by C. L. Stone
“It takes time to find a house,” Victor said. “We haven’t looked at any yet.”
“There’s a house down the road,” he said. “For sale. Let’s just get that one.”
“You’re not thinking practical, there,” Victor said. “We’ve got to plan it.” He motioned to me and waved a hand at Gabriel. “Tell him, Sang. It’s got to be the right one.”
They talked about it like they were talking about buying an outfit. I shrugged. “I’ve never shopped for a house. I don’t know where to start. But we need room for all of us.”
“We should start with figuring out if we want to stay in the tri-city area, or outside of it, or somewhere else,” Victor said.
“Well, we’d have to make it near Charleston for now,” Gabriel said.
“But where? One of the islands? Downtown? In a place like Lily has? That’s more secluded, outside of town.”
There was a thud starting at the bottom of the steps and then footsteps coming up. I spun a bit to catch Kota coming in. Jeans, green T-shirt, although the shirt was grease-stained. He stopped at the top of the steps and then looked me over. “What’s all that?” he asked.
“Concert,” I said, although I blushed and shyly looked away for a minute, not because of what I was wearing, but because… of a lot of things lately. His broken car. His mom. What did he know? Was he mad? Despite myself, I forced my gaze in his direction. I couldn’t shy away from him forever.
Kota lifted an eyebrow and looked over at Victor.
Victor waved his hands. “Not mine.”
Luke came out of the bathroom, sans everything but a pair of boxers. “Is it my turn?”
“It’s the rock concert,” Gabriel said to Kota. “Is everyone on the same page? We’re doing the meet with North and Mr. Buble. The concert is before we’re supposed to show up but since we have tickets, we’ll enjoy but also scope out if the thieves could be there, maybe people we recognize.” He stood up and holding a pair of jeans. The jeans were cut at various places, some very close to the butt. He presented them to Luke. “Try this on.”
“Black isn’t really my color,” Luke said. He looked over at me and then reached for the jeans. “Are we all matching again?”
“We’re blending in,” Gabriel said. “What part of rock concert isn’t informative? We wear black. We scream at the band. We go deaf at the extremely loud guitar solos.”
“And this is fun?” Victor asked, an eyebrow cocked.
“Hey,” Gabriel said, reaching to punch him lightly in the bicep. “I don’t snore at your performances. I take in the experience and appreciate the art that it is. This is art in a different form.” He held out a shirt for Luke.
“Mosh pits are art?” Victor asked, now obviously using a teasing tone.
“Isn’t that where you smash up against people in a circle?” I asked them. I’d heard about it some but from videos online, I couldn’t tell if it was dancing or running into other people.
“No mosh pits for you,” Kota said.
“Aw,” Luke whined. “Kota’s no fun.” He took the shirt from Gabriel and went to the bathroom to change, although I wasn’t sure why as he was mostly naked.
Victor laughed. “Who’s playing, anyway?”
Gabriel blinked rapidly and then shrugged. “Hell if I know. Seemed popular.”
The bathroom door opened and Luke reappeared, decked out in ripped black jeans and a black tank shirt and open hoodie, he looked different, with his hair tied back completely in a ponytail high on the back of his head. All the black made him appear leaner than he was, but his face was beautiful. “We ready?” he asked.
“You just need some eyeliner,” Gabriel said.
“Let’s get going,” Luke said. “If we leave now, we can take the Jeep.”
Gabriel spun around and smirked. “Hell yeah.”
Uh oh. “Did North actually say we can take it?” I asked. “Or…”
“He will,” Luke said and winked at me. “Once you ask him.”
Kota seemed to sense my hesitation. “We’re a little low on vehicles, but taking the Jeep makes the most sense. They should be there to meet with you after. I’ve got to take Nathan from here. We’re getting what’s left from his house before his dad puts the house up for sale. There’s going to be an estate sale for the furniture, so he needs his stuff out now.”
Oh. We really needed to get on finding a house.
Still, I had to be the one to ask North if it was okay to take his Jeep. I rolled my eyes and then pulled out my cell phone I had in my bra. “Well, let’s see what North says.”
Victor motioned to Kota. “Then you guys get the sports car.” He handed Kota the keys.
Kota took them. “Where is it?”
“It’s at the diner.”
“Which one?”
“Trust me. You’ll know.”
♥♥♥
North made me swear the boys would do nothing but go to the concert, that we’d wear our seatbelts, and we’d leave the concert before the final song so we’d get back into the lot in time for the tradeoff. Even then, he seemed reluctant to let Luke take it anywhere.
“I’d rather you drive it,” North had told me.
“I don’t drive.”
“Remind me to teach you. And in a better car.”
I had no desire to entertain the idea of being taught to drive, at least not right now.
Luke drove with Gabriel in the front seat. I sat next to Victor in the back.
Before we left, I excused myself and went to find the bracelet Victor gave to me once. The guys sometimes got me jewelry of different sorts and I kept not wearing them. I was a little worried I’d lose them.
