Out of Beat (Boys of Fallout Book 1)

by Cassandra Giovanni

  My stomach drops as I take the phone. I swallow before speaking, “Hello?”

  My voice cracks, and I put my hand on my forehead as I lean forward.

  “Hi, Skylar,” Brad says, and his voice is the way it always is, slightly eager and overly friendly.

  “Hi.”

  “I was just discussing with your brother about the progress the band has made in the last two months that you’ve been on tour with them,” he explains, and it doesn’t seem like this is going somewhere bad. I can’t figure out anything to say, and he continues before I can. “We just saw the photographs from the shoot you did last night. We love them and just want to make sure you don’t share anymore. It’s great what you’re doing with the fan group and social media, but we’ll want to keep the best shots for the album art. Joey was just talking about the new song they wrote for full-length album. It sounds like that’s going to make a great single. We’ll need the band coming up with fresh material during the next few weeks so we’ll be ready to go when you get to Cali. We’ll spend the month break recording and then you’ll be back on the road again. We also wanted to discuss you taking on the management of another one of our bands– Makeshift Chemistry. Have you heard of them?”

  My mouth is opening and closing, but nothing is coming out.

  “Skylar, are you still there?” Brad asks, and for the first time during the call, his voice pitches a bit in panic.

  I can barely hear the words over the sound of my pounding heart as I reply, “Yeah, they’re a metal band from a few towns over from us.”

  “Exactly — they’re from the same area as you, so we think you can help boost them. They’re doing well, but they need a manager who can get them organized and hitting it hot on social media. They’re going on tour in about six months. We don’t expect you to be on tour with them unless you want to. They’re arranging for their photographer already, Natalie Scott.”

  “Natalie Scott?” I ask in awe. She’s one of my favorite photographers. She started touring with band’s at my age and was super in demand for a while. She’s been pretty quiet lately, touring with smaller bands since her fallout with Undertow.

  “The band’s in negotiations with her currently, but it’s been a few months since she’s had work so I’m sure it’ll all be set up fine. Plus, we need your focus on getting the world tour set for Kill Me Softly’s new album.”

  I glance over at Joey, and he leans forward to close my jaw. He winks at me before going to pour himself some coffee.

  “Okay, so what would taking on another band entail?” I finally seem to find my management brain that I’ve recently acquired.

  “More of the same of what you’ve been doing. Handle schedules, teleconference with the band to talk about what needs to be done each day and post onto social media anything Natalie sends over. Makeshift does a lot of their social media, so you’ll just need to guide them with their image and such. I’ll send you over the contract to review. Since having a few issues with band management, we’ve changed our strategy to hire a band manager to handle a few accounts at a salaried rate. The contract will cover both managing KMS and MC. If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call.”

  “Thank you,” I manage to say before putting my cell phone on the table and watching the screen go black.

  “You’ve got a bit of drool,” Zack says from across the table, and I realize my mouth has dropped open again.

  I stand and push past the guys. “I need a minute.”

  I sit down on my bunk and stare at my cell phone.

  I’m not fired. I’m hired.

  And my photographs are going to be on the cover of an album.

  My personal email bings and another shockwave goes through me. I shake my head as I click on the message which states the name of my favorite skateboard company with the words Sponsorship Request. My world is flipping upside down right now and so is my stomach. I read the message and then rush towards the bathroom as my stomach rolls. I make it in just as my Chinese from last night comes up. I fall back on my butt and put my head back against the glass of the shower.

  A knock comes on the door. “Sky?”

  It’s Danny. I definitely need him right now.

  “Come in.”

  He kneels down and pulls me into his arms. “You okay?”

  “I don’t know what to do,” I mutter as I look up at him. “I don’t think I can handle being band manager to multiple bands and being a sponsored longboarder.”

  “Sponsored longboarder?” Danny’s eyebrows go up with his lips as he shakes his head. “I think you can, depending on what they want you to do.”

