CHAPTER 24

"What"re we celebrating?" I call over the music as Jacob slides a shot down the bar at Leo"s. "Landed an audition." He lifts his glass and clinks mine, and we both drink. The alcohol burns down my throat, welcome and bracing at once. The first two days back to school are turning out to be a rude awakening but not for the reasons I expected. Our fridge is broken, ruining the food I bought on the weekend. Our landlord is dodging me, and the guy I called today to fix it said he"d come by tomorrow between eight and whenever he feels like it. I had my first weekly guitar lesson this afternoon with my intensive professor—the guy who"s assigned to oversee my development—during which he wanted to lecture me about the "evolution of my style." Which probably could"ve