Along for the Ride Page 9

  “I guess.”

  “Can I do anything to cheer you up?” she asked. “We can do something else that’s fun today.”

  I looked back over at the window, at the downpour of rain. “Not really.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “Unless you’ve suddenly become Zeus, the god of the sky and weather, I forgive you.”

  Connor came out from the bathroom. He had dark bags under his eyes, his face a shade paler than usual.

  “Vegas get you last night?” I teased.

  He sank down onto the couch next to me. “You could say that.”

  “Put some pep in your step, we’re headed to stage for sound check in thirty minutes,” Mom instructed. “Wash up, drink some caffeine—you made the decision to party all night and we’re already rocking and rolling today.”

  And then I noticed the hickey. “You really had some fun last night.”

  Connor reached up, brushing his fingers across his neck. His eyes glanced toward Mom, who was absorbed in her phone. “Shut. Up.”

  “Fine. But you owe me.”

  The tour bus door opened, my dad stepping inside. And he was drenched.

  “Katelyn, I’m assuming your game is canceled today,” Dad said.

  I looked past him at the raging storm, a tightness in my chest as I realized it wasn’t going to let up anytime soon. “Field’s flooded.”

  “Everything is flooded,” Dad said. “Be careful out there.” He headed toward the back, grabbing a change of clothes on his way.

  “If we’re all up and going, let’s head to the stage early,” Mom said.

  “That way we can dry off before sound check.”

  With nothing better to do, I tagged along with them. Not that I necessarily wanted to sit through another sound check, but I didn’t want to stay in the tour bus alone either. Connor and his band got onto the stage and I wandered away. I’d already seen enough sound checks for a lifetime.

  I’d skipped the show last night to FaceTime Jenica about my pool adventure the night before. As I rounded the corner backstage, I was nearly plowed over by Zach.

  “Hello there,” I said.

  He took a couple of steps back, clearly caught by surprise. “Shit, Katelyn, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.”

  I glanced at the time on my phone. “This is an early call for you, barely one p.m.”

  “Okay, I’ll accept the roast for almost running you over.” He glanced down the hallway before looking back at me. “Where are you headed?”

  “No clue. Anywhere.”

  “If you want you can come back to our dressing room.”

  The Skyline dressing room. Damn my fangirl heart.

  “Sounds good.”

  Jesse was stretched out across the couch. He had a pillow across his eyes while he drank green tea. I looked to Zach for an explanation.

  “His throat’s killing him,” Zach explained. “I think he should go to a doctor.”

  “No one asked you,” Jesse called, before dissolving into coughs.

  “As I said, he should go to a doctor.” He plopped down in a chair.

  “You’re welcome to sit anywhere.”

  Aaron and Ross were playing a videogame in the corner, the latter creating sound effects for the game.

  “The game has sound effects built in!” Zach called. “You don’t have to recreate them for us.”

  “Bam! ” Ross called, as Aaron’s car exploded. “It makes it that much better when I win.”

  Zach didn’t comment any further, instead just shaking his head.

  “What do you guys do before a show?” I asked, propping my feet up on a table.

  “This,” Aaron said, as they restarted their game.

  “For like an hour,” Zach said. “Then we have meet and greets and promotionals.”

  “Do we have any more tea?” Jesse called.

  “We have this amazing guy called a doctor,” Zach answered.

  As the two of them continued to bicker, I took a moment to glance around the room. In the corner where Aaron and Ross were sitting on the floor, there was a TV plugged into the wall, with a gaming console hooked up. Next to them was a table of snacks, with a microwave on the end. And then the long couch that Jesse was stretched out on, along with the chair that I was seated on and another chair next to it. There was a smaller table between the couch and the two chairs, the one that my feet were currently propped up on. Over by the snack table, Zach produced a tea bag.

  “Heat that up for me,” Jesse said.

  “Yes, your majesty.”

  Jesse threw a pillow at Zach, which Zach caught with ease and tossed back at Jesse.

