Kiss Off as your single. That’s so… that’s really cool.”
“Good! I’m insanely glad, because you…your music…you’ve made us better. You rock, Poppy,” he said, not taking his eyes off me. It made my stomach flutter, and I realized maybe I couldn’t just be his friend. Unless I knew for sure.
“So do you want to come to the studio some time?”
“Yeah but…” I stopped. I didn’t know how to word it. How did I say what I wanted to say without sounding like a love sick dork?
“What? What’s up?”
“Listen, I want to know something. Do you…” I stopped and looked away, embarrassed.
“What is it?”
“Are we, are we just hanging out because you like my song writing skills or, well, or do you like me as something other than that? Because I’m a little confused and-”
“Oh,” he said, ruffling the back of his hair with a smile. Oh God, he was embarrassed.
“I’m sorry, Poppy.”
Oh-my-god he didn’t like me. “Oh – it’s okay!” He didn’t like me, he hated me. I needed to go and die of embarrassment now. “It doesn’t matter. I didn’t mean…it’s not like -” Oh no. I had completely lost control of my mouth, my voice. It was all just coming out something had to stop me please stop-
“No, that’s not what I’m saying,” Ty said.
“…It’s not?”
“No. I was going to call you but everything’s just been happening so fast.”
“Okay…”
“Go out with me,” Ty said, taking my hands in his. “Go out with me, on a real date. Just you and me, none of this, no…”
“No loading docks?” I said with a smirk.
“Not that I mind loading docks,” he said, a wicked smile playing at his lips. “But no loading docks this time. Just you and me and someplace nicer.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” he said and he leaned down and kissed me. “Yeah, I mean it.”
***
Chapter Eleven
So Ty and I started dating and it was great. The band was mostly holed up in the studio recording their album, but somehow he still made time for me. We went to chill lounges and watched big bands play, went for walks in the park, the arcade and music stores to check out the newest guitars and lust after the Mahogany Les Paul. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe a couple of times - not for the food (though their buffalo wings aren’t bad) but to ogle all the music memorabilia. And we hung out with the rest of the band. When I started seeing Ty, I didn’t just get him, but a whole extra set of friends. Sebastian, the other guitarist and singer had a car. Sometimes after school I’d find his rusty white van, with Academy of Lies bumper stickers in a line all around the exterior, sitting outside the school gate. It was filled with Sebastian, Ty, Tommy, Archie and the two girls from the merchandise table. Nikki was at the gate too most days, in her little red Golf, waiting for Cam. She would always watch as I walked over to the van, the way the door slid open and they all cheered and I was enveloped in a group hug and Ty would tilt my chin up and kiss me. Cam walked out to the car with Nikki and watched too.
I gotta admit it, I felt smug. There was me and the gorgeous rock star and band and my new girlfriends – all of whom were older and infinitely cooler than Canikki – and then there was Cam and Nikki. One time, Ty had bounded out of the van and picked me up and twirled me around before literally sweeping me off my feet Old Hollywood style and kissing me right there at the school gate in front of everyone, including Cam and Nikki. A bit dazed, but back on my feet, I’d looked over at Cam and he turned to Nikki to give her a big over-the-top kiss too but she had rolled her eyes, pushed his face away and told him to get in the car.
Yeah, I was definitely smug.
I was taken in immediately as one of the group, one of the crew. Lana, the blond, was Tommy’s girlfriend and Jeri, the one with the pink pixie cut was with Seb, and I was with Ty, it was only Archie who was flying solo,
“Good! I’m insanely glad, because you…your music…you’ve made us better. You rock, Poppy,” he said, not taking his eyes off me. It made my stomach flutter, and I realized maybe I couldn’t just be his friend. Unless I knew for sure.
“So do you want to come to the studio some time?”
“Yeah but…” I stopped. I didn’t know how to word it. How did I say what I wanted to say without sounding like a love sick dork?
“What? What’s up?”
“Listen, I want to know something. Do you…” I stopped and looked away, embarrassed.
“What is it?”
“Are we, are we just hanging out because you like my song writing skills or, well, or do you like me as something other than that? Because I’m a little confused and-”
“Oh,” he said, ruffling the back of his hair with a smile. Oh God, he was embarrassed.
“I’m sorry, Poppy.”
Oh-my-god he didn’t like me. “Oh – it’s okay!” He didn’t like me, he hated me. I needed to go and die of embarrassment now. “It doesn’t matter. I didn’t mean…it’s not like -” Oh no. I had completely lost control of my mouth, my voice. It was all just coming out something had to stop me please stop-
“No, that’s not what I’m saying,” Ty said.
“…It’s not?”
“No. I was going to call you but everything’s just been happening so fast.”
“Okay…”
“Go out with me,” Ty said, taking my hands in his. “Go out with me, on a real date. Just you and me, none of this, no…”
“No loading docks?” I said with a smirk.
“Not that I mind loading docks,” he said, a wicked smile playing at his lips. “But no loading docks this time. Just you and me and someplace nicer.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” he said and he leaned down and kissed me. “Yeah, I mean it.”
***
Chapter Eleven
So Ty and I started dating and it was great. The band was mostly holed up in the studio recording their album, but somehow he still made time for me. We went to chill lounges and watched big bands play, went for walks in the park, the arcade and music stores to check out the newest guitars and lust after the Mahogany Les Paul. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe a couple of times - not for the food (though their buffalo wings aren’t bad) but to ogle all the music memorabilia. And we hung out with the rest of the band. When I started seeing Ty, I didn’t just get him, but a whole extra set of friends. Sebastian, the other guitarist and singer had a car. Sometimes after school I’d find his rusty white van, with Academy of Lies bumper stickers in a line all around the exterior, sitting outside the school gate. It was filled with Sebastian, Ty, Tommy, Archie and the two girls from the merchandise table. Nikki was at the gate too most days, in her little red Golf, waiting for Cam. She would always watch as I walked over to the van, the way the door slid open and they all cheered and I was enveloped in a group hug and Ty would tilt my chin up and kiss me. Cam walked out to the car with Nikki and watched too.
I gotta admit it, I felt smug. There was me and the gorgeous rock star and band and my new girlfriends – all of whom were older and infinitely cooler than Canikki – and then there was Cam and Nikki. One time, Ty had bounded out of the van and picked me up and twirled me around before literally sweeping me off my feet Old Hollywood style and kissing me right there at the school gate in front of everyone, including Cam and Nikki. A bit dazed, but back on my feet, I’d looked over at Cam and he turned to Nikki to give her a big over-the-top kiss too but she had rolled her eyes, pushed his face away and told him to get in the car.
Yeah, I was definitely smug.
I was taken in immediately as one of the group, one of the crew. Lana, the blond, was Tommy’s girlfriend and Jeri, the one with the pink pixie cut was with Seb, and I was with Ty, it was only Archie who was flying solo,
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