Wylder and the Rising Rockstar (Reluctant Rockstars Book 3)

by Michelle MacQueen

  “You know salad can be quite delicious. You should try the chicken, goat cheese, and fresh strawberry salad I brought from the dining hall. It’s healthy and one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.”

  “You really don’t know me at all.” Wylder stepped into their classroom and stopped in her tracks. “Mr. Cook, you’re back.” She eyed the bruises still showing faintly along Sebastian’s right eye, and the sling holding his arm immobile.

  “Oh, didn’t I mention Bash was returning to work?” Luke murmured behind her. “He spent time being a baby on his couch, but he’s all better now. Except for that ghastly bruise on his face. Not sure he’ll ever be as pretty as he was.”

  “Jealous as ever, little brother?” Sebastian replied without missing a beat. “And take that stupid hat off in my classroom, you look ridiculous.”

  “How are you feeling?” Wylder ignored the brother bashing.

  “Much better, thank you, Miss Anderson. You two take your seats. We have a lot of catching up to do before the holiday break.”

  Hushed murmurs swept across the room as Luke and Wylder took their seats near the back of the room where Logan sat hunched over his desk, ignoring Wylder.

  Luke took his hat off and set it on Logan’s head.

  “I can’t believe you’re actually wearing that thing.” Logan knocked it off and hooked it on the back of Luke’s chair.

  “You wish you could pull off the hat, bro.” He’d taken to wearing the ugly old cowboy hat recently. He wore it at every possible moment, claiming someone had to teach Becks how to wear a proper hat.

  The whole class had eyes only for Luke. For most, it was their first real look at the famous Cook brother.

  “I suppose I should introduce our newest student.” Sebastian paced to the front of the room. “My youngest brother, Luke Cook, is joining us for the second half of the year. Yes, he’s famous, and yes, he’s been in the tabloids a lot lately. No secret there. But none of that has a place in my classroom, so let’s get on with it, shall we?” Sebastian returned to his desk to hand out a new assignment.

  “Youngest?” Wylder arched a brow at Luke, trying not to show how much it bothered her that Logan still wouldn’t even acknowledge her.

  “Yep, I’m the baby of the family. Logan is a whole fourteen minutes older than me. That’s why he always acts like an old man.” Luke gave his brother a quick shove. Logan responded with a hint of a smile and a shove back. He’d forgiven his brother, but that forgiveness did not extend to Wylder.

  “Cut it out, Luke.” Sebastian didn’t even look up from his notes.

  “What? He started it.” Luke grinned as the girls around him giggled and smiled.

  That one was definitely used to the spotlight. These Cook boys really were going to be the death of Wylder.

  “Class, please welcome Mr. Luke Cook,” Mrs. Shepherd announced. She didn’t seem the least bit intimidated about having the famous country superstar in her class. “I have no doubt Luke will bring a great deal of experience to share with us, and we’re happy to have him.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. S.” Luke stood at the front of the class, completely at ease. Even in ConMus, where everyone knew his career was tanking because his secret lip-synching scam was out of the box, he was still confident and charismatic. Nothing rattled the younger twin.

  “Why don’t you join Wylder and Logan, and we’ll get started.”

  Wonderful. Wylder scooted over to make room for Luke. Now she was a Cook sandwich.

  “It’s a bit ironic, isn’t it?” One of the guys leaned over from the next table. “The Cook who can’t sing is now in an advanced level music class? Maybe you should think about taking up something more practical, like golf or maybe chess club?”

  “Ouch, dude. Was that supposed to be a burn?” Luke turned his brilliant smile on his foe. “Don’t believe everything you read in the gossip columns, bro.” Luke adjusted his hat and leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, not a care in the world. She was beginning to see how Luke and Becks ended up being friends

  “Now, those of you participating in the Winter Review will be happy to hear you’ll be eligible for some extra credit.” Mrs. Shepherd ignored the boys, passing out their graded tests from last week. “And some of you will need it after this test. I know it was a difficult exam, but I expected better results.”

