I smiled at him and entered. The room had identical chairs lined up in rows, facing a podium at the front. A camera crew was already set up so they could film clips for next week’s episode. Judging by the clusters of people in the chairs, three bands had already arrived. That meant one more had to show, and Angel was nowhere to be found either.
I picked a spot in the fourth row, and Kyle and Hector filed in next to me, with Jared going around to sit on my other side. The Static Klingons sat two rows in front of us, and Sean turned around and grinned at me before saying something to his band.
Jared leaned closer to me. “He likes you.”
“What?” I said it a little too loud, then blushed and lowered my voice. “Why do you say that?”
“I saw the way he looked at you.”
“This is the real reason why having Maddie in the band is a bad idea,” Hector said, smirking. “Now we’re going to have to fight off hordes of horny guys going after her.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll be okay,” I said, but I was secretly pleased Hector thought I would attract so much attention. Or that he would actually fight them off for me. Not that he’d need to because one boy smiling at me one time did not equal “hordes of horny guys.” Nor did it mean that this one guy was interested in me that way. Sean just seemed friendly.
Jared didn’t seem to think Hector’s comment was amusing at all. “You said it was a bad idea to let Maddie join because I’d—how’d you put it?—‘bone her and then break her heart?’”
“Oh, god, you said that?” I asked Hector.
His face turned almost purple. “You have to admit that is your style.”
“Give me a break,” Jared said. “One time with Becca and—”
“Knock it off, you two,” Kyle interrupted, giving them each a warning look. “This is so not the time for this.”
“I wouldn’t do that to Maddie anyway,” Jared muttered.
“We’ll see,” Hector said, leaning back and crossing his arms.
Jared turned away but didn’t say anything else. Tension created a concrete wall between them, with me and Kyle stuck in the middle. I was relieved Jared wouldn’t do that to me, but also a tiny bit disappointed he didn’t see me that way, even though I knew it was for the best. I didn’t want to mess up anything with the band, and getting involved with Jared would do exactly that.
The last band arrived, with hair spiked into mohawks and chains hanging from their leather jackets. Definitely Angel’s type. The one girl in the band wore a chainmail bikini and very short shorts, and I recognized her as one of the people Jared had talked to before our audition. She caught his eye and winked, and I almost threw up in my mouth a little. The rest of her band glared at everyone and sat down.
While we waited, Kyle and I quietly discussed the other bands and tried to figure out what kind of music they played. I started to wonder if Angel would ever show or if we’d all been given the wrong time or what.
Hector was lost in his sketchbook, and I leaned over to ask, “What are you drawing?”
“Just working on ideas for my next graphic novel.”
“Can I see?” Kyle had once mentioned Hector went to art school, but I didn’t know much else.
“Sure.” He passed me the sketchbook, and I flipped through it. There were lots of random doodles, but also rough sketches of comic panels with lots of action.
He was good—like professional-level good.
“Wow, this is awesome,” I said. “What’s your graphic novel about?”
“It’s called Misfit Squad, and it’s about a group of teens who have really uncool superpowers, so they band together after the other superhero groups won’t let them in. Like the main character accidentally breaks things, and at first it seems like a curse, but then she learns to control it.” As he talked, Hector’s face lit up in a way I’d never seen before, even when he was drumming. “The first one just came out, and we’re planning to do two more.”
“Okay, I definitely need to read that.”
“I’ll give you a copy later.”
“Hector designed the Villain Complex logo, too,” Kyle added. “And did the quote wall in our studio. He’s amazing.”
Angel finally walked in, nearly an hour after our scheduled time, with her stringy blonde hair and caked-on makeup trying to cover up her wrinkles. Back in the day, she’d had a voice that could go from screaming to sweet to sexy in an instant. But after one of the band members committed suicide, Dark Embrace had broken up, and she’d started bouncing in and out of rehab. Now she was just a washed-up celebrity trying to relive her former glory days. Still, my mom had played her songs all the time, and I’d grown up with her raspy voice and scratchy guitar, so I was a bit star-struck being in the same room with her. Almost enough to forgive her very late arrival.
