Page 138 of Next to Everything We Wanted
“What was the craziest thing you did during that time?” Sienna asked as she picked up another sandwich. “Nothing bad, just crazy.”
“Besides throwing up in a sold-out arena?”
She cringed. “Something crazy that won’t ruin our appetite.”
“Sorry.” I laughed, though humiliation washed over me. “Sadly, most of the crazy things I did involve getting sick or drunk.”
“You got drunk a lot?”
“Not often.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “I was usually pressured into it. Then I fell out with one of my best friends because of their drinking addiction, and I haven’t had alcohol since.”
She frowned. “I’m sorry about your friend.”
“They recovered, and we’re friends again.” I’d never thought Forrest would answer my voicemail the night I’d moved back to Oasis Shores, but I was forever thankful he had.
“I’m glad. Someone I know had an alcoholic loved one, so I know it’s painful seeing someone waste away.”
“It’s messy. Anyway, the craziest thing I did during that time was probably wear a dress to one of our performances because Justin and I lost a bet.”
Her eyebrows rose. “And what did this dress look like?”
“It was a Cinderella gown. I even wore a tiara.” I chuckled as I looked back on the memory. Lucas and Carter wouldn’t stop making fun of Justin and me for a month. “But everyone thought we looked hot.”
She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. “I would’ve emptied my bank account to see that.”
“Trust me, it was the event of the century.” Even though I wouldn’t go through the torture of being in Charm Street again, the moments where I had fun were priceless. “We liked to do bets. I lost most of them.”
“What did you guys bet over that time?”
I shrugged. “I don’t even remember.”
Sienna giggled again. “Well, you guys clearly failed miserably.”
“We did most of the time.”
I told Sienna a few more crazy stories about my time in Charm Street, from the time Lucas’s pants split mid-performance to the time Carter’s barber accidentally cut toomuch of his hair off and he had to wear a wig. When I finished, we started eating our desserts.
“This is the best ice cream I ever had,” Sienna said as she ate her strawberry ice cream. “Even better than the one I tried at What Do You Bean.”
“Well, the Masons do have a gift.” Mr. Mason and Mrs. Moody were siblings, and Ellis had inherited their food-making genes. “Sometimes Eli and his parents help with the recipes.”
“So, it runs in both sides of the family.” Sienna smiled. “I cook pretty often for my dad, but I never really bake.”
“I don’t really either. Nick does most of the cooking and baking.”
“What’s it like living with two dudes?”
“Chaotic.” I snorted. “We’re good at taking care of the place, but Nick and Everett both have strong personalities. Nick’s more of the big brother while Everett’s the little one who bosses everyone around. Nick gets grumpy when he stays up too late, and Everett gets grumpy when he wakes up too early.”
“So, Everett is like me when I don’t have coffee.”
“Naw, even coffee can’t save him.”
She giggled. “I’d love to live in a place with my girls. I think Gracelynn would get tired of Raina and Arielle’s shenanigans before jumping out a window. If I were to live with the boys, I know I wouldn’t last a day if Caleb was there.”
I smiled. “Yeah, living with your best friends is probably crazier than having siblings.”
“I’ve always wanted siblings.” Sienna sighed. “I could never live with Adam and Emma. Emma would barge into my room without knocking and steal my clothes, and Adam would eat all the food in the fridge.”
