I was standing in line in a small grocery store a few minutes away from my mother’s new home in Greece. I’ve always loved it here. I feel at home. All the local Greeks don’t harass me like the people in LA do. I can walk freely down the street without getting a camera shoved in my face, without being screamed at. So, that’s why Iwasn’tpleasantly surprised to see a gossip magazine with my face on the cover while I was waiting in line.
Like the stupid idiot I am, I picked it up, glanced at it, and panicked when I looked up because the lady behind the register had already scanned my two items and was waiting for me to pay. My heart practically fell to my ass, and I didn’t think when I handed her the magazine.
I shivered when she scanned it. I blame it on social anxiety.
That said magazine was thrown to the ground approximately ten minutes ago, before I threw my head back and cursed at the person behind the story. Our old record label.
I never thought the wordoldwould ever be in the same sentence as our record label we had been tied to for years. Six months ago, we were called into a meeting about re-signing our contract. Still, to this day, it blows my mind how they’d ever think we’d want to sign with them again. I never want to forget how I felt when I saw their faces when they realized we wouldn’t be working for them, going forward.
Revenge is sweet.
They tried to gaslight us, telling us they were our only option. Little did they know, we had over a hundred offers that spanned from independent record labels to large, big-name companies. What they didn’t know was how we’d been in contact with my sister’s boyfriend’s record label. All it took was one word from Levi Miller, letting them know we were interested, to get the ball rolling.
My siblings and I have never been happier. We’re releasing our new album,The Four Stages, soon. I think it’s our best one yet. It’s a combination of our work throughout the years that we didn’t share with our old record label. Not only are the songs a reflection of the emotional torment we were trapped in for years, but they would have never let us release such telling songs about the trauma they’d inflicted on us. We’re also going on a new world tour—The Revenge Tour. When tickets dropped, it sold out in ten minutes.
Sadly, things are not sunshine and rainbows. We would be lying if we said we thought our old record label would leave us alone. They haven’t. Since they’re not making money from our new records and tours, they are all over the tabloids, adding fuel to the media’s fire and spreading false rumors about our band.
“They lacked respect for everyone in the studio. That’s one reason we decided to let Times Three go.”
Like, what in the world?
Hearing light footsteps, I turn my face slightly and squint up.
“Don’t you know not to read this shit?” Axel, who used to be my rival but is now one of my closest friends, demands. Clearly annoyed with my stupidity, he glares down at the gossip magazine like it might attack him.
“I don’t even know why I bought it,” I mutter back. I close my eyes once again, which makes me see orange. I wince when a hand slaps the back of my neck. “Ow! What the heck, man? Don’t you know you can’t attack a man with his back toward you?”
“Has anyone ever told you to become an actor?”
“Yes, in fact, people have. I mean, I don’t blame them. Who wouldn’t want such a handsome young man in their film? But the only thing stopping me is memorizing lines,” I joke, jabbing my fingers into his side as he drops down into the seat beside me.
“Yeah, because you have one brain cell.” He smirks before sighing. “I’m going to miss the Greek sun. I swear it cures all my problems.”
I’m dreading our morning flight tomorrow that’ll take us back to our real world. “Tell me about it.”
“Thanks for having me,” Axel says quietly. “It was a nice getaway from all the craziness that’s been happening lately.”
“Dude, I’m the one who’s gotta do the thanking. You’re the one who got on a flight to help me move my mom in.”
He shrugs. “It was nothing.”
But it sure meant a lot to me.
“Plus, this was a vacation before the tour.” He groans, throwing his head back.
Another bonus of signing with the same label as Triple Threat is how they’re our opening act for The Revenge Tour.Touring the world with my siblings and best friends sounds like a disaster because once the two bands are together, it’s craziness.
“Are you ready for everything that’s coming?” Axel murmurs, looking at me through his expensive black sunglasses.
Ready or not, here it comes.
THREE
LILY
“Do you want to be an old lady who has ten bunnies running around?” My closest friend, Thea, snorts from where she watches me blend in concealer. “That’s what’s going to happen if you don’t start putting yourself out there.”
Raising a brow, glaring at her in the mirror, I send her my most intimidating look. “What in the world does it look like I’m doing?”
