More Than Exes (11 page)

Jared and Hector grabbed their gear and headed after her. We were already running late, but I had to say something to Alexis before I could go.

I stared at her while a million emotions rushed through me at the speed of light. She’d convinced Becca to stay and had chosen me over Todd. She’d taken my side, and she was rooting for me to win. I just hoped she could forgive me for the things I’d said to her. I hoped she could see I was still the good guy she loved.

“Thank you,” I said. “For Todd and for Becca and for being here tonight. And I’m sorry about earlier. I was totally out of line and—”

Alexis raised a hand to stop me. “No, I was the one who was out of line, and I’m sorry, too—”

“Kyle, come on!” Jared yelled.

She kissed me on the cheek. “Go out there and win this thing, babe. I’ll be here when you’re done.”

I gave her a quick hug and then ran after the rest of my band. I wanted to do so much more—to kiss her and tell her how much she meant to me and how I wanted to start over—but there was no time. We had a Battle to win. Because no matter what else happened tonight, we were
not
losing to Todd.

B
eing on stage was unlike anything else in the world. Every show was a spiritual awakening, a moment of enlightenment when all my daily troubles faded away and left only the roar of the crowd and the lights and the music. Performing was magic, an act of creation that controlled the emotions of those who heard the music, forming a shared experience between everyone in the room.

And being part of a band—with each person contributing, harmonizing, and creating magic together—was a true rush. We weren’t individuals anymore; we were one voice, one breath, one heartbeat. The only thing that came close was having sex, and even then, only those really good times or with the person who made it truly special. Like Alexis.

I knew she was out there in the audience somewhere, cheering for me, and that made the moment even better. Maddie was out there, too. My brother was at my side, and Hector was at my back. Even Becca had pulled it together. I was surrounded on all sides by people I cared about, and I channeled that energy into my performance.

My fingers flew across my keyboard, my head banging along to the music. Unlike other instruments, with keyboard, there was no specific role you took on for every song. Each one was different, and I filled in where I was needed—sometimes accentuating another instrument, sometimes adding something extra here and there, sometimes providing a background ambiance for the entire song. I brought together Jared’s hard guitar riffs, Becca’s pulsing bass line, and Hector’s steady beat. I picked up the slack. I smoothed any rough spots. I held them together and boosted them up. They could have performed the songs without me, but I made each one a hundred times better.

Our set was only fifteen minutes, so we played the catchiest tunes off our album. In the middle, we did a cover of “Karma Police” by Radiohead, with Jared’s vocals making the audience swoon. The song’s lyrics struck a nerve with me tonight after everything I’d been through. I really had lost myself for a few minutes, but here on stage, with my favorite people all around me, I knew exactly who I was.

We finished the set with one of our best songs, “Behind the Mask.” As the last note died, the crowd went wild and Jared spread his arms out as if to embrace them. The sound filled me up, sustaining me like air, and I closed my eyes and breathed it in. And then I ran backstage. I had a beautiful girl waiting for me, after all.

Her eyes lit up when she saw me. I walked right up to her, took her face in my hands, and kissed her. Her fingers dug into my shirt as she kissed me back, and I slid my arms down to circle her waist. My heart was already pounding from the show, but she made it speed up even more as her body pressed against mine and her tongue slipped into my mouth. I nibbled on her lower lip and felt her smile. The rest of the band walked off stage, but they wisely left us alone.

“You were amazing,” she said, breathless. “You were always good, but now… It was epic.”

“Thanks.” I kissed her again. “But there wouldn’t have been a show without you.”

“I barely did anything.” She ran her thumb across my jaw, her eyes fixed on the tattoos on my neck. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you about Todd. I’ve never seen that side of him before, I swear. He’s always been a decent guy around me, but I should have trusted you.”

“No, you had every right to stick up for your friend. I’m the one who messed up. I shouldn’t have punched him in the first place, and I shouldn’t have used him as an excuse to pick a fight with you. I was just scared. I barely survived when you left me last time, and I’m terrified of going through the same thing a second time.”

“I’m so sorry, Kyle. I thought if I ended it we would both be better off, but I was wrong. I’ll never make that mistake again.”

“No regrets,” I said, brushing hair away from her face so I could stare into her green eyes. “As much as it hurt, being apart for three years was good for us. We’ve both grown and changed, and we’ll be stronger together because of it. But I don’t want to go another day without you.”

“Good because I want to make it last this time. Whatever it takes.” She slid her arms around my neck. “I love you, Kyle.”

“Still?”

“Always.”

We kissed again, losing ourselves in each other until Jared told us it was time for the audience to vote for a winner. The entire band, plus Alexis, rushed into the main part of the club, blending into the crowd and looking up at the stage. The Battle of the Bands organizer stood up there, an older guy who looked like he was straight out of an ‘80s metal band with hair down to his waist, an old AC/DC shirt, and leather pants.

“We’re going to vote by school first,” he said into his mic. “I have an app here on my phone that measures sound levels, so when we get to the band you think should win, scream your heart out. I want you to make some fucking noise!” The audience cheered in response. “Exactly like that. Okay, ready? USC first!”

