Page 57 of From Drummer to Gamer

“Yo, K.” Raphael clutched his heart dramatically. “I’m dead serious. I’m going to be so famous that they will beg to have me in their franchise.”

“Is he always like this?” Katy asked dryly. “Or was it my presence that conjured this atrocious behavior?”

“Always, sadly,” I muttered.

“Hey! I’m anything but atrocious.” Raphael flashed us an offended look.

Thankfully, we were saved by a soft voice that called out his name.

I turned, halting mid-step when I came into view of a vision that could only be described as the gilded halo lights shimmering at the gates of heaven.

The light that would pop in your head at the thought of heaven.

The one you know would give you peace and calm.

The one you could almost see but would never know if you could reach, touch, or taste.

Unattainable beauty.

Sierra glided in with a soft smile on her face, wearing a gold dress that fitted like liquid gold over her body, and her hair falling down her waist in smooth curls.

I was thinking thoughts that a fully grown man shouldn’t be thinking of a girl eight years younger than him, but I couldn’t help it.

Sierra Chan boomeranged her way inside my head over and over again no matter how far I flicked it away.

But just thoughts wouldn’t hurt or cause damage, would they?

“Oh my, you look beautiful.” Katy beamed, peering at Sierra like a proud sister

“Thanks,” Sierra muttered, her cheeks painting pink. “So do you.”

“Whew, Sis. You look like a girl,” Raphael commented, scrunching up his nose.

Sierra pinned him with her eyes. “I am a girl, you idiot.”

“Let’s get going then,” Katy said in an authoritative tone. “I arranged for all you boys to arrive at the same time.” The smile slipped from her face as she shot upright into her confident stance, switching to her boss mode.

“I just got the chills.” Raphael fake-shivered, eyeing my sister. “Are you like the evil queen or something?”

The silence in the room was so loud that I could hear Sierra’s breathing fasten by the second.

Katy shot him an icy glare that made his mouth draw shut.

“Let’s go,” My sister commanded once again, gesturing for Raphael to walk first. And he did so without complaining, and she shadowed his footsteps, like a chaperone.

My sister wasn’t one to be messed with; she was feared in the industry for a reason.

“Wow, she’s scary,” Sierra mumbled in awe. “But can I please have her? I don’t think anyone has ever put the fear of God in Raphy’s eyes other than my mother.”

“I still don’t think that would work with you brother.”

“I think you’re right,” she said, matching my steps.

I leaped forward and held the door open for her. “After you,” I mumbled.

A sick sense of satisfaction spiked my blood when her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red.

“Thanks,” she replied, stepping out.