Indigo Blues by Danielle Joseph Page B

still trying to get used to it."
    So maybe he doesn't hate me.
    I peer down at my food. I've totally lost my appetite,
so I duck out to the bathroom while everyone's still eating.
I close the stall door and call Eli. If I get him to take the
site down now, the less damage there will be. Damn, the
phone goes straight to voicemail. What's he doing that's so
important that he had to turn off his phone?
    Luckily, when I get back to the table, they're talking
about some cheerleader that got expelled for selling E during a game, not me and my pathetic web crucifixion. Even
though I want to strangle Krista for even bringing the topic
up, I manage to stay composed the rest of dinner and cross
my fingers that I get to the computer before Tripp does.
And, I hate to say it, before Adam or the rest of the school
does. Or even worse, Candi Campbell, Krista's idol. Candi
would have a fun-filled day with this. I can just see the
headline now: Ungrateful Girl Spotlighted in Song-Even
More Ungrateful Than We Previously Imagined.
    I'll just have to prove them all wrong. How, I don't
know. It's not like I can start rescuing endangered animals
and then be hailed an instant hero overnight. So then how
can a song be an overnight success? So unfair.
    The guys pay for the meal. I try to give them some
money but Tripp waves it away. Krista doesn't even attempt
to take out her wallet. Not sure if she owns one. Maybe that's the approach I should take-don't even try to be
nice. Somehow, acting like Krista would probably only
backfire on me.

    I consider tripping Krista on the way out, perhaps giving her a black eye just so she can't go on TV on Monday, but I'm sure that would only give her more ammo for
blasting me on the morning school news. I don't need to
collect any more enemies.
    The four of us stroll up and down Central Street a few
times before ending up at Starbucks. Tripp takes my hand
and guides me inside. His hands are large and firm. The
kind that Dad would say belonged to someone with a solid
handshake. I lean against him in line. His body heats me
up, leaving me all tingly inside. I feel secure next to him.
Tripp is a good six inches taller than me and I just about
die when he starts playing with my hair. We're next in line,
so I know it's going to end. How is it that we were walking
around downtown for thirty minutes and now is when the
romance happens? At Starbucks. Figures.
    "What can I get you?" the barista asks.
    "Tall mocha frappuccino." Oh, and I need to get Tripp
something, too. I turn to him. "What do you want?"
    "Whatever you're having." He gently kisses the side of
my neck. It tickles.
    "Okay, make that two."
    "Your name?" The barista asks.
    "Mine?"
    "Yeah."
    Tripp leans over my shoulder. "Indigo."

    Crap, why did he have to answer for me?
    "Indigo?" She asks loudly.
    Please, oh please, don't jump on the are-you-from-thesong-Indigo Blues bandwagon.
    "Yup." I nod.
    She calls the order over to the guy making the drinks.
"Two tall mocha frappuccinos for Indigo Blues."
    The drink guy's eyes shoot open wide. "Cool. Is Blues
really your last name?"
    I look over at Sam and Krista in line behind us. A huge
smirk appears on Krista's face. "She even has a blog on her
new website, indigojackson.com. It's full of surprises."
    I grab my drink and stomp over to her. "Somebody
make sure to get a picture of this." I pop off the top and
pour.
    Krista's instantly covered in cold brown gunk. "You
bitch!" she shrieks.
    "You wanted a story, you got a story." I throw my cup
in the trash and storm out of the store.
    I don't look back. Not even to see where Tripp is.

     

ude, umm ... you might want to check this out."
This is the longest sentence I've heard Conjunction say. Ever. I'm over at the guys' place just chilling after
grabbing a few beers at the Local Bar (real name).
    "What?" I really don't want to get up from this couch.
I'm totally wiped from recording, lack of sleep, and the
beer swimming