“Good, you’re all here,” she said, like she hadn’t made us wait. “Let’s get this over with.” She gestured to the two assistants who had walked in with her, and they began passing papers out to all of us. “Here’s your schedule, blah blah blah. Read it, whatever.”
She leaned against the podium and started playing on her phone. Jared and Kyle exchanged a look, the kind siblings give each other that say an entire sentence without a word, and I got the feeling they were not impressed. I had to admit it was odd how the Angel at our audition had been so excited while this one seemed like she couldn’t wait to get out of here.
We spent a few moments looking over our band’s schedule for the week. After this meeting, we had to take photos together, but then we were free for the rest of the night. Starting tomorrow we had a six-hour rehearsal slot every day at a local studio. On Friday, we’d record the song so people could buy it on the show’s website, and on Sunday, we’d be filming the actual battle round, which would air Monday night.
Angel finally put her phone away and stood up straight. “Are we rolling now?” One of the camera guys nodded, and she tossed her hair and put on a big smile. “Welcome to Team Angel. I’m so thrilled you’re all here!”
Silence from all of us. Maybe we were supposed to cheer or applaud or something, but none of us could be bothered. She looked annoyed for an instant and then continued. “All six of your bands were chosen because I believe you can win this thing. I’m confident that this year I have the most talented group of musicians on the show, and I know Team Angel is going all the way!” This got a tiny bit of forced applause. “Unfortunately, only one of you will make it to the final four. You all have talent or you wouldn’t be here, but to make it to the end, you need to work hard and want it more than anything. I want you all to ask yourselves: How bad do you want this? What are you willing to do to win?”
Angel had been doing this show for four years, and she gave the same speech every season. I wondered if she knew from the very beginning who had the best shot at winning, if she could tell, just by looking in our eyes now, who wanted it the most. As I glanced around the room, it hit me that we might not be on the show after this week. Out of six bands, only three of us would be staying with Angel. Any band she eliminated might be picked by the other mentors, but there was no guarantee that would happen.
Beside me, Jared’s eyes took on a fiery determination I’d never seen before. Jared was in this thing to win it, no doubt. He’d do anything for that chance, but would I? How much did I want it? Or was I only doing this for Kyle? For Jared?
No, I wanted to win, too. Maybe not as much as Jared did, but after hearing that roar of the crowd, feeling the music blasting from the giant speakers, and playing with the band at my side, I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. I wanted that record deal and the tour and the future as a part of Villain Complex. To get that, we had to win The Sound.
After an appropriate pause for her words to sink in, Angel continued. “This week we have the battle round, which will be fun.” I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or not. She waved at her assistant, and he passed her a sheet of paper, which she squinted at while he disap
peared against the wall again. “Okay, let’s see here…. First up, The Static Klingons will compete against Villain Complex.”
I groaned softly. Why couldn’t we have been up against any of the other bands on the team? Of course we would be paired with the one band that seemed sort of nice. Now there was a strong chance one of us would be going home next week.
“You’re both going to perform ‘Somebody Told Me’ by The Killers,” Angel said. “I think it’ll be a good song for your different sounds.”
An interesting choice. I liked the song, but I worried it was a bit too peppy for our usual vibe. Maybe that was more of The Static Klingons’ thing.
She paired off the other bands and then said, “I’ll see you all at your rehearsals.” She flicked a hand at her assistants, and they left the room.
“I haven’t played this song before,” I said to the guys. “Have you?”
“No,” Jared said, as the other two shook their heads. “Which means we need to work our asses off this week.”
