“I said no.” I shrugged. “Another time…maybe. I don’t even know if I want to do a duet.”
“It’d be more of a collaboration,” Kyle corrected, sneaking up behind me. I blushed, embarrassed that he had caught us talking about him. He gave me a half grin. “You and I would do vocals, and the band would do instruments. We talked about it last night,” he added, gesturing to Cam and Marcus standing beside him.
“We came up with a few cool ideas,” Marcus added, stealing a quick look at Aubrey. This time, she caught it and tentatively smiled at him. He grinned. “But first, we want to hear you sing…obviously.”
“I…” I was unable to think of a single thing to say. I sent Lindsay a dirty look; I was in this situation because of her big mouth.
Chapter Three
THE NEXT FEW DAYS passed quickly. Grayson wasn’t at school, and my friends kept me distracted enough with the constant reminder about Friday’s talent show. By Friday morning, my nerves were tightly wound in the pit of my stomach.
“Have you talked to Alicia yet?” I whispered to Aubrey at lunch. Lindsay and Alicia were already sitting at our table with Marcus, Kyle and Cam. Aubrey and I had gone to the vending machines to get drinks and to talk.
Aubrey glanced over to the table where Alicia was sitting. She bit her lip, nodding her head. “Yeah, I did…”
“And?”
“And she’s keeping something from us, only I don’t know what. She didn’t tell me. I told her that if she needed to talk, she could tell us anything and we would keep it to ourselves.”
“What do you think it is?” I asked.
“Something big…you can tell it’s really chewing her up.” Aubrey had a worried expression on her face.
For the remainder of the day, I tried to study Alicia’s behavior without her noticing. She seemed sad, anxious, and almost twitchy. By 3:00 p.m., I was just as convinced as Aubrey that something was going on with Alicia. Something that wasn’t good at all.
After the final bell rang, I stopped off at my locker to grab my overnight bag and ditch my books. We thankfully had no homework—at least no pressing assignments due on Monday. I could focus on the talent show, Kyle’s party, working and maybe getting to the bottom of whatever was bugging Alicia.
Aubrey was at my side, having already stopped at her locker. I was studiously trying to avoid any discussion of the talent show, quickly filling Aubrey in on the random visit from Grayson.
“That is weird.” She frowned thoughtfully. “Maybe he lied to you about not caring? I don’t see any other reason why he’d show up at your house after seeing you get a ride home with Kyle. It doesn’t make sense.”
“I know.” I sighed, shaking my head slowly.
“I have a surprise for you,” Kyle said, appearing out of absolutely nowhere. Startled, I dropped my History text book. Kyle leaned over, picking it up without breaking eye contact with me. He was grinning in that swoon-worthy way. I felt a very small swell of attraction for Kyle, but it was nothing compared to what I felt when I was around Grayson.
Stop it, I told my brain. I needed to stop actively comparing everything to Grayson, or I would never get over it…or him.
Aubrey caught my attention. She was standing beside me, trying her hardest to look innocent and distracted. She whistled off-key, purposely avoiding looking in my direction.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” I cautiously asked, closing my locker and turning to face Kyle.
“Aubrey told me she was just going to play a CD of the song you wanted to sing tonight,” Kyle started, giving me one of his signature sensual smiles. Aubrey’s whistling increased.
“And?”
“And…I can do one better. I’ll play my guitar,” he offered, his eyes sparkling.
“Oh no, that’s not necessary,” I argued, feeling even more nervous.
“Actually, it kind of is…” Aubrey hesitated, looking guilty. “I couldn’t find a good copy of the instrumental; all I could find were copies of the actual song, which Kyle said would be distracting.”
“Since when did you two get so chummy?” I grumbled, irritated. I hated when plans changed last minute. I was expecting to do it a certain way, although even I had to admit, having someone actually play the guitar while I sang would make my performance even better.
But it was a dinky little town thing; it didn’t even matter if my ‘performance’ wasn’t as good as it could be. I opened my mouth, about to tell Kyle thanks but no thanks.
“I spent the last two nights learning how to play it for you,” Kyle told me.
