“Okay, okay. I know you can handle your own stuff. Plus, it’s Mason. Grudge or not, he’s a good guy. I’m sure you guys will work it out. What about his bandmate? What was so bad about him back then?”
“He was always getting into trouble. Sneaking into places he shouldn’t, smoking cigarettes everywhere—even though the entire campus was smoke free—and acting like he was above it all.”
“Above what?”
“School? Responsibility? Acting like a normal human being?”
“I’m a bit surprised,” my sister said after a moment. “You don’t usually just…dislike people like this.”
“What do you mean?”
“Doesn’t sound like he did anything wrong toward you. So what if he’s a miscreant? That shouldn’t bother you this much.”
“I wouldn’t say he didn’t do anything to me,” I said defensively. “He was always a dick to me. But he was a dick to everyone, so I guess it wasn’t personal.”
Ade snickered. “Sounds like how I’d describe Abel.”
In the background, I heard the singer shout, “Extremely sexy and talented?”
“No,” Ade said. “You’re a dick to everyone, so no one takes it personally.”
“That’s right!”
“Okay, sorry,” Ade said, stifling her laugh. “So why did he manage to get under your skin? There are plenty of rude people in the world.”
“I don’t know. I never thought about it.”
“Maybe you should if you’re about to start working with them.”
I guess she had a point. At the very least, I had to approach the singer with an open mind, even if he seemed unlikely to extend me the same courtesy. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“You sure there’s no other skeletons in the closet?”
I should feel comfortable telling my sister, of all people, that I’d kissed both Mason and Kaz in one night. She was dating four guys, after all. But for some reason, I couldn’t get the words out. Maybe because that night had inspired a lot of confusing feelings that I had no desire to dig up, especially now.
A deep voice sounded on the other end of the line.
“Is that Silas?” I asked.
“Yeah. You want to say a few words to him? Here.”
There were a few seconds of rustling and then the guitarist was on the other end of the line. “How are you doing, love? Your sister’s been worried about you.”
“I’m great,” I said cheerfully as I eyed the fraying carpet beneath my feet. Was something crawling across it? “No need to worry. I hope you’re enjoying the tour.”
“Yeah? Well, maybe text her more often. She likes getting updates from you.”
“And she was just calling you and rest of the guys needy.”
He barked out a laugh. “We’ve all got our weaknesses.”
I frowned. I wasn’t my sister’s weakness, was I? Not anymore. “Nah, Adeline doesn’t have a weakness.”
“Mmm. I know she’s getting eager to come home, and so are we. Soon, yeah?”
“Yep. Can’t wait to see you all.”
“Good. Alright, we’ve got to go to soundcheck. Here’s Adeline again, she wants to say goodbye.”
