The Rockstar Chronicles

Skimming the surface

When I resurfaced, it was to a different world. Ryder had left me in the middle of the pool and was hoisting himself out of the water, having abandoned not only me, but his float as well. Grady sat under an umbrella at a table, the box of cinnamon rolls in front of him.

As I watched from afar, Ryder joked and laughed with Grady in his normal manner and I wondered for a minute if I had imagined everything. I climbed from the pool and laid a towel out on a deck chair near the boys. It was the perfect spot to listen.

As they rambled on and on about video games, I wondered again if I was going crazy. Ryder seemed like his normal self and I felt confused. Why had he acted so upset around me? The sun felt good against my skin and had just begun to doze off when Hardyn splashed me with icy water, making me scream.

"Sorry, Lindy," he smirked. "You looked like you were burning."

"Yeah, right," I grumbled as I brushed away the icy drops of water and laid back once more, closing my eyes.

"So what's up with your brother, Ryder? Can't stay out of jail, can he?"

An immediate silence fell over the pool area. Even the breeze seemed to die down, as if to listen.

"He's out," Ryder said coolly.

"What's going on?" Grady asked. He sounded uncomfortable. I remained still.

"Ryder didn't tell you? That's weird. I thought you guys were friends."

"I thought we all were," Ryder said. Surely I wasn't the only one who could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"Let's talk about something else," Grady said, but Hardyn would not be dissuaded.

"He really didn't tell you about his brother? Well, if he won't, I will. Ransom went to jail last night. Turns out he was making a scene in front of a private party. He refused to leave, even when the cops came."

"It was all a misunderstanding," Ryder said.

"Was it really? Or is that just the line they fed you to give out to people?"

"My brother's a good person," Ryder said. His voice sounded slightly shaky. "He's Ransom Rhodes. He's my hero."

"No," Hardyn said. I peeked at Hardyn and saw him staring at the pool, shaking his head. "Ransom Rhodes isn't a hero. He isn't even Ransom Rhodes. He's just a person. Like us."