LEVI WAS HERE

Friday, 8:30 P.M.

“Mom? What are you doing here?” I was going for utter surprise, with a twist of panic. I even threw in a hand to the chest, for effect. “Is everything okay?”

Mom looked relieved when she spotted us. “Girls!” I could barely hear her over the music. She’d changed into a rumpled black suit dress, and her hair was pulled back in a lopsided ponytail. “Everything’s fine. I’m here for work. To interview that kid, I suppose.” She squinted at the stage. “Apparently, he requested us at the last minute.”

“Cool.” Stevie nodded, her lips pinched into a thin line. “He’s totally a big deal.”

“And he’s doing this show for free? Charity, or something?” Mom shot me a quizzical glance. “I thought Gravity was supposed to play.”

I leaned in and gave Mom a kiss on the cheek, pretending not to hear. “So what about Gabe?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been trying to call, but his cell’s going straight to voice mail.” Up close, Mom looked exhausted, all her sparkle from earlier gone. The tiny lines at the corners of her mouth were deeper than usual. Even her auburn bob had lost its sheen. “If we can do the interview in the next ten minutes or so, I can still make it.”

“Oh,” I said. “Good.” I eyed Stevie warily. With Levi only playing one song, there was the distinct possibility that Mom could finish the interview and get to Gabe in time for his high-altitude love proclamation. I crossed my fingers for an encore. “So let’s wait inside. It’s quieter in there.”

I nudged everyone into Silverstein and closed the door, muffling the screaming crowd.

“Oh. Jankowitz. This is Stevie, by the way.” I leaned against the closest locker. The chill of the metal sent icy shivers down my spine.

“What’s up?” Stevie nodded.

Jankowitz grunted a hello. He never really said much, but I’d always liked him. He’d produced news segments all over the world, and had met, like, thirteen world leaders. Once he told me that at a White House Correspondents’ Dinner, he’d caught Clinton picking an atomic wedgie after the salad course.

“I wonder what’s going on with your dad’s phone?” Mom looked to Stevie before she tapped her touch screen and pressed it to her ear. “Nothing.” She shook her head.

“Dunno.” Stevie shrugged. “He’s pretty irresponsible. Maybe he just turned it off and forgot about y—”

I elbowed her sharply in the ribs.

Mom turned to Jankowitz. “You’re sure he requested us specifically, Bob? Can’t we get one of the entertainment reporters out here?”

“Sorry, Sterling. Kid wants you, apparently.”

“I don’t have the slightest idea why.” Mom closed her eyes for a few beats. Her mouth turned down at the corners.

Jankowitz shrugged. His potbelly heaved upward, then settled over his belt again. “This is gonna be pretty good for ratings, though. I hear the kid’s pretty popular.”

“That’s great, Mom!” I said brightly, squeezing her arm. “You can always use good ratings, right?”

“I guess there’s always a bright side.” Mom tried a smile. “I just…” She looked down at her cell again, then shook her head and dropped it in her purse.

The noise level swelled again, and I looked up to see Zander shoving through the door. Traces of sweat darkened his T-shirt, and his face was flushed. “Levi Stone,” he said. “Here? On my stage?”

“Can you believe it?” I grinned. “It’s so—” My voice caught in my throat as I watched Zander’s face. Instead of lighting up, it darkened.

“Well, hey there, Zander,” Mom said warmly.

“Hey, Ms. Simon. What are you doing here?” Zander’s steel eyes acknowledged Mom, then settled on me again. He shook his head. My body went hot. What was going on? Why wasn’t he excited?

“We’re here for Levi,” Mom said. “But off the top of my head, I can think of a few other musicians I’d rather be watching up there.”

“Yeah, me, too,” Zander said coldly, without taking his eyes off me. “Can I talk to you for a sec? In there?” He jerked his head toward the nearest classroom. “It’s about band stuff.”

I looked to Mom, then Stevie. Stevie took a step back.

“Go ahead,” Mom said. “I’ll be right here, I’m sure.” She glanced down at her watch, a worried look in her eye.

“ ’Kay.” My voice sounded shaky. I followed Zander silently down the hall, staring at the purple polish on my toes. He threw open the classroom door, not bothering to flick the light switch on the wall before he turned on me.

“Tell me you didn’t do this. Tell me this wasn’t your idea, Kacey.”

“What are you talking about? It’s Levi Stone!” I kicked the door closed. Inside the classroom, the air was stale and smelled like chalk dust. “I thought you’d be happy!”

“Happy that some famous guy stole my set?”

