Audition & Subtraction (14 page)

We passed the coffeehouse. Mom's hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Your mother is picking up after the movie, right, Lori?”

Lori nodded. “I'll call as soon as it's over.”

“All right, then.” Mom rolled to a stop at the edge of the theater. “This is as close as I can get. Have fun and make good decisions.”

We were already halfway out of the car. “We will. 'Bye, Mom.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Austin.”

As soon as Mom drove off, Lori grabbed my arm. “Can you believe we're actually here? How does my hair look?”

“Disgustingly perfect.” She'd curled the ends so they just reached the top of her shoulders—bare except for the lacy straps of a red cami she wore over her jeans. Well, over
my
jeans. They fit great, too.

“Let's find Michael,” Lori said. “He texted that he's here.”

He was waiting in front of the theater, slouched against a pillar in black cargo shorts and a skater tee. His shoelaces were untied. Of course.

“Hey,” he said to me. Then he grinned at Lori. “You look hot.”

Lori blushed and slid her hand into his. Part of me
wanted to roll my eyes, but another part of me felt sick at how Lori looked at him. As if she were a Disney princess and Michael was her prince. I should be happy for her—I wanted to be—but I just felt stupid and … forgotten.

I turned away and spotted Aaron. I waved, feeling better as soon as he saw me and smiled. He walked over, his hair brushed back again, looking good in a green polo. My heart thumped. Looking very good. I'd be so nervous if this were a real date, but it was just Aaron, I reminded myself.
Slow down, heart!

“Hey,” he said. He stopped next to me, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

Michael grinned at us like he owned the world. Then he threw an arm over Lori's shoulder like he owned her, too. “So. You ready?” he asked.

Without missing a beat, Aaron swung an arm over my shoulder. “Born ready,” he said.

It was the most insanely stupid thing I'd ever heard Aaron say. But a flutter rushed through me. It sounded cool.
He
sounded cool. And I liked how it felt—his arm over my shoulder. There wasn't a shock this time, only the spread of warmth from where his arm touched me. A melty warmth that made my breath catch. Lori wiggled her eyebrows as if she could tell.

Was I blushing? Because if I was, I had to stop. This was all part of an act.

As soon as Lori and Michael were a couple steps
ahead, I slipped out from under Aaron's arm. “Thanks,” I whispered.

“You look nice,” he said.

“You don't have to say that. They can't hear you.”

“Okay.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You look like a troll.”

I laughed, relaxing again. “So do you. Guess it's a good thing we're together.”

He smiled slowly. “Yeah. It is.”

Just like that, another fluttery feeling wound its way to the pit of my stomach.

I led the way into the lobby.

“Green,” Michael guessed. He flashed open his eyes.

“Nope,” Lori said with a grin, “pink.”

“Dang,” he muttered as he grabbed the bag of jelly beans. “Your turn.”

We sat around a cement table in the courtyard in front of the theaters. If possible, it felt even more crowded than before the movie. Lori had called her mom, and it would be twenty minutes before she got here. So we'd filled bags from the candy store, and Michael had challenged Lori to a game of “guess which color jelly bean.”

“Close your eyes,” he said, “and open your mouth.”

I wondered if Aaron thought this was stupid, but he smiled as he chewed his way through a gummy worm. He'd sat on my right during the movie, and Lori had sat on my left. Once, I felt an arm on my shoulder and
nearly knocked over the popcorn when I jerked up. But it was Michael who had reached too far.

Now, he laid a jelly bean on Lori's tongue. She swirled it around, her lips twitching. “Blue.”

“How does it taste blue?” he asked.

“Like ice,” she said as she opened her eyes. “Am I right?”

“Lucky guess.”

She laughed and raised her hand for a high five, which I was there to deliver.

A rumble of wheels grew louder, and I looked up as a guy skated by. Michael followed him with his gaze, watching as the guy crouched, then jumped a curb.

“Nice,” he said. “You skate, Aaron?”

“Nope,” Aaron said.

“Some people like to study the laws of physics,” Michael said with his smirk. “Others like to defy them.”

