Rae rolled her eyes. “Pleeaassee! Don’t encourage him. Jack thinks he’s a king, just because he can do a complex sequence.”
Jack’s eyebrows bobbed up and down. “Not jealous, are you Rae?” He pinged the hi-hat cymbals a few times and then followed it up with a grand finale on the crash cymbal.
“Not hardly,” she scoffed.
Elle shook her head. She knew the names of the cymbals. Progress! Maybe she was starting to remember. Excitement covered her, and she looked around, searching for something else that she would recognize.
“Hey, sorry I’m late. My mom needed help organizing her classroom.”
The voice stopped her cold. It seemed she’d found the one thing she recognized instantly—Rush’s voice. She turned. He took one look at her, and then shot Rae an accusing look. “What’s she doing here?”
“She’s as much a part of this band as any one of us,” Rae said evenly.
It stung knowing that Rush didn’t want her here. Elle shot him a nasty look.
He held up his hands in defense. “It’s not that I mind her being here, per se … I just thought we were going to let her remember things on her terms, not ours.”
Rae crossed her arms over her chest. “She just needed a little push, that’s all. She did remember the band …” she wrinkled her nose “… sort of.”
Rush picked up a guitar and placed the strap over his shoulder. “If she’s gonna be a part of the band, then she’s gonna have to be committed. Not like before.”
“She’s a different person now,” Rae said, running a hand through her short hair. “Why can’t you see that?”
Not like before? What was he getting at? Elle gritted her teeth. “I’m right here! Hearing everything you’re saying! Quit talking around me as if I don’t exist.” She eyed them all, daring them to contradict her.
“Touché,” Jack said, tapping on the snare.
Rush gave Elle a pointed look. “I’m sorry, did you say something?”
She gave him a dark look. “Moron,” she muttered under her breath.
“Coward,” Rush shot back.
She spun at him. “What’s that’s supposed to mean?”
“None of us knows for sure how we’ll react in a given situation, until we’re actually put into it, isn’t that right, Elle?”
Her face burned. She’d known from the very minute she’d spoken those words in English that Rush would use them against her. “How dare you!”
He lifted an eyebrow. “How dare me? How dare you!” He shook his head in disgust. “It’s obvious that you have no intention of admitting how you really feel … about anything!”
A searing anger flooded Elle, and she had the brief sensation that her head was splitting in two. She glared at Rush. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”
Jack started clucking his tongue. “These lover spats are brutal. Well, that’s one thing that hasn’t changed.” He chuckled, pointing a drumstick at Elle. “Rush, my brother, girls like her are the reason I’m still single.”
“You’re still single because no one will have you,” Rae countered.
“You know you want some of this,” Jack said, flexing his bicep and blowing her a kiss.
Blood was pounding furiously in Elle’s ears. She looked at Rae. “This was a mistake! I shouldn’t have come.” She reached for her backpack.
“That’s right,” Rush said, “you just keep on running away like you always do.”
Elle gave him a withering look and turned to go. Her eyes were burning, and it would only be a matter of time before an avalanche of tears engulfed her.
“Stop it!” Rae yelled. “Stop!” Her voice rose to a fevered pitch.
Elle turned around. “What?” she yelled hotly. She blinked rapidly to hold back the tears.
Rae looked back and forth between Rush and Elle. “I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you … and I really don’t care! Whatever this thing is … stuff it! We’re all members of this band.” She gave Elle a pointed look. “You promised that you would see this through. I do cheerleading with you, and you do the band. End of story!” Her chin was set in stone, and there was something warrior-like in the way her green eyes glittered in defiance. She eyed Rushton first. His jaw started working like he wanted to protest.
“Fine,” he huffed, turning his attention to the guitar.
Rae looked at Elle. “Well?”
“Okay,” Elle said, blowing out a breath. Of course she had no memory of any promise, but she valued Rae’s friendship and being a part of a band seemed a lot more exciting than cheerleading.
Rae nodded. “Good.”
