Moving in Reverse by Katy Atlas Read Free Book Online

glad you’re here,
though. Can you stay for the rest of the show?”
    “ A little of it,” Madison
shrugged, looking up at the stage where Liv was waving to the crowd
one last time. “So you and Blake are ok?”
    “ Fine,” I said, smiling
again. “God, it feels like I haven’t seen you in a month. Let’s get
a drink.”

     
    Liv joined us when the show was over,
before the crowd started to clear out. I introduced her to Madison,
who congratulated her.
    “ It’s been a great week,”
Liv said, finishing the last of her beer. “Cheers.”
    We clinked glasses, tipsy and
giddy.
    This is what college
should be like , I thought to
myself. Pass on the cupcakes and party
dresses .
    Liv grinned. “We’ve had a celeb-packed
audience,” she giggled. “Blake Parker one night, Tanner Cole the
next.”
    I looked at her curiously, then
glanced at Madison. “Tanner Cole?” I asked.
    Liv cocked an eyebrow at me. “I
thought he was here with you,” she said. “He was standing right
behind you for the first half of the set?”
    I nearly spit out my beer. “That guy?”
I asked incredulously. “He was awful. Who is he?”
    Both Liv and Madison stared at
me.
    “ Seriously, Case?” Madison
broke in, looking at me like I was from another planet.
    “ What?”
    “ Tanner Cole,” Liv
repeated, as if saying the name again would help. She shook her
head, like I was being impossible. “He’s the guitarist for
Teacher’s Pet?”
    “ Oh,” I said, finally
putting it together in my head. I knew the band. Blake had
mentioned them — fewer hits than Moving Neutral, but still pretty
well known.
    “ Um, also one of People’s
Fifty Most Beautiful People last year?” Madison said, shaking her
head at me like she’d been doing since fifth grade, like she
couldn’t believe the depths of my pop culture ignorance.
“ That’s the guy
who stole your cell phone?”
    “ Whatever,” I said, trying
to change the subject. “I’m sure he looks better in magazines. I
mean, he’s no Blake Parker.”
    Madison rolled her eyes,
finishing the last of her beer. “Jeez, Case. I know you’re taken,
but you could have at least given him my number.”
    “ If I ever see him again,
I will,” I said.
    “ Save yourself,” Liv
chimed in, talking to Madison. “He’s trouble. I’m pretty sure he
dated Lauren Conrad and Taylor Swift this summer. At the same
time.”
    Madison grinned. “Good. I like guys a
little wild.” She winked at me. “They’re no fun otherwise. Now who
needs a refill?”
    “ Bottoms up,” Liv said,
tossing a glance at the bar. “Next round’s on me.”

Chapter Seven
     
    After one more drink, I
tumbled into the back of a cab, looking down at my phone to see a
misspelled text from Darby about the Kappa party.
    I’d totally forgotten about the party
during the concert, and part of me wished I could have brought
Madison with me. Walking into my first frat party alone sounded
pretty awesome.
    And by awesome, I meant totally
miserable.
    The cab dropped me on the corner, but
even from there, I could tell where the party was. A few couples
were sitting on the front lawn outside the building, and thumping
music I didn’t recognize was coming from inside.
    I swiped my Columbia ID card to get
into the building, and followed the music down the hallway, where
about fifty students were overflowing from different rooms. I
squeezed past a group of guys in polo shirts, keeping my eyes
peeled for the swipe of pink lace on Darby’s black
dress.
    “ Casey—” A girl called to
me, and I recognized Mandy from the first day of Rush — the girl
who’d let it slip that everyone knew exactly who I was. She was
weaving her way towards me, with a half-empty beer in her hand.
“I’m so glad you came — we missed you last night!”
    She was obviously a little tipsy, but
I was grateful for her excitement. Especially since I didn’t seem
to know anyone else at the party.
    “ Hey,” I said, still
scanning the crowd. “Have