Girls Just Wanna Have Fun BLOG HOP!

For the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun BLOG HOP put on by my Curiosity Quills sister, Victoria and her critique partner Jaycee, I decided to ask my main character Ever to interview her best friend Jessie. If you know Jessie (whose goal is to become the youngest female newscaster at KTLA), you'll know this is a huge role reversal for her. It is also a big change from the usual Jessie-driven interrogations Ever is frequently subjected to.

This is how I picture Ever:
(Actress Emma Roberts) - but with darker, almost-black hair.

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This is how I picture Jessie:
(Actress Amanda Seyfried) - but with a sleek reverse bob a la Victoria Beckham, and the sass of Caroline Forbes (Candice Accola) on TVD.

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So, I took them out for a little lunch at Islands and asked Jessie to please hand over her newscaster's hat and release her killer grip on the metaphorical microphone she seems to always have with her.

Reluctantly, she gave Ever the floor. For a change.

***

JESSIE'S INTERVIEW, FROM EVER'S POV:

Once our appetizer was delivered - the usual cheese-smothered fries with bacon (obviously) - I sat up straight and cleared my throat. Using my best imitation-Jessie voice, I started the interrogation, feeling slightly excited to be on this end of it for once. "So Jessie, thank you for coming here today." It was a struggle to keep a straight face, but I managed. "I'd like to ask you a few questions."

Jessie's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in mock horror. "Oh my god Ever, I do not sound like that."

"Well, you do, but let's get on with the questioning, shall we? How would you describe your hero?"

"My hero. Hmm ..." Jessie shoved a wad of cheese fries into her mouth as she pondered the question, but it didn't take her long to answer - I knew it wouldn't. Before long she was talking around her mouthful of fries. "He's really hot, plays football and treats me like a Princess." I also knew she'd say something like that. I know my best friend well.

"Ok, um, I didn't ask you to describe your ideal boyfriend, Jess." 

"What? Like they're not interchangeable? Please." Jessie noted my look of annoyance and added a bit more, unable to stifle an over-dramatic roll of her eyes. "Fine. He can become invisible." Of course he can, I think to myself sarcastically. She'd probably enjoy the fact that he could spy on her at any time without her knowing. My hero, on the other hand, would do something much more unique, and far less stalkerish, but I didn't voice that part. 

Jessie noted my smirk. "What? Oh let me guess, you disapprove of invisibility, right? Oh Ever. What do you want him to do then? Save starving children?" 

"Well, yeah. That would work for me."

"Ok, he saves starving children, can become invisible and is super-duper hot. Like, I'm talking beyond hot. Happy now?" She winked at me and smiled her devilish smile, and something in me knew she'd probably actually find that guy someday. 

"Ok, so invisible flying dream guys aside, what's the worst date you've ever had?" I watched Jessie with a smirk, knowing fully well what the answer to this question was. I'd lived through the story a gazillion times. I could almost recite it word for word. 

"Oh my god. Do you remember that guy I went out with from Riverside?”

I nodded. Of course I remembered. How could I forget?

“He took me out to Roy’s at Fashion Island, remember? Oh my god, I thought for sure this guy was going to be the one.” Jessie thought every guy was going to be the one. But I didn’t voice that either. “Boy was I wrong. He sure shined up nicely though, taking me somewhere like Roy’s and showing up at my house in the sleekest Mercedes I’ve ever seen. Turns out it wasn’t even his, and he made me pay for dinner! I could have died!”

“Well, luckily for me you didn’t.”

“Oh Ever, your flattery knows no bounds.”

“Next question: boxers or briefs?”

“Eleanor Van Ruysdael! I’m surprised at you!”

My jaw clenched at her use of my full name, and I looked around the room to make sure none of the other restaurant patrons had heard her. “Jessie!” I chastised her under my breath. Man, she sure knows how to get a rise out of me.

“Relax, Ev, no one heard me. Boxer-briefs,” she said with a shrug. Then I caught the glint in her eye and knew I’d set myself up. “But I prefer nothing at all, obviously.”

“Jessie! Ok, moving on … what gets a guy a second date?”

“Hmm,” she said as she tugged on the short blonde hair by her ear. “Please refer back to your previous question,” she said with a mischievous grin and an exaggerated wink. I couldn’t help but laugh and shake my head at her. What was I expecting with this line of questioning? Who wrote these questions anyway?

“Ok, last question. I’m hungry and you’re having way too much fun trying to get me to blush.”

Jessie laughed around her hamburger.

“What do you look for in a best friend?”

