Double Dare // Sky Flaherty

Chapter Twenty-Five

"We should have a party or something," Olivia suggests. "Maybe after your first rehearsal." She turns off the sink as I finish drying the last clean dish.

"I don't know." I shrug. "I feel like I'd be too tired to have a party after rehearsing all day."

My sister nods. "That's fair. After your second rehearsal, then. I want to meet your new friends."

I put the dish in a cabinet and turn to Olivia. "You'll meet them eventually. We have rehearsal for six weeks before we leave. And I haven't even met them yet, so you'll just have to be patient." I grin slightly.

"I'm so proud of you, Jack." Olivia smiles. "Your first tour. You're all grown up." She pretends to wipe away a tear. "Just don't forget me when you're galavanting across the country with your new friends."

I laugh softly. "You're so dramatic. Of course I won't forget you." Glancing at my phone when I get a text, I begin to leave the kitchen. "Sky's downstairs. We told Marlee we'd be at their apartment at six o'clock."

"Don't stay out too late, okay? You have rehearsal tomorrow morning," Olivia reminds me.

"Thanks, Mom," I joke, grabbing my wallet and heading to the street to join Sky.

~ * ~ * ~

"We should have a party," Sky suggests after we finish eating dinner. "You know, after rehearsal or something."

"You sound like my sister," I mumble.

"That's not a bad idea," Ben comments. "You could have it at your apartment," he tells Sky.

"I wish we could come," Marlee says with a small smile.

"I mean, we could," Ben counters softly. "You're still in the show."

"I am, but you aren't. And we're not part of the touring cast. We'd be intruding," she explains.

"She's right," Sky adds. Marlee smiles, satisfied. "As much as we love you, you'd be crashing the party."

I nod. "Sorry, Ben." At that moment, someone knocks on the door. Marlee answers it, and Josh and Indy walk in the apartment.

"You're late," Sky points out. "You missed dinner."

Indiana nods. "Yeah, sorry. We were caught up on wedding planning. It's a lot harder than I thought." She laughs softly as the three of them sit back down. "What did we miss?"

"Not much other than food," I answer. "Oh, and Ben is trying to crash a party for the tour cast."

"I happen to be really fun at parties," Ben argues. "People love when I crash parties, for your information."

Marlee rolls her eyes. "Just drop it, Benji." She smiles slightly, and Ben smiles back.

"Have you picked a date for the wedding yet?" I ask Josh and Indy, changing the subject.

"We have a few tentative dates, but we haven't picked one yet," Josh answers. "We're working on it, though. And you guys will be the first to know."

For the rest of the evening, we hang out and play games. Before it gets too late, Sky announces that he and I should leave since we have rehearsal in the morning. We say our goodbyes and begin the walk back to my apartment.

"Are you excited for tomorrow?" Sky asks as we walk.

I nod happily. "Very."

"Are you nervous?"

Again, I nod. "Very." I let out a soft laugh. "I'm doing something I haven't done in a long time, and I'll be surrounded by people who are much more talented than me."

"If you weren't as talented as everyone else, would they have cast you?" He questions, looking over at me. He's right, and I don't reply. "Exactly. You're just as talented as everyone else. And I'm really proud of you, Jack Kelly."

I grin. "I'm proud of you, too." Soon, we arrive at my apartment. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Bright and early." Sky smiles. "Goodnight, Jack."

"Goodnight." I smile and step inside the building.

~~~~~
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