Emerge by S.E. Hall Page A

try it, boy, music is my thing .
    “Very nice.” He winks. He’s a winker. I know someone else who does that, smiling to myself at the thought.
    “This is a great song. I’m Whitley Thompson, by the way,” she puts her hand out to me, long red nails coming at me like daggers.
    “Nice to meet you. I’m Laney.”
    “Are you a freshman here, Laney?” The way she just sneered freshman and my name lets me know she’s not trying to be friendly. So why even introduce yourself? I so don’t do catty, and am unclear exactly what the hell her instant problem with me is, but I’ll sure solve it for her if need be.
    “Sure am.”
    “Well, welcome. I’m a junior, captain of the Lovely Larks.” What the heck is a Lovely Lark? S he must read my expression because she continues. “It’s the award-winning girls’ acapella performance group.”
    That is pretty cool. “That’s awesome. I actually watched The Sing Off and Pitch Perfect and really liked them both.”
    “Really, are you a singer?”
    She doesn’t care, why is she asking? Why am I still tolerating this conversation? “Oh, God no, I’m a terrible singer,” I laugh. “I’m on the softball team here.”
    “Ohhhhh, you’re a softball player?”
    So snide…and I’m officially done.
    “I am, wanna see my bat?” I step closer to her, dead calm in my eyes.
    Dane doubles over laughing and Sawyer spews beer all over the place while Whitley turns the color of her lipstick.
    She opens her mouth to say something else, but Bennett cuts in. “Come on, Laney, let’s go.”
    I move to go with her, but Dane speaks up. “Oh no, you guys aren’t leaving, she is. Take off, Whitley. Now.”
    Whitley’s mouth falls open but Dane’s cold stare silences her and she moves to the door. He walks her to it with no words spoken between them. He turns around to us, slightly red-faced, and offers a weak smile.
    The tension in the room is thick, so I try to break it. “I’m really sorry about that. I wouldn’t really take a bat to her. I could always just tie her up and force her to listen to me sing.”
    Dane’s head falls back and he laughs with his whole body, Tate and Sawyer joining him.
    “Damn, Laney, you’re my new favorite person,” Sawyer chuckles.
    “Well, I’m glad I’m somebody’s favorite. I’m sure as hell not Whitley’s…and I’m all torn up about it,” I say, sticking out my bottom lip in my best fake pout. “Enough about me, though.” I change the subject. “So, boys, wanna tell us about yourselves? I mean, maybe not as much as Bennett chose to share.” This gets laughs all around, even Bennett. I’m seriously doing a really good job running this show. Bennett needs to make me a wing girl badge or something.
    “Shut up, bitch. I was nervous.”
    And now I know we’re really friends.
    “What were you nervous about, Bennett?” Tate flashes a beaming smile. He knows the answer. “Very cool name, by the way.”
    Bennett blushes, and she’s a redhead, so it’s noticeable. “I guess I’m keyed up from all of this tonight; feels a little like speed dating.”
    “Good call! It does feel like that,” he agrees with her.
    “Do you agree, Laney?” Dane asks.
    I look at him and wish I hadn’t.
    Evan is athletic, manly and gorgeous, whereas Dane is…beautiful. He, too, has brown hair, but it purposefully has a trendy cut and style to it. I doubt he’s ever shoved it in a backwards ball cap like my sweet Evan. His eyes are big and brown and he smiles all the way through them. His skin is dark, like he’s tan all year round, and he carries himself with a kind but yeah, I know you’re looking air.
    He’s not as tall as Evan, not as broad, but he’s built and muscular. His dark designer jeans and red polo fit him just right. Around his neck hangs a small silver cross on leather and I can see a tattoo on the inside of his bicep. It looks like a verse from here. This boy really should be in print or on a movie screen, and I can just