  Wylder flipped her paper over to see she’d barely scraped a C. The test was one of those tricky ones where every multiple choice answer was right, and they had to pick the most correct answer from the bunch. It was impossible. Wylder was going to need that extra credit. She needed an A in this class to keep her GPA up for the rest of the year.

  “The Winter Review isn’t required, but the extra credit will help you get off to a great start next semester when we take on bigger projects as we head into the final months of your senior year.”

  Wylder only half-listened to Mrs. Shepherd’s lecture on contract law. They were learning about celebrity endorsements and all the legal mumbo-jumbo that came with it.

  Luke was quick to add his two cents to the discussion, but Logan remained silent. Mere inches separated them at the small desk meant for two, but he might as well be a thousand miles away.

  “Logan, wait.” Wylder tried to grab his arm when the bell rang, but he shrugged her off and walked away.

  “Give him some time, Wylds.” Luke leaned on her shoulder. “He’s just all in his head right now, and that’s never a good time to force Logan into anything he’s not ready to talk about.”

  “I’m not sure it’s just that, Luke. He’s not going to forgive me this time.”

  “Hey, look at me.” He turned her to face him. “I know my brother. It’s a twin thing. Trust me, he would not be this mad if you didn’t mean the world to him. Just give him some space right now.”

  Wylder nodded. “You’re right, but I don’t think we should do the song together. It feels so wrong, like I’ve traded him for you, which is ridiculous.”

  “Hey, that hurt.” Luke rubbed his chest like she’d wounded him with her words.

  “Whatever.” She shoved past him, rolling her eyes.

  “Do the song with me, Wylds.” He pulled her back. “It’s important.”

  “Why?”

  “I told you.” He draped his arm around her, steering her into the hall. “I have a plan, and the song is part of it.” He winked. “Just show up on stage and leave the rest to me.”

  “All right.” Wylder watched Logan at the end of the hall, wishing he’d just talk to her. “Let’s do it, but you better not mess this up.”

  16

  “You want back on campus?” The security guard peered at Wylder in confusion through the open driver’s side window. “But you’re on winter break, Miss Anderson.”

  Wylder sighed, praying her car wouldn’t stall at the rear gates of Defiance Academy. “I’m visiting a friend who lives on campus.” She pointed to the gate pass Sebastian had left for her. “See? It says right there I’m visiting faculty housing.”

  “A teacher?” He scowled at her like she was up to something nefarious—not that he didn’t have good reason to suspect she was.

  “A teacher’s younger brother who is also a student.” She rolled her eyes. “We’re working on a school project, if you must know.” She could easily amuse herself by telling the security guard that teacher was also her ex-boyfriend, but it was freezing, and her heater really sucked. She also didn’t have an expulsion wish.

  “All right, your pass is for two hours, so I expect to see you back here before my shift is over.” The guard backed away from her window and waved his badge across the digital box behind him.

  “Yeah, sure.” Wylder rolled up her window and pulled through the gates to make her way up the winding road through the forest. It was a quiet, remote part of campus she hadn’t yet explored. This route had potential to become another source for sneaking out—if she was desperate enough to hike through the woods when other methods failed her.

&nbs
p; There were fewer cameras too. Wylder absently thought about making a map to leave for the next generation of troublemakers at Defiance Academy. A pathway to all her secrets for sneaking off campus and pilfering food from the dining hall. She owed it to her legacy to keep it alive, even after she was gone from these hallowed halls. Visions of rolled newsprint, stencils, and markers filled her mind as she drove. She’d have to make it difficult to find, with clues and hints hidden all across campus.

  She made a mental note to get to know the best of the school’s troublemakers in the freshman and sophomore classes.

  The winding road led her to the north side of the lake where the faculty housing development sat among a grove of birch trees. Some of the houses were older mansions, and others were small cottages for the tenured teachers and their families. Sebastian—and now Luke—lived in a row of townhouses for the younger faculty members.

  Wylder parked on the street, her old beater car looking out of place among the nicer sedans and SUVs. She’d been here several times, but she was really nervous as she walked up the stone steps to the front door.

