It's already getting dark when I show up at Cranston Park. Jeff and Steve are panicked, but Sebastian is his usual laid-back self.

"Where the hell have you been?" Steve barks at me, running a hand over his bald head like he's fighting through course thick hair.

I'm pretty sure "I was tired" won't fly with him, so I just shrug and turn to Sebastian. "Will they let us do a sound check?"

"Only a quick one right before our set." His voice tells me maybe he's not his laid-back self at all. He's nervous. And that makes me nervous, because Sebastian always keeps his nerves in check. I usually don't have the energy to get worked up about things in advance these days. More than once I've found myself onstage, three bars into a song, when I've realized I'm in front of people and should be jittery. It's probably the same reason I could stand up to Kass Bateman last night. I'm just too out of it to realize when I'm in over my head.

Those two thoughts collide, because not only am I going to soon be playing in front of this growing crowd, I'd invited Kass to watch. I'd invited her twice.

Not that she'll show, I remind myself.

They usually only have bands here once or twice in the summer. Tonight is a special Battle of the Bands the local radio station is putting on. The winners get two hundred and fifty bucks.

I'm surprised at how many people are here—a couple hundred, for sure. The grassy area is dark and we stick to the side of the stage, with the other bands. The first one is already setting up. We're not scheduled until third, but I pull my guitar out of its case now, anyway, and perch on the stairs to the stage to tune it. Tuning my guitar always helps calm my nerves.

After the radio DJ announces the first band, they kick into gear and they're pretty good. I'm still holding my guitar like a security blanket, and I watch their guitarist closely to keep centered, focused, alert.

When they finish their three songs, I survey the crowd as band number two sets up and sound checks. That's when I spot Kass, weaving her way through the blankets and grass.

She's with the same blonde girl from the party, who keeps lifting up on her tiptoes like she's searching for someone specific. Once I'd gotten a good look at the blonde, it was obvious it wasn't her mom, but something about their matching furrowed brows and wide stances when they stop moving seems to match, like they could be cousins or sisters.

Kass glances at the stage regularly, especially after the second band starts playing. This one is mediocre. The drummer isn't very consistent or strong, which knocks off their whole sound. Despite Steve's perpetual agitation, I'm grateful for his strength on drums.

I look back in Kass's direction. The blonde is still searching the crowd, but Kass focuses on the stage, at least until she glances over here beside the stage. Then she does an obvious double-take, which makes me grin.

She didn't have a clue I'd be playing tonight, that much is clear from one glance. Hell, she probably hasn't paid enough attention to me to even know I'm in a band.

But she's noticing now.

I watch her eyes roam the surrounding musicians. She nudges the blonde and points over here, but not at me. A rush of jealousy hits for a split second, but I think she's pointing at Vicki Larson. The blonde steps toward us, but Kass grabs her arm and pulls her back, speaking what looks like angry words at her.

Vicki and Sebastian have had an on-again-off-again thing for a few months. Tonight they're clearly on-again, because she's practically draped over him. She's pretty, blonde hair down to her waist and an ample chest, but not my type.

While I'm still looking between Vicki and Kass, the second band finishes to mild applause. I coax a swallow, because we're up.

I force my mind off of girls and get busy hooking up my amp, checking the sound, and then testing the mic. "Check one, two..." The next time I glance at the audience, Kass and the blonde have moved a little closer to the stage.

I try to smile, but my mouth is having trouble holding steady. She nods back to me with narrowed eyes, like Okay...show me what you've got. That, for some reason, gives me a strange surge of confidence.

We're caught in an eye-lock until Sebastian nudges me with his bass and motions to Steve, who's ready to count us in. I shake my gaze away from Kass, turn to Steve, and nod. By the raised-eyebrow look he gives me, I realize I'm grinning like an idiot, and clear my throat to regain some composure.

Our first song is faster than the one the last band played, and after Steve marks our tempo with his drumsticks, I kick in on guitar, Sebastian on bass, and Jeff on keys, just like we've practiced. The beginning's a little rough, but by the second bar we're in sync. People on their blankets start to stand up. A few girls start dancing.

