My heart crackles. Ty might not be as famous as Mona Stone, but he’s somewhat famous, and he thinks my song was impressive.
Can a person die of bliss?
“I don’t think so,” he says, and I assume Rae’s asked him a question, but he’s looking at me.
I raise my palm to my lips.
Not.
Again.
Ty smiles. “After my first performance, I was surfin’ on one hell of a high too. Anyway, I’ll be lookin’ out for your name.” He winks at us, black lashes swooping over his ocean-bright eyes, and then makes his way toward his bandmates.
“He’s way hotter up close,” Rae says.
Laney shakes her head. “Hey, fangirl, we’re here for Angie.”
“I was just lookin’. No harm in that.” Rae gets up. “I’ll be right back.”
Laney and I both eye her, both expecting her to go ask Ty for an autograph, but she heads to the bathroom instead.
Laney picks up a quesadilla. “He’s her son, isn’t he?”
“Her son? Whose son?”
“Ten. He’s Mona’s son, isn’t he?” I must turn pale, because Laney nods slowly.
“You can’t tell anyone, Laney.”
“I won’t.”
“Does Rae know?”
“No. The only reason I put two and two together is because he got antsy yesterday in the caf when he caught wind of Mona’s contest, and back before school started, my father mentioned something about selling a house to the kids and ex-husband of a really famous singer.” Laney cuts her quesadilla into bite-sized triangles. “What does he think about you entering the contest?”
“We haven’t talked about it.” I wince. “He probably hates me.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t…”
I grip my water glass, fingers still unsteady but no longer from my performance. “How could he not? Hehatesher.”
“You’re not her.”
But I want to be her.
For the first time in a while, I hope Ten gets accepted to boarding school. I hope he leaves. I don’t think I can take more looks like the ones he leveled at me earlier. Out of all the boys in Nashville, why did I have to fall for him?
47
Cheese Balls and Osso Buco
However much I tried to enjoy the Moon Junkies’ set last night, their songs propelled me back to homecoming, and homecoming made me think of Ten.
It was still one heck of a night.
It’s been almost twenty-four hours since my big moment, and I still can’t get over it.
I text Rae and Laney that. We have a group chat now that Rae’s been filling with pictures of Ty Munder, and Laney and me with GIFs of people rolling their eyes. Mel’s not part of the chat.
