Page 73 of My Five Daddies

“Okay.” He sighs. Chris and Will are sitting in the back seat. Jordan and Hunter are in another car parked across thestreet.

“You’re all set?” Will asks me, leaning up from the back. “Mic is attached okay? Cameracomfortable?”

I nod. “I’m good, I think.” I have a microphone taped to my chest and a tiny little camera built into the button of my blouse. It only shoots black and white and in low quality, but it’ll be good enough to match up the audio with Dustin’s actualface.

“Okay then,” Will says. “Goodluck.”

I nod, gathering my courage, and then I jump out of the car before they can say anythingelse.

I know this is crazy. The way Dustin came at me the other day was horrifying. There was nothing behind his eyes when Ethan hit him, and for a second I thought he was going to laugh. I don’t think I’ve ever been more afraid of someone in my entire life. And now here I am, going back formore.

He knows I’m coming. We called ahead and told him that we want to make things right. He didn’t seem surprised, just said to come over whenever. There are no cars in the driveway, which worries me a bit, but it won’tmatter.

I go to the front door and knock. He answers it after a second. “Didn’t think you’d show,” he says tome.

“I just want to talk,” Isay.

“Sure. Comein.”

I follow him inside. His parents’ house is neatly styled and clean, like any other average suburban home. Pictures of Dustin from when he was even younger, some of them showing him on stage, line the walls as we walk back into thekitchen.

“Parents aren’t home,” he says tome.

“They leave you alone alot?”

He shrugs. “Yeah. Sometimes. Doesn’t matter. Gives me more space towork.”

“Good.” I lean up against the counter. He looks down at his feet awkwardly, and for a second I forget that he’s the same kid who attacked me. “Listen, Dustin, let’s talk about whathappened.”

“I’m sorry about that,” he says softly. “I didn’t mean to… to go so far… Ijust…”

“What you said, it scared me. You get that? You really scaredme.”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to scare you. It just went toofar.”

“Ethan and the other guys don’t even want me here. I had to convincethem.”

He nods. “I get it. Do they want to dropme?”

“Yes,” Isay.

“Oh.” I’m actually surprised to see that he’s disappointed. He looks up at me, a pleading neediness in his eyes. “Can I doanything?”

“Apologize to them,” Isay.

“Okay,” he answers quickly. “I can dothat.”

“And change. You can’t be that way anymore, Dustin. You can’t act thatway.”

“I’ll do whatever theywant.”

I nod. “Okay. I’ll tellthem.”

I stand there looking at him, wondering if he still has it in him. I know he has to, but right now he’s acting more like a normal kid than I’ve ever seenbefore.

“So you’re not mad at me anymore?” he asks in a smallvoice.

“No,” I say, sighing. “I’m notmad.”

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