Page 87 of Finding Storm

I glance at Gran again, but she’s looking at Pen with interest. At least one of us knows what she’s going on about.

“Pen, all I got from that was Nick. Guitarist. Something about a storm and lightning and Mrs. Mackintosh’s hot chocolate.” And now, I want a hot chocolate.

Pen lets out a sound of exasperation. She looks at Gran helplessly. “You’re her DNA. Maybe she’ll get it, coming from you.”

Gran turns to me. “Honey, what Penny’s trying to tell us is that Nick isn’t Nick. He’s actually Storm Slater.”

My brow furrows. “Who’s Storm Slater?”

“Storm Slater,” Pen says, “is the lead guitarist in Slater Raze, one of the hottest bands around. Total celeb! He’s Jonny Creed’s son. He was raised by Jake Wethers. He comes from music royalty.”

“Dude, you’re throwing all these names at me, but I still don’t have a friggin’ clue what you’re talking about.”

“I’m literally going to cry right now,” Pen says to Gran, who consolingly pats her on the arm. “I’m seriously questioning our whole friendship.”

Pen reaches in her bag and pulls out her cell. She taps the screen and then hands it to me. “Read that. If you don’t get it after this, then I give up.”

I take her phone from her. It’s a Wikipedia page. The name at the top says Storm Slater.

Storm Slater (born September 30, 1994) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He is the lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Slater Raze, with whom he has achieved worldwide success. He is the only son of the late Jonny Creed.

I scroll to the picture beneath, studying it.

It’s Nick.

So, Nick’s real name is Storm Slater. He’s a guitarist in a rock band.

Huh. Go figure.

I hand the phone to Gran, so she can read it.

“Well?” Pen says to me.

“Well … I don’t know.” I shrug.

I go and turn off the KitchenAid because the sound is driving me nuts.

“Dude, you have a bona fide rock star in the house, and you don’t know!”

“Will you keep it down?” I whisper-hiss. “He’s right in there.” I point in the direction of the door leading to the dining room.

Pen’s eyes go to the door. “He’s in there? Right now?”

I move in front of her path to the door. “Yes. And no, you are not going in there.”

“Ugh. You’re a total buzzkill, you know. We have a celebrity in our midst. And not even a B-lister. We are talking A-lister here!”

“We’re talking about a person, Pen. A person who lied about his real name. He did that for a reason.” No reason I can think of right now.

“Oh, I maybe know why.” Gran raises her hand likes she’s in class.

“Me too!” Pen bounces on her toes. “That was my next bit of gossip!”

Gran hands the phone back over to me. I take it. The screen is now showing a news website.

BREAKING NEWS!

THERE’S ONE HELL OF A STORM HAPPENING!