Chapter Six: Storm

I laugh as I leave the room, because that girl has some nerves.

Spunk. Attitude. Whoo even her blue eyes had attitude. The expression in them got me.

I guess I can call that a New York welcome.

What she was saying was summed up to “Thanks for saving my life. Now skat, Rockstar.”

That's a first.

I see a pack of teenage girls standing in the hallway. All of them have long brown hair with a slight blonde ombre at the tips of it.

As I walk past them, I hear them giggle.

I stop as I get to the end of the hall, and make a wide U turn, and I walk back down the hall, pass them again, and walk over to the vending machine at the end of the hall.

I put in a dollar, and I just simply get a pack of gum, and while I wait for it to vend, I feel a tap on my shoulder.

I turn and see one of the girls standing there. “Hello.”

“Hey.” She grins, flirtatiously. “I am Zephrina.”

“Storm.” I wink at her.

Her big brown eyes light up, and she smiles, her lip gloss coated lips widening. “I’ve heard of you. You sing in that band.”

“Yup.” I open a stick of gum, and shove it into my mouth.

“So what are you doing here?” She asks, her voice raising to a soprano two.

“With a friend. And his family.” I wipe my face with the back of my hand. “His father died. And sister went missing.”

“Wow. Ohh… I think I know what girl you are talking about. Hadley Gunn, right?” She puts her hand on her hip. “Yeah. There were posters everywhere. Wait…. You said she has a brother?”

“I did.” I internally hit myself for speaking to much. I am such an effing idiot!

“What's his name?” She puts a fingernail on the front of my shirt, distracting me into giving her the answers she wants.

And me being who I am, it works. “Jude.”’

“Your guitar player?” Her eyes widen dramatically.

“Mhhm. What do you say about going out sometime?”

She puts her hot pink fingernail to her bottom lip, and mock thinks. “Yeah, sure.” She hands me a card with a number on it. “Call me later.”

Then, she runs back to her group who all squeal.

“Bro. What are you doing?” I hear a voice say, as a hand lands on my shoulders.

I spin around, and am face to face with Asher.

He is looking over my shoulder at the group of girls. “What are you doing? Or let me rephrase that . What do you think that you are doing?”

“Nuthin’. Just making their day.” I grin, mischievously.

“Well stop.” He rubs a hand down his face, and I see the stacks under his eyes, lack of sleep.

“Bro, you need you sleep.” I say, “Where is Alexandre?”

“He’s in the room talking to Hadley.”

“Ohh. Wow. She must be a handful.” I grin, thinking back to what she said, wanna see pigs fly??

“Why do you say that?” Joshin says as he comes up behind Asher.

“You only heard a fraction of what she has said.” I say, looking at the boy. “And where can Asher and I crash?”

“You will have to ask Papi.” He replies, eyeing me with slight hatred in his eyes.

“Ask me what?” Alexandre step into the hallway.

“Where me and him are gonna stay.” Asher pipes up. “And how is Hadley doin’?”

“She gets to come home.” Alexandre’s face brightens. “And you two can stay at our house on the outside of town.”

“Ohh… Isn't there a hotel where we can stay?” I pull out my phone, and type in the number on the card that the girl gave me.

“No. This is a very small town, boy.”

“Ohhh. Wow.” I say, as I hit send on the message that I sent her.

Zaphrina??

“Yes. Now, I could you take you guys home, and Joshin can bring Hadley home.” Alexandre steps forward, holding tightly to his cane.

“Okay.” We all three say at the same time.

Joshin rolls his eyes, and I believe that I was the one to see it.

I already know it, that we are really not going to like one another.