“I saw your mom today, and she asked how you’re doing.” Julie paused, and I could feel her judgment in the silence. “You didn’t tell her about the show?”

“No, I haven’t spoken to her in…” Honestly, I wasn’t sure how long it had been. “A while.”

“Maddie!”

“I know, I know. I should have told her.” I sighed. Everything with my mother was so difficult, it was easier to just ignore that part of my life sometimes. “What did you say?”

“Nothing, and it was seriously uncomfortable. You need to tell her.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll call her tomorrow.” I blew on my nails, debating whether or not to ask the thing I really wanted to know. “How’s she doing? Is she…”

“She looks good. Better. She said she’s been sober for three months now.”

I closed my eyes, relieved. I didn’t think it would stick, but at least she was trying. Again. “Where did you see her?”

“At the store. She was buying cigarettes.”

“Of course.” The only two things my mom would leave the house for: booze and cigarettes. “How’s your family?”

“Ugh, all they want to talk about is my sister and how wonderful she is. They’d trade me in for a clone of her in an instant.”

I laughed and started painting my toenails while Julie told me all about her time back home. It should have made me homesick, but it didn’t. When I’d turned eighteen, I’d gotten out of that place as fast as I could, and I had no regrets.

On Friday, we went to a different part of the studio to record our version of the song so The Sound could sell it on the website. The more songs a band sold, the better they did in the live shows; though for this episode, they’d just earn us some extra cash. Angel was supposed to attend the recording session, but, surprise surprise, she never showed up.

The other guys had rented a recording studio before to make their album, but I’d only recorded music for school so a lot of it was new to me. The sound guys advised us from the control room while one of the producers watched—a guy named Steve who wore the biggest watch I’d ever seen, along with a suit that probably cost more than my car.