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Willa stops walking once we get outside and turns to me with her hands on her hips. “Was he mean to you this morning?”
“No.”
“The Kai you knew, and this Kai, are completely different and exactly the same.”
“What?” I mutter, wondering if she hit her head at some point and I missed it.
Willa sighs and runs her fingers through her hair. “Kai has lost a lot. He’s still coming to terms with a lot of shit that’s happened to him. I’m not defending his shitty attitude, but I think you guys need to talk about it.”
“He won’t talk to me!” I yell, no longer trying not to make a scene.
“I know, babe. He’ll come around. Just pay attention. He loosens up and is more like the old Kai when we’re on tour.”
I think that over as I follow her to the taxi she’s climbing into.
“Being home. Is that what gets to him? I saw what it did to Mav,” I ask quietly once I’m in the car next to her.
“Yeah. It gets to all of us. But it’s the worst for those two.”
I nod, understanding. I avoided going home as much as I could for that exact reason. It doesn’t change anything,but now I know to be on the lookout for the boy I used to love.
“You’re not working, Belle.”
“Why not? I can’t just sit around for six weeks!” I yell as I chase my brother around the backstage area of tonight’s venue, trying not to trip over the cords that seem to be scattered everywhere. I have to dodge people he seems to easily weave around. Between all the staff the band hires for the tour and the staff that runs everything backstage, this place is a zoo.
“Let her do something, Cal,” Mav says, coming up next to me.
“No.”
“Why?” I plead.
Cal sighs and turns to look at me. I gasp when I see his face. His right cheek and under his eye are black and blue. “What happened?”
“It was a misunderstanding. Don’t worry about it,” he says, looking down at his feet. Is he embarrassed? Maybe some guy caught him with his girlfriend. Wouldn’t be the first time.
“Cal, I need to do something. I don’t care what it is. I’ll collect the trash for all I care. Please,” I beg him.
Cal studies me for what feels like hours. It feels like he’s reading every emotion I’ve ever had on my face. Mav is next to me, quietly offering me his support. I appreciate it, and I make a mental note to thank him with a coffee or something later.
“Fine. You can play with us,” Cal says before walking away.
“What?” I shout, running after him, grabbing his arm to stop him. “I can’t play with you! I don’t know your songs. Most of them don’t even have a keyboard part in them.”
“Learn them. I know you, and I know how quickly you learn music. We also need female vocals for at least the background.”
“What?” I say again, the disbelief rendering me almost mute.
“I actually think that’s a good idea. Our songs need those elements, but Cal and Kai refuse to let anyone else play them. So we just leave them out,” Mav says.
I turn to look at him and glare, letting him know I feel betrayed.
“I mean. If you want to. If you’re even comfortable, that is. I just think it would help. You know. The band. But also your work thing,” he stutters, running his hands through his hair and turning a vibrant shade of red.
“I haven’t played in years. The only place I sing is in the shower. I don’t have a keyboard…” I list off all the reasons it’s a bad idea but stop there.
Do I actually want to do this?
I’ve never performed in front of a crowd this size. Hell, the only time I performed at all was in the woods in front of drunk classmates.
