Again, it was all assumption.
For all I knew, my sister’s multiple-personality theory could also be a factor.
“Oh, anyway…you must come with me to try these little crab sticks things. They’re to die for.” And with that, Dave dragged Tiffany away.
This had not gone at all how I’d planned.
7
Tasha
By the end of the party—barbecue, whatever it was called—I was exhausted.
This was technically my first real experience acting as Tiffany, and I had to say, I wanted off this ride. If I had to act like this every day in front of a camera, there was a good chance I’d be locked up in an institution by the end. Honestly, why would anyone want to be mean to such nice people on purpose? Then again, this was Tiffany we were talking about—she didn’t know the meaning of the word nice because she never gave anyone the time of day.
There were still people milling about in the yard, but I was ready to go back to the house and hide out, where I could scrub off the seventy-seven layers of paint on my face and relax in a T-shirt in front of the TV with my best friend.
But before I did that, I had to retrieve Tiffany’s shoes from the pool house.
I hadn’t seen Jacoby around in a while, so I knocked on his door just in case he’d had the same thought I did and went home. It was more of a hopeful thought, because my only other option to find him was to ask around, and considering how rude I was to just about everyone here, the last thing I wanted to do was approach anyone. I never wanted to face these people again.
I half-expected him to open the door, but I didn’t expect him to open the door in low-hanging sweats and no shirt.
Not expected, but definitely appreciated.
“Hey.” Only I could make a three-letter word sound like something you’d hear from a cat in heat. “I, uh…I just came by to get my shoes.”
He nodded and then turned around, though he left the door open. I wasn’t sure if it was an invitation to come in or not, so I just waited on the front step. I could tell that throughout the party today, he’d become more and more distant, to the point he ended up disappearing altogether. I hated that, because I knew the reason, yet there wasn’t much I could do to change it.
“Thank you.” I took the heels when he held them out, but I wasn’t sure what else to say, so I backed away.
“Did I do something to you?” he asked, halting my exit. “Two days ago, we were playing video games and drinking beer, and everything was fine. Or, at least, I thought things were fine. Which is why your actions today have thrown me for a loop.”
I knew this would come up, and I didn’t have a clue as to how I would explain it. There was no reasonable explanation for the way I treated him today. All I could do was apologize and hope that settled things.
“Listen, Jacoby, I’m really sorry. I’ve just been really anxious lately, knowing that I’m going to have cameras following me around in a couple of weeks. I guess I’ve been too occupied making sure I have my game face on, is all.” I didn’t realize what all I had said until after the words came tumbling out of my mouth. This was why I should’ve just stuck with “I’m sorry” and been done with it.
“Game face? What does that mean?”
“You know…how the media sees me. How everyone sees me.”
His brows furrowed, like he was examining me for something. “Are all the reports about you wrong? The ones that talk about how poorly you’ve treated waitstaff at restaurants, how dismissive you are to people on the streets? Are you saying that’s all an act?”
What in Sam hades was I supposed to say to that?
“I wouldn’t call it an act, per se. It’s more of a…difference in character. The public gets a completely different side of me than you’ve seen this past week.” If I didn’t shut up, I’d get my foot stuck so far down my throat, and there wouldn’t be a legal way out of it. “I don’t know how else to explain it. All I can say is, I’m having a difficult time maintaining two completely different personas.”
He bobbed his head slowly in a hesitant nod. “Okay, I guess that somewhat makes sense. I’m not famous, so I can’t exactly argue with your reasoning. But I would like to say that I very much enjoy the nice, fun, carefree version of you who seems genuinely interested in what people around you have to say. So the next time that persona comes to the surface, I’d love it if she stopped by for a beer and a little one-on-one PlayStation action.”
“I think that persona would enjoy that very much.”
Acting like Tiff wasn’t the worst part. Becoming Tiff was what would eventually break me.
While our goodbyes were somber, my walk home was worse. I felt awful, and not just in a “I feel bad about what I did” kind of way. No, I literally felt like someone had repeatedly punched me in the gut. Jacoby was a nice guy; he didn’t deserve the three-ringed circus that I’d gotten myself caught up in. If Tiff wanted to mistreat him, that was on her. I didn’t see why I had
