The Incomparable Edie Wells

“Edie,” Parker breathes, kissing me passionately and pulling me against him. “Eds, Oh god, Edie. I love you.”

I grin as his hands roam my body, farther than anyone else has ever gone. “I l-love you too, Parker. God, don't stop.”

“Don't have to tell me twice,” he chuckles, his hands making my body go insane with the slightest brush. My nerves are on fire, and I want nothing more than for him to just get it over with already. He pulls away for a second to stare into my eyes, filled with lust. “Edie...?”

I let my eyes slide shut blissfully. “Yeah?”

“I-I just...” He groans and grabs my hand as it dips down. “You have to be sure it's what you want – God.” I smirk. “I can't just stop in the middle if you decide it's not the right – the right – mmm – the right thing.”

I sigh and bury my head into his muscular chest. “It is what I want, Parker. More than anything.”

“Edie,”Parker bites his lip, his head falling back in pleasure as he lets out a contented groan. “Edie...”

“Edie?”

I shoot up in bed, panting frantically and looking around. The only other person in the room is Rhett – his expression one of utter confusion.

“Why were you talking about Parker in your sleep?” Rhett asks, amused, as he crosses his arms over his chest and leans against my door frame.

I blush and silently thank the fact that Rhett couldn't tell what I was dreaming about. “I was not.”

He smirks. “Oh, Parker, oh, don't stop!” he squeals in a high-pitched voice that sounds nothing like my own, for the record. “Someone is having naughty dreams about their friends. What about Levi? Or was he there, too?”

I rub the sleep from my eyes and offer him the best glare I can manage. “Shut up, Rhett.”

“Merry Christmas to you, too.”

My eyes widen. “It's Christmas?”

He frowns. “You mean you forgot?”

“I didn't forget,” I snap, a little too quickly, “I just... I'm not real focused anymore, alright? I have other priorities besides little snot-nosed kids running around singing 'Jingle Bells'.” I pull myself out of bed, brushing my pre-straightened hair from my eyes.

Rhett gives me a weird look.

“What?”

He shakes his head. “Why are you acting like one of Anna's clones all of the sudden?” He crosses the room and sits down on the bed, watching me intently as I pull an outfit from my closet. I narrow my eyes at him. “You know what I mean, Edie – you're acting like the whole effing world revolves around you.”

I roll my eyes and hold up two shirts. “I'm not acting like that, Rhett. Which one makes me look hotter?”

He gapes at me. “Edie, I'd appreciate it if you could just talk for a few seconds instead of coordinating an outfit -”

“Yeah, yeah,” I wave it off, picking up the black one and throwing it on the bed next to him. “Acting nice, doing good, yadda yadda.” I pull a pair of jeans from a drawer and start to pull them on. “Was there a point to this?”

“Yes,” he says sternly, grabbing my arm and halting the progress of my getting dressed. “You're acting like a snob, Edie. You're not acting like yourself, you're acting like... like Anna.” He shakes his head, sighing. “I don't even know what the hell to do about it.” He lowers his voice as Casey scampers by the door singing Christmas carols. “Listen, I don't care what you do when you're at school, Edie, that's none of my business. It is my business when my little sister comes into my room, crying, wondering why her older sister doesn't love her anymore.”

I'll admit, I'm taken aback by this. “Grace thinks I don't love her anymore?” I repeat dumbly.

“Apparently,” he hisses, “because you don't spend any time with her. She thinks she did something wrong. I'm not sure how to explain to a six-year-old that her idol spends her free time with her boyfriend and her fake friends, making everyone else around them feel like shit to make themselves feel better.”

I blink at him. “I-”

“Forget it,” he mutters, letting go of my forearm. I wince. “Forget I said anything.”

-[-]-

“Merry Christmas,” Parker says dryly, tossing a stack of colored papers onto the table in front of me.

