Followers Read online

  PENGUIN TEEN

  an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers, a Penguin Random House Company

  Published in hardcover by Penguin Teen, 2020

  Text copyright © 2020 by Raziel Reid

  Cover design: Five Seventeen

  Cover image: Meghan Pinsonneault/Stocksy

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  Publisher’s note: This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  All emojis courtesy of JoyPixels/EmojiOne v2 covered under the Creative Commons license

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

  Title: Followers / Raziel Reid.

  Names: Reid, Raziel, 1990- author.

  Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20190144602 | Canadiana (ebook) 20190144610 | ISBN 9780735263819 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780735263819 (EPUB)

  Classification: LCC PS8635.E435 F65 2020 | DDC jC813/.6—dc23

  Ebook ISBN 9780735263819

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2019945231

  www.penguinrandomhouse.ca

  a_prh_5.5.0_c0_r0

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Platinum Triangle Cast List

  Paleyhailey

  Thejoelstrom

  Lily Rhode

  Paleyhailey

  Lily Rhode

  Realvalerialeon

  Lily Rhode

  Fortunefitzroy

  Paleyhailey

  Thejoelstrom

  Lily Rhode

  Imseanjohnson

  Lily Rhode

  Paleyhailey

  Realvalerialeon

  Greta.Strom

  Idrismorcos1

  Paleyhailey

  Imseanjohnson

  Lily Rhode

  Realvalerialeon

  Lily Rhode

  Realvalerialeon

  Lily Rhode

  Brandocadogan

  Paleyhailey

  Lillianrhode

  Realvalerialeon

  Lillianrhode

  Thejoelstrom

  Paleyhailey

  Greta.Strom

  Beagetty

  Paleyhailey

  Realvalerialeon

  Brandocadogan

  Lillianrhode

  Thejoelstrom

  Lillianrhode

  Realvalerialeon

  Imseanjohnson

  Lillianrhode

  Thejoelstrom

  Realvalerialeon

  Idrismorcos1

  Paleyhailey

  Lillianrhode

  Beagetty

  Greta.Strom

  Brandocadogan

  Realvalerialeon

  Fortunefitzroy

  Lillianrhode

  Paleyhailey

  Greta.Strom

  Thejoelstrom

  Imseanjohnson

  Idrismorcos1

  Thejoelstrom

  Lillianrhode

  Realvalerialeon

  Lillianrhode

  Thejoelstrom

  Imseanjohnson

  Paleyhailey

  Lillianrhode

  Greta.Strom

  Imseanjohnson

  Lillianrhode

  Paleyhailey

  Thejoelstrom

  Lillianrhode

  Greta.Strom

  Lillianrhode

  Paleyhailey

  Lillianrhode

  Thejoelstrom

  Realvalerialeon

  Paleyhailey

  Brandocadogan

  Beagetty

  Thejoelstrom

  Imseanjohnson

  Realvalerialeon

  Fortunefitzroy

  Greta.Strom

  Lillianrhode

  Thejoelstrom

  Realvalerialeon

  Lillianrhode

  Realvalerialeon

  Lillianrhode

  Paleyhailey

  Realvalerialeon

  Imseanjohnson

  Greta.Strom

  Realvalerialeon

  Brandocadogan

  Idrismorcos1

  Lillianrhode

  Thejoelstrom

  Lillianrhode

  Paleyhailey

  Lillianrhode

  Paleyhailey

  Lillianrhode

  Paleyhailey

  PLATINUM TRIANGLE CAST LIST

  Patrick Paley

  Whitney Paley

  Hailey Paley

  Lily Rhode (rumored Season 2)

  Jessica Strom

  Kathy Strom

  Joel Strom

  Greta Strom

  Luis Leon

  Gloria Leon

  Valeria Leon

  Christoph Johnson

  Shondra Johnson

  Sean Johnson

  Ghalib Morcos

  Nadia Morcos (Season 1 only)

  Yasmin Morcos (Season 2)

  Idris Morcos

  L.Y. Cadogan

  Morgan Cadogan

  Brandon Cadogan

  Conrad Cadogan

  Olympia Miller (Season 1 only)

  Bea Getty

  Fortune FitzRoy (recurring)

  paleyhailey

  1m followers

  itsyouesme Queen

  maya.mcelvoguex @mellochlen she’s goals

  alek_thapamgr @paleyhailey You’re a role model for my daughter! Our favorite on the show by far!

  erikzathiz Ich wunschte nicht Euch irre zu fuhren

  dawnbat

  agatha_malik_1d not everyone is jealous of you

  bpriscinessm How many of those mil did you buy sis?

