“Awww, c’mon Kate. You know I’m not much for socializing.” Especially since I’m too afraid to leave my flat for anything but school, and never after dark. Not after what happened in that yard.
It feels as if Callum is just waiting for the right moment to attack me again, like a predator stalking its prey. He’s watching for a weak moment to get his revenge for the broken nose and ribs that Adam gave him and the complete beat down that Ryan got from Dax. Honestly, I think the only reason they’ve left me alone so far is to make me a nervous wreck from the anticipation.
“Don’t start with the whinging, Ellie. I’ll see you at eight and we’ll go together with all the girls. It’ll be fun!” Before I can protest, Kate spins on her heel and leaves me standing in front of my locker with my mouth hanging open.
Just great.
“Oh my God, pick one, Ellie! It’s not a fashion show, it’s a seedy pub. You know, beer on the floor, greasy finger foods, pissed up people everywhere. You could wear a ratty jumper and jeans and no one would care.” Kate is sitting on the edge of my bed anxiously, waiting for me to figure out what to wear.
I shoot daggers at her. “No one will care what I wear, huh? Then maybe I don’t have to go at all,” I sniff as I studiously chew on my tattered thumbnail.
Her expression goes from impatient to soft in a heartbeat. “You know what I mean. It’s going to be dark in there. You’re absolutely gorgeous no matter what, so just throw something on. The girls aren’t going to wait forever for us.”
Standing, she grabs a silver shirt and a pair of tight jeans off of the bed and throws them in my direction. “Here, wear this. It’s perfect.”
I catch the clothes and capitulate, pulling them on and straightening them out until they fit correctly. “Fine.” Pouting, I check my hair one last time in the tiny mirror on the door of my wardrobe before shoving my feet into a pair of shoes. “Let’s go.”
As we leave the building and start the long walk to the tube station, I wonder why the hell I agreed to this.
“This is the place?” I ask Kate, my nose wrinkled up in disgust. We’ve managed to get inside after waiting in a pretty long queue and one of Kate’s teammates has brought us some pints.
Kate slides me a frustrated glare. “Don’t judge, El. The DK is one of the best pubs to catch a live act. They have all the great bands and loads of them end up huge someday.”
“I’ve heard that they’re gorgeous,” an exotic looking raven-haired girl named Tasha says. “Maybe one of us can manage to chat one up.” She giggles ridiculously and accepts one of the beers from the girl whose name I can’t remember.
“If anyone’s going to get off with a sexy band member, it’s going to be me,” the unnamed girl says. She passes out pints to everyone and tosses her straight brown hair.
Kate gapes at her as does Tasha. “Don’t be such a bitch, Willa,” Kate says with a scowl. “There’s no calling dibs on men, we’ve established that a long time ago.”
Willa frowns, sipping her beer and flicking her green gaze around the crowded room. “I’ll be right back ladies. I see someone I know.” She throws her shoulders back and sticks her nose in the air as she makes her way through the mob.
“Christ, Kate. Why’d we invite her again? She’s irritating enough as a teammate and even worse as a friend,” says Tasha.
Kate shrugs, “She overheard us talking about it. Hey!” she calls out, waving towards the door. “There’s the rest of the girls. Let’s get them and grab a good spot by the stage, we don’t want to miss anything.”
“Sure,” I say pathetically. I feel a little out of place. Tasha’s nice and everything, but I don’t know these girls and they all know each other really well. My knowledge of football is practically nonexistent so I don’t have a lot in common with them.
I’m starting to think I should just skip out and go home when the lights in the audience dim and the stage is lit up by a couple of bright spotlights. Kate grips my arm tightly and squeals, “It’s time! This is going to be so fun!” She’s bouncing up and down with all of the excitement that a normal teenager should have.
I sigh, it’s too late to disappear. May as well try to have a good time. I take a giant swig of my drink and watch the stage.
chapter 5
Adam
“Okay boys, you go on in five, so make sure you’re ready.” George, the lanky owner of the Drunken Kitten, a decent pub just outside the city proper, pokes his head into the room we’re waiting in to let us know it’s almost time.
Dax and I were lucky to get this gig. The DK is a popular hangout for young people, being close to several universities and located amongst the trendier spots on this side of town. I almost blew the audition with my fucked up hand, but George saw our potential and luckily, believed me when I said I’d be able to play by tonight.
“Ready?” Dax stares at me as he cracks his neck and strums a few quick chords.
I breathe out slowly in a pathetic attempt to control my nerves. Dax and I are both guitarists. We play an all-acoustic set of different songs, new, old, and some of our own originals. I sing lead, he sings backup. I anticipated a lot of different problems cropping up tonight, but me being nervous wasn’t one of them.
“Yep. Ready
as I’ll ever be.” This is our first paying gig. A real paying job, for actual money. Money not earned illegally by working for my brother, running his drugs for him, and it feels fucking great.
Quickly, I strum through my practice chords and nod, “I’m good.”