The place is close to the venue, though, which is particularly helpful considering the day is cold, grey, and drizzling. Karen grumbles about how stupid this is the entire way. Less than three blocks from the hotel, we turn the corner, and the venue comes into view, along with a staggering view of a stormy-looking ocean.
“Holy crap,” Paige says. “Did you know this place was actually on the beach?”
“I didn’t even know New Hampshire had beaches,” I say. “New Hampshire touches the ocean?”
“Could have fooled me,” Paige says.
Karen sighs. “Seriously, you guys? Of course New Hampshire touches the ocean. And why did you not figure this out from the name of the town—Hampton Beach?”
Paige smiles sheepishly. “I thought it was, like, just a name.”
I burst out laughing. The entire situation strikes me as completely hilarious—how cold and pissed Karen looks, the fact that it’s only eight in the morning and the line is already stretched down the building, the idea of sitting out here all day in the cold with the wind and salt from the ocean only a stone’s throw away. And, of course, Paige’s and my complete inadequacies in the area of U.S. geography.
“Let’s go get in line,” Karen says, leaving Paige and me still giggling on the corner.
It quickly becomes apparent that none of us are properly dressed. What felt like a chilly, wet day at the hotel is about ten degrees colder by the water. The venue is situated on the other side of the street from a long boardwalk. Beyond that is a stretch of sand leading right up to the ocean. The cold of the pavement goes right through our thin quilt, and the small awning overhead does little to keep out the mist and salt from the sea. I’m wearing my normal hoodie and jeans, and I’m freezing so I can hardly imagine how Karen must feel in her thin sweater and open-toed sandals. Paige has taken off her leather jacket out of fear that the dampness will warp it, and she sits shivering against the brick wall of the venue.
The cold is doing little to deter the Ransom fans, though. Within moments, at least ten more people have sat down behind us. Up ahead, someone is playing the album on iPod speakers, and laughter can be heard over the wind.
“See?” Karen asks, her teeth chattering. “We’re still not having the normal fun fan experience because we’re the only dumbasses here that didn’t dress for the weather.”
“We could go back to the hotel,” I offer. “Come back later. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if we’re standing in the back of the venue.”
“No!” Paige says, the impact of her vehemence slightly lessened by the blue tinge of her lips. “We’re having a normal fan experience, damn it!”
“I have an idea.” I pull out my phone and call Levi. I cross my fingers that he’s up already.
“Hello?”
“Levi, hey. It’s Daisy. I didn’t wake you, did I?”
He laughs warmly. “Nope. If I was sleeping, who would make sure the guys don’t do something stupid?”
“Are you super busy?”
“No, not at all. What do you need?”
“Well, we’re waiting in line—”
“Yeah, Dalt told me you guys were going to hang with the little people today. What’s up with that?”
I try not to roll my eyes. “Some of us think it’s an important part of our tour experience—”
“It is!” Paige calls out.
“Anyhow, we weren’t quite prepared for how cold it is out here. Have you started unloading the merchandise yet? Is there any chance I could get my hands on some sweatshirts?”
“No problem. Where are you? I’ll bring them right over.”
I grin at the girls. “Levi, you’re a lifesaver.” We arrange to meet around the side of the building, and I hang up. “Score!”
Karen points at Paige. “Don’t you dare say she shouldn’t be using her connections to get us some warmth.”
“I’m not,” Paige says, holding up her hands. “Tell Levi we said thanks, okay?”
Ten minutes of shivering later, I meet Levi on the side of the building. His arms are full; he definitely has more than just hoodies.
“What is all of that?”
He grins at me over his loot. “I grabbed a few blankets off the bus, and hats and gloves. Oh, and I have a thermos of hot coffee here, too.”
“You’re the best!”
I reach for the blankets and hoodies, but he shakes his head and says, “I’ll come around with you.”
We fall into step next to each other. “How did you find hats and gloves? I didn’t see those for sale at the show last night.”
“They were in the merch boxes. They’re prototypes for fall. We’ll start selling them when it gets colder. Probably should have had a few ready to sell tonight, huh? I had no idea it would be this chilly.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t even realize we were anywhere near the ocean.”
He laughs. “Geography was never your strong suit. I have vivid memories of you trying to help navigate through Indiana in the van.”
I stick out my tongue at him, but I’m smiling. It’s hard to ever feel offended by someone like Levi. “Anyhow, I really appreciate it, seriously. I thought I was going to freeze to death.”
“I’m quite happy to help. Besides, I was told in no uncertain terms to do anything I can to make sure you have a great time.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Really? And who gave those instructions?”
“Who do you think?” He looks over at me, only the top of his face visible over the pile in his arms. “Dalt really wants you to enjoy yourself. I think he’s scared you might take off again.”
I look down at my feet, uncomfortable.
“Sorry, Daisy. I didn’t mean anything by it. Except… well, I think we all agree that we want you to stick around this time.” His eyes meet mine, intense and serious. “I mean it. You tell me if you need anything, okay?”
