“Well despite that, it’s true.” Austin sneered. “Sound will be here in a minute to mic us all up, and someone should be by with your release and another contract. Let me know if you have any questions about the lawyer-y language.”
“I don’t think we have to worry about that. She’s pretty smart. She’s at UC Davis on a full scholarship,” Dylan retorted.
Austin frowned. “How’s that going to work with your schedule here? What’s your class load?”
“She’s—”
I cut Dylan off. “Can I speak for myself? I mean, I’m right here.”
He pressed his lips together and nodded tightly.
“Sorry, I’m just sick of everyone here talking about me and around me. Like I’m not even here.”
“That’s more about our dysfunction than anything to do with you.” Austin shook his head. “But you’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry,” Dylan muttered, his eyes burning with something he wanted to say but held back.
“I’m in my second year at Davis, but when everything went to hell, I couldn’t keep up my schedule. I haven’t talked to my advisor—and I’m also car-less—but I’m hoping to get a hardship deferral, so they’ll let me keep my scholarship moving forward. Otherwise I can’t afford tuition there. I’m an out-of-state student.”
“Shit.” Austin rubbed the back of his neck.
“I’ve put a call in to your department chair. Hopefully someone gets back to me this week.” Dylan cocked his head and suddenly was the one who couldn’t meet my gaze as he studiously studied the toes of his boots.
I…didn’t know what to say to that. I should probably feel irritated that he hadn’t talked to me first, but honestly I…was grateful. I’d been putting it off for so long because I was ashamed. I hated that I was in this position, needing charity and handouts. It grated at everything inside me.
“Thank you,” I finally whispered.
Dylan nodded tightly, still unable to look at me, and I didn’t really understand why.
“Uh, right.” Austin cleared his throat. “Well, we’ll figure it out I guess when the time comes. Like I said, this’ll be a probationary period. But I have a feeling you’ll be able to hold your own. And if you have any questions, you can ask any of us. I swear our bark is worse than our bite.”
I smiled weakly at his dumb joke.
“And here’s the sound crew,” Austin muttered right before the door opened again and more people came streaming in.
“And so it begins. Duh duh duuuuun,” Dylan whispered theatrically.
This time, my laughter wasn’t fake.
Dylan’s eyes twinkled at me, and I shook my head slightly. Something about that look made my heart pound in my ears. It had nothing to do with the contract I would have to read through in a minute or the determined sound guy approaching with a case of equipment.
But I didn’t want to examine that too closely.
Just stuff your feelings down until you forgot all about them.
Until he did something sweet. Or walked around being all…him.
Gah.
“Everything okay?” Dylan asked, his head tilted in concern.
I blinked back into the present, where the sound guy was holding out a mic pack to me, and judging by the concerned looks on everyone’s faces, he’d been holding it out for a minute.
“Uh yeah.” I shook my head and took the pack from the guy. “Just thinking about contracts.”
“Yeah, that makes my eyes glaze over too.” Austin sent me an encouraging smile.
But Dylan didn’t say anything; he just continued to frown as he watched the sound guy mic me up.
