Jaded (Rock Star Trilogy)

knows?”
    “Ke$ha?” He crinkles his nose. “Have you ever met her?”
    “Just in passing,” I say. “Music awards, and other red carpet events. She's kind of weird, but that is why I like her music. It's unique.”
    “Well, I suppose I should be glad you didn't say Justin Bieber.”
    “He's really talented,” I defend him. “I have a few of his songs on my iPod.”
    Actually, I have them all, but I don't tell him that.
    “Do you ever listen to me?” I ask him.
    “I have your album, Jaded ,” he admits. “But that's the only one.”
    I smile. “That one is my favorite. It was the first CD I ever released.”
    “How does it feel to have all your dreams come true?”
    I think for a minute. “Well, at first, it is amazing. People paying money to see me perform, asking for my autograph, taking my picture... It feels surreal. But then people start telling you what to do, and you have an image to keep up.” I shake my head. “Then you realize, your dream... it's... not at all what you pictured. I get sick of people telling me that I'm too fat, too thin, or that my boobs aren't big enough... You know my record company won't even let me dye my hair. It's in my contact. I feel like I have no control over my life. THAT is why I'm taking a break.”
    “I think your boobs are fine.”
    I throw my head back and laugh. “Wow, out of all of that, that is all you got out of it?”
    “What can I say? I'm a guy, and you do have nice boobs.”
    “Tell me, how are you single ? You should have all the girl's swooning,” I joke.
    “You think I say this to all the girls?” He shakes his head. “No way, only you babe.”
    “So, Stephan, tell me... What is your dream ?”
    “I don't know yet,” he answers. “I'll let you know when I figure it out.”
     
    11:15pm
    Isn't this... illegal?
     
    After eating dinner, we head to the west side of town. It looks completely different from the east side. The houses are all older, and there is graffiti on the bridges. It doesn't at all look like the same town. I see a group of guys standing on the side of the road by the stop light and I reach up to lock my door. Stephan sees me and laughs.
    “Just because this is the poor side of town doesn't mean it's dangerous. Not every poor person wants to rape you,” he says, clearly amused at my discomfort.
    I roll my eyes. “I know that. I'm just being cautious.”
    “I'm surprised you came here without your bodyguard .”
    “Ha ha,” I said, not finding his statement funny at all. “You think I like having a bodyguard? I'd like to go out in public without the risk of getting mauled by fans.”
    “Really, Scarlett, are you surprised that you showed up at Hope, Florida and people freaked out? Our town is small. 20 thousand people. It's not like we have celebrities walking around here everyday.”
    “You didn't seem surprised,” I comment.
    “That's because I don't see you as a rock star.”
    “You and Ethan seem to be the only ones.”
    “Maybe we know what it's like to be treated like an outsider.”
    I sigh. “What do you mean by that? What happened to you? And why does Mona hate you and Ethan?”
    “I don't want to talk about it, Scar.” I can hear the sadness in his voice. “But I promise, someday, I will tell you. Just... not yet.”
    “Ok.”
    I knew that it was the end of the conversation for now. I was dying to know what happened, but I wasn't going to push him. Everybody has secrets. Like me, trying to find Stacy. Nobody but me and Andrew knows.
    My mind went to our conversation earlier. He said he had good and bad news. What could he not tell me over the phone? I feel my stomach clinch up.
    What if she's dead?
    No. No. She's NOT dead. I could not think that. Stacy was very much alive. If she wasn't, he wouldn't have said he had “good” news. Because finding my sister dead would not be good news.
    I push it to the back of my mind. I would know soon enough what the news was. Early tomorrow, Andrew would be at my home. Until then, I would enjoy my first date with Stephan.
    We go a little out of town, and down a few back roads. Finally we park on the side of the street. There are probably about 40 cars all parked along the side of this random back road. A lot of nice cars are out here, some not so nice. Everybody is crowded along the side of the street.
    I look for the track.
    “Where do you race?” I ask.
    Stephan points at the road in front of us.
    “But this is a public street. Isn't this...