Over It (The Kiss Off #2) (12 page)

I waved as she stepped into the stream of people. Nikki followed after her.

Ugh. I wondered if I should warn Mads.

The first aid lady picked up my bottle of water and placed it demandingly in my hand again. “Drink.”

“Okay, sorry,” I said, taking a sip.

“Thank you,” she said, and glanced toward my other hand. “And don’t forget about your phone call.”

Shit.  With the other hand I held the phone back to my ear. “I’m back, are you still there?” I said to Ty. “Sorry–sorry–sorry.”

“What’s going on?” Ty said. “Where are you?”

“Let’s just say, my skin is going to be a couple of shades darker the next time you see me. And it hurts like hell.”

“You’re sunburnt?” Ty asked.

“You betcha.”

“Wow, you don’t mess around.”

My gaze wandered aimlessly over the stallholders and festival–goers as they formed lines and followed each other in all different directions, successfully crossing in front of each other without injury nor the need for traffic directors. In a sea of unfamiliar faces, I spotted one I recognized. And his eyebrows shot up in recognition. I waved. He waved back and shuffled toward me.

“I’ll be alright,” I said to Ty, “I’m at the first aid tent staving off sun stroke and dehydration.”

“Wow. Babe, it’s still early. I haven’t even been on yet.”

“What can I say? I festival hard.”

Gordo stepped out of the sunshine, under the first aid marquee, and looked me up and down, shaking his head with amazement. He gave me silent applause.

It seemed The Himbos’ guitarist was a smart ass.

Ty let out a breathy laugh. “Are you soldiering on, or going back to the camp site? You could always stay in my room if you want to keep out of the sun…”

“Soldiering on,” I said, “definitely. Came too far to punk out now. I’m soldiering on once I find a tee shirt, that is. Then I’ll come to your stage.”

“You’re not wearing a tee shirt?”

“I happen to be wearing a very jaunty dress, thank you very much,” I said. “It just doesn’t have any sleeves.”

“A jaunty dress,” Ty repeated. “Sounds sexy.”

So maybe jaunty wasn’t the right word for it. I didn’t actually know why I had said jaunty. What a weird word. Jaunty.

“It is,” I said. “Jaunty and sexy. Pity you can’t see it.”

Gordo laughed and nodded his approval. “Is that Ty? Buuuuurn.”

I grinned. “Anyway, once I have a tee shirt then you’ll have to drag me away from the main stage. I-”

I watched as Gordo ducked back into the crowd and was gone. Um…what just happened? He came over to mock me, essentially give me a verbal high–five and then leave?

“Your friend is so weird,” I said.

“Who?”

“Gordo. He just came over, gave my sunburn sarcastic applause and took off again.”

“Oh,” Ty said. “Yep, weird sounds like the word for it. So anyway, when do you think you can get here?”

After the first aid lady had taken my pulse and blood pressure a couple of times, made me drink what felt like a gallon of Gatorade and given me a bottle of aloe vera gel to reapply, reapply and reapply some more, I was standing at the edge of the shade of the tent, trying to get my bearings and work out where exactly I should be heading to find the Academy of Lies merchandise booth and my All Access Pass.

Mads would be bummed she wasn’t with me and going backstage, possibly even into the VIP tent. Hmm. Actually, since she had set her sights on Hamish and
not
all the famous rock stars, maybe it was just me that was bummed she wasn’t with me. I wouldn’t mind her being distracted by a cute indie rocker right now. This whole mess with Mads and Nikki was a giant headache. Or maybe that was from too much sun.

First things first: an All Access lanyard wasn’t going to protect me from the sun. I needed to buy a tee shirt, any tee shirt, as soon as I could. Be it a surf brand, printing company, hell, if it was a walking advertisement for Smoked Spam, I didn’t care. I just-

“Think fast.”

Something soft hit me in the face and dropped to the grass under my feet. I picked it up; it was a black Himbos tee shirt. Gordo stepped into the shade of the tent beside me and I couldn’t keep the relieved smile off my face.

“Is this for me?”

“Looked like you need it.”

“Yes,” I said, “yes I do.” I opened my arms and gave him a big hug. “I thought you were being weird when you were actually being my hero.”