He ran through the list of USC bands, with each name flashing on a screen behind him. Rubber Horse easily won, which didn’t surprise me. What did surprise me was that Alexis didn’t cheer for any of her school’s bands.

The guy checked his phone. “Rubber Horse is our USC winner! And now it’s time for UCLA!”

He called out each of the bands that had performed, and the sound from the crowd grew louder with each one. When the Villain Complex logo flashed on the screen, the audience’s roar took over the room. We joined in, too, yelling and clapping, and it felt good to let it all out after everything I’d been through tonight.

It felt even better when the guy said, “Villain Complex is the UCLA winner!”

“Yes!” I gave Alexis a squeeze, and she laughed. Next to us, Jared and Hector were hugging and thumping each other on the back. Even Becca looked slightly less sullen than normal.

“Time for the final vote,” the guy said. “Rubber Horse versus Villain Complex. USC vs UCLA. Only one of them can be crowned the winner of the Battle of the Bands and get the prize: a show next month, plus one thousand dollars for themselves and another thousand for their school’s music program. Will USC win again for the third year in a row? Or will UCLA finally take it home?”

This was it. The moment we’d find out if everything we’d been through tonight had been worth it. Jared wrapped an arm around me and Hector, and I grabbed Alexis’s hand. We tried to pull Becca in, too, but she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

The cheers for Rubber Horse were loud, but when our band’s name was called out, the response from the audience was almost deafening. The club filled with the sound of the crowd voting for us with their voices and their bodies. Yelling. Clapping. Whistling. Stomping their boots. Alexis was part of it, screaming louder than anyone. I was too shocked by the reaction to even cheer for us myself. Jared’s eyes met mine, and I could tell he felt the same.

“Villain Complex is the winner of the third annual UCLA vs. USC Battle of the Bands!”

We collapsed in on each other in one big group hug, laughing and shaking from the adrenaline, from the relief and exhilaration of victory. Becca even joined in this time. We’d done it. We’d beaten Todd, won the prize for our school, and scored a gig for ourselves at the same time. And we’d done it together, as one big, sometimes-dysfunctional, family. None of us could have done it without the other—and that included Alexis.

I pulled apart from the rest of the band and kissed her in the middle of the audience while they continued to cheer for our win. I would never forget this night, marking a fresh start and a new beginning. For the band, and for the two of us.

I
woke with Alexis in my arms. I might have written last night off as a really great dream, except the proof that it was real slept beside me, wearing only my old Ramones T-shirt. Alexis was in my bedroom, her bare legs tangled up with mine, and we’d won the Battle. Every time it hit me, it felt too amazing to be true, like it must have happened to someone else and not me. But no, this was my life.

Alexis looked so beautiful. I wanted to kiss the freckles on her nose and breathe in the strawberry scent of her hair. Her half-naked body felt so good against mine I wanted to do more than just kiss her, but I let her be. I could save all of that for when she woke up. It was Sunday, and my plan was to spend the entire day with the girl I loved, learning her body all over again.

I slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb her, and threw on a pair of boxers. It was still early, barely past dawn, so I moved quietly through the house to get some water from the kitchen. I paused when I heard a noise coming from our garage-turned-studio. The room was soundproofed, but the door was open.

Inside, Jared was sprawled on the couch with his laptop, wearing a shirt with
Lex Luthor for President
on it. My brother was obsessed with villains, hence our band name. We even had a wall of quotes by and about villains on the wall above where he sat that Hector had painted for us in comic book style.

Seeing Jared awake before noon was a rare occurrence. Even more shocking, he hadn’t brought a girl home with him last night. Maybe he
was
trying to get his shit together.

“What are you doing up this early?” I asked.

“Oh, hey,” he said, looking up from his screen. “The show recorded all of the different sets last night and posted them online. I got the video, and I’m using it to apply for
The Sound
.”

I rubbed my eyes, still not entirely awake. “The reality TV show?”

On
The Sound
, a bunch of different bands competed against each other on four teams led by famous musicians. The winning band got a recording contract with a major label, plus a tour across the country. It was a big deal, but thousands of bands auditioned for it every year. Our chances of getting on were pretty slim.

He nodded. “I know it’s a long shot, but I don’t see a reason not to try.”

“Might as well.” I didn’t think anything would come of it, but it always made Jared feel better when he had something to do for the band. “We’ll have to deal with Becca, though.”

“I’ll talk to her.”

I started to argue that I should do it, but then I closed my mouth. Jared needed to start fixing his own problems. As much as I loved my brother, I couldn’t clean up after him for the rest of his life.

I yawned. “I’m going back to bed.”

Jared grinned at me, like he knew exactly what I had in mind for the rest of the day. “Have a good time.”

I crawled into bed with Alexis, and she stirred, opening her eyes with a sleepy smile. We wrapped around each other, so close we were almost one person, and it was pure heaven having her in my arms again. She’d come back to me, and she still loved me, proving that sometimes the good guy
did
get the girl. We’d gotten a second chance, and this time we were going to make it last.

I touched the tattoo on her hip and kissed her, and her lips tasted like forever.