Elle just stood there, not sure what to do until Rae pointed. “Your spot is over there on the bass guitar, remember?” There was a kind look on her face.
Rush rolled his eyes like she was an idiot for not remembering.
“I know where I’m supposed to be,” Elle said hotly. She picked up the bass guitar and strapped it over her shoulder.
Rush chuckled.
“What?” she demanded.
Rae was trying to bite back a smile. “Um … the strap goes the other way.”
Heat crept up Elle’s neck. “Oh … thanks,” she mumbled, correcting her mistake.
Rae took charge. “Okay, people, before we start practicing, we need to discuss a few things. First of all, Rush thinks he might be able to get us a paying gig at his mom’s nightclub.”
“Cool!” Jack said, twirling a drumstick between his fingers.
“Only seventy-five dollars for the evening, but it’s a start,” Rush said.
Elle knew she should just keep her mouth shut, but curiosity got the best of her. “But your mom’s a teacher.”
“Yeah, but she also sings part-time at a nightclub,” Rae explained, adjusting the microphone. “Try-outs for the formal are next Thursday.”
“Try-outs?” Elle swallowed hard. How was she supposed to do some try-out when she couldn’t even remember how to hold a bass guitar, much less play one? “What try-outs?”
Unlike Rush, who was acting as if he would blow a pipe if Elle asked one more thing, Rae didn’t seem the least bit put-out by her questions. “Try-outs for the Castle High Formal.” She waved her hand in the air, her voice taking on an exaggerated dreamy quality. “Enchantment Under the Stars, it’s called. Our very own fairytale ball. How romantic,” she finished sarcastically.
Jack scoffed. “You’re such a dreamer.”
When Rae thrust out her tongue at him he laughed and waved at hand at her. “How many bands are being picked?”
“Two.” Rae grasped the microphone in the palm of her hand.
Elle stated the obvious. “So, I guess this try-out is a pretty big deal.”
Rae nodded. “It’ll give us the clout we need to get better gigs. There’s one more thing … um … how do I put this?” She started drumming her fingers on the microphone.
“Uh oh.” Jack made a face, “It’s never a good sign when she starts drumming.”
Rae shot him a death glare. “Shut up, Jack!”
“Shut up, Jack,” he mimicked. His eyes twinkled in amusement when Rae’s face became the color of her hair. Elle stood corrected. It was looking more and more like there was something going on between Rae and Jack. Or at the very least, Jack was getting great pleasure out of tormenting her, and she was certainly making herself an easy target.
“Spill it!” Rush said.
Rae’s hand went to her hip. “Okay, here goes … I’m afraid we aren’t going to be able to practice in the garage for much longer.”
Rush eyed her. “How much longer?”
“A couple more days … at best.”
Rush let out a groan and Jack started swearing. “Why not?” Jack demanded.
“The neighbors are complaining about the noise, and my dad wants to reclaim the garage as a workroom.”
Jack pounded a hand on his leg. “Well, that’s just dandy! Great news, Rae!” He pushed his hair out of his eyes
. “Great news!”
Rae’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t have to act so smart about it.”
Jack met her glare full on. “Well, you’re the brains behind the organization, so tell me, where are we gonna practice?” He rubbed his hands on his jeans. “You’re the only one of us that has a place. My old man would never allow it, Rush doesn’t have any room at his house, and Elle’s dragon stepmother would never go for it.”
Elle felt a momentary twist of shock. She hadn’t realized that it was common knowledge amongst her friends that her stepmother was a wench.
Rae rubbed her forehead. “I don’t know. I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to come up with a solution …”
“Well, we’d better come up with something … fast!” Jack snapped.
“I know,” Rae said, shaking her head. “I know.” She was gripping the microphone so hard that her knuckles were turning white.
Rush shot Jack a warning look. “Lay off, she’s doing the best she can.”
Jack shook his head. “Whatever you say, man.”
