Book of you and i when t.., p.3
Book of You & I: When Two Souls Collide, page 3
“I can take up close, and you do the sides since you have a better eye for those angles.”
“Then let’s make sure we have the right settings for their light show; don’t want to interfere with what they already have.”
“Sí,” she agrees.
Let the show begin…
“It wanted to be wanted, but no one else could see.” ~ Stage 1: Naivety, Alexandra Kessler.
MAIA – NEW YORK
PEOPLE ARE POURING IN, filling up all the seats. Damn, I guess the band’s more popular than we thought. Or maybe people just like music…
The stage is built on one of the far corners, raised with a platform, leaving more space for the audience. It’s the perfect size for just the band, so people have space for dancing in front of it. The stage’s lights perfectly match the ambiance: a mix of red, orange, and a little blue, setting the mood.
I’m taking a couple of shots by the stage before they start playing when Scott kneels toward me.
Too close, dude, way too close.
“Umm, hi?” I ask, adding an exasperated sigh for the drama.
“Are you prepared to see me in action? It’s the best thing you’ll ever see, darling,” he says with a cocky look on his face.
This dude is as smug as they come. “Sure, honey, whatever you say.” I give him my best fake smile. “You know what? Here.” I hand him a stick of mint gum. “You need it more than I do.”
He scoffs while taking it, and I nudge his face away from mine. He didn’t have bad breath, but I had to bring his ego down a notch.
The lights over the audience dim just as he takes his place with the rest of the band, letting us know the concert is starting. The announcer introduces the band, and they immediately begin with “Twisted;” I remember it from the drive over. What’s different from how I remember it is that, while Scott’s singing, the music hasn’t started yet.
I turn to Ollie, confused about what’s happening. Maybe this is a special version for when they sing live? Then, in a split second, everything comes to life, and the lights switch from a soft blue to a deep, all-encompassing navy. The guitar comes in along with the beat of the drums, and Layla beautifully harmonizes with Scott’s voice.
I snap pictures of everything, from Drew flipping his drumsticks to Brandon on the guitar and throwing in some sick chords. I focus on Scott for a second, and as much as I hate to admit it, he’s one talented asshole. And in that exact second, he looks into my camera and flips it off.
Not gonna lie...that’s one cool-ass shot. Damn, here I am, complimenting this jerk in my head. If he could hear me now, I’m pretty sure I’d never hear the end of it.
I move over to Brandon and Layla’s side and swear I can see sparkles in his eyes. Following his stare, I turn around and spot Ollie. And, of course, it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t try to annoy and embarrass her. I approach her as she takes faraway shots of the stage and audience.
“Hey, you know what angles would look great? The left side.” I nod over to Brandon playing the guitar.
She gives me a questioning look, not buying my weak excuse. Not like I was trying to be subtle. “I’ll go, but only because I like that spot,” Ollie says.
“Are you sure? No other reason?” I nudge her arm.
She shoves me away and sticks out her tongue but goes to him anyway. And it would be a waste if I didn’t take advantage of this situation. They’re stealing glances at each other, with Ollie holding back smiles and blushes. I take the opportunity to snap a couple of pictures of them; they look so adorable.
It’s only the first day, and she already has a love interest.
After a couple of songs we don’t recognize, they play “Restless,” the first one we heard in the car. Ollie looks at me, wide-eyed: that’s the one. And I have to admit that they’re pretty good, especially Scott.
I shake my head as soon as his name pops into my thoughts, not giving him the satisfaction of proving him right, even if it’s just in my mind.
Okay, but he doesn’t know what I’m thinking anyway.
I focus on taking pictures instead of on the song, acting as if I’m indifferent to Scott’s, let’s face it, undeniable talent. But in reality, I’m enjoying these vibes and the mood, letting my body sway to the rhythm.
A whole week of this? I am definitely not complaining.
∞
“Woo-hoo, let’s go celebrate! We’re in the city that never sleeps, my peeps.” Drew slings an arm around Layla, drumsticks in hand.
