Page 25 of Lance

“I get it,” I mutter. “You all like my mom more than you likeme.”

“Well, come on, Lance,” Layla says. “Your mom kicks ass. Can you blameus?”

Honestly, I can’t. My mom does kick ass, in every way. She’s tough and she’s warm and she’s completely hilarious. My mom is the type of person who would do anything for the people she loves. Case in point—she let this entire group of morons move into her basement for three whole weeks back when we were broke and homeless and waiting for our first record deal to be finalized, and she’s had their whole-hearted devotion ever since. As has her famous potroast.

Our bassist stomps into the room and my stomach clenches in the exact same way it has every time I’ve seen him since Friday night. “Hey, James,” Dylan says in greeting. “Guess what—Jackie might come out for avisit.”

“Great,” James snaps, which is harsh even for him. Grumpy asshole might be his default mode, but he likes my mom as much as the rest ofthem.

Haylee shoots the rest of us a look, clearly concerned, but before she can ask what’s wrong Jamescontinues.

“I just talked tomymom,” he says, throwing himself into one of the chairs. “She’s completely hysterical. She said my sister dropped out of schoolyesterday.”

Shit. My already clenched stomach drops somewhere in the vicinity of my ankles. Willa dropped out of school? What thehell?

“She did what?” Hayleecries.

“Shit, man,” Dylan adds. “Is sheokay?”

“I have no idea!” James runs his hands through his hair, looking stressed. “She didn’t answer when I called. Thee times! Mom said she just told her that she needed to take some time to think. What does that even mean? She’s supposed to be graduating in four months! What the hell does she have to thinkabout?”

“This isn’t like her,” Haylee says, frowning. “Minnie loves school. There’s got to be something else goingon.”

Shit,shit. Willa’s face flashes through my mind, the way she had looked the other night when I turned her down. When I rejected her. Her expression had been…strange. Disappointed and embarrassed, definitely, but there was something else there, too. Something…uncertain. Like the ground had just dropped out below her and she was desperate for a lifeline. I brushed it off at the time, telling myself we had both simply had too much to drink. But it stayed with me, that expression. I hadn’t wanted to admit it to myself, but it was one of the reasons I’d been so intent on filling every waking moment with work and distraction ever since theparty.

“Well, she’s not telling me, whatever it is,” James says. He glances over at me. “Did she seem strange toyou?”

My throat goes instantly dry. “To me?” I manage to squeakout.

“You were talking to her, at the party,” James says impatiently. “I saw you. Did she say anything about school or about something botheringher?”

Fuck. He saw us? Did he know that we were flirting? That she practically threw herself at me? That Ikissedher? Jesus, he was going to kill me. He was literally going to killme.

“Lance?” Dylan asks, looking at me strangely. “What’sup?”

Get it together,I tell myself.If he saw any of that he would have already killed you. And disposed of the body.“Just trying to remember,” I explain. “I had a lot to drink, you know.” The truth is, I remember every minute of that night. At least the parts of it that I spent with Willa.I’m more than what I do at school,she had said, anger and frustration flashing in her eyes.But I can’t tell him that. It feels too much like betraying her trust.“Nothing really stands out,” I saylamely.

“Maybe…” Layla begins, looking anywhere but at James’s face. “Maybe it’s not that big of adeal?”

James’s head snaps up and he glares at her. “Have you even met my sister? Dropping out of school is a big fucking deal for her, Layla. School is the only thing she caresabout.”

“And you think that’s good for her?” Layla asks. I have to give her some credit—most people—myself included— would quell under the harshness of his glare. “I’m just saying, James—that girl has done nothing but study and work her ass off since the day I met her. Maybe a break is a goodthing.”

“Dropping out of college in her last semester is not good for her,” he snaps. “She’s supposed to be starting grad school in thefall!”

Layla looks at him evenly. “All I’m saying is that your sister is the smartest person I’ve ever met in my life. She wouldn’t do something like this unless she had a good reason. You should probably trust her. Or at least give her a chance toexplain.”

That seems to calm him down a little bit. After a moment’s silence he shudders slightly. “But now I’m going to have to deal with my mother. She’s completely out of her head aboutthis.”

“Poor baby,” Layla says, but she smiles at him. “All right, let’s get this rehearsal over with so we can get out of here.” She stands and claps James on the shoulder. “Cheer up, buddy, and I’ll buy you a beer when we’redone.”

Rehearsal is tedious and long. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get into the music. All I can see, over and over again, is Willa’s face that night. The look in her eyes when I turned her down. I might be a cocky bastard, but even I’m not so full of myself to believe that she made such a massive, out-of-character life decision because of me. But I can’t shake the feeling that there was something wrong with her that night. And I had brushed her aside, too afraid of James and his reaction to give her the time ofday.

After what feels like hours, we finally wrap it up and gather our things to head back to the hotel. The thought makes me feel more than a little anxious. When the label had first brought us out to LA, putting us up in suites in one of the fanciest hotels in the city, it had felt glamorous and exciting, like being in a movie or some shit. But after a few weeks, living in a hotel room is starting to lose its charm. Maybe James will take Layla up on that beer offer and we’ll all goout.

I glance over at James as we head out into the hallway. He’s glaring down at his phone, typing something furiously. I imagine that anger directed at me and swallow. On second thought, maybe hanging out with James tonight isn’t such a greatidea.

I check my phone as we head out to our cars. There are three missed calls, all from Angie. “Unbelievable,” I mutter. No sooner have I turned the volume back on does it start to ring again. Okay, that’s it. What had Dylan said? Time to man up. I bring the phone up to my ear, not bothering to hide my irritation. “Hello?”