“Aww. You miss me!” she squeals.
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get a big head. But yeah, I miss you and my friends. We always had people around, ya know? People to talk to.”
“I thought you made friends.” Her voice is soft, taking on that motherly tone.
“Yeah, but it’s still new. I’m just trying to adjust still.”
“I got you. It’ll get easier. I can come visit for Thanksgiving.”
I whine like a baby. “That’s still two months away.”
“I know. Just stay busy with school, have fun on the weekends. Find a boyfriend…or actually, maybe don’t do that. Boys suck.”
I laugh. “Then maybe I should find a man.”
My sister scoffs and I can sense her eye roll from here. “Good lord. Don’t start.”
“What?” I say with a laugh.
“That damn teacher. Look, give him an apple for an A, not some ass.”
“It’s gonna take a lot more than an apple to pass this class.”
“Then take five.”
I laugh again. “Don’t worry. I’m not gonna try anything with him. Maybe I’ll find a guy around my age at the next party I go to.”
“Or maybe in class. A nice, studious boy. Not a boy who parties all the time.”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t even act like you didn’t party and hook up with boys when you were my age.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Right. Okay.” I take a breath. “Well, I guess I’ll let you go. We both need our beauty rest.”
“Speak for yourself.”
“Bitch.”
She cackles. “Love you. Talk to you tomorrow.”
“Love you, too.”
I go to sleep feeling better after talking to my sister, but my dreams bring me back to Professor Kingston. He bends me over his desk and does sinful and delicious things to my body.
11
“Dude, they’re so good!” Cillian yells into my ear as we’re standing to the side of the stage at The Unwanted’s last concert in Cleveland.
I look out at the audience and watch as people sing along to lyrics my brother wrote. What an insane life. I’m so proud of him.
“I think this is their last song,” Royce says. “Do we meet him in the dressing room or what?”
“He said we can stay here. I don’t even know how to get to the dressing room,” I tell him.
“True.”
When the last song is done, Sky—the lead singer—thanks the crowd for coming out and tells them new music is coming soon. The four of them exit the stage, and there are people waiting to give them water bottles and towels to wipe their sweat. Their manager is there, giving them praise, but Merrick comes right over to us with a huge smile on his face.
“Whaddya think?” he asks, wiping sweat from his forehead.
“I’m so proud of you,” I tell him with a grin. “It was so good. Way better than your garage days.”
He cracks a grin. “Thanks.”
“Dude! That was amazing!” Cillian says, shaking Merrick’s shoulder.
“Yeah, fucking crazy!” Royce adds.
Cillian and Royce’s girlfriends’ Midge and London are beaming at him. “This was the best first concert we could’ve asked for,” Midge says. London nods in agreement.
“I’m glad you guys enjoyed it. Let’s head back to the room,” he says, drinking half a bottle of water before pouring the rest over his head.
We spend hours in the dressing room with the band before their manager says they need to be back at the hotel and ready to leave first thing in the morning. They have to get back to their record label to discuss what’s next.
“I’m glad you guys made it out,” Merrick says, giving us all a hug. “I’ll let you know when I’ll have a break. Maybe I can come back home soon.”
“Sounds good, man.” I give him a hug. “I’ll talk to you soon. Take care of yourself, yeah?”
He nods then says goodbye to everyone else, leaving us to go to the hotel we’re staying in for the night.
* * *
Monday morning comes too quickly, but I find myself excited to see Nova. And that’s not good.
Of course, she’s the first to come in for her class, and I’m starting to think she does that on purpose.
“Hey, Professor,” she greets, but this time it’s not in her usual flirty way. She sounds like any other student saying hi to their teacher.
“Hi, Nova,” I respond, erasing the chalkboard.
She stays quiet while I start writing problems on the board, and then she breaks the silence.
“How was your concert?”
“It was really good,” I reply, glancing over my shoulder to get a look at her. “How was your party?”
“It was fine.”
“Doesn’t sound like it was too fun.”
“Your concert was probably better.”
I chuckle. “I don’t doubt that.”
When I’m done, I turn around and face her. She gives me a small grin. “So, someone at the party told me about a concert that was nearby. Apparently, the members in the band are from here.”
I stare at her, curious. “Someone just happened to talk about a concert this weekend, huh?”
She ducks her head and plays with a pen on her desk. “I may have asked about it.”
I fight my smile off. She was thinking about me. “I see.”
Nova glances up, embarrassed. “Not for any particular reason. Anyway, so, rock stars grew up in this little town.”
“I’m assuming you found out a little more than that.”
She bites on her lip, then lets all pretenses go, slamming her hands on the desk. “You’re related to a rock star!”
I laugh. “Still just my baby brother.”
“That’s crazy though! Did you have VIP access?”
“We stood to the side of the stage.”
“Wow. That’s awesome.”
I make my way to my desk and straighten some papers. When I glance over at Nova, she’s watching me in a daze, her eyes a little hooded while she chews on her bottom lip.
I clear my throat and grab her attention. She meets my gaze then shakes her head, her hand coming up to her cheek as if she’s attempting to hide a blush. “Sorry. Daydreaming. I mean…not like that. Just remembered this dream I had.”
