description would’ve helped.” I glance at Rae with a shake of my head.
“Hilarious, Cal,” she says. “I’ve seen him on Facebook, so it worked out.”
“Rae, what’s the name of your band again?” Eric asks, typing on his phone. “I need to follow you guys. Do you have anything I can download?”
“Ragin’ Bitches,” Rae tells him. “Not yet. We’re supposed to record a demo when I get back. We’re a few songs away from a set, so I’m hoping to book our first gig soon.”
“Really?” I ask. This is the first time she’s mentioned it. Rae usually complains that the girls can’t agree on anything whenever I talk to her. It’s good to hear they’ve finally made progress. “Will I get to see you play when we go home?”
“Maybe. If the neighborhood doesn’t revolt against us. Your mom’s trying to make peace by sticking earplugs in all the mailboxes. You’d think they’d be used to music coming from my garage. It’s been that way since we were kids.”
“Yeah, Rae told me about that.” Eric laughs. “She also told me you were a complete dork growing up.”
“Nice, Rae. Thanks,” I remark with a shake of my head.
“Whatever.” She shrugs. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way. You just… were.”
“
And
she said that you think Lake Girl is actually a girl from your neighborhood you’ve been obsessing over your entire life.”
“Wow. Leave much out, Rae? And I’m
not
obsessing over her,” I say in defense. “I wish you’d stop saying that.” But considering how much I’ve been thinking about Nyelle lately, Rae’s not totally off.
“Have you met her yet?” Rae asks Eric. He shakes his head. “Nicole, the girl we grew up with, was nothing like the girl he tells me about. She was super shy when we were kids. Then she became a stuck-up bitch in high school.”
“Rae,” I say sternly.
“What? She was,” Rae argues back. “Nicole was too consumed with being perfect to give a shit about the rest of us. Seriously, when was the last time she spoke to either of us, other than to tell us to leave her alone?”
I drop my eyes to the floor. “Nyelle’s different.”
“That’s right. Because it’s
not
her. When do I get to meet your delusion anyway?”
“Not sure,” I reply. “I’m hoping she’ll show up at the party tomorrow night with her roommate.”
Eric turns to me, “If you’re so sure Nyelle is Nicole and you’ve known her most of your life, why don’t you just say something to her?”
“It’s… complicated. I want her to trust me. Rae, don’t say anything when you see her, okay? If she’s lying, there must be a reason. And if she really believes she’s Nyelle, something must’ve happened to her. I think it would only make things worse if we confront her.”
I focus on Rae, silently pleading.
“Whatever,” she grumbles. “It’s
not
her.”
We sit in awkward silence for a moment with Rae pulling the tab of her beer and Eric looking between me and Rae, trying to figure out what we’re not telling him.
“How’s Liam?” I ask, needing to change the subject.
“A fricken pain in my ass,” Rae responds. “But he’s staying out of trouble.”
“Your brother?” Eric confirms.
“Yeah. He’s the reason I’m not here yet,” Rae tells him.
“You’re supposed to be at Crenshaw?”
I watch Rae carefully as she nods. It’s not easy for her to talk about what’s she’s given up for her brother.
“I’ll be here next year unless my music career takes off,” Rae tells him with a cocky grin.
“So why aren’t you here now?” Eric asks, not following.
“Liam tends to be attracted to assholes. They probably remind him of our father,” Rae explains, rolling her eyes. “Last year he got arrested for possession with intent to distribute. Dumbass.”
“Wow,” Eric responds with wide eyes. “So you’re, like, his… parole officer?”
“Yeah, feels like it,” Rae says with a laugh. “I just need to get him into college
“Hilarious, Cal,” she says. “I’ve seen him on Facebook, so it worked out.”
“Rae, what’s the name of your band again?” Eric asks, typing on his phone. “I need to follow you guys. Do you have anything I can download?”
“Ragin’ Bitches,” Rae tells him. “Not yet. We’re supposed to record a demo when I get back. We’re a few songs away from a set, so I’m hoping to book our first gig soon.”
“Really?” I ask. This is the first time she’s mentioned it. Rae usually complains that the girls can’t agree on anything whenever I talk to her. It’s good to hear they’ve finally made progress. “Will I get to see you play when we go home?”
“Maybe. If the neighborhood doesn’t revolt against us. Your mom’s trying to make peace by sticking earplugs in all the mailboxes. You’d think they’d be used to music coming from my garage. It’s been that way since we were kids.”
“Yeah, Rae told me about that.” Eric laughs. “She also told me you were a complete dork growing up.”
“Nice, Rae. Thanks,” I remark with a shake of my head.
“Whatever.” She shrugs. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way. You just… were.”
“
And
she said that you think Lake Girl is actually a girl from your neighborhood you’ve been obsessing over your entire life.”
“Wow. Leave much out, Rae? And I’m
not
obsessing over her,” I say in defense. “I wish you’d stop saying that.” But considering how much I’ve been thinking about Nyelle lately, Rae’s not totally off.
“Have you met her yet?” Rae asks Eric. He shakes his head. “Nicole, the girl we grew up with, was nothing like the girl he tells me about. She was super shy when we were kids. Then she became a stuck-up bitch in high school.”
“Rae,” I say sternly.
“What? She was,” Rae argues back. “Nicole was too consumed with being perfect to give a shit about the rest of us. Seriously, when was the last time she spoke to either of us, other than to tell us to leave her alone?”
I drop my eyes to the floor. “Nyelle’s different.”
“That’s right. Because it’s
not
her. When do I get to meet your delusion anyway?”
“Not sure,” I reply. “I’m hoping she’ll show up at the party tomorrow night with her roommate.”
Eric turns to me, “If you’re so sure Nyelle is Nicole and you’ve known her most of your life, why don’t you just say something to her?”
“It’s… complicated. I want her to trust me. Rae, don’t say anything when you see her, okay? If she’s lying, there must be a reason. And if she really believes she’s Nyelle, something must’ve happened to her. I think it would only make things worse if we confront her.”
I focus on Rae, silently pleading.
“Whatever,” she grumbles. “It’s
not
her.”
We sit in awkward silence for a moment with Rae pulling the tab of her beer and Eric looking between me and Rae, trying to figure out what we’re not telling him.
“How’s Liam?” I ask, needing to change the subject.
“A fricken pain in my ass,” Rae responds. “But he’s staying out of trouble.”
“Your brother?” Eric confirms.
“Yeah. He’s the reason I’m not here yet,” Rae tells him.
“You’re supposed to be at Crenshaw?”
I watch Rae carefully as she nods. It’s not easy for her to talk about what’s she’s given up for her brother.
“I’ll be here next year unless my music career takes off,” Rae tells him with a cocky grin.
“So why aren’t you here now?” Eric asks, not following.
“Liam tends to be attracted to assholes. They probably remind him of our father,” Rae explains, rolling her eyes. “Last year he got arrested for possession with intent to distribute. Dumbass.”
“Wow,” Eric responds with wide eyes. “So you’re, like, his… parole officer?”
“Yeah, feels like it,” Rae says with a laugh. “I just need to get him into college
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