Chapter 18 #2
“I’ve been sober for weeks, Scott. Nothing’s going to change that. Besides, Danny swore the accident made them all wake up,” I insisted. “They’re not here to start any trouble. They just wanted to see me. They missed me.”
Scott stood studying me silently. “Okay.” He looked around us before coming back to me. “Think they can eat?”
It was a start.
Scott followed me out to the porch where the boys were waiting nervously. Danny stood the most erect and serious—or as serious as he could be.
“Scott, this is Danny, Ian, and Jack. My friends,” I said as I gestured to the guys. “Guys, this is my father, Scott.”
Danny stepped up first to shake hands with Scott, and then Jack and Ian followed.
“Nice to meet you,” Scott said. He stole a glance my way. “Any friend of Saylor’s is always welcome.”
A huge sigh of relief passed through my lips and I relaxed, my shoulders lowering as I looked to Danny with a small smile.
Quickly we all developed a system; Scott and Jack were on grill duty, while Ian, Danny, and I gathered all the other items and set up on Scott’s back patio. The smell of charcoal and smoke filled the air as Scott set up his speakers, making me anticipate the food.
“No way that music room is real,” Ian said as he stood in the doorway in shock.
Scott was humble, giving a small smile. “It’s sort of a hobby of mine.”
“Nice.” Ian grinned. “You play everything?”
“Every piece.” Now Scott spoke with pride. He’d earned it, too. I was still waiting to hear him sing, something he seemed shy about.
“Sweet.” Ian settled down at the patio table.
Danny set a bowl of potato salad out on top as Jack came from the grill with the first tray of hot dogs. They were perfect, not too burnt with immaculate sear marks.
I didn’t hesitate to pluck one up. The boys liked their hot dogs covered in the works; me, I was a plain jane. Although somedays I didn’t mind mustard.
“Dreux coming through?” Scott asked me as he popped the lid on a bottle of beer.
Dreux. I wanted him to get to know Danny and the others, but not at the expense of getting him in trouble with Chucky or Angela.
Still, I grabbed my phone and shot him a text just in case.
Me
Scott has plenty of burgers and hot dogs here if you want to stop by
Dreux
Thanks. I’ll grab something when I get off
Dreux
Everything good?
Me
Yes! Scott is being super chill. They’re actually tag teaming the grill
Dreux
See! Nothing to worry about, Billie Eilish
A smile took over my face.
Stupid. Hot. Freckled-faced boy.
“Hey, Saylor?” Danny was standing and staring my way. He tipped his head to the side. “Can we talk?”
I put my phone down and stood and dusted myself off before following Danny over to the fence that separated Scott’s yard from his other neighbor’s.
Danny looked back at the table before focusing down at me. “You good here?”
After everything, it wasn’t even a lie to admit I liked it here.
That I was accustomed to the little routine set up of school, work, and building friendships with the girls.
And now this thing with Dreux. “Yeah. It was a rough start. I got in a little trouble staying out with my other friend Bonham, but now, I think things are settled.”
“Bonham?” Danny repeated curiously.
It was strange when I thought about it. Before, it would’ve made sense to the guys my friendship or more with Bonham. He was all I ever liked in LA. Now, here I was crushing on a baseball star who stayed inside the lines.
“He’s this guy from school. He has a shit reputation, but he’s a really good guy,” I explained. “We hung out late one night and I didn’t call or come home and Scott flipped out.”
Danny peered over at Scott. “What’s his story?”
Even if I was still getting to know Scott, I felt protective of him. I cared about him. “He made a mistake and fucked up. He’s just trying to make it right.”
Danny watched me. “You want that?”
The old me, the stubborn me, would’ve brushed the thought of my father off.
But there was no denying the warmth in my chest whenever I found something in common with Scott.
The way I liked the reality that my father was pretty fucking cool.
It didn’t erase the past, but he was here now and he was trying.
“Yes,” I said softly. “I like having a father. Especially one like Scott.”
Sensing the touchiness of the subject, Danny stepped closer and offered me a hug. “As long as you’re happy and safe, Say. We’re all just a phone call away.”
I clung close to him. “I don’t know if I’m coming back. I like it here, but I miss my mom and you guys.”
Danny pulled away and jabbed my shoulder, giving me a half smile. God, we were such saps. “Miss you more.” He stared off at the others before coming back to me. “But this feels like you’ve found your place. Like you were meant to be here. You seem grounded.”
“I am. I got a job at Dreux’s mom’s salon. She’s kinda intense so that helps,” I joked. Angela, like Scott, was someone you didn’t want to piss off. I could tell from our first interaction. I was hoping in time she’d lighten up and warm up to me. Especially if things went somewhere with Dreux.
“Dreux, huh?” Danny said, a brow raised. “What’s up with that? Since when do you hang out with the captain of the football team?”
To that I had to laugh. There was no mistaking Dreux for anything other than an athlete, even if he was deeper into music and knew Hemingway quotes. “He plays baseball, actually, smartass.”
“Still.” Danny shrugged. “Since when has that been your thing?”
Since I was obsessed with the way he looked at me. The way he touched me. Since he was different than everyone else. “I didn’t plan on it happening, but it did. He’s not like the guys I’m used to. He’s nice, good, sweet.”
Danny being Danny didn’t look swayed. Not after Kevin. But he was just protective that way. “Good guys can break hearts, too. So be careful.” He tugged me close one final time. “If he hurts you, I’ll kick his ass.”
I only smiled because something deep down told me Dreux wasn’t the hurting type, even if it was a big risk getting involved with him.
Scott was placing a tray of burgers on the table when we joined them.
I grabbed my hot dog and sat next to Jack.
“You in a band, Scott?” Danny wanted to know.
“I play bass in a Pink Floyd cover band,” Scott responded. He helped himself to a burger, choosing beef, and adding cheese and condiments.
Ian raised his can of soda in solidarity. “Pink Floyd’s the shit!”
“Any original bands?” Danny wondered.
“I’ve been in a few,” Scott mentioned. “The very first one was a punk band.”
Jack chuckled. “It’s always a punk band.”
“Always a punk band,” Scott agreed with no shame. “It’s a rite of passage. When you’re young you think you know everything.”
None of us could argue that. At times we all felt we knew what we were doing despite our parents’ best efforts to guide us.
“Any of you play?” Scott asked next.
Jack laughed and Ian and Danny followed suit.
“Nah, we’re just admirers,” Jack spoke up. “Ian’s got an acoustic, but it’s more a prop than anything.”
Ian threw a potato chip at Jack who simply caught it in his mouth.
The act made us all laugh.
“Saylor’s been singing a bit,” Scott announced. He reached over and squeezed my arm. “Been teaching her a thing or two on the piano, as well.”
The boys looked my way and I blushed. Feeling all things shy about my new hobby. We’d all loved music since forever, but there was something vulnerable about actually going out and singing. Even if they were covers.
“Shit, Say’s about to become the next pop princess,” Jack teased.
“Oh, fuck off,” I shot back, unable not to flip him off. And then, I turned to Scott. “Sorry.”
He was too busy laughing and shaking his head. He playfully wagged his finger at me. “Language.”
And then my friends were back asking Scott a ton of questions about his band and his instruments.
I sat there beside him, happily eating and drinking in his stories. Feeling a sense of pride as my father had my friends entranced by tales of his own youth.