“Seven days out of the week, we’re together, dummy.” He scoffs, twisting a dial connected to Amelia’s microphone.
Not to be dramatic, but I hate when he’s right; it makes me want to shove my face in the wall and scream.
Throwing a ball of scrunched-up paper in the air and catching it, Axel questions, “How did we get here?”
“Blame him.” I point to my annoying brother. “Anyway, I haven’t brought anything up to her yet—out of respect for you, Levi. I’m ninety-nine percent sure she would be an amazing fit for Stella.”
“I trust you. Talk to her and set up a time so I can personally meet her.” Squeezing my shoulder, he joins his bandmates on the couch.
“We need to get this shit done for tomorrow. It releases in three days,” Leonidas calls out over his shoulder. “It’s our last single that will be released before the album comes out.”
“What’s left that we need to do?” Slouching in a chair beside Leonidas, I grab the extra pair of headphones.
“Amelia is finishing up the backup vocals.”
I can’t help but smile as I listen to my sister’s soft voice. When all of us are in the studio, it never fails to remind me why I love making music.
Getting behind the recording mic, I close my eyes and continue speaking our truth, which was buried for years, through our music.
THIRTEEN
LILY
“Miss Papas, when is home time?” An adorable little girl looks up at me with puppy-dog eyes.
Rolling away from the desk of the teacher I’m substituting for, I face her. “Less than one hour. Isn’t that so exciting?”
Her tiny fist is thrown into the air as she yelps. I was just like her up until the last day of high school. I would stare down the clock all day.
“What do we need to do before we start packing up for home?”
Her adorable face tilts in confusion.
“We need to clean up our desks and make sure the classroom is all tidy.”
“Okay!” She twirls and skips away.
As I resume writing the teacher a letter of how they all behaved for the day, I spot her pushing her classmates’ seats in.
I push the door open as the bell rings. The sound of squeals bounces through the air as they jump into their parents’ awaiting arms.
The little girl in me cries.
Tears cloud my vision as I start picking up after the kids.
“Miss P?” is said so softly that I barely hear it whispered.
I thought everyone had left, but I find the same little girl who has been attached to my hip all day. “Yes, honey?”
Her mom lingers in the doorway, smiling at her daughter.
“I hope you come back and teach me.”
Without giving me enough time to reply, she runs out of the classroom. Her light-up shoes sparkle as her pink dress flows behind her.
Just like that, I’m given hope again.
Just as I finish smothering my clean-shaven legs with my favorite vanilla body lotion, I hear the doorbell ring from downstairs. Not looking decent at all in my boy shorts that barely cover my butt and the matching crop top, I rush down the stairs, fully expecting it to be another one of my best friend’s random drop-bys, but freeze when I’m met with Elijah’s thrilled face when the door swings open.