“Yes, please, let’s go out and do something fun,” she agrees, clapping her hands.
Olivia walks up next to me. “Yeah, sure. But we need to leave our stuff somewhere first, no?”
“Of course, no problem. Where are you guys staying?” Brandon asks after placing his guitar back in the case.
“Yes, good question. Where are we staying, Sam?” I raise my eyebrows at him.
“Umm, about that. Do any of you have any spare rooms the girls can use?” he asks with a guilty look.
“Dude, did you seriously forget to find them a place to stay?” Brandon asks Sam, looking at him as if he lost his head.
“Oops?” Sam shrugs. “Technically, it’s not my fault. It’s just a misunderstanding with the owners.”
“First time in New York, and the day keeps getting better by the second.” I sigh.
“What?! It’s your first time here?” Layla gapes at me.
Didn’t I just say that? Whatever, it’s too soon to burden her with my sarcastic remarks.
“Aha, the first time.” I give her a tight smile.
“We would offer our place, but we’re already cramped in Layla’s sister’s apartment. She also lives with a roommate. I mean, I’m not complaining, but we have no space left. Sorry, girls.” Drew gives us an apologetic smile.
I turn to Ollie, frowning. Are they a couple or something?
Layla catches our stares. “Oh, no, no, we’re cousins! And Drew’s sleeping on the floor like the pig he is, just FYI.”
“Ahhhh,” we say and laugh at the same time.
“Okay, fine, listen. My parents are out of town vacationing at their lakehouse,” Scott sighs reluctantly. “Brandon and Sam are already staying with me, so might as well lend the girls a room. But no funny business!” he says in a fake serious voice.
We both quickly look at Brandon and Ollie. I guess I’m not the only one sensing their chemistry.
Sam coughs, getting our attention. “Should we get going?”
“Okay, yeah… Let’s do that, and you can settle in before we decide on a plan for tonight.” Brandon claps his hands.
“Well, since we all came in my van, and we’re not staying in the same places, Sam, can you take Scott and Brandon with you too?” Drew chimes in.
“Do you think they’ll fit? I mean, you have all your bags with you,” Layla asks with genuine concern.
“The bags are in the trunk, so space is not a problem.” Sam shrugs. “It’s a new Jeep, one of the latest models with extra space. Perfect for traveling, you know.”
“Okay, GEICO, thanks for the ad,” Scott mumbles, but we all hear him and laugh at his comment.
“Could we skip to the end when we finally get in the car?” I add to the joke, making us laugh harder.
As we leave through the back entrance and walk to the cars, I turn to Ollie. “Lakehouse?! This dude has to be rich-rich,” I mutter under my breath.
“I know, right? Who even has that kind of money, anyway?” she whispers back.
“Remember how to get there?” I overhear Scott ask Sam.
“Umm, no, I don’t even remember the last time I visited.”
We pile into the car: Scott sits in the passenger seat, Brandon sits behind Sam, Ollie stays in the middle, and I get stuck behind Scott. Lucky me.
We leave the parking lot, and Scott plugs in his phone. “You guys don’t mind, right? Pretty sure I have the best taste.”
We scoff at his comment. It will certainly be a long week. “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” by Arctic Monkeys starts playing. Well, damn, he does have good taste. He starts singing along, hand-drumming the beats on the dashboard. By the chorus, we all join in and hum along.
I rest my head against the window as the music keeps playing, and I feel like I’m in one of those cheesy movie scenes. It’s too cliché for me. But I can’t help it; New York is a beautiful city—The lights, the streets, everybody focusing on living life.
I can see how people would either love it or hate it here, though I’m pretty sure I’ll love it. Then I realize I’ll be spending a week here with my best friend, and I can’t help but smile. I catch a glimpse of Ollie and Brandon talking and acting shyly toward each other. I mean, that’s fair; we all just met.
A call comes in on Scott’s phone, the loud ringtone making us jump. “Sorry guys, I’ll turn it down,” he says with a wince. “Hey, Layla, what’s up? You’re on speaker.”
