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"Nick!" she snapped "Stop it! Now get over there and play"

Alex bit back a laugh "I don’t think she’s going to let you escape until you play so"

"Yeah, ’cause I have not been eh tiestured to Eric "I know you know Eric already"

Dressed black on black, Eric had a blond streak in the middle of his dyed black hair that he wore spiked all over his head He jerked his chin in greeting "What up, Gautier?"

Notsure "Eric"

Next, Alex indicated a guy who looked closer to Eric’s age than Nick’s "Our lead singer is Marlon Phelps"

He stood up to shake Nick’s hand With dark skin and black eyes, Marlon was several inches shorter than Nick And as he drew close, he raked a hungry look over Nick that quickly told him they were on entirely different tea prom dates

"Hi," he said in a wispy voice as he extended a hand toward Nick "Please, call me Marla or Marls"

"Hi, Marls" Nick shook his proffered hand

Alex continued his introductions "And the silent, lasses he won’t take off, is our bass player, Duff Portakalian"

Duff had short, jet-black hair and an aura around him of a street punk who’d rather rip your head off than shake your hand But as he gave a nod toward Nick, Nick saw his real foruy in his teens, but in reality, he was in his early thirties … and a werepanther One of the ed a lot slower than humans Their adolescence hit them in their late twenties and early thirties At which point they were put in human schools to help thes

So that didn’t alork out to everyone’s benefit

"Hi, Duff"

Duff ignored hiive hinantly "That’s a sexist thing to say!"

Alex laughed "Not your PMS His PMS Pre, she looked back and forth between the to be clinically antisocial Right, Duff?"

Duff flipped hiesture, Alex turned back to Nick "Anye’ve been asking everyone to play ‘Wipe Out’ if they can … or whatever else you ht know that’s rock"

"Okay…"

Wipe out How apropos, since that hat he was about to do

Nick looked to Casey, still wanting an out, but she wasn’t about to give him one She appeared even more determined than before

Thanks, Case

Nick scratched nervously at the back of his neck "You wouldn’t happen to have an extra set of drumsticks I can borroould you?"

Duff curled his lips "He doesn’t even have his own sticks? C’mon, Alex This is a complete waste of my time"

"Oh shut up," Casey snapped at hi better to do than feel sorry for yourself" She reached down and snatched a set of sticks frouitar case at Eric’s feet

Nick wasn’t sure which of them was the most stunned by her actions He didn’t know if he should apologize or run

She pressed the sticks into his hands "Show them what you can do, baby"

Nick still wanted to vomit But what the heck? He’d suffered far worse humiliations in his life than this one At least she wasn’t bra shopping with her mom while his mother oohed and ahhed over lacy panties in public while he held her pink purse

Wanting a giant black hole to suck him out of this, he went to the standard five-piece red drum kit and took a few ht He put his foot on the pedal and took inventory of what he orking with One floor tom, two rack-mounted toms, the snare and bass Hi-hat and cy he needed to fully embarrass himself Cool beans

This too shall pass…

And unfortunately, he would live through it

With a sigh of dread, Nick closed his eyes so that he wouldn’t have to see their horrified faces, and searched hishe could play that wouldn’t be toofor any of them

All of a sudden, in the back of histhunder, then a freaky laugh, and so he knew, he was playing the song No, not playing …

He ning it Without le beat …

What the heck? How could he do this? He’d never really played this song before Only heard it a few tih the movements and notes as if he’d played it a thousand times

Alex cauitar and joined in with the riff

Yeah, okay, not to sound egotistical, but it was pretty epic Nick smiled as he tasted real pride for the first ti with the other than a stone-cold loser

Even Madaug’s little brother Ian cah why Ian was dressed as a box was anyone’s guess…

But at least the little box liked Nick’s er brother the next tiive Ian away

Two minutes later, Nick finished with a flourish Ian ju with Casey At least until he lost one box arm that he had to quickly pick up and attempt to reattach

Nick wasn’t sure as uys or his on the neck of his bass "You’re good, Gautier Real good"

Coiant compliment "Thanks, Duff"

Duff inclined his head to hiroup

"He’s got my vote," Eric said

Marlon nodded "Definitely fine by me" A slow smile broke across his face "In more ways than one"

Alex beamed "Then it looks like we have a band All we need now is a name"

"Pokemon Live!" Ian shouted

Eric curled his lips at his brother "We’re not across the river, Ian Go inside and leave us alone"