The Saddest Song - By Susie Kaye Lopez Page 0,66
invited me. I hated to disappoint the girls but it couldn’t be helped. I didn’t mention it when I went into the shelter on Wednesday after school and it wasn’t until I was about to leave that Kara spoke up.
“You aren’t going to Max’s show, are you?” She didn’t even look my way as she said it, just kept measuring out dog food into a row of lined up bowls.
“I haven’t decided yet,” I said, sighing. It was no use trying to put anything past Kara.
“They just think you should hear the song he wrote about you.”
“Max writes a lot of songs, his lyrics could be about anything. They could be about a fictional relationship.”
“They aren’t,” she said, stopping to look me in the eyes.
“Damn it, Kara. So he wrote a song about me, so what? It doesn’t mean anything is going to change, it doesn’t mean we will suddenly fall into each other’s arms.”
“Do you want that to happen?”
No sense lying to a psychic, I just gave in and said, “More than anything.”
“This is going to decide your future with Max. Promise me you will go.”
I started to ask her questions that I hoped she would answer but she cut me off.
“I promised Max I wouldn’t tell either of you anything about the future, but this is the advice I would give you as a friend. You need to go.”
I would go.
Max
As natural as it was to me playing the guitar and singing my songs, I expected to be a bundle of nerves at my first public show. I wasn’t. I was the opposite of nervous, completely calm. I was going to go out there and give it all I had and hope that the audience would like what they heard. Ethan and Colin convinced me to save my best song for last and so The Saddest Song would end my set.
Maybe my lack of nerves was because I was playing to an audience of strangers. I hadn’t invited any of my friends, or my parents for that matter. I wanted to be focused on my music not who was listening to it. Of course, part of my wished Rainey would be there sitting in the front row.
I arrived at the club and met Max and Colin backstage. The girls were there and we hung out while the main doors opened and the crowd could be heard talking while they waited for the show to begin. A few friends of Colin’s joined us backstage, including Lalie. She was dressed in a short tight dress and when she hugged me she held on a little longer than I was comfortable with. She was hanging around us every weekend now and even though she was a couple years older than I was she made it clear she was interested.
“Max, I love this!” She said, running her hands along my jaw. I hadn’t shaved in awhile and the scruff was on its way to becoming a beard. I liked it, I felt like it made me look older than eighteen. I thought my music would be taken more seriously if I looked older.
Colin came to my rescue, literally taking Lalie’s shoulders and moving her aside.
“Sorry Lalie-Pop, gotta get him ready for the stage.”
He pulled me away from everyone.
“You got this, you know that, right?”
I nodded, “Yeah, I’m good.”
“No first time jitters?”
“Nope.”
“You’re a natural, Max. They’re gonna love you. Go get ‘em!” he said, slapping me on the back and I went through the stage door, not looking back.
Chapter 32
Rainey
It was time. I had dressed in black jeans, boots, and a white blouse bought just for the occasion. I didn’t want to overdress. My hair was straightened and hung down to my waist, my makeup was light but I made sure to buy waterproof mascara. No matter what happened tonight, whichever way it went, I knew there would be tears.
I parked two blocks from the venue and nervously waited for the text. It came within minutes and I rushed down the sidewalk. Rylee was hanging out the door waving for me to hurry so I ran the last half block.
“Hurry, he’s on!” She ushered me inside and I could hear his beautiful voice singing a song I had heard a million times. My stomach reacted by releasing a million butterflies and I took a deep breath. Several people were standing in the stage doorway, their backs to us while they watched Max.. His profile was towards us and my heart leapt at the