Kass stares up at me, arms crossed with a strange scowl, almost like she's angry at me for being up here. At the very least, she can't believe it, and I wonder if anger is simply her way of dealing with surprise.

I start to sing, Sebastian harmonizes, and that's when it really starts to feel right. For nearly four years now, Sebastian and I have spent a good part of our free time working out harmonies together. As soon as we realized how good his low bass-y voice sounds up against my tenor one, we became almost addicted to singing along with everything from songs by Queen to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. We aren't as good at playing them. At least Sebastian's not, but we've grown a lot of confidence with our voices.

I keep my eyes on the stage floor for a few bars, losing myself a little in the music and forgetting the crowd. When I look up to Kass again, her eyes are closed, and it's the most satisfying sight I've seen in years. If our music can make Kass Bateman lose herself, we must have some talent. She even has a smile, although it's only slight.

Our first song winds down and Kass opens her eyes, right on me. I lean into the mic and hold the last note like it's aimed right into her soul.

She doesn't blink.

As much as I don't want to, I have to look away to transition into our next song, a slower one. Soon, I get even more comfortable up here. I've never had such an easy time leaving the rest of my life behind and enjoying myself on stage. I don't keep my eyes down nearly as much as usual, which is something the other guys are always on me about.

The blonde leaves Kass's side and weaves her way through the crowd toward the park restrooms. Kass stays put, and so I sing this song directly to her. My throat relaxes and the lyrics come out of me smoother than ever before. Her eyes close again, which makes me want to close mine. But when Sebastian messes up his timing, it jolts me back to reality and I turn so he can see my guitar and get back into rhythm. The slow song finishes, but I have the urge to start another one, rather than the fast one we planned to end with.

One glance over at Sebastian, though, and I know I can't improvise. We kick our music up a notch and seamlessly blend into the reprise of our first song. Now that most people are on their feet, there's lots of movement in the crowd. I keep getting blocked from seeing Kass, and squash down my annoyance over it. When Steve rocks out the last combo and I strum and bounce into my final note, the crowd is already screaming and clapping.

Kass Bateman is clapping right along with them.

After a minute of soaking up their applause, I introduce the guys in the band super-fast. "That's Steve on drums, Jeff on keys, Sebastian on bass, and I'm Eli. We're Pistol Lily!" I force some extra volume on the last part. I've tried to convince the others one of them should do this part, but they insist it should be me.

We leave the stage the same way we came on. Sebastian's girl, Vicki, is hopping up and down, her high squeal and curvy figure grabbing the attention of most of the guys in the vicinity.

"Wow, they were so good!" I catch from someone in the crowd as we pass. The other band guys are all grinning wide from the applause and the comments, their frustration with me forgotten.

"I'll be back," I say to Sebastian after placing my guitar into its case. I hope to get to Kass before the blonde returns.

Sebastian says, "Us too," with raised eyebrows, which means he's probably headed for the van with Vicki.

I weave through the crowd, ducking and skirting from side to side to make it through quickly. When I move in near Kass from the side, her eyes are on the next band setting up. "Kass?"

She turns, and again does a double-take at me. Sebastian has given me some of his clothes, an encouragement for me to dress a little more stylish for our gigs. Tonight I'm in a pair of his black jeans with a dark green Henley. I like the look, and by the way Kass scans me from heat to toe, I sense she does, too. One thing Kass has never been is subtle. "Hey." Her voice is even. She glances around, and then adds, "Great set."

I look at my feet to hide my ridiculous grin. "Thanks."

"I didn't know you played." She turns her focus back to the stage.

"For years, yeah, but Sebastian's been helping to get me out of the closet. So to speak," I add, which makes her let out a loud single laugh.

Before I can think of what else to say to her, the next band starts up. They play a long intro and they're really good.

Kass turns to me and yells, "You were better."

I smile, and then hold my breath as I move behind her and lean close to her ear. "Had any peanuts today?" I have no idea where my confidence is coming from.

With her back up against my chest, I swear my heart's thrumming louder than the band on stage. I'm warm from playing, but my body lets out an involuntary shiver. She angles back and our faces are close.

