast. She did a quick check around the living room and deck. Everyone was just flirting and drinking beer. Nothing broken, no fiascos. Looked like her first crazy party was going to be a success.

“There you are.” Rake's voice in her ear startled her. “Come on. Let's go out. I want to see this infamous hot tub.”

Issa took one more look around the house. The Belles were laughing with their dates in the corner. Serena raised a filled champagne glass in Issa's direction. Issa wiggled her fingers in response. She wanted to stay here and enjoy her party, but Rake was tugging insistently at her hand.

She would spend fifteen minutes in the tub with him, kiss him a bunch of times and get back to the fun. Then if Rake left, he left. She would make this up to him later.

Issa led Rake through the expansive garden to the gazebo. The lights from the house suddenly seemed far away as she stripped off her cover-up and hopped quickly into the tub.

Rake watched in amusement as she sat on the lowest step so she was neck deep in the streaming water. He didn't seem even slightly embarrassed as he shucked off his formal wear and slid into the water in only his boxers. His tentlike boxers.

Issa circled the tub, keeping a distance between them.

Rake grinned. “Aren't you a tease?”

Issa forced a laugh.

“Come here.” Before she could move, he was next to her. He leaned in and kissed her, running his hands through her damp hair.

That was nice. She wished it could just stay this way. She saw nothing wrong with just prolonging those amazing, knee-weakening kisses.

He grazed her cheeks with his fingers and deepened his kiss.

Very nice.

He slid his hands down over her shoulders, still kissing her.

He was so strong and solid. And smelled so good. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer.

“Baby,” he groaned.

She practically purred. “Yes?”

Suddenly she felt water swirling in places it hadn't been a second before and her bikini top floated to the surface.

He'd untied her top.

Issa gasped. “What's wrong with you?”

She grabbed her top and slid down as far as she could and retied her bikini with a double knot.

“Oh, come on.” Rake made another move toward her. “How long are we going to play this game?”

Issa stood up too. “Look, I know what you want. But honestly, we've just been dating, like, a month. I'm not ready.”

“Well, you've been acting ready since we met. You practically gave me a strip show on the soccer field. What was that all about?”

Issa opened her mouth. “I was just—flirting with you.”

Rake took a step toward her. “Guess what, baby. Taking off your clothes when meeting a guy for the first time says something about a girl.”

“I'm not that kind of girl.” Issa backed away. “I think you should leave.”

“Actually.” Rake stood up, water streaming down his muscular chest as he tossed a towel in her direction. “You are. Throwing yourself at me, wearing skirts so short they could be headbands, inviting me into your hot tub. You're
exactly
that kind of girl. And everyone at school knows it.”

Issa watched him leave, not even the least bit sorry.

Don't Regret Doing Things, Regret Getting Caught

Who
were these people? These weren't juniors or seniors from her school who were doing shots off a girl's bare belly on the floor of the living room. They looked older, much older.

There was a suspicious greenish puke-colored stain on the carpet under the girl.

Damn.

Issa ran through the house to see who else was around to help her. The Belles seemed to have cleared out. A few members of the soccer team were standing around the dining-room table, playing vodka roulette on the lazy Susan. Issa had never been so happy to see a bunch of drunk jocks. At least they were familiar drunk jocks.

“Guys! Who are those people in the living room? And who is that half-naked girl?”

Ralphie, glazy-eyed, turned to her. “Wow, you're pretty hot in that bikini. Wanna get into the hot tub with me? Rake said he was done with you.”

Done with her? As if she was a used tracksuit. Issa fumed. “Go to hell.”

“Oooh, I likey!” Ralphie yelled. “Rake said you were a feisty one!”

She heard the sound of a crash and glass shattering as she ran from the room. “Keep dreaming, you little freak!”

What had she ever seen in Rake? Obviously it had been him who'd spread those vicious lies about her. Now the whole school thought she was a slut.

“Agrh.” Issa ran back into the living room. The hideous shot game had progressed to each guy taking a bite of lime that was in the mystery girl's mouth.

Gross.

“All right. Everybody. Let's clear out of here,” she yelled as loudly as she could.

Nobody listened. The girl sat up and grabbed the nearest guy and started making out with him to the delight of the rest of the guys. They whooped and cheered.

