After the Ink [PUBLISHED]

Chapter Six

Seeing Derrick and Dylan standing next to each other helps me point out the features they share. The only striking difference are Dylan's mischievous green eyes and Derrick's warm brown eyes.

Derrick smiles at me and says, "Lacey is a beautiful name."

"Are you guys ready?" Dylan asks them before I can respond to Derrick.

Jared claps his hands. "Hell yeah, man. I've been waiting for this all week."

"What time do you guys go on?" Dylan asks, leaning against the wall beside him.

"Around nine. There are a few bands ahead of us."

Dylan twists his mouth. "I don't know what time Lacey has to get back home, but we might be able to watch the other bands."

I hope I can see Derrick and Jared perform. It feels like the whole purpose of Dylan bringing me here. And why? It's strange to think he wanted me to meet his brother. I don't even know why Dylan thought about bringing me.

"No problem. There are always other performances," Derrick says.

Dylan puts his hand on the small of my back, making my heart beat a little faster. "Ready?" he asks me.

"Sure," I say. The way he's grabbed my hand and put a hand on my back makes me question whether he has some kind of feelings for me or if he's just being nice. I don't take Dylan to be a lovey kind of guy, so the small gestures are a surprise.

"It was nice meeting you, Lacey," Jared smiles at me as he says it.

Derrick is staring at Dylan, but he tears his gaze away and focuses on me. "Yeah, we hope to see you around here again."

The comment sounds like it should be directed towards Dylan.

I waved to them as Dylan ushers me out of there and walks ahead of me down the corridor.

"Have they been performing here long?" I ask Dylan, catching up to him.

"They've been playing here since they formed a band in high school."

"How old are they?"

"Jared is twenty and Derrick is twenty-one."

"Are we staying until nine to see them?" I ask. I'm not sure what time my aunt wants me back home. She usually lest me stay out with Casey until ten, but that's with Casey. It might be different with Dylan.

"Depends," he says, looking back at me. "How long can you stay out?"

I text my aunt and ask her what time she wants me home. When she responds, she says she doesn't want me out past nine, especially since it's a school night.

"That's okay. Maybe next time," Dylan says after I tell him what she said.

The light in the sky is fading and more people show up, developing a good crowd. A band made up of two guys and a girl go up on stage and start to play covers of what sound like songs from the 90s.

Carlos rubs his forehead. "Fuck this music."

"It's not too bad," Anthony says. "At least it's not what that band was playing a couple of weeks ago. Remember that shit? I don't know what Max was thinking booking them."

"That'll never happen again," Dylan puts in his two cents, even though he's been on his phone since we sat back down with the guys.

"So, Lacey," Anthony turns his attention to me. "What do you think of Raven's so far?"

Everyone waits for my answer and I immediately feel self-conscious. "It's pretty nice."

"Shit, is it raining?" Reece suddenly asks as he's staring out the windows near us.