Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 54196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
“Wait, how’d you even know about tonight? And me playing?”
Ramona grins. “Eh, word got out about a couple of varsity players being in a secret rock band, and then Katya Berger swore she heard a girl singing with an acoustic guitar from somewhere near the laundry room at the senior boys door when she was sneaking into her boyfriend’s room.”
Kempton butts in.
“Smarty-pants Ramona put two and two together, looked up the battle of the bands, realized you were basically missing from campus, and solved the riddle.”
My friend turns to me as I grin, my face reddening.
“Sorry, I should have told you. I was just…you know.”
“Not looking to get busted sneaking into the guys’ dorm or off campus left and right?” She winks. “I get it, and seriously don’t worry about it. All you need to do is relax and rock out tonight.”
I roll my eyes. “I mean, it’s just me, so, not sure how I’m going to do in a battle of the bands, but we’ll see.”
Beckett smiles a crooked smile as he nods at me. “Yeah, I’m sorry about Griff, Anders, and Carson. Coach… well…” he makes a face, but I just shrug again as nonchalantly as I can. Which I’m sure doesn’t look nonchalant in the slightest.
“It’s fine. Football comes first, right?”
Beckett’s face darkens, and he looks at me like he’s getting that there’s more here than I’m letting on. But he doesn’t say anything, just smiles as warmly as he can.
Kempton laughs. “I seriously can’t believe those three even play instruments.”
Ramona giggles. “Jock-rock is alive and well, girl.”
Okay, even I snort a laugh at that one, along with the rest of them.
“How… uh, how was the game?” I say quietly.
He nods. “We won, actually.”
“Great.”
I try and sound cheerful, but I’m sure it comes out totally flat. Ramona smiles at me again, putting her arm around me.
“You’re going to be amazing out there.”
“Hey, solo acts have won before!” Anastasia says cheerily, pushing her blonde hair away from her face. Kempton glances at her with a surprised look and she shrugs.
“What, I looked it up?”
I smile at her. “Thanks. Guess we’ll find out?”
Ramona hugs me again. “You’re going to kill it, lady. You know you are.”
“Thanks, lady,” I say quietly.
“Okay, we should go get our seats!” Kempton says brightly, taking Beckett’s hand. “Good luck out—”
“Hey, sorry I’m late. Couldn’t find fucking parking any—”
My jaw drops, and I freeze as Professor Truman, Beckett’s older brother and our freaking math and stats teacher, suddenly barges into our little circle backstage. My face goes white, realizing I’m standing here at a concert venue way after campus curfew, and here’s one of our freaking teachers.
“Um… I… I mean—”
I swallow, my heart racing as I try to come up with some sort of plausible excuse or plea, before suddenly, Beckett starts to chuckle.
“Oh, he’s not here as a teacher, relax.”
I blink, realizing none of the others seem to be worried about one of our professors being here.
“He was our ride, actually,” Ramona says with a grin and a shrug.
Professor Truman smiles at me.
“Hey, Zara. Heard you’re going to fuckin’ rock it out there tonight.”
I blush. Okay, even with all the wildness of my life over the last few weeks, it’s still weird to see your teachers outside of class.
“Um, thanks!” I smile awkwardly, shifting. “Thanks for coming, Professor Truman. And, you know…” I blush. “For not telling on me.”
He laughs. “Let’s stick to Porter outside of class. And look, I went to Winchester too, you know. Trust me, it’s good for the soul to get off of that campus sometimes.”
I smile as the rocking sound of the band out on stage ending a song brings a roar from the crowd.
It’s almost time.
“Okay, you need to get ready, and we need to push out way to the front of the stage before you go on,” Ramona grins at me before she nods at everyone else. “Shall we?”
“Hey, good luck out there!” Anastasia smiles, reaching out to squeeze my hand.
“Kick some ass, girl,” Kempton beams at me before taking Beckett’s hand. He smiles at me.
“They may just surprise you, you know,” he says quietly. “Those three knuckleheads, I mean. They’re good guys.”
I smile as evenly as I can as he gives me another smile before he and Kempton follow Anastasia into the darkness of the backstage area. But just before they round the corner, I see it, and my brows shoot up.
…I see Porter—Professor Truman—follow them both, and just before they’re out of sight, I sure as day see Kempton take his hand in her other hand.
Um, what?
I blink as Ramona hugs me again, pulling me away from the bizarreness I just witnessed.
“So, you going to tell me who it is?”
I frown.
“Who what is?”
She grins as she rolls her eyes.
“Of the three of them, you’re crushing hard on…” she stops, her eyes narrowing as she peers at me. “No, wait, not crushing. You’re like into one of them, aren’t you?”