Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four (A Shapers Novel) by Nya Jade

Author:Nya Jade [Jade, Nya]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dreamwell Publishing
Published: 2012-10-27T16:00:00+00:00

Eighteen

Skylights set in a vaulted ceiling drenched the photo studio in a soft, buttery radiance, throwing dancing light beams upon portraits hung around the spacious room. Phoebe was sitting on a stool, in front of a faux ocean backdrop, staring at the black shelves that covered a cement textured wall. It was filled with an assortment of equipment: lenses, digital flash cards, props, tripods, monopods. She idly fingered her cell phone screen, contemplating what she wanted to use in this morning’s assignment.

Phoebe’s phone buzzed. She glanced down at the all-caps text and grinned. It said:

“WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?”

It was quickly followed by:

“DID YOU GET MY TEXT LAST NIGHT???”

Phoebe sighed and punched in Hayley’s number. She did not doubt that Hayley was exploding for want of details about her co-study date with Colten. She’d avoided discussing her debacle long enough.

“You said what?!” Hayley’s voice blared, minutes into their conversation.

“I knew you were going to react this way,” Phoebe said, swiveling on the stool.

“Is that why you ignored my texts last night—wait,” Hayley said, interrupting herself. “Is that why you’re not at breakfast? You’re avoiding me?”

Phoebe indulged in a guilty grin. It wasn’t only her pint-sized friend she’d been avoiding this morning. Colton was also on her ‘must avoid’ list. She hadn’t recovered from the awkward end to their night. “I’m shooting an assignment soon,” Phoebe said truthfully.

“You’re my girl and all,” Hayley continued. “And I say this from a place of deep love. But you’re truly demented!”

Phoebe took mild offense. “Ouch,” she said, her feeling ringing clear in her tone.

“Relax,” Hayley said at once. “I said it came from a place of love. Look, I’m just frustrated for you. I mean, the hottest hottie tries to kiss you and you go with, ‘Is this what the script—’”

Phoebe groaned. “You don’t have to repeat it!”

“Oh, it bears repeating,” Hayley said playfully. “In fact, I think I’ll text you those words once a day. As far as I’m concerned, he’s sending you all the signals and you just …” Hayley trailed off as if she’d taken a big bite of something.

Phoebe played with the pleats in her blue skirt, absorbing what Hayley had said. Then she mumbled, “Haven’t you considered that this could just be a game for him?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, he’s Colten Chase. I could just be the girl-of-the-moment. Something to amuse him until he gets bored,” Phoebe said, finally expressing her pent-up reservations about Colten. “It’s hard to figure out if he’s being genuine or if he’s being—”

“Smooth Mr. Hollywood?” Hayley finished.

“Exactly. Why bother getting emotionally invested just for him to get bored?”

Hayley gave a dramatic sigh as if everything she’d been arguing up to this point had just been negated by Phoebe’s concern.

Phoebe glanced up at a wall clock and hopped to her feet. She placed the phone on the stool and put it on speaker. “How nice of you to actually care about his intentions,” Hayley’s tinny voice said. “If it were me, I’d jump the

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