Page 62 of Resurrection
Quietly, I slipped outside into our back yard. The cool grass tickled my toes, damp from the evening air that smelled faintly of impending rain. This summer had been brutal and this rain—we needed it.
Using my secret passage—a loose plank in the old wooden fence—I sneaked to the back alley. Underbrush rustled softly around me as I squeezed through.
A few minutes later, Ty’s silhouette emerged from the shadows. He rushed over, smiling, his hair a mess from getting through his own backyard garden.
The air wrapped around us like a warm, wet blanket as Ty and I headed down the familiar path.
We walked close, shoulder bumping into shoulder occasionally. It’d always been like this. Some level of physical contact was present in our interaction, but tonight, it felt different. Amplified.
I knew the way to our spot in the park even with my eyes closed. We’d been coming here for two years. My sneakers and his boots crunched over the gravel and stomped through the grass until we reached the old bench beneath the giant tree.
Ty seemed a little nervous, not saying much.
"Are you okay?" I asked as we sat down. The wood was worn smooth by people and time, and I leaned back and stared up at the stars.
It felt good to be out in the open with him, away from Adri’s suspicious eyes.
"Just preshow jitters," Ty replied, looking up at the sky too. He absentlypicked at the wood on the bench. He was quiet for a second, then looked at me. "We’re working on a new setlist," he said.
"Why?"
"I think we’ll add one of the original songs."
"The original from the Coachella Valley Rejects?"
"Yeah."
"It’s gonna be killer," I said supportively.
"You think?" His eyes grew bright, and I saw excitement fill them.
"I know." In my opinion, Tyler Brady could do no wrong. If he thought the crowd was ready to hear his band’s music, then it was so.
"You’re not lying, are you?" he pressed.
"Why would I ever lie to you?" I blurted out. I scooted a little closer, the way I did when we were just friends, but maybe not really.
"So…um…" Ty stammered. "This is nice."
I smiled. "Yeah, no big brothers lurking in the shadows."
He chuckled. "Adri is a dick."
"He is."
"Hey, so your dad’s on board, right? You’ll help with the merch booth?"
"Yeah. He doesn’t mind. Your parents will be there?"
"Yeah." Ty raked his hands through his hair. "Man, I can’t wait to be eighteen. My folks won't have to chaperone me every show."
I laughed. "Tell me about it."
"Aren't you getting your license too?"
"Probably soon. Just haven't had time to study for an exam and Adri's being an ass whenever I ask him to teach me."
"I’ll drive you," Tyler blurted without hesitation. "This guy my dad works with said he’d sell us his old Honda. I’ll be taking you to school."