Issa cringed. Was that the kind of girl she had been on track to becoming?

“What the hell is going on here?”

Issa whirled around to see Cat, still in her lace gown. Her face seemed to be cleared of all makeup and her hair was up in a ponytail. Issa had never in her life been so happy to see a sober person. “Oh my God. They all came over after the dance and now no one will leave!”

Cat rolled her eyes. “Did you invite them?”

Issa hemmed. “Uh…no…”

“Obviously if you invite people here, they'll come. Everyone's dying to get into my dad's liquor cabinet and hot tub! What are you? A moron?”

A little bit, yeah.
Even Issa had to admit it. The scene was out of control. And it was all her fault. Why, oh, why hadn't she told Rake no at the dance itself and come home alone to an empty house? A pint of Ben & Jerry's and rerun episodes of
Gilmore Girls
sounded really good right about now.

“Okay, okay, so it's a bit out of control. We need to get everyone out of here. Right now!”

Cat shrugged and picked up her skirts. “This is your problem. Deal with it. Your Highness.” Her tone was smug and sarcastic.

Issa felt the last shred of hope seeping out of her. Even Cat was deserting her now.

“This place is a freaking disaster area. When Dad and Alisha get back, you're dead,” Cat yelled from upstairs.

“Cat!” Issa called out. “Come on!”

Cat ignored her and made her way into her room.

A second later, Issa heard a piercing shriek and a girl in a half-undone dress and a guy in his boxers flew out of Cat's room.

“Dude, chill!” the guy yelled to Cat.

“If you don't get the hell out of my house this second, I am calling the police.”

That seemed to be enough to the couple. They scurried out the back door, the girl hurriedly pulling her dress up.

Cat stormed down the stairs. “You so owe me.”

Issa stood frozen as Cat stalked into the kitchen and turned on the house intercom. She cleared her throat, a loud
squee
noise reverberating through the house. “The police have been called. They will be here in ten minutes to arrest each and every one of you for trespassing.”

Issa watched, impressed, as every single activity in the house stopped. Within the next two minutes, a flood of students exited the house like an army of rats running from a tiger.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the house cleared out, then collapsed into a chair in the formerly pristine white living room. She surveyed the damage. Stained carpets. Alcohol pouring out of bottles everywhere. Scraps of clothing all over the floors. And that was just the inside of the house.

Issa felt a torrent of tears rising. What had she done? Not only were Diego and Alisha going to kill her for sneaking her name into the Snow Queen ballot, but Diego would probably sue her for destroying his beautiful house.

How the hell Cat had pulled off these parties for the past few years without getting caught was beyond her. There was literally no way to clean up this place in the next day. She was dead.

She heard Cat's footsteps as she stormed around the house checking for any more unwanted guests. Then she heard the footsteps raging toward the living room. She braced herself. Cat was going to blow up at her, and honestly, she did deserve it.

“What the hell is the matter with you! This is not your house. You can't throw parties here.”

Issa held her breath to keep from screaming back. Cat was right. She didn't belong here. And now everyone, including Diego and Alisha, would see that. This would definitely cement the end of Diego and Alisha's engagement. Of course she would get killed and be grounded for life after that, but it was probably worth it.

“Ever since you came my life has been hell.
Hell!
I hate you! Why don't you just fall off a bridge or something?” Cat continued screaming.

“It's been a total fiesta for me too,” Issa mumbled.

“What? What the hell did you say?”

“I said it was a total fiesta for me too!”

Before Issa knew what was happening, Cat was on top of her. She grabbed a handful of Issa's hair and pulled. “You bitch! I hate you! I hate you! Just die!”

“Let go of me! Get off!” Issa struggled to get Cat off her, but the psychopath was surprisingly strong. Issa could feel strands of hair popping off her scalp. “Ow! You're hurting me!”

Cat continued to claw and scratch. “I hate you! I'll kill you!”

Issa reached around, grabbed a handful of Cat's ponytail and yanked.

“Ahhh!”

Cat flew off Issa and landed on the floor, a murderous look in her eyes.

“Stop. Stop right there. Stop.” Issa scrambled to her feet on top of the couch, keeping a safe distance between her and Cat.

Cat breathed hard and grabbed a fallen lamp.

Oh God. Issa held up her hands to block her face. This could get ugly.