"Never again," she says.

She stays there, looking into my eyes for a long time. So long, in fact that I've convinced myself she's waiting for me to kiss her.

But then something seems to jolt her, and she glances around in all directions. When her gaze lands on the side of the stage she asks, "Where's Vicki?"

"Larson? They, uh...her and Sebastian went...uh, to the van. For a bit." My face must be eight shades of red, but thankfully she turns back toward the band onstage.

Kass backs up almost against me, almost touching her back to my chest, but not quite. Still, I can feel heat radiating off of her.

I look down and tune out on the back of her neck. I've studied the back of that neck, for months now in World Studies class, and I feel like I know every strand of her hair, the way it's gelled into submission. The short little wisps along her neck look soft and almost see-through up close, as if she's not quite as tough as she portrays everywhere else. I like that I can see them and she can't.

I stay behind her through the entire set, spending very little time considering the quality of the music and much more time considering my proximity to Kass Bateman. And what it would take to close the gap.

But as soon as it's over, she pulls away and turns to face me.

"You're sure Sebastian and Vicki wouldn't have left?"

I shake my head, confused she's talking about them and not us. Although, I'm nervous about talking about us, too, because what is this? Are Kass Bateman and I really getting together?

"Awards are up next," I say. "Sebastian wouldn't miss that."

Kass motions to the stage, where the band is packing up their equipment. "Yeah, you guys were definitely better."

I follow her eyes. As I say, "I hope you're right, because the judges are about to vote," she says, "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Wait, what?" I ask.

She shakes her head and motions toward the stage where an emcee has the microphone. He calls all the bands up on stage. "It's okay." She gives me a small shove. "We'll talk after you collect your award."

I hesitate, looking over her side profile, but then go. Sebastian and Vicki reappear and we all meet up at the side of the stage. In an instant, we've gone from relieved that our set is over to distressed.

The emcee bellows into the microphone. "Whaddya all think about these bands?" Lots of hooting and hollering erupts from around the audience. I clap along with them. Vicki squeals loud and high enough that it sounds like mic feedback.

The blonde finally rejoins Kass, passing her a soda. When the emcee calls us, we make our way onto the stage, but hang toward the back right. Each of the four bands segregates themselves.

The emcee recaps the names of the bands, but after the first, Rock Solid, nothing can be heard over the screaming crowd. I've been holding my breath since we got up here, not because I think we might win. I'm pretty sure we won't. But if we did, I'm almost positive it would bring more camaraderie to our band.

The emcee throws T-shirts into the crowd, knowing how to keep the hype going. "The pot's two hundred and fifty dollars tonight, folks," he hollers into the mic. The drummer from the fourth band stayed in place, and now the emcee turns and asks for a drum roll.

"Well isn't this interesting," the emcee says, a hush coming over the audience. "We have a tie," he finally proclaims. The crowd erupts.

The emcee hands envelopes to two of the other bands onstage. Some of the band members look annoyed, some have smiles on their faces, like they're trying to hide their annoyance, but both bands, including the guy who'd given the drum roll, vacate the stage.

"Could I get Rock Solid and Pistol Lily to remain on stage, please." It's redundant because we're already remaining up here and the others are leaving.

I look at Sebastian, and he looks back at me. We're no longer smiling. None of us are. I think we're a little in shock.

The emcee starts in on an audience applause routine to break the tie. I've seen these kinds of contests before. Whoever has invited the most friends, wins. I feel proud of myself for inviting Kass. It's one person more than I would have invited last week, but still, I don't think the four of us have anywhere near enough friends in the crowd to win this.

The emcee draws out his announcement by talking about the sponsors. Finally, he says, "So...shall we figure out our winner?" He asks for applause for Rock Solid and a frenzy breaks out on the grass. He waits for it to die down before he asks for applause for us, Pistol Lily.

Kass claps right away and so does her blonde friend. There's a smattering of applause from around the grass. Vicki starts screaming and jumping up and down, but other than that, people aren't going crazy like they were for Rock Solid.

