She nodded but was busy studying my face. Probably trying to see if I was sincere. I was.
“Avery.” That was Brooks.
I steadied my breathing and turned toward him, putting a smile on. “Hi.” He looked so handsome. I’d missed him.
“You’re ungrounded?” He was trying to get his guitar off but seemed tangled in the strap somehow. Finally, he shook his arm in frustration and broke free. He set his guitar down and walked closer.
“Yes, we have been released,” I said, smiling at Lauren.
“Who knew being forced to hang out with parents all week in an internet-free environment would be such torture?” Lauren said.
“I think everyone knows that,” Kai said.
Lauren laughed. “Whatever.”
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Brooks asked me, nodding toward the curtains and back room. Kai’s brows shot down.
“Yeah, sure.” We walked, and once behind the curtain, Brooks grabbed my hand. In the room, with the door shut, he pulled me into a hug.
“Hi,” he said against my neck.
I smiled, then kissed his cheek. “Hi.”
When we separated, I noticed we were standing by the box of T-shirts. I pulled one out. “Bear Heads,” I said, noting the picture of a poorly drawn bear on the front. “That should be your band name.” I pointed to the number on the ear. “Two Thousand Bear Heads. Has this box of shirts really been sitting here since the year 2000?”
He took the T-shirt from me and tossed it back into the box.
“You obviously don’t like that idea?” I teased.
“Avery, talk to me. What happened? What are your parents going to do?”
“Don’t worry, they aren’t going to tell Janelle,” I said.
“That’s good. But…” He looked up and then shoved his hands in his pockets. “What are they going to do? Are you even allowed to be here?”
“Yes, they know I’m here.”
“Wait…” He raked his hand through his hair. “They weren’t going to…Were they going to let you sing?”
Were. He said the word were. “My sister made this video that totally won them over. It was pretty great. So…yeah…they were…but Ian’s back, so I get it. How did that happen?” My eyes started to sting. I looked up at the chandelier for a moment to keep my emotions in check.
He paced in front of me. “You said the chance that they’d give you permission was low.”
“I know. Exactly.” I had said that.
“And you got so sick after performing last time, I thought you were just doing it for me. I felt guilty. Then Ian called and said he was better and I told him about the festival and how we were screwed…again…and he said he could come. I thought it must be…”
“A sign?” I said. Signs were really starting to get on my nerves.
“Yes.”
I found myself nodding.
He groaned. “This is a mess. Ian moved back up here. Janelle is even letting him stay in the cabin with us, which is so unlike her.”
“It’s obviously meant to be.”
“No, I mean, I thought so at first, but no.” He looked so worried and torn as he walked back and forth in front of me.
“Brooks, come here.” I grabbed his hand as he passed and pulled him close. “It’s fine. I’m fine. Ian will do great. He sounded amazing just now. Plus, he has experience. You’re right, I’d probably choke in front of hundreds of people at a festival. I could barely handle five. This is obviously how it was supposed to happen.”
He put his forehead to my shoulder and didn’t deny anything I’d just said. “You think so?”
“Yes,” I said, trying to convince both of us.
“I’m sorry.”
“Please don’t be. I will be perfectly happy in the audience screaming and lip-syncing with those hundreds of people. I’ll be the proud girlfriend.”
“Was that your way of asking me to be your boyfriend?” For the first time, I could hear the smile in his voice.
My cheeks went red but still I said confidently, “Yes, yes, it was.” Because I liked this boy. I liked him a lot.
He wrapped both arms tight around my waist. “Yes. Absolutely.”
My cheeks hurt from smiling so big. He leaned down and kissed me while shuffling us toward the couch. I fell back, sitting first, and then he was next to me, our lips hardly separating with the change of elevation.
“I should probably,” he said between kisses, “go back out.”
“Yes…” I could kiss him forever. “Oh!” I pulled back and freed the page of lyrics from my pocket, handing it to him.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“The song. I added the second verse.”
“Oh.” He read over the words and his smile softened to a look of genuine emotion. “Avery…I…this is so good.”
“You like it?” I’d been nervous but his reaction made me happy.
“You should write songs for the rest of your life.” He took my face in his hands and kissed me softly. “You are seriously amazing.”
I shrugged. “Sometimes.”
He smiled at the paper, then stood. “So good.” He headed for the door but looked back when I didn’t move. “You coming?”
“I’ll be out in a sec.”
He nodded and then was gone.
I slumped back onto the couch, my hands running back and forth over the cushions on either side of me. The feel of the material under my fingertips brought back the memories of all the nights I’d spent in here, my voice going hoarse. It was over. This impractical journey was over. This was a good thing, I told my stinging eyes. Maybe the uncertainty I’d been feeling all summer about myself and my future could go away as well.
The next day I stood by the pay phone, staring at the handle, my quarters gripped in my fist. For someone who had yet to actually talk to anyone on the pay phone, I felt like I had spent too much time in this spot.
My plan when coming here was to call Shay, invite her to the festival. That had been in