But for tonight, I wanted to wear it. A small chain with a heart charm. Victor got it for me very close to the start.
For a long time, I was just gazing out the window. It already felt like a long day.
Victor was leaning against me. We did have our seatbelts on but we were close enough he could press his arm against me as he gazed out the other window. Gabriel and Luke talked about going to grab something to eat after the concert and the trade was over and what places were on the way back.
After a minute, while Gabriel and Luke were still talking to themselves, I pressed a little harder into Victor to get his attention. “Are you okay?” I asked in a quiet voice.
“Sure,” Victor said.
“Are you going to go?”
“Where?”
“When we move. Into a house.”
His smile fell a touch and he shrugged. “I think so. I don’t know what to do about my parents… and you know, the other stuff.”
“Wasn’t it hard to sneak around your parents? With the Academy?”
“I didn’t think it was, no more than anywhere else,” he said. “I think I slowly got used to it. I’d lie about where I was going so much…” He sighed. “Maybe I’m no better than they are.”
I reached out, squeezing his hand. “You’re much better.”
He smiled.
“I just can’t wait until we’re settled,” I said.
“But you know, it’s going to take some time to find a house. Do you know where you’re sleeping tonight?”
I glanced at Luke and Gabriel, still talking to each other, and then back to him, shrugging. “No idea. Back at Mr. Buble’s?”
“You could go to Kota’s if you wanted.”
“I don’t know if I should yet,” I said.
“You don’t have to avoid her.”
I knew I didn’t have to. But still, it felt awkward now. We’d snuck into her house, checked on her…
If she was Volto, there was a high probability that she was associated with the drop-off tonight. We’d be one step closer to figuring out if it’s her. We might know tonight once and for all.
It made the thought of going to a concert a little strange to me. I felt it was meant for us to relax a bit after the last couple of days, but
my skin tickled with pins and needle feelings.
The colosseum in Charleston was surrounded by mostly parking lots and one hotel next door. The sun was going down as we arrived. When Luke parked, we climbed out. There were two actual buildings but apparently the concert was in the smaller, round building.
Gabriel and Luke led the way. I walked behind them with Victor. After only a few moments, I reached out for his hand, walking closer to him.
Victor picked up his head and looked over at me. He squeezed my hand shortly.
“I haven’t been to a concert before,” I said.
“You’ve been to mine.”
“I mean not like this.”
“Are you nervous?”
“A little…” I gazed over at other people heading in the same direction.
He squeezed my hand again and then released it to wrap an arm around my shoulders. “Don’t be. I’ll be watching out for you. And them.”
“Like Nathan usually does?” I asked with a grin.
“That’s usually why someone else goes along, yeah? I’m the muscle.”
I smirked and shook my head. “It’s weird. I guess. Even after all this time, I still can’t shake thinking my mom is going to get after me sneaking out.”
“It takes a while to get used to being out, I bet,” he said. “I still anticipate my mom calling to remind me I have to be home for those people, or that dinner, or to rehearse for that event.”
“I hope this feeling goes away,” I said.
He nodded. “Yeah. At some point maybe.”
He paused there and checked his phone, read a text message quickly, nodded, and then put it back into his pocket without answering it.
“Who’s that?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Just Kota. Keeping me updated.”
“We’re still set for tonight? For the tradeoff?”
“Yup,” he winked at me and drew me in closer, kissing the side of my head, near my ear. “Let’s just have fun. We don’t have to worry about it. Too many people for Volto to try anything too crazy, and Mr. Buble will be in a bit later to monitor with North. If we happen to see familiar people, we just remember who we saw.”
I wasn’t so sure. Volto willingly messed with other people, an entire stadium, once before.
Still, I tried to relax. It had been so tense with Kota’s mother and trying to come up with how to handle it, Nathan’s house getting robbed, still dealing with Volto after all this time, too. I was just grateful that Victor didn’t seem all that worried. If he wasn’t, then what the others had said was true. Maybe we just needed to wait it out and find out what was really going on.
I leaned into him, nuzzling his body a bit with my cheek. “I’m glad you’re with us,” I said.
As he walked beside me, the fire that was in his eyes before, was there, though diminished a bit.
I was too nervous to ask why.
♥♥♥
Moments later, we were standing in front of our seats. The stage ahead of us was dark.
To my left was Victor, to my right, Gabriel, and then Luke. With all the black, in the dark, it was like we were floating heads in the shadows.
Surprisingly, for a school night, a lot of the audience were younger than us, with numerous kids that appeared to be about twelve or so. There were several groups that were teenagers, and very few parents, or if they were there, they were much higher and away from the stage. Around us were rows of people, some sitting and some standing in anticipation.
The concert started, most of the area went darker as more lights went off except for the stage. Everyone stood. People screamed at the musicians. Some people carried glow sticks and waved them around.
The boys next to me hooted. For some reason, I found the whole thing funny and just laughed.
The music got pretty heavy, and soon Luke and Gabriel were banging their heads forward and back, had their arms up in the air, making hand signals, similar to what others were doing nearby.
