19. Alex
NINETEEN
Alex
I ’ve been keeping a secret from Opal, and it’s eating away at me. The day after prom my video kept racking up views and comments. It got shared several times on other platforms, too. A guy that owns a bar in Austin messaged me saying he’s been looking for new artists to play there, and that I “fit the vibe perfectly”, whatever that means. After chatting on the phone with him and agreeing to a time and date, I’m scheduled to play at Barnett’s next Friday.
I’m a little bit worried about how she’ll take the news. On one hand she may be thrilled for me, she’s always been my number one supporter, the main reason I even bother following my dreams at all.
But part of me has always wondered if she’d feel jealous if I ever played for other people at venues and stuff. I remember the night that I played for everyone at Brooke’s party years ago. We were younger, and things between us were a bit weird at the time, but I can’t shake the flicker of jealousy and discomfort I noticed in her eyes before she escaped to the bathroom.
I pull into her driveway and watch as she locks her front door and makes her way to my car. She’s so fucking beautiful. She’s wearing a white t-shirt that reveals a tiny sliver of her stomach, and cut off blue jeans that show off her long, tan legs. Her ashy hair is pulled into a ponytail held up with a yellow ribbon, and a pair of round sunglasses cover her eyes.
“Hey,” Opal kisses me on the cheek before buckling her seatbelt. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
“What are you so happy about?”
I guess the dumb grin from earlier is still evident on my face. I put the car in reverse and start to back out of her driveway. “One of my videos went semi-viral last week.”
Her brows crinkle on top of her head in the cute way they always do when she’s surprised. “No way? That’s amazing.”
“Yeah. A bar owner in Austin found it somehow, I guess he saw that I’m from Texas and he asked me if I’d be interested in playing a set at his bar sometime.”
She places her sunglasses on top of her head, and her blue eyes are wide with surprise and adoration. “For real?!” Her perfect smile lights up her face, and my anxiety quickly fades away. I don’t know why I was even nervous.
“Yeah, I told him I would.”
“Oh my gosh!” She grabs my leg. “This is crazy, I’m so happy for you.”
“You’re cool with it?” I glance from the road over to her.
“Of course, this is amazing, Alex.” She sits back in her seat with a smile still plastered to her face. “I told you you’d be the next big thing. Remember when I said that?”
The memory floats through my mind and a smile stretches over my face. “Yeah. So, will you come with me?”
“You want me to come with you? To the bar?”
“Of course, I do. I need you there. You’re my muse, bluebird.”
I glance over at her again and watch as a blush creeps up her cheeks and a smile colors her face. “I’ll come with you.”