“Oh, okay. Hi, everyone!” Layla’s chirpy voice echoes in the car. “My sister’s roommate told me about a party at one of her friend’s apartments. She lives in a super chill building, and they’re always throwing the best rooftop parties. Wanna come?”
“That sounds great. Thank you!” Ollie answers for all of us after we nod in agreement. “Count us in.”
“Cool, text us the address.” Scott hangs up before Layla can say anything else. What the hell, dude? Rude.
Okay, but this seems like a fun idea. A free rock concert we’ll get paid for attending and an after-party? It’s the perfect first night in the city.
“Turn right here. It’ll be the first one on the right.”
Scott points out through the window as Sam drives down the street, the buildings getting taller and fancier, each with a concierge standing outside their doors.
Chapter Two
“I can fall for you in a minute. Thousand promises in that time limit.” ~ Lovesick, Alexandra Kessler.
OLIVIA – NEW YORK
WE PULL UP IN FRONT OF A TALL BUILDING, cream-colored with marble details on the door and a red marquee canopy with the building’s name written in gold. If this is how it looks from the outside, I can only imagine the inside.
It’s not what I pictured when Scott mentioned his parents’ place. Is this what it means to “not judge a book by its cover?”
“You can use my dad’s spot in the underground lot.” Scott points to a gate. Sam pulls in, and we quickly leave the car after parking.
The guys offer to help with our bags, and Maia leans into me, whispering, “I knew they’d be rich-rich.”
“I know, right?”
We enter the lobby, and I can’t describe how beautiful it is. Maia and I must look ridiculous with our mouths hanging open, admiring the details surrounding us: white marble walls, crystal-clear windows, and white furniture with gold accents. I’ve never in my life seen a lobby so elegant.
I don’t realize I’m zoning out until the elevator dings, and Brandon calls from where he’s already waiting inside. “Are you guys coming or what?”
We don’t even get a chance to answer before Scott says, “Come on, move it.” He pushes the button for the 20th floor and inserts a key. I turn to Maia, both of us in shock.
Sam notices our reactions. “Yeah, they live in the penthouse. Just wait for it.”
The doors open directly into the apartment. I cannot believe my eyes: white furniture, gold and marble decorative pieces, hardwood floors, a gorgeous spiral staircase, and a wall of windows overlooking the New York skyline. This apartment is breathtaking.
“Quick tour. That’s the living room area, the kitchen is to the left, rooms upstairs, and outside to the far right, we have a small pool with a barbecue. And…that’s it.” Scott shrugs.
“That’s it? I thought there would be more to it.” Maia lifts her eyebrows while looking around the apartment, not trying to hide her sarcasm.
“Yes, there is; thank you for reminding me. We also have a hot tub next to the pool,” Scott says with an unimpressed tone.
Oh my, anything else you want to add?
“Maia and Olivia, you can stay in the guest bedroom. It’s the first one to the left. You two can use Dufus’s room, and I’ll stay in mine; I don’t want to touch anything of my parents.” Scott leads us upstairs and points to each room before going straight to his. Well, this is a man on a mission.
“Who’s Dufus?” Maia asks.
“Oh, that’s his little brother. He lives with us back in Ocean City,” Sam answers as we enter their room.
As we all walk into ours, Brandon calls out, “Oh, Scott. We forgot to call N–”
We close the door before we hear him finish. He wasn’t talking to us anyway.
Immediately after, we jump up and down. “Oh, my God, Maia, this is amazing! Can you believe we’re staying here?!” I hug her as I scream out. “This will be the best week ever.”
“What the hell? No way it’s real! I’m about to pinch myself,” Maia squeals. “Thank you, nerdy Sam!”
I try shushing her, but it’s too late. Sam opens the door slowly as soon as the words leave her mouth.
“Umm, I just came to see if you need anything…” He trails off. Well, this is awkward.
We try to play it cool, as if we weren’t jumping around like little girls just now.
“Nope. We’re good, Sam, thanks for asking; just excited to be here.” I stretch my arms in front of me.
Yeah, right. Real cool, Ollie.