It pained Elle to see Rae so distraught. She thought for a minute. There must be some solution. She glanced at the clock. It was a quarter till six. Rae had finagled a way to get the two of them out of cheerleading practice early today under the guise of needing help with something at her house. Even though Adele didn’t specify a particular time that she was supposed to show up for work, Elle knew she needed to get there soon. Suddenly, a ridiculous thought formed in her head. What if … ? She squelched the thought. There was no way she could suggest something so absurd. Still, the thought wrangled around in her head. Then the words blurted out, before she could call them back. “We can practice at The Chocolate Fountain. My aunt won’t mind.”
All eyes turned to her. Rae was the first to speak. “What?”
What had she just said? Was she freakin’ losing it? There was no way they could practice at The Chocolate Fountain. She was lucky that Adele had offered her a job, there was no way she could ask her to let the band practice there.
“Awesome!” Jack said. “Drumming and chocolate, it doesn’t get much better than that.” He shot Elle an admiring look. “Debutante comes through in the end. Sick!”
“That’s fantastic!” Rae exclaimed, beaming.
If Elle had an ounce of sense in her brain, she would’ve retracted the offer right then and there, but Rae was looking at her with such adoration that you would’ve thought she’d done something spectacular, like solve world hunger, rather than offer a place to practice. Even Rush looked impressed. His eyes met hers, and she could tell that his estimation of her had bumped up a notch, which wasn’t saying much, but it was something.
“See, another example of how valuable Elle is to our band,” Rae said, looking at Rush. She clasped her hands together. “Okay, let’s run through a couple of songs, and then Elle needs to go. She’s starting work this evening at The Chocolate Fountain.” She looked at Rush. “She’ll need a ride.”
He made a face. “Fine.”
Elle had a good mind to tell him she wouldn’t accept a ride from him if her life depended on it, but the painful truth was that she did need a ride, and while her life wasn’t in jeopardy, her sanity was. Sera was driving her crazy, and if the job with Adele didn’t work out then she’d be forced to do all of the other horrible alternatives Sera had lined up. She should’ve been appreciative of Rae’s efforts to get her a ride, but she felt a twinge of irritation instead. All afternoon, Elle had been telling Rae that she needed to get to work, but it didn’t seem to be sinking in … until now—now that Rae needed something.
“Cool, free chocolate,” Jack said.
Rae cut her eyes at him. “You wish!” She looked at Elle. “Maybe you’ll get a chance to talk to your aunt about us practicing there.”
Elle forced a smile. “Yeah … maybe.”
Chapter Thirteen
The Chocolate Fountain
“Better hold on,” Rush called over his shoulder as he revved up the engine on his motorcycle.
Elle nodded and begrudgingly put her arms around his waist. The physical reaction was so swift that she went dizzy for a second, and she had to remind herself that the only reason he was taking her to work was because Rae cajoled him into it. It was ridiculous to be this attracted to a guy that was so wishy-washy. One minute he was agreeing to put the past behind them and start fresh, and the next, he was throwing her weakness in her face. So what if she’d said what she did in his mother’s stupid class. So what! And she had a sneaking suspicion that Ms. Porter had orchestrated the whole thing, just so Rush could hear her say it! Ms. Porter had obviously recognized her, meaning that she’d been to Rush’s house a few times—no surprise considering they were next-door neighbors. A horrific thought entered her head: Had Rush told his mother the details about their relationship? She shuddered. That would be creepy! He didn’t seem like the sharing type. She got distracted from her thoughts when she felt his muscles grow taut underneath his jacket as he maneuvered the bike around a curve. She was forced to lean into him. Her breath caught. His nearness was intoxicating. Every cell in her body thrilled at being near him, but her head knew better. She allowed herself one whiff of his leather jacket before scooting back on the seat, as far away from him as she could while still holding onto his waist.