The next few minutes are uncomfortable. The emcee announces the winner, the audience erupts again, and the four of us sheepishly back ourselves out of the stage lights and down the stairs.

Vicki strokes Sebastian's shoulder as he leaves the stage, but he shrugs her off. I start carting our equipment toward the parking lot, while Rock Solid is still on stage getting pictures.

When I return to the side of the stage, the other three pass me on their way to the van with their arms loaded. Vicki is left alone on the side of the stage where I see Kass and the blonde approaching her. I hang back, wondering if they're friends, but Vicki stiffens visibly when she sets eyes on Kass.

I move closer so I can hear as Kass opens her mouth to say something to Vicki. "So Pistol Lily's their name, huh?"

Vicki nods, but takes a step back.

"I didn't even know Eli and Sebastian played together. Not before tonight." Kass's voice sounds friendlier than I've ever heard it. I smile at the thought of Kass trying to protect me from Sebastian last night.

Vicki nods but takes a second to answer. "Um, yeah. They're really good." Her words are quiet and I have to move a step closer to hear.

The blonde hasn't said a word, but her eyes are fixed on the arm of Vicki's jacket.

"So you and Sebastian...you're together?" Kass asks.

Is that what this is about?

Vicki looks down, embarrassed. "Oh, no. We're just friends."

"Ahhh," Kass says. My sentiments, exactly.

Vicki tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. When she does, a gleaming bracelet comes into view.

"Where'd you get that?" The blonde points to it.

Vicki flips it around a few times with her other hand. "Oh, um, my mom. My mom gave it to me."

"How long have you had it?" The blonde asks.

I'm still hanging back, trying to look busy tying up cords, because there are a lot of things about this conversation that seem strange.

Vicki plays with the bracelet, moving it up and down her wrist. "I got it a few months ago. My mom bought it from some fortune teller." Vicki looks down like she's embarrassed to admit that.

"Fortune teller where?" the blonde asks.

"Oh, I don't even know if she'd still be there. From what my mom's said, the beach town is pretty much a ghost town now."

"Beach town? Where?" The blonde seems like one of those FBI interrogators, like her next question is already on the tip of her tongue, ready to fire off.

"Ash Bay. I think it's kind of near Tillamook?"

Tillamook is a half a day's drive away, a town in Oregon that's known for making cheese. I've never been there, so I don't know, exactly, but without second guessing it, I stand and involve myself in this conversation.

"What's near Tillamook?" I move closer and nudge between Kass and the blonde. The other band guys are back, but their bruised egos seem back intact and they mill around talking to people.

"A deserted beach town," the blonde says. "It sounds like somewhere I'd like to check out."

"Yeah?" I look to Kass. "You, too?"

She shrugs. "Maybe. I guess." Her eyes drill into the side of the blonde's head, and I wonder what this girl has over Kass.

"Maybe I should go, too." I have no idea why I said this. As if Kass Bateman and her friend want me tagging along.

"Do you have a car?" the blonde blurts at me. Kass scowls at her, which I think must mean she doesn't want me with them, until the girl tells her, "I have to get mine back."

"I could get one," I say, testing. "Tomorrow." It should be one of my last days of high school tomorrow, but I guess part of me is looking for a reason not to go. Plus, if I wait for the weekend, it wouldn't be as easy to use the car or change my work shifts.

"Okay," Kass says slowly, her confused look bouncing between the blonde and me. I hold my breath, and I'm not even sure why. "How about first thing in the morning?"

"Tomorrow, it is," I say, my breath and my answer both rushing out of me quickly.

The blonde nods, eagerly. "We'll meet up at Kass's place. First thing."

Which means...I'm going to Kass Bateman's house? I clap my hands together and hold them there, mostly to cover my sudden nerves, but it doesn't really work. "But for now, Denny's. You ladies want to join us?"

Kass squints, I suspect at being called a lady. But looks to Vicki one more time, then Sebastian, and then she says, "Sure. I'm in."

The blonde says, "Not me. I'll see you both in the morning."