“If you hate me so much, ask your dad to mot marry my mom!” Issa yelled from around her raised hands.

Crash.
Cat dropped the lamp. “You don't think I tried? You don't think I begged and pleaded with him? You don't think I guilt-tripped him about not loving
my
mom anymore?”

Issa lowered her hands. Harsh. That
had
been pretty low of Cat. Guilting Diego by using a dead mother.

“
Papi
said he would have us
both
sent to boarding school if we didn't learn to get along. He said he loved your mother and she loved him and they deserve happiness. They are
not
breaking up.”

Issa couldn't help it. She burst into tears. They were so stupid. Why were they so determined to be together when they saw how miserable their children were?

She buried her face in the couch and sobbed, smearing the white leather with her eyeliner. “I wanted my mom and dad to get back together. I just want them together!”

Issa felt a weight on the couch and felt Cat's breath on her arm. “You know that's not going to happen.”

Issa sniffed. “It could. If Diego and Alisha broke up, it could. I could have my dad back!”

Cat shook her head. “No, it couldn't. I asked Alisha once. If she had never met
Papi,
and Roy had come back to you guys, would she take him back? She said no way. He'd hurt her too badly and she could never trust him again. Apparently your brother feels the same way too.”

Amir was against her too? Who was left now?

Issa rested her head against her arm. So she'd been doing all this for nothing. There was no chance.

The realization slowly settled around her like an ice storm. It was over. Their old life was over.

Alisha and Diego were not going to break up. They would come back with a wedding site picked out and a wedding date set.

And she was dead after they saw this house.

That brought on a fresh round of tears. “I don't want to be here,” she sobbed.

Cat sat silently. But then, after a moment, said, “I don't want you here either. But guess what. You and Alisha are here to stay. And in a few weeks, you guys are moving into the house itself. We'll all be under one roof.”

A lifetime of fighting with Cat. Issa shuddered. Maybe there was some way for her to graduate early and go to college that moment. She couldn't take one more day of this.

“You're pathetic.”

Issa buried her face in the sofa and didn't care how ugly she looked when crying.

“Stop crying. That doesn't do anything. You're still dead when they get home.”

Issa practically howled.

“Look, I'll cut you a deal.”

Issa looked up, surprised, tears stopping instantly. A deal? Cat wanted to make a deal? She held all the cards. What did Issa possibly have to offer her now?

“We have to learn to deal with each other,” Cat said. “Otherwise we're both going to end up at a boarding school somewhere in Siberia. And that will not be cool.”

“So?”

“We have to learn to get along. 'Cause I am
not
going to wear a uniform for the rest of my life!”

Issa hesitated. Learn to get along. For real. A real, honest effort. She and Cat were going to be sisters. There was no way out.

“We don't have to be friends or anything, we just have to stay out of each other's way. And you have to tell
Papi
you want your own car because I am
not
sharing my Lotus anymore!”

Issa managed a smile. She was getting tired of the tiny two-seater anyway. Maybe that cute little SUV that was coming out…

“I'll help you clean up this mess. There's this service that handles just this type of thing. I have them on speed dial. Don't you dare tell
Papi
or I'll make sure he hears about this little incident. Got it,
chica?
”

Issa nodded her head. So that was how Cat always cleaned up her messes. Paid someone. If she thought she was going to get away with blackmail, well, she had another thing coming. Two could play the Cat Morena game.

“Um, yeah. I bet Diego'll really believe you had nothing to do with this mess. You have a history of these things,
chica.
So don't try threatening me.”

Cat narrowed her eyes. Issa narrowed hers back and was positive Cat was going to jump on her again.

Instead Cat's lips twitched and Issa thought she saw a slightly respectful smile. Who knew? The way to win Cat's respect had been to out-Cat Cat.

“Whatever. Fine. But you have to stop making me look bad to my dad, you have to stop going after guys I like and you have to stop turning people against me.”

“But you can't be all psycho-bitch to me either,” Issa reminded her.

“I haven't been that in months!”

Issa laughed for real. God, Cat was a piece of work.

“Deal or no deal?” Cat prodded, holding up her cell phone.

“Yeah, fine. Deal.” Issa stuck out her hand.

They shook on it and for the first time in a long while, Issa felt relief and like the eighty-five-pound weight had just floated away.