A strand of his hair whipped her across her face, a cutting reminder that she was the reason he wasn’t wearing a helmet. He’d not been planning on taking her to work, so he only had one helmet. Despite her protests, he’d insisted that she be the one to wear it. “I’ll be fine,” he said with that crooked smile that had the power to make her go weak in the knees. For all of his faults, he was a gentleman, even though it pained her to admit it. He’d willingly come to her aid time and time again, which was a lot more than she could say for Edward. She scowled at the thought. They turned onto an open stretch of road, and he crouched forward into the bike. Inertia pushed her forward, close against him, where she leaned into his back. She fleetingly wondered if he’d sped up on purpose, just so that would happen. The world was whizzing past in a blur. She closed her eyes, releasing her thoughts to the swirling movement around them. In that tiny moment, she felt free from all of the problems. Rush was the only other person in the world. They were riding along—no galloping. She was wearing a long dress, and they were on a horse. The love she felt for him was burning—all consuming. She could hardly breathe. Every hope she could ever have was tied to him. He was more than her love, he was her all.
“Elle?”
She shook her head. They were still on the bike, and Rush was looking back at her funny.
“What?”
“You zoned out … or something.”
She shook her head, remembering the crazy thoughts that had overruled her good sense. They were on a horse? Galloping across a meadow? Really? She was losing it for sure.
“We’re here,” Rush said. “That means, you can let go of me now.”
Her face flamed when she realized that she was still pressed close against him, holding on for all it was worth. “Oh!” she exclaimed, her eyes going wide. She let go of his waist and scooted back. “Sorry,” she mumbled.
He chuckled and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. “You know, Elle, if you want to go out on a date, all you have to do is ask.”
Hot prickles pelted her, making her humiliation complete. “Thanks for the ride,” she said stiffly, getting off the bike. She removed the helmet and handed it to him.
“Hey there, I was wondering when you were going to arrive.”
Elle turned and saw Adele standing on the porch. She was donning another flowing dress, but this one had pink and orange swirls. Adele walked down the steps. She peered at Rush over her turquoise glasses. “I see you brought a friend.” She gave him an appraising look.
Elle did the introductions. “This is Rush. Rush, this is my aunt Adele.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Rush extended a hand. Elle smiled inwardly when she saw Rus
h’s gaze settle on Adele’s corkscrew hair that was poking out wildly in all directions.
Adele clasped his hand and then placed her other hand over the top. “I was wondering when I would finally have the opportunity to meet you.” She cut her eyes at Elle. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
Rush looked surprised and then amused. He directed a questioning look at Elle. Of all the ridiculous things for Adele to say! How could she explain to Rush that her aunt was a touch loony? There was nothing she could do but stand there and look stupid.
Adele linked her arm through Rush’s. “Come inside.”
“Oh, I wasn’t planning on going in, I was just dropping off Elle.” The words spilled out so quickly that it was obvious that he was trying to get away.
“Of course you were, dear,” Adele said with a broad smile. She pointed. “Park your bike over there, and join us inside.”
His eyes went wide, and he started shifting back and forth. “I really can’t stay, I have to get home and do some homework.”
Elle bit back a smile. It was fun watching him squirm.
Adele cocked her head. “Okay, if you must go, you must. Pity though, I was planning on showing you kids around the building.”
“Some other time,” Rush said. He looked like he might sprout wings and fly off if he had to stay a minute longer. He placed the helmet on his head and began adjusting the strap.
“I suppose the practice room will have to wait,” Adele said, giving him a speculative look.
Elle’s jaw dropped. What did she say?
Rush stopped. “I’m sorry?”
“The practice room.” Adele gave him a smile that held a hint of reproof. “It was my understanding that you and your fellow band members were in need of a place to practice. Perhaps I was wrong.” She shrugged. “My mistake.”
Rush shot Elle an incredulous look to which she could only shrug. Maybe Adele was clairvoyant. Somehow she’d known she needed a job and now this.
Adele started walking up the steps leading to The Chocolate Fountain.
“Wait!” Rush called after her.
Banished: Book 1 of The Grimm Laws Page 13
