Page 5 of Wylder and the Almost Rockstar
A few other people muttered as they recognized the name.
Wylder scooted down in her chair, wanting to disappear.
The woman wasn’t deterred. She slid from her row and walked down the few steps to reach the empty seat next to Wylder, dropping into it. She brushed white-blonde curls off her shoulders and smiled. “You are! Oh my gosh, I’ve watched that video of you on YouTube like a million times. I sent it to all my friends.”
“Glad I entertained you.”
Diego shot Wylder an alarmed look, but she only rolled her eyes. It wasn’t the first time she’d been recognized since then. Who would have thought the misfit troublemaker would receive celebrity status at their school?
The girl didn’t seem to notice Wylder’s rigid posture or stiff tone. “You sang with Logan Cook. He’s so hot. Are the rumors true? Is he really the voice behind Luke Cook?”
“No.” She crossed her arms. “Please go away.”
It was like she didn’t hear her. “That song was so amazing. Is it going to be on Spotify?”
“No. Please go away.”
“Are you and Logan dating? That would be so perfect. You’re so cute together.”
Wylder finally turned to her. “If you say the wordsoone more time, I’m going to punt your little valley girl butt across this stadium. Now, I’ve asked you nicely to leave me alone, even using the word please when I really just wanted to say something a lot less pleasant. I will not reveal all of Logan Cook’s secrets to an annoying stranger who can then go sell them to the media that is tearing him apart right now. So, can I go back to watching my friend play hockey now?”
Her mouth opened and closed like a fish before she shot to her feet and practically ran from Wylder’s presence.
Wylder sighed. “Was that mean?”
“Yes.” Diego wouldn’t lie to her. “But also kind of awesome. If Logan knew how you defended him, maybe he’d text you back.”
Diego didn’t get how much his words hurt her. Logan should want to talk to her because they’d become friends—she’d thought—because for a while, it had been the two of them against the world. And now, when he needed her most, all she could do was yell at Barbies who thought they deserved his truths.
A horn sounded, and the teams left the ice for intermission. No one else approached Wylder, and she wondered how many people heard everything she’d said.
Glancing back over her shoulder, she caught the woman whispering with her friends. She looked to be in college, maybe a Defiance University student. The academy had a better hockey team than the college, so it drew all sorts of people.
Guilt gnawed at her. Even when she’d pushed everyone away, Wylder never considered herself to be mean. Sarcastic, yes, but never cruel.
With a sigh, she stood and turned to look past the two rows separating them. “Hey.”
The woman looked up, her eyes now guarded. “What? Got something else to say?”
“Yeah, I just… I’m sorry. And…” Man, this hurt. “Thanks for liking my song.” A song Wylder hadn’t listened to since Logan left.
She needed to hit something. Her drums were preferable to this girl’s face.
The woman considered Wylder for a moment before nodding and returning her attention to her friends.
Wylder turned back around in her seat and blew out a breath.
Diego bumped her shoulder with his. “That was nice.”
“Who would have thought I, Wylder Anderson, had any nice in me?”
“Me.” He shrugged.
She stifled a smile, wondering how she managed to capture a friend like Diego, capture being the operative word, because she was never letting him go.
And still, he wasn’t Logan. Diego and Killian and Becks and others loved her. They called her talented and had faith she could do whatever she wanted.
But Logan… he didn’t only have faith, he pushed her just like she pushed him. They weren’t passive friends believing in each other and being proud but watching from the sidelines.
