“What? No!” He hadn’t addressed me for the entire interview and now he asked that? Where had that question even come from?

“So no hidden story there?” he asked, and I shook my head. “C’mon, there has to be something. Look at this guy. You like him, right?”

My god, what was this guy’s problem? As the camera focused on me, I coughed, trying to find the words to make this moment end.

“No, we’re just friends,” I finally managed to say. Jared stared at the floor, like he wanted to be anywhere else. Me too, Jared, me too.

“Too bad. Okay, that’s it,” Ray said, and the interview was over. He left the room without another word, with the camera crew trailing behind him.

“What the fuck was that?” Hector asked. “This isn’t the Jared Cross band.”

“Huh?” Jared asked. “I didn’t ask the questions.”

“No, you just answered all of them. And this isn’t the Jared and Maddie love story either.”

“I didn’t—” I started while Jared said, “There’s nothing—”

“Whatever,” Hector said. “Just keep it in your pants, man.”

Jared’s face darkened. “What the—”

“Enough,” Kyle said, getting between the two of them. “The show is just trying to find an angle they can work. Don’t worry about it. Besides, Maddie already promised she won’t hook up with Jared.”

Wow, thank you, Kyle. As if this moment wasn’t embarrassing enough. “Can we please drop this?” I asked.

Jared raised his eyebrows at me and Hector snorted, but no one else said a word after that.

The show gave us all the information about what would happen next, and we were finally sent home. I still couldn’t believe I’d made the choice to do this, to give up my internship to join a rock band and compete on a reality TV show. Who was I and what had I done with my former self?

CHAPTER SEVEN

Quitting my internship was harder than I’d expected. Let’s just say the LA Philharmonic wasn’t pleased to have their carefully selected intern back out at the last minute. I’d definitely burned some bridges there, not to mention with the professor who’d sponsored me. I came pretty close to calling the guys to tell them I couldn’t join the band after all, but Carla and Julie assured me I was doing the right thing. God, I hoped they were right.

On Monday, I met the band at the high-rise hotel in LA Live where we’d be staying as long as we were on the show. We were only allowed two rooms¸ and the guys decided it would be best if they shared one, giving me a room all to myself. I think they just didn’t want to argue over who would have to share with me.