Page 28 of For The Record

“How did you know?” I ask, touching the pendant.

“Leo has better taste,” she says, inserting a snide remark that makes my hackles rise.

“Are you sure you’re over him?”Because when you’re over a guy, you don’t stalk his new girlfriend—or whatever I am to him—and talk about him nonstop.

Alina takes a sip of her drink, resting her chin on her hand. “I mean, are you over Ryder?”

I try to keep my cards close to my chest. Maybe going out with her was a mistake. “I’d say so.” “Are the two of you friends?”

“Can anyone be friends with their ex?” I don’t really believe in the practice, but maybe she does.

“I mean, I see your point.” She rubs the nape of her neck. “It’s not… it’s not always cut and dry, you know?”

A tinge of sympathy colours my view of her. I almost feel like we could be friends if I didn’t suspect her of setting me up. “Yeah, I totally get it.”

I need her to talk about Ryder and the song. But how?

“I guess breakups are never easy when you have to work with the guy after.”

“No, and Ryder is actually the worst,” I say, exaggerating to get her to agree… or disagree.

“He’s talented enough. I think his work could use a better producer, though. All his songs sound the same.” She takes another sip of her Manhattan, toying with the maraschino cherry.

“I hadn’t noticed.” I finish my cocktail, trying not to let on that I barely even know what producing a song entails. DJs, maybe?

“Really? Well, I guess you weren’t in the studio when he was recording,” she says, tossing her ponytail over one shoulder.

“I dropped in for a few minutes,” I say. “Didn’t hear much.”

“I was recording a remix of his song, and oh my gosh, it was so… boring. He sounds like a second-rate Ed Sheeran, minus the accent. If he didn’t havesomuch acoustic guitar, I think he might be bearable to listen to, at least.”

“Yeah, his stuff can definitely sound… sappy.” I think ofThought You Hated Me.

“You know, I always wanted to be a DJ,” Alina says suddenly with a wistful sigh. “I dreamed of becoming the next Zedd, or David Guetta.”

“What happened?” I ask, leaning forward, one elbow resting on my knee.

She shakes her head, as though clearing away a bad memory. “Life got in the way, I guess. The A&R guys took one look at me and the whole pretty, blonde, can sing kind of thing I had going on and decided the only thing stopping me from singing T-Swift style country was my last name. So that’s how I ended up in the pop genre.”

“Huh,” I say. All my life. I’ve wanted so badly to have even a drop of talent. The dreams I did have were crushed, and so I would die to be where Alina is right now. I guess I never thought what it would be like to be pigeonholed into the wrong corner of the music industry. “I mean, it’s never too late to change.”

Alina shrugs her shoulders, her blonde waves bouncing against the puffed shoulders of her sweater. “Maybe I will, one day. I hate to cut this short, but it was nice talking to you, Skye. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

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@Bts4eva: did @TheRyderBlack just say that misogyny and doxing of women isn’t a problem?! #RyderBlackIsOverParty

@RyderBlackFanOfficial: y’all will jump on any bandwagon for ten seconds of clout. Read the actual interview

Chapter 14: Leo Perez

Ring! Ring!

Picking up my phone without looking at the caller ID, I mute the classic rock song blaring from the car stereo. “Hello?”

“Leo, it’s Ed,” says my concerned-sounding best friend. “You’ve gotta see this.”

“I’m driving,” I say; if moving through traffic at a glacial pace could be considered driving. Running would probably be faster, to be honest. “What is it?”

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