Skyville Boys Read online

  Kara Starr. Beautiful, talented, amazing Kara Starr. The girl I’ve had a crush on for nearly ten years. She’s dressed in a light purple shirt and white skirt. She has milky white skin and the most gorgeous jet-black hair that cascades over her shoulders in waves.

  I back up and knock into Ezra. “No way. I can’t go over to her. I’ll die.”

  “She’s alone for the first time,” Carter muses. “Hmm.”

  He’s got a point. Whenever she’s in town visiting her grandmother, she’s always surrounded by her family. Darla Starr’s made it clear that no one is allowed to harass her or her family with autographs or pictures. But now she’s alone.

  I shake my head. No way in hell do I have the balls to actually approach such an awesome person.

  “Jax, you’re drooling,” Carter teases.

  She’s moved onto the instruments lined against the wall, inspecting a saxophone.

  “I can’t let you carry on like this.” Carter grabs my arm and hauls me over to her.

  “Dude!”

  He shoves me straight at her. I knock into the flutes, and they clang into trumpets and splatter to the floor.

  Her head snaps up to mine.

  “Is everything okay back there?” Mr. Laney asks.

  “It’s all good!” My voice is too high-pitched.

  Kara Starr just stares at me like I’ve lost my mind.

  “Hi. You’re Kara Starr,” I blurt.

  She gives me a sweet smile, and I swear I’ve just soared to heaven. “Yes, I am. Hi.”

  “You’re amazing,” I continue to blurt. “I’ve seen you on Broadway twelve times. Did you get the letter I wrote you? And that recipe for Turkish Delight? You tweeted a few years ago that you were obsessed with it and I sent you a recipe I found online. Did you ever try it? And did you read the letter I wrote to you when I was eight, when I starred in my school play? Dude, I watch your YouTube videos all the time. You and your sister are hilarious! But I love most when you sing. You’ve got the most amazing voice on the planet. I’m seriously in love with your voice. Why are you here when it’s not summer?”

  She just gapes at me, panic conquering her face.

  We stand there like that for what feels like eternity.

  Carter’s by my side in an instant and holds out his hand. “Carter Hill.”

  Kara just stares at him, still with that panic on her face.

  Carter drops his hand. “Jax, you scared her.” He flashes her a smile. “Sorry about my friend. He’s a little star-struck.”

  Kara’s eyes move to mine and then back to Carter. She smiles, though it seems forced.

  “You probably get this all the time,” my idiotic mouth says.

  “Um, not so much,” she says as she fingers the saxophone. “Mostly just at the stage door after a performance.”

  “Do you remember meeting me at the stage door after Les—”

  “Are you just visiting?” Carter interrupts.

  “No. I’m going to live here for a while.”

  “You mean, you left New York City?”

  Carter jabs his elbow into mine. “Glad to have you here in little Skyville. You going to go to Skyville High or are you homeschooled?”

  She shakes her head. “I’m not homeschooled.”

  I’m about to fire my next question, when Ezra saunters over. “Can we go?”

  “Dude, do you know who this is?”

  Ezra’s eyes sweep over her. “Yeah, I know who she is,” he says in his usual non-cheery voice. “Can we get food? Now I’m starving.”

  My whole body perks up. “Kara, you should totally come with us. We’re going to this Italian place that makes the most amazing pasta in the world. Trust me, you’ll never feel the same about pasta after you try their food.”

  “Tone it down,” Carter hisses at me.

  She steps away with another tight smile. “Thanks, but I’ve got to go.” She turns to leave.

  “Wait,” Carter calls after her.

  She spins around.

  “We’ll show you around school, if you want.”

  “Thanks, but I’m sure I can manage.” She walks out of the store.

  Carter groans and punches my shoulder. “Dude, what the heck?”

  “What did I do?”

  “You scared her.”

  “No, I didn’t!”

