"Do you know a lot of ladies in RiverValley?"
“Good point. I hope you have fun and maybe it'll mean we’ll have a new girl watching ourpracticessoon.”
“I wouldn’t go that far," Matt answered, his mind unmistakably in two different places. "I’m not going to hang out all morning, but I want you to think about what I said. We make a great team. We’ve known each other forever, and there’s a familiarity that comes with that. It would be good inaband.”
“You know I’m not changingmymind.”
“Yeah, we’ll see.” Matt got up and started up the stairs. When he was about halfway up, he stopped and looked back at me. “Look out for those rabid fans if you go outtoday.”
With that, he left. But I could still hear his laughter as he shutthedoor.
I stayed down in my room finishing up the coffee my friend had brought and thinking about the many things he’d said in his shortvisit.
Sarah worked that morning and wouldn't be home until close to dinner. My dad was an ecologist and was working in the field today, which meant my mom was gone as well. She loved accompanying him when he gatheredsamples.
No work, no school, no band. I didn't know what to do with a morning allalone.
I spent a few minutes online looking at the videos Matt had warned me about. It was weird watching myself sing into the microphone. It didn’t seem right. Almost like when you hear a recording of yourvoice.
I muted the volume, but couldn't stop myself from reading the comments. Most were positive while others made meblush.
I realized I liked the attention, if only a little. Would it be so stupid to stay in the band longer than I originally intended? And what would that look like? I could take a semester off, but where wastheline?
I worried this small taste of fame was just adding to myuncertainty.
ChapterSeventeen
Michelle
“Michelle,”my dad said, walking into the room. I was sitting in my favorite spot, in front of the television. When I looked up at him, the first thing I noticed was his appearance. The skin under his eyes was dark, and his clothes were more rumpled thanusual.
I immediately sat up in my seat. “Dad, areyouokay?”
He took his tie off and sat down in his usual chair. “It’s been a long day with very fewvictories.”
“What doyoumean?”
“Did your mother come by Between The Pagesrecently?”
I thought back to my second day on the job. It wasn’t that long ago, but already I felt like such a different person than I was then. “Yeah, she came in asking for me to move in with her andDaniel.”
He looked up at me with tired eyes. “Do youwantto?”
“Not in a million years.” My answer earned a small smile from my father. “What’sgoingon?”
“Let’s just say things are complicated and I’m having a hard time keeping up. I've had to make some decisions I’m not too happyabout.”
“Likewhat?”
My dad pressed his fingers to his temples. “I have to close Between ThePages.”
“What?” I jumped up inmyseat.
“Oh, Princess, there’s no reason to oversell it,” he laughed. “I know you don’t like working there. This means you’ll get to have a little of yoursummerback.”
“But what about Rainier?” When my dad shot me a curious glance, I added, “and everyone else who worksthere.”
“I’m not happy about any of this. Trust me, there’s nothing Icando.”
