If not, at least I’ll know I did it for the sake of my family.
I open up the calendar app on my phone and add in the details of the concert for tomorrow night, sending an invitation to the new group chat my sister has created.
Concert Crew
Be at my place by six, or you can stay home.
Ryder
Bossy.
Noelle
You’re the best big brother ever.
Leah
Thanks, Avery.
Orlando
Rolling my eyes, I look through the rest of my calendar, making note of anything of importance, and I physicallyfeelall the color drain from my face when I see what’s in store for me.
The concert tomorrow.
Games and training galore.
The one that sticks out to me is the annual Youth Girls and Boys Basketball Association charity event I completely forgot about.
And when I see that Orlando has canceled his request for me to auction off something, I know he’s got it covered for me.
Not a good sign.
Shit.
Chapter four
Olive
Thump.Thump.Thump.
My heart is beating at an erratic pace with no sign of slowing. The ringing in my ears is evidence of the impending panic I feel trying to rise its way to the surface.
If I focus hard enough, I swear I can hear the sound of the galloping in my chest. If I take a step closer to the microphone in front of me, everyone else in the room will be able to hear it, too.
But when I open my eyes, I’m caught off guard by the blinding spotlight shining on me. And when I blink enough times to regain my focus, I realize that nobody else is in here with me.
Nobody else can hear just how anxious I am.
It’s just me, twenty thousand empty seats and…"Alright, give me one song, and we’ll be all set to go," Iggy says.
It’s just me and my sound guy, Iggy.
I nod. "One song. Got it."
I shake away the nerves, swallow the panic, and begin to pluck at the strings of my guitar, hearing the beginning of a song I wrote in my bedroom come to life.