I sighed, knowing that I didn’t really have a choice unless I wanted to just sing or bail. Bailing seemed like a good option, one that I knew my friends would never let me live down. Besides, Kyle had learned the song just so I could sing it. He could even double as a distraction—he was so talented and good-looking that nobody would notice me screwing it up. “Thanks, Kyle. That was really nice of you,” I said sincerely, trying to smile at him as we walked out into the student parking lot. My nerves were still completely on edge.
Alicia and Lindsay were waiting by Alicia’s Cobalt. They were laughing about something together, and Alicia was wearing a genuine smile that I hadn’t seen in a while. She looked light, happy, even. Maybe she just had a bad week and things are back to normal now? I thought, exchanging a look with Aubrey. She seemed just as confused by the drastic change in Alicia’s behavior.
We parted ways with Kyle, vowing to meet up at the fair.
Aubrey and I walked over to Alicia’s car, getting into the back seat while Lindsay slid into the front.
“Tonight is going to be so fun!” Lindsay remarked, grinning at us. “First, the fair, then…Kyle’s party!”
* * *
The audience was fuller than I had anticipated. Nothing was closed off and there was no curtain to hide behind to mask my nervousness and collect myself before I went out on stage. The four girls ahead of me were doing an impressive dance number. I could see my friends and Kyle’s friends sitting in the front row. So many familiar faces were making me feel panicked. Even Julia and her friends were sitting in the audience, patiently waiting for me to go on.
Julia caught my eye and waved, a proud grin on her face. Her enthusiasm warmed me and made me want to vomit everywhere.
Kyle stood beside me, holding his acoustic guitar. I think he could sense that I was incredibly nervous. “Just picture everyone in their underwear,” he suggested, his lips close to my ear. I looked at him, arching an eyebrow. “Oh, if you’d rather…you could just picture me in my underwear.” He winked. A quick laugh escaped my lips. I shook my head at Kyle’s attempt to relax me, surprised to see that it worked…a little.
I didn’t have time to process my thoughts. I focused on breathing in and out, keeping my eyes focused toward the stage. The group had finished their dance number, and it was now my turn.
“Next up…Everly Daniels singing ’Landslide’!” The coordinator of the talent show—a plump, friendly woman who went to high school with my parents—announced while a helper set up two microphone stands. “Good luck, Everly,” she whispered, gently squeezing my shoulder as I passed by.
I looked over the faces in the crowd, my eyes moving from Julia’s smiling face to Aubrey, Lindsay and Alicia in the front row with Marcus and Cam. Aubrey was waving frantically at me, sticking her thumbs up to show her encouragement. I took another deep, steadying breath and approached the microphones with Kyle.
I stood in front of one while Kyle stood in front of the other. He gave me an encouraging smile and nodded, then started playing the first notes to ‘Landslide’ by Stevie Nicks.
I waited as Kyle strummed the first chords on his guitar. I took a steadying breath, closing my eyes as I allowed the music to flow out of me.
I lost myself in the music, knowing I was executing every passage with complete clarity, accuracy and perfection. I’d been told by my voice teacher, Mrs. Braun, that I had talent. My voice was clear in tone and very silvery, soft and acc
urate with perfect intonation when I sang quietly. When I increased in volume to a forte, I was able to keep that light, clear and pleasant tone. When I modulate to a high pitch, I did so with ease and accuracy. I am able to bend the tone of my voice to instill a sense of sadness and evoke raw emotion from the listener. Kyle’s guitar added an emotional depth to the song, complimenting me, completing me.
I opened my eyes during the second chorus. I couldn’t help but scan the crowd again, looking past my friends for those glacier blue eyes.
As I was singing the third chorus, I saw him. He was at the very back of the room, leaning against the wall; his arms were crossed, his eyes directly fixed on me.
I finished singing, my eyes still on him. The last notes on Kyle’s guitar faded, and Aubrey jumped up, clapping loudly. Lindsay, Alicia, Cam, Marcus, Julia and three of her friends all stood up too, whistling and clapping like I had just performed at the Molson Amphitheater. I blushed, the heat on my face only intensifying when Kyle came up beside me and put his arm around my shoulders.
