King of Hearts

by R H Tucker

  There’s a hint of disappointment in my voice that I wish I could hide. Because him doing things with Danica shouldn’t annoy me. I mean, she’s aggravating and bitchy, but it annoys me in the wrong way. In a way I shouldn’t be feeling because of Landon.

  “That’s okay. I’ll just hang out with everyone else.”

  He lifts his shoulders, opening the dressing room door for me. “I’ll be sure to tell EJ all the cool spots you should check out. You’ll probably love the Turtle Bug store. You and your collections of turtle enamel pins and ladybugs. They have a bunch of little trinkets you’ll fall in love with.”

  We walk into the room, and I’m grinning, still fighting the feeling I had just moments ago. Now it’s because even after the time we’ve been apart this past year, he still remembers those little things about me.

  Maybe it’s best that he’ll be away for the day. It’ll give me time to finally get my head on straight and remember what this is. This is a spring break trip with my best friend. Yes, the band members are my friends, too, but this entire thing is supposed to be fun. I should be giggling about stupid stuff with Becca, maybe gossiping about things with Jade, and surely teasing EJ and Maddox. I should not be reanalyzing my entire relationship with Derrik, especially since I have a boyfriend.

  9

  Derrik

  Landing in Los Angeles, I pull my hat down low and sunglasses on, hoping no one spots me. Instead of flying into the main airport, I was able to fly into a smaller one since it was a short flight, and quickly find my driver. This thing is supposed to be some kind of Hollywood party, with other stars, producers, and directors. Like a mixer, I guess. I know Danica’s going to be dressed to the nines. Still, I decide on keeping on my torn jeans, one of my gray T-shirts, and bracelets, trying to keep things as normal as possible. I’m a rock star, so even if I’m under-dressed, at least it’ll be like I’m playing the part.

  It’s not a long drive, and we arrive at the building where the mixer is being held in Glendale. A lot of these Hollywood-type things are literally in Hollywood, but its neighboring cities—which might not have the name recognition—can be just as fancy. Especially if you’re in the company of the right people. Pulling into the garage, I get out from the limo and see the driver hurrying over to the door, missing the cue to open it for me.

  “Oh, that’s okay,” I say, and shut the door behind him.

  He stops, gaping at me for a moment, almost perplexed. I have to chuckle. I’m sure a lot of celebrities just go about their way, not even acknowledging him.

  Ugh, I just called myself a celebrity.

  I mean, I know I am. And I’m okay with being called that, or a rock star, or any other descriptions out there. However, I try not to think of myself as that. First and foremost, I’m a musician. The Kings just happen to be the flavor of the week. Well, the flavor of the last year and a half.

  I’ve avoided being noticed for the most part, but as soon as I walk into the lobby, I get double takes from everyone, who can obviously see through my hat and shades. Making my way over to the elevator, already knowing which floor the party is on, I tug my T-shirt down to smooth out the slight wrinkles. As I hit the elevator button, someone hurries over to me.

  “Excuse me,” I hear a small, timid whisper. Looking over, I see a middle-aged lady with pink splashed across her face. “Sorry, I know I’m not supposed to do this, but would you mind signing this for my daughter?”

  She hands me a CD, and I take it and the marker she’s holding. “A CD? She still listens to these?” I joke.

  She giggles. “Not really. But I knew you were coming in today and stopped by a store to buy one really quick.”

  “Wow, you’re a great mom.” She looks away, and I sign the disc, only to be jolted from the pleasant interaction by a shrieking yell in front of me.

  “Derrik! You’re late, hurry up!” Danica steps through the elevator.

  Glancing up, I see she has her hand on her hip, impatiently tapping her foot. She’s dolled up, per usual, and her blonde hair—which is even more platinum than the other day—has slight curls in it. Her light blue jeans are painted on her.

  “Calm down, Dani. I’m in the building.”

  Danica snaps her head to the side, glaring at the lady. “Beth, you know you’re not supposed to approach the guests.”

