Playing For Keeps Read Online Free PDF

mellowed out since freshman year, and even had an appreciation for the friendships I had at Delta Gamma, but even now I knew she would never choose the sorority life for herself. “She is hilarious.”
    “I think even she would have made an exception for Diya’s cooking, though.”
    “That…and all the time you all could be spending with me, right?”
    “That, too.” She pulled a piece of sandwich off and popped it in her mouth. Then she tucked her dark brown hair behind her ear and caught my eye. “But I know another way we could hang out more.”
    “More than lunch dates and movie nights and beach weekends and studying all night with cocktails and tacos?”
    Bea ignored my sarcasm. “We could keep Ladies going.” I groaned and ate more apple. “Hear me out. I still think we should call Duncan. What’s to lose? Some random afternoon we wouldn’t be studying anyway? Besides, I have a decent voice, if you don’t want to sing lead anymore.”
    “Who sings lead vocals doesn’t matter. Girl bands are not my thing, Bea. I’m a real artist.”
    “You’re real stuck-up is what you are,” Bea muttered just loud enough for me to hear. I stuck my tongue out at her briefly before turning my attention back to my lunch. Bea picked at her nails. Shoved my shoulder, playfully.
    I sighed. “Okay, girl bands are real artists…but I’m an artist with a different style.”
    “So evolve.”
    “I can’t just change overnight! I mean, I’m sure I could play this style if I wanted to, but…this would be a big deal,” I said. The words were out of my mouth before I realized it was the wrong thing to say. Bea’s whole body perked up. “No, that’s not what I mean. Not a big deal in a good way. A big pain in the ass is more what I meant. We would need a new lead singer. Kaitlin and I can do three part harmony, but you know you can’t. Harmony is a big time girl band thing. And do we have time to audition someone new? I don’t. I’m already getting anxiety thinking about all my assignments this year. I just… I don’t know. Ladies In Waiting came to its inevitable conclusion, don’t you think?”
    “No.”
    “Besides, you threw Duncan’s number away.”
    “I’ll call his assistant. It’s on the ACM website.”
    “Oh.”
    Bea began stuffing her half-eaten lunch back in her bag. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll get a voice coach. Will fit it into my schedule. Pay for it myself. All that. I’ll work fucking hard at it. I know you don’t think you have a lead’s voice, but…you really do, Court. It’s smoky and gritty and you didn’t even have to work for that. It’s good. Different. And if it’s too different, Kaitlin sings lead. We have options. You never know, I just might end up with the best voice, after all.” She shrugged. “What will it hurt to just try?”
    I dug an annoying piece of apple skin from between two of my teeth. I still wasn’t down for this idea, but Bea wouldn’t be put off the scent. If I said go for it, there was a good chance Duncan wouldn’t want us, anyway, and that meant ending Ladies In Waiting was more about fate—someone else closing the door—than about me simply saying no. It would get Bea off my back, but also make it so that she wasn’t blaming me for ending the band. And I didn’t want her to blame me. I didn’t want any tension in our friendship.
    “Okay, Bea. Get your coach. Do awesome. And call Duncan.”
    Bea squealed and grabbed me in a side hug. She leaped to her feet. “We have to make our own destinies, Court.” She waved and headed to her next class. I leaned back on my elbows and stared at her retreating back. Her step was more like a skip. A happy, little kid who just got a lollipop skip. I smiled, then sighed. Holy crap, I was going to miss her when this year was over.
    *
     
    I picked up my pencil and made one more notation on my music. It had been three weeks since Bea called Duncan Prospect and set a time for us to come in and play a