I nod, feeling a lump come to my throat. “I promise.” I’ve been so focused on missing Daltrey I sometimes forget all the other things I gave up, like my relationship with Levi. He was a good friend for a long time
“Good.” We turn the corner of the building to find that the line now stretches down nearly this far. “Now, tell me. Have you met any crazy-assed fans yet?”
I shush him, but he continues, sounding gleeful. “Seriously, there are some scary people here. I know. I’m the one who has to deal with them trying to get backstage.”
“People try to get backstage?”
“That’s minor. People try to get on the bus, into the hotel rooms. They all think they’re the next Mrs. Ransome. I’m telling you, bat-shit insane.”
I laugh briefly, stopping myself when I catch sight of the glare I’m getting from the nearest Ransom fan. “You’ll get me in trouble,” I tell him, my voice low. “We’re supposed to be out here with them for the rest of the day.”
“You say the word, lady, and I will come and get you all and bring you inside where it’s warm.”
I moan a little at the thought. “Don’t tempt me.”
We reach the girls, who both jump up to hug Levi when they see all that he’s brought.
“Coffee, too?” Paige asks, holding the warm thermos between her hands. “You’re the sweetest.”
“There’s more of that on the bus,” he says. “You just let me know if you need more.”
Karen makes a strangled sound of desire, earning a glare from Paige.
“Thanks.” I wrap my arms around him.
He hesitates for a moment before hugging me back. “I mean it,” he whispers into my ear. “You call me anytime. For anything.”
I nod, pulling away. He gives me one last smile before waving at the girls and heading back down the sidewalk.
“This is amazing,” Karen says, pulling on a black Ransom hoodie. “Hats and gloves, too!” She looks at me. “I’d be your friend regardless, Daisy, but I’m particularly glad that I’m your friend right now.”
I laugh, pulling the hoodie on over the one I’m alr
eady wearing. I probably look like the Michelin Man, but I don’t care—I’m warm.
“You seem different,” Karen says. “Since we’ve left school, I mean. You laugh a lot more.”
My cheeks heat up a little, and I look down.
She points at me. “And that—you look away a lot less. When I first met you, it was like you couldn’t make eye contact to save your life. You look at people now.”
“Leave her alone,” Paige says.
“I’m not teasing,” Karen insists. “I swear, Daisy. I mean it as a compliment. You seem happier, is all.”
I look up to see Paige smiling. “It’s true,” she says. “You seem much happier.”
“And you hug people, now,” Karen adds. “I couldn’t believe it when you hugged all the boys the other night. It was so automatic.”
My face feels really hot now, but I force myself to keep my head up. “Yeah, well, I guess I just fell back into old habits when I saw them. I kind of… forgot about everything else.”
“Don’t be embarrassed,” Paige says. “It’s nice that you’re happy. And it’s obvious that you’re really comfortable with them.”
I shrug, not knowing how to respond.
She grins slyly. “Particularly Daltrey.”
I shush her, looking around. “Someone will hear you!”
She smirks. “When we asked you about him in the car the other day, you failed to mention that you were crazy about him.”
“Paige!”
“What? You’re supposed to talk about your crushes with your girlfriends. That’s like, the point of having girlfriends.”
“She’s right,” Karen says, wrapping a blanket around her and leaning against the wall. “Oh my God, that feels so much better.” She looks at me expectantly. “So? Come on. Spill.”
“There’s nothing to spill. And I don’t have a crush.”
“Yeah, right. I saw the way you were looking at him during the show.”
I gape at her. I thought they’d both been too into the concert to pay me any attention. “How was I looking at him?”
“The way everyone else in that theater was looking at him—like you wished you had a few minutes alone with him, pants optional.”
Paige giggles.
I’m horrified. “I was not.”
“Okay, sure. Whatever.” Karen peers over her blanket at me. “What about backstage then? Huh?”
“What about it?”
She looks over at Paige, and they both roll their eyes.
“He was like, staring at you, sweetie,” Paige says, “while you were talking to Lennon.”
“He was?” My voice sounds squeaky in my own ears.
“Definitely. It was like, laser beams homed in on just you. Super intense.”
“But… that’s just… it was probably just because we haven’t seen each other in so long.”
Paige shrugs. “Maybe. But it didn’t look that way.”
I have no idea what to do with this information. She’s got to be exaggerating. That’s what Paige does. But a quick look at Karen shows that she’s in total agreement. “What did it look like?” I whisper, not sure I want to know.
“It looked like he was head over heels for you.”
I stare back and forth between the two of them, certain one of them will start laughing any minute now. When they don’t, I gulp heavily. “That can’t be true.”
“Whatever,” Karen says. “I know what I saw. The boy’s into you.”
Paige nods. “The only question is, what do you plan to do about it?”
“Do?” My voice has reached all-time high levels of shrillness.
“Yes, do. Daltrey’s clearly nuts about you, and you’re clearly nuts about him.”
“Excuse me.” We look up and see a girl about our age, decked out in head-to-toe Ransom merchandise, standing at the side of our blanket. She has an accent I can’t immediately place. Australian, maybe? “Are you guys Heartbreakers?”