“Himbo,” he said. He patted me on the back. I squealed with pain and he shot away from me in horror. “Oh shit, are you okay?”

I nodded, my body tensed, eyes and lips pressed together as the stinging pain of a good slap to my sunburn slowly seeped away. Ohmygod ooooooow.

“It’s pronounced Himbo,” he continued, trying to distract me, to lighten the mood. “Him–bo. Not hero.”

“You’re right, hero might have been a bit strong,” I said and he laughed nervously. I gingerly slipped the tee shirt on, and it floated around me, like a second dress. I looked like I was wearing a muumuu.

“I figured, with sunburn and all, bigger is better?”

Huh. I probably wouldn’t have thought of that. I didn’t exactly want something clinging to my shoulders and stinging all day.

“You thought right,” I said. “I have to go get my Backstage Pass. Ty wants to see me for something. He’s being kind of pushy about it, too.”

“I’ll walk with you,” Gordo said. I thanked my aloe vera–wielding savior as she stood there watching Gordo and looking a little star struck. Guess she hadn’t expected the talent to just walk around with everyone else.

She had a point.

I braced myself as I stepped out of the shade and into the scorching sun. With a relieved sigh, I relaxed.

“This tee shirt is a Godsend,” I said, “You are a Godsend.”

He shrugged. “Right place, right time, I guess. I was at the merch booth and saw you.”

“How is it you’re here?” I asked.

“What do you mean? How are we at the festival?”

“No, I mean how are you here. Walking around. Not getting mobbed.”

“Oh, that. That’s easy. I have a secret. You want to hear it?”

“Hit me.”

“It’s called ‘not being famous’.”

“Oh,” I said with a wry smile. “Yeah, that old thing. Works every time, doesn’t it.”

“Every one. Except I am kind of walking around with a human billboard next to me,” he said, tugging at the hem of my tee shirt. “That probably isn’t going to help.”

We found the info booth and I picked up all four passes, then we headed for the main stage. There was still another ten minutes or so until Academy of Lies would start, but people were packed in like sardines, talking excitedly. Some were dancing on the spot to music from the nearest stage – DJ Ducky’s set.

“You coming with me?” I asked as we stopped in front of a WWF–sized bouncer by the makeshift gate up to the side of the stage.

“Sure. Got nothing better to do.”

Gordo and I flashed our passes and with a bored nod and the bouncer opened the gate. People in crew tee shirts buzzed around, checking things and looking serious. I could have asked someone where to find Ty, but the unconscious glances off to the left as they worked was clue enough. There was something of interest over to the left behind the stage that they were supposed to be ignoring. At events like this I figured it usually meant a famous person.

Ty's whole face lit up when he saw me, which was all sorts of flattering but at the same time confusing. I mean, I'd only seen him twelve hours ago.

"Poppy!" he called. He glanced behind him and wove around some roadies and a fan who squealed, a marker clutched to her Academy tee, as he brushed past.

"Poppy–Poppy–Poppy," he said with a big grin. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too?" I said. What was going on?

Ty glanced down at my Himbos tee shirt. "Nice shirt," he said, shooting a weird glance behind me at Gordo. Ty took my hand with a squeeze and led me back to side stage where he had come from. I turned and gave Gordo a questioning look, but he shook his head with a shrug and followed along behind us.

"I have a surprise for you," Ty said, glancing back at me, eyes bright. "You're gonna love it."

My stomach fizzed and spat bile around my insides. "A surprise," I repeated. I used to like surprises, but after the last couple of months – in which my life had been turned upside–down and flipped around a couple of times, been narrated and gossiped about on the internet and TV, before settling itself back down roughly where it had started – I wasn't so much into surprises anymore. I actively hated them, actually. "Yay for surprises."

Ty winced and glanced at our entwined hands. I loosened my grip. I maybe might have squeezed him a bit hard.

He brought me to a stop in a small space beside the white stage backdrop which currently had the Academy of Lies logo plastered across the middle in neon lighting in preparation for their show.