  Looking over at the mom, I watch as she lowers her head, embarrassed. It’s a weird feeling that I still haven’t quite gotten used to. Not only with Danica, but even myself and the rest of the band. We’re teenagers. Sure, eighteen, but compared to Beth standing next to me, Danica and I are kids, and she’s the adult. Regardless, if we raise our voice, let our opinions be known and make demands, so many others around us heed to those demands. Fame is a powerful tool.

  “I know, I just figured it’d only take a minute,” Beth apologizes.

  “It doesn’t matter how long it takes, Derrik is on a schedule and—”

  “Danica.” I finally speak up, keeping my gaze on her. “It’s fine.”

  “It’s not. My agent is up there and—”

  “Sweetie.” I lower my voice and step closer to her. I’m close enough we could kiss, and she jerks her head back slightly, caught off guard. “All I’m doing is signing a CD. Give me a minute.”

  Fame isn’t the only power I’ve discovered since the band’s exploded.

  Dark red splashes across her face, and though she offers a quick glare at Beth, her eyes return to me, and she smiles.

  “Here you go, Beth.” She still seems embarrassed, and I can’t blame her. It inspires me to be a little bolder, given the attitude Danica’s already shown. “Do you have your phone on you?”

  Beth’s eyes quickly shoot from Danica back to me, almost unsure how to answer. “Yes?”

  “Let’s see, open it up,” I say, looking back at Danica. She obviously isn’t happy I’m extending this encounter, but all she does is roll her eyes with a smirk. Beth pulls out the phone, and I hold out my hand. She cautiously passes it to me.

  Turning around, I hold the phone high and switch on the camera, so I can film a selfie. “What’s your daughter’s name?” I glance back at Beth.

  “Judy.”

  I nod and hit record. “What’s up, Judy? Derrik from the Kings of Karmichael here. I ran into your mom while I was in town and just thought I’d say hi. The next time we’re in town, I’ll try to hook you up with tickets. Later.”

  Hitting end, I hand the phone back to Beth. Her jaw is hanging open, and I give her a brief nod, before entering the elevator next to Danica.

  As soon as the doors shut, Danica says, “Derrik, I swear that lady is going to keep that video to herself for a while. She’s going to—”

  “Okay,” I cut her off. “Why are you so worked up? I’m only five minutes late.”

  “Ugh!” She swats her hand in the air. “That skank Bailey and her entire entourage are making everyone laugh, with her stupid model boyfriend. And I think this new producer is looking forward to talking to us together. I know you don’t think so, but this event is a huge deal.”

  “Sorry.” I mean it. Believe me, I’m aware of all the ways Danica drives people crazy, but if there’s one thing I know she truly cares about, it’s her career.

  “It’s okay. Oh!” Taking my hand, she begins jumping up and down. “I completely forgot! I’m taking the next week off from the show.”

  “What?” I stare at her, my voice monotone.

  “I figured since these are the last stops for your tour, I’d tag along, and we could take some amazing shots for Insta and the like. Really build everything up on social media, get everyone talking. I’ve already plotted out some stops we can make in Portland and Seattle, and an unbelievable restaurant spot that’s supposed to be the hottest place in Vancouver.”

  The elevator dings, and we reach our floor. Danica lets go of my hand and walks out, leaving me standing still. This is the absolute worst thing that could happen.

  Look, I can take Danica, her fl
irtatiousness, and everything else that comes with the princess of Hollywood. I know what we are, I know what we’re pretending to be, and I know what she really wants. And I can handle all of that. But if she’ll be around the band, and more than that, Zoey, I have no idea how that’s going to affect my original plan of trying to win Zoey back.

  Zoey and Danica aren’t just from different planets, they’re from different universes. Opposite ends of the spectrum. And while Zoey will probably put up with her and her attitude, how am I supposed to finally make her realize we belong together? Danica will most likely be hanging on my arm ninety-nine percent of the time. Not only that, but with the schedule Danica’s apparently made, it’s not like I can just say no. I mean, I could, but Peter’s been telling me this entire time how great this plan is. Not only for the band to bring more eyes on us from Danica’s teenybopper and paparazzi world, but for me. More eyes on me means more money for me. Which, in turn, leads to more for the Kings. It’s supposed to be a win-win as far as the Kings are concerned.