I rolled my eyes, but Aaron just leaned back, cool as could be, and popped a gummy worm in his mouth. “But you don't defy the laws of physics. You use them.”

Michael laughed. “Yeah? What do you know about it?”

Aaron pointed toward the skater, who had just rolled out of sight. “I know he'll never get any height on an Ollie if he doesn't work on a lower center of mass.”

Michael's eyebrows shot up. “I thought you didn't skate?”

“I don't. It's simple physics. Before the jump, he's at a zero net force. He needs to create lift.”

“What about a 180?” Michael quizzed, leaning forward.

“Rotational inertia,” Aaron said. “It's pretty elementary stuff.” He shot me a quick smile, then rattled off some more big words. I flashed bug eyes at Lori and tried not to laugh out loud. Lori looked as amazed as I felt.

When Aaron finished, Michael reached a fist across the table. “You're a cool dude.”

Aaron tapped his knuckles against Michael's. “Thanks.”

He looked my way again, and I grinned.
Very cool dude!

“So you should hang with us next Saturday,” Michael said. “At the hotel. I'm rooming with Brandon and we're having a party. I figure we'll all need to chill after auditions.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Aaron said. “Thanks.”

Michael juggled a few jelly beans. “I heard you in the practice room the other day. Your solo is tight.”

“It's coming,” Aaron said.

“More polished than mine.”

I nearly choked on a chocolate-covered gummy bear. “What? But you're not doing a solo.” I looked at Lori. “You guys are doing a duet, right?”

“Not … exactly,” she said slowly.

“Didn't you tell her?” Michael asked. I could see his jaw working. I wasn't sure if he was chewing jelly beans, or suddenly mad.

“Tell me what?” I asked.

Lori ran her fingers around the curls by her ear—a sure sign of nervousness. “Mr. Wayne said we couldn't do it.”

“What? For real?” I leaned forward, but I felt like jumping out of my skin. “Why didn't you tell me?”

She flashed a look at Michael. I was missing something, but I couldn't figure out what.

“Lori?” I asked.

She looked back at me and said, “I was going to. Mr. Wayne didn't tell me no until last night after the basketball game.”

“You could have told me today.”

“I was still hoping I could figure something out.”

My brain flooded with so many questions; I couldn't think any of it through. Why did Lori have to figure something out? Was Michael mad at Lori? But it wasn't her fault if Mr. Wayne said no.

“What did Mr. Wayne say exactly?” I asked.

“Just that I can be part of two performances, and that's the limit.”

“And you're already signed up for a solo,” Aaron said, “and the duet with Tay.”

“Bingo,” Michael said.

He did sound pissed.

“So—” I began. Then I froze, which was weird, because a thought was burning its way around the edges of my brain. It felt like liquid heat filling my head
and flashing red behind my eyes. “You
are
still doing the duet with me, right?”

“Of course,” Lori said. “I wouldn't do that to you.” And then she shot another look at Michael.

“Okay,” I said carefully. I knew I should be relieved, but instead, my stomach clenched around this new, unknown worry.

“At least a solo is worth more points,” Aaron said to Michael. “So that might be good.”

“It would be—if I had time.” He flicked a jelly bean across the table and into some bushes.

Lori sighed. “We thought it was all set.”

“Instead, I'm starting over again,” Michael added.

“Of course, he's freaked.” Lori went on. “His dad already booked tickets to come out for the concert.”

“My dad bought me a bracelet,” I said. “With an engraved charm.”

Michael and Lori both gave me long looks.

I turned to Aaron for backup, and he handed me a couple of gummy worms. I took them. Good idea—chew, don't talk.

“If Michael doesn't get in, it's going to be a big deal in his family,” Lori said. “I mean, his dad plays professionally.”

There was that worried look on Michael's face again. I concentrated on the worm I'd stretched into a shoelace.

“That's tough,” Aaron said.

