Cali Boys by Kelli London

gift for the invite.”
    Alissa almost peed her pants, or at least she looked like she was about to, jumping in place and wiggling. “That’d be hot. My mom would be so floored, she’d love us forever.” She stopped hopping and sat on the bed. She deadpanned Jacobi, her eyes full of seriousness. “So, are you going to finally confess now? You were so anxious to get to the motorcycle show—I know what that means. You can’t hide him forever.”
    Jacobi smiled. Alissa was right. If she went to the family gathering, Alissa would find out all about Shooby, so she might as well tell her. She nodded. “Okay, but he’s not my boyfriend,” she began.
    â€œYet,” Alissa interrupted. “Wait until he sees your hair. I’m gonna hook you up.”
    â€œYet,” Jacobi parroted, loving the sound and possibility of it all. Then she spilled all about Shooby—their flash mobbing, and their history together, including Katydid and her part in it all. Jacobi even told her about tonight’s plans for another flash mob.
    â€œOh, cool. I can’t wait to meet your friend, Katydid. I like that name. Oh, and I heard about that flash mob thing,” Alissa said, continuing to eat her lollipop while getting started on Jacobi’s hair. “It was on the news—not about tonight, just about it. It seems really cool and really fun, too, at least the proactive ones where the mobbers aren’t doing illegal stuff. Can I do it, too? I can pretend to be your assistant or something. I mean, if you’re going to shoot the scenes, why not really shoot the scenes like a professional, Jacobi? All professionals have an assistant. Go all the way—do a documentary. I mean, the news is always broadcasting the hoodlums doing it ...”
    Jacobi had gone deaf after documentary . Alissa was right; there was good being done by some flash mobbers, stories that never made the news because they weren’t bad news. She was just the one to show the world the good side of it. She raised her brows and her hopes. Who knew? The Cannes Film Festival showed amateur films all the time. Maybe she could win an award and help humanity at the same time. Tonight, she’d tell Shooby about Alissa wanting to join, then run the idea by him of a short documentary. She was certain he’d go for it. He was becoming more popular with each demonstration, coming up with his own flash-mob ideas to help their local community and their own crew. Shooby and Katydid had started their own crew as a spin-off of the federation’s, and it was growing in double digits. She closed her eyes for a second. “God, thank you for the creativity. Now, if you can send the boobs and clear skin just as fast ...”
    Â 
    Jacobi thought she was going to die. She’d never been so anxious in her entire life, and was sure that she’d expire from nervousness. She was standing between Shooby’s legs while he leaned against the lifeguard’s chair. The setting sun warmed her skin and, she was sure, if she turned around she’d be able to see her reflection in his eyes. The golden highlights that Alissa had convinced her to get danced in the breeze, and her hopes rose higher. She felt beautiful, but never would’ve admitted it because not only had she always taken pride in being herself—a makeup-free, jeans-wearing, and comfortable-shoe kind of girl, but pretty required too much work. Plus it wasn’t one of her strong suits. Plain was her game. Luckily, she had Alissa, who hadn’t been too lazy to transform her into a girlie girl, one that they hoped Shooby would be attracted to. Knowing she was to meet Shooby, she’d abandoned her trademark gear and dolled up in a periwinkle sundress her mother had bought because she’d heard they were all the rage. Jacobi looked down and smiled. The dress clung in the right places, meaning it hid her lopsided breasts.
    â€œYou know,