"Poppy," Ty said proudly, turning his attention to something off in the back of the wings. With one hand he gave mine another squeeze, and with his other he made beckoning movements. I followed his gaze and that's when I saw what the surprise was.

Lexie De Graff walked toward us, wearing red and gray plaid pants and a white tank. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a loose braid that flopped over one shoulder, interwoven with cherry red and electric blue locks. She was smiling at me. Oh my God it was Lexie De Graff. And she was walking over here. And she was smiling.
At me
. I reached blindly beside me until I found a hand and I grabbed it. It was Gordo’s.

"Poppy," Ty said again, "I'd like you to meet Lexie De Graff."

"I..."

Memories flashed through my mind of all the times I had listened to Lexie on my iPod and on the radio, the hours I'd spent with the guitar sheet music of her whole discography that I'd special ordered from the music store. I knew all of her songs; every single one. I could probably run a highly successful Lexie De Graff Tribute Show if I wanted.

I thought about the times I had listened to her music, reading the poetic lyrics to myself and believing every word. All of the pain and longing and heartache, as well as the joy, the excitement in my belly and hope in my heart.

Though she didn't know me, Lexie De Graff knew my soul.

"Hi Poppy," Lexie De Graff said, "Ty's told me so much about you."

He'd told
her
about
me
?

"I..." I said again. How was I supposed to talk to this woman?

I felt dizzy, light–headed, like I was still out in the sun. A chill oozed down my spine. My legs buckled beneath me and everything went black.

I woke up in a bed. Which was weird considering last night I had slept on a yoga mat, on the nylon base of a tent, on top of grass and twigs and dirt.

And the last thing I remembered was being backstage. Pretty sure there weren’t any beds back there, unless this was a super fancy festival.

I sat up to look around and the world went all swimmy. With a groan, I lay back down and pressed a palm gingerly to my forehead.

I felt movement somewhere off to the left and I flinched, eyes shooting open again.

“How are you feeling?”

“Jeez!”

Somewhere in the corner, he sat with a laptop on his lap. “Sorry,” Gordo said, handing me a glass of water.

“You scared me.”

“I got that.”

“What are you doing here? What am I doing here? Where is here?”

“You fainted.”

“Oh my God,” I said, “I did faint. I
did
… in front of Lexie De Graff. Kill me now. Please, Gordo, please kill me now.”

“I take it you’re a fan?”

“Lexie
De Graff
.” I repeated, as if he was stupid.

He paused for a moment. “Is that a yes?”

“So I fainted? Have I been out this whole time?”

“Oh no, you woke up a couple seconds later. Ty picked you up to get you into a chair, but you woke up and freaked out and he kind of…”

“What? What? He what, Gordo?”

“Dropped you. On your head. A little bit.”

I reached for the back of my skull. Feeling around a little, I winced as I found a nice big lump.

“A little bit on my head?”

“Okay, so it was totally and completely on your head. In his defence, you were wriggling so much it would have been impossible not to drop you, though.”

“Am I okay? How long have I been out?”

“Couple hours. Surprisingly the doc didn’t think it was your head. Possibly sun stroke. He said to let you sleep it off. How is it?”

I thought for a moment. “Okay, actually.”

“You’re good. I got the doc to check you out, we’re not completely irresponsible. Except…”

“What? Except what?”

“It might not have been my best idea to bring you up here.”

“Where am I?”

“There were a lot of people in the lobby.”

“Are we at the hotel? Whose room is this?”

“Mine.”

He passed me his laptop. A celebrity gossip mag had already run a story with photos of me and Gordo walking through the festival.

SCANDAL – HIMBO & ACADEMY LOVE FEUD

Poppy Douglas declares new love Gordo Himbo by wearing a shirt in support of his band at boyfriend’s first summer festival as the headline act. While Ty and Academy of Lies played on the main stage, Himbos frontman Gordo and Douglas snuck away for some daytime hanky–panky at his hotel.

“No,” I said.

“Yeah.”

“
No
.”

“Ridiculous, right?” he laughed.

This was bad; this was so bad.

“I’m in your room?” I said.

“Yep.”

“I’m your room.
Gordo, I’m in your room
.”

