Page 69 of Fame & Rhythm

Then his attention snaps to Caleb. “Caleb, you shouldn’t drink before a show.”

He strides off, fully in control-freak mode.

Ella and I exchange a look, raise our brows, and try not to laugh. We each grab a strawberry and clink them together.

“Fruit’s okay though, right?” I ask.

She shrugs and takes a bite.

I grin, following suit. “You rebel.”

We’re halfway through demolishing the fruit when Mum steps in. “Girls, not too much. A full stomach and nerves don’t mix well.” She takes the kiwi from my hand and puts it back.

She’s probably right.

The last thing I need is to throw up on stage. The thought makes me snort quietly.

I’ve been avoiding looking at Aston, but I know exactly where he is, across the room with Chad and Caleb. For now, I’m glad for the distance.

“How are you feeling?” Mum asks, guiding us over to one of the sofas.

“Great,” I say honestly.

Ella shrugs.

Mum turns to her. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know… nerves, I guess. What if I forget what to play? I won’t have my notes up there if I get lost,” she admits.

“Oh sweetheart, you’ve been doing so well at home. Just pretend you’re playing to me, and if you get stuck, don’t worry about it. It’s your first live performance, I don’t expect everything to be perfect. I just want you to have fun,” Mum says.

I nod in agreement. “And if you do get lost, just look at me, and I’ll help you,” I add, nudging Ella. “Come stand next to me tonight if you want. You’ll be able to hear my guitar better.”

She takes a steadying breath and nods. “Okay… but I’ll stay on my side first. If I feel like I’m getting lost, I’ll come to you.”

“So, are we all ready for our first gig?” Rob calls out, raising his voice over the chatter.

“Yep,” Caleb and I answer at the same time.

“Good. Peripheral goes on in about half an hour. Then Red Velvet. And then…” he pauses, milking it, “… the band everyone’s been waiting for… Staked.”

Caleb and I whoop, the excitement bubbling over.

“So, are you pumped or what?” Rob asks.

We all cheer again.

“Awesome. You’ve got about an hour and a half before you’re on, but we need to get you out there for sound check right now. It’ll be quick, ten minutes, tops, but enough to get a feel for the room. Ready to rock it?”

Another round of cheers.

“Right, let’s go.”

He heads out, and we all follow with our small army of parents in tow. Perks of being mostly underage, I guess. Still, having Dad here isn’t the worst thing. He’s been exactly where we are now. He even played this venue back when 12GAUGE-Slayed were starting out. If anyone knows how to own a stage, it’s him.

As we move down the long, dim hallway, the energy shifts. It’s electric. Every step closer to the stage sends another spike of adrenaline through me.

This is really happening.