“No. Why would she be?”
“Because I invited her,” she said in a duh voice. “Which I shouldn’t have had to do. You should’ve invited her.”
“You really like to stick your nose into everyone’s business, don’t you?” he said, but his voice didn’t sound too angry.
“Yes, I do.”
“Well, get ready to be disappointed. Because she won’t be here.”
“You want to make a friendly wager?” she asked.
I relinked hands with him and squeezed.
“Oh really?” Mari said, pointing between the two of us. “Nobody ever listens to my advice.”
“I do,” Clay said.
“Oh please,” Tia said. “You don’t listen to anybody.”
Brooks narrowed his eyes at Maricela. “What advice have you been giving?”
“I said you’re a hot mess.”
“Well, that’s true,” he responded.
“That’s not true,” I said. “Life is messy. It’s better when we try to get through it together.”
“Okay, Socrates,” Clay said.
Tia elbowed him. “Don’t be dumb. She was making a good point. We’re all in this together.”
“Aw!” Maricela said, and smooshed us into a group hug.
I felt different this time as we stood off to the side of the stage, waiting to go on. The screams of hundreds of people were drowning everything out, but also vibrating through me, like the energy was holding me up, urging me on. Levi and Ian were on my left and Brooks was on my right, but Kai was still MIA.
The band onstage finished their song. “Should we borrow their drummer?” I asked as a joke, but Brooks seemed to seriously consider it.
“No,” he said after a moment. “We’ll be fine.”
“Please welcome to the stage Two Thousand Bear Heads!”
More cheering pulsed through the air. I jumped up and down a few times to try and channel my energy, then said, “Let’s do this.” I walked with purpose up the stairs and to the microphone. I grabbed hold of it with both hands. “Hello, Roseville!”
I smiled as the volume of the crowd rose again. “Our first song for you tonight is called ‘Rewriting History.’ ”
A drumroll rang out and I turned to see Kai sitting on his stool.
“Told you he always comes back,” Levi said from my left.
Brooks swung his guitar around to his front and gave me a wink. “You got this.”
And I did.
It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be to look out at the sea of faces, especially when I saw some familiar ones that had worked their way closer to the stage—Lauren, Shay, and Maricela.
This time through the song was ten times better than the last. It wasn’t because I was perfect, because I wasn’t. But I had a whole band backing me up. Kai busted out a drum solo when I missed a cue and Ian chimed in when I forgot a lyric. And I finished out the second verse strong and beamed at the audience when they clapped.
Brooks stepped up beside me and leaned into the microphone. “Isn’t she amazing? Avery Young, everyone!”
My smiled stretched even farther.
Brooks jerked his head to the side and the rest of the band filed off the stage while he switched his electric guitar for his acoustic. Then he was beside me at the microphone again. “Our second song tonight is called…” He stopped. “Did we ever name this song, Avery?”
“I don’t think we did,” I said, sharing the mic with him and meeting his eyes. “I’ve just been calling it the love song…because…well, because it’s about our journey this summer.” I stopped and felt my cheeks go red. “I mean, I think that’s what it’s about. Is your verse about me?”
“Of course my verse is about you,” he said. “Is your verse about me?”
“Yes.”
At least half the crowd let out a big “Awwww!” and my cheeks got even redder. I hadn’t meant to share that discovery with an audience, but either way, my stomach was filled with flapping wings of happiness.
Brooks kissed my cheek to another wave of “Awww!”
“You ready?” he asked.
“Yes.”
The melody flowed through his fast-moving fingers as he picked the strings. This time I did look at him, not because I needed to but because I wanted to, and I sang.
“Sometimes the stars align
Sometimes the path seems moved for you
Sometimes it’s just in time
Exactly when hope was almost through
And sometimes is all I need
And more than I deserved
So I read into every sign
Because sometimes, yes this time, sometimes brought me you
Sometimes the moon goes dark
And the path ahead unclear
Sometimes I miss my mark
And I’m living in constant fear
But sometimes is all I need
To grow and try and learn
Because sometimes, yes this time, sometimes brought me you”
Brooks played the last note and we held each other’s gaze for another three beats. I could hear my blood flowing in my ears, muffling the noise of the applause.
“You’re pretty cool,” Brooks whispered.
I leaned in and kissed him.
“You are amazing!” Shay screamed when I found her, Lauren, and Maricela after our set. “Who even are you?”
I laughed.
“She’s Avery Freakin’ Young,” Maricela said.
“No, seriously,” Shay said. “You’ve only been gone for seven weeks, right?”
“I’m glad you came,” I said to Shay.
“Me too.”
Lauren hadn’t said a word and I thought it was because she was recording, but then I noticed her phone wasn’t out. “Did your battery die?” I asked.
She shook her head, her eyes shining.
“Lauren,” I said. “Are you okay?”
She pulled me into a hug. “You sounded so good.”
I had forgotten she’d never heard me perform.
“I’m so proud of you.”
I hugged her back, closing my eyes. “You didn’t really think I could do it, did you?”
“No!” she said, but then smiled. “Yes, I did.”
“Thank you.”
She squeezed me hard before we pulled apart. I looked around, my happiness from seconds ago wavering. “Where are Mom and Dad? Are they mad about me and Brooks?”
“No,” Lauren said. “They were just here.” She looked around, then pulled out her phone.
As she brought up her text messages, I caught a glimpse of Dad across the way. “We don’t need it,” I said.
“No?”
I pointed.
“Who’s he talking to?” Shay asked.
She
