Page 100 of Lovers Like Us

Don’t act like you’d rather sit next to a DeathEater.

Excited fans make it easier. My smile grows, and I raise my microphone to my mouth. “Hey, Chicago,” I greet to another bout of cheers. I grin. “You’re all great. How are you enjoying the FanCon sofar?”

They woot andholler.

Janie speaks in her mic. “We’ve loved meeting you, and we’re very appreciative that you’ve bought tickets for a goodcause.”

Clapping, and someone screams, “I LOVE YOU,CHARLIE!”

The corner of his mouth inches upwards, but he doesn’t say a damnthing.

Sulli taps her mic. “Is this on?” Her voice booms. “Oh, fuckwhoa.”

The crowdlaughs.

Sulli reddens. “Uh, hi? It’s rad that there are so many people here, and yeah, I’m really fucking excited. What about you,Beckett?”

Microphone to his lips, he says, “Absolutely.”

Morecheers.

Charlie slouches, ankles crossed, and he grips his microphone by the head, uncaring. TypicalCharlie.

The moderator makes a brief introduction, and then a line coordinator ushers the first fan to the audience’smicrophone.

She must be no older than fifteen or sixteen. “Um, hi…I have a question forSullivan.”

“Sweet,” Sullisays.

“First, um…” The girl reddens. “Can you say the f-word?”

“Fuck?” Sulli says uncertainly, but people still cheer. It’s not a weird question since Sulli saysfucka lot, and her dad is known for his constant f-bombs.

The girl rocks on the balls of her feet. “And what’s it like being the daughter of RykeMeadows?”

“He’s the greatest fucking dad…” She loses track of her thought, and she looks to us forhelp.

Jane raises her mic. “The Meadows family is the sweetest. One time Sulli broke a rope swing, the kind attached to a tree limb, and she bloodied her knees—how old were you,Sulli?”

“Maybe, fuck likeeleven?”

“She was elevengloriousyears,” Jane says triumphantly, smile brightening, and her breezy voice captivates the crowd. “But Sulli being Sulli, picked herself up, not a tear in sight, and she started climbing the maple tree to fix the rope. Her dad saw, and Uncle Ryke hoisted his daughter on his shoulders. He helped her reach a sturdier branch to tie the knot. Adventure and love for all, that’s the Meadowsway.”

The audience practicallyswoons.

“Last question, I promise,” the girl says quickly before the line coordinator shoos her away. “Sullivan, is there anyone that you look up to like a brother since you only have asister?”

“Yeah,” Sulli says easily and cranes her neck and waves at me. “Hey,Moffy.”

“Hey, Sul,” I say in the mic. I think it’s easier for her to speak to me than thecrowds.

She keeps eye contact with me. “I know you didn’t talk much about me onWe Are Callowaybecause I asked you not to. I kind of wanted to be…anonymous, or as anonymous as I could be, but…” She shrugs. “You’re my big brother. We went to hundreds of swim meets together, and fuck, we got busted shins and elbows from skateboarding…and you were always there. You stillare.”

“Awww,” peoplecoo.

I raise my mic. “Sulli was nervous to speak live, but she’s doing better than all of us, huh?” The crowd applauds for Sulli, and she takes a hugebreath.

The line coordinator leads the girl away, and a new fan in a Halway Comics baseball cap approaches the microphone. “My question is for Maximoff. Who do you like better: Ryke Meadows or LorenHale?”