Chapter 3
“You know Alec, right?” Xander asked as we made our way through the convention center’s tangle of back corridors.
The area was restricted to everyone without a professional pass, and while the public floors of the building were enclosed in glass, allowing an ocean of natural light to sweep inside, the guts of the operation were undressed and gloomy: the ceiling was exposed, revealing ducts and pipes and steel beams that crisscrossed each other like a network of roads; the floor was sealed concrete, shiny and unforgiving to dirt and scuff marks; and the fluorescent overhead lights cast the space in a sickly white glow.
“Yup. Violet and I grew up with the Williamses. They’re kind of like our unofficial cousins.”
“How come we’ve never met before?”
I shrugged and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s not like Alec and I hang out on a regular basis. If you haven’t noticed, his life is kind of hectic.”
Xander grinned. It was the adorable lopsided kind where one side of his mouth lifted up higher than the other. “Okay, fair point, but hasn’t he invited you to one of our concerts?”
“We’re talking about the same Alec Williams, right? The most reserved, modest person I know? He’d never assume someone was interested in seeing him perform, even if that someone is important to him.”
“That’s true, but what about you? You’ve never asked for tickets?”
“Um…” I opened my mouth, then closed it as I tried to formulate a response.
When I didn’t answer, Xander froze in the middle of the hallway, the tips of his ears bright red. “God, I’m being a complete ass right now. Sorry for assuming you like our music.”
“No! That’s not it at all,” I said in a rush. “I love Dance Till Dawn. Seriously, I know every song on it by heart.”
“So if it’s not about our music, then why?”
I tugged on my amethyst as I quickly organized my thoughts.
“What you have to understand is I’ve seen the way fame ruins relationships.
The more popular IN became, the more people in Violet’s life—acquaintances, friends, even family—expected things from her.
They wanted to cash in on the perks of knowing a celebrity, something I’m sure you’ve experienced, and I refuse to be that person.
I won’t put Alec in a position that compromises our friendship. ”
As I spoke, a hint of a smile appeared on Xander’s face. “I get what you’re saying. That’s commendable.”
“There’s obviously a but coming.”
“Alec is a smart guy. He can tell the difference between a freeloader and someone who actually cares about him. I think he’d be thrilled to have a friend like you supporting him backstage.”
He was probably right, but before I could say so, a small assembly of people poured into the hall, filling the quiet space with a blast of conversation and laughter.
At the head of the pack was a woman with a clipboard and headset.
As they passed by us, I did a double take, my head whipping around so fast I put a kink in my neck.
Without thinking, I grabbed Xander’s arm and sucked in a sharp breath.
“You all right?” he asked, glancing down at my hand and then up at me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“That was Chelsea Hirano,” I explained, heart racing.
“Who?”
I shot him a dirty look. “You did not just say that.”
“Is she from a movie or something?”
“No, she created Lady Phoenix.” Xander looked at me with a blank expression, so I added, “The comic? Come on, it’s only the bestselling series by a female cartoonist in the past decade.
She must be making a surprise appearance for something.
There’s this rumor going around that Netflix is interested in doing a TV adaptation.
Now that I think about it, Comic Con would be the perfect place to make an announcement. Oh my God, I hope it’s true.”
He gave a half shrug. “Never heard of it.”
“I’m seriously offended right now.”
“Between recording new music and our touring schedule, I don’t have a lot of leisure time.” Xander paused to study a map posted on the wall. After locating the red YOU ARE HERE dot, he pointed us in the right direction. “What’s the comic about?”
“I could spend the next twenty-four hours trying to explain it to you, but the basic premise? There’s this girl named Hotaru who discovers she’s a phoenix, and she uses her powers to protect the mortal world from demons, monsters, and evil spirits.
Next time you get a break, check it out. You won’t regret it.”
“I’ll put it at the top of my list,” he promised before nodding at a nearby stairwell. “We need to go this way.”
“When you do, remember to let me know what you think,” I said, pushing open the door.
“How does a full briefing of my thoughts and feelings after every issue sound?” he joked, not realizing there were well over a hundred.
“As long as you don’t ship Soshi and Emerald together, I want to hear every detail.
” Phoenix fans either loved or hated the pairing, and since the couple grossed me out, I fell into the latter category.