  Zach heated up a cup of tea and then dissolved a cough drop in it.

  Once the cough drop was completely gone, he handed the mug to Jesse.

  “I want you to take care of me when I’m sick,” I joked.

  “He’s only nice when you’re sick,” Ross called.

  “I’ll remember that next time you come to my room in the middle of the night,” Zach snapped.

  “I take it back!”

  I raised an eyebrow toward Zach in question.

  “He told you enough about me in the elevator,” Zach mused.

  “Ross has nightmares. And then he thinks it’s okay to climb into my bed in the middle of the night.”

  “I told you he’s not nice,” Ross huffed. “That’s personal, you know.”

  “My underwear is too.”

  “Okay, we’re even!”

  It was easy to toss around jokes and bounce off the boys, easy to exist. Even when they were insulting each other, it was all light-hearted. Their ease and camaraderie made me feel wanted and included, things I’d been lacking within my own family lately.

  “Yo, Zach,” Ross said, standing up. “Come play in my place for a sec.”

  “No thanks,” Zach said.

  Ross let out a groan, but he paused the game before leaving the dressing room. Aaron dropped his controller, coming over to join Zach and me. “What kind of parties happen in your tour bus?” he asked me.

  “What?”

  “I’m curious how other people run their buses,” Aaron plopped down on the couch.

  Jesse let out a surprised shout. “You’re sitting on my feet!” He dissolved into coughs, hiding his face away.

  “Shut up, sickie,” Aaron said.

  “Our tour bus is boring,” I clarified. “It has my parents on it.”

  “I’d prefer boring over a tour bus with them,” said Zach.

  “Them can hear you,” Aaron said. “And nobody likes a party pooper.”

  “What do you guys do on your bus?” I asked.

  “Play videogames and card games,” Aaron said. “Dare each other to do stupid stuff. Write songs—”

  “You do not write songs,” Zach scoffed.

  “Let Zach write songs while we screw off,” Aaron corrected.

  “And mostly piss Zach off. That’s the end game.”

  “A week into the tour and you’re already winning,” Zach muttered.

  “Are you coming to the show tonight?” Aaron asked.

  “Yeah, I am now. I was supposed to have a game tonight, but it got canceled because of all the rain.”

  “A game?”

  “She plays soccer,” Zach interjected. “And I bet she’s really good at it.”

  The heat built in my cheeks. “Thanks.”

  “Of all people, I didn’t expect Katelyn to suddenly get shy,” Jesse teased.

  The heat spread from my cheeks down the back of my neck. “I’m not.”

  “I think that’s awesome,” Aaron said. “How do you play on the road?”

  “I guest-play with other teams,” I said. “My team coach and my mom set it up.”

  “Okay,” Ross called, coming back into the room. “I’m ready to finish kicking your ass.”

  Aaron clicked his tongue in disapproval. “Language in the presence of a lady.”

  Ross looked over at me. �
��I’m sure she says some words on the soccer field.”

  “How’d you know she played soccer?” Aaron asked.

  Ross twitched a bit, and Zach immediately lowered his eyes.

  “I know, no secrets,” Ross said. “Suddenly I need to leave again.”

  I looked to Zach for an explanation, but Zach was glaring at Ross.

  “Now,” Ross added, before dashing out of the room.

  “Weirdo,” Aaron muttered. “Hope he remembers we have that live Q&A in fifteen.”

  Jesse pushed himself upright. “Go find him. I’ll get everything set up.”

  I followed Jesse’s lead, standing up as well. “Thanks for letting me hang out, guys.”

  “Anytime,” Aaron said, with a wave.

  Zach was avoiding my gaze, his eyes shifting over toward Jesse.

  Guess that’s my cue to leave.

  “See you guys around.”

  Connor was doing his sound check back at the stage, an energy drink in hand. My mom was in the audience, her iPad in her lap as she worked on what looked like a press release. I took a seat next to her.

  “I’m sorry you’re bored,” Mom said. “If it wasn’t pouring outside, I’d go with you on one of your tourist adventures.”

