Page 64 of Wylder & the Rising Rockstar
“Help me find something? Please.” Wylder held up a tunic dress with zebra stripes.
“Not that.” Devyn snatched it and tossed it onto the bed. “What about this?” She fished out a short denim skirt from Wylder’s pile of discards.
“Not epic enough.”
“Not on its own, but it’s a good start.” She put the skirt with the red shoes and stepped into the closet, flipping through the hangers. “Hey, what about this?” She stepped out with a black cap-sleeved t-shirt with splashes of turquoise and white paint all over it. It still had the price tag on it.
“It’s kind of cool, but I don’t know. It’s not special enough.”
“That’s what accessories are for.” Devyn turned to sort through Wylder’s dresser. “Oh, this could be cool!” She came up with a pair of black and white striped fingerless gloves.
“You think?” Wylder took them from her hand and slid one on, encasing her arms in bold stripes from wrist to elbow. “My arms would look pretty cool in these when I’m amping up for Luke’s guitar solo.”
“It’s starting to come together.” Devyn tossed the gloves onto the skirt and t-shirt. “One sec, I might have something.” She darted back into her room and returned with an unopened package. “Um, so I have these.” Her face flushed pink as she tossed the pack onto the growing pile.
“Fishnets?” Wylder grinned. “Why do you have fishnet stockings, Dev?”
“My mother sent them with some other stupid L.A. fashions she knows I’d never wear. I have these earrings too.” She lifted a velvet box and shoved them into Wylder’s hand.
“Oh wow.” Wylder gasped as she opened the box. “Your mom doesn’t have a clue about you.”
“Not even a bit.” Devyn laughed. “Can you imagine me wearing those?”
Wylder held up the long dangly earrings with shiny black stones. “But I can totally pull these off. They’re so ridiculous they’re almost cute.”
“Perfect for a rising rock star.” Devyn rooted around Wylder’s drawer of cheap jewelry. “Oh, you should wear all of these.” She held up a fistful of silver bangle bracelets.
“What about my hair?” Wylder reached up to comb her hands through her short pixie hair.
“How much time do you have?” Devyn asked.
“A few hours.”
“Let’s do some super blonde unicorn hair.”
“Oh, I like the way you think, Dev.” Wylder ran to the bathroom to get her collection of hair wax. “You don’t think it’s too much?”
“I’ll do some fine streaks of rainbow colors and leave big chunks of your natural blonde as it is. It’ll be subtle but still colorful.
“I won’t look like I’m trying too hard?”
“It’ll be perfect.”
* * *
“I’m sorry.” Wylder blinked in confusion as she slipped out of her coat. “It sounded like you saidtheyweren’t here.”
“That’s what I said,” Sebastian said hesitantly, eyeing her outfit. “You look like a rock star, Wylder.” His smile was genuine and very teachery. They’d come a long way since summer.
“Thanks, but the Winter Review starts in less than an hour, and you’re telling me there are zero Cook boys here to sing with me?”
“Seems like it.”
“I don’t suppose you’re prepared to go on stage with me?”
“Absolutely not. You know very well I did not get the singing gene, that’s all them. They take after our mom.”
“Where is Luke?” Wylder tried to squash out the rise of panic. She was not a solo artist, she could not—would not—do this alone.