Karen, Paige, and I share a confused glance.
“Sorry, what?” Paige asks.
“Heartbreakers! You know, the number one RPG group in like, the entire fandom?”
“What’s RPG?” Karen asks.
“Role playing game?” The girl laughs a little. She’s definitely Australian, and I’m once again struck by the surrealism of the situation. This girl traveled overseas to see the Ransome boys. “You guys are role players, right? You keep talking about Daltrey, and I thought I heard you say Lennon’s name a minute ago.” For the first time, her smile fades. Without it, she looks slightly off, almost a bit… disturbed. “Are you messing with me?”
The surreal feeling is replaced with confusion.
“Uh, no,” Paige says quickly, obviously a little freaked out. “We were playing a… what’d you call it?”
“RPG?”
“Yeah, that. But we’re not on a website. We kinda, like, do our own thing.”
“Yup, we’re independent role players,” Karen says.
“Oh.” The girl looks disappointed. “Okay. That just sounds like a really good scenario.” She turns to me, intensity clear all over her face. “If I was playing a character that Daltrey had feelings for, I would like, totally tell him how I feel.”
I have literally no idea what this girl is talking about, so I simply smile and nod. She gives us a little wave and walks off, leaving us in bewildered silence.
“Um,” Karen says after a beat, “what the fuck was that?”
Paige has already pulled out her phone and is opening a search browser. “I used to date a guy who did RPG stuff, but it was like, Dungeons and Dragons, that kind of thing. What would that have to do with Ransom?” A moment later, she gasps and holds the phone out to me and Karen. “You have to see this!”
I peer down at the screen, which shows the Heartbreakers site.
Karen grabs the phone. “Holy crap! They go online and pretend to be the boys. Like, they act out all these story lines and scenarios. Do you think the guys know about this?” She clicks around on the site for a minute. “Ew, ew, ew! This one is about Daltrey and Cash being, like, in love with each other!”
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at the absurdity of it. Of all the things that have happened since my friends became famous, this is by far the most bizarre. The girls click around on the website, laughing and reading out the wilder entries.
“Excuse me, where did you get that hat?” Another girl, this one several years older than us, is glaring at us.
“Excuse me?” Paige asks.
“Your hat. Where did you get it? Because it’s not the hat they sold on tour last winter. And it’s definitely not the hat that came out in the exclusive fan club membership pack. I want to know where you got it.”
Paige looks over at me, wide eyed, but Karen says bluntly, “It’s none of your business. Goodbye.”
The girl doesn’t budge. “I’ve never seen you guys before. Is this your first show?”
“Again, none of your business.” Karen’s voice is sharper now. “Would you mind leaving us alone?”
The girl takes a step closer. “You’re clearly new. If you’re going to be around, you should learn to be more respectful of the true fans.” Her eyes flick up and down our blankets. “I bet you’re not even in the fan club.”
“Dude, what is your problem?” Karen asks, moving to stand up.
Paige puts a hand on her arm. “Get the hell out of here.”
The girl gives us one last glare before stalking off.
“What the hell?” Paige asks. “Is it bat-shit insane day, and we missed the memo?”
I remember what Levi told me and suddenly start giggling.
“What?” Karen asks.
“Levi warned me that some of the fans who wait all day are a little… colorful.”
“Yeah, well, that makes sense,” Karen mutters. “You’d have to be crazy to sit out here all day.”
We play cards for a while until the mist turns into flat-out rain. Even with a blanket and t
wo hoodies, I’m still freezing. The idea of retreating to the bus is sounding better and better by the minute.
Paige is adamant, though, that we keep our place in line. “We’ve sat here all day. We’ve endured not one but two psychopaths to keep this spot. We’ve earned this spot.”
In the end, it’s not Karen or me or even the weather that convinces her. She reaches her breaking point around three p.m. when a girl walks past in a denim jacket. Paige gapes after her retreating back. “Is that… tell me that’s not an embroidered portrait of Cash on the back of that girl’s jean jacket.”
I laugh at the horror on her face, but Karen grins gleefully. “It’s not. It’s a bedazzled, embroidered portrait of Cash on the back of that girl’s jean jacket.”
Paige stands up. “That’s it,” she says, gathering up her blanket. “Call Levi. I’m out.”
“Seriously?” I ask, relief rushing through me at the thought of the warm dressing room.
“Dead serious. I can handle a lot of things, but I cannot handle that.” She starts shoving things into her bag, muttering about crimes against fashion.
Karen and I smile at each other over her head as I pull out my phone.
Chapter Sixteen
Daisy
“Hey, Karen, do you have any more of the black V-necks over there?”
“Which black V-neck? There are three.”
“The one with Daltrey’s face in shadow.”
“Hang on.” Karen bends down under the merchandise table to open a cardboard box. “Yeah, there’s a whole mess of them here. What size?”
I turn back to the girl on the other side of the table. “What size do you need?”
“Medium, please.”
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