  “I might have given up on those.”

  She shook her head. “You need to find the right places and the right company.”

  I leaned back in my seat, a buzzing of energy pouring through my system. My body was going to explode if I didn’t get on a soccer field soon.

  PHOENIX, AZ

  CHAPTER 11

  Solo Katelyn was back on the town.

  After two shows in Phoenix, we had two days off in a row. But we also had a sixteen-hour drive ahead of us. We were set to leave for Houston early this afternoon, but I couldn’t stand another moment cooped up somewhere.

  Of course today was clear skies, not a hint of rain. But there were no games scheduled today, with the fields still soaked from the storms over the past two days. So I found a cycling class to burn off the energy that I’d expected to burn off on the soccer field the other day.

  Never having attended a cycling class before, I didn’t have any expectations going in. But what I didn’t expect was to get my ass kicked in the first fifteen minutes. My body was dripping with sweat at the end, my legs practically giving out as I dismounted the bike.

  It was one of the best workouts I’d had in a while. I purchased a sweat towel from the front desk, using it to clean myself off before changing out of my sweaty clothes. The towel would make a good memento from Arizona—after a good wash, of course.

  I felt more refreshed than I had in days as I headed back to the tour bus. My body felt relaxed yet exhausted at the same time, and I felt like I could handle the long car ride ahead of us.

  That is, until I walked into the chaos of the tour bus. Dad had his planner spilled out across the countertops, his Bluetooth in. Connor motioned for silence, beckoning for me to follow him back to the lounge area in the back of the bus. He slid the door shut.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “Lana’s manager called,” Connor said. “She wants a reconsideration of the contract.”

  I’d practically forgotten about the drama that was Lana Regas.

  “You broke up with her. What does she want?”

  Connor grimaced. “She’s threatening to leak everything.”

  Shit.

  Connor’s shoulders sagged. “This isn’t how I would’ve wanted things to go, but I guess I’m not really being given much of a choice here.”

  With a tight chest, I reached over and placed my hand on his upper back as I tried to come up with any way to make this situation better. But I knew the video that Lana had, what she was threatening Connor with. One night, back when Lana and Connor’s relationship was still very real, they’d gotten insanely drunk. They recorded a series of silly videos together, all on Lana’s phone. And amongst those series of videos, they spilled secrets I’m not sure they’d ever admitted to themselves, let alone out loud.

  After they both sobered up, the videos became a tactic. They agreed to an NDA, but after a rough year, I wasn’t surprised that the contract was starting to break down.

  “It’s not that bad,” I said. “Honestly, Connor. Maybe things are better this way.”

  I could tell he didn’t agree, not that I blamed him. This wasn’t the time for everything to come to light, not in the middle of his tour.

  “Can you sue?” I offered.

  He laughed at that. “If she’s willing to pay to break the NDA, I don’t think she cares about a lawsuit.”

  The lounge door opened, Dad standing outside. “We have a conference call with Lana’s management at two.”

  Connor nodded.

  “We’re playing nice on this,” Dad said. “She has the upper hand and she knows it. We’ll let her blow her smoke and then see what she really wants.”

  “Okay.”

  “Katelyn, you might want to ride on Mackenzie’s bus. This isn’t going to be an easy conversation.”

  Sixteen hours on Mackenzie’s tour bus? “This is one of the longest drives of the tour. Mackenzie’s fine but I don’t know her.”

  “What about Skyline?” Connor asked. “You’ve been hanging out with them.”

  “You really want me gone that badly?”

  “I know Lana. This won’t be a thirty-minute conversation.” His voice had a heaviness to it, his shoulders visibly sagging.

  “I’ll call Jesse to make sure it’s okay,” Dad said. “If you’re all right with that, Katelyn.”

  Connor actually laughed at that. “Are you kidding? Confined to a tour bus with Skyline all day long? That’s her dream come true.”

  Dad didn’t seem amused as he walked away.

