Page 95 of Next to Everything We Wanted
Nick’s mouth fell open. “We’re enemies now.” He got up and sat at the other side of the booth. “I’m sorry, Ivan, I can no longer support your relationship with her.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Gavin said, wrapping his arm around me. “He’s our biggest fan. I’m surprised he didn’t bring Ivan and Sienna posters and a T-shirt.”
Nick crossed his arms. “I’m canceling my order.”
After debating the best and worst music genres, Gavin led me backstage. The crowd was thin compared to a Friday night, but there were still more people than I’d expected.
“Don’t let the crowd get to you,” Gavin whispered, squeezing my hand. “Trust me, they know what they’re getting themselves into. The best band from April Springs High.”
I smiled, tracing a finger down his sleeve. “Do you get nervous when you perform? Even after doing it for so long?”
“Every time, though once I get lost in the lyrics, nothing matters other than enjoying myself.”
I pressed my lips against his for a few seconds before joining my friends backstage.
Hayden studied himself in the mirror, stroking his braids. “Do I look alright?”
Dallas stood behind him, rubbing his shoulders. “You look how you always do.”
“That’s not what I’m trying to achieve.”
I rolled my eyes. Hayden did the same thing every single gig. When it came to stage presence, he demanded nothing less than perfection from everyone. He was less uptight than he was before, but some of what Dallas called “Haywire Hayden” was still there.
Arielle stared at him from where she sat at the table with Raina and Caleb, longing in her gaze.
“You’re staring,” I whispered.
“I’m not,” she muttered.
“You are,” Caleb said, stuffing potato chips in his mouth. If he didn’t have a bag of chips on him, he was either in a bad mood or replaced.
Arielle shot a glare at him. “Stop eavesdropping.”
“It’s not eavesdropping if the conversation is right in my face.”
“I can’t argue with him on that,” Raina said.
Arielle grunted. “Sienna, can you shuffle for us?”
“Gosh, none of you still know how to do it?” I quickly shuffled the deck before handing it to Arielle. “Get your heads in the game.”
“Hey, not everyone can be UNO champs like you,” Raina said.
As Arielle gave everyone their cards, I sat next to Oliver on the couch. He was distracted by his screen, typing at the speed of lightning. I peered over his shoulder to see a bunch of flirty emojis. “Who’s the girl this time?” I asked.
He jumped, his face turning red as he clutched his phone to his chest. “Gosh, do I need to get one of those privacy screen protectors?”
“Sorry.” I snapped my head away. “Don’t worry, I didn’t see anything dirty.”
He laughed, though it sounded tense. “Yeah, because I’ve been a saint lately.”
“Waiting for you to break your streak,” Caleb said, loud enough for the entire room to hear. “I miss having girls to tease you about.”
“Haven’t you been busy teasing Sienna about Ivan?”
“It’s not as fun.”
Oliver and I exchanged an eye roll.