I stare at them warily, glancing between them and my best friend's face. “The List? Again?” I sigh. “Damn, I forgot about the holiday version.”

He chuckles. “Figures. You really can't be making such dumb mistakes when you're one of the Top Ten.”

My eyes widen. “T-Top Ten?” My jaw drops, and I snatch the paper off of the table. It can't happen. Breaking the Top Twenty is already unheard of, but cracking the Top Ten? In four months? That's absolutely impossible without supernatural help.

At least, I'm pretty sure it is.

Apparently I'm wrong.

Sure enough, there's my name, scrawled in fancy writing.

8 – Edie Wells

I stare at the page, just trying to comprehend the news. All this work, all the acting, the crying, the time... It finally paid off. I'm in the freaking Top Ten.

I glance at Parker. His face is blank – I haven't decided if that's good or bad. He's doing something on his phone under the table, not willing to make eye contact with me or, apparently, anything else. I turn my attention to the List again.

19- Parker Ramsay

“Wow, Park, that's... that's great,” I breathe, smiling at him over the top of the paper. “You made the Top Twenty!”

He doesn't make eye contact with me. “Edie...”

From the tone of his voice, I know this isn't really a good thing for him. I can't for the life of me figure out why – after all, isn't this what Maggie has been prepping us for the whole year? The moment when we can sit back next to our Top Ten boyfriend and relax, coasting into the best year of our lives? That's kinda the point of the whole thing. Popularity is the key to happiness, right?

But the guilty look on his face tells me that he's not just upset, but he's got something to hide.

I frown. “What...?”

He says nothing, he just puts his cell phone onto the table.

Text From: Anna S.
Had an awesome time last night, Park. Can't wait to see you like that again. ;)

I glance at him, my thoughts whirling at a thousand miles an hour. I flash back to that day in the cafeteria, and Anna's face as she watched him like a lion watches prey. I never... I never imagined...

I gape at him. “You... Parker, you had sex with Anna, didn't you?”

He doesn't make eye contact with me.

“That's how you got so high on the List,” I state, though I can feel a lump rising in my throat. “You... you slept with Anna Smith. You helped her cheat on my brother... You said.... You said...” The words don't even come to my mouth, but I can think them loud and clear. You said you loved me.

Parker puts his head in his hands. “Edie, I just... I'm not proud of it, okay? I regret every moment of it.” He looks up at me, his emerald eyes sad. “I meant what I said ...at that party.”

“You have a funny way of showing it,” I choke, feeling the tears burn at the back of my eyes.

He slams his fist down onto the table. “What am I supposed to do, Edie?” he hisses, his eyes narrowing. “I sit there and watch you hang all over Levi, not even caring about me, or Maggie, or anyone else that has a three-digit rank!” He stands up and starts pacing. “You've become one of them, Edie!”

“Why the hell does everyone keep saying that?!”

“Because it's true,” an unexpected voice mumbles quietly.

I whirl around to face Maggie, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, glancing between the two of them.

“She's here because I asked her to,” Parker mutters, running a hand through his hair. “Edie, I think you need a reality check. This whole idea was Maggie's, and now you're just acting as if we don't exist!”

“What am I supposed to do, Parker?” I hiss, mimicking his tone of voice. “Forget everything I've worked for? You're talking about my friends here, Park, people that I hang out with every day. How the hell do you have jurisdiction here?”

He stares at me, incredulous. “Because I've known you since sixth grade. I know when you're getting yourself into trouble, Eds. You think I don't see the bruises you have? You think those are just a coincidence?” He shakes his head as I shrink away from him. “You play with fire, you're going to get burned.”

I stare at him. What have I gotten myself into?

“I don't care,” I whisper, avoiding eye contact with either of them. “Maybe I know I'm going to get hurt, okay? But I... I don't care.” I look up. “You know the way out.”

And I walk away from the two best friends I've ever had, my chin held high.

I'm just glad they can't see the tears rolling down my face.