Autographs and Apologies

"You want to come? It's not going to be long."

Jane nodded. "I'm coming. I'm not going to leave you alone with three other guys! That's crazy."

"I'm coming too," Kale, one of my many other good friends, said. "I don't trust this Caleb guy."

Jane, Kale and I got inside my car; Jane sliding into the passenger seat. I took out the piece of napkin I saved and read the address. Inserting the address in the navigator, Jane was looking into the mirror.

The three of us were meeting up with Caleb and his band members at a pizza place. Since they were only in town for a gig, Caleb's place was thirty minutes away.

"Oh, you know, Caleb used to be part of James's--"

”Don’t say the name.”

“Oh shut up, Esme,” Jane snapped, smacking her lips with chapstick. “Caleb used to be part of Jame's band. But that was a while ago when they were in middle school. That was back in Minnesota. They broke up because James had to move here.”

Straying my eyes away from the road, I stared at Jane in shock. “What? How do you know that?!”

She shrugged casually. “He mentioned it in homeroom once and please, watch where you’re driving. You almost killed a squirrel.”

I turned back and slowed down the street. “And how do you even know what Caleb looks like? How did you even know?"

"Facebook. The acts of having mutual friends, babe."

"What was the band’s name? Thundershock?” I snickered.

“He didn’t mention it. What did it say?”

Jane looked at the navigator, her eyes trailing the arrow of what’s supposed to be our car.

“It said to make a next right turn,” Kale responded, staring out the window.

I sighed in relief. “Thanks, Kale.”

The ride didn't take more than another twenty minutes until we found a small pizzeria at the street called Livington.

We stepped outside of the car and went inside.

Caleb was wearing a Pierce the Veil shirt and black plaid skinnies which he looked, and I must say, really nice in. I swore Jane almost drooled. Kale surveyed him up and down as Caleb cocked one eyebrow at him.

"Glad you guys could make it. Hope you like pepperoni," Caleb flashed a smile.

The four of us padded across the linoleum floor and found two of the most adorable looking guys sitting in front of us. Guys eating cheesy pizza never looked so fucking adorable.

"Holy shit Kale, I'm going to die. They're so cute," I squeaked, clutching on his sleeve. He rolled his eyes.

"Hi, I'm Kale. I like to play to keyboard," he announced to the guys awkwardly. He cleared his throat and nudged his elbow into my ribs. I'm serious, I was dying of embarrassment. I tossed a glance at Jane and saw her staring at the two boys.

"Which one is Esme?" A guy with red hair and adoring green eyes asked, setting down his pizza on his paper plate and wiping his hands on his pants. Oh my god, he's even dirty.

"I am," I said, stepping forward. "This is Jane, my other friend who is momentarily speechless by your gorgeous faces."

She glared at me.

"I'm Paul," the red-haired prince laughed.

"And I'm Kevin," the blond prince grinned.

In all honesty, I wanted them out of their pants right then and there but I tried to play cool. Playing cool was always the smart thing to do.

"I heard you guys knew James...?" I began, taking a seat near Caleb at the table. He was standing near the stove, scratching his head.

"Yeah," he replied. "James and I used to have a band."

"Why come all the way here, though?" I asked. Surely he wasn't looking for him when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were obviously off in some tour or whatever.

"We have a gig downtown at Morris," Kevin responded. "But we kind of got in an argument of some stupid things and Pete, our singer, left."

"So we're just kind of hanging around right now," Caleb said, taking a sip of his soda. He scratched his forehead, sighing and then looking up at me.

"You can sing, right?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, I'm not that--"

"Just give it a try."

I looked around. A few other people were minding their own business, eating their food. I loved to sing but never in public. I never tried out for a Talent Show or a musical at school so only Jane and Kale knew of my voice.

"We're at a pizzeria," I said nervously. "I don't want to, not now and not here, anyway."

"Come on, Esme. I've heard you before. You're amazing," Jane pressed.

Everyone looked at me, waiting. Paul nodded. "Go ahead. If you turn out to be what Jane said, then you'll have to get used to singing in front of people."

I bit down my lip and breathed in deep. "Here goes nothing."

I've already decided what song to sing before. It was kind of embarrassing, but I loved it.

"Please refrain-
Cause I can't take your
Your constructive criticism anymore
What the hell have you been building anyways?
Between you and me?
Just a barricade,
I gotta say

I can do so much better than this
I know I know
I took the easy road again
And as for sellin' myself short
I have become notorious
Oh I know how it goes
This is the part where I realize that I'm alone

You always told me to be mature
Well I just don't know myself anymore
What's the point of bein grown up anyways?
So I can be like you?
And give it all away?
I got to say..."

I stopped and looked up, feeling every eye in the place on me. Caleb, Kevin, and Paul's mouths were wide open of shock. I took this nervously.

"Alright, don't say anything. I know--"

"Holy shit, you're a fucking natural." Kevin said.

My mouth now opened in shock. "Wait, what?"

"That was amazing," Paul exclaimed. "What the hell, you could even be better than that Lady Gaga."

"I told you!" Jane squealed as Kale patted me on the back. She pulled me into a hug and I saw Caleb's smile widened.

"Good job, girly. You're now our new vocalist."

I smiled back.