  “Derrik, hurry up!” Danica squeals, and I’m broken from my stupor, exiting the elevator.

  Win-win.

  10

  Zoey

  After driving for the night, I peek through the bus windows and see we’re in the parking lot of the hotel that the band will be staying in tonight. There’s a small convenience store next to the hotel, so I throw on a hoodie and head out front, hearing Becca still snoring away. Maddox and EJ are still asleep, but Jade sits on the sofa in the main room. It looks like she’s writing in a notebook.

  “Hey.” She smiles at me.

  I wave. “Hey, I was just gonna go out and see about getting a coffee or something to eat at that store.” I point through the window. “Want to come?”

  “Sure.”

  She’s dressed in her usual attire; today, it’s skinny jeans with some red tennis shoes, and a hooded, gray sweater, halfway zipped up. Since I only woke up a bit ago, I threw on a hoodie that fell below my shorts, and slipped on some fluffy, pink slippers to keep my feet warm in the crisp Portland morning air.

  Stepping through the sliding doors, the convenient store chimes. It looks like any other gas station shop, and I scan for an area where they’d have cooked food or coffee. A yellow glow emanates from the corner of the shop, and I make my way over, waving to a young store clerk, who grins as we walk in.

  Jade inspects a row of hash brown sticks, then walks around the cart to the coffee side. I’m just about to grab a cup myself when my phone vibrates. I pull it out to see Landon calling.

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  “Not much, just want to see how the night went,” he replies. A small smirk crosses my lips, thinking it’s a sweet gesture, but it fades with his next words. “You guys still have separate bunks and … stuff?”

  He doesn’t say it accusingly, but I already know why he’s bringing it up. “Ugh, seriously, Landon?”

  “Look, I’m sorry, but I told you that night before you left, you can’t expect me not to have concerns. You’re touring with a freaking rock star. Girls throw their bras at him, you told me yourself. And you used to go out with him.”

  Shaking my head, I catch Jade’s eyes on me. I lift my shoulders, pointing at my phone, then take a step away and grab a wrapped breakfast burrito from a tray.

  “And what else did I say, Landon?” I question, waving the burrito around as if I’m pointing it at him. “I said I broke up with him. I told you we’ve stayed friends, but I know our lives are completely different. Why can’t you trust me? Do you really think I’d do something?”

  “Well, you seemed in an awful hurry to leave the taco shop …”

  “Landon! You cannot be serious right now. They’ve got deadlines to keep. I know this entire thing seems like a fun trip, but it is actually work for them, you know?”

  “What about—”

  “I’m hanging up.” My shoulders slump. I feel defeat set in. He’s never really been jealous, per se, but he’s brought up Derrik’s name here and there. And when I told him that I was making this trip, he seemed leery. “I don’t want to talk to you if all you’re going to do is get jealous. Besides, you’re not the one who should be worried.”

  “Whoa, what’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You know—” I catch myself, scanning the area. Jade eyes me carefully, and I know she’s heard most of this conversation, even though I’ve tried to keep a quiet voice. The clerk in the front throws a glance in my direction. “You know exactly what it means. Between the two of us, who’s the one who has cheated on someone before?”

  “That’s low, Zoey.” He sounds more offended than he does hurt. It doesn’t do anything to quell the regret I feel for bringing it up. “You know that was before we got together. Plus, I told you it was a mistake. I thought you believed me.”

  “I do,” I reply, letting out a sigh and hanging my head. My hair falls in front of my face before tucking it back behind my ear. “Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

  “No shit.”

  His venomous reply forces all regret in my system away. “You know what? I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Yeah. Bye.”

  “Bye.” I hit the end button on my touch screen harder than I have to.

  Staring at the ground, I shake my head again, then pick at the burrito wrapper still in my hands.

  “He sounds like a charmer,” Jade quips, earning a soft chuckle out of me. “So, he’s the jealous type?”

