The girls exchanged pleasantries, and IВ said goodbye toВ Cami.
I spent the evening strumming the guitar, trying to play a few decent chords, but I couldn’t get anything out of it. Apparently, covers were the limit.
IВ got aВ message on my phone from the conversation.
«What’s in there?» Lizzie asked.
В«The boys will have aВ general meeting again,В» IВ answered.
«You’re coming!» Lizzie stood up abruptly.
«But I don’t want to.»
В«You need toВ socialise,В» my sister insisted.
«But not with them. They’re boring,» I continued.
«But you don’t even know them.»
«I know Chris and Diana. They’re boring. Then the rest of them are too, since they’ve found common ground,» I continued to insist.
«If you don’t go, I’ll put wax cream on your eyebrows while you sleep,» Lizzie threatened.
«You know I don’t have a problem staying up all night.»
«I’ve always wondered how you can sometimes stay up all night and stay awake.»
В«Some people have nice legs, and some people have other talents,В» IВ retorted.
«Your legs are okay, too. Don’t forget, we have the same genes,» my sister pointed out.
В«Yeah, except IВ got the uglier ones.В»
«Silly girl. Come on, get up. I’ll get you ready for the ball.»
В«IВ hate you,В» IВ moaned, but IВ got up anyway.
CHAPTERВ 5
TheВ Lair
Woodkid. Run, Boy,В Run
An hour later, I was standing downstairs at Daniel’s house. Yes, the guys were going to his place. In conversation, they wrote that they were rushing from work and that Dan’s neighbor Andrew was going to meet me. Also an aspiring singer. Yeah. Too many people of art per square meter expected today.
IВ stood outside for about ten minutes before IВ saw aВ blond, thin guy with aВ bag inВ one hand and aВ hot dog inВ the other walking towardВ me.
«You must be Andrew,» I started right away, as I got tired of standing motionless in one place for fifteen minutes. Oh, for me to go out one more time…
В«Yes. Lindsay?В» he asked.
Oh, thankВ God.
«Yes, it’s me. Please open the door. It’s getting cold.»
В«Oh, yeah, sure,В» he handed me his hot dog. В«Hold it while IВ look for my keys.В»
The smell of sausage hit my nose and made me feel nauseous. Don’t get me wrong, but I’m a vegan, and the smell of meat often repulses rather than attracts.
В«No problem,В» IВ said, and took his dinner inВ my hands.
В«Here, come on in. We live on the first floor. First door on the left,В» he opened the door forВ me.
IВ stepped confidently forward with his hotВ dog.
В«When will the others be here?В» IВ asked as IВ made my way toВ the apartment.
«Dan called and said they’d be here in ten minutes.»
В«Are there going toВ be aВ lot ofВ people?В» IВ asked as IВ went into the kitchen.
В«Me, Dan, Chris, Diana and Richard.В»
Richard.
I obviously won’t tell Lizzie he was here. Then she’ll definitely be begging me to come here every weekend to find out more about her Richard. Such an event.
Now a little bit of clarification. I’m not a misanthrope. I just like a limited circle of people. Although ninety percent of the people around me think I’m the life of the party and a fun-loving lighter. As you can see, I’m a great actress. That’s not duplicity, is it? At least I never lie. If I don’t like you, you’ll find out from me, not from someone else.
В«How do you like the new place?В» Andrew asked, taking the groceries out ofВ theВ bag.
В«IВ have the worst mentor inВ the world,В» IВ briefly recounted my conversation with Armie and Jerome.
В«IВ can only pray for you,В» he said with aВ note ofВ amusement.
Why is everyone having fun with this story? I’m suffering.
«I’m afraid but I think not even God can help.»
В«Do you have any contact with Armie?В»
В«Well, he gave me an assignment, IВ did it, he dragged me down,В» IВ shrugged.
В«Whoa.В»
В«So the award for the most suffering role ofВ the season goes toВ me,В» IВ pretended toВ be sarcastic withВ joy.
В«Hello, everyone!В» IВ heard shouting and noise coming from the hallway.
