AFTER FOOTBALL PRACTICE, I notice Jay’s Range Rover is still in the student parking lot. Lately, she’s been staying after school to rehearse with Alex. Quickly, I change and head over to the performing arts building auditorium, taking a seat in the back row, so not to disturb them. Jay and Alex are both on stage. Alex is perched on a stool strumming his guitar. Jay is standing with her hands cupped around the mic, eyes closed, belting out the lyrics to one of her songs. She’s changed out of her uniform and is now wearing a tight half t-shirt with the word Princess written in hot pink across the front. It reminds me of the t-shirt she wore to Disney the first time we met. Who knows? It could be the same shirt. It’s that small. Her leggings have music notes printed down the sides of the legs and Jesus she’s wearing combat boots. Just when I thought she couldn’t be any sexier.
“What’s up with them?” Cole says, dropping down in the seat beside me, pulling me out of my daydream.
I realize the music has stopped. Jay has her back to us and by the jerky movements of her head, I’d say she and Alex are arguing.
I shake my head. “I have no idea.”
“Screw you, Alex!” Jay yells as she kicks Alex’s stool before she storms off the stage. Alex shakes his head and he hops off the stool to follow after her. Cole and I both leap from our seats and jog over to the adjoining classroom.
“You’re not taking this seriously,” Alex accuses.
“What are you talking about? I performed that song the same way I always have,” Jay argues. “I think I know how to perform the music I wrote, Alex, or I wouldn’t be going on tour. Remember, I’m the one who chose you to be a part of it.”
“Marcus chose me.”
Oh, shit.
I leap forward and curl my arm around Jay’s waist just as she lunges for Alex.
“I chose you!” she yells again. “It was my decision. Had I known you were gonna be an asshole, I would’ve picked someone else.”
“How am I being an asshole? All I said was that you need to stop daydreaming about your boyfriend for five minutes and focus on what’s important.”
“Maybe he’s what’s important. Maybe I’m sick of having my life dictated for me. Maybe I don’t want to do this shit anymore.” She jerks out of my hold, snatches up her bag, and turns back to Alex. “You’re not my father, Alex,” she snaps out before she storms out of the room.
Cole and I look over at Alex with raised brows.
Alex shakes his head before he rounds his desk, drops down in his chair, and blows out a breath. “Go after her Zach.” He waves me off. “I don’t want her driving home when she’s upset.”
I look over at Cole. “Follow me so you can bring me back to get my Jeep.”
“HOW DARE HE say that me!” she yells from the passenger seat. “I’ve been singing and writing songs for a lot longer than he has. I could sing every song on Jaybird backwards and forwards. I wrote that fucking album.” She turns in her seat to face me and stabs her finger into her chest. “I’m the one who chose him.”
“Why did he say Marcus did?” I ask and cringe, expecting a fist to the temple. Because she’s that mad. In all the years I’ve known Jay, I never knew she had a temper.
Not gonna lie… it’s hot.
“Because he was my dad’s choice, but my dad left the decision to me.” She huffs out a humorless laugh. “Funny, considering I don’t have say in anything else.”
“Like what?”
“Like all of it.” She throws her hands up. “Why can’t everyone just back the fuck off and let me have a normal life?”
“Jay, if you don’t want to do it, then don’t.”
She turns her head to look out the passenger window and in a low voice she says, “I have to.”
BEFORE I CAN put the Range Rover in Park, Jay is out of the car and stomping through the front door. Grabbing her bag from the back seat, I slowly make my way to the front door where Bass is waiting.
Bass quirks an eyebrow.
“It wasn’t me,” I say holding up my free hand in surrender, handing over her bag.
“It was Alex,” Cole says coming up behind me. “They got into an argument and Uncle Marcus’s name came up.” He shakes his head.
“She’s pretty pissed,” I add.
“I kinda picked up on that when she came storming through here.” He chuckles. “What’s the matter, Romeo? You didn’t know Princess had a temper?” He throws his head back and laughs. “Oh, this is gonna be fun.” He turns on his heels and heads down the hall with Jay’s bag thrown over his shoulder.
I look over at Cole and he smirks. “Don’t look at me. She’s your girlfriend.”
“HEY.” I PAUSE, my fingers hovering over the piano keys, and look up to see Alex slowly moving toward me. His hands are shoved in his front pockets, shoulders slumped.
“Hey,” I reply, softly.
“I’m sorry, Jay. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I’m honored that you chose me and that I was your only choice. And I’m not trying to take your dad’s place. I know he was tough on you at times and that wasn’t my intention. It’s just lately, you just don’t seem as devoted to your music and that concerns me. Especially with the tour next year.”
I shrug. “That’s not true. It’s just that for the first time in my life… I actually have a life. I get to be a normal teenager. I have a boyfriend and friends. And I’m happy.”
“And I want that for you. But I also don’t want to see you let your talent go to waste. You have a gift many people would kill for. Don’t take it for granted.”
“I know. I’m sorry, too. I overreacted. And just for the record, I wasn’t daydreaming about my boyfriend. I was actually thinking about what it’s going to be like with the two of us up on stage next year.” I smirk.
“Oh? Well, that’s more like it.” He leans forward, resting his arms on top of the piano. “Why didn’t you just say that?”
“Because you pissed me off.”
A smile pulls up one side of his mouth. “You’ve got quite the temper.”
“Only when you piss me off.”
“I think you scared Zach.”
“Maybe he’ll think twice before pissing me off,” I snicker.