  “Give it a rest, Wylds. Nothing to be nervous about.” She gave herself a mental shake. A tacky Christmas wreath hung on the door with blinking lights and a dancing Santa wearing a cowboy hat.

  “Like my wreath?” Luke flung the door open before she had a chance to ring the bell. He was wearing the world’s worst ugly Christmas sweater.

  “It’s almost as stunning as your sweater.” Wylder stepped through the door. “Literally, I couldn’t move there for a minute.”

  “Becks sent it to me as an early Christmas present.”

  “The sweater or the wreath?”

  “The wreath.”

  “Of course he did.” Wylder shook her head as she shrugged out of her coat.

  “I sent him a new hat. A proper one.”

  “I’m sure he’ll hate it.” Wylder glanced around the living room, hanging her coat up on a peg at the front door.

  “He’s not here.” Luke elbowed her.

  “Who, Becks?” She frowned up at him.

  “Logan.”

  “Oh.” She couldn’t hide the note of relief in her voice.

  “Bash sent him grocery shopping in Riverpass, so we’ve got some time before he’ll be back.”

  “Hiding your big secret plan?”

  “Something like that. You want some hot chocolate?” He headed toward the kitchen. “You look half frozen.”

  Wylder rubbed her arms. Her heater was pretty terrible, so she froze in her car whenever she drove it in the winter.

  “That depends.”

  “On?” Luke leaned over the kitchen counter.

  “Are we talking actual hot chocolate or something healthy masquerading as the real thing?”

  “Bash won’t drink the sugar-free vegan stuff I make, so I’ve got your artificial real thing for the Keurig Becks convinced me to buy.”

  “How about marshmallows?”

  “Logan insists.”

  “Then yes, I would love a hot chocolate. Thank you.”

  “Have a seat and check this out while I make our drinks.” He scooted a notebook across the counter.

  Wylder sat on the barstool and perused the lyrics she’d been working on with Logan. Luke hadn’t changed much, just made a note here and there with suggestions. But on the opposite page, he’d scribbled lines of music notes. Wylder hummed the bars to herself. The pace was faster leading up to the chorus and again before the third verse.

  “Wait.” She looked up from the pages. “Is this a guitar solo?”

  Luke nodded. “That’s my main contribution.”

  “This is more like a pop-rock song than your usual country.” She ran her hand over the notes.

  Luke poured hot almond milk over a powdery substance she supposed was some kind of carob based powder, and she shuddered. “That’s sort of revolting. You know that, right?”

  “Would it shock you to learn that the stuff you drink tastes revolting to me?” He slid a steamy mug of proper cocoa across the counter and plopped a bag of marshmallows in front of her.

  “You don’t even know what you’re missing.” She inhaled the sweet scent of chocolatey goodness.

  “Did you notice your part?” Logan sat next to her, nodding toward the notes.

  “I’m not great at reading music, but it looks like you gave me a drum intro and a lead into your solo. That, along with the pace feels more rock-like to me.”

  “It is. And wait till you hear it. This is going to be a killer song. It’s so unlike Logan’s normal work. It’s kind of invigorating to write something so different.” Luke scribbled a new line of notes at the bottom of the notebook Wylder sipped her hot cocoa.

  “I’d like to think that’s my influence.”

  “What parts did you write?” His eyes widened in surprise.

  “Logan started it after I pestered him to deal with his emotions, but the second verse and the chorus is mostly mine. It’s a mesh of both of us.”

  “That’s … interesting. Very interesting.” He scribbled another note in the book.

  “Why do you sound so surprised? Plenty of people write songs.”

  “Sure, but not many of them write really good songs. You should be writing for your brother.”

  “We used to write all our songs together for our band, Anonymous.” She took another scalding sip, unable to wait for it to cool.

  “You were in a band with Beckett?” Luke choked on his vegan hot chocolate.

  “Why is that so funny?” She elbowed him in the ribs. “I thought everyone knew that.”