“Okay. First of all? It’s not your set. It’s ours. And second, he’s not taking the whole set. He’s just here to play one song!”

Zander stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned his back to me. “Wrong,” he spat. “Everybody loves the dude. They don’t wanna see Gravity up there! We’ll get booed off the stage!”

My stomach twisted into a knot. I hadn’t even considered that. “I thought it would be good publicity,” I whispered. “Can’t we just go out there when he breaks and tell him we want to play?”

Suddenly, he spun around and slammed his palm against the desk. I jumped back. I’d never seen him this angry before. Not even when I’d ditched the band to star in the middle school musical.

“Tell him we want to play?” His laugh was bitter. “What is this, elementary school? I can’t believe you did this, Kacey. I can’t believe you screwed us over on purpose.”

“But I—” The room swam in my field of vision. “I didn’t mean—”

“You did mean to. Nobody asked you to bring this guy in here! You wrecked our big shot.” Zander pushed past me, knocking me into the desk.

“Zander! Wait!”

“Okay.” Stevie opened the door just as Zander reached for the knob. “What’s going on with you guys?”

“Oh, please. Don’t play dumb.” Zander was almost shouting. “I knew the two of you were up to something. You’ve been acting weird all day. I can’t even—I gotta get out of here. And don’t expect me onstage for the rest of the night.” He stormed out without even looking at me.

I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. “I don’t get it,” I finally managed. “Doesn’t he know I didn’t mean to… I didn’t think…”

“He’ll be fine.” Stevie hung by the door, looking unconvinced. “But I think your mom’s about to leave. She says she thinks she can make it if she goes now.”

“What? How could you let that happen?” I slid off the desk.

“So now it’s my fault your mom’s desperate?”

“Uh, yeah. My mom’s desperate for your dad. Please.” Focus, Simon. Stevie was right. I could fix things with Zander later. But for now, the most important thing was keeping Mom away from Gabe. I led Stevie back into the hall, my heart thumping in my chest.

“Everything all right?” Mom asked when we reappeared. “Zander looked upset.”

“Fine,” I said, as breezily as I could manage. “We just couldn’t agree on which songs we wanted to play later. That’s all.”

“Okay, then.” Her auburn brows arched. “Well, I think I’m going to try to catch Gabe.”

“Wait.” I reached out and grabbed her arm. “What about the interview?”

“Jankowitz offered to do it.”

“Oh. Great.” I glared at Jankowitz, who was too busy picking at a patch of dried mustard from his tie to pay attention. “Only don’t you think you should do the interview, since Levi asked for you specifically?”

Mom glanced at the door, then back at her producer. “What do you think, Bob?”

“Go on, Sterling. Before I change my mind.” Jankowitz whacked her awkwardly on the shoulder. “Have a good time.”

I narrowed my eyes at Stevie.

“But—” I started.

“Okay! I’m going!” Mom was suddenly beaming beneath the fluorescent lights.

“O-okay.” I didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t like I could stop her, thanks to a certain meddling middle-aged matchmaker.

“So go, then.” Jankowitz doubled over and hacked up a lung. “Get outta here.”

“I’m going!” Mom planted a rushed kiss on my cheek. “Don’t wait up!”

“DON’T EVER SAY THAT TO ME AGAIN,” I bellowed.

“Sorry! Here I go.” She waved and disappeared through the doors.

“Whatever. I’m gonna check on Zander,” Stevie said disgustedly. She followed in Mom’s footsteps, leaving Jankowitz and me alone in the hall.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!” I banged my fist against the locker until it throbbed.

“He makes her happy, you know that?” Jankowitz hiked up his pants. “In all the years we’ve worked together, I’ve never seen her this happy. Remember that, kiddo, the next time you beat up a locker.”

When he left, I pressed my forehead against the locker, the cool metal doing nothing to soothe my pounding head. How had everything gone so wrong, so quickly?

“Kacey?” I heard the click of the door behind me and turned.

“Hey, Paige.” Even my voice sounded hollow.

“What’s wrong with you?”

On any other night, I would have turned the question back on her. Paige’s eyes were rimmed with pink, and her hair was matted to one side of her face like she’d just woken up and forgotten to brush it. Her clothes were wrinkled, and she kind of smelled like imitation cheese.

“I had a fight with Zander. I’m going home.”

Her eyes searched mine. “Good,” she said after a few seconds. “I don’t really want to be here, either. Can I spend the night?”

I gave her a small smile. It was the best I could do to thank her for not asking questions. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”