“That’s easy! You, of course! Someone I can trust, laugh with and dress up like a Barbie Doll.” Her brow creased and she continued, “A Barbie Doll who only wears black obviously, and never lets me have any fun with her outfits.”

"Well I'm far from a Barbie Doll, Jess." I glanced down at my chest absently and realized too late that Jessie caught the movement.

"Oh Ever, not that again! Your body is amazeballs! Please!"

Our meals were delivered, and my mouth started watering at the sight of all the bacon on my cobb salad. "Ok, anyway, I think we've done the three questions we were asked to do. I'm starving."

Jessie winked at me and pretended to hold a microphone up to her lips. Oh no. I know that look. "My turn," she whispered with a flip of her platinum hair. I'm doomed. She smiled her bright, newscaster smile and opened her eyes wide. "How would you describe your hero?" She paused and added, "And by hero I mean boyfriend, just so we're clear."

I couldn't even stifle the groan that escaped my lips.

"Come on! I answered your questions!"

"Yeah, but that was the point. I was the interviewer, you were the interviewed."

"The interviewee."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Oh Ever, just answer the question!"

"Fine. But only one." I thought about the answer as I took my first few bites of salad. Jessie was getting irritated with how much time I was taking, so I took a little more - chewing slowly, and smiling at her with each bite.

"Oh Ever."

"Ok, ok ... he's funny, and confidant - but not arrogant, because eeew," I said as I shook my head, "and he's got beautiful eyes, and he's loyal and supportive ..."

"And his name is Frankie, and blah blah blah. Come on Ever! Loyal and supportive?" She cocked an eyebrow at me. "I want to know what curls your toes!"

"Well, um, I don't really know what that means, so..."

"What will it take for a guy who isn't Frankie to sweep you off your feet?!"

A guy who isn't Frankie? I couldn't even imagine it. "Um ..."

"Come on, this isn't that hard of a question."

"I don't know. I guess I've never thought about it. I think he'd have to be pretty amazing though. And confident, really confident."

"And hot?"

"Yes, yes, ok. And hot. Really hot. Geez Jess, there are other things to look for in a guy."

"What? Really? Huh." Jessie smiled a half-smile and winked at me again. I just shook my head at her. She was always a perpetual dater, but I knew that's because she too was hoping for something really special. She just hadn't found it yet. 

A guy who isn't Frankie ... I couldn't even wrap my mind around that concept. So I stopped trying and returned to my salad.


***

Part of this blog hop was to include music - our main character's "theme song" if you will. Honestly, only Toby really has a song, so I didn't include any. BUT. If I had to include a song for Ever, it would be Lana Del Rey's Dark Paradise.

Here are the lyrics:
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All my friends tell me I should move on
I'm lying in the ocean, singing your song
Ahhh, that's how you sang it
Loving you forever, can't be wrong
Even though you're not here, won't move on
Ahhh, that's how we played it

And there's no remedy for memory your face is
Like a melody, it won't leave my head
Your soul is haunting me and telling me
That everything is fine
But I wish I was dead

Everytime I close my eyes
It's like a dark paradise
No one compares to you
I'm scared that you won't be waiting on the other side
Everytime I close my eyes
It's like a dark paradise
No one compares to you
I'm scared that you won't be waiting on the other side

All my friends ask me why I stay strong
Tell 'em when you find true love it lives on
Ahhh, that's why I stay here

And there's no remedy for memory your face is
Like a melody, it won't leave my head
Your soul is haunting me and telling me
That everything is fine
But I wish I was dead

Everytime I close my eyes
It's like a dark paradise
No one compares to you
I'm scared that you won't be waiting on the other side
Everytime I close my eyes
It's like a dark paradise
No one compares to you

But that there's no you, except in my dreams tonight,
Oh oh oh, ha ha ha
I don't wanna wake up from this tonight
Oh oh oh, ha ha ha
I don't wanna wake up from this tonight

There's no relief, I see you in my sleep
And everybody's rushing me, but I can feel you touching me
There's no release, I feel you in my dreams
Telling me I'm fine

Everytime I close my eyes
It's like a dark paradise
No one compares to you
I'm scared that you won't be waiting on the other side
Everytime I close my eyes
It's like a dark paradise
No one compares to you

But that there's no you, except in my dreams tonight,
Oh oh oh, ha ha ha
I don't wanna wake up from this tonight
Oh oh oh, ha ha ha
I don't wanna wake up from this tonight






My debut novel EVER, book one in THE EVER TRILOGY,  is a young adult paranormal romance, and will be releasing by the end of the year via Curiosity Quills Press. Please stay tuned!