  “As if I haven’t noticed you and the Zach-kid hanging out,”

  Connor said, his smile growing. “Does he know about the poster you—”

  “That wasn’t me!” I shouted, as I dove on top of Connor. “That was Jenica and you know it.”

  “But you didn’t take it down!”

  We wrestled on the couch, Connor giggling the entire time as I tried to shove him onto the floor.

  “Truce!” Connor called out. “You’re stronger than me.”

  “Damn right.”

  Dad cleared his throat behind us. “Jesse said that would be fine.

  If you two are done?”

  “This isn’t over,” I said to Connor. I grabbed my backpack, shoving a few essentials inside before following my dad out of the bus.

  “I’m not trying to kick you out,” Dad said. “I’ve just dealt with Lana’s team before. And it’s never a pleasant conversation.”

  Sometimes I think he forgets just how much I know, just how much I’ve heard. What Connor has told me. I know what Connor has gone through, what effect Lana’s deal has had on him. But this wasn’t a battle I was willing to fight.

  Skyline’s tour bus looked like ours on the outside. But from the pictures they’d posted online, I knew it was slightly different on the inside. They had only four bunks inside, whereas we had six. They still had a lounge in the back, containing an array of instruments while ours had been converted into a master bedroom for Connor.

  Dad knocked twice before taking a step back.

  “Going to talk to my babysitters before you go?” I questioned.

  “Warn them about me?”

  He was clearly unamused. “It’s polite, Katelyn. They’re allowing you to stay on their tour bus.”

  “How generous of them. Seeing as my dad kicked me out of mine.”

  Before our argument could continue, Jesse opened the door.

  “Sorry,” he said. “We were in the back.”

  “Bye, Dad.”

  He waved. “I’ll call you later.”

  And with that my dad was dropping me off with four guys without a second thought. I wasn’t sure whether that said more about him or Skyline, for agreeing.

&
nbsp; “Everything okay?” Jesse asked, as he closed the door behind me.

  “Your dad called and I figured you guys got into some sort of fight or something.”

  Ross was standing in the main area. “We figured we couldn’t leave you on a tour bus with him if that’s what went down.”

  “No fight, but thanks for thinking about me. He’s talking business with Connor, and I guess it’s for Connor Jackson’s ears only.”

  “Not cool.” Ross frowned.

  Jesse gave Ross a pointed look. “Let’s not comment on someone else’s family?”

  Ross held his hands up in mock surrender. “Just saying.”

  “We’re playing Call of Duty in the back,” Jesse said, nodding toward the back lounge. “By we, I mean Aaron and Ross.”

  “Jesse is doing business stuff,” Ross said. “Very boring.”

  “So you’re feeling better then?” I asked. “You sound a lot better too.”

  Jesse scoffed in response. “Of course I am. An overreaction by these idiots.”

  A very Jesse answer. I glanced around the small area, noticing that it was only the three boys.

  Where is Zach?

  “Zach’s sleeping,” Ross said, as though he’d read my mind. “He had a headache earlier.”

  Ross and I went back to the lounge room, Aaron still playing.

  “Hey there,” Aaron said, with a smile. He offered me the controller. “You play?”

  “Never really been into videogames,” I said.

  Ross paused the game. “I’m sorry, what?”

  Both Aaron and I laughed, and I felt some of the nerves start to dissipate as they continued their game.

  “It’s really simple,” Ross said, as he handed me his controller.

  “Trust me.”

  “I don’t,” I said, as Aaron started the game. “But I guess I can give it a try.”

  My character was dead within the first two minutes.

  “Solid effort,” Aaron said, through his laughter.

  “Absolutely not,” Ross said, shaking his head. “You disgraced the game of COD.”

  The door opened, Jesse coming inside. “Are the Cheez-Its back here?”

  Aaron tossed him the box. “Zach still asleep?”

  Jesse nodded. “Sorry, Katelyn. You might be stuck with us for the evening.”

  “That gives her plenty of time to learn COD,” Ross said. “Because so far it’s pretty rough.”