Series: Like Us Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 241
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
56
PAUL DONNELLY
“I have a bright idea. Let’s focus on why we love each other,” Eliot says, his arms outstretched between Ben and Charlie’s chests. He’s only in sweatpants since he flew out of his bunk to separate his brothers.
“What did you expect?!” Charlie shouts back in annoyance at Ben. Their voices have been escalating for the past five minutes. “It’s a competition. We’re competing.”
“You’re cheating.” Ben balls an old, faded baseball cap angrily in his hands. “And only to bury me.”
Eliot says, “I suppose I might be asking for the world.”
The tour bus lurches over a pothole, and I grip the table in the front section of the bus to steady myself. Ben catches onto a storage compartment above Xander’s head, careful not to fall into him. My elf is seated and reading some romantasy novel Audrey Cobalt lent him. He’s blocking out the explosive fight with noise-cancelling headphones.
Eliot stabilizes Charlie against the cupboards. They’re near the locked bathroom (Luna is still in there).
Safe to say the mini-marketing campaign for Fizzle is off to a bumpy start. The Fizzle Five have various meet-and-greets and photo ops scheduled this week, and board members have been dropping in to judge ‘em.
Tensions have been bubbling since everyone boarded the tour bus 72-hours ago in Los Angeles, and they boiled over after the stop in Nevada.
“Anyone want a bagel?” I try to defuse the ticking bomb.
“Sure,” Charlie says flatly.
“Look, progress,” Eliot sighs. “Perhaps I won’t have to call Beckett.”
Ben is still staking Charlie with a glare. Might need a hundred bagels to stuff in the crater between the two of them. One package isn’t gonna do the job.
Cream cheese might help. Moving around the bus, I search for a knife and package of plain bagels. Nothing like breakfast at nine p.m.
Reminds me of Farrow, really. Last time I was on a bus like this, all of SFO were traveling together for the FanCon tour. Great times.
Now it’s just Oscar, Epsilon, and me. Weird mix, especially since SFE aren’t being the shitheads that I know ‘em to be. They’ve been…different since the hazing initiation with O’Malley.
Can’t put my finger on how exactly, other than they’re less prickish.
Makes me feel funny inside. Not sure I like it.
Right now, I’m the sole bodyguard survivor on this bus—outside of Ian Wreath, the SFE lead. But he doesn’t count ‘cause he’s steering the wheel.
Security’s bus tails the one I’m on. It was added for redundancy—since during the FanCon, the bus broke down in the middle of nowheresville. Two buses are better than one. I’m not “exactly” riding with the famous ones out of special treatment for being Luna’s boyfriend.
Xander requested me here.
No one asked him why. It’s not unusual for him to want his bodyguard closer, but I know it’s not purely because he needs my protection. He knows if I’m on the bus, I can spend more time with Luna.
So it is because I’m dating her.
Can’t deny that I’ve slept better being in the same bed as my girlfriend. She’s woken me when I started thrashing a few times, but I haven’t sleepwalked since the holidays.
“You set me up—just admit it,” Ben says to Charlie.
I spread cream cheese on a bagel half and cast a quick glance at the bathroom. Luna has been in there a while.
“I’m not denying it.” Charlie has a cranky expression. Seems like Ben truly irritates the shit outta him. “You’re gullible and naïve. Perfect traits for the future CEO of Fizzle.”
Ben works his tensed jaw. “That’s our dear brother.” He’s talking to Eliot. “I believed Charlie. I trusted him for one moment, and what does he do?”
“Again, we’re competing,” Charlie defends. “If I thought Eliot would’ve fallen for the same asinine ploy, I would’ve used it on him. But he’s not—”
“Naïve, yeah, I know what you think of me,” Ben says tightly.
“You just proved today it’s what you are.”
Eliot has a hand on his forehead, unsure of how to resolve this.
Cobalt peacemaker—he is not. This isn’t the first blowup either. The lion cubs have been tearing at each other’s throats every night on the bus. Blood is being spilled, and gotta say, I hate it. Feels like fratricide.
Xander suddenly leaves for the narrow aisle of bunks. Quickly, I follow and check on him. He’s lying down on a bottom bunk, adjusting a pillow behind his head and flipping off the reading light. Bathed in darkness.
“Everything good with you?” I ask him.
“Just exhausted, after everything today, and that’s not helping.” He means the fighting. He rubs at his tired eyes, and I nod a couple times. He’s unquestionably the most popular during these mini meet-and-greets. Fizzle’s coordinators only allow a hundred ticketed guests inside the venues, but the fans all rush for Xander first.
He’s been more overwhelmed on this tour than any day at school. Which is saying something because his senior year has been riding him hard.