“Great, then. Meet us downstairs in thirty?” He still looks confused, a frown on his forehead.
“Yep, no problem!”
He closes the door, and as soon as he leaves, we look at each other and burst out laughing.
∞
I’m finishing my makeup, standing in front of the bathroom mirror while Maia fixes her hair. I check the time and notice the 30 minutes are up, so we grab our purses and head downstairs.
As we reach the bottom of the stairs, Scott dramatically struts down, taking his sweet time right after us.
“Took you long enough. Were you getting ready for your beauty pageant, princess?” Sam fake-bows to Scott.
“You know I had to make an entrance.” Scott shrugs and fixes his collar. “Y’all ready to go?”
We agree and pile into the elevator, standing silently as we descend to the parking lot. Once by the car, Brandon gets ahead of me and opens the door, smiling as he motions for me to slide in and then get in behind me. Am I blushing?
“Did Layla send you the address?” Sam asks Scott.
“Yeah, it’s only half an hour away.”
“So, we know Sam from high school, but how did you meet?”
“We’re friends from college, but Scott and I met at a music camp the year before. We stayed in contact and studied music together,” Brandon answers.
“And how did you two meet Sam?”
“Right, well, we met him at a frat party freshman year. He was living with his parents while Scott and I stayed in the dorms. Flash forward to sophomore year. Sam told us he was moving out, and we decided to get an apartment together. Scott’s brother has also moved in to finish high school since we had a spare bedroom. What about you girls?”
“Come to think of it, you two were always very close in high school,” Sam adds, looking in the mirror.
Maia and I look at each other. “Well, that’s a funny story,” she says as she smiles.
“We’ve known each other since birth, more or less. Our moms have been best friends for almost three decades, and they’re practically joined at the hip. So, we grew up together.” I smile back at her.
“We’re like those cliché stories in romantic comedies.” Maia’s grin widens. “Minus the romance.” The car fills with laughter, drowning out what I assume is a crude comment from Scott.
I rest my head on her shoulder as they turn on the music and enjoy the view out the car window. Bright lights, big and flashy signs, people-filled streets, and food carts on every corner—everything that makes New York the best city on Earth.
Twenty minutes later, we arrive at the party, and the music is so loud that we can hear it inside the car.
We’re definitely not in Maryland anymore… The Wizard of Oz, get it? No? Okay, moving on.
“Hey, dude, we’re here. Who’s letting us in?” we hear Scott say on the phone. “Okay, cool. We’ll wait.” He hangs up. “That was Drew. Layla’s coming to get us.”
After a couple of minutes, she walks out to us. “Hi guys, I’m so glad you made it!” Layla pulls us into a hug.
A few long seconds later, she lets us go, and we enter the building, taking the elevator straight to the rooftop.
We haven’t been to this kind of party in a long time. Maia and I go out sometimes, but not college-party style. At least not for some time…
The doors open, and it looks like your typical fraternity party: red cups everywhere, people dancing, beer pong, and more people scattered around talking.
“Hey, meet my sister Dani and her roommate, Ronnie,” Layla says. “These are Ollie and Maia, our new photographers.”
She and her sister look very alike, and I would’ve guessed they’re related even if no one told me. Ronnie is a stark contrast to them with her curly hair and dark complexion.
“It’s so nice to meet you. Layla hasn’t stopped talking about you two.” Ronnie offers us her hand.
“Aww, thanks! It was very nice of you to invite us tonight.” I say, shaking her hand.
“Yes, it already looks like so much fun.” Maia shakes it too.
“Well, the drinks are on the kitchen island, and you can use the chairs by the ledges if you’d like to chill.” She smiles at us, and we smile back. “Great, so we’ll see you around. Have fun!” Dani and Ronnie show us around before moving on to enjoy the party.
“Where’s Drew?” Scott asks.
“He’s playing beer pong. You should join him; he’s missing his lucky charm.” Layla points him to the table.
“Lucky charm?” I ask Scott.
“Let’s just say I’ve never lost a game before.” He smiles smugly before walking over to Drew.
