I don’t realize I actually said that out loud until my sister laughs.“I would totally buy that magazine, but I think your surprise performance is going to turn those yells into whispers.”
“Thanks, Callie.”I roll my eyes.
“Looks like we’re right in front,” Tim says, using the flashlight on his phone to see our tickets.He’s the only one paying attention to the details tonight.We take our seats at about thirty minutes to showtime.I see Lenny, one of the main camera guys, and Cheryl, one of the many awesome production assistants.So many people, all working together for the common goal of entertainment.Gratitude falls upon me in the form of a single tear.I rush to scoop it up with the crook of my finger.
Levi’s mom catches me and smiles.“It’s only the beginning, Tate.”
“I’m just appreciative, that’s all.”
She leans over and squeezes me into a side hug.There’s a crackle in the speakers before the music stops abruptly as the crowd falls silent and the lights go dark around us.A spotlight circles the stage.
Chapter 48
Levi
Gabriella peeks herhead out from behind the curtain.Her ponytail looks painfully tight and it falls straight along her spine almost to her tailbone.I reach out to pull the tip, but as soon as my fingers make contact, she whips the whole lot of it over her shoulder, shooting me a dirty look.
“Is that really your hair?”
“Of course not,” she snaps.“No one has hair like a Clydesdale.Not even me.”
I clamp my lips into each other, preventing anything unwanted from coming out.
“Gabs, I just want to say that whatever happens, I’m proud of you.”
Her painted face falls into a grimace.“What is this, like, a sick joke?”
I laugh.“No joke.I wish you all the success in the world.”
She stares at me suspiciously for a long time.After what feels like ages, she gives me a small “thank you.”
“You’re welcome.Now, let’s go kick butt!”I’ve since changed into my full denim look, complete with a patchwork denim bucket hat.The same bucket hat that threatened to end our working relationship not so long ago, but she won me over with, “You don’t want anyone to see your hair and guess your act.”The irony, of course, being that I am going to have such bad hat hair that I will likely end up redoing it anyways.
I just really want to smash this last performance, and it has absolutely nothing to do with Tate sitting front and center with my mom and looking like an absolute, stone-cold fox.I’ve peeked a couple times, okay?
I suck in a thick breath through my nose and roll my shoulders back.The announcer, Ryan, just got on stage and is three bad dad jokes from announcing us.Gabriella looks uncharacteristically nervous when she pinches my bicep as I try to walk past her.
