Free Map to the Stars by Jen Malone

me up earlier, so we could have watched the whole trilogy,” I said, deadpan. Unfortunately, Graham didn’t get my attempt at sarcasm. His face fell.
    I woke U up? Sorry!
    â€œNo biggie. I wasn’t really that asleep,” I lied. Graham grinned, then reached into his own bag and pulled out an extra set of headphones attached to a splitter. He handed the headphones to me, plugged his own headphones into the other side of the splitter, and connected the jack to his iPad. Then he typed.
    Sent hotel guy out for these in case U said yes 2 movie.
    Wait.
    But that meant he had to have plotted this out while we were still at the Carlton. So while he was busy ignoring me, he was also planning this cozy movie-watching situation. I didn’t— God, this guy was maddening. Why was he so hard to figure out? Why couldn’t we be back in fourth grade so I could pass him a note to clear everything up? Do you like me? Check box A for yes, box B for no . But we weren’t and he wasn’t giving anything up, which meant I sure as hell wasn’t going to let him see how he was making me feel. I gave an easy smile and nod and snuggled down into my seat for the movie, which I had absolutely zero interest in watching.
    I may or may not have fallen back asleep. I’m thinking yes, given that my next conscious thought was that my head was resting on Graham’s shoulder and I would now need to strategize a way for him to notnotice the small thread of drool connecting my mouth to his sweater. I employed all powers of subtlety to swipe it away before slowly lifting my head. Turns out, I didn’t have to worry—he was crashed out too, with his hand resting gently on my leg. I could feel its warmth through my yoga pants and I couldn’t figure out why something so warm could make me shiver. The cabin lights were still all out, so only the flickering screen from the movie lit his face, but it was enough to make my stomach feel like it was being wrung out like a wet beach towel.
    Okay, so you obviously don’t get to be the number one teen star in the world with average looks, but this boy was just about sheer perfection. Asleep, he looked about five years old, all innocent and sweet. His cheekbones melted into soft contours at the base of his face and his lips looked . . . well, there’s no other way to put it. They looked totally kissable. The boy had hit the genetic lottery. The only things missing in sleep were the dancing hazel eyes and the deep dimple in his left cheek when he—
    Oh. My. God.
    This was not happening. This could not happen. I could not fall for this guy. The boy was a mega movie star and I had no interest in being that clichéd girl. I loved Wynn with all my heart but I could not subscribe to her unrequited crushes. Except there was something about sleeping Graham that was so vulnerable and when he paid attention to me it felt . . . different than with other guys somehow. Like we were really connecting.
    And then the plane lurched out of the sky.
    Well, slight exaggeration. It did not lurch out of the sky, but it did drop with a jolt that woke Graham. He looked around languidly, while I, on the other hand, scanned the cabin wild-eyed, tugged my seat belt enough to cut off circulation, and waited for the oxygen masks to drop. It took only a second for Graham to assess the situation. More specifically, to assess my terror level.
    â€œHey, are you okay?” he asked, breaking his vow of silence.
    â€œUm” was all I could manage.
    â€œNot a flyer?” he ventured. The plane gave another little bounce.
    â€œI don’t think so. I’ve only done it once before.” I clutched the armrest on one side of the couch and wished for something to do with my other hand.
    â€œSeriously?”
    â€œYup. And that was five days ago.” I tried to strategize preparation for a crash landing.
    He gave a low whistle, which earned him a swat on the head from Melba in the