“These two people are awesome,” Ross informed the audience.
“And we’d like to take this moment to appreciate everything that Connor and Katelyn Jackson have done for us.”
Tears built in the back of my eyes as Zach put an arm around me, kissing me on the cheek.
That caused quite the reaction from the crowd.
“We baked you a cake,” Mackenzie said. “And there are two stools for you to sit in while we serenade you.”
Connor laughed, taking the cake from Mackenzie. Zach guided me to my seat, taking my crutches as I took a seat.
Cue the crowd reaction.
“We also wrote you a song,” Jesse said. “Titled ‘The End.’”
Stagehands came out and delivered microphones to Mackenzie and the members of Skyline. I exchanged glances with Connor, who was just as surprised.
The song recounted our experiences on tour, starting with the first full-show rehearsal all the way up to last night’s show. As someone who hadn’t been much of a crier before these past few weeks, the floodgates opened as I realized that this was it.
This was truly The End.
As the song finished, Connor thanked everyone. I locked eyes with Zach, and even though every part of me was against public displays of affection, I pulled him close to me and gave him a big kiss to thank him for the song.
It was perfect.
The tour wrap-up party started almost directly after the show.
Everyone was going to meet up at the hotel the crew was staying in, as not everyone was from the Los Angeles area. Connor had rented out the meeting room, and the room had been decorated to celebrate the end of the summer.
To celebrate the end of the tour.
Jenica and I went back to my house to get ready. As someone who wasn’t really a dress person, I’d had a difficult time finding another dress to wear. Luckily, Jenica had thought ahead, bringing me one of her favorites.
The dress was white and strapless. The top was rhinestoned in gold, and it was tight throughout the hips, and then flared out.
Jenica did my hair and makeup and then I slipped the dress on. My knee brace sort of ruined the aesthetic, but she assured me that it was still perfect. She handed me a pair of gold sandals. “To complete the look.”
I stared at myself in the mirror and did a slow twirl.
“You are going to be the talk of the century,” Jenica said. “Crutches and all.”
“Your turn,” I said, tearing my eyes away from my reflection and flashing her a smile. “We are going to rock this party.”
Jenica’s dress was short and black. It had three-quarter length, lace sleeves. It was simple yet elegant. She paired it with a pair of black, chunky heels.
Once she was satisfied, Richard took us to the hotel.
The party was already in full swing by the time we got there, Zach almost immediately finding me. He was wearing a polo shirt and pair of khakis, simple yet still adorable.
Eventually Jenica left me for a guy she met, which I knew would happen. She was incredibly sociable, and she loved meeting people, especially cute guys.
“You look beautiful tonight,” Zach said, his eyes boring into mine. “In case I haven’t told you already.”
“Thanks,” I said, with a blush.
I gave him a kiss.
“Jesse is making an announcement,” Zach said. “I’d better go before he kills me.”
I raised an eyebrow in question as he made his way over to his brothers.
“Can I have your attention?” Jesse asked.
The room quieted, everyone’s attention landing on the boys.
“Is this the announcement?” Connor asked.
Jesse nodded, and a smile spread across Connor’s face.
“As you guys know, we’re headlining our own tour in the fall,”
Jesse said. “But what you guys don’t know is that yesterday we officially signed to Lightshine Records.”
My jaw dropped. That was the record label Connor was signed to.
Zach flashed me a smile.
“And in two weeks’ time, we’ll be moving out to L.A.”
Moving to L.A.?
“Surprise,” Zach said to me.
I pulled him in for another kiss, my heart soaring. “I can’t believe it.”
“Hopefully you didn’t think this was just a summer fling,” Zach said, with a slight laugh. “Because I plan on sticking around for a while.”
“Aren’t you glad I made you come along now?” Connor teased, as he came over to congratulate Zach.
I looked around the room.
There was Mackenzie, the surprisingly good friend. Someone whom I’d misjudged at the start, but who turned out to be a genuinely good person.
There was Ross, the goofball. He was the funniest of his brothers, and I’d come to learn that he was also the sweetest.
There was Aaron, the mysterious one. He didn’t talk much, but once you put him with Ross, they were quite the troublemakers.
And Jesse, the badass with a soft side for Zach. He’d become a good friend over the tour.
And then, of course, there was Zach. My shy, sweet, talented, lovable boyfriend. My best friend—aside from Jenica, of course.
Zach tilted my head, his eyes staring into mine as he tried to figure out what I was thinking.
“Yes,” I said, without breaking eye contact.
“Yes?” Zach asked, with a smile.
“I’m glad I tagged along for the ride.”
THE END
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I cannot believe this journey has come to an end. Writing my debut novel was a roller coaster filled with many sleepless nights, emotional breakdowns, but most importantly, many happy tears. I am so happy to share Katelyn Jackson’s story with the world, and I hope you all love her just as much as I do.
A massive thank you to I-Yana Tucker for being an amazing talent manager. Thank you for helping me through my editing woes, for listening to me when I really thought I wasn’t going to come through to the other side, and for always being available to chat.
