the bouncer watched her with one eye while he screened other entrants.
Black Death was too popular for such a small venue. The street was packed with fans hoping to catch a glimpse of them, pressing to get closer to the door.
She spotted her friend above the crowd and waved her arms over her head.
Tyler bounded toward her with a wide grin, impervious to the press of the crowd. His front teeth were separated by a big gap and his hands were too big for his body. “Rylie! How’s it hanging?”
“Good,” she said cautiously, bracing herself for the questions: Why were her eyes a different color? How had her hair grown so long? And why did she look so weird?
But Tyler gave her one of his tickets without batting an eye. “Let’s get in, huh? It’s cold out here!”
Of course he didn't notice. Tyler never noticed anything. She almost laughed with the relief of not having to deal with her problem for once.
The South Den was already packed in anticipation of the show. Roadies assembled the drums on stage. The limited number of tickets meant it wasn’t as crowded as usual, so Rylie easily found an empty table in a dark corner. She wrinkled her nose at the stench of body odor and cigarette smoke.
Tyler jumped on the bar stool across from her. "How's your summer going?" she asked.
"It's been wild. You'll never guess what happened. Remember Teri?"
It took her a few seconds to bring a face to mind. "You mean Teri Haynes? That girl you stalked since spring break hoping she would notice you?"
Tyler's grin widened. "She finally noticed me."
"No way.”
"We've been dating for two weeks. She’s my girlfriend now! Nuts, huh?"
Her smile grew fixed. "Yeah. Nuts. Teri and Tyler. That's... cute."
Tyler checked his phone. "I'm going to meet Teri outside. I'll be right back. With my girlfriend ." Rylie gave a weak laugh and watched him go.
Girlfriend: the dirtiest of dirty words. Girlfriends interfered with friend-time and turned her guy friends stupid. Rylie hated it every time one of the boys she hung out with got a new girl because it meant their fun was over until the relationship ended.
No matter how much she liked the band, Rylie never would have come if she knew it meant tolerating a girlfriend .
He returned with Teri in tow.
"Hi!" she sang in a too-bright voice. "I'm Teri!"
"I know," Rylie said dully. "We had chemistry together."
"Oh yeah! Are you taking AP chem next year?"
She stared at Teri. Rylie didn't want to make friendly conversation. She had seen Tyler date a half dozen girls, and none of them had lasted long. Teri wilted under her gaze.
“I'm going to get coffee," Tyler said, oblivious (as always) to the change in mood.
"I'll come with," Teri said, shooting a cold look at Rylie.
Rylie didn't understand why most other girls didn’t like her. She suspected her blonde hair and skinny physique was a contributing factor. A lot of her friends' past girlfriends had hated her for it.
The singer took the microphone and the band started to play. She barely listened. Rylie didn’t want to be at The South Den with Tyler and Teri, or anybody else, for that matter. She wished she could be with Seth instead. It scared her to think of him alone at camp with the werewolf. She wondered if Seth had friends that hated his girlfriends, too.
Tyler returned balancing several cups of coffee in his arms. He set one in front of Rylie and took a seat. Teri draped herself over him like a hungry octopus, and it was all Rylie could do to keep from rolling her eyes.
“It’s a mocha cappuccino,” he said. “Your favorite, right?”
She took a long drink. Her sense of taste had improved with her smell and she could make out all the subtle flavors of the coffee bean. They had roasted it an hour ago at most. Rylie let out a happy sigh. “This is amazing. I haven’t had any coffee all summer at
Black Death was too popular for such a small venue. The street was packed with fans hoping to catch a glimpse of them, pressing to get closer to the door.
She spotted her friend above the crowd and waved her arms over her head.
Tyler bounded toward her with a wide grin, impervious to the press of the crowd. His front teeth were separated by a big gap and his hands were too big for his body. “Rylie! How’s it hanging?”
“Good,” she said cautiously, bracing herself for the questions: Why were her eyes a different color? How had her hair grown so long? And why did she look so weird?
But Tyler gave her one of his tickets without batting an eye. “Let’s get in, huh? It’s cold out here!”
Of course he didn't notice. Tyler never noticed anything. She almost laughed with the relief of not having to deal with her problem for once.
The South Den was already packed in anticipation of the show. Roadies assembled the drums on stage. The limited number of tickets meant it wasn’t as crowded as usual, so Rylie easily found an empty table in a dark corner. She wrinkled her nose at the stench of body odor and cigarette smoke.
Tyler jumped on the bar stool across from her. "How's your summer going?" she asked.
"It's been wild. You'll never guess what happened. Remember Teri?"
It took her a few seconds to bring a face to mind. "You mean Teri Haynes? That girl you stalked since spring break hoping she would notice you?"
Tyler's grin widened. "She finally noticed me."
"No way.”
"We've been dating for two weeks. She’s my girlfriend now! Nuts, huh?"
Her smile grew fixed. "Yeah. Nuts. Teri and Tyler. That's... cute."
Tyler checked his phone. "I'm going to meet Teri outside. I'll be right back. With my girlfriend ." Rylie gave a weak laugh and watched him go.
Girlfriend: the dirtiest of dirty words. Girlfriends interfered with friend-time and turned her guy friends stupid. Rylie hated it every time one of the boys she hung out with got a new girl because it meant their fun was over until the relationship ended.
No matter how much she liked the band, Rylie never would have come if she knew it meant tolerating a girlfriend .
He returned with Teri in tow.
"Hi!" she sang in a too-bright voice. "I'm Teri!"
"I know," Rylie said dully. "We had chemistry together."
"Oh yeah! Are you taking AP chem next year?"
She stared at Teri. Rylie didn't want to make friendly conversation. She had seen Tyler date a half dozen girls, and none of them had lasted long. Teri wilted under her gaze.
“I'm going to get coffee," Tyler said, oblivious (as always) to the change in mood.
"I'll come with," Teri said, shooting a cold look at Rylie.
Rylie didn't understand why most other girls didn’t like her. She suspected her blonde hair and skinny physique was a contributing factor. A lot of her friends' past girlfriends had hated her for it.
The singer took the microphone and the band started to play. She barely listened. Rylie didn’t want to be at The South Den with Tyler and Teri, or anybody else, for that matter. She wished she could be with Seth instead. It scared her to think of him alone at camp with the werewolf. She wondered if Seth had friends that hated his girlfriends, too.
Tyler returned balancing several cups of coffee in his arms. He set one in front of Rylie and took a seat. Teri draped herself over him like a hungry octopus, and it was all Rylie could do to keep from rolling her eyes.
“It’s a mocha cappuccino,” he said. “Your favorite, right?”
She took a long drink. Her sense of taste had improved with her smell and she could make out all the subtle flavors of the coffee bean. They had roasted it an hour ago at most. Rylie let out a happy sigh. “This is amazing. I haven’t had any coffee all summer at
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