The Complete Rockstar Series (3 page)

I hear a scuffling sound and another moan and I look over my shoulder nervously, my heart leaping into my throat.

Adam glances back at the two boys on the ground, then turns to me and smirks. “No worries, they’re not coming after us.” He ducks through the fence and straightens up on the path.

Dax walks over and points at Adam’s swollen hand. “I guess practice is out today.”

Adam frowns and looks at his distended fingers, “Yeah, guess so. Sorry mate, I’ll catch up with you later.”

Dax smiles brightly, as if he just left a theme park, not a bloody fight in an abandoned yard. “Right. Thanks for the good time.” He laughs, then his eyes focus on me and the smile vanishes. “Stay away from them,” he insists, walking away without waiting for a response.

“Which way to your place?” Adam asks, raking his uninjured hand through his sweaty, disheveled hair.

Too upset to move or form an answer, I start to tremble violently and tumble forward, right into Adam’s arms.

“Steady on. Are you alright to walk?” He watches me carefully with his bright hazel eyes, concern etched clearly into his handsome features, which are now just a few centimeters from mine.

“I-I ... I don’t know.” I grip my stomach. “I feel queasy.”

Adam laughs and helps me stand up straight. “Yeah, I can see how you would, almost becoming another one of Callum’s
victims
,” he spits out venomously. Adam wraps his arm around my waist when he realizes I’m too weak to manage myself, and holds me up against his side. “Let’s go then, which way?”

I point in the direction of my flat and we walk the mile in silence. Even though I was just traumatized beyond belief, all I can think about as we head to my place is how Adam’s lean, muscular body is pressed against mine and how beautiful his face is when he smiles at me. I must be completely mental to be having those thoughts after what just happened in that yard, but I am. Just by touching a part of Adam, even through heavy winter clothes, makes me feel safe.

By the time we reach the front of the dilapidated building that I now call home, I get the courage to speak. “This is it.” I look away, embarrassed by my shoddy council housing.

Adam doesn’t seem to care or even notice where I live. He stops and turns to face me, not saying a word about my crumbling building. “Here you go.” He holds out my bag and I hoist it over one shoulder, watching his eyes probe my face for something. Answers, maybe? To find out why I would do something so stupid with someone as dangerous as Callum?

I don’t want to hear him scold me for the obvious, and I don’t want to lose the delicious lightheaded feeling I have when I’m next to him, so before he can say anything else or walk away, I take his outstretched hand and hold it gently, running my thumb over his bruised and swollen knuckles. “Thank you.”

Adam’s eyes widen a fraction, and he looks from our hands back up to my face. His mouth parts and his warm breath hits the cold air when he gasps. I have no idea what possesses me or what makes me think a near death experience is the proper time for this, but I don’t hesitate as I bravely lean in and press a small kiss to the corner of his exquisite mouth.

The moment over, I reluctantly release his hand and walk towards the door, afraid that once I’m inside, Adam will vanish like a dream, taking this wonderful warm feeling with it. He doesn’t speak as I retreat, but watches me curiously with those intriguing eyes of his until I shut the battered door behind me. The swirling emotions I had been holding in release from me all at once. Sliding down the wall to the floor, I simultaneously cry and smile at the same time.

Is it possible for today to be both the best and worst day of my life? Touching my still tingling lips and feeling the throb in my stomach from Callum’s knee, I decide that yes, yes it can.

A
dam

“
F
or fuck’s sake
, Reynolds! Don’t you know how to throw a punch?”

Dax is angry, and rightly so. “I guess I don’t,” I mutter, feeling unbelievably stupid that I mangled my hand on that arsehole Murray’s face. I can’t do anything but watch as my best mate paces the length of his family’s flat.

“You stupid fucking sod! How are we supposed to play on Saturday? We finally have a chance for a real gig and your fucking hand is all busted up!” He yanks open his freezer, puts a few ice cubes into a towel, and shoves it into my chest.

Bristling at his crap attitude, I snatch the makeshift ice pack and shout back, “I can still play, you fucking wanker! I’m not letting a few bruises stop me, it never stops you! And what were we supposed to do, let that bastard rape her?” I hiss in pain when I press the cold towel to my swollen fingers.

Dax whips his head around and scowls at me, but his tone is softer. “Of course not, but you could have done it without breaking your hand. Didn’t anyone ever teach you how to fight?”

“My dad tried, but probably not in the way you’re thinking.” I frown as I attempt to ignore the freezing ice burning into the split skin. “Murray has a really hard head. You take him next time and I’ll get Mason, he’s a fucking marshmallow in comparison! And you know I hate fighting, Dax. We can’t all be like you, beating the shit out of people for fun.”

“Next time?” Dax’s eyes go wide and he stares at me like I’m daft. “You plan on making this a habit? Are you Batman now or something?”

