Page 16 of The Heartbreakers
“Doesn’t matter,” JJ said, shaking his head. “She had fire in her eyes, man. You don’t mess with a woman when she’s angry like that.”
“Jeez, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“Just saying.”
“Well, if you’re done knocking me, I thought you guys would like to know that I promised Stella an autograph for her sister.”
“Okay,” Xander said, bobbing his head enthusiastically. “Anything in particular you want us to sign?”
“Yeah, hold on.” I took off my backpack, dug out the CD, poster, and shirt, and handed everything to Oliver. “Our sister’s name is Cara. With aC.” I watched as he spread everything out on a nearby table, and the boys gathered around and took turns scribbling their names.
“So how old is your sister?” JJ asked as he pulled the poster toward himself. He pressed the tip of the pen beneath his own image and produced two loopingJs.
“Seventeen turning eighteen.”
Oliver’s eyebrows squished together as if my answer didn’t make sense. “Well, how old are you then?”
“Seventeen turning eighteen,” I said, smiling, and Oliver’s frown deepened.
“We’re triplets,” Drew clarified.
“Bull,” JJ said, straightening up so he could look at my brother clearly. “You have to be at least twenty.”
Drew, who had heard the same thing many times before, had a knowing grin on his face. “Seventeen. I swear.”
“Which one of you is the oldest?” Xander asked.
“Me,” I said, biting back a grin. Drew coughed to cover up his laugh. The three of us always referred to the question as the stupid way of being asked which of us popped out of our mom first.Like, hello? Do you not know the definition of triplets? It means we’re the same age.But for some reason, people always wanted to know.
From there, the typical round of triplet-based questions ensued until JJ asked, “So why didn’t your sister come?”
I watched as Drew’s smile dissolved and he tucked his hands neatly into his lap. “She’s sick at the moment.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Xander said.
Everyone got quiet, and I was afraid the Heartbreakers had picked up on our mood swing.
“Well, it’s getting late. We should probably get going,” Drew said, and he stood up from the couch. “We really appreciate the autographs, especially after everything.” From my brother’s tone, “everything” meant the way I’d treated the band.
“Wait, what? You can’t leave yet,” JJ said, his head jerking sharply toward Drew. “I still have to beat you in a round ofCoD.”
This brought a smile back to my brother’s face, but he turned to me, seeking permission. I peeked at Oliver. His sharp eyes were on me, and when we made eye contact, I quickly looked back at Drew and nodded.
“I suppose I have time to crush you again,” Drew said, reaching for the controller.
JJ leaped over the back of the couch and took a spot next to him. “Not this time, ninja man. You’re going down.”
• • •
“I’m bored,” JJ whined. He was sprawled upside down in one of the armchairs and waving a pair of drumsticks around like a band conductor. Blood rushed to his face as he hung in the seat, his shaved head almost touching the carpet. “Someone entertain me,” he demanded with a flick of the wooden sticks. After losing to my brother three times in a row, JJ had given up.
“There might be a coloring book in the kitchen,” Xander suggested cheekily. He grabbed JJ’s legs and flipped them over his friend’s head. With a crash, JJ crumpled to the floor. I let out a laugh, and even Alec, who still had his headphones in, cracked a smile. Drew and Oliver were too wrapped up in a battle to even notice.
“It’s not funny,” JJ complained as he sat back up and rubbed his head. He threw a punch at Xander, who ducked out of the way with a smirk. Giving up, JJ scowled in the direction of the TV. “Seriously, they’ve been at this forever.”
“I agree,” I added. As much as I loved watching Drew kick everyone’s butt, it was getting a little redundant. Besides, how long were we actually going to hang out with the Heartbreakers? Drew had made another attempt to leave when JJ quit, but Oliver quickly took his place. The band seemed almost desperate for some type of outside interaction.
“Well, what do you guys want to do?” Xander asked as he sat back down on the couch.
