Chapter 21: Laney
Oh God, take me off the jumbotron. Come on…come on…cut away…act natural……
Whew, it’s back to Travis. I was probably only on TV for ten seconds, but it definitely felt like ten minutes. Of course, no one watching is going to notice me specifically, not with Nina sitting right next to me in a full-on Academy Awards dress, but still, I’m sure the announcers identified us as “Travis’ family.”
Out on the track, Travis launches himself off the ramp, does a backflip completely off his bike, then grabs the seat with his feet just in time to stick the landing. The crowd goes nuts, but next to me, Nina shakes her head. “I don’t understand why he doesn’t do modeling full-time. You can’t make any connections like this, and you can’t break your neck on a runway.”
You know, I’m pretty sure you could break your neck on a runway, but I don’t feel like engaging Nina in conversation right now. On the other side of Nina, my Dad speaks up. “He wouldn’t be where he is today if he was just a pretty face, honey.” I wince, thinking about all the times that Travis has called me “honey” over the past week.
Nina rolls her eyes. “Of course not. But that doesn’t mean that he should keep doing it. That’s what these sorts of things are for: building your brand, and then cashing out.”
Travis makes a little more sense whenever I have to listen to Nina talk for more than a couple of minutes: who wouldn’t rebel with a mom who’s so obsessed with keeping up appearances? I can practically imagine him buying a dirt bike just to piss her off as a messy-haired little thirteen-year-old. And look at him now: wild, reckless, and ridiculously talented, with a packed stadium watching his every move.
Travis finishes his first round, and the whole crowd jumps to their feet, giving him a standing ovation. I join them, wincing as I stand up. Honestly, after Travis did to me last night, I’m surprised I can stand up. Nina even noticed that I was walking a little funny on the way to the stadium; I told her I’d been hitting the hotel gym while I was there, and she spent the whole car ride telling me all about how gyms are overrated and that if I really wanted to get in shape, I should do something called a “tomato cleanse.” But hey, at least she doesn’t suspect anything.
If I understand the format right, Travis has one more round to play, and then the judges average their scores together. And so far, I haven’t seen anyone who can really top that first round. But the guy who’s on the track now is starting to make me a little nervous. He’s decked out in all black except for a Brazilian flag on the back of his jacket, and it seems like he’s doing pretty much the same routine as Travis. The crowd is eating it up, and when he does the same backflip move off the big ramp, the whole stadium goes absolutely crazy. Shouldn’t the judges dock him points for being a copycat? Or at least give Travis an advantage for doing everything first?
With a suspiciously identical finish, the Brazilian biker rides off the track, and next guy rides on and starts doing his routine. He doesn’t look that good, so I lean back and start to mentally prepare myself for round two.
But before I can get comfortable, I hear a voice coming from my left. “Nina!”
I turn my head to follow the voice, and then immediately try not to wince as I see Anna walking down the aisle. I knew she was going to be here, but I was kind of hoping I could make it through the tournament without having to actually, you know, see her.
I want to grab the sleeve of the girl sitting next to me and tell her not to give up her seat, but before I can, Anna slips her some money and she’s gone, leaving me stuck between my stepmother and my boss.
“How are you?” Anna asks, looking straight past me like I’m not even here.
Nina beams. “I’m wonderful, thanks. You know there’s nothing I love more than spending time with my family.”
She hugs my dad and pats me on the head for emphasis. “How’s work? Found anything juicy out here?”
Anna shakes her head, and a little vein twitches in her forehead. “Not yet. The celebrities saw us coming and holed up in their rooms. Some of them even threw blankets over the windows.”
My heart skips a couple beats as I stare straight ahead, watching the bikers.
“But I’m not worried. Someone’s going to slip up eventually, and when they do…we’ll be there.”
Nina laughs. “I don’t doubt it. That’s why I’m going to be on my best behavior this weekend.”
“You’d better be. But I do encourage both of you to come to the afterparty at Royal Shores tonight.”
Nina looks intrigued. “Tell me more.”
Anna shrugs. “Well, you know, sometimes when there’s no story, you have to make a story. That’s why we asked Royal Shores if they wanted to host an afterparty for VIPs down on the beach with all the bikers. Naturally, they said yes, so we invited a bunch of actresses, models, and dancers, and bought the most alcoholic rum we could find for the drinks. In other words, we’re going to have material for weeks.”
Nina looks impressed. “That sounds amazing. Can we start now?”
They both laugh. I’ve been trying to look like I’m just having a good time over here, but it’s not easy, especially now that I know about this afterparty. It’s going to looks suspicious if Travis and I don’t go, and if we do go, we’re going to have to pretend we’re not together. Either way, it’s going to be awkward, uncomfortable, and incredibly dangerous.
The crowd breaks into a loud roar as Travis rides out of the tunnel, ready to start his second round. Immediately, Anna goes quiet, watching Travis with the eyes of a trained predator. Then, for the first time since she sat down, she speaks to me. “Is there anything you want to tell me about Travis, honey?”
The tone of her voice sets me on edge. “Nope, sorry.”
Anna looks over at me, nods, and then fixes her eyes back on Travis. “Didn’t think so.”
And as the crowd goes wild for Travis, the three of us sit there, dead silent. This might be Travis’ second round, but I have a feeling that the real competition hasn’t even started yet.