“Things are cool with my dad,” Michael said. “It isn't that. I'm going to go live with him in New York—there's a plan all worked out.” He lined up another jelly bean and shot it. “But no way I can transfer to NYC and get into a conservatory if I can't prove I'm serious about music.” His gaze swept around the table. “My dad is cool with it, but my mom is busting me for proof. That's why I need District Honor Band and Wind Ensemble.”

So he can be with his dad.
I curved a hand over my stomach, wishing I didn't sympathize.

For a second, there was a long silence, as if no one knew what to say. Then Lori's phone burst into Beethoven. She reached for her purse and dug out her cell. “It's my mom,” she said as she answered.

“Hey,” she said into the phone, then paused and nodded. “Okay.” She tucked her cell away. “She'll be here in five.”

“That quick?” Michael swung his legs around the bench.

“It'll take her a few minutes to make it through the traffic,” Lori said, standing up. “We'll wait for you by the candy store,” she told me. She took Michael's hand, and they disappeared into the crowd.

I let out a long breath. “Wow,” I said to Aaron. “Can you believe that? They're not doing a duet, after all.” I rested my hands on my cheeks. They felt hot.

“I wonder why Lori didn't tell you?”

“I don't know. She'll fill me in later, I guess.” I shook my head. “And what about all that stuff with Michael wanting to move to New York? A
conservatory
?”

“Yeah, well.” He shrugged. “We all want to get in, Tay.”

I nodded. Aaron was right. But playing in a conservatory sounded so important, and way more impressive than my goal of being a band director one day. I'd never even told anyone, it sounded that stupid. But I'd always thought I'd be a good band director. I'd cry at all our concerts, just like Mr. Wayne.

They're not doing a duet.

The words swirled around my brain again, but this time they actually sank in. A shiver went through me—a good one. One that made the hairs on my arm stand up and do a happy dance.

Maybe I did have a chance. Maybe this was the break I needed. Maybe, if I impressed Hallady during the audition … I took a long shuddering breath and said the words out loud that I had hardly dared to think. “Maybe I
can
make Wind Ensemble next year.”

“Why not?” Aaron said matter-of-factly.

“Because I'm not freaking good like you are,” I said, my hands fisting up in frustration. “I don't pick up new music the way you do, and my fingers move at about half the speed.”

“But when you play, it's not just a lot of notes. It
sounds like something. And your technique is getting stronger. Don't shake your head,” Aaron said. “I sit next to you, remember? You are good.”

I wanted to smack him and hug him, and I wanted to cover my face with my hands and scream. I settled for pressing my shoulder into his. “This whole night … it's too much to take it all in. The movie, and the band stuff … and the physics stuff!” I grinned up at him. “That totally surprised me.”

“I took a class at science camp last summer on the physics of skateboarding.”

I shook my head, impressed. “And now Michael's inviting you to his party.”

“You have to come, too.”

I laughed because the feeling inside me was too big to keep in. “What a totally amazing night.”

“Yeah.” In the overhead lights, it looked like his eyes were glittering.

“I wish I didn't have to go. You sure you don't need a ride?”

“Yeah, my brother's at the bookstore.”

I stood and looked out into the parking lot. “Mrs. Van Sant must be here by now.” Then I turned back to say good-bye, and nearly squeaked in surprise. Aaron had stood up so close I could feel his breath on my cheek.

I stepped back. “Thanks again for going along with this.”

“Except,” he said, “if I were your real boyfriend, I'd kiss you good-bye. Like this.”

Before I could think what he meant, he leaned in and kissed me.

On the lips.

I jerked back. My legs smacked the cement bench, and I stumbled, sitting hard. My heart thundered down to the tips of my fingers. “What was that?”

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “You couldn't tell?”

I covered my mouth with my fingers. “That wasn't part of the plan.”

“Sorry. I decided to improvise.”

I stood up, trying to balance. Trying to reboot my brain. My breath raced in and out so fast, I couldn't get any air. “We're friends, Aaron.”

“With chemistry.”

“With static cling.” But it sounded lame to my own ears, especially with my heart pounding hard enough to dent my ribs.

He trailed a hand around the back of his neck, and I could see his breath was shaky, too. “I like you, Tay.”