Gabriel bumped into me, and then grinned, leaning in. “Rock on. Come on, you can do it.”
I didn’t want to bang my head, so I lifted my hand up and just waved it back and forth a little.
Gabriel glanced at my hand and then giggled. “Good job.”
Luke leaned over him and laughed. “Hey, it’s this way.”
I compared my hand to his. I’d put out a thumb, first finger, and pinkie finger. He’d just did first and pinkie.
“No thumb?” I asked.
“No, let her use the thumb,” Gabriel said. “It’s adorable.”
“It doesn’t mean the same,” Luke said.
“Sure it does,” Gabriel said and switched his hand up. “It means we love the band.”
“You don’t even know who's playing,” Luke said.
“Do we care?” Gabriel said and laughed.
While Gabriel was swinging around, Luke was looking at me, still laughing.
“What?” I asked. But I felt my voice was probably lost and I did sign language instead. “What does it really mean?”
He signed back but spelled the letters out, “I love you.”
Oh. I giggled and realized what I was doing.
Gabriel and Luke started doing the same. I did as well. I had no idea if anyone else was even paying attention or cared what we were up to. I didn’t recognize anyone near us.
Victor beside me kept his arms crossed over his chest. He watched the concert, sometimes rocking his head, but he wasn’t dancing around like Luke and Gabriel.
I leaned into him, pressing my cheek to his shoulder a bit.
He turned to me. He glanced at the others and then down at me again. “Okay?” he mouthed.
I nodded.
The band played several songs. I had no idea what was being sung as the lead singer mostly screamed. Sometimes there were flames from the stage and I could feel the heat on my cheeks.
After about an hour, as far as I could tell at least, Gabriel poked me in the shoulder. “I’m heading to the bathroom,” he shouted at us. “Who wants to go?”
“I do,” Victor said.
I assumed I couldn’t go and leave Luke alone so I remained behind.
The boys left our row and headed for the steps that would take them out into the corridor that surrounded the stadium.
After they left, Luke turned to me. “You know,” he said, “one day we should go on our own date.”
“This like a date?” I asked.
He smirked at me. “One day I’ll get you by myself.”
“Tomorrow?” I asked. I had no idea what was happening tomorrow, but I realized, too, that a lot of my time lately was spent among them, but not with them. Often, when I did speak with Lily, she encouraged me to listen to what they were saying, and if they needed me, to be available. Not everyone would need me the same amount of time, but they’d say when they want something.
Luke’s eyes flashed brilliantly in the light from the stage. “You’re serious?”
I nodded, although I was nervous. “I’m not sure what jobs will be needed tomorrow but…”
He scooped up my hand quickly, bringing my knuckles to his lips and he kissed my hand. He turned it over gently and kissed my palm.
It tickled, and I retracted my hand away. “Don’t, it’s ticklish.”
He laughed and stopped.
He held up the hand signal, like before, except instead of directed at the band, he aimed it at me.
My mouth parted and my cheeks radiated. I almost froze again, in near shock.
I didn’t want to delay, like last time, but I was genuinely a mess of feelings.
Slowly, I held up the same hand signal.
I nearly floated where I stood. I didn’t notice anything else in the moment. What concert? And it felt so natural.
I did care about him a lot. My heart lifted around them all.
He brought his hand over, still signed, until we crossed fore and pinkie fingers an
d met our two knuckles together.
With his other hand, he reached over and held the tip of my chin.
He kissed me.
I was a little nervous the others would return and see it, so I only kissed him for a couple of minutes before I backed up a bit.
He seemed to understand me. “And that’s why we need our own date.” Instead of kissing me, he kept his arm around me, a hand at my waist.
I tucked into him. No more bouncing around. Just enjoying being near him.
I wanted this. So much. I wanted to be around them, at concerts and other places. I liked being with them together, and alone, and I hated that we were so distracted that we never felt we could get a break except in rare moments.
Luke nuzzled my head, kissing near my scalp.
His hand slid down to my hip and held me close to him.
We remained close, watching the band, me nearly floating out of my spot because I kept thinking of his hand signal to me. My hands twitched to do it again.
Two more songs played by the band, and the others still hadn’t gotten back.
Concerned, Luke held my hand and indicated to get out of the row. We followed signs around the building to find the closest bathrooms.
We found the right place, with a small line for the women’s and the men’s side didn’t seem to have a visible one.
“Where’s your phone?” Luke asked.
I brought it out.
“Put someone else on the line while I go in and see if they’re there.” He snapped his fingers and pointed at my feet. “Don’t you move.”
“What if there’s a fire?”
“Don’t start a fire,” he said, giving me a gentle chop on my head before heading into the boy’s bathroom.
I picked Silas.
He answered instantly. “I was thinking about you,” he said in lieu of saying hello.
I blushed. I was aware we weren’t supposed to be alone ever and someone was probably next to him. “Are you busy?”
“Nope.”
“Gabriel and Victor ventured off and Luke is checking the bathrooms.”
