“I’m pretty sure the only reason I got hired was to keep track of you like some kind of babysitter,” Avery says. Her voice is tinged with annoyance as she looks out the window, her arms folded over her chest. “Marcus never demands that I keep track of anyone else. It’s always just you.”
I feel a little bad because she’s probably right. He knows I hate doing this PR crap. Taking photos and signing autographs is the worst way to spend a day. “I’ll try to make your job easier,” I say.
She snorts. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
We get to the hotel ten minutes late, and Avery speed walks through the lobby and straight to the meeting rooms where the rest of Team Loco is hanging out, getting makeup and hair done. The only time we’re powdered and primped is when we’ll be doing a TV interview. These are the worst, because I have to watch everything I say. You can’t curse on TV. And now that Team Loco is all about being family friendly, I have to really watch what I say or Marcus will kick me off the team in a heartbeat.
Speaking of Marcus, he glares at Avery as we walk into the room. “What the hell happened?” he hisses, giving her one of the angriest looks I’ve ever seen on the guy. He’s normally pretty laid back.
“It’s my fault,” I say, glancing at her. “I made us late. She did everything in her power to get me here, but you know much I hate TV interviews. I was trying to ditch it.”
I look down at her apologetically. “I’m sorry.”
“Dammit Clay,” Marcus says. “Sometimes I just wanna slap you upside the head, boy. Now get over there and force yourself to be charming for the cameras.”
“Sure thing,” I say.
There’s a makeup artist waiting for me at the end of the line of chairs. Zach, Jett, and Aiden are sitting in the other chairs, their makeup and hair already done. Across the room, professional cameras are set up and a fake stage is in place, with a famous motocross magazine backdrop behind it.
I hate this so much, but I allow myself to be powdered. I let them put product in my hair and ruffle it in a way that I don’t normally style it. I change out of my hoodie and into the clothes that were picked out for me, jeans and a light blue button-up shirt. Normally I’d be complaining about all of this crap because none of it has anything to do with motocross. It’s all just some publicity stunt to make us more like reality TV stars instead of athletes.
But as much as I hate it, I keep my thoughts to myself, and when the cameras start rolling, I smile politely and put on the act that Team Loco wants me to. I’m doing it all for Avery, who stands along the wall next to Marcus, never glancing at me. Not even once.
Chapter 16
I’m off my game today and Marcus can tell. I keep forgetting things and messing up the schedule, and he’s getting annoyed with me, which only makes it worse. After the television interview, the guys are shuttled off to a quick photo shoot that’s kind of hilarious because they have to wear Santa hats. Then we all head to the track for the training camp.
Unlike the previous camps, this one isn’t at a local motocross track. It’s inside a small stadium where a dirt bike track has been set up on the concrete floor. There are signs everywhere advertising a local arenacross race. Keanna explains to me that arenacross is another form of dirt bike racing that’s kind of like supercross because it’s a small tightly-packed track with lots of jumps, but it takes place in smaller stadiums and it’s usually for amateurs, not the professional racers. Even after all the things I’ve learned this month, there’s still a lot I don’t know about this sport.
Marcus leaves halfway through the camp, saying he has to get back to the hotel to make sure the rest of the day goes as planned. He tells me to keep an eye on things here and I’m glad he doesn’t ask me to go with him. He’s in a better mood now, but I was so scared this morning when I thought Clay would miss the first interview of the day. Clay had taken the fall for me, but it was all my fault. If I hadn’t been late boarding the plane, I would have had to wait for my suitcase and we would have made it there on time.
Today’s training camp is fun because I have Keanna to hang out with me. The guys divide the kids up into four groups, and the guys take separate parts of the track while they teach the kids new skills. Keanna and I sit up in the stadium seats on the first row. She’s been checking her phone all day, keeping an eye on social media. She’s super excited because tonight after the training camp, she’ll get to participate in one of the interviews. This one is for a famous motocross blog’s YouTube channel. They’re interviewing the guys and they invited Keanna to be interviewed as well since she’s becoming something of a celebrity girlfriend online. Everyone loves her, except maybe the girls who wish they were Jett’s girlfriend instead.
By the time we’re all heading back to the hotel, her excitement has morphed into nervous energy.
“What if I look like an idiot?” she says, gripping my hand as we ride in a taxi back to the hotel. The guys are all piled into the taxi behind us, except for Jett who’s here with Keanna.
“You’re going to be amazing,” I say at the same time Jett says, “You’ll be great.”
Keanna frowns. “I don’t believe you guys.”
Jett rolls his eyes and I laugh. “It’ll be okay, I promise. Everyone loves you.”
Jett squeezes her hand. “We’ll have them tell us the questions ahead of time so you’ll know what to say.”
She nods quickly. “Okay, that works.”
We get back to the hotel with half an hour to spare before the interview. I’m nervous for Keanna too, but I’m mostly grateful that I’m just the girl who works behind the scenes. While the guys and Keanna get dolled up with hair and makeup again, I grab some grapes from the snack bar and blend into the wallpaper like a good intern. I can breathe easier knowing that Clay is here and he’s doing what he’s supposed to so far. He hasn’t complained or tried to get out of the interview yet.
Thank God for small blessings. After what happened on the airplane I am way too mortified to talk to him right now. If I can go the rest of my life without talking to him, I’ll be relieved. My cheeks flush at the memory. I can’t believe I latched onto his arm like some kind of little kid who is scared of airplanes. In the moment, I’d been worried that we would crash and die. But now that I think about it, if I was actually about to die, why would I want to be curled up around a guy who doesn’t like me? What a stupid, stupid move.
With ten minutes before the interview starts, I leave the room to find a restroom. When I return, Clay is standing in the hallway. I swallow my nerves and pick up my pace, walking past him.
“Avery.”
I grit my teeth. I don’t want to turn around but I know if I ignore him, he’ll just find another way to bother me. Besides, maybe he has a work question.
I turn around. “The interview starts in a few minutes.”