Andrew and IВ got up and went toВ the part ofВ the apartment where the sounds came from. Diana, Chris, and Daniel (most likely) stood at the threshold.
В«Dan, meet,В» Chris began. В«This is Lindsay,В» she introduced me toВ theВ guy.
В«Nice toВ meet you,В» he said and nodded atВ me.
«Nice to meet you, too,» I said, and I wasn’t lying. This Daniel was very much my type in appearance. Average height, blue eyes, black hair. A couple of years of physical training, and we’d be looking at Henry Cavill. Let’s not forget that he is my idol in the world of men.
Now, Lindsay, don’t look at him. Maybe he’s got a girlfriend, or maybe his personality isn’t your type. But those eyes…
В«Shall we start the game?В» IВ asked.
«Richard’s coming over,» Chris said. Oh, yes. The omnipresent Tea Knight.
Ten minutes later, Richard arrived.
«Hello, everybody!» the Tea Knight walked into the room. He was wearing see-through glasses, a jacket, and pants. Oh, he’s a fashionista…
В«Hi,В» we responded inВ unison.
В«Will Henry be there?В» Chris asked.
Who the hell is that?
В«No. He has work toВ do,В» Richard answered as he sat down at the table.
Maybe that jerk in the parking lot is Richard’s brother. Well, it serves him right.
Okay, let’s be honest. I don’t know how to play Monopoly, but the game is interesting to me. And, naturally, I lost it all. Blue-eyed Dan won. Admittedly, he played as if it wasn’t someone encroaching on his toy houses, but he was the president of Libya being attacked by nomadic tribes. His interest was clearly higher than everyone else’s. In any case, after my loss, I was already contemplating going home quickly. These were not my people. It felt like I was a kindergarten teacher.
Richard and Andrew were more or less calm. ByВ the way, Richard turned out toВ be all right. Maybe he took my sister with his positivity. At night, he probably has aВ lot ofВ scratching around inside. We know those lives ofВ the party.
В«Leaving already?В» Dan asked me when IВ gotВ up.
В«Yes,В» IВ answered.
В«So early? But why?В» Chris asked.
Because you’re boring…
«I have a lot to do at home. I have to write chords and so on. Plus, inspiration has come in,» I began to fib. I don’t lie, but I know how to do it.
В«Would you have stayed for another hour,В» Diana began.
With the prospect of falling asleep on the couch? I don’t think so.
В«IВ really have aВ lot ofВ work toВ do.В»
Problem number one: if I’m bored, I remember absolutely nothing. An evening of nothing. That’s a shame.
В«Do you want me toВ walk you out?В» Chris asked.
В«No, IВ live ten minutes away,В» IВ answered.
В«Let me walk you toВ the door,В» Daniel stoodВ up.
В«Okay,В» IВ shrugged. В«Bye, everyone!В» IВ said goodbye toВ the guys.
В«Bye.В»
CHAPTERВ 6
December
You were still smartВ then
Alessia Cara.В Here
The days went by one by one. Everything was quiet and peaceful. No adventures. I was trying to write songs to please Armie and his pompous face, Lizzie was actively going to shoots and castings. Things were pretty stable with the guys, too. What pleased me was that Lizzie had forgotten about Richard. At least I didn’t have to listen to her heartache about the guy.
I didn’t go to the studio much, in fact, I’d only been there a couple of times after my conversation with Armie. To be honest, I had a notice on my calendar for the end of this internship: May 31st, and goodbye, everyone! I’ve already decided that I’m not going to stay at the label after the internship ends, but I’m going to pursue my solo career. Hopefully, during my internship I will gain some useful contacts here for a successful start.
IВ was lying on the couch with my music notebook, humming my song toВ myself. IВ had aВ verse ready, but the chorus was still stuck inВ my head. God, am IВ mediocre?
IВ got aВ message on my phone. Once again, the guys.
«Hey. It’s my birthday tomorrow! You’re all invited!» – it was Daniel.
Hmmm…
«Cool! Diana and I are coming!» – Chris wrote.
«We will be there too!» – Richard wrote.
We? Is he going toВ take someone else withВ him?