  “It’s never been bad, just normal boyfriend stuff. At least, that’s what I thought before this trip. I don’t know …”

  My lingering thoughts of Derrik and what he told me, mix with Landon and us being together and going to the same college. It’s true, Landon’s never been overtly jealous, but since this entire trip has started, I feel like everything is getting out of balance. With him, and Derrik, and even myself.

  “Come on, let’s pay for this stuff.” Carrying her hash brown sticks and two cups of coffee, Jade nudges me with her elbow.

  We approach the counter, and the young clerk, who seemed happy but normal only a few moments ago, is absolutely giddy now, staring at Jade.

  “Whoa …” He keeps his gaze locked on her. “You’re … you’re …”

  “Jade,” she says with a bright smile. Glancing down at his name tag, she lifts her phone. “Gabe?” He nods. Slowly. “Can I take a selfie with you and post it to my InstaPic?” He nods again. Even slower.

  After the selfie, and Gabe dries up his drool, which forces me to hold back a giggle, we pay for our breakfast and head back to the bus. Once on, we find out the boys are awake, and I head to the main room to see Becca sifting through her clothes, looking for something to wear. “Hey,” she calls out to me. “So, what’s the plan?”

  “I don’t know.” I shrug. “I think Jade wanted to check out Old Town, so maybe we can tag along with her. I know she said she wanted some girl time since she never gets it while on tour with the guys.”

  “No!” she shouts at me. “About Derrik.”

  I roll my eyes. “Becca, can we please drop that?”

  “Drop it? Are you seriously just going to go the rest of this tour with them, hanging around, not doing anything about what he said?”

  “Becca, there’s nothing to do about it. He’s—”

  She throws her hand up. “Do you know how many people in the world come from different places in life, hold different careers, and still make it work? You guys would basically be in a long-distance relationship. Lots of people in college have those.”

  “Exactly.” I point at her. “Landon already got his acceptance letter to Ocean Crest. We’ll be going to the same college. Besides, how many long-distance relationships actually work out?”

  “Fair point,” she reluctantly agrees. “But! How many of those relationships have one of the parties as a multimillionaire rock star? Who could get on a plane at any time he wants, and fly anywhere in the world to be with his
girlfriend?”

  I stare at her, my shoulders slouched, trying to hold back an annoyed laugh. “Yeah, that description literally only applies to one person we know. Well, four, but you know what I mean.”

  “I do!” She lifts a finger, smiling. “Which proves my point. You think your circumstances are so far apart. I’m saying they really aren’t. And it’s because of him.”

  Her constant prodding of our circumstances leaves me without words. I’ve been fighting this possibility for so long that maybe if I thought about it, it could actually work. “But what about Landon?”

  “Landon-Shmandon!” She erupts in giggles. “Look, I don’t think he’s a horrible person, even if he did cheat on his last girlfriend.”

  “Hey!”

  “I’m just saying, are you really going to make a decision based on logic? You’ve been stuck on making the safe choice, but sometimes taking chances is the answer. You can’t tell me you’ve ever felt anything with Landon that I know you have with Derrik in the past. It’s almost like you’ve been putting up with Landon.”

  “That’s not true,” I argue. “I don’t put up with him. He’s nice. Sure, he’s a little temperamental about this entire trip, but I can’t really blame him about that. He’s … he’s …”

  “He’s not Derrik.”

  Her words give me pause again. He’s not. And I hate to admit it, but he never has been. Even before all of his rock star, godlike aura—which he’s developed since the band made it big—there’s something that I’ve always been drawn to. Not his singing or the lyrics he writes. It’s not his dimpled smile or his beautiful oceanic eye. Derrik and I just felt … right.

  “Hey, bitches!” A cheerful shriek erupts from the front of the bus.

  Becca’s expression mirrors my confused one, and we hurry over to the bedroom door to crack it open. My eyes widen and my jaw drops. Danica stands in the lobby area, dressed in black designer jeans, a flowing red top, with sunglasses on, and her blonde hair bouncing over her shoulders. Designer handbags hang over both arms.