EIGHT
We spent the next couple hours having photos taken of us, both individually and as a band. After that, another camera crew had us walk down a long red carpet outside while they filmed us. Like in the interview the other day, they had me and Jared up front, and the other two guys behind us. We did this multiple times, walking toward the camera and trying to look cool with the wind blowing our hair back, like we were a Serious Band Doing Serious Music. Mostly, I felt ridiculous.
When I returned to my room, my phone was flashing with a bunch of texts from Julie and Carla asking how my first day was and another from Jared telling me to come to their room to watch the show in an hour. I’d forgotten that the first episode of The Sound was tonight, and there was a good chance we’d be on it. Even if we weren’t on until tomorrow’s show, we needed to check out the other bands and see what we were up against.
I wrote the girls and told them my day was crazy but exciting and that I would update them more later. After a quick shower, I pulled on some yoga pants and a tank top, but one glance in the mirror told me that wouldn’t work. The tank top was too tight on its own, and this wasn’t like hanging out with my roommates in my apartment. I barely knew these guys—other than Kyle anyway. I switched to jeans and threw a flannel shirt on over my tank top. Much better.
When I got to the guys’ room, they already had two pizzas sitting on the desk, and my stomach growled. Hector was hogging an entire bed, Jared was on the other, and Kyle took up the only chair, leaving me no place to sit. I hesitated just inside the door, trying to figure out a way to solve the seating problem without it being super awkward.
“Grab some pizza and come sit,” Jared said, patting the bed next to him. None of the other guys said anything, so I guessed that was my spot then. Thanks a lot, guys.
I got some food and a beer and sat next to Jared, careful to stick to my side of the bed so we didn’t touch. With my luck, I’d probably drop pizza all over his white sheets. Why couldn’t they have ordered something less messy to eat? But soon the warm smell of cheese and pepperoni hit me, and I was digging in, too.
“Oh my god, this pizza is the greatest thing I’ve ever eaten.”
“I know. I thought I was going to chew my arm off earlier,” Jared said.
“Maybe the show is starving us so we’ll lose those ten pounds the camera adds.”
He laughed, and I loved the sound of it, how honest and real it was. “That must be it. Though I think you look perfect the way you are.” His voice dropped so the other guys couldn’t hear the last part, and I swear the room temperature jumped by at least ten degrees.
“Quiet, it’s starting,” Kyle said and used the remote to raise the volume.
For the first few minutes, the show explained the premise and how it worked and then introduced the mentors. They made a big deal about how Lance had won the last three years in a row and then showed a quick preview of the bands performing tonight, including a one-second shot of us, before it cut away to commercials. I nearly dropped my pizza when I saw it. I knew our audition would be aired one of the nights, but it was still a total shock to actually see us on TV.
“That was us!” Kyle said, slapping his hand on the desk.
“We must be on tonight’s show,” Jared said.
He got up and dropped his empty plate in the trash and then sank back on the bed. His elbows brushed against my side as he opened his laptop, making me tense up, but when I tried to look at him without actually looking at him, he didn’t seem to notice. Had he purposefully sat a little closer to me this time? Or was I imagining it?
The show returned with the first audition from an alternative band I didn’t recognize. Lissa was the only one who buzzed for them, which explained why I hadn’t seen them yet. The auditions continued, and we all made comments about who was good and who was probably just filler while Jared took notes on his laptop. There were always a few bands that would obviously get weeded out early on. They weren’t bad, but they didn’t have the skills or experience yet for the show. I really hoped we weren’t one of those bands.
I finished my pizza and tossed the plate. This time, my thigh touched Jared’s when I sat back down, but he didn’t react. I settled against the pillows and watched the show, but left my leg there to see if he’d do anything and—if I was honest with myself—because touching Jared woke up every inch of my body in a way I couldn’t resist. He didn’t move his leg, but he didn’t make any other moves either. I must have imagined that he’d sat closer to me earlier. And now that I wasn’t eating, I didn’t know what to do with my hands. I tried different positions—crossing my arms, leaving them at my sides, and finally settled on lacing my fingers in my lap.
