fameless → ZACH HERRON ✓

f o r t y - t w o

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
( MUSIC )

     CARMEN TAPS HER foot impatiently. Zach glances at her, furrowing his eyebrows as she taps away at her phone, before placing it by her ear. She gives the boy a weak smile, struggling as she pulls herself up from the couch. He instantly places his hands on her waist, lifting her up effortlessly.

"Aurora?" Carmen questions as the other line clicks. "Hello?"

"This is Jonah," The boy replies. "Aurora is currently . . . busy. We're in a bit of a mix up at the moment, so she told me to answer the phone."

"What's wrong? Is she hurt?" The girl rushes, her heart beginning to speed up. "Jonah, please tell me everything is okay."

"Everything is fine," Jonah assures her quickly. "She's fine, we're fine. I promise. She's just being herself."

"But I look fantabulous in this lighting," Aurora argues in the background. "Can I get my mugshot framed?"

"Jonah!" Carmen gasps. "Why does she need a mugshot? Is Aurora being arrested?"

"No, Aurora doesn't need a mugshot because she's being arrested." Jonah says into the phone, trying to hide the amusement in his voice. "She and two guys from RoadTrip are being put on the 'no flight list'."

"If she gets a frame for her mugshot, I want one too," A boy interjects.

"Oh, thank God," Carmen sighs, placing a hand on Zach's shoulder as he puts the phone on speaker. "You almost gave me a heart attack. Wait- did you say two guys from RoadTrip? Why are they going to Minnesota on the same exact flight?"

"Supposedly it's their next stop on tour," Jonah tells her, his voice echoing from Carmen's phone. "And Aurora didn't take it too lightly when she found out they had seats right next to ours."

"Did you hear that, Jonah?" Aurora asks, her voice within range. "We need to buy picture frames. And hi, Caramel!"

"Hi, Aurora!" Carmen says enthusiastically as Jonah puts her on speaker. "You know, we have plenty of room on the living room wall for pictures."

"I think her mugshots would go great with our decoration theme," Corbyn chimes in, sneaking up behind Carmen and Zach. Zach shrieks, slamming his elbow into Corbyn's stomach. He chuckles, seemingly not fazed by the hit.

Carmen giggles, her attention moving to Jack, who enters the room while shaking his head. "Absolutely not!"

Voices come from the other end of the line, before Aurora finally speaks again.