Disappointment courses through me. “Not since school. I had rehearsal, then studied withPen.”
“Glad to hear it. The studying, not therehearsal.”
“Because in your world, the men play the guitar and women do the math,” Ideadpan.
“There is one world, and in it, my daughter is going tocollege.”
When your dad happens to have been the biggest rock star on the planet before he semi-retired, things like graduations and diplomas and college admissions don’t seem nearly as impressive as millions of album sales, screaming fans, and seven-figure endorsementdeals.
I would give anything for his musicality, his confidence. The way he commands a room, the God-given spark that makes it so you can’t lookaway.
Instead, I have his eyes and his flair for thedramatic.
Hardly a fairtrade.
“Do me a favor and watch Sophie while I go down to the studio with Tyler,” my dad says on his way to the sink. “Haley’s at a meeting but should be back soon, and there’s lasagna on thestove.”
If only my dad would see me the way he sees Tyler. They spend hours together discussing guitar, sound, vocals. Working on new tracks for other artists andcauses.
In less than a month, I’ll be the one on stage, and they won’t be able to ignoreme.
Not Carly. Not Tyler. Not mydad.
Then he’ll see me like he seesTyler.
Then I’ll matter like theydo.
My phone vibrates, and I glance atit.
Kellan:Think about myidea?
Atemporary trucewith Carly and the others would mean I wouldn’t have to constantly worry about getting a knife between the shoulders between now and openingnight.
“I want to have a few people over this weekend,” Idecide.
Dad turns off the faucet, his shirt clean but soaking wet. “Haley and Sophie and I are inLA.”
“Even better. You hateparties.”
“And teenagers at my house leave behind messes that will linger until I’mback.”
He frowns down at his shirt as if realizing teenagers aren’t the messiest part of thishousehold.
I play my trump card—my dad’s longest friend and guitarist, better known to the world as Mace. “Not if Uncle Ryan’ssupervising.”
Dad yanks the shirt over his head, apparently giving up on trying to get it clean, and heads for the hallway leading to the stairs. “If Mace is free, you can have friends over,” he calls over a shoulder. “But if they break anything, I’ll break you andthem.”
Yes. It’s the closest thing to a resounding affirmative I could hopefor.
I’ll host an epic cast party for the rich assholes, prove to Tyler Adams he’s wrong about me tempting Carly and her minions, and the entire musical standoff will be resolved byMonday.
Easypeasy.
3
“This is sick, Annie.”Jenna looks around the patio on Saturday night. “Don’t you think,Carly?”
Carly lifts a bare shoulder under her perfectly waved blond hair. “It’s better thannothing.”