Lullaby (The Fable Series, Book 2)

Chapter Thirty Three

"I got a scholarship," he says, reading my mind. "Don't look so shocked. I'm actually pretty smart."

"You ok Ash?" Ben asks.

I didn't even notice Felix, Lyall, Ben and Elliot coming up behind Alix and Zee, still dripping seawater.

"Friends of yours?" Felix asks, narrowing his eyes menacingly at Alix.

"Yeah," I say quickly. "You met Zee before, at my house. This is her brother, Alix. We're in a band together."

"You've gotta be kidding me," Alix says, staring at Felix and the others in disbelief. "The whole band's here? Seriously?"

"Like I said, it's a long story," I say.

"I'm all ears," Alix says, dropping his surfboard down on the sand.

*****

It takes me a good half hour to fill Alix in, from how I met Felix at the Night Owl before Fable's concert, to how I ended up on the beach with them today. He's stripped off the top half of his wetsuit, exposing the tanned, sculpted chest that earned him the nickname "the Greek god" at school.

He doesn't interrupt much, but Zee pipes up every now and again, asking a million questions about what we do every day and how much longer the boys are staying in Portland.

I'm pretty vague about where in Portland we're staying, and I see Kitty side-eyeing me nervously from time to time as I come close to mentioning the cabin or Forest Park.

Kitty insisted that the boys give Alix and Zee and I some privacy, and they're meant to be building a bonfire on the beach a few yards away from where we're sitting. Lyall and Ben are cracking jokes and messing around like always, and Elliot and Kitty are off gathering more wood and kindling – but Felix and Alastaire are both quiet, listening in on our conversation as they stack up and strip the fallen spruce branches.

"Ok, so let me get this straight," Alix says. "Your, and Zee's, favourite band of all time just happens to be in Portland. You just happen to meet one of them. Then they just happen to be in Portland recording their new album, and they just happen to need an acoustic guitarist. And that just happens to be you. Is that right?"

I nod, aware of how stupid it all sounds.

Alix looks thoughtful.

"Ok," he says, nodding. "It's a crazy story, but it's almost too crazy to make up, I guess. But still, you could've told me. I would've understood."

"It had to be a secret," I say. "No one was meant to know."

"I get that," he says. "It's cool, I'm not bleak with you or anything. You on the other hand..."

He arches his eyebrow and punches Zee hard on her arm. "You knew all along and you didn't tell me. Even when Mrs. Leyton came over. I never knew you were such a good actress."

"Mrs. Leyton visited you?" I say, picturing the eccentric old spinster who visits the Night Owl every single day for tea and cake. The last time I saw her, she was with some creepy old guy, and told me that she was once engaged to Bea's brother. She said that Bea blames her for his death. And the guy she was at the Night Owl with... he was wearing a silver ring.

What could Mrs. Leyton want with Zee and Alix?

"She wanted to know if Wild Blue Yonder wanted to play at the July Jubilee," he says, running a hand through his dark, damp hair. "Don't ask me how, but she figured out we're in a band. She said you'd already told her you're going, and she didn't believe me when I told her you were in New York. She said she'd seen you at your parents' coffee shop. I just put it down to dementia. Guess I was wrong."

I nod, remembering how Mrs. Leyton mentioned she was helping organize this year's July Jubilee. My whole school's likely to be there, even though it's summer break and not compulsory – there are always cool bands playing, and the teachers turn a blind eye to risqué fancy dress costumes, so it's a great excuse to dress up as a sexy firefighter or a playboy bunny front of your crush.

"This is perfect!" Zee suddenly shrieks out, tearing her gaze from the Fable boys making the bonfire behind me. "Now that Alix knows, the band can still play, right? You'll do it, won't you Ash?"

Alix smiles at me, punching me softly on the arm.

"C'mon, just say yes," he says. "For old times' sake. I'm leaving for Yale in the Autumn anyway, so it'll be our first and last official gig. Let's do it."

It's happening next Friday. The Fable guys might even be back in England by then. There's no reason not to.

"Ok, I'll do it," I say, which causes Zee to jump forward and crush their air out of me in a flying hug.

"Lets get out of here, Zee," Alix says, dusting off his surfboard. "Ash, be at my house early on the 31st. We'll get in a full day of practice before we play. C'mon Zee."

He tries to tear Zee off me, but she clings to me, wrapping her arms rightly around me.

"Just one more hour, pleeeeeasssseeee?" She begs. "I haven't seen her in forever."

"Really, it's Ash you want to stick around for?" He asks suspiciously. "Not the guys whose posters you have stuck up all over your walls?"

Zee's face turns bright red, and she quickly looks over to see if the guys heard – from the sniggering I hear behind me, it sounds like they did.

"Hey, blondie!" Alix yells, causing Alastaire to freeze halfway through stacking up branches on the bonfire. "Yes, you. Mr. Tipsy. What have you got to drink around here?"

The others burst into laughter, while Alastaire mutters something about hiding the champagne.

"We'll stay for an hour, ok?" Alix tells Zee sternly, stripping off his wetsuit entirely until he's down to just his bathing shorts. "Just an hour."