“No doubt about it now. We definitely need you for a collaboration,” he said so only I could hear. “Hell, I’m voting to add you to our band officially. You’ve got talent, Everly.” I smiled, feeling a little uncomfortable with his praise.
The first opportunity that I could, I causally escaped from his embrace to hug Julia.
“You were great,” she told me, her eyes shining with excitement. “I don’t need to stick around to know that you won,” she added with confidence.
“Thanks.” I looked toward the back of the room, where Grayson had been standing moments before. He was gone.
“And he’s cute!” Julia grinned, speaking behind her hand and gesturing to Kyle. “Oops…See you later. We’ve got to get to a party,” she added when she spotted her friends waiting by the vendor booths. She threw her arms around me in a quick hug before she darted off to catch up with them.
I headed over to join my friends in the audience. We waited another hour and watched another few people perform before the judges made a decision.
“Third place goes to Martin the Magician, second place goes to the Tappy Tappers dance club, and first place goes to… Everly Daniels!”
Aubrey’s excited squeal pierced through my ear drums before she, Lindsay and Alicia engulfed me in a massive hug. I tried to offer half of my prize money to Kyle. His incredible guitar playing had taken my voice to an entirely new level, but he wouldn’t hear about it.
“You were the most talented thing up there; it’s yours,” he told me, grinning.
Shortly after, our group of seven left the arena to walk through the crowded fairgrounds. I absolutely loved the sound and sights, especially at dusk.
Music from each game booth and ride blended in with the laughter and chatter of the people around us. The smell of deep fryers and cotton candy invaded my senses, and the bright twinkling lights that danced amongst the evening were my favorite parts about the fair.
I always felt alive at the fair, all my senses heightened and dancing, just like I had that first year of freedom in ninth grade. I subconsciously scanned the crowds, looking for him.
When I realized what I was doing, I shook my head, trying to free myself of thoughts of Grayson’s face. I was walking beside Kyle, his arm brushing mine every few steps. We were approaching the ticket booth after the guys pointed out we would need tickets to ride.
“Are more people expected to go to your party?” I asked Kyle, waiting in line beside him.
“Yeah.” Kyle gave me a curious look. “Why?”
“Just wondering.” I shrugged, trying to hide my discomfort with a smile. I couldn’t help but wonder if Grayson would show up. Thoughts of Grayson were like a sick addiction…my sick addiction.
Kyle seemed to know every single person we passed, nodding hello to the majority of them and pausing to talk to a few of them. This didn’t surprise me. I had known he was popular; between his good looks and talent with the band, people took notice of Kyle, and he took notice of them. He was friendly, open, and kind. Last year, he had also been a little immature at times, but this year Kyle acted older, a little more serious than he had been in years prior.
It was interesting to watch people you had known for a while go through growth spurts and changes. High school was a formidable and confusing time; people were constantly changing and trying to figure out who they were.
I awkwardly stood off to the side with Alicia when a group from another school approached Kyle, Marcus and Cam. Lindsay and Aubrey could effortlessly weave themselves into any conversation, but not Alicia or me. She brushed back a strand of her dark hair and gave me a comforting smile, as if she knew and could relate to how out of place I felt.
I caught myself searching for Grayson in the crowd again, searching for those blue eyes and guarded half-smile. I wanted to ask him why he hadn’t stuck around—or better yet, why he had shown up in the first place. I wondered if he knew that I chose “Landslide” with him in mind.
Stop it, Everly, I instructed myself firmly, taking a deep breath and forcing myself to stop looking for him. I glanced at Kyle, who was smiling at me warmly. I took a moment to remind myself that I was there with my friends and with Kyle…kind of. It didn’t matter why Grayson had shown up at the talent show. He wasn’t interested in me—at least not in that way.
“Oh, cool.” Kyle nodded towards the game booths. “Let’s play!” he suggested, nudging Marcus with his elbow. The guys all lined up, eager to try their hand at the water target game. “I’m going to win you the biggest prize,” Kyle said, grinning at me over his shoulder.
