Jaded (Rock Star Trilogy)

now?”
    “She is 26. I hope she's had a happy life. Maybe she is married with two point five kids, living in the suburbs somewhere with a nice house, and a super awesome SUV that she hauls her kids to soccer practice in.”
    Stephan laughs. “You've really thought about this, haven't you?”
    I nod. “Yes, I have. I also wonder how I will be at 26. I'm not going to be a rock star forever.”
    “26 is still very young. You will be the perfect age to play a teenager is some TV drama,” he jokes. “You could be the new Gossip Girl.”
    “You know that gossip girl was a guy , right? But I like your way of thinking. Maybe my sister isn't married, and doesn't have kids. Maybe she's a successful business woman,” I smile at the thought. “Rich all on her own. I like it.”
    “See, this is why you have to go see her. You need to know if she's doing alright.”
    I nod, because I know that what he's saying is true. I have wondered about Stacy my whole life, and I need to see with my own eyes that she is alright. I need to hug her. But most of all, I need to know why she left. I've spent nine years blaming myself, and I owe it to myself to know the truth so I can move on.
    “When Andrew calls me, I will go,” I decide.
    “Good.”
    “Yep, and now I need to get your opinion on some shoes,” I say, dragging him into the shoes store. I hear him groan behind me, and can't help but smile.
     
    1:32 pm
    You can't eat sushi with a fork.
     
    For lunch, we go to a nice Japanese restaurant. Bridgett reveals to me that she's never had sushi before, so I insist that she try it.
    “I don't know how I feel about raw fish,” she reasons with me.
    “Not all sushi has raw fish in it,” I counter. “Besides, you have no choice. You have to try it.”
    “Fine,” she says in defeat.
    I smile. “You will love it, I promise. It's even low in calories.”
    I order all my favorite rolls – California, tuna, and salmon. I like to venture out, and try new things, but once I ordered squid and couldn't eat it. I just looked at it, thinking of Squidward. So, when it comes to sushi, I stick to the basics.
    Stephan comes to the table, with a smile on his face. “It won't be too much longer.” He then explains what is wrong with his car, which I tune out. I love cars, don't get me wrong, but I definitely know nothing about repairs.
    Alec and Stephan go back and forth talking about cars, so I talk to Bridgett.
    “How are you feeling?” I ask her. “Have you gotten sick anymore?”
    “No,” she shakes her head. “Maybe I was allergic to something that I ate this morning.”
    “Does that happen a lot?”
    “No. It was just a fluke thing...”
    The conversation is making her nervous. But why is she nervous? “Ok, well, I'm glad you're better,” I say, dropping the topic. I am just being paranoid for no reason, I decide.
    The waitress brings out our sushi and I watch Bridgett pick up her fork.
    I laugh. “You can't eat sushi with a fork.” I pick up my chopsticks, and show her how to hold them. Then I mix the wasabi and soy sauce. “Wasabi is really strong, so you just want to barely dip it.” I dip the bottom of the sushi in, pull it out, and eat it.
    “Ok,” she tries to mimic what I did, but ends up dropping her piece in the wasabi.
    “You know, sushi is good without wasabi,” I say, moving the sauce aside.
    She tries again to pick up a piece of sushi, and end up dropping it back onto her plate. She picks up the fallen piece with her fingers, and puts it in her mouth. I watch, waiting for her reaction.
    “So?”
    “Wow. I can't believe I've been missing out on such an amazing food my whole life!” She reaches for another piece.
    “I told you!”
     
    6:52 pm
    Fucking fantastic!
     
    It's almost six before we get on the road. I drive my car with Bridgett back, and Alec rides with Stephan... They both mention something about too much girly time?
    I sip on my Red Bull, and Bridgett looks at me with disgust.
    “How can you drink that nasty crap?”
    I take another drink. “Augh... Amazing!” I laugh. “Seriously, Red Bull has got me through so many performances. I don't know what I would do without it.”
    “It's so bad for you!”
    “Actually, it has less caffeine than a cup of coffee,” I counter. “Its packed full of vitamin B12, and it stimulates your metabolism !”
    She rolls her eyes. “Ok, I believe the first part, but I don't believe the metabolism part.”
    “It says so right here on the can!”