Rise From Rock City by Nicolette Dane

Author:Nicolette Dane [Dane, Nicolette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Revolving Record / Book 1
Published: 2016-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

With a hood over my head and sunglasses on my eyes, I sat across the booth from Nikki at our diner. She was leaning back in her seat, notebook propped up against the table, eyes focused down on it as she ran her pencil over the page. I sat and watched her as I held onto my coffee mug, trying to think clearly but not really coming up with much.

“You look ridiculous,” she said without looking up at me.

“I agree,” I said.

“It’s rainy outside right now and you’re wearing sunglasses.”

“I know.”

“Do you really think anyone in here would recognize you?” Nikki asked, her eyes darting up to me and then off into the diner. “It’s mostly old people in here right now who couldn’t give a fuck about you.”

I looked around the diner and sighed. Slowly, I removed my sunglasses but kept my hood up.

“Better?” I asked.

“Better.”

“I’m sorry my Mom turned you away the other day,” I said. “I was just in a little rut, you know? I’m trying to get my head on straight.”

“Not accepting visitors!” said Nikki with a teasing laugh. “It’s okay, Layla. I understand.” She continued on with her drawing.

“And look,” I went on. “You know I’m getting recognized all over the place here, to the point where I feel like I can’t go out and do anything anymore.”

“It’s not that bad,” she said. “You’re just exaggerating.”

“Maybe I am,” I said. “But I’m a damn introvert and I am not equipped to deal with all these people.”

“You’re funny,” said Nikki, setting her notebook down and looking at me with seriousness in her eyes. “You go away for months on this amazing tour, you play your music in front of… what? Hundreds of thousands of people? And now you can’t deal with a couple people coming up to you every day and asking for your autograph or something? Get a grip.”

“I sense a bit of rancor in your voice,” I said suspiciously.

“I guess I’m just tired of hearing the whiny bullshit,” said Nikki. “You’ve got it made. In the past year, I’ve watched you go from being my best friend, sitting there across the booth from me, to this famous rock star chick constantly on my radio and my TV. And you’re over there complaining about how bad you’ve got it? Come off it, Layla. You don’t understand how it makes other people feel when you complain like you are.”

“I’m not trying to offend you with my feelings,” I said. “But I’m allowed to feel this way.”

“You are,” said Nikki. “Feel away.”

I felt like an outcast in my own skin. I knew that Nikki was angry at me for some reason. Maybe she was jealous? Maybe she thought I was a sell out? I wasn’t sure. But I could tell that something was stuck up her ass about me and my success. It made me feel alienated, like my last bastion of comfort was eroding. Nikki was one of those people in my life, like James, who I’d known for so long, who I’d relied upon to have my back.

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