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“Yeah.”
“I think, like it or not, all our lives are intertwined now. Making music together, we lay our souls bare.” Releasing my hand, Barry framed my face. “A band is like a family. In your case and mine, ABCR is a much better one than what we actually have, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I said, lost in the warmth and understanding in his eyes.
“I’ll always be your best friend,” he whispered, even though we were alone now in the deserted hallway. “No one I trust like you. I always have your back. You never need to question it.”
“And I always have yours.” I lifted my chin.
“Know you do, babe. I consider myself extremely fortunate, just because I have you.” He cupped my head and drew me close, pressing his lips to my forehead. “See you after school, beautiful.”
I nodded but didn’t speak. My skin was warm and tingly where he’d kissed me, and so was everywhere else.
Feeling like I was standing in a sunbeam, I watched him stride away. When he ducked into his classroom and disappeared, I headed to mine.
“You really think this is necessary?” I asked Rachel outside the consignment shop.
Meaning, I didn’t think it was.
There were more important things to do, like rehearsing, although ABCR had practiced Friday during lunch at school and again today at Andy’s grandmother’s. The full band couldn’t rehearse until Sunday evening when Barry was available.
“Yes,” Rachel said firmly. Reaching for the door handle, she pulled it open for me and followed me in. “You represent ABCR. We have a color scheme. The guys are set, and I have an outfit, but you need one too. After all, image is nearly as important as the music.”
Not even.
I rolled my eyes, but she didn’t see it. She was too busy scanning the closest jam-packed rack of secondhand clothing.
“You’ve gotta be kidding,” I said, moving beside her.
“I saidnearly.” Looking at my face, she laughed. “You take everything too seriously.”
“And you’re making every effort not to be.” I put my hand over hers where it rested on a hanger for a rainbow-colored dress that I hope she didn’t want me to wear. “You’ve been evasive every time I try to get you to talk about what happened the other night.”
“Nothing happened,” she whisper-shouted and glanced around.
But we were alone in the musty-smelling shop except for a bored-looking shop lady. Sitting behind the front counter, she snapped her gum and flipped the pages of a magazine.
“Why the butcher knife then?” I asked pointedly.
“I told you.” Rachel blew out a breath. “When I came out of the shower, Raymond was upstairs. He said something that made me uncomfortable.” She glanced away.
“Said or did something?” I asked, not satisfied with her evasive answer. She’d probably only had a towel wrapped around her body when leaving the bathroom. I didn’t like that at all.
“He didn’t touch me. He ...” Trailing off, she gripped the rack so hard, the skin across her knuckles blanched. “Let’s just say he’s not anxious to stick his dick or any other part anywhere near me again. The knife was just a precaution.”
“But, Rach—”
“Addy, no more. I don’t want to talk about it.” She pulled a black skirt suit from the rack. “This is perfect.”
“No.” I shook my head. “No way.”
“The pinstripes are silver. If we can find you a fuchsia top, you’ll have all the band colors.”
I made a face. “Why can’t I just wear jeans and a T-shirt?”
“Because you can’t just be our manager, you have to look like a manager.” Her brows drew together. “We all have our roles to play.”
“How so?”