And a shout-out to the entire Wattpad Books team for believing in me, for taking a chance on me and my story. Thank you to my editing team, Deanna McFadden and Jen Hale. Thank you to Deanna for taking my monster, unedited novel from Wattpad and helping me turn it into something that I’m proud of. And thank you to Jen for polishing the story and helping me put the finishing touches on it.
Thank you to my parents, who are amazing in every way. You guys have always supported me in everything I’ve done, and your support for my writing has meant the world to me. Thank you to my dad for telling every single person he knows that his daughter is an author, way before I was ever published. And thank you to my mom for acting as my agent, reading contracts with me, and calling every news outlet to run my story.
Thank you to my brother, who carries my business cards around in his wallet and actively asks me to restock him. You’ve always roped everyone you know into supporting my writing, whether it was your football team for a Twitter campaign or your boss who refers to you as “Rachel’s brother.” I couldn’t ask for a better partner in crime.
Thank you to my nana, who has encouraged me to read since I was three. You fed my book appetite all throughout my childhood and have always encouraged me to follow my dreams. My biggest cheerleader, my best friend, my confidant.
Thank you to my grandma, who gave me my very first laptop.
It wasn’t equipped with Wi-Fi, and I only used the laptop to write stories. While those stories will never see the light of day, you’ve read every single story I’ve ever posted online and even created a Wattpad account to support me. I’m so lucky to have you.
Thank you to my papa for sparking my creativity as a young child.
One of the stories in this novel was inspired by you, as you used to tell us stories of Francisco the Flying Elephant, who somehow only you could see. You laughed at my stories every time I “missed the bus,” always th
ere to pick me up.
Thank you to Kendall Picone (@kendallpicone on Instagram) for letting me interview her about living with epilepsy. I wanted to keep Zach’s experience authentic and real, and Kendall took the time to answer every question I had and to give feedback.
Thank you to my cousin, Toni. My best friend. You kept me sane when I was spiraling; you’re the voice of reason in every situation I blew out of proportion. Without you, Drama Llama wouldn’t exist. I couldn’t do this life without you.
Thank you to Ali Novak and Jordan Lynde, who helped push me through periods of writer’s block. Thank you for reading my scenes, for pushing me to be the best writer I can be. Thank you to Ali for letting me vent for hours at a time via phone. And thank you to Jordan for responding to my text spams when I didn’t think I could finish.
Thank you to my Cohena family. You girls always know how to make me laugh, how to pick me up, and how to shower me with love. And how to make me stay focused, even when I tried hard to procrastinate.
Thank you to Amy for sitting with me on FaceTime while I plot-ted out every single tour stop in this book. My late-night editing Snapchats, my spam texts about what’s “trendy.” You always know how to make me laugh when I’m on the verge of losing my mind.
Thank you to Victoria for your never-ending support and love.
Your encouraging text messages, your thoughtful gifts. You’ve quickly become my best friend.
Thank you to my aunts, uncles, and cousins, who have read my stories on Wattpad, shared my news stories, and sent me words of encouragement and love. I was deep in edits during the holidays this past year, and your support helped get me through the overhaul.
And most importantly, thank you to my Wattpad readers, who knew Zach and Katelyn before anyone else. Thank you for believing in my characters, for giving me a platform. I am forever grateful for the little orange website that changed my life.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rachel Meinke was born and raised in the Sunshine State. She started writing at the ripe young age of thirteen years old and started posting her early stories on Wattpad at fifteen. Since posting on Wattpad, Rachel has accumulated over 240,000 followers and over 300 million reads. Along for the Ride is her first novel.
When Rachel isn’t writing, you can find her jaunting around Disney, watching endless Marvel movies, or eating excessive amounts of Chick-fil-A. You can also find her posting on Twitter about her Broadway soundtrack obsession of the month, sharing photos of her family adventures on Instagram, and talking about books on YouTube. Find her everywhere @knightsrachel.
Copyright© 2021 Rachel Meinke. All rights reserved.
Published in Canada by Wattpad Books, a division of Wattpad Corp.
36 Wellington Street E., Toronto, ON M5E 1C7
www.wattpad.com
No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the express written permission of the copyright holders.
First Wattpad Books edition: June 2021
ISBN 978-1-98936-545-8 (Softcover original)
ISBN 978-1-98936-546-5 (eBook edition)
Names, characters, places, and incidents featured in this publication are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, institutions, or locales, without satiric intent, is coincidental.
Wattpad, Wattpad Books, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Wattpad Corp.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication information is available upon request.
Cover design and illustration by Stephanie Cheng
Interior images © LineTale via Shuttershock
Typesetting by Sarah Salomon
Table of Contents
Contents
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
Landmarks
Cover
Half Title Page
Title Page
Table of Contents
Dedication
Body Matter
Acknowledgments
Contributors
Copyright Page
Along for the Ride Page 26