  Hailey Paley takes a poolside selfie and uses an airbrush app to smooth out any discrepancies. Not that she really has any. Her phone case says “Social media seriously harms your mental health™” and has a photo of a pill bottle with a label that says:

  LIKES

  LONELINESS RELIEVER

  DEPRESSION REDUCER

  She posted a group shot of the teen cast sitting around a bonfire on the beach. Hailey’s strategically placed next to Joel Strom. And it’s the comments that have pushed her over the edge. Everyone’s wondering if she and Joel finally get together on the new season of Platinum Triangle.

  Hailey is lying on her stomach on a chaise lounge by the pool of the Stroms’ Mediterranean mansion in gated Beverly Park. The sun reflects off the interlocking Cs on her hot-pink Chanel bottoms.

  “Okay,” Hailey says, “confirmed sponsors for the party tonight include Flat Tummy Co., Girly Curves, Cocowhite, Fit Tea, Hairburst, Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice, Nip + Fab…”

  Greta Strom does a back dive off the springboard in a Moschino bra. Bea Getty, sitting with her feet in the water, protects the screen of her phone from the splash.

  Hailey sits up and adds tanning oil to her legs.

  “Oh, and Loving Tan. They just DM’d me.”

  Greta climbs out of the water and wraps a towel around her waist, joining Hailey over at the chaises.

  “Gee, Hails. How will you have any time to do coke and sleep with your dad’s co-stars if you’re posing with sponsors all night?”

  Hailey gives Greta a look. “You’re beyond.”

  “Like throwing a million-dollar party for reaching a million followers?” Greta asks, laughing.

  Hailey plays “A Milli” by
Lil Wayne off her phone.

  “You guys,” Bea says. “Brandon’s live on Insta from Hong Kong!” She comes over from the pool with her phone to show them.

  “What’s he doing in Hong Kong?” Greta asks.

  “He was really craving dim sum.”

  Bea sits on the end of Hailey’s chaise lounge as they watch Bea’s boyfriend Brandon Cadogan’s video. He’s in the back of a car driving through a seedy area of Hong Kong. The driver is shouting in Chinese and frantically waving his hands.

  The caption is: Legit driving in circles, lost AF, in Hong Kong with a driver who speaks no English!!

  The girls laugh. They’re all on their own phones now. Greta gets a ping.

  “Hails, have you seen this?” She flashes Hailey her screen. “It came up with my Platinum Triangle alert.”

  It’s a Hollywood Life article with the headline “Hailey Paley’s Cousin, Lily, 16, arrested in Malibu—Pic.” At the top of the article is Lily’s mugshot.

  “Lily Rhode, cousin of Platinum Triangle breakout star Hailey Paley, was arrested last night for a burglary in Malibu following a high-speed chase down the Pacific Coast Highway…” Bea reads the article over Greta’s shoulder.

  “I can’t believe how many Shares it’s getting,” Greta says, lowering her phone.

  With a sigh that would be worth at least 10k in a Rodeo Drive display window, Hailey slides on a pair of ivory cat’s-eye sunglasses and leans back in her chaise.

  “You don’t reach a million without enemies,” she says.

  thejoelstrom

  1.8m followers

  brittoni99 My future husband

  yourchallengevideo Get out the Illuminati it’s not good bruh I’m telling Jesus don’t want you to worship Satan why you got time get outta Hollywood bruh that’s bad bruh

  pjalicee

  braydyn.anderson Man your just a gift from god

  lori.tho I just want you to know that you’re really cute and I stalk you all the time

  Joel Strom pulls into the driveway in his blue Porsche 911 Targa with a surfboard strapped to the top. His sun-kissed face is beaming through the open window at Valeria Leon, leaning against a parked BMW.

  “Almost lost your boyfriend to a double overhead today!” Joel flashes Valeria a wide smile as he steps out of his car wearing a Thrasher hoodie and swim trunks.

  “Sean’s not my boyfriend,” Valeria says. “He’s my relationship status.”

  Joel takes off his HUF hat and runs a hand through his shaggy blond hair, frizzy from the day at Zuma Beach.

  “What’re you doing out here by yourself?” he asks.

  “Hails and Bea are out by the pool with your sister planning an impromptu million-dollar party in honor of Hailey reaching a million Instagram followers. I couldn’t bring myself to go in.”

  Valeria has more than three million followers because of her acting career, and Joel has more than a million because he sold his soul on YouTube when he was, like, five. Neither of them cares.

  Joel puts his hat back on and pulls the rim lower, casting a shadow over his American-money-green eyes. He motions for Valeria to follow him inside.

  The TV is on in the living room when they step into the house. Joel’s mom, Kathy, is watching the just-released trailer for Platinum Triangle. The season 2 premiere is a month away. Joel knows his life is about to turn upside down.

  Platinum Triangle revolves around the lives of several affluent families who live in the Bel-Air, Beverly Hills, and Holmby Hills neighborhoods of Los Angeles. The real stars are the family matriarchs, who are held together by Juvéderm and rosé. The teens have their own storylines.