Laughing, I shove him away with my good hand. “Bastard.” I manage to evade his question, not wanting him to know that I have every intention of making sure no one touches Ellie Palmer like that ever again.

S
chool goes back
to normal the next day, well, as normal as it can be when you find yourself inexplicably obsessed with someone and come up with every excuse you can just to stare at her. I start ignoring all of the girls who approach me, their attempts at being sexy lost on me when all I can think about is Ellie.

I can’t bring myself to be the confident flirt I was yesterday. Chatting her up after she was nearly raped yesterday is a bad idea. Plus, the last thing she likely wants right now is a bloke all up in her face looking for a quick fuck.

I never manage to work up the courage to talk to Ellie about the incident with Callum or the kiss either, and she seems to feel as awkward as I do, so we stick to exchanging small nods every morning and then go back to pretending that we don’t know each other.

By the end of the week, I can very nearly convince myself that Ellie wasn’t almost raped by Callum Murray and Ryan Mason, and that I didn’t break four of his ribs and his nose to stop it. Then I clench my hand in anger and it aches from the swelling, and the reality of it all seeps back in.

The final bell rings on Friday and I hang back so Ellie can get a head start home before I follow her, just like I have every day since she showed up five days ago. I pull my bag up on my shoulder and head for the door of the school, but a hand on my arm holds me back.

“Oi! Where are you going?” I turn and see Dax staring at me with a look that says he thinks I’ve gone completely mental.

Annoyed, I tilt my neck around him to see if Ellie is out of sight yet.
Thank God
, she’s still outside talking to another girl.

“You’re a twisted fuck,” Dax laughs, following my line of sight and spotting Ellie. “How many days are you going to stalk her, mate? Better yet, how many girls have you turned down since meeting her even though you haven’t gotten in her knickers?”

“Shut it!” I yank my arm away from Dax’s tight grip and frown. I’ve turned down a lot of girls. Girls that I once found attractive, I’m suddenly finding pushy and annoying. I hadn’t realized he noticed.

“Well, make it quick. We have to practice with your fucked up hand to get ready for tomorrow. Don’t forget, our usual place at six.” Dax whirls around and leaps down the front steps of the school, laughing until he’s out of earshot.

When I get to my crap flat an hour later, I dump my stuff on the mattress in my room and grab my guitar and notebook. Ellie hung out in front of the school talking to that girl for nearly twenty minutes before she started for home, so now I’m going to be late to practice and Dax is going to kill me.

“You’re la-aate!” a voice sings out from the open basement window of an abandoned business near Dax’s flat.

“Shut your gob,” I toss back as I slither through the grimy opening and drop to the floor, turning to tug my battered guitar case through the hole.

Dax doesn’t answer. Instead, he strums his guitar, humming along wordlessly to some random tune he plucks out off the top of his head. This is where Dax and I fit together perfectly, songwriting. We both have this weird ability to complete each other’s thoughts. I’ll start a melody. He’ll bring it somewhere I’m not expecting. He’ll think up a few lyrics, and I’ll finish them perfectly. It always comes out brilliant in the end.

I pull out the beat up old acoustic guitar that I bought second hand doing odd jobs here and there for my older brother, Danny. Jobs I’d rather not think about, except every time I run my calloused fingers over the strings it reminds me of how fucked up my family is.

“Does it hurt?” Dax has stopped playing to watch me carefully, a concerned look on his face.

“Of course it fucking hurts, but I’m not going to let it stop me. Let’s do this.”

We play for hours as I jot down the melodies and lyrics that we come up with in my notebook, erasing and fine-tuning until we’re satisfied. My stupid hand is throbbing and protesting the repetitive movements as it skims over the neck of the guitar, creating the only thing that brings me happiness in this pitiful excuse for a life.

The only thing until I met the gorgeous Ellie Palmer.

E
llie

A
dam
and I haven’t said a single word to each other since he beat up Callum three weeks ago. At first, it was too embarrassing to face him after letting myself get into that situation. Then, when he didn’t say anything about it, I decided it must be because I foolishly kissed him, and he didn’t want to lead me on. I mean, clearly, he’s not interested.

He’s so good looking that he can have any girl in the school. I mean, I’ve seen girls approaching him and heard the gossip. He probably
has
had every girl in the school. Except me, and that’s what hurts the most, the outright lack of interest on his part.

Would I allow myself to be one of his conquests? I’m not sure. Certainly he’s used to girls with more experience than me, which is none. But getting to be that close to him, kissing and touching, well, it has me seriously considering it even though the idea is just mental.

It’s been difficult, making a conscious decision to
not
stare at him every chance I get even though my body seems to know where he is at all times. It practically vibrates whenever he’s nearby, like there’s an electric charge between us. That’s stupid though, I’m sure he’s already forgotten about the idiot girl who walks through an abandoned lot with a boy she doesn’t know.

“Ellie!” I turn from my open locker to find my new best friend Kate barreling down the hall towards me, fully kitted out in her footy uniform, cleats and all.

