AS IF BREAKING curfew isn't bad enough, Julie and I missed three class periods and are late to our fourth class. What school holds a dance on a school night?
"And right...and left...step touch, step touch," our instructor was saying as we run in late. "Step tou---Julie and Lila Mae, how nice of you to join us."
I try to keep my head high and not concentrate on the fact that everyone is staring at us.
It wouldn't be the first time.
"I'm so sorry, we overslept," Julie says for the both of us.
"Okay, take your spots." Our teacher nods her head in that direction.
We go to stand next to Flynn who is smiling innocently.
"So, why didn't you wake us up? We missed our first three classes," I say.
"Julie said she was never going to show her face again at school," Flynn defends. "And I didn't think you'd care."
"I care if my foster parents hear about it and they ground me!" I hiss.
"I'm a very literal person!" Flynn shoots back.
"Good reach!" the teacher instructs.
I feel like an octopus the way I'm moving my arms. Oooo.
"It's okay," Julie responds. "It's those three stupid ghosts that I'm really upset at."
"I'd kill 'em if they weren't already dead," I threaten.
"Having a band is supposed to help your social life, not ruin it." Flynn's words don't help us.
"Ex-band," Julie corrects.
"Right, sorry," Flynn says.
"It's all so messed up," Julie continues, "I thought they were in this with us. Obviously I was wrong."
"Hey, don't blame yourself," Flynn comforts. "You can only be so strong when three cute ghosts ask you to be in a band."
"Say it a little louder for the people in the front. I don't think they heard you." I give them a pointed look. "You can't just talk about ghosts like it's normal."
"Well they're cute. And speaking of cute, Julie have you talked to Nick today?" Flynn asks. "He was pretty chatty at the dance."
"No, and I'm kinda dreading it," Julie admits. "At least I know I won't see him in this class."
"Speak of the devil!" I say, standing up straight. "Look who's here."
"You've got to be kidding me," Julie says.
"What?" Flynn asks, not seeing him.
"What are they doing here?" Julie freaks out.
"Right on time, Coach Barron," our dance teacher says. "So, students, Coach Barron and I have decided that his lacrosse team will be a part of our class for a few weeks. Many pro athletes have used dance to help them with coordination and mobility."
As she speaks, one of the lacrosse players does a mock twirl, then falls. I chuckle along with most of the teenagers.
"This isn't about flirting with girls," Coach Barron says. The guys laugh. "It's about making us better so we can actually win a game. We lost against Burbank. Burbank!"
I don't know Burbank's record with lacrosse, but from the way the coach is talking...
Oof.
"Let's all remember that composure is a big part of dance," our teacher says to him. "Everybody pair up!"
Great, I don't know any of the guys here.
Coach Barron claps his hands together, startling me. "Let's go!"
The boys start to walk towards us and a cute boy picks Flynn.
"No no no, don't leave me," Julie begs. "Please."
"Sorry." Flynn doesn't seem sorry as she prances away.
"You got me," I reassure her.
"Hey," Nick says to Julie.
"Hey, you!" she replies awkwardly.
Someone taps me on the shoulder and I turn around.
"Lila Mae, right?" he asks with a smile.
I look him over. He's pretty cute. Okay, I can do this.
"Yes, uh what's your name?" I ask.
"Brody." He offers me a hand. "Shall we?"
I take them although I don't think we need to be holding hands for this dance.
"So ladies, let's do what we learned last week, then we'll perform that with the boys this Friday," our teacher says. "Coach Barron and I will demonstrate."
"No, uh...I don't dance so..." he protests.
Brody laughs. It's a deep, boyish laugh that gives me a strange feeling.
"You do now." She grabs Coach Barron's wrist and pulls him behind her to dance. "And jump out, and bounce, and snake and reach up and turn around. Boys, jump out."
I glance around the room as we dance. It's chaos. None of the lacrosse guys can seem to feel the beat. Brody's body bumps into mine when we snake and I trip. His arm flies out and he catches me by the forearm. There's a popping noise and I scream.
Brody lets go of my arm and I fall completely. "Oh, my. Lila, I'm so sorry."
"It's okay," I mumble. But when I press my left arm to the ground to prop myself up, I bite my lip until it bleeds. That hurt like...
"Lila! Are you alright?" our teacher asks. "What's going on back there?"
"Pierce, did you hurt her?" Coach Barron asks. That must be Brody's last name.
"Yes, sir," he admits, kneeling down next to me. "I'm so sorry, Lila."
"It's not his fault," I say loud enough for everyone to hear. "I tripped and he tried to catch me."
"Help her up and take her to the nurse," Coach Barron commands.
"Yes, sir." Brody carefully offers his hand to me and I use my good arm to grasp it. He pulls me up pretty effortlessly. If the lacrosse boys are this strong, how are they on a losing streak?
Julie and Nick give me sympathetic looks as I walk by, holding my arm. They were dancing near us.
"Good luck," Julie says.
All I can think about is that if my arm is broken, I won't be able to play an instrument for weeks.
"This sucks," I mutter.
"I'm so sorry," he apologizes again.
"It's not your fault," I repeat. "Maybe I have weak bones. It would make sense."
"Yeah, I heard you went to the hospital last week. What's up with that?" he asks me.
"It's a long story," I mumble.
"I have time," he says.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told the truth," I reply, "trust me, this is better."
"Alright, if you want to be all secretive." He puts his hands up in surrender.
"Sorry, but we just met," I reason, "and I'm not the type of person to spill all my secrets anyway."
"You admit you have secrets to keep?" he asks. "Interesting."
"Whatever," I tease, tucking my hair behind my ear.
We have arrived at the nurse's office, so I enter with a sharp knock.
