glued to my lash line. None of the guys spoke. Josh had moved to the edge of his stool and crossed his arms over his chest. Greg and Aaron stood off to the side, observing, I guess. Nerves pulsed through me as the silence persisted.
“That was fucking wicked!” Josh yelled, jumping off his stool. “Where did you say you found her? Karaoke at O’Callahan’s?”
I fastened the microphone back into the stand and let them talk like I wasn’t even in the room.
“Sing another,” Aaron demanded, challenging me without looking up. He was standing as far away as possible.
“Sure,” I said, pausing a moment before breaking into “I’ll Stand by You.” It was one of my favorite songs, plus it was a believable ballad to accompany my rocker-chic gear.
Greg joined in first, strumming along with my lyrics. After a minute Josh jumped in, too. Pulling the microphone from the stand, I approached Aaron, like a cheetah stalking her annoyed prey. I touched his shoulder, but he shrugged me off. When I started serenading him using ridiculous, exaggerated hand and arm movements, his lips curved into a smile.
“You’re mental,” he said. I didn’t even try to deny it.
“All right, we’ve heard enough,” Greg said, flipping a switch that caused the microphone to go out. I walked back to the microphone stand grinning. Humor could break almost anyone down.
“So what did you think?” I asked.
“You’ve got a great voice. You’re obviously hot,” Greg said, before his eyes settled on the floor. “We’re considering you.”
“Are you considering many others?” I asked. Didn’t want to get my hopes up.
“We got nothing,” Josh said. Though it sounded more like “Me mot mutten” because he was flicking a lighter at the cigarette dangling out of the corner of his mouth.
“Dude! You can’t smoke in here,” Greg told him. Josh rolled his eyes but lowered the lighter and got up from his stool.
“I appreciate you guys letting me audition.” I started toward the stairs, but then stopped and turned around before my foot hit the first step. “So, um, when should I expect to hear from you?”
“When you come back on Wednesday for rehearsal,” Greg said.
“Seriously?” I asked.
“After our old singer left, we ran ads in the Central State Post and on the campus radio station. A few people tried out, but no one with pipes like yours. Can’t believe you’ve never sung before,” Greg said, shaking his head.
“Awesome. Thanks. Oh, I have a job, so is it okay if I check my schedule and let you know when I can be back?”
“Are you kidding me?” Aaron asked. “You know this takes time and dedication, right?”
Geez, I thought I’d won that dude over.
“I wasn’t trying to be a jerk,” I explained. “I just got cut from the soccer team and I have to have a job because I lost my scholarship.”
“Damn,” Josh said, grabbing a black hoodie off the chair next to me.
“Yeah, well—” Aaron’s eyes lost some of their fighting flare. “See you later, Auden.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Josh said.
I climbed the steps two at a time, pushed the door open, and held it for Josh, who was on my heels.
“Holy shit. I’m in a band,” I said, unable to contain my excitement.
“Welcome to the jungle.” Josh cupped a hand around his cigarette and flicked his lighter multiple times to unfavorable results. The blustery winds wouldn’t let up, so I stood in front of him to shield the next gust. “You’re a kick-ass girl,” he said, turning his head and blowing the smoke away from me.
“Gotta take care of my boys.” I winked and skipped to my car.
Very rock and roll.
Soccer. A band. It was all the same to me. And it felt damn good to be part of a team again.
Chapter 6
“Soccer. Kerby Field. Pick you up in ten minutes,” Drew ordered when I answered the phone the following morning.
“It’s out of your way. I’ll just drive over there,” I said, holding the phone to my ear with my
“That was fucking wicked!” Josh yelled, jumping off his stool. “Where did you say you found her? Karaoke at O’Callahan’s?”
I fastened the microphone back into the stand and let them talk like I wasn’t even in the room.
“Sing another,” Aaron demanded, challenging me without looking up. He was standing as far away as possible.
“Sure,” I said, pausing a moment before breaking into “I’ll Stand by You.” It was one of my favorite songs, plus it was a believable ballad to accompany my rocker-chic gear.
Greg joined in first, strumming along with my lyrics. After a minute Josh jumped in, too. Pulling the microphone from the stand, I approached Aaron, like a cheetah stalking her annoyed prey. I touched his shoulder, but he shrugged me off. When I started serenading him using ridiculous, exaggerated hand and arm movements, his lips curved into a smile.
“You’re mental,” he said. I didn’t even try to deny it.
“All right, we’ve heard enough,” Greg said, flipping a switch that caused the microphone to go out. I walked back to the microphone stand grinning. Humor could break almost anyone down.
“So what did you think?” I asked.
“You’ve got a great voice. You’re obviously hot,” Greg said, before his eyes settled on the floor. “We’re considering you.”
“Are you considering many others?” I asked. Didn’t want to get my hopes up.
“We got nothing,” Josh said. Though it sounded more like “Me mot mutten” because he was flicking a lighter at the cigarette dangling out of the corner of his mouth.
“Dude! You can’t smoke in here,” Greg told him. Josh rolled his eyes but lowered the lighter and got up from his stool.
“I appreciate you guys letting me audition.” I started toward the stairs, but then stopped and turned around before my foot hit the first step. “So, um, when should I expect to hear from you?”
“When you come back on Wednesday for rehearsal,” Greg said.
“Seriously?” I asked.
“After our old singer left, we ran ads in the Central State Post and on the campus radio station. A few people tried out, but no one with pipes like yours. Can’t believe you’ve never sung before,” Greg said, shaking his head.
“Awesome. Thanks. Oh, I have a job, so is it okay if I check my schedule and let you know when I can be back?”
“Are you kidding me?” Aaron asked. “You know this takes time and dedication, right?”
Geez, I thought I’d won that dude over.
“I wasn’t trying to be a jerk,” I explained. “I just got cut from the soccer team and I have to have a job because I lost my scholarship.”
“Damn,” Josh said, grabbing a black hoodie off the chair next to me.
“Yeah, well—” Aaron’s eyes lost some of their fighting flare. “See you later, Auden.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Josh said.
I climbed the steps two at a time, pushed the door open, and held it for Josh, who was on my heels.
“Holy shit. I’m in a band,” I said, unable to contain my excitement.
“Welcome to the jungle.” Josh cupped a hand around his cigarette and flicked his lighter multiple times to unfavorable results. The blustery winds wouldn’t let up, so I stood in front of him to shield the next gust. “You’re a kick-ass girl,” he said, turning his head and blowing the smoke away from me.
“Gotta take care of my boys.” I winked and skipped to my car.
Very rock and roll.
Soccer. A band. It was all the same to me. And it felt damn good to be part of a team again.
Chapter 6
“Soccer. Kerby Field. Pick you up in ten minutes,” Drew ordered when I answered the phone the following morning.
“It’s out of your way. I’ll just drive over there,” I said, holding the phone to my ear with my
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