“Okay, so maybe that’s bad,” he said. His cell beeped and he scanned the text message as he talked. “It’s not like I was going to just leave you passed out on the floor for people to step over. Drop heavy things on. Ty had to go on stage. You’re okay but you might not have been. Your head, remember?”

Sigh.

“Thank you. I do appreciate it. I do, but-”

He turned back to his computer. “Oh. There’s an update.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“CAUGHT IN THE ACT:

No encores for Academy fans at the Tallulah Bay Festival today as lead singer Ty flees the stage to confront Poppy and Himbos front man in their love nest-

“Argh.” Gordo said, “Hold up a sec, it’s reloading. I hate these sites that refresh all the time.”

Confrontation? What confrontation? What were they talking about? Why did these stupid mags and sites have to lie all the time?

His cell beeped again and he read the new message.

“What’s going on?” I asked irritably. “What’s with all the texts?”

“It’s my ex,” he said. “She wants to talk.”

“Uh–oh,” I said.

He shrugged. “I guess.”

“Not uh–oh?”

“I don’t know,” Gordo said with a weary sigh. His whole demeanor changed as he thought about her. “I think she wants to get back together. And I still love her, I do, but at the same time she’s a complete raging bitch, you know what I mean?”

I knew people like that. Or who could be people like that. An image of Mads floated through my mind. But that wasn’t all there was to her. Sure she had her bitchy side, but she was also fiercely loyal and would do anything for Van and me. Except be friends with someone she didn’t want to be friends with, it seemed. I didn’t have any experience with psycho exes. Cam hadn’t been a psycho, he’d been more like a poor defenceless puppy I had kicked repeatedly, at least he had been when we first broke up. I hadn’t seen much of him since that night at my house when I thought he was a burglar. It made me sad, but I guess that’s how break ups go.

“Oh, here we go,” Gordo said, looking back at the computer screen. “Their Twitter says:
Spotted! Ty dashing past fans at the hotel
.”

There was a rap on the door and Gordo opened it. He stepped aside as Ty burst in.

His eyes were wide with concern and when he realized mine were open, alert and looking right at him, his knees buckled somewhat and he sagged with relief.

“Hey you,” I said.

“Jeez Poppy,” Ty said. He crawled like a dehydrated man in the desert toward the bed.

“You couldn’t have waited to nearly kill yourself until after the show?” He patted the bed and rubbed his fingers together. “This bed’s all sandy.”

“Don’t go blaming this on me, this was
your
fault.”

“My fault?”

“Yeah. For one thing, you dropped me on my head.”

He winced. “I kind of hoped you wouldn’t remember that.”

“I didn’t. Gordo told me.”

Ty cocked his head at Gordo, looking appalled. “Dude.”

“Was I not supposed to tell her that?”

“And secondly,” I continued, “You and Lexie De–freaking–Graff materialized in front of me. I sure remember that.” I said. “Lexie. De–Freaking. Graff.

Ty climbed onto the mattress and over the top of me to lie on the bed.

“I knew you were a fan,” he said as I rolled over to face him. “I just didn’t know how
big
a fan.”

“I can’t imagine what she thinks of me. She must think I’m off my meds or something.”

Ty grasped my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“She doesn’t think that.”

“Really?” I said hopefully.

“Pretty sure.”

“You can’t tell me there isn’t someone you’d do exactly the same and faint over?”

“I can,” Ty said, puffing out his chest. “I’m a manly man, and men don’t faint. Though I will say, if I met Mark from Fusion Theory I would probably scream like a little girl.”

“Hey...what do you mean ‘pretty sure’?”

“Hmm?”

“About Lexie De Graff not thinking I’m off my meds or something. You said ‘pretty sure’.”

“Oh come on, I was a bit busy to ask her since you
fainted
. And then woke up, spazzed out and somehow ended up with a concussion,” he said.

“Somehow?”

“That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Anyway, as soon as the doc arrived I was on stage – longest show of my life – so in all honesty I have no idea what Lexie thought of you.”

“I wouldn’t hold my breath for a shopping date or anything though,” Gordo said.

Ty and I both threw pillows at him.

“I can ask her later if you-”

“Don’t ask her!” I shrieked. “Don’t say anything!” I hugged a cushion to my chest – why were there so many cushions on this bed?