Kass looks confused again, and flits her eyes between me and the blonde, as if torn about who to follow. That, in itself, is strange, because Kass Bateman usually doesn't follow anyone.

I want her to stay, so without taking time to think about it, I knock her hand with mine, and then meet her eyes, to try and say "Stay" with mine. By the time she looks away from me, the blonde is at least twenty feet away, headed for the parking lot.

I don't love the resigned look on Kass's face, but I am happy she's not leaving. Denny's is right across the road from the amphitheater parking lot, so we walk there with the band and Vicki. The band are all in good spirits now and I'm resisting the urge to pinch myself each time I look over and see Kass beside me.

As soon as we sit at a table for six, Sebastian grins widely at me. Suddenly, I can't stop smiling, either, for a few reasons. And maybe our grins are contagious, because Vicki is beaming, and Kass even looks like she might be fighting a smile. But then her eyes dart down to her phone, and next thing I know her face turns serious as she holds it to her ear, and turns away, ignoring the rest of us.

Steve keeps eying me and Sebastian with a cocked eyebrow, like we're crazy, while Jeff looks like he hasn't decided on an emotion.

Sebastian says, "Jeff, man, cheer up. We practically had first place."

That's enough to at least bring a smirk to Jeff's face. We all grab for the menus and scan them. Playing for a crowd always makes us ravenous. We dig out our money and drop it in the middle of the table. It's our usual M.O. for ordering food. Jeff almost always chips in the most, since he has a construction job with his dad and gets paid pretty well.

Kass throws in five bucks, and I like that she automatically joins into whatever we're doing, even if she doesn't understand it. Vicki, on the other hand, says, "I'll get my own salad," and holds her menu in front of her, studying it.

After Steve orders all the items we suggest, it gets quiet at the table. He starts tapping the salt and pepper shakers in the rhythm of our last song.

Sebastian finally says, "Okay, so here's the thing. Why'd our first song suck balls? Tuesday it, like, rocked. Am I right?"

"Nerves, man," Jeff says. "It's normal."

"It was so good, though," Vicki chirps. None of us look to Vicki. She doesn't understand this is not her place to offer opinions, even if they are positive ones.

Next thing I know, Kass is grabbing Vicki's wrist, drawing her attention away from our conversation. "So I guess you wouldn't let me borrow this, huh?" Kass fiddles with Vicki's bracelet.

Jeff goes on about our synchronization, but I'm having trouble concentrating. Vicki pulls her arm from Kass and wraps her own hand around her bracelet.

Maybe the bracelet is precious to her, but I think it's more likely she's terrified of Kass. I think back to last night at the party, where something had risen up in me, some confidence I didn't know I had. But more importantly, I really liked the side of Kass I got to see last night, where she wasn't the scary girl. She was a real person with hopes and fears and feelings, and I can't shake the sense that last night she needed me.

I'd needed her, too. And not only with my EpiPen.

"I'll have it back to you Monday, I swear." Kass holds out an open hand toward Vicki. She only has to stare Vicki down for a couple of seconds before the girl obeys, handing the bracelet over. Kass quickly pockets it.

It's strange. From the outside, it would seem as though Kass is a bully, and I should want to protect Vicki. But it doesn't feel that way. It feels more like Kass is the fearful one at the table.

Our food shows up, as well as a stack of side plates so we can each help ourselves to anything we want from our smorgasbord in the middle of the table. The conversation takes on an aimless nature as it broaches food and music and practice times in between us shoveling in food.

After we eat and pay, we stand and grab our jackets. At the front door, I lean in to Kass and ask, "Do you still want to talk?" I've been thinking about this all night. Did she really want to talk to me? Or maybe she wants to kiss me again. That's definitely not a bad thought.

She nods, and that's all the confirmation I need.

"I'll catch up with you guys at practice," I tell the other guys.

Sebastian smirks. Even though I haven't said a word to him about what happened with Kass last night, I'm pretty sure he has some idea by now. He always seems to know a lot more than I tell him.

Sebastian loops an arm around his "just friend" Vicki, and they head for the door, leaving me and Kass in their wake.