My phone vibrated in my back pocket.
I knew who it was without looking.My girl, Lark, wouldn’t let go of an argument.We were literally meeting in less than an hour, but still she had to call.I kinda loved that about her.I grinned as I pulled my phone out, but instead of Lark’s name the display readUnknown Number.
Meh.I hit ignore on the call and put my phone back in my pocket.
Two minutes later my phone rang again.I put down the drum and pulled out my phone again.Unknown Number.
Sighing at the audacity of this scammer, I actually answered.“Hello?”
Nothing.No voice, no static crackle.I pulled the phone away and stared at the screen; the call was still active.What the hell?
“Hello?”I paused for a reply and when none came, I groaned.“I’m at work.You know that thing people do to put food in their belly?I don’t have time for whatever bullshit scam you’re pulling.My car never had a warranty, I know I don’t have any arrest warrants, and I’ve never won anything in my life.Besides, I’m too broke for you to steal from anyhow.But if you’re really tenacious, feel free to call back and leave a message.I’ll have my assistant get back to you.Beeeeeep.”
Okay, some of that might’ve been more about my frustrations over the drama in my life than the actual potential scammer.But still it felt good to get it out.
I punched the ‘end call’ button with a flourish.
My phone immediately rang again, and I lost it.
“What the hell is your problem?Are you missing some brain cells?Did your mother drop you as a baby?Either say something orstop calling me!”
“What the hell is going on?”Lark asked, concern clear in her tone.“Are you okay?”
“What?Yeah.Just got some creep calling me.”
“Well, don’t answer any unknown callers.Didn’t your mother ever teach you that?”
“Foster kid, remember?”
“Shit, sorry.You know me—sometimes I speak without thinking.Sorry.”
“Forgiven.Can you tell me why you had to call me when we’re going to see each other in an hour?I still have so much kit to move.”
“Sorry.Again.I had a thunderbolt on my drive home and had to share it with someone.Bailey wasn’t answering.”
I settled back against the hallway wall with a groan.It was almost impossible to say no to Lark.“Make it fast.I wanna eat something before practice.”
“Ooooh, how about I make tacos, and we’ll all eat together before practice?”
“Sounds amazing.I’m in.Awesome epiphany.I have to go now.”
Lark’s husky laughter came over the line.“That wasn’t the epiphany.I figured out what our band name should be.Technically, I have two options.”
“Great.I pick the second one.”
“What?You don’t even want to hear them first?”
“Lark!I have work to do.Either tell me or hang up.Seriously.”
“Okay, okay.My first one is Royalty.We call the bandRoyalty.”When I didn’t immediately jump on the name, she went on.“Then I thought we could take it further and make it a play off of Tin Gods since that’s where we all met and started.”
“Okay…”
An audible gulp filled the dead silence on the line.I’d never known Lark to be so nervous.The woman was the definition of confidence.It was usually annoying.“So what do you think about Tattered Monarchs?”
“Tattered Monarchs…” I turned it over in my head a few times.Made me think of butterflies and not the Tin Gods.“I like it.”
“Yes!I was hoping you thought it was as awesome as I did.It’s perfect, right?”
