Page 83 of Before We're More Than Friends
“Get the hell out of here,” Oliver growled, pointing to the door. “Now.”
“You said a bad word!” Mollie said before she and Bella ran up the stairs and into the laundry room, giggling to themselves.
“They never ask about my love life,” Caleb said, putting a hand on his side. “Should I be offended?”
Oliver rolled his eyes. “I’m really sorry about them,” he told me. “They don’t know how to act around strangers.”
“It’s fine,” I said as I sat beside him. “They’re cute.”
“Thank you!” Mollie called from the other side of the door. “You’re cute, too!”
“Leave!” Oliver shouted.
More giggling came from the laundry room before it faded away.
Hayden cleared his throat. “Now that Mollie and Bella are done being a thorn in Oliver’s side, we can get to business.” He stood up from his beanbag and stood in the middle of the garage. “As you know, Battle of the Bands is coming up, and it’s our big chance to expand as a band.”
“And get girls,” Oliver said with a smile.
“Yeah, because it’s tragic you’ve been single for almost a month,” Caleb said, finishing a bag of chips. “Now you know how the rest of us feel.”
Oliver scoffed. “I’m having a rough patch. It happens.”
I wanted to ask about what happened with Kami, but Hayden started speaking again.
“Getting girls will be a bonus, but we need to show everyone that we’re serious about music,” he said, crossing his arms. “The problem is that we don’t have a lead singer.” He nodded to me and Raina. “But we have two candidates.”
Raina held up her hands. “I didn’t promise that I’d sing today.”
“You are,” Arielle said. “You’re up against Dallas.”
“I didn’t know it was a competition,” I said, anxiety rising in my chest.
Hayden lifted his eyebrows. “Would it be more interesting if we made it one?”
“I’m down for that,” Sienna said as she sipped on her coffee. No judgment, but did the girl drink anything else? “We need something entertaining to happen around here.”
Raina giggled. “As if you don’t swoon over Ivan Hicks every weekend.”
Sienna shook her head. “Something entertaining that I can actually be apartof.”
“I think we should vote!” Arielle chirped. “There’s five of us, so it won’t be a tie.”
“Sounds good,” Hayden said. “What do you think, Dallas? Want to go first?”
“I-I need time to prepare,” I said as sweat ran down my back. “Raina can go first.” I reminded myself that seventh grade was four years ago. What happened then wouldn’t happen again. I was here in front of my friends—and Raina, gosh—who wouldn’t feel differently about me after this.
And it wasn’t like I cared if Raina beat me or not.
Not really.
Maybe just a little.
I can’t lose.
“I’m ready, anyway.” Raina got up from her beanbag and walked to where a microphone stand was.
The rest of the band went to their instruments—Hayden to his set of drums, Caleb to his keyboard, Oliver to his white bass guitar, and Sienna to her red lead guitar.