“Maybe I’ll win you a prize,” I joked, stepping up to the free water gun beside Marcus. I handed the game keeper my five dollars and took position. Kyle raised his eyebrows, grinning, and got a late start as the game dinged into action.
I bit my lip, concentrating on my aim. This was the game that Grayson had played three years ago. Last year, I ran into him at the fair. We ended up at the same game, and I foolishly decided to try and win a prize to offer Grayson—just so he would have something to remember me by, like I had the bear. I wasted ten bucks while Grayson looked on, shaking his head. Finally, he had stepped up and put his arms around me. With his finger over mine, gently squeezing, he showed me how to line up the target and keep my aim steady and true. I still remembered how intense his eyes were, how good it felt to have his arms around me…even in such a casual manner.
I drew in a breath; the buzzing of the game as my target fell had brought me back. I was pleased to see that my aim had not gone awry during my short trip down memory lane.
The carnival worker let me pick out a small stuffed cat. I handed it to Kyle, just like I’d told him I would.
“Thanks,” Kyle joked, giving me an endearing smile. “You cheated, though. It’s hard to focus with such a distracting sight,” he added, his eyes roaming my face.
“Okay! Zipper time!” Lindsay declared, breaking up the moment between Kyle and me by tugging on Marcus’s arm in an attempt to lead the group toward the Zipper. She cast me a dark, fleeting look. I followed, lowering my head to hide my frown. Lindsay knew that I didn’t do rides like the Zipper, but I figured that was the point.
It didn’t really matter though; I could use some time to process things…like how I felt about Kyle.
He was a lot easier to read than Grayson, and I knew he was interested in me. I found him attractive, and I knew half the girls at school would fight for his attention. Some even had, like the infamous rivalry between Zoe March and Lindsay. I just couldn’t seem to free my thoughts from Grayson long enough to really see Kyle, and in my eyes, that was a fundamental problem.
“Everly doesn’t do heights,” Lindsay added, casting a smirk at me. “Looks like you’ll have to ride with Aubrey, Kyle.”
“I don’t need to go on,” Kyle said, looking at me.
“No, it’s fine…really, I’ll just wait here,” I told them, smiling to show that I was really okay
with it. I wanted a break, a moment to collect myself and my thoughts. I was feeling off balance from the attention I was getting from Kyle, and the odd way Lindsay was behaving. The adrenaline rush that seeing Grayson and singing on stage had given me was beginning to fade.
We continued to talk and joke around until it was their turn. I backed up, waiting near the ticket booth. I watched as Lindsay grabbed Marcus’s arm again and pulled him into the first free cage. Marcus sent Aubrey a wistful look, but she was too busy laughing at something Cam had said. Cam and Alicia climbed into the next one, leaving Kyle and Aubrey.
Kyle waved at me, winking once before the carnival worker closed the cage. I watched them go up slowly, then another group of three climbed into the cage. When every cage on the ride was full, the carnival worker increased the speed. I had to look away; just watching it made me dizzy.
“Still afraid of heights?” Grayson asked, joining me where I stood.
Hearing his voice brought an instant smile to my face. I tried to hide it, but it was almost impossible. “Still afraid of human interaction?” I retorted sarcastically, finally bringing my eyes to his face.
“Ouch.” Grayson clasped his hand to his heart as if my comment stung. The smile on his face told me it hadn’t, though. He was enjoying our playful banter; it was rare to catch Grayson in a light and happy mood. Usually, he was brooding and untouchable.
My eyes came to rest on his lips. I caught myself, looking away quickly and biting down on my lip to get my thoughts away from where they threatened to go. “So…where were you the last few days?”
“Sick.” Grayson shrugged, his eyes still on me. I knew it was a lie from the tension in his jaw. He leaned against the back of the ticket booth, putting one foot flat against it to balance himself. He nodded towards the Zipper. “Are you with him now?” he asked.
“No,” I answered, frowning. “Even if I was, what does that matter to you?”
“It matters,” Grayson said, his intense blue eyes locking with mine. The sincerity in his voice and the intensity of his eyes were enough to set me on fire, but I had been wrong about him before.
Damaged Goods Page 6