“What? Why are you running?” I take in her disheveled appearance, her cheeks red and her breathing rapid and strained.

Kate has been my best, and really my only friend since starting at this school. Tall and athletic, with shoulder-length brown hair, she has the unfortunate fate of living in the same shoddy building as me. She’s lucky though. Not only does our school have one of the only girl’s football teams in the area, but she’s so talented that she’ll most likely get a very rare scholarship to play football for an American university. That means no more crappy council flat for her after this year.

She also tends to be a bit on the dramatic side.

“Good, you haven’t left yet,” she huffs, her chest heaving from the exertion.

I eye her suspiciously, “Aren’t you supposed to be a top athlete? Why are you all out of breath?”

Kate laughs, her high ponytail swinging behind her, brightening the dingy hallway enough to make me forget how dreadful it is here. “I ran all the way from the outdoor football pitch. I’m supposed to be at practice, but I wanted to catch you first. A few girls on the team were talking and said they’re going out tonight to see a new band that they heard is pretty hot. Come with us.” She smiles hopefully, waiting for my response.

“Awww, c’mon Kate. You know I’m not much for socializing.” Especially since I’m too afraid to leave my flat for anything but school, and never after dark. Not after what happened in that yard.

It feels as if Callum is just waiting for the right moment to attack me again, like a predator stalking its prey. He’s watching for a weak moment to get his revenge for the broken nose and ribs that Adam gave him and the complete beat down that Ryan got from Dax. Honestly, I think the only reason they’ve left me alone so far is to make me a nervous wreck from the anticipation.

“Don’t start with the whinging, Ellie. I’ll see you at eight and we’ll go together with all the girls. It’ll be fun!” Before I can protest, Kate spins on her heel and leaves me standing in front of my locker with my mouth hanging open.

Just great.

“
O
h my God
, pick one, Ellie! It’s not a fashion show, it’s a seedy pub. You know, beer on the floor, greasy finger foods, drunk people everywhere. You could wear a ratty shirt and trousers and no one would care.” Kate is sitting on the edge of my bed, waiting for me to figure out what to wear.

I shoot daggers at her. “No one will care what I wear, huh? Then maybe I don’t have to go,” I sniff as I chew on my tattered thumbnail.

Her expression goes from impatient to soft in a heartbeat. “You know what I mean. It’s going to be dark in there. You’re absolutely gorgeous no matter what, so just throw something on. The girls aren’t going to wait forever for us.”

Standing, she grabs a silver shirt and a pair of tight, dark wash jeans off of the bed and throws them in my direction. “Here, wear this. It’s perfect.”

I catch the clothes and sigh, pulling them on and straightening them out until they fit correctly. “Fine.” Pouting, I check my hair one last time in the tiny mirror on the door of my wardrobe before shoving my feet into a pair of shoes. “Let’s go.”

As we leave the building and start the long walk to the tube station, I wonder why the hell I agreed to this.

“
T
his is the place
?” I ask Kate, my nose wrinkled up in disgust. We’ve managed to get inside after waiting in a pretty long queue. One of Kate’s teammates brought us some pints.

Kate slides me a frustrated glare. “Don’t judge, El. The DK is one of the best pubs to catch a live act. They have all the great bands and loads of them end up huge someday.”

“I’ve heard that they’re gorgeous,” an exotic looking raven-haired girl named Tasha says. “Maybe one of us can manage to chat one up.” She giggles ridiculously and accepts one of the beers from the girl whose name I can’t remember.

“If anyone’s going to get off with a sexy band member, it’s going to be me,” the unnamed girl says. She passes out pints to everyone and tosses her straight brown hair.

Kate gapes at her as does Tasha. “Don’t be such a bitch, Willa,” Kate says with a scowl. “There’s no calling dibs on men, we’ve established that a long time ago.”

Willa frowns, drinking her beer and flicking her green gaze around the room. “I’ll be right back ladies. I see someone I know.” She throws her shoulders back and sticks her nose in the air as she makes her way through the mob.

“Christ, Kate. Why’d we invite her again? She’s irritating enough as a teammate and even worse as a friend,” says Tasha.

Kate shrugs. “She overheard us talking about it. Hey!” she calls out, waving towards the door. “There’s the rest of the girls. Let’s get them and grab a good spot by the stage, we don’t want to miss anything.”

“Sure.” I feel a little out of place. Tasha’s nice and everything, but I don’t know these girls and they all know each other really well. My knowledge of football is nonexistent so I don’t have a lot in common with them.

I’m starting to think I should just go home when the lights in the audience dim and the stage is lit up by a couple of bright spotlights. Kate grips my arm and squeals, “It’s time! This is going to be so fun!” She’s bouncing up and down with all of the excitement that a normal teenager should have.

I sigh, it’s too late to disappear. May as well try to have a good time. I take a giant swig of my drink and watch the stage.