After an hour, we were finally on. We all sat up straighter and Kyle said, “Shh!” even though no one was talking. They showed part of our interview first, when we all introduced ourselves, and then they cut to a clip of us waiting before the audition with the other bands. I hadn’t realized they’d been filming us, but there was Jared singing to me in front of everyone and the look on my face of pure longing made me cringe. Was I always that obvious? They followed that clip with the interviewer asking if there was anything between me and Jared and my quick denial and then went to commercials.
“Wow, you looked horrified by his question,” Jared said.
“I know!” Kyle said. “Did you see her face when he asked that?”
“Yeah, hilarious,” I said, trying to make light of it so they would move on as soon as possible.
“Is the idea really that bad?” Jared asked.
“No!” I said, a little too loudly. “I was just surprised when he asked me that.”
“I love it.” Hector cracked up. “Maddie’s the one girl disgusted by the idea of dating you.”
“Ha fucking ha.” Jared threw a crumpled–up, oil-covered napkin at Hector, who tossed it back at us. Naturally, it landed on my lap. I threw it at Kyle, and it bounced off his head and hit the floor. He gave a mock-growl, and we all laughed.
Our laughs cut off instantly the second the show was back on. The stage turned, revealing me clutching my guitar like it would protect me from the audience somehow, and Jared looking confident and sexy as usual, a man born to be on stage. Hector started us off, and he was an animal on the drums. His muscular arms pounded away while sweat dripped down his forehead, and his energy fueled the rest of our performance. Meanwhile, Kyle bobbed his head to the music, sometimes playing the keyboard one-handed and getting the crowd going. I hadn’t seen either of them when we performed, and it was fun to watch them now.
And then there was me. Stiff. Wide-eyed. Looking like I was about to bolt off the stage. It was obvious who the weak link in the band was, and even worse, this was on TV for the entire country to see. I might have been playing the song, but I just wasn’t bringing it.
The mentors began buzzing for us, and on the bed, my fingers dug into the sheets, itching to get back on stage with my guitar and relive that moment. Jared�
��s hand slipped between our bodies, and he tangled his fingers with mine, sending a jolt under my skin. I wanted to look at him, to see his face when he squeezed my hand, but then it would make the moment too real. Instead, I kept my gaze on the screen while Jared’s thumb brushed against the spot on my wrist where my pulse raced, making my lips part with a silent sigh. None of the other guys noticed, too busy watching the mentors fight over our band on TV. They showed the clip of the guys all hugging after the audition, with Jared pulling me in to join them, before the show moved on to the next band.
Jared finally released my hand and put his fingers back on the laptop, allowing me to breathe again.
“That was pretty good,” he said. “Even though I sucked at bass, and my voice was too pitchy on the third verse.”
“You were fine,” Kyle said. “I screwed up the bridge though.”
“You were both amazing, and Hector, too,” I said. “I’m the one who stood there like a deer in the headlights the entire performance. And I was so shocked when a mentor buzzed for us that I lost my place.”
Jared leaned against me, nudging me with his arm. “You did great, really.”
A conflicting mix of feelings rushed through me. I wanted to rest my head against his shoulder. I wanted the other guys to leave so I could be alone with him. I wanted to escape to my room and forget about Jared completely. That was definitely the safest option.
“That was your first live show,” Kyle said, bringing me back to the moment. “You’ll do even better next time.”
Hector nodded. “Don’t stress about it, Maddie. You were really good.”
I gave them all a weak smile. “Thanks. I just don’t want to let you guys down.”
“You won’t,” Kyle said. “You just need more practice on stage, that’s all.”
Jared sat up straighter. “Look, it’s The Static Klingons.”
The four of them wore matching shirts made to look like they were crew members on Star Trek. Sean spoke for the group during their interview, describing how they practiced in an old barn in Nebraska.
BANGED: Rock Stars, Bad Boys & Dirty Deeds Page 68