  I push my hands into my eyes. “It’s a lot all at once.”

  Danny’s neck goes red, and he looks straight ahead.

  “What else?” I ask, cocking my head at him.

  He runs his hand over the scruff of his neck. “It was Joey’s idea. I’ll let him take your wrath.”

  “Do I even want to know?” I ask, and he bites the inside of his cheek, shoulders rising. “That’s a no.”

  Danny’s lips curl up a bit. “Probably.”

  “He’s lucky I don’t choke him to death with his guitar strap.”

  Danny stands and holds his hand out for me. “You still could, or I could get some drumsticks for you to poke his eyes out with.”

  The smirk turns into a grin and I can’t help but laugh. Danny’s eyes run over my face, falling to my lips. “You’re adorable when you’re overwhelmed. If you hadn’t just puked…”

  I narrow my eyes at him. “Go tell Joey to get ready for me to kill him. I’m going to brush my teeth.”

  “I could wait until you’re done,” Danny says, leaning back against the counter and crossing arms. It stretches his tattoos across the muscles of his biceps, and I’m tempted to tell him to stay.

  “Go, warn him,” I growl.

  “Watch out. Aaron’s right, I do enjoy being bossed around by you,” Danny says, and when I blink at him, he laughs before letting himself out.

  When I come out of the bathroom, Danny’s leaning against the kitchen counter holding a set of drumsticks. He holds them out to me, and I take them before leaning next to him and looking at my brother.

  Joey stands from the table and puts one finger out, opens his mouth and then cringes as his eyes fall to the sticks. “Maybe I should just tell you later.”

  “So you’d like me to strangle you on stage during your sound check in Scranton?”

  He swallows and his Adam’s apple moves up and down. “The Killers wouldn’t like it very much if you killed me.”

  I narrow my eyes at him, unamused by his play on words.

  “They’ll like it a lot better if you do the duet with me that I promised the label,” he says, and then steps back as I step forward.

  “Seriously, Joey?”

  “It’s your song, Sky. I –” His eyes go to Danny behind me. “We want you on it.”

  My nails bite into my palms as I look between Danny and Joey. “You two are the only people who’ve heard me sing ever.”

  Joey’s head jerks back. “How has he heard you sing? I’ve only ever overheard you in the shower.”

  I look up at the ceiling, and my blood rushes in my ears. I’m slipping. “Does it really matter?”

  Danny steps forward and puts his hands on my shoulders. I drop my head, so I’m looking at him.

  “You have an amazing voice, Sky. You should share it.”

  “You’re lucky I love you,” I say, and his lips twitch as he blinks at me. “Like a brother.”

  He let’s go of my shoulders, and I turn to face the guys. Zack’s lips are pursed, one eyebrow up as he stares at me. Aaron has the toothless smile on, and Joey seems to have missed the pregnant pause before I inserted like a brother.

  “So you’ll do it?” Joey asks, wincing with his hands pressed together in a prayer.

  “Fine, but do not expect me to do it on stage. Now, someone make me a cup of coffee and a bagel. I need to go
review these freaking contracts and try to figure out what the fuck I want to do with my life.”

  “Contracts?” Joey asks, looking confused, and I throw my hands up.

  “You explain it,” I say to Danny and he salutes me as I head into the back.

  Chapter 24

  I stare at the Fallout Records Band Management Agreement with my head in my hands. I’ve been like this for an hour and my coffee and bagel remain untouched. My stomach is too shaky for me to consume anything. Suddenly, I feel like an adult, not some kid playing a game.

  This is real life.

  What’s in front of me is the opportunity for a career with a decent salary for anyone my age with a handful of college courses done. I click over to the sponsorship contract. Danny was right; it’s not all that unreasonable. Unlike traditional sports sponsorships like motocross, the board company just wants someone to test their products and show them in action– make them look good. They send me free stuff, I ride around on my board, and say nice things about the product at the end of my videos.