"You're back again," the nurse states, unsurprised. "What's happened this time?"
"I think I broke my arm in dance class," I tell her. "It really hurts."
"Let me see," she says. The nurse turns it this way and that. I wince. Brody looks at me in concern. "It does appear to be broken, but it's probably not that bad. It should be a fracture that'll heal fairly quickly."
I release the breath I'm holding. "That's good to hear."
"When do you think I'll be able to start playing my guitar and the piano again?" I ask.
"About a month," she informs me.
"A month?" I gape in shock. "That's not soon!"
"It could be worse." She shrugs. "Would you like to call your parents now for them to take you to the doctor?"
"I suppose so." I get out my cellphone and call Taylor's work number.
"Brody, you may return to class," the nurse tells him.
"But I'm her dance partner and her moral support," he protests.
"I heard her say she just met you," the nurse says pointedly. "You need to go back to class."
I feel bad about that because Brody is only trying to help, but the nurse does have a point.
"Fine," he grumbles. "See ya later, Lila."
"Bye, Brody," I reply.
I call my foster mother, so she leaves work early to take me to the doctor. When the orthopedist confirms that my bone is broken, I feel my hopes deflate.
"How could it have broken so easily?" I ask incredulously. "All he did was grab my arm to keep me from falling."
"Your X-Ray shows that there was a previous break there. That made the bone more vulnerable," the doctor explains. "Luckily the break doesn't require surgery. I'll have the nurse put you in a cast, okay?"
"No, it's not okay!" I say. "I need to be able to play instruments! I have a band I'm committed to..."
"Lila," Taylor warns.
"I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated," I reply. "I can't give up and leave Julie!"
"That's alright. No one is happy to hear they're injured," he responds with a sad smile. "Go ahead and think about what color you want."
When the nurse comes in I choose a light pink color for the cast. She wets the material and then gingerly wraps my left arm from the hand down to the elbow. I've broken my ulna so it has to cover my forearm. I wince as I flex the muscles under the pink cast.
At home, I find the boys in my room again.
"We seriously need to set and obey boundaries," I say, moving to cross my arms, then flinching from the pain.
"Isn't that cast enough of a boundary?" Luke asks. "How are you going to perform with us?"
"I still have my voice," I reply, trying not to feel too forlorn. "But remember we aren't in a band anymore."
"You can't end the band after one mistake!" Reggie teleports across the room, propping himself up on my bed. The way he looks up and kicks his feet around reminds me of a small child. "We're friends forever."
"That's reassuring," I tease, lying down next to him. "I don't know whether I should be flattered or terrified."
"Feel flattered," Luke says, "we would have let you join Sunset Curve."
"No offense, but that was so 90s," I reply. "You needed a new label, especially with me and Julie. Now that's gone because you screwed up."
"And how Bobby stole all of your songs," Alex mutters softly.
"Don't remind me," Luke growls, ready to pick up one of my belongings and pitch it at the wall.
I catch his right wrist with my good hand before he abolishes my room with the tennis ball he found. I don't own one of them so Luke must have found it in Blake's room then taken it in here.
"Calm down," I command, holding his wrist until the tension is released. "That's in the past. Maybe if you didn't focus so much on your revenge, you wouldn't have to add another regret to the list."
"Another regret?" Luke's eyebrows pinch into a pronounced frown. "Alex..."
"What?" the blond drummer asks. "I didn't say anything."
"Luke Patterson, what are you hiding?" I interrogate with an accusing finger pointing at his chest. "Is there something else you've done? You know if you make things worse it won't only be the band that's over."
"It's none of your business," he snaps, teleporting away.
"What was all of that about?" I ask.
Alex and Reggie are silent.
Did I go too far?
No! I couldn't let myself feel any regrets...Luke deserved that, didn't he? After all, he was the one who wanted justice and revenge on Bobby. I did encourage it to an extent. Maybe I was being unfair. Julie might see reason if there was an apology, plus with my injury we would only have piano. She needs more instruments and I know she isn't comfortable singing on her own.
I sigh as I come to the conclusion that Julie and I need the boys as much as they need us. It's not all about the music either.
"Look, Alex and Reg, I guess whatever is going on with Luke isn't any of my business, but it's clearly affecting him. Keep an eye on him, will you?" I ask. "I don't want him to get hurt."
"Don't worry, we're his best friends," Alex assures me. "I already know where he goes."
"Where?" Reggie and I question simultaneously.
"You know where," Alex says to Reggie, cocking an eyebrow as he tilts his head to the side.
"Oh!" Reggie sits up, understanding. "Yeah, I know where."
"Would you like to tell me where?" I lean closer to him, gazing up through my lashes innocently.
That tends to work on boys.
"Uhhhh." Reggie's eyes are concentrated on my lips, anxious about the close proximity.
"Reginald!" Alex's voice snaps him out of his trance, breaking whatever power I had. I've lost the upper hand. There goes plan A.
"Sorry, Lila, but I really can't say." Reggie stumbles over the words nervously.
Nervous? That's not like him. He also didn't use the affectionate, teasing nickname.
Then something clicks. "Emily."
Their heads snap to me, eyes widening. It only confirms my theory.
"It is Emily, isn't it?" I'm 100% sure of it now, there is no denying. "Emily is the girl he loves and he's been checking in on her. I knew it!"
As the words leave my mouth something inside me sinks. Luke is hung up over another girl.
I attempt to shake the feeling away, but bile rises in my throat.
"Before you make assumptions, can we at least show you who it's really about?" Alex asks softly.
I nod.
I suppose item number one will be much easier to figure out than the rest.
What's up y'all? Happy Saturday! How have you been doing?
xoxo,
Lynn