“Got it,” Ty said. “No talking to Lexie – ever again it seems.”

I was such an embarrassment.

“Seriously though,” he said, prying my hand free from the cushion and giving it a squeeze. “Are you okay?”

He touched his other hand to my temple, and gently tucked a lock of hair behind my ear.

“I’m okay,” I said.

He brought my knuckles to his lips and my insides went all squishy as he kissed them.

“Well good. I was worried.”

“Ugh,” Gordo said.

Suddenly he dove onto the bed on top of us, pushing us apart so he could squeeze his way into the middle, thoroughly breaking our love bubble.

“Get a room,” Gordo said. “Wait no, get your
own
room.”

Ty jabbed him in the ribs and I gave him a thoroughly ineffective punch through the blanket.

“Speaking of rooms,” I said, “have you seen the celebrity blogs Ty?”

“No. Why?”

“Oh, it’s juicy stuff, man,” Gordo said, “apparently you just stormed in and broke up some heavy duty sexy times.”

“Is that right?”

“Ty,” Gordo said. “It’s on the internet. That makes it fact.”

“Sorry for doubting you.” He turned his attention to me, my eyelids were half closed.

“You comfortable?”

“This bed is nice.”

“You staying here then, or do you want me to go all cave man and carry you back to my room?”

“I’m up,” I said, squirming and wriggling my way out from under the covers. “Being carried by you once is probably all my brain can handle for this lifetime.”

Ty sighed. “I guess I deserved that.”

I hauled Ty up after me and with a happy sigh, Gordo spread out like a starfish on his bed.

“Hey, this
is
sandy...”

Just because he’d been able to shower after the beach this morning didn’t mean we all had. We said goodbye as Gordo remoted his plasma on and I heard his cell chime again. That ex–girlfriend was obsessed. Ty opened the door a crack and peeked out. He opened it wide, took my hand and we entered the empty hallway. He drew patterns on my palm with his fingers as we walked.

“So do you want to go back to the festival?”

I thought for a moment. I was kind of wiped.

“It’s day one, I’ll see some shows eventually.”

“You sure?”

I paused, tipped forward onto my toes and kissed him.

“I’m sure. What have you got for the rest of the day?”

“Interviews with TN4 in Japan, HIT in Australia, and Encore Musikkanal Germany, from five, then another show at seven. I’m all yours the rest of the time though.”

“Really?” I asked hopefully. “Aren’t there supposed to be like, epic parties where you trash hotel rooms and-”

“Party like rock stars?”

“Well, yeah.”

He shrugged. “There are a couple. Tommy’ll find a party. He’s going to get wasted tonight. Seriously off his nut, I just know it.”

“Bachelor life and all that?”

“Yeah,” Ty laughed. “He’s a free man now.”

I flinched. A free man? Was that how Tommy saw Jeri, like a prison sentence? Was that how they all saw girlfriends in general? “And what about you?” I asked.

“I have much,
much
better plans,” he said, swinging our hands between us. A thrill of adrenaline shot through my stomach. Sounded good to me.

“Besides,” he added, “parties never even start until at least eleven.”

I nudged him hard with my shoulder and he laughed. He draped his arm over my shoulders, still holding my hand as we strolled toward the elevators. We could have been strolling along the beach at sunset, I was feeling so gooey with lurve.

The beach.

“I’m busy for a bit this evening,” I said. “There’s a barbecue on the beach, should be a bonfire after dark. This girl Astrid invited me, it should be a lot of fun.”

“That sounds cool,” Ty said, “I wanna come.”

“Well, if you’re okay with being mobbed by fans then by all means,” I said. “It’s at the beach behind the camping ground.”

“Oh.” He frowned and stabbed the button for the elevator.

“Well…” He thought for a moment and his eyebrows shot up a little. “Maybe I could come.”

“This I want to hear.”

“No.”

I blinked. “Pardon?”

He grinned and pulled me into the elevator.

“No, I have a plan. You’ll see.”

“I don’t-”

As the doors slid closed he pressed forward, he trapped me against the mirrored wall and kissed me, hard.