  It’s simple. But what bugs me is the fact Kill Me Softly’s following is the only reason I have it. No one watched that video because they thought I was awesome. I scroll over to my YouTube channel and a lump forms in my throat. I’ve gained a handful of follower’s off of it, but nothing major. I lean forward, my hands slipping to the back of my neck.

  The door slides open, and Danny peeks his head in, leaning against his arms, so his muscles bulge. He cocks his head.

  “How are you doing?”

  I lean back, throwing my hands up. “No better than when I was in front of the toilet.”

  “Success is scary,” he says coming into the room and sitting down next to me. He puts his hand on my thigh. “You can do it, Sky, we all know you can. You may not think so, but you’ve helped us a lot. We’d still be in that tiny RV, trying to figure out what the fuck to do every day without you.”

  “Yeah, but I know you guys. I know what you want,” I say, inhaling through my nose. “I grew up being a fan of yours.”

  “And you’ll get to know Makeshift, too. You’ll get a handle on their fans, and you’ll help them stay on track. I’m going to be honest with you, if you weren’t here, every night would be a drunk fest, and in that case, a band needs that help even more. I’m positive Makeshift needs you more than we do at this point. Although, you’re still not allowed to go on tour with them–” I narrow my eyes at him, and he points at me. “That came from your brother’s mouth first– I just second it as a protective boyfriend.”

  Him saying he’s my boyfriend makes me smile a bit, and he leans forward kissing me.

  “What else is bugging you about this?” Danny asks.

  “How did you know that this life was what you wanted…that you wanted to be a musician for a career?” I ask, and he leans forward on his elbows, his head sinking between them.

  He turns to look at me, and his shoulders rise. “I didn’t. That’d be a better question for the rest of the guys.” His cheeks puff out. “I wanted to run away, Sky. I needed to get away from my mom.”

  His neck goes red, and it spreads to his cheeks as he looks away from me. “But?”

  “No matter how many miles I put between us…I’m still afraid she’s going to come after me– try to get back in my life because I’m famous.” His thumb goes into the corner of his mouth. “And then she called the radio…and there you were saving me again.” His eyes lock on me. “I took this job–this career–as an escape, but, Sky, I’ve never felt so at peace as when I’m on stage or when I’m writing music. It just feels like me. And five years into this, every year it still changes. This job isn’t static, but I’m also not deluded into thinking it’s stable. We’re going to ride this wave as long as we can. You came here to escape. The question now is, do you want to be front and center helping bands or do you want to be behind a camera lens? Or none of the above?”

  I look down at my hands, and Danny puts his over mine. “I’ve always hidden behind that lens. Put it over my face when I wanted to be invisible. I do love it, but…”

  “But?” Danny puts his index finger under my chin, lifting my face, so I’m looking at him.

  “When it’s not you, or the guys from the band, it doesn’t feel right. It feels awkward. Like I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s not like when I get on my longboard, and everything falls away– instead, it’s like people’s expectations are piling up on me. With you guys, it’s different.”

  “And managing the band?”

  I laugh a little, shaking my head. “I’m good at it. I like the business of it, the marketing — getting you guys to the top and thinking of creative ways to help– getting things done and watching you succeed.”

  “Do you think it’d be that way with another band or would it be like photography is with other people?” Danny asks, running his thumb over my chin.

  “Honestly,” I begin, pausing as I inhale. “It’s really exciting to me.”

  “Then I’d say it’s the right fit…plus, we can keep you right here with us,” Danny leans forward, lips inches from mine. “I spent too many years away from you anyway.”

  “What about the sponsorship?” I ask, and my eyes fall again.

  “What about it?”

  I bite my lip. “I feel like it’s only because of your following that I got that opportunity.”

  “Ride the wave, take the opportunity because that’s what it is. You said it; you feel free on your board. There’s no reason you shouldn’t get perks for making us look awesome,” he replies, and his lips are closer now; so close I can feel his breath washing over my mouth.

