“Ready?” she asked.
“Listen. I don’t want to miss your last practice, but I have to go find Leo.”
Cath’s face fell. I didn’t want to hurt her, but was this an instance of putting myself first? I wasn’t sure. I worried my lip.
Her brow crinkled with mild disgust. “Am I in the middle of some sort of grand gesture?” she asked.
“No. Yes. Maybe. I don’t know. I just feel like I need to try again. He’s so sweet and sensitive, and I think I went about things all wrong. He has done so much, and I?—”
The grossed-out look was no longer mild. She held up a hand to stop me. She stepped closer, and her features opened into wide eyes. “I wouldn’t ask you if it wasn’t really important. But I practiced something special that I want to show you. Can you just come to practice? I’m nervous about leaving and going on tour and everything.” Her lip quivered.
I’d never seen this side of her before, so frank and emotional. We must have really made a connection.
“Oh, Cath.”
“Please, Miss Mitchell, one last show before the road?” she asked me with brows contorted. I couldn’t have said no if I tried.
“Of course.” I shook my head. I would go to Leo after. A few more minutes wouldn’t hurt. “Let’s go.” As we walked out of the school, I wasn’t filled with the same chest-collapsing sadness I usually had as a long break spread ahead of me. There was a natural ebb and flow to life, people who come and go. It wasn’t always a reflection of me. Then there were the onesthat stayed for every season and every year. That was who I hoped Leo would be for me. I felt hopeful.
“Are you okay? Feeling good about things?” I asked her as we walked.
Cath squinted and looked ahead. “I’m a little nervous about the tour.”
I bumped her shoulder. “It’ll be great. But if it sucks, come home. They’ll figure it out.”
She nodded, chewing her lip.
“Just stay away from drugs and alcohol and try to eat and sleep well. Have fun, but don’t get carried away with the glamour of it all.”
She raised an eyebrow at me. “My parents already gave this speech.”
“Okay, sorry. I can’t help myself.” As we got closer to the football field, we had to weave through the packed parking lot. “That’s weird.”
“What?” She flicked a look at me.
“There are a lot of cars here for a random afternoon practice.”
“Huh,” Cath said, unconcerned but picking up her pace. “I was thinking, I’m going to start college with major street cred. People aren’t even going to believe that I toured with The Burnouts.”
“Make sure to take lots of photos,” I said distractedly as my head turned all around to watch a majority of Green Valley walk with us to the stadium. “Okay, seriously, is something going on? I swear, if Pin Dick booked something on our last practice, I’m going to burn this place down.”
Cath’s eyebrows shot up her forehead.
“Metaphorically,” I added. “Also, pretend I didn’t call him that.”
“Eh. I’m basically graduated. I won’t tell anyone. Also, we call him that anyway.”
“Ha.”
Cath fidgeted, and her steps sped up.
“What’s going on?” The marching band was in their full regalia when I stopped before them.
“I told you, I wanted to show you something special,” she said.
I stopped and studied her. All her reticence was replaced with restless giddiness.
“Wait, did you emotionally manipulate me? With all the ‘please, it means so much’ and the wanting me to be here?” I asked, outraged.