  “Kara, you’re so amazing and so talented and I’m in love with you and I want to marry you and have your babies—”

  “I’m hungry,” Ezra deadpans.

  I knock my head against the wall. Once twice, three times. “I came on too hard, didn’t I?”

  “Just a tad,” Carter says.

  “Dude, I was…”

  “Obsessed.”

  “No. I was—”

  “Obsessed.”

  “I’m trying to express myself here!”

  “Did any of you hear me?” Ezra complains, though his tone and face are expressionless. “I’m hungry.”

  “I’ve lost my appetite,” I mumble.

  Carter slings his arm over my shoulder as he leads me to the door. “Think about it. Kara Starr’s going to our school now. You can pine after her from a short distance instead of long distance.”

  I freeze. “She’s going to our school.”

  “Uh, I just said that.”

  “No. I mean, she’s going to our school.”

  “Jax…” Ezra says, his brows creased with concern.

  “She’s going to drink from the same water fountain I drink from. Walk the same halls I walk through. Maybe share my classes…”

  Carter once again slinks his arm over my shoulder. “Time to put some food in you.”

  Chapter Three

  Kara

  Why is choosing the right outfit for the first day at a new school more nerve-racking than an audition for a dream role?

  I chuck a dress onto the bed and rummage through my closet. If I knew last night that I’d turn my room upside down, I never would have unpacked.

  “Kara?” Grandma calls from downstairs. “Isn’t it getting a little late?”

  I’ve never been to a new school before. Will I have anything in common with the kids?

  You can never go wrong with jeans. I pair it with a royal blue shirt with ruffled sleeves and make my way downstairs. Thankfully, it stopped raining last night, but the weather is a little chilly. I get my light jacket from the hall closet and shrug it on.

  “You’re not a breakfast person, right?” Grandma wanders into the hallway in her pajamas and robe, her hair in curlers. I want to be just like her when I reach her age. Able to sleep in and walk around in my PJs until late evening when I have a concert or performance. “Because I usually just have my morning coffee.”

  “It’s fine,” I say, even though Mom’s very adamant about breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day, after all.

  “First day jitters, huh?” She smiles sympathetically. “You’ll be fine.”

  “I hope.” I throw my backpack over my shoulder. “Where’s the bus stop?”

  “Two block down, near the Jeffersons.”

  I try not to grit my teeth as I wish her a good day and leave the house. Ugh, the school bus. But I don’t have a license—there’s no point driving in NYC—and even if I did, I doubt Grandma would let me drive her expensive car.

  Four kids are gathered at the stop. Their eyes move over me curiously and then they look away, clearly not finding anything too fascinating about me. Which is good. I’m here to live like a normal teen, aren’t I?

  After ten minutes, the bus pulls up. We must be one of the last stops on the route because there are hardly any seats available. The ones that are are immediately snatched by the four kids who pushed on the bus before me.

  Did I mention I hate the school bus?

  I scan the seats for a place to sit. But most kids have placed their backpacks on their seats, warding off any seatmates.

  “Girl, take a seat so we can be on our way,” the driver says.

&nbs
p; I catch sight of a familiar face toward the middle of the bus. One of the guys I met yesterday in that music store. Not the stalkerish one named Jax or the guy who introduced himself as Carter, but the one who wore an expressionless face. Even now when our eyes meet, there’s no sign of recognition or acknowledgment. So I guess I can forget about him bailing me out.

  I drop down in a seat in the front near a tall guy whose head almost reaches the ceiling. His face is buried in a graphic novel and he hardly looks my way. I’m not even sure if he’s aware of me sitting near him.

  I try not to sigh. School is definitely not off to a good start.

  The school’s pretty far from my house, all the way on the other side of town. Skyville is such a small city that it only has one school. The ride is so noisy that I can barely hear myself think. When we finally reach the building, I run off like the bus was contaminated.

