Page 92 of Faux Real
Maxine scoffs. “Am I? Doesn’t feel like it sometimes.”
“Why?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.
“Forget it, it’s nothing,” she says, waving me off. “I’ll see you after the break? Good luck on Saturday, ‘kay?”
“Thanks.”
“Dude,” Max adds, placing her hand on my shoulder. “She’s fine, okay? Relax.”
“Iamrelaxed,” I mumble, turning my attention back to the textbook.
“Yeah, and I’m a fucking unicorn,” Max sings before trotting away.
I’m not in any position to judge Kennedy, I know that, but I don’t like this. Not one bit.
I’ll ask her about it later. After the show maybe, when her guard is down. When she’ll know exactly how I feel. When all this fake shit gets put to rest. I know what I want now. I’ve known for a while, I think.
I want real.
“One more time,” I call out, wiping a sheen of sweat from my forehead as I rest the drumsticks on the tom. “Let’s go.”
“Dude, we’ve played the fucking song like three times in a row already, I think we’re good,” Ricky grunts, pulling a joint from his breast pocket. “Now, we just need to Zen the fuck out before we’re on, which is in—” He checks his phone. “Thirty minutes, so let’s get it lit boys.”
“I’m with Rick on this one,” Jaime says, walking toward the couch and taking a seat next to Colt. He glances at me, a taunting grin on his face. “Are you nervous or something Oliver? Worried you’ll choke?”
I scoff. “Hardly.”
“Then stop practicing and get over here!” Colt exclaims, putting his arm around Tia. “We sound good, right babe?”
“You sound great, baby.” Tia snatches Colt’s chin in her hand, grinning mischievously at him. “God, I love that mouth.”
“That’s not all you love,” Colt smirks.
“Get a fucking room.” I roll my eyes, bile on the verge of creeping up my throat.
“Play nice,” Colt says, his voice muffled by Tia’s lips on his.
“Whatever,” I mutter, pulling out my phone and re-reading Kennedy’s texts.
Kenny: Okay, weird question but do I need to bring anything?
Ollie: What? LOL Like flowers or something?
Kenny: I don’t know...I’ve never been to a “show” before. What’s the proper etiquette?
Ollie: You’re coming to watch a band not have tea with the Queen. Just bring yourself, that should suffice.
Kenny: So you don’t want flowers?
Ollie: I’m not really a flowers type of guy, believe it or not
Kenny: Sure, that’s why you knew of the only rose gardens near the school. Got it ;)
Ollie: I feel like uninviting you now
Kenny: Lies
Ollie: Caught
