NOVEL WEB Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Are You Worth It?
[Chapter 80: Are You Worth It?]
At the party, Harlem Shake blasted through the speakers, and everyone, including Taylor, jumped around wildly. Ryan was standing a short distance away, watching the chaotic scene unfold. He didn't have to guide anyone; the DJ was spinning tracks live, and there were various cameras recording the moment.
The situation had flipped entirely; now people were riding the wave of the song's popularity instead of the other way around.
The Jonas Brothers weren't participating, likely due to their rivalry with Ryan. They stood off to the side, looking like outsiders, their expressions sour. It was clear that Ryan's sudden rise was a serious blow to those attention-seeking stars.
The brothers exchanged glances; despite their reluctance, Joe made his way over to Ryan.
"Ryan, I'm here to apologize on behalf of my brothers. Some of the things Nick said backstage after the concert were out of line," Joe said sincerely.
Joe had always been the more mature one in their group, honest in his demeanor.
Ryan didn't acknowledge the gesture, refusing to accept any courtesy. Given how much their fanbases overlapped, they would inevitably clash in the future, making it unnecessary to pretend with them.
Joe, feeling defeated, returned to where his brothers stood.
...
"Just a trashy party music that got lucky, look at him acting so high and mighty, what's so great about it?" Nick shot a sideways glance at Ryan.
"Who doesn't have a couple of songs on the Billboard charts? We've got our new single dropping next month, with the music video airing during peak hours on the Disney Channel, featuring all those big-name cameos. Just wait until it outshines that awkward Wake Me Up track," Kevin shrugged nonchalantly.
As for Harlem Shake, the three brothers never took it seriously, merely seeing it as a passing fad.
Joe watched his overconfident brothers with a sigh, questioning whether admitting that they were less successful than Ryan was really that hard.
...
After Harlem Shake, the party reached a fever pitch. With Ryan there for support, Taylor, who had just met Selena Gomez, was having a blast drinking beer and letting loose.
"Is that a purity ring?" Taylor asked, noticing the silver ring on Selena's finger.
"Catholic tradition," Selena replied straightforwardly. With her round face and dark hair, she had made a few TV appearances when she was around seven or eight. Because she did not meet the standard blonde, blue-eyed and pointed face, she could not be called an "American sweetheart". At most, she was a Mexican sweetheart. Last year, the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place starring her had good ratings and Disney has decided to renew the series, solidifying her spot as the second most popular teen idol, with Miley Cyrus being first. She has currently signed a contract with Disney's Hollywood Records and has also taken on several Disney live-action movies, officially developing into an all-round teenage idol.
"Where's Demi?" Selena wondered aloud, glancing around for her friend.
"Probably in the bathroom," Taylor shrugged.
Just then, Selena noticed that her boyfriend, Nick, was also missing.
...
Meanwhile, Ryan had just stepped into the bathroom. Before he even walked in, he heard a woman's heavy breathing coming from one of the stalls, prompting him to cough deliberately.
"Shh..." a male voice from the stall whispered. Ryan recognized it as Nick's voice.
An idea struck Ryan. There were a lot of people at the party, and it wasn't difficult to spread some news because there were all kinds of people there. He decided that the Jonas Brothers' fans deserved to get a glimpse of what their idol was really like away from the spotlight.
He knocked on the door, but there was no response. With a determined kick, he struck the door, making the lock squeak ominously.
People inside panicked, and without missing a beat, Ryan kicked again. The weak door couldn't hold much longer, and with one final forceful kick, it flew open. There was Nick with his back to Ryan, pants down, exposing himself, and seated on the toilet was none other than Demi!
A few wrappers littered the floor, hinting at their reckless antics.
"Help! Nick has fainted!" Ryan yelled, loud enough for everyone outside to hear.
Nick's face went pale.
...
"Ah!!" A woman's shriek cut through the party's noise as a half-naked girl rushed out of the crowd and flew the party scene.
Next came Nick, hastily pulling up his pants, his face reddening with embarrassment.
"Selena, I'll explain later!" he said to his girlfriend, who was standing next to Taylor, and rushed out.
Selena, who was watching the fun, was stunned, her expression freezing as the shocking revelation hit her.
Party guests exchanged glances, especially Nick's older brothers, who looked ashen.
On the other hand, Miley couldn't help but laugh and applauded Ryan's handiwork. "See? That's his true self!" She was thoroughly enjoying her ex-boyfriend's humiliation.
Then Ryan emerged from the bathroom, clearly taking pride in the chaos he had caused.
Miley looked at him, nodded, and then, without hesitation, marched up and kissed him right on the lips.
The kiss lasted several seconds before she pulled away and said, "You did great; consider this a reward."
In front of everyone, including Taylor, she clearly did not hold back.
Taylor, in shock for just a moment, raced toward her.
"This little bitch needs to be put in her place!" The party eventually wound down, but Taylor's anger had yet to dissipate.
In front of everyone, she had kissed Ryan, and Taylor wasn't about to let that slide. She gave Miley a swift kick to the ribs, knocking her over. Although she probably couldn't beat Abigail in a fight, Taylor was tall and had an advantage in size, easily dealing with the similarly slim Miley.
Ryan had his issues with the Jonas Brothers, and Taylor had just as many with Miley. Throughout the party, Taylor hadn't exchanged a single word with Miley.
...
"Let's see if she dares to act like that again!" Taylor seethed, sitting in the back seat of the car.
At that moment, Ryan had enjoyed the chaos but didn't stop Taylor; after all, Miley Cyrus was a bit crazy.
Sitting in the back seat with Taylor was Selena, who felt lost ever since she discovered her boyfriend's affair with Demi.
Alongside them sat another young girl who played a character in the Nickelodeon series and was a year younger than Selina. She was going the same way, so she hitchhiked.
[T/N: Ariana Grande.]
Taylor's assistant, Erica, drove in silence as tension filled the car.
"Okay, he was just a jerk. Time to let it go," Taylor said, trying to comfort Selena.
But that just made her break down into tears. At the party, she had tried to smile through the pain, but now it all came pouring out.
"I trusted Demi! How could she do this to me?" Selena cried to Taylor, clearly feeling more betrayed by her friend than her boyfriend.
Taylor continued to comfort her, but the situation was increasingly awkward.
She remembered Abigail. What was the difference between her situation with Ryan and Demi's with Nick? The only distinction was that it hadn't been uncovered yet.
Selena's sobbing felt like daggers, tearing down the defenses Taylor had built up from her self-deception.
Seeing this, Ryan shifted the topic, engaging with the younger girl, who seemed nervous throughout the ride.
...
"Ryan, I've decided that after we film the music video, we need to talk to Abigail. If she's not okay with it, we should probably hold off for a while. I can't be unfair to her like this. Once you and she are done, we can pick up where we left off," Taylor said earnestly once they returned to the room.
"What if you feel lonely during that time?"
"Then I'd just have to deal with it."
"But what if you can't handle it?"
"..." Taylor fell silent, unsure of how to respond.
"Then let's make sure to finish up all the assignments for the whole summer!" Taylor playfully threw her legs over Ryan's shoulder, pulling him closer.
"Are you trying to kill me?"
"Not a chance! You're not leaving this room tomorrow!"
*****
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