Kissing Ted Callahan (and Other Guys)(38)

But then my phone rings.

“Hello?” I say in my best casual voice.

“Hi, Riley,” Ted says.

“Hi,” I say.

We’re waiting-for-a-funeral-to-start silent. Without the tears.

“Are you busy?” I ask.

“I called you,” he says.

“I know, but I told you to!”

“Not at gunpoint or anything.”

“I think you knew if you didn’t call I would shoot you,” I say, which I’m not sure is funny or supercreepy. “I mean, I know where you live.”

Okay, that was not even debatable; it was just flat-out creepy. Ted, I’m sorry! Ted, I’d never stalk you and shoot you; that’s the weirdest.

Luckily he laughs. “Yeah, I knew all of that. It’s why I called. I was terrified.”

“Do you want to go to the Nadia + Friends show tomorrow night?” I’m sure he’s never heard of them, but he’s actually a great concertgoer, and not just because of the kissing after.

“I can’t. I have work,” he says. “I guess you’re going.”

“I’m not sure yet,” I say. “My parents let me go out a lot this week so I might have run out of super-late nights.”

“Yeah, my mom gets like that, too,” Ted says. “I get it, but it’s annoying.”

My phone beeps, and I pull it back from my ear to see who’s calling. It’s Reid, almost like he knows. I very firmly with tons of conviction press ignore, as though Reid could feel the snub through his phone line. I picture him feeling it and reacting in a big, over-the-top manner, and it’s awesome. Wait, no, it isn’t awesome. What a jerk thing to think.

“How’s your world history homework going?” he asks.

“I’m going to do it soon,” I say. “You’re probably finished already.”

Wait, did that sound like an insult? It isn’t an insult. He’s just so responsible! Who knew that quality could be so dreamy on a guy? (Not me.) “Yeah, I don’t think it’s too great, but I finished it. You’ll probably be more creative with yours.”

I had no idea guys could make you feel swoony with talk of homework.

“I guess I should let you go,” he says. “You have homework, and I’m probably going to watch Blind Love.”

“Oh my god! That show’s my favorite. It’s so amazingly bad.”

“I know,” he says with sexy conviction. Well, it probably isn’t supposed to sound sexy, but I like strong emotions from Ted. Ted, we’ve come so far from that first day in my car! “See you soon, Riley.”

*

I spend Saturday morning cleaning the garage with Dad in part because I don’t want to be some kind of family-shunning stereotypical snotty teenager. Also because despite that I went out almost every day or night this week, I’m still hoping to see Nadia+Friends tonight. If I’m being a great daughter before band practice, it can only help my cause.

In addition to sweeping the garage floor, I am also keeping a close listen for the boop of my text message alert. Ted, you have my number now! Ted, tell me work was canceled and ask me to do something amazing tonight like see Nadia+Friends! With a clean garage, how could the United Front say no?

When I get to practice, Lucy hands each of us lyrics. Reid writes most of our lyrics, but Lucy contributes as well. Then we all work out melodies and rhythms and everything else together.

“Is it cool if we try something with this?” she asks. “I was hoping we could work on it today.”

“Sure,” Nathan says. “Also I have news.”

I feel kind of bad for Lucy with her carefully printed lyrics because suddenly attention is off of her and on Nathan.

“I talked to the Smell’s owner,” he says. “He liked our demo tracks and said we can open for Murphy-Gomez next month.”

A silence washes over us that is the loudest quiet ever. My ears are buzzing with a low hum, but it’s almost like maybe they’re exploding.

“Are you serious?” Reid finally asks.

“Of course I’m serious,” Nathan says.

And then the silence is a long-distant memory, and I can’t even tell who’s screaming loudest. I do know I am jumping up and down the most and that it looks like Reid might cry and that Lucy is already over losing her moment in the spotlight.

“How did this happen?” Reid asks once the screaming has died down. His tone’s the same, I’m positive, as it would be if a spaceship just landed in the room.

“Seriously, guys, I talked to him last time I was there, emailed a link to our site, and it was pretty much it,” Nathan says. “This is why I’m saying we need a full EP. If we’re getting this much attention just from our demos…”

“You’re not in charge, Nathan,” Lucy says. Her voice is the sweetest thing next to cotton candy and babies, but she is firm with this.

“I’m not saying I’m in charge,” Nathan says. “But—”

“Why are you so obsessed with an EP now?” Lucy asks. “Let’s just keep working on making our sets really strong and solid, and getting as many shows as we can. I think that’s been working for us.”

She looks over to Reid and me like we’re supposed to agree, and of course I agree but maybe we shouldn’t be picking fights and taking sides and risking how perfect this can be.