Sell Out Read Online Free PDF Page A

seven of his concerts.”
    Her words pulled the plug on my bucket of hope. There were only a handful of pictures of me online, most from after my mom died and the paparazzi hounded us. But die-hard fans knew her face, which meant they knew mine.

CODY
    M y parents were seated at the table sipping their morning coffee when I walked in the kitchen. Classical music played lightly in the background, and the serenity almost made me forget I was about to lie to them.
    “Hey, Bud. You’re up early.” My dad was usually gone when I came downstairs, my mom close behind, but she liked to at least see me before she left. Our five-minute catch up session in front of the refrigerator had become a tradition.
    I focused on that fridge, not wanting to meet his eyes. “Yeah. Blake needs a ride, so I’m gonna head out.”
    My parents exchanged a smile. They loved Blake. Gave him credit for the change I’d made over the past year and a half. If they only knew the truth. But truth wasn’t what parents wanted. They wanted to believe their kids were happy and adjusted. Or a least that’s what my parents wanted. They wanted reassurance that my days of listening to music for hours and hours, without friends or a social life were in the past.
    My dad stood, dumped his cup in the sink, and walked over to the couch. “It’ll be a late night for me. We’re still waiting for those contracts to drop.” My dad did something with the government. Something boring. Something that kept him from attending most of my wrestling matches.
    “That’s probably good. I’ve got a stack of invoices to sort through, anyway.” My mom sounded partly disappointed and partly relieved. “What do you say, Cody? Chinese take-out for dinner?” She stood and turned off the coffee pot. “You can tackle calculus, and I’ll tackle my four page spreadsheet.”
    My mom was a CPA. Another boring job, but one she secretly loved. They were simple, my parents. Drama-free routine was their idea of a perfect day.
    “You okay?” She asked when I said nothing.
    I thought about it—telling both of them that I was struggling. That I’d worked the last year and half to be a part of something I was starting to hate. I opened my mouth to answer, but stopped. They were the types to dig until they had the entire story. I’d never told them about that horrible day in the boys’ locker room and never wanted to.
    “I’m fine. Chinese sounds perfect.” I grabbed my keys and gave her a quick hug. “See you tonight.”
    “Bye, Bud,” my dad called from the living room. “Work hard.”
    I resisted a snort. I’d be working all right. Working to keep Chugger and the rest of the team from drowning in Lake Lure.
    *
    I leaned against the wooden post on Jimmy’s pier and assessed the group lounging on the sand beach that ran the length of his property. Blake had said the group would be selective, but I didn’t realize he meant the junior and senior wrestlers and every hot girl they knew, including a few from other schools. Senior skip day had turned into a meat market, and Blake was sampling every piece of the goods.
    Lindsay’s glaring absence made it clear Blake had chosen today to announce his bachelor status.
    Bass from Chugger’s stereo was loud enough to rattle windows, and I wished for the fiftieth time that my friends had better taste in music. I knew they’d never appreciate the classics like Pink Floyd, Def Leppard or Skylar Wyld. But at this point, I’d even take Fall Out Boy or Maroon 5.
    “You look lonely.” Jill said as she brushed against my arm. Her presence bugged me almost as much as the music.
    “Hey.”
    She’d gone all out today on the lack of clothing. Two triangles covered her ample chest and her swimsuit bottoms weren’t much more than a string. I glanced at the ground wishing I had as much control over my body as I did my eyes.
    “I brought you a drink.”
    A cold bottle of beer appeared in my line of sight. I took it and set it at my feet.