Page 74 of Love is a Lyric
22
Ben
“I call this meeting of Rockstars Anonymous to order.” Drew banged his fist like a gavel on the wooden table beside his deck chair.
“I still hate that name.” Jo groaned as she sat on the ground and leaned her back against Noah’s legs.
Dax stood at the edge of the deck staring out at the woods in full contemplative-Dax-Nelson mode.
Ben sat and surveyed the group, as different as they were alike. The two hard core rockers, one British and one American. Pretty boy hockey-playing Drew.
The mysterious and slightly nerdy Dax.
What role did Ben play in this little gang? Oh yeah, the pathetic one they needed to fly to Ohio to see.
“It’s beautiful here.” Dax turned back to the group.
Drew sighed. “I called us to order. We can’t talk about the weather or the trees or whatever boring stuff falls out of your mouth, Dax. This is about Ben, and how Quinn is going to rip his balls off.”
Ben had tried not to think about Quinn or her million phone calls. He hadn’t answered any of them, knowing what she’d say. It was time to put their music first.
Wasn’t that what Piper wanted him to do? He rubbed his face. “She is, isn’t she?”
Jo shook her head. “Her sister, dude.”
“I know.” But they didn’t understand, they didn’t know how Piper had always been there, he just hadn’t seen her. How she brought him to life. None of that mattered though. “And a sister who doesn’t want me.”
Their looks ranged from sympathy to pity.
Drew reached over and clapped him on the shoulder. “That hurts, man.”
“Kinda. Yeah.” More than kind of.
“All right, gentlemen and lady.” Drew clapped his hands together. “Rockstars Anonymous was put together to help us navigate the messed up world of fame with some allies, and we came here to do just that.” He met Ben’s gaze. “We thought you’d need help with the paps, figuring out how to save your band, but this is so much worse, so alas, we must evolve.”
Ben didn’t say anything, scared of Drew’s next words.
Drew grinned. “We are now your love gurus.”
The group as a whole groaned.
But Drew didn’t stop. “Rockstars Anonymous must support you in everything, Benny boy. And if that means discussing crushes like a bunch of broads—”
“Hey,” Jo yelled. “I resent that term.”
“That’s why I used it.” He laughed. “I’ll continue. If it means discussing crushes like a bunch of respectable ladies—” He cast a look at Jo, seeking her approval. When she nodded, he continued. “—then it is what we must do.” He leaned toward Ben. “My idea is fetch, right?”
“That’s not how you use that term.” Noah lifted an eyebrow.
Dax jumped in, much to Ben’s surprise. “You’re supposed to say something is so fetch. But I don’t know if an idea can be fetch.”
“It totally can.” Noah shrugged. “If it helps, Drew, I think your idea is so fetch.”
“Still wrong.” Dax crossed his arms.
“Can we stop debatingMean Girls?” The words burst out of Ben, and he jumped up to pace across the deck.
“He’s right.” Drew barely contained his laughter. “We’re rockers. None of us are supposed to knowMean Girls. I feel like we just broke down a wall between us. Are we bonding?”
