Chapter Thirteen
“Welcome home, baby girl!” Mom and Dad waited for Ariel with a big banner and balloons. Cheeks flushed, she ignored the stares and cheers from people in the airport and headed their way. “We're so proud! You made it so far!”
“Seeing you sing with Zinger's lead singer...” Dad wrapped her in a huge hug. “Priceless. Although I've heard rumors about him. Did he make any wrong moves on you?”
“Of course he didn't! If he had, Jared would kick the boy's ass!” Mom added.
Ariel stared at both her parents, realization hitting her that maybe she needed to speak up. “You know I'm twenty-two. Definitely not a child any more. Zeke's reputation is always in speculation, but he's actually a really nice guy. You get to meet him this weekend, because he's coming here to see me.”
No one said a thing until they were out of the airport and in the car on the way to her apartment.
“You're not doing any weird drugs or anything, are you?” Dad asked, breaking the silence.
“What? Why would you even ask that? Because I mentioned I'm seeing Zeke? Or because I've been away for weeks on end?” Ariel sputtered, completely taken aback. “I have never touched them a day in my life, and I never will.”
“Lucy said the same thing,” Mom piped up.
“Lucy didn't touch anything! She dated a guy who sold them. I know, it sounds bad even saying that, but it doesn't mean Luce took them. I know you think sometimes she's an influence on me, and she is, but she's helped me in ways I never realized. I'm finally coming out of my shell.”
“So tell us more about the show. You know, the things we don't get to see in the live events. Did you get to meet Tucker McGinnis? Now there's a class act. You couldn't go wrong ending up with a man like him.” Mom tapped her nails on the dashboard. Sure, completely ignore what she'd just said and change the subject. Go figure.
“Too bad Tucker's married, but yes, I met him. He's as hot in person, and he's so nice! I didn't get a chance to meet his wife Quinn when she came to perform, but watching them on stage together was amazing. It was cool when they played clips of his first time on stage on the show. Now look at him. Then there's Danielle, a songwriter, and she's really cool, too. I'm rooting for Bouquet to win. You've heard them, right? The all girl a cappella group? They are amazing!” Ariel continued to talk about Sing It!, hoping her parents would stop talking about things like drugs, Zeke, and bad influences. It was past the point of time to live her life without such worry, because she knew she'd do her best to make the wisest decisions.
After lunch with her parents, they dropped her off at the hospital to see Lucy. Finally, a little breathing space.
“Hey, Luce. I'm home. Miss me?” Ariel scooted her chair close to her best friend's bed. The steady sound of beeping machines filled her ears. “My time on Sing It! ended. There's so much to tell you. The biggest thing is Zeke Sketcher has some sort of infatuation with me. Can you believe it? He's coming out here to see me. Jared doesn't like the idea at all. Typical Jared.” She covered her friend's hand with her own. “I learned so much, but I don't want to do this without you. I'm not meant for the stage by myself. Oh my God, do you know who else is hotter in person? Tucker McGinnis, and he sounds sooooo good live. He is exactly how we've pictured him. Quinn came out to sing with him. Their love is so real. It's not a show for the cameras.”
Glancing around the room, Ariel took in a deep breath.
“Wake up, Luce. The longer you're in this coma, the scarier it becomes. Here's something for you to listen to. Me singing with Zeke. That performance went so much better than the one which got me voted off, but I also realized I don't think I have it in me to do it. Not like you.” She pulled out her phone and brought up a clip. “I'm sure someone played this for you, but I'll describe the scene. It was so amazing. Zeke wants me to think about pursuing a career, and he wants to write a song with me. I shouldn't tell you half of this stuff, I know when you wake up you'll start writing a fan fiction story of my life with Zeke and Tucker.” Ariel stifled a giggle. “But I so want to read it, so hurry up already!”
*****
Zeke went through rehearsals with the remaining singers all week, wishing he had one with Ariel to look forward to. There were a handful of young, single women still in the competition, and they did their best to flirt with him in hopes of him flirting right back. Leaning close, showing cleavage, doing their best to impress him, and it made him realize even more why he wanted to be in Ariel's company.
She was real. Not once did she pull that kind of thing on him. Was it because she was shy? Maybe, but he couldn't help but dig that about her. Something about the day they sat by the pool playing around with her melody did it for him. At that point, he wanted to know more and more about her.
This weekend couldn't get here fast enough.
“There you go. Now you're getting there.” Zeke focused his attention back on Adriana, the young twenty year old hopeful he was working with this morning. She had a strong voice, but still needed a lot of vocal training. Her low cut shirt flashed a pair of perky breasts, and she edged as close to him as she could get without being in his lap.
“Thanks, Zeke. You're such an amazing trainer,” she cooed in his ear.
Jared entered the room at that moment, scowling. Great. He probably thought Zeke was hitting on the girl and would lecture him, considering he'd be going to see Ariel. “We need to talk.” He didn't even look at Adriana.
“Session is just about up, so go on a little early, Adriana. Keep working at it. I'll see you tomorrow.”
Her disappointment showed, but she gathered her things and left the room. Jared closed the door behind him.
“I know what you're gonna say, and before you do, I haven't done a damn thing about any of these women throwing themselves at me.” Zeke jumped on the defense before his friend could start in.
Jared sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Has nothing to do with that. I have a feeling Jake is retaliating, because that meeting I went to instead of taking Ariel to the airport had to do with accusations of me playing favorites with her. Now they're saying you two had a relationship and I covered it up because the both of you are my friends.”
“So what does that mean?” Zeke waited for the fallout. Damn stupid rumors.
“Probably too much to ask for you two to cool your ... whatever it is you have going on?” Jared cringed.
“We never had a relationship, or anything sexual, before Ariel was voted off. I can't deny there's an attraction, but we did nothing,” Zeke swore, “and I'm sorry you're in hot water over it, but it's not cool to even bring that idea up. Did you pull strings to get her on the show?”
“Not technically.” Jared shifted his gaze.
He wasn't telling him something.
“What did you do?”
“She wasn't going to get a call back from the very first audition. I switched her name with someone else's. But no one knew!”
“Was there a way Jake could have found out?”
“I doubt it. I guess I'm freaking out because they suspect something, so my guilty conscience is eating at me. She's really good, so I knew she could do it. I just wanted her to see that. I shouldn't have done anything, but Ariel's so fragile without Lucy. They grew up together and were so inseparable.”
“And you felt guilty because of how Lucy met the guy,” Zeke pointed out.
“Yep. Man, I screwed up!” Jared sighed, raking a hand though his hair.
“Sorry. I really am. I'll sign anything that says I didn't have a relationship with her, but I'm not going to stop seeing her, because we are no longer obligated to not date. I won't say anything about what you just told me, but I don't know what else to do for you, Jared.”
“I was hoping to help boost the show's ratings. This is my second year as producer, and I'm not doing very well.” He kicked at a small pebble on the ground.
“You're always welcome to come back on the road with us if you end up without a job. Nobody's gonna kick your ass for making us get our act together. I swear it.”
“Yeah, but you replaced me.” Jared played the bass guitar and did back up vocals. He'd been a great asset to the band and a great friend.
“We replaced a spot. You're irreplaceable. It'll be like old times, except a lot better, because we won't be stoned or drunk.”
“We'll see, man, but I doubt it.”