  I take in the building. There’s nothing special about it, just your usual brick building with doors and windows. Some guys ram into me as they race each other into the school. Then one looks back at me, smiles lazily, and hurries over. “Fresh meat.” He grins. “We never get new kids here. Hey, I’m Jester.”

  My eyebrows rise. “Jester?”

  He chuckles. “It got coined sometime in middle school because of my endless pranks. What’s your name?”

  “Kara Starr.”

  “Kara Starr? You related to Darla Starr?”

  “She’s my grandmother.”

  “Oh, so you’re the famous granddaughter from New York City she keeps bragging about. How’d you get stuck in this hellhole?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t call it a hellhole. It’s actually beautiful.”

  His jaw hangs open. “You kidding? There’s nothing here.”

  I shrug. “Sometimes you need nothing.”

  His eyebrows dip. “O-kay. Well, see you around, Miss Broadway.” He sprints to his friends.

  “Wait, you ride the bus with her?” I hear a familiar voice from behind. “Dude, we’re having a sleepover every night!”

  I turn around and find Jax and Carter standing with the third guy. I can’t help but marvel at how good-looking the three of them are. Jax is on the shorter side and quite skinny, but his face is bright and animated, which makes him extremely attractive. The guy who rode the bus with me has straight medium brown hair that falls over his eyes, giving him an aura of mystery. I can also see his muscles straining against his T-shirt. And Carter has the most amazing green eyes I have ever seen and dark blond hair.

  They’re all staring at me, Jax once again looking star-struck. Like yesterday, I’m getting creepy stalker vibes from him. I make a beeline for the school entrance before he scurries over to me.

  I miss my old school. It’s weird looking down the hallway and not seeing the same faces. I force my legs to bring me to the office, where I pick up my locker combination and my schedule. Most of the kids don’t pay me any attention as I pass them in the halls, something I’m really glad about. As lonely as I feel, I have to remind myself that the most important thing is that I’m safe.

  I notice something on the bulletin board. Auditions for the school’s production of Beauty and the Beast. It’s like a light has flickered inside me. I can never not participate in a musical. But I force the feeling away. For now, theater is part of my past.

  Chapter Four

  Ezra

  “Can’t I change the score, just a little?” Carter asks Miss Lewis during rehearsal after school. He straightens himself on the piano chair and positions his hands over the keys. “Maybe something like this?” He plays a variation of “Be Our Guest.”

  Jax claps. “That was sick.”

  With a proud smile, Miss Lewis rubs Carter’s arm. “As amazing as that was, we need to stick to the score. You know that.”

  Carter frowns. “We need to do something if we want more kids to join the musical. And to get people to attend the show.”

  I hop off the window. “Told you Beauty and the Beast is a bad idea. No one wants to see a production like this anymore.”

  He stares at me. “You kidding? Beauty and the Beast is a classic.”

  I shrug. “I’m just saying.”

  “So what do you want to do, then?”

  I shrug again.

  He narrows his eyes. “Well, we all know you’ll make the perfect Beast,” he grumbles.

  “It’s all good,” Jax announces. “We now have a secret weapon that’s sure to bring in audience members.”

  I raise my brows.

  “Kara Starr!”

  “You’re right.” Carter bounces on his chair. “We’ll give her the role of Belle and put an ad in the newspaper. All of Skyville is sure to come. Then we’ll make more money and can finally buy some decent props.”

  “And fabric for costumes,” Jax reminds him. “Do you know the low quality I’m stuck with? I’ll have to ask Shawn if her mom can donate material like she did last year.”

  “It’ll be great if she inspires more kids to join theater club,” Miss Lewis says. “VP Brown promised he’d allocate more funding if more kids joined.”

  “Oh, they’ll totally join if a famous Broadway actor is in the club,” Jax says.

  “Assuming she’ll actually want to join.”

  They all stare at me.

  “What?” Carter asks.

  “Who said she’ll want to join?”

  Jax bursts out laughing. “Uh, do you know who she is?”

  “Yes, I know who she is,” I snap. “But she’s here and not in New York City.”