  “No, it’s just … you are way too cool to be in a band with Beckett.” He shook his head with a chuckle.

  “You would be lucky to be in a band with Beckett.” She jabbed him with her finger. Nobody got to make fun of her brother except her.

  “I’m just trying to say I think you’re an excellent songwriter. A fact that will play into my master plan perfectly.”

  “You know, I think you’re just making up this secret amazing plan as you go along.”

  “You’ll see.”

  “All right. Let’s go for it.” She picked up her mug and led the way to the living room. It had changed quite a bit from the last time she’d been here. Logan’s keyboard sat in the corner looking a little sad crowded in with all of Luke’s equipment.

  “He’ll be back,” Luke assured her. Taking up his electric guitar, he gestured toward the drum set. “Make yourself at home.”

  “Nice kit. You play?” Wylder sat behind the drums, testing out the drum sticks with a quick warm-up.

  “Nah, those are Logan’s. He’d stored them at home in Nashville. He’s decent, but it’s his voice that brings the magic.”

  Wylder tried not to show her surprise. She knew Logan played several instruments but she hadn’t realized he played drums well enough to own a set. “Let’s run through the new part.” She studied the notebook, trying to dissect her part from the maze of musical notes. She could read music but Luke was working with some major skills she wasn’t used to.

  “I’ll play through the first verse, and you just follow my lead.” Luke plugged into the amp and played a few chords to warm up. “Try to keep up.” He gave her an arrogant wink.

  “I think I can manage.” She set a beat and followed him into the first verse, singing the words she’d written with Logan. It felt wrong, like an even deeper betrayal. But she trusted Luke in a way. She trusted him not to hurt his brother more than he’d already been hurt.

  Wylder lost herself in the music as they built up to the guitar solo. Her hands flew over the drums, matching Luke’s pace. She felt the familiar reverberation in her bones that only came when she played hard. This performance was going to be epic, and she couldn’t wait to share it with Logan.

  The door crashed open, and Wylder nearly fell off her stool.

  “What’s going on?” Logan glared between her and Luke.

  “Oh, hey, bro.” Luke str
ummed a few more chords on his guitar. “We’re practicing for the Winter Review. Your girlfriend slays on drums.”

  “You do know you’re not helping, right?” Wylder shot at Luke. “Logan, I can explain.” She stood up.

  He shrugged. “I get it. You like Cook brothers. Guess it doesn’t really matter which one.” He gave her such a disgusted look it broke something inside her. Not the squishy lovey-dovey feelings. Anger. So much anger. Her face warmed with the intensity of it.

  “Yeah, just the ones that aren’t you,” she snapped back, gripping her drumsticks, wanting nothing more than to beat him over the head with them.

  “Burn.” Luke chuckled, setting his guitar back on its stand.

  “You, shut up!” Logan and Wylder both turned and yelled at Luke.

  “I guess I was just the substitute to the famous twin, huh? Now that Luke’s here, you get the real thing.” Logan’s face turned red to match hers.

  “Oh, that’s a load of crap, and you know it. I hated Luke from the moment I met him.” Wylder took a step toward Logan, itching to shove some sense into him. “I even stopped listening to his music until I learned it was actually you singing and not him.” She pointed her drumstick in Luke’s face.

  “Ouch, really?” Luke shook his head. “That really hurts, Wylds.”

  “Stay out of it!” Wylder and Logan shouted again.

  “Okey dokey.” Luke took a seat at Logan’s keyboard, resting his elbows on his knees like he was watching some kind of juicy TV drama unfold.

  “And what makes you think you get to perform my song without my permission?” Logan took a step toward Wylder.

  “Your song? Your song?” Wylder laughed. “You have a convenient memory, Logan Cook.” She shoved him back a step. “We wrote that song together. There wouldn’t be a song if I hadn’t pushed you to get in touch with your music to deal with your brother issues. If it’s anyone’s song, it’s mine.”

  “Yeah, well, you wouldn’t have a song if I hadn’t stepped in to help you fix it.“