Under the Lights

“That one’s cute,” I say, trying to get excited about it. It is cute — a gray thing with a black Peter Pan collar that’ll probably look nice with jeans — but it’s hard to get psyched about why she’ll need sweaters. Not that we don’t wear sweaters and boots plenty here in LA, but they’re not exactly the wardrobe staples my jean cutoffs or cropped tops are.

“Yeah.” She fingers the fabric lightly before moving on, her eyes seven shades of dreamy. “I hope it’s nice when I get there. There are so many things I wanna do outdoors! I need to spend at least half a day just sitting and reading in Central Park, obviously. And I didn’t really get to see much of the city when I was there for Liam’s birthday last summer. I need to just walk around — SoHo, the Village, the Upper East Side…”

I smile and nod and occasionally chime in as she talks about her soon-to-be home, but the more she talks about the things she can’t wait to see and experience, the bigger the lead ball in the pit of my stomach gets, and not just because my best friend’s going to be in a different time zone.

She just sounds so…old. I mean, she sounds like the Ally I know and love — the one who can spend a billion years planning every detail of a trip to the freaking mall — but these things she’s talking about doing, she’s talking about doing alone. Her best friend will be in LA, her family will be in LA, even her boyfriend will be here. So why isn’t she freaked out at the prospect of going and exploring all by herself?

I’d be freaking terrified.

Don’t you realize you’re gonna be living with strangers? I wanna shake her and ask. Don’t you realize you aren’t gonna be eating home-cooked food? Or seeing your parents every day? Or grabbing Pinkberry with me just because it’s a Saturday?

But of course she knows. And she can’t wait.

“So when do I get to come out and visit?” I ask, trying to get on board with the excitement.

“Whenever you want, Vanny!” she says gleefully, though she keeps her voice down so as not to attract any attention with her mention of my name. I’m wearing a purple wig and (prescription-free) glasses, but that hasn’t stopped a few people already today from asking for my autograph. “I mean, as long as I don’t have orientation. Or mid-terms. Or finals.” God, even those words seem to excite her.

No wonder my parents would swap us in a heartbeat.

As she keeps talking, oblivious to the fact this entire conversation makes me feel like someone is squeezing my ribcage with pliers, I sneak a glance at my phone. Phew — definitely time to text the guys and get us over to that party. I could drink my freaking weight in Skinnygirl strawberry daiquiris right now.

Showtime, I text Liam as soon as Ally looks away to examine another sweater.

Less than a minute later, her phone rings, and she rolls her eyes when she sees Josh’s name and face on the screen. “Yes, master?”

“Where are you?” Even I can hear him barking through the phone. Nice touch.

“Shopping with Van. Because you very, very explicitly told me I should enjoy my last couple of days in LA.”

I can’t hear his response, but then she says, “What happened to the one I just bought you?” Judging by her facial expression as she listens to the answer, I don’t want to know.

She sighs and hangs up. “I’m sorry, do you mind? I need to get Josh yet another black leather belt from Louis Vuitton, because he doesn’t seem to understand what should and shouldn’t be tied around bed posts.”

“Don’t mind at all,” I say with a grin. Trust Josh to come up with the most ridiculous excuse ever…and for it to probably be true, in addition to convenient.

After a quick stop for the belt, we get in the car and head up to Josh’s. Not a minute too soon — I was getting itchy under that wig. I’ve got outfits for both me and Ally hidden in Josh’s guest house, but there’s not much I’ll be able to do about the fact that my hair looks sad and flat.

It’s oddly silent as we approach, despite the mayhem I know is lying in wait back there, and I have to admit that I’m pretty impressed by Josh right now. For someone who can barely keep his own mouth shut, ever, he’s doing pretty well at this whole “surprise” thing.

Which makes it extra epic when we walk around back and bam.

Ally’s face goes from confused to terrified to ecstatic in seconds, and I can’t help grinning proudly as I watch her take in the surroundings for all of two seconds before people swarm out of every corner of Josh’s house and yard. There are old high school friends, friends from the Daylight Falls set, and people I don’t even recognize, which of course might just mean they’re random girls Josh wants to hook up with.