Chapter 134: Penny
Breakfast at the lodge is lost and chartic. The long wooden tables are packed, prople half–asleep, eyes orpinning against the morning light, sorting rep and bacon like ambies. Someone spills orange juice. Someone else is ginaning dramatically into their coffer, rhainring they’ll never drink ago
Tyler’s sitting next to me, head in his hands, looking half–dead. His hair’s a meo, ticking up in a way that might be cute if he wasn’t
“Ugh,” he matters. “My head
I can’t help the little smilk lugging at my lips. “Maybe if you had slept in the cabin, like a normal prroom, you wouldn’t feel like madkill.”
He glares at me through one half open eye. “Last night wat lun, though, sa.. nu regrets.”
Asher sports from across the table, barely glancing up from his plate. He’s eating like nothing happened, läe he didn’t just them them grown men off ne yesterday. Non of strain or fatigue on his face – just calm, composed, and maddeningly shaffected.
I steal a glance at him, and for jut a second, his dark eyes flick up to mine. My stomach does a little flip, and focus on my plane.
After breakfast, we migrate to the big living room, which is somehow still cory despite the sheer number of people sprawled everywhere. I’m in the couch, legs tucked under me, with Tyler’s head in my lap. He’s still complaining about his headache, one hand draped dramatically over his free.
“Maybe you should learn not to drink that much,” i trase, brushing his hair back from his forehead.
He groans.
“Worth it.”
Asher’s next to me, stretching his long legs out, scrolling through his phone. A few minutes pass before his fingers pause and he lears closer, tapping my shoulder lightly
“Look at that.”
He hands me his phone. On the screen is a photo sent by Router- he and Anna are standing in front of a huge poster for the Spring Cals. My stomach does a little flip, and I take the phone from him, bringing it closer.
My heart rates as 1 recognize the poster – me, mid–arabesque, one leg high behind me, arma gracefully curved, Luc right behind me, catching me mid–lift. It’s displayed in the window of a dance supply store, massive and striking
“They put them up already?” I whisper, half in disbelief, half in awe.
Asher’s lips quirk into a small, almost proud smile. “Guess so.”
I shake Tyler’s shoulder. “Ty, look” They put the posters up. All over the city”
He barely peeks through his fingers, squinting at the screen. “Congrats, babe but please don’t shout. My head’s killing me.”
My chest tightens, and 1 force a smile. “Sorry”
That’s when Max appears behind the couch, his phone in hand, and leans over us. “No way, Penny! Superstar alert! Look at this!” He is his phone around, showing the a photo of his little sister grinning big, printing at another one of the posters.
1 bite my lip to stop from tearing “Your sister is so sweel.”
Max grins, nudging my shoulder. “She thinks you like a real–life ballerina Barbie naw. Pretty sure she’s telling all her friends.
The warmth in my chest spreads, and 1 glance at Asher. His small, proud smile is still there, like he’s happy for me, and I want to save that look in a jar and keep it forever.
But then Tyler stirs and snaps, “Can you shut up, Max? Some of us are trying not to die here.”
Max’s easygoing expression tightens, and he straightens. “Man, you’re such a dick sometimes.
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Chapter 134: Penny
Tyler’s head shoots up from my lap, and his eyes flash. “What did you þrist say?”
Max doesn’t back down. “You heard me. You re à dick and you don’t deterse her *
Tyler pushes up from my laps and gets right in Mexx fice. I jump to my free, trying to seder myself beneeen them. “Stop it! Bath of posit
had to say it
Tyler ahora him, vet hand, but enough to make Max take a step back. “Back off”
Max xquater his shoulders, fists renching, but Asher in uddenly there, lile tane dingersudy rale. “Ty, uake a borgtbar ”
Tyler looks at him like he wants in a
arque, but then just hulls and storms bewand the door. Asher follower, mintering to me, “I’ll handle him “
My shoulders sag with rebel, ft when I turn to Max, he’s still fuming
1 step closer, voice soft. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen?
Max thakes his head, hit anger thifting to something softer. “You don’t need to apologize for him, Penny. Your boyfriend’s a dick. Always has been “
My lips part, but he doesn’t stop. “He took away from your moment. That’s fucking huge for you, Penny, and he couldn’t even muster the energ
I open my mouth, but no words come out.
Max takes a breath, then grins suddenly, eyes fighting know we have a celebrity in the house?”
with that easy charm. “Actually…” He tums
ms around and shouts to the mom, “Yo! Enner Did you
People turn, curious. He holds up his phone, showing
poster. “Penny’s literally famous at this point! She’s on posters all over the city
w of cheering erupts, and before I know it, people are coming over, congratulating me, giving me high fives. Some of the guys from the football texn pull me into hups, calling me a superstar. Asher’s still outside with Tyler, but 1 catch Zoe and Rebecca giving me dirty looks from acts the mom. For once,
I feel my cheeks flush with warmth, grinning at all of them.
Max leans in a bit closer and whispers, “You should be proud of yourself. This is huge. I’m definitely coming to the show with my ster. She’s already got a countdown going“.
I can’t help
p the swell of emotion in my chest. I look up at him, shining. “Thank you, Max. You’re such a good friend.”
He smiles back, softer
this time, “Hey, you
I pizzle when one of the pays from the team lifts me off the ground, spinning me once before setting me down. Max is laughing, too, his mood lightening.
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