Static, Elliot wandered toward the pool in the backyard. He needed a breather, needed a second to figure things out. Well, that wasn’t true. There wasn’t anything to figure out. Danny was hot. Elliot was attracted to him. And he liked him so much already as a friend and as a guy he was attracted to. But Danny had a girlfriend. And he was straight. Besides, they were in Static together. Also a problem. Truth was, though, Elliot hadn’t felt so much for anyone since, well, since ever. He’d never been so gut-churningly, instantly attracted to anyone before. Why did he have to pick the absolute worst candidate for it? Danny was so far out of his league, so off-limits, and he was his friend, just like Tate, Webb, and Reece. Elliot wished he could feel the same about Danny as he did the other three. It would be so much easier.
The night wasn’t bad, balmy for midsummer. The breeze from the ocean helped. Elliot imagined he could almost hear the waves. They weren’t too far from the beach in the big house where they were filming. The backyard was nice too. A lot nicer than the yards in the middle-class suburb where he’d grown up. It had this huge pool and a ton of really nice lawn furniture. Elliot kicked his shoes off and rolled up the bottoms of his khakis before he sank down onto the ledge of the pool and stuck his feet in.
Sometimes he wondered when all of it would really sink in, when it would hit him that his life had totally changed. He wasn’t just Elliot Price from Palmdale anymore. He was… well, he wasn’t sure what he was. But it wasn’t the same kid he’d been a month before. That much was certain.
“You diggin’ the alone time, or can I sit?”
Elliot tipped his head up. It was Chris, the solo guitarist with the gorgeous moonlight voice and more talent than Elliot could ever imagine having. They’d all hung out that first night, but things had been so busy that he’d not gotten much chance to talk to him since. Chris had his guitar slung over his shoulder, like he had most of the times Elliot had seen him. He seemed like a cool guy. Elliot nodded.
“Hey, Chris. Sure. Have a seat.”
“You sure?”
Elliot nodded again. “Of course.”
Chris toed off his flip-flops and plopped down next to Elliot. He had on cargo shorts and a somewhat ratty T-shirt. His blond hair was in what seemed to be perpetual disarray, and he was smiling, which also seemed to be a permanent fixture. Elliot already liked him.
“What are you doing out here alone?” Chris asked. He propped his guitar on his thighs and strummed a few notes.
“Just relaxing. We had to do that video diary thing. I suck at being, I don’t know. Whatever it is.”
“On stage?” Chris asked with a slight laugh.
Elliot smiled at the irony, ’cause really if they succeeded, the stage was where they’d be for most of their time. “It’s different. I love singing, performing that way, you know, but it’s hard when I just have to sit there and talk. Who cares what I have to say?”
Chris looked Elliot up and down. “I’m guessing quite a few girls will care a lot about what you have to say. Especially after they hear you sing.”
Elliot chuckled, blushing. “Yeah, that’s what Danny said too.”
“Which one’s Danny again?”
“Auburn hair, green eyes, loud….”
Chris nodded knowingly. “Ahhh, yes. Him.”
“He’s hard to miss.” Elliot couldn’t help smiling. He tried to get rid of the smile, like it was too telling, like Chris would see the reason behind it.
“What’s on your schedule for tomorrow?” Chris asked.
They’d all received thick schedules for the week, including times for recording and interviews but also dumb stuff like games with the other members of the house. Elliot supposed that would be fun, make everything a little less serious. “I think we’re supposed to play volleyball with The Pixies tomorrow.” He rolled his eyes. “But in the afternoon we’re going to the studio. I’m excited
The night wasn’t bad, balmy for midsummer. The breeze from the ocean helped. Elliot imagined he could almost hear the waves. They weren’t too far from the beach in the big house where they were filming. The backyard was nice too. A lot nicer than the yards in the middle-class suburb where he’d grown up. It had this huge pool and a ton of really nice lawn furniture. Elliot kicked his shoes off and rolled up the bottoms of his khakis before he sank down onto the ledge of the pool and stuck his feet in.
Sometimes he wondered when all of it would really sink in, when it would hit him that his life had totally changed. He wasn’t just Elliot Price from Palmdale anymore. He was… well, he wasn’t sure what he was. But it wasn’t the same kid he’d been a month before. That much was certain.
“You diggin’ the alone time, or can I sit?”
Elliot tipped his head up. It was Chris, the solo guitarist with the gorgeous moonlight voice and more talent than Elliot could ever imagine having. They’d all hung out that first night, but things had been so busy that he’d not gotten much chance to talk to him since. Chris had his guitar slung over his shoulder, like he had most of the times Elliot had seen him. He seemed like a cool guy. Elliot nodded.
“Hey, Chris. Sure. Have a seat.”
“You sure?”
Elliot nodded again. “Of course.”
Chris toed off his flip-flops and plopped down next to Elliot. He had on cargo shorts and a somewhat ratty T-shirt. His blond hair was in what seemed to be perpetual disarray, and he was smiling, which also seemed to be a permanent fixture. Elliot already liked him.
“What are you doing out here alone?” Chris asked. He propped his guitar on his thighs and strummed a few notes.
“Just relaxing. We had to do that video diary thing. I suck at being, I don’t know. Whatever it is.”
“On stage?” Chris asked with a slight laugh.
Elliot smiled at the irony, ’cause really if they succeeded, the stage was where they’d be for most of their time. “It’s different. I love singing, performing that way, you know, but it’s hard when I just have to sit there and talk. Who cares what I have to say?”
Chris looked Elliot up and down. “I’m guessing quite a few girls will care a lot about what you have to say. Especially after they hear you sing.”
Elliot chuckled, blushing. “Yeah, that’s what Danny said too.”
“Which one’s Danny again?”
“Auburn hair, green eyes, loud….”
Chris nodded knowingly. “Ahhh, yes. Him.”
“He’s hard to miss.” Elliot couldn’t help smiling. He tried to get rid of the smile, like it was too telling, like Chris would see the reason behind it.
“What’s on your schedule for tomorrow?” Chris asked.
They’d all received thick schedules for the week, including times for recording and interviews but also dumb stuff like games with the other members of the house. Elliot supposed that would be fun, make everything a little less serious. “I think we’re supposed to play volleyball with The Pixies tomorrow.” He rolled his eyes. “But in the afternoon we’re going to the studio. I’m excited
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