Over the course of what felt like a never-ending storyline, readers were tortured with a sexually charged enemies-to-lovers romance, only to discover the characters were twins separated at birth.
Very Luke and Leia, but with a lot more than kissing.
His brows knitted together as we started up the stairs. “Am I supposed to know what that means?”
“Nope,” I said, laughing. “Let’s keep it that way. I don’t want to be responsible for corrupting your young, innocent mind.”
Xander snorted. “Believe me, that ship sailed a long time ago. Besides, aren’t I older than you? You’re what—seventeen?”
“Eighteen, but age has nothing to do with it. The average Phoenix fangirl can reach levels of smut that would shock the devil,” I replied with a wink.
“My life comes with a built-in fandom, remember?” he said, shooting me a pointed look. “Once you read an X-rated fanfic about yourself, there’s no going back.”
I grinned at him. “You read fan fiction about yourself?”
“Not voluntarily, but last year, our tour bus got stuck in a traffic jam. JJ decided to pass the time by doing a dramatic reading of a few stories he found online.”
“That’s gold,” I said, choking back laughter. “I need more details.”
“Apparently, there’s a lot of slash fiction written about JJ and me.” He paused, and a flush crept across his cheeks. “That’s all I’m going to say on the subject.”
My grin was uncontrollable. “Okay, you’re right. Your innocence is long gone.”
“Glad that’s been established,” he grumbled, his face ten shades of red. “New subject please?”
* * *
“I think this is it,” Xander announced when we finally arrived at our destination.
I hesitated outside the door as a wave of nerves flooded my system. Someone pinch me, I thought. I was about to meet the Melody Nguyen.
Xander knocked. “Hello?”
“Come in,” a familiar voice responded. After watching hours of makeup tutorials, it was impossible not to recognize Melody’s cheerful tone.
Xander pushed open the door, revealing a green room identical to the one provided for the IN cast. Perched on the armrest of the nearest couch was a woman wearing a cyan leopard-print jacket, a pink butterfly T-shirt, and leather pants covered in rhinestones.
Melody was known for her eccentric, vibrant wardrobe, and I was glad to see today was no exception.
“Hey, you!” she exclaimed, throwing open her arms. “Get over here.”
He strode across the room, and I slowly inched after him, unsure whether I should follow or wait in the doorway until I was introduced. “It’s good to see you,” he said, wrapping her in a hug.
“You too.” She pulled away to look at him. “I almost didn’t recognize you without your glasses. What’s with the contacts?”
“I’ve been attempting to go glasses-free whenever I have a public appearance. Not a huge fan of putting anything in my eyes though, so I don’t know how long I’ll keep this up.”
“Well, I like the contacts. Makes it easier to see those gorgeous green eyes of yours.” She turned to me with a smile. “Who’s this?”
“Oh, sorry!” Xander said, glancing between the two of us. “Indie, this is Melody. Melody, Indie.”
That he didn’t introduce me as Violet James’s little sister made me want to fling my arms around him in gratitude.
Melody nodded at me. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too, and can I say that I’m, like, your biggest fan?
” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them, but I didn’t care.
I wasn’t embarrassed to fangirl over her.
“I’ve followed you on YouTube since forever, and I’ve attempted at least ninety percent of your tutorials.
I nearly cried when you won your Oscar this year. ”
“Aww, thanks. That means the world to me.” A pink the color of Melody’s shirt flooded the apples of her cheeks. “So I take it you’re an aspiring makeup artist?”
“Actually, it’s more of a hobby for me.”
“Hey, that’s still cool. Have anything to show me?”
“Oh my God, of course. Hold on.” With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my camera roll until I found the picture of me from Halloween freshman year. “This one’s my favorite,” I said, handing her my cell.
“Oh, hey! This is from my evil mermaid tutorial. You did a kick-ass job!”
I could’ve died and gone to heaven right then. Melody Nguyen had complimented my work. “Thanks. I wish the line wasn’t so obvious where I attached the tentacle to my collarbone, but it was the first time I made my own prosthetic, and the edges turned out too thick.”
“Yeah, it’s always hard when you don’t spread the latex thin enough,” she said, nodding her head in agreement. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she glanced back at me. “Hey, I have one of my makeup kits with me. Want me to teach you a trick that will help with blending?”
“Holy hell, yes! That would be amazing.”