  I’m about to kiss him when Joey comes into the room, and we jump away from each other. My brother doesn’t seem to notice that anything was going on as he leans his palms against the table and smiles at me.

  “So?”

  “Looks like I have a real job…and I’m getting some free boards.”

  “And Mom and Dad thought we were going to corrupt you. Instead, we’ve led you down the road to a real paying job!” Joey says, winking at me.

  “You still better watch it. You’re still on my shit list,” I say, crossing my arms and staring at my brother.

  He shrugs as he leaves the room.

  “And what are you going to do to get him back?” Danny asks, pushing his shoulders against mine.

  “How do you think Joey would look as a pink-head?”

  “Better than me,” he says, cringing. “Should I be watching out, too?”

  I pull him to the side, so we’re not in front of the door.

  “I think this will be punishment enough,” I say before sliding into his lap and kissing him. His hands slip up the small of my back as I let my kisses trail down to his neck.

  “How’s this punishment?” He gasps.

  I smile as I move off his lap. “Because now you get to think about that all day when there’s no chance for us to do it again.”

  His smile loosens at the edge a bit, and he narrows his eyes, slipping his hands around my waist to pull me back to him but Zack coming down the hall singing stops him.

  Danny leans over, hand slipping up my leg as he whispers, “But so will you.”

  Chapter 25

  The guys are busy wolfing down their breakfast when I get out of the shower and signal Joey that it’s his turn to go in. They’re all excited for a day in Hershey Park before the concert at the pavilion, and I’m amped up for what’s happening in the shower that Joey has no idea about. I smile to myself as I look over my shoulder towards the door where the sound of my brother’s singing is reverberating from, and then glance at Danny, biting my lip and he narrows his eyes. A few minutes pass before Joey starts screaming my name through the thin door of the bathroom. He yanks it open with just a towel wrapped around his waist.

  “What,” he says, coming forward pointing to his wet and now pink hair; “is this?”

  I smile at him, blinking. “I think it’s a nice shade on you.�
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  “Totally is, man. I’m jealous,” Zack says as he tries to keep from laughing. “Your hair doesn’t even need to be bleached to take color.”

  “That’s because it’s typically dirty blond! Now, just in time to see my girlfriend I have pink hair,” Joey says, shaking his head, so water sprays over me. He pulls his head back up and narrows his eyes as he looks at each of the guys. “Did any of you know about this?”

  Danny looks at his hands, and his foot starts to tap. I put my hand on his knee just as Joey’s eyes land on him.

  “You know everything about my sister. Did you help her plot this?” Joey asks, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

  Danny puts his hands up. “I had nothing to do with the plotting. I’m lucky I escaped the same fate.”

  Joey cocks his head. “How did you manage to escape, since her singing was just as much your idea as mine?”

  “There’s still time in the day,” Aaron points out. He wiggles his eyebrows at me. “Plus, he gets to spend all day alone with her. God only knows what she’ll do to him as payback.”

  Joey tips his head back to laugh. “That’s right!”

  “All day?” Danny asks, looking at me. I shrug because I didn’t realize it was all day.

  “Yeah,” Aaron replies, shrugging as he stands and goes to the fridge to refill his cup with orange juice. “Joey and Meredith are spending all day together, and Zack and I have that guitar meet and teach we’re doing at ten, then a video interview. I figured we’re going to be in the park already, so we might as well make the best of it. That means you two get all day until sound check at four.”

  “And this tour bus is off limits from one until sound check,” Joey says, pointing at each of the guys. They nod in unison while I stare at Joey with one eyebrow risen. He blinks at me, and suddenly I realize why he and Meredith might want the bus all to themselves for a little bit. Blood rushes to my face as my body heats because Danny and I could have the bus to ourselves for the morning. Then the blood rushes elsewhere, and my limbs start to tingle.