  For example, Valeria’s currently in a hot new romance with Joel’s best friend, Sean Johnson. There’s even a feature about it in the new issue of People magazine.

  Q: When did you know he was the one?

  A: When my publicist told me he was.

  Actually, Valeria’s answer was something sweet. Something like “We fell in love at San Vicente Bungalows, a private clubhouse. You’re not allowed to take photos. We were able to create something real, totally off camera. Something that’s just ours.”

  Something everyone follows.

  As they walk past the entrance to the living room, they overhear the most heated part of the trailer, when Joel’s mom and Hailey’s mom, Whitney Paley, are at each other’s throats. It’s petty AF. Whitney and Kathy are best friends who don’t really like each other at all. Kind of like Hailey and Greta.

  “Let’s talk about your fake fucking life,” Kathy yells on-screen. “Let’s talk about your marriage. How many times has Patrick cheated, Whitney?”

  “At least my husband didn’t marry me so he could wear my clothes!” Whitney screams back.

  Joel cringes. He’s been avoiding the trailer. He quickly leads Valeria out the back door of the house. She reaches over and gives Joel’s hand a quick squeeze before pulling away.

  It’s going to be hard to get through the new season. It shows everything. His dad moving out, the transition…Joel’s handling the changes in his family better than his sister. Greta is self-destructive. On the first season of Platinum Triangle, she slit her wrists in front of the camera. Their parents threatened to sue the network if they aired the footage. Greta was disappointed—that had been the whole point!

  They cut across the yard toward the pool, where Greta, Hailey, and Bea are hanging out, stoned and starving.

  “Hey, Greta,” Joel says. “How many times has Mom watched the trailer?”

  “Oh, I’d say at least a million.” Greta shoots a look at Hailey.

  “Are you coming to my party, Joel?” Hailey lowers her sunglasses.

  “A milli,” Joel says. “Quite the accomplishment.”

  “Careful, Hails,” Valeria says. “It’s not all VIP access, gifting suites, and retweets. There’s a dark side to Hollywood. The trolls, the users, the stans, the—”

  “—embarrassing press about your cousin from the Valley,” Greta finishes. She holds up her phone for Joel and Valeria to look at the Hollywood Life story.

  “Who’s Lily Rhode?” Joel asks.

  “Hailey’s trailer park cousin,” Greta answers. She turns to Hailey. “Does she have a fat family? I see a spin-off!”

  Bea shrieks with laughter. “Can I please be there when you pitch it?”

  “She looks like you, Hails,” Valeria says, looking at Lily’s mugshot.

  “Yeah.” Greta smirks. “Just not as apathetic.”

  Joel glances at the mugshot. Hailey must be mortified. Lily is something she can’t control. Hailey once got rid of a family dog because she thought its bark was “indiscreet.”

  Hailey pushes her glasses up her new nose. According to her posts, she’s been in Côte d’Azur most of the summer, but the photos were all plagiarized. Joel knows she’s actually been locked in her room, recovering from the surgery.

  “Literally everyone is trying to get on the list for my party,” Hailey says, checking her phone.

  “Enjoy it while it lasts,” Joel says. “Viral is obscurity buying its time.”

  lily rhode

  no results found

  After a night in jail, Lily, handcuffed, is guided by a uniformed police officer down a corridor in the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station.

  She’s brought into a meeting room where a lawyer is sitting at a table, a folder open in front of him with Lily’s mugshot sticking out. It’s the first time Lily has seen it and it shocks her. It’s like looking at someone else. That can’t be her. It’s like when she sees her Aunt Whitney or her cousin Hailey on Platinum Triangle. They’re so familiar and yet she doesn’t know them at all.

  The lawyer barely glances up at Lily as her handcuffs are removed and she takes a seat across from him.

  “Lily Rhode, I’m Stan Yates. I’ll be your public defender.” He passes Lily a box. “Here are your personals.”

  Inside is Lily’s phone, her ID, the keys to the trailer where she lives in a mobile
-home park in Van Nuys, and the Tiffany charm bracelet she was wearing when she and Chris were arrested. She reaches in to touch a heart charm and traces it with her finger.

  “The stolen property is valued at over a hundred thousand dollars, which makes it grand theft.” Stan glances up at Lily from his file. “How would you like to plead?”

  “Guilty.” Lily reaches for her phone and turns it on. “Of FOMO.”

  Lily can’t believe that the sheep Chris stole is worth more than a hundred thousand! It’s a Lalanne, apparently. She had been so naive to think that he was actually taking her to a party at a beach house off the Pacific Coast Highway. She’d built up the scene in her mind on the drive from Van Nuys, imagining a bonfire on the beach, like the photo Hailey posted…the illusion had quickly popped.

  No lights had been on in the yacht-like beach house when they pulled into the motor court in Chris’s black Camaro.