My Sleeve.’”
“Come on. I can’t believe you’re second-guessing that song again.”
“No, just . . .” He looks around. “Everyone’s here to have fun, not to hear some downer ballad.”
“It’s not a downer. And nobody will have any idea who you’re singing about. People adapt songs to be about themselves.”
“Yeah.”
I rub his arm. “You’re nervous.”
Caleb kinda gulps. “I want it to be good. I always get amped up before shows. It’ll be okay once we’re playing.”
“Is it being here, too?”
Caleb focuses on folding his set. “What do you mean?”
“Randy was talking about Eli being here, now you’rehere. I mean, it’s understandable if that’s on your mind. You know, like life repeating itself.”
“That’s not how it’s going to be.” Caleb abruptly steps away. “I should go tune. See you after the set?”
“Right.” I try to offer him a smile. He’s half turned to go, but then he turns back and steps close. He leans in for a kiss.
Except I glance around, wary, and no! Why did I do that? And it immediately breaks the spell. Caleb pulls back. “Okay, sorry.” He walks off.
As he leaves, I swear to myself. We’ve lost our groove. He’s nervous, but it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have mentioned Eli and why do I even care what everyone thinks? But I’ll let him go. Things will be better after the set.
To be sure, though, I send him a quick text. Sorry about the weird. Break a leg! But not really .
I pause for a moment thinking of ending with love you— it would be the first time either of us said it. Almost a month, it’s time, isn’t it? But would that be weird right after having a moment of awkwardness? I end it with xo instead and hope the love is implied.
I distract myself by moving around the party and finding moments to post about.
MoonflowerAM @catherinefornevr 8:45pm
Does Dangerheart sound better when you’re covered in lava? #Dangerheart #trialbyfire
I make a quick movie of a boy trying to cross the lava pit and falling in, and post it to Fanspace.
“SUMMER!” Ari emerges from the crowd, strutting toward me, megaphone to his mouth. “SWEET PARTY HUH—”
I wince and slap the megaphone down. “You were saying?”
“Sweet party, right?” he says breathlessly. His face is beet red. He smells like sugar and booze. “You ready for that Eruption?”
“After the set,” I say, offering him a professional smile. “Thanks for inviting us.”
Ari nods. Sways. His eyes swim down me but then his gaze shoots to our left. He raises the megaphone. “KYLIE!” He careens off.
“Hey, Summer!” I turn to find Maya hurrying over. “So excited to see the new band!”
“Hey, thanks! Me too.” I take her arm. “Stay with me, I have someone for you to meet.” I send a quick text.
“Ooh, so secretive!”
A minute later, Matt shows up, breathless. He literally ran in response to my text. “What’s up?” he asks, eyes hopeful.
“Matt, I wanted you to meet Maya. Maya Matt, reverse, there you go. You two should get to know each other. Maya is an awesome band manager. And Matt rocks, he’s a great drummer and he’s”—I’m already saying what I plannedto say when I realize how he’s going to take it—“like the brother I never had.”
Maya flashes a smile at me. Matt on the other hand, is beet red and not smiling. “Hey,” he manages politely.
Ah, crap. It’s a look that makes me feel bad about the brother comment. But maybe it’s necessary to train his puppy-dog love on someone else.
I help the two start up a conversation, and it’s just starting to go somewhere, but then there’s a whine of feedback from the stage.
“What up what up,” Alejandro intones into the mic. “We are the Freak Show, Freak Show . . .” He looms over the edge of the stage, his voice deep and sinister. All around us, people’s heads turn.
The band has been reinvented in black outfits. Lane starts thumping quarter notes on the kick drum, in a
“Come on. I can’t believe you’re second-guessing that song again.”
“No, just . . .” He looks around. “Everyone’s here to have fun, not to hear some downer ballad.”
“It’s not a downer. And nobody will have any idea who you’re singing about. People adapt songs to be about themselves.”
“Yeah.”
I rub his arm. “You’re nervous.”
Caleb kinda gulps. “I want it to be good. I always get amped up before shows. It’ll be okay once we’re playing.”
“Is it being here, too?”
Caleb focuses on folding his set. “What do you mean?”
“Randy was talking about Eli being here, now you’rehere. I mean, it’s understandable if that’s on your mind. You know, like life repeating itself.”
“That’s not how it’s going to be.” Caleb abruptly steps away. “I should go tune. See you after the set?”
“Right.” I try to offer him a smile. He’s half turned to go, but then he turns back and steps close. He leans in for a kiss.
Except I glance around, wary, and no! Why did I do that? And it immediately breaks the spell. Caleb pulls back. “Okay, sorry.” He walks off.
As he leaves, I swear to myself. We’ve lost our groove. He’s nervous, but it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have mentioned Eli and why do I even care what everyone thinks? But I’ll let him go. Things will be better after the set.
To be sure, though, I send him a quick text. Sorry about the weird. Break a leg! But not really .
I pause for a moment thinking of ending with love you— it would be the first time either of us said it. Almost a month, it’s time, isn’t it? But would that be weird right after having a moment of awkwardness? I end it with xo instead and hope the love is implied.
I distract myself by moving around the party and finding moments to post about.
MoonflowerAM @catherinefornevr 8:45pm
Does Dangerheart sound better when you’re covered in lava? #Dangerheart #trialbyfire
I make a quick movie of a boy trying to cross the lava pit and falling in, and post it to Fanspace.
“SUMMER!” Ari emerges from the crowd, strutting toward me, megaphone to his mouth. “SWEET PARTY HUH—”
I wince and slap the megaphone down. “You were saying?”
“Sweet party, right?” he says breathlessly. His face is beet red. He smells like sugar and booze. “You ready for that Eruption?”
“After the set,” I say, offering him a professional smile. “Thanks for inviting us.”
Ari nods. Sways. His eyes swim down me but then his gaze shoots to our left. He raises the megaphone. “KYLIE!” He careens off.
“Hey, Summer!” I turn to find Maya hurrying over. “So excited to see the new band!”
“Hey, thanks! Me too.” I take her arm. “Stay with me, I have someone for you to meet.” I send a quick text.
“Ooh, so secretive!”
A minute later, Matt shows up, breathless. He literally ran in response to my text. “What’s up?” he asks, eyes hopeful.
“Matt, I wanted you to meet Maya. Maya Matt, reverse, there you go. You two should get to know each other. Maya is an awesome band manager. And Matt rocks, he’s a great drummer and he’s”—I’m already saying what I plannedto say when I realize how he’s going to take it—“like the brother I never had.”
Maya flashes a smile at me. Matt on the other hand, is beet red and not smiling. “Hey,” he manages politely.
Ah, crap. It’s a look that makes me feel bad about the brother comment. But maybe it’s necessary to train his puppy-dog love on someone else.
I help the two start up a conversation, and it’s just starting to go somewhere, but then there’s a whine of feedback from the stage.
“What up what up,” Alejandro intones into the mic. “We are the Freak Show, Freak Show . . .” He looms over the edge of the stage, his voice deep and sinister. All around us, people’s heads turn.
The band has been reinvented in black outfits. Lane starts thumping quarter notes on the kick drum, in a
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