My jaw ticks, and I feel my teeth grind together, knowing it wouldn’t be that simple, even if I wanted it to be. "And likeI’vetold you countless times, if you do that, my sister becomes the topic of conversation.I want to keep her out of the publiceye. If you talk to the press, it opens up a can of worms that Orlando paid to keep quiet," I tell him with my bag slung over my shoulder as we close the gap between us and our cars.
"Noelle is an adult, Avery. The sooner you realize that, the better." He grips my shoulder. "You can’t baby her forever. What are you going to do when she brings a boyfriend home one day?"
"I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it." I ignore the pit growing in my stomach. My phone rings as I open my car door, and I see my sister’s name printed on the screen in big, bold letters. "I’ll see you later, man."
Sliding into the driver’s seat of my navy blue Mustang, my phone automatically connects to the speakers of my car, and it’s like my sister knows how long she has to wait before her voice can be heard.
"Avery," she says, high-pitched and way too excited for how I feel right now. I just want to go home, eat, and pass the fuck out after a long week of brutal training, being ignored by my teammates, and winning tonight.
"Hey, Noe," I say, looking over my shoulder to make sure the roads are clear before I make my way out and head in the direction of my apartment.
"I need a favor."
I freeze, knowing full well what implications thisfavormight just have for me and for her.
"You realize I can say no to you, right?" I merge lanes, sighing with relief when the outline of my building comes into view.
"Uh, yes. But you won’t. I want to go see the Akira Rain show." She stops there, waiting for an answer. Honestly, I’d go see Akira just to hear that one song of hers. Maybe sneak backstage and ask her who her friend is, while I’m at it.
"Akira Rain?" I ask, hopefully without raising suspicion. "The chick that sang that God awful song, like, fifteen years ago? She’sstill around?" God-awful, yet it will no doubt be the number one song on my yearly wrap-up that I won’t show another soul.
"I don’t want to see her, not really. I need to see her opening act, Olive Herring. I missed out on tickets to see her last time they toured together, and totally forgot she was opening for her again so soon."
She didn’t forget. She just knew that I would have access to getting her better tickets than what she could’ve gotten for herself if she waited online like everybody else.
"You want to see a person named…what?" The door to the parking lot opens automatically for me as it scans the license plate on my car, and I make my way to my assigned parking space.
"Olive. She’s the hottest up-and-coming singer at the moment. Keep up, Ave." I hear the way her phone rattles as she no doubt shakes her head at me. "Do you think Orlando can get me tickets? Please, Avery.Please," she begs, her tone light, cool, and not at all serious. Not at all like a girl in her twenties who should be doing everything for herself.
"I think you meanus."I mean it. If that girl wants to do anything at the expense of me and thinks I’m not going to be tagging along right behind her, she’s got another thing coming. She thinks I’m an overbearing brother, when really, I just want to hear that song live. "If I’m putting you at risk, Noe, I’m with you at all times. Or you can say goodbye to the tickets." She’s silent for a long time, no doubt trying her best not to remember that night in her head.
Like I do, every time I shut my eyes.
"Fine. Can you get an extra ticket for Leah, too? It’s at MSG, I figure you have some pull there." I roll my eyes, putting my car in park.
"Leave it with me."
I end the call while her ‘thank you’s’linger through my car's speakers. I open my door and slam it shut before hitting Orlando’s name on my phone, bringing it to my ear.
He agrees to tickets, and I decide on the spot that if I have to go to some bullshit concert for a girl named after a plant with my twenty one year old sister and her annoying best friend, Ryder needs to come, too.
"Four tickets. If you can get a box, that’d be better," I tell him, his laughter vibrating through the phone into my ear.
"Fivetickets. You think I want to miss this shit? Seeing you uncomfortable in a sea of fan girls for a woman whose song you claim to hate, but know word for word? And you think I’m going to let youhide? Hell no, brother. I need some entertainment in my life, and you’ve just secured some for me. I’ll text you the details."
Ending the call, I open up my text thread with Ryder and shoot him a message.
Ryder York
The only plans you have tomorrow night are with me, Orlando, Noelle, Leah and some chick named Olivia or something.
Oliva? Sounds hot. Aye aye, captain, count me in
It might be brief, but I find myself feeling lucky in that moment. Because even when I could feel myself spiraling down the path my life has decided to take, Ryder and Orlando are still the only two people I can count on through it all.
I want this season to be over, and I want it over now.
Preferably with what little of my reputation and image I have is still intact.
