scrolled through the tour
dates, trying to find out when he’d finally be finished.
“ Look,” Annie, jabbing her
finger at the screen. “Controlled Environment is doing that college
tour with Flyby and Rhetorical Outlook. They’re going to be at
Seth’s school after the holidays!”
“ I wonder,” I began. An
idea formulated in my head and I scrambled for my cell phone. I hit
Jake’s number without even looking, Monique temporarily forced from
my mind.
“ What?” Annie asked as I
waited for Jake to answer. I was about to hang up when his tired
voice greeted me.
“ Hey, Iz. Long time no
talk. Is everything okay?”
“ Yeah,” I said slowly. “How
about you? You sound exhausted. Are you getting enough
rest?”
He chuckled softly and while the sound did
rouse a flock of goose bumps, it didn’t relieve my anxiety. “Sure,
angel. We played our final L.A. show last night and spent the day
in meetings at the studio.”
“ That sucks,” I
commiserated. “Do you get to go home and rest soon?”
“ Yeah, that’s the plan,” he
said, yawning in the phone. “So what’s up? School going
okay?”
“ Actually,” I said,
nibbling at my lip. “I was calling to ask for another
favor.”
He grunted a tired laugh. “Anything, Iz.
Need me to take you to prom? Want to auction me off for your
beloved Drama Club?”
I smiled at his humor. “Not a bad idea,” I
murmured, earning another bout of laughter. “But seriously, Annie
and I were checking out your website and I see you’re doing the
college tour in January.”
“ Yeah, we can’t wait. It’s
going to be fun.”
“ Well,” I said, stretching
out every syllable. “You’re going to be at Seth’s school. Do you
think you can finagle me a couple tickets to give him for
Christmas?”
“ Is that all?” he
snorted.
“ What do you mean, is that
all?” I frowned. “It’s kind of a big deal to us mere mortals, you
know.”
“ Hold on,” he said, still
laughing. I heard him yell at someone on his end. I strained to
make out the conversation but he must have been covering the phone.
He came back a couple minutes later. “Not a problem. I’ll send them
to you. How many do you need? Rob said you can have as many as you
want.”
“ Who’s Rob?”
“ He produces our stuff. And
runs the studio. He’s the one who discovered us, you
know.”
Oh, that Rob. I rolled my eyes
sarcastically and Annie furrowed her brow, anxious to know
everything Jake said. “I guess just four.”
“ Are you going to come?” he
asked.
“ Maybe. Seth’s school is
not too far from here.” Of course I’d be there but I couldn’t tell
him that. I didn’t want to appear like a stalker.
“ Just let me know. You
don’t need a ticket; I’ll get you in.”
“ Thanks so much,” I gushed.
I took a deep breath, not wanting to end the call but not wanting
to bring up Monique, either. Annie nudged me and I shot her a dirty
look.
“ Something wrong?” Jake
asked.
I bit my lip. Hard. I winced as Annie nudged
me again. “I saw you on television a little while ago. On the VTV
News. At a movie premier.”
He was quiet for a moment and I was afraid
we’d been cut off or something. “Oh. With Monique, huh?”
No, with Daisy Duck.
“ Yeah. Her. Was it
fun?”
His dry laugh startled me. “The movie sucked
but the premier party was all right.” He went silent again. “You
know, Iz, if you want to ask me something, just do it. I wouldn’t
lie to you. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
“ I…um…don’t. I just…you
know…saw you on TV. That’s all,” I stammered.
He sighed and I could picture him running
his hands through his dark hair. “Well, in case you were wondering,
yeah, I do see Monique every now and again. She’s fun. But it’s
nothing serious.”
Ouch.
“ Oh. I’m glad. I mean, I’d
hate for you to be lonely or anything. And if she’s nice, that’s
even better. You deserve that.” So much for sounding only
dates, trying to find out when he’d finally be finished.
“ Look,” Annie, jabbing her
finger at the screen. “Controlled Environment is doing that college
tour with Flyby and Rhetorical Outlook. They’re going to be at
Seth’s school after the holidays!”
“ I wonder,” I began. An
idea formulated in my head and I scrambled for my cell phone. I hit
Jake’s number without even looking, Monique temporarily forced from
my mind.
“ What?” Annie asked as I
waited for Jake to answer. I was about to hang up when his tired
voice greeted me.
“ Hey, Iz. Long time no
talk. Is everything okay?”
“ Yeah,” I said slowly. “How
about you? You sound exhausted. Are you getting enough
rest?”
He chuckled softly and while the sound did
rouse a flock of goose bumps, it didn’t relieve my anxiety. “Sure,
angel. We played our final L.A. show last night and spent the day
in meetings at the studio.”
“ That sucks,” I
commiserated. “Do you get to go home and rest soon?”
“ Yeah, that’s the plan,” he
said, yawning in the phone. “So what’s up? School going
okay?”
“ Actually,” I said,
nibbling at my lip. “I was calling to ask for another
favor.”
He grunted a tired laugh. “Anything, Iz.
Need me to take you to prom? Want to auction me off for your
beloved Drama Club?”
I smiled at his humor. “Not a bad idea,” I
murmured, earning another bout of laughter. “But seriously, Annie
and I were checking out your website and I see you’re doing the
college tour in January.”
“ Yeah, we can’t wait. It’s
going to be fun.”
“ Well,” I said, stretching
out every syllable. “You’re going to be at Seth’s school. Do you
think you can finagle me a couple tickets to give him for
Christmas?”
“ Is that all?” he
snorted.
“ What do you mean, is that
all?” I frowned. “It’s kind of a big deal to us mere mortals, you
know.”
“ Hold on,” he said, still
laughing. I heard him yell at someone on his end. I strained to
make out the conversation but he must have been covering the phone.
He came back a couple minutes later. “Not a problem. I’ll send them
to you. How many do you need? Rob said you can have as many as you
want.”
“ Who’s Rob?”
“ He produces our stuff. And
runs the studio. He’s the one who discovered us, you
know.”
Oh, that Rob. I rolled my eyes
sarcastically and Annie furrowed her brow, anxious to know
everything Jake said. “I guess just four.”
“ Are you going to come?” he
asked.
“ Maybe. Seth’s school is
not too far from here.” Of course I’d be there but I couldn’t tell
him that. I didn’t want to appear like a stalker.
“ Just let me know. You
don’t need a ticket; I’ll get you in.”
“ Thanks so much,” I gushed.
I took a deep breath, not wanting to end the call but not wanting
to bring up Monique, either. Annie nudged me and I shot her a dirty
look.
“ Something wrong?” Jake
asked.
I bit my lip. Hard. I winced as Annie nudged
me again. “I saw you on television a little while ago. On the VTV
News. At a movie premier.”
He was quiet for a moment and I was afraid
we’d been cut off or something. “Oh. With Monique, huh?”
No, with Daisy Duck.
“ Yeah. Her. Was it
fun?”
His dry laugh startled me. “The movie sucked
but the premier party was all right.” He went silent again. “You
know, Iz, if you want to ask me something, just do it. I wouldn’t
lie to you. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
“ I…um…don’t. I just…you
know…saw you on TV. That’s all,” I stammered.
He sighed and I could picture him running
his hands through his dark hair. “Well, in case you were wondering,
yeah, I do see Monique every now and again. She’s fun. But it’s
nothing serious.”
Ouch.
“ Oh. I’m glad. I mean, I’d
hate for you to be lonely or anything. And if she’s nice, that’s
even better. You deserve that.” So much for sounding only
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