Page 152 of Shy Girls Can't Date Rockstars
“Alice, you know how serious things are right now,” Ryder says, an impatience hardening his tone. “The gig this weekend was serious. The label is talking about a real contract. Three albums, touring support, the whole thing.” He gestures loosely at the surrounding school. “Maybe the essay mattered to you, but in the grand scheme of things, it means nothing. Miranda only cares about school because Kensington does. But if I sign a contract before graduation, none of this will matter.”
I watch the foyer hum around us. Students pour past, heading for buses and the parking lot.
My voice comes out smaller than I intend. “It won’t matter that I moved here?”
He sighs. “That’s not what I was saying.”
“No, I get it.” I take a step back, shaking my hands loose at my sides. “Loud and clear, Ryder.”
I turn before he can say anything else and move through the crowd until I’m clear of him. Clear of his clipped tone, frustrated shoulders, and his three-album deal.
“Wait up!” Madison calls as I jog down the front steps out of the school.
I don’t know why I wait, but I do. After the last step, I veer off the path and stand on a patch of grass.
Madison brushes the loose hair off her face when she reaches me. “Do you want to talk about what just happened?”
The thought of it turns me green. “Nope.”
“I just told Ryder I’d take you home,” Madison says, hanging a thumb behind her. “I thought maybe you’d want some distance.”
“Thanks, but you don’t have to.”
“I’d sure want space if my boyfriend talked to me like that.”
I immediately flush. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Basically is,” Madison mutters. “I mean, the way you two moon-eyed each other while he was on stage on Saturday night… You’re like, totally together.”
“But we’re not.” It comes out louder than I mean, and I stomp my foot to get the irritation out. “This is what Ryder and I do. We get close, and then we fight. We’re not meant to be together.”
“When you two met, it was really sucky timing.”
Before I can summon the energy to respond, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and see Mrs. Patel’s name on the screen.
“It’s my neighbor,” I whisper, dread seeping into my stomach. “She never calls. She always waits for me to reach out to her.”
“Maybe it’s something about your old house?” Madison suggests.
I wince. “It is up for sale.”
Madison nudges me. “Well, answer it.”
I suck in a breath, and with nothing to lose, I hit the answer button. “Hello?”
“Alice, sweetheart, how are you?” Mrs. Patel says through labored breath.
I flinch, feeling my heart race. “I’m okay, but are you? You sound panicked.”
She puffs out a laugh. “No, I’m good. Just running between houses. Sweetheart, there’s a buyer for your parents’ house.”
I almost lose function of my knees and sway to keep myself upright. “Oh… okay.”
“And the business.” Mrs. Patel takes a breath before continuing. “Marshall’s Events is going to take over the space. With your parents… With less competition, they’re going to expand their business.”
I can only imagine this is what it feels like to be sucker-punched right in the heart.
From my peripheral vision, I spy Ryder and his bandmates leaving the school building and getting inside our usual car.
