😏 The Hit: Like, sometimes you're just minding your own business, and then a hot guy appears?

💔 Conner: Part 4

photo provided by Jitsie; edited in Canva; AI-free

T H E H I T

One night, not long after the band practice and during one of our parking lot breaks, Erin, Aurora, and I were heading to my car, chatting about boys and other plans for the month. Reece hadn’t joined us that night because she had to work early the next morning.

Aurora’s phone rang, halting our conversation. We all stopped and leaned against the trunk of my car.

“It’s Conner,” she announced before answering.

I felt a quick twinge of jealousy, green and bubbly, rising just below the surface of my skin; I hadn’t spoken to him since the practice. But it quickly became clear that he hadn’t called Aurora to chat; he was asking if she could relay a message to someone inside, someone Erin and I didn’t know, because he wasn’t going to be attending that night’s show. The green bubbles dissipated as the gray clouds of disappointment formed.

“I don’t think they’re here yet,” Aurora told him. “But I’ll let them know when I see them. You’re welcome.”

“Bye, Conner!” Erin yelled into the phone. Aurora paused instead of hanging up.

“Yeah, that was Erin,” she smiled into the cell. “Yeah, Rachel’s here.”

My eyes lifted from the ground and met Aurora’s.

“Okay, I’ll tell her in a sec,” she continued, looking back at me and leaning closer to us.

As she did, Erin and I could hear Conner on the line.

“No, tell her now,” we heard. “I’m serious. Right now.”

“Okay!” Aurora answered in mock annoyance. “He said he doesn’t hate you like you hate him,” she stated.

“Tell her I love her,” Conner continued loudly.