  “Yeah?” Jax says.

  “So aren’t you wondering why?”

  His eyebrows dip as he thinks about it. “I guess, yeah. But I doubt she’ll refuse to star in a lead role here.”

  I shrug. I don’t really care either way.

  “Auditions start tomorrow,” Miss Lewis says. “Let’s hope we have a good turnout. Carter, stick to the score, okay? And Ezra, don’t assume the lead male role is in the bag. You need to audition just like everyone else.”

  “Okay.”

  “And Jax.” Miss Lewis grins at him. “You’ve got costumes under control?”

  “You bet. I’ll make everyone shine on stage.”

  Once the meeting is over, Jax stops me before I can jump off the stage. “What?” I ask.

  “Dude, what’s up with you?”

  I lift my eyebrows.

  “You’re being broodier than usual.”

  I yank my arm out of his grasp. “Nothing’s going on.”

  “Can’t fool us,” Carter says.

  They both watch me with curious but concerned eyes. I sigh as I lower myself on the stage. They follow suit. Keeping my gaze on the empty audience chairs, I say, “They’re just on me about applying to good colleges that will get me into law school.”

  “Your parents,” Jax says.

  “No, the queen of England,” I mutter.

  “Did you try talking to them?” Carter asks.

  “What’s the point? They refuse to listen to me. And now with the musical coming up…” I shake my head. “I just want to focus.”

  The guys don’t say anything. Don’t need to. They get it. They’ve known my parents since forever, know how strict they are. My dad’s family has been lawyers for over fifty years, and he married into a family of lawyers as well. They expect me to keep the tradition, but they don’t get my love for theater.

  “Ezra, about your grandfather,” Jax starts.

  Granddad was the only one who understood me. Even though he was a very successful lawyer, he had a love for theater, too. He took me to my first Broadway show at ten years old, where I immediately fell in love with it. He pushed me to follow my dreams because it was something he was too much of a coward to do.

  And now he’s dead. My number one supporter is gone.

  I push off the floor. “People lose grandfathers every day. I’m going home.”

  “It’s only been three weeks.” Carter’s voice stops me. “Geez, man, l
et yourself mourn.”

  I slowly turn around. “What’s the point? It won’t bring him back.”

  The guys exchange glances, clearly not equipped to deal with something heavy like this. Not that I blame them. None of us has ever gone through a tragedy before.

  “See you guys later.”

  Chapter Five

  Kara

  “I’ve always wondered about something,” I say as I reach for the jug of water and pour myself a glass.

  “Shoot,” Grandma says from across the dining room table, where she’s staring down at the food on her plate. There’s a bit of horror and curiosity on her face. This would be the first homemade dish she’s ever cooked in her life. I told her a million times when I got home from school that she didn’t have to cook for me, but she was adamant.

  “Why did you choose to live here in Skyville when you’re always performing around the country?”

  She pours herself some water. “So I know I have a nice peaceful and quiet place when I get back.”

  I take a bite of the lasagna. “This is really good, by the way.”

  “It’s overcooked, but thanks, sweetheart.”

  “And I’ll make dinner tomorrow.”

  “Oh hun, that’s really not necessary.”

  “I don’t mind. Besides, I’ll have to fend for myself when you’re in California next week.”

  She lowers her fork and studies me. “Are you sure you’ll be fine here by yourself? Because I can cancel my show.”

  “Are you kidding? Some of your fans bought tickets months ago. You can’t just let them down like that.”

  It looks like Grandma wants to argue, but she knows this is a battle she can’t win. She knows how important the fans are.

  “I got a very warm email from a woman recently put in a wheelchair who told me my singing helps her get through the days,” she admitted.

  “See, what did I tell you?”

  She smiles to herself and continues to eat. After a few minutes, she lowers her fork again. “Kara?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I don’t want to bring it up. Your mom told me all the details I need to know. I’m only wondering…how long is this break?”