Side Effects May Vary wasn’t on until seven, but everyone in the band had already squeezed into the assigned dressing room at the library, which I was pretty sure used to be a broom closet. Even though Jeff Cool wasn’t performing, he was there—“for moral support,” or so he said.
“You’re going onstage like that?” Jeff’s derisive comment was meant to shake my confidence and it did, almost as much as his sheer presence. He had no way of knowing that I couldn’t wait for those broken arms of his to heal.
“Knock it off, Jeff,” Dominic said. “I mean it.”
“Is there something wrong with the way I look?” I wore black jeans and a faded band T-shirt. When I got dressed, I thought I was rockin’ the whole understated thing.
Katrina threw something red and sparkly at me. “Here, put this on. You’ll stand out in red.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to stand out, but I took the clothing and held it up. Red sequined pants. They looked impossibly small.
“Don’t worry, they stretch,” she assured me.
“They’d better,” I said under my breath, and then went to the girls’ bathroom to change. The band was pretty casual about changing in front of one another, but there was no way I was going to try to wiggle into those pants in front of Dominic. Or anyone else.
“What should I do with my hair?” I muttered. “Up or down?”
“Up,” a voice behind me said. It was Sam. “Want some help?”
I whirled around and gave her a hug. “You made it!”
“Sean’s here too,” she said. “He’s saving us seats up front. Now, about your hair.”
“I don’t know what to do with it,” I admitted. “Or makeup. Katrina said I need to wear more so it will show up under the lights.”
“We could do a bunch of different things. Your hair is so pretty.”
“You mean red,” I replied. “All the other girls in the family have that gorgeous strawberry blond hair and I got stuck with this.”
“This,” she said, holding up a handful of my hair, “is hair that people would kill for.”
“Don’t say that,” I said, sitting down in a chair so Sam could get to my hair more easily. “You have five minutes.”
“I could do more if I had my flat iron or curler,” she said. She took a comb and some hair spray from her purse and did some major hair tweaking. She finally let me look. She’d braided the long strands of hair framing my face and wrapped them up and around into a cool twisty hairdo.
“It’s perfect!”
“Now hold still while I do your makeup,” she said.
She whipped out a makeup bag and proceeded to apply eyeliner with the skill of a professional.
“Thanks, Sam,” I said. “I’ve got to go! See you after the show.”
I needed a minute to calm my nerves. At least I looked good, thanks to Sam.
I joined the rest of the band.
“Still no Vinnie,” Katrina said grimly.
Just then, there was a knock on our dressing room door. I opened it and greeted Harmony, who was carrying a pair of drumsticks.
“Am I late?” she asked.
“Not at all,” I said. I explained to the rest of the band that Harmony had agreed to be on standby, just in case Vinnie didn’t show.
“It’s not going to work,” Jeff said dismissively.
“Shut up, Jeff,” Dominic growled. “Do you have any better ideas?”
“She plays a bunch of instruments,” I said. “She’s a musical genius. Only she can’t—” I stopped, unsure how to put it.
“I can’t sing,” Harmony said from the doorway. “But I can play.”
“Thanks for helping out,” Katrina said graciously.
“Are you ready?” Dominic asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said.
“She looks ready to throw up,” Jeff said. “Better get the barf bag ready.”
Suddenly, I did feel like throwing up. I rushed outside, but the sound of his laughter followed me.
The crowd was much larger than any we had played for before. “I can’t do this,” I moaned.
Dominic had followed me out. He put a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Sure you can.”
“Don’t you dare tell me to picture the audience naked,” I told him. “My parents are out there.”
He laughed. “I was going to say picture one person to sing to and focus on his or her face. Pretend that person is the only one in the room.”
The nausea receded. “Who do you picture?” I asked impulsively. His face clouded and I added, “Never mind. You don’t have to tell me.”
“I always picture your face,” he said.
I smiled at him. “Really?”
“Yes,” he said. “Always.”
Our eyes locked and neither of us looked away.
“We’re on,” Katrina said. “Are you two ready?”
I nodded. The announcer’s voice seemed to come from far away. “Please welcome Side Effects May Vary.”
Dominic gave me a reassuring smile before we took the stage. I looked out at the crowd, but I couldn’t focus or find that face to calm me down.
My brother Sean let out a whistle I’d recognize anywhere. The first note rang out and I realized I was supposed to play along. I took a deep breath and gripped my pick tightly as I strummed.
I managed not to hyperventilate during the first two songs, but then it was time for me to actually sing the duet with Dominic. The band had voted to sing the acoustic version of “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” at our last performance.We’d practiced some basic choreography, but it went completely out of my brain. Dominic caught my panicked look and crossed to where I stood, still holding the mike.
I finally remembered the words and the notes. Neither of us looked at the crowd once, which might not have been very exciting for them, but it made my heart beat faster.
After it was all over, I noticed that Ryan and Daisy were in the audience.
“I’ll be right back,” I said.
“I had no idea you were so talented,” Daisy said when I approached them. “I knew you could play the guitar, but you have a beautiful voice.”
“Jessica, you were amazing,” Ryan said.
I blushed. My crush hadn’t entirely faded, despite my feelings for Dominic. “Um, Ryan, I wanted to ask your advice.”
“Everything okay?” Ryan asked.
“It’s not for me,” I said. “It’s for a friend.”
“I’ll let you talk,” Daisy said. “Ryan, see you at the house. Sean and Sam are coming over too.”
He gave her a lingering kiss goodbye and I turned away.
After Daisy left, I said, “I think my friend is . . . like you, and I need to know how to help him.”
“Like me how?” Ryan said. “Tall, with green eyes?”
I started stammering all over the place, but he stopped me with a smile. “I was just kidding,” he said. “You have a friend who gets furry?”
“I think so,” I said. “He hasn’t exactly told me anything yet.”
“Then what makes you think he’s a werewolf?” Ryan asked.
“He’s been moody,” I said. “And he’s bulked up quite a bit. Not as much as Sean did, but a lot.”
“How old is he?”
“I’m not sure,” I said. “He’s a sophomore.”
“Do you mean him? The lead singer?” Ryan asked. He gestured toward someone behind me.
I turned and saw Dominic. “No!” I said. “I think he has more in common with Daisy, psychically speaking. I’m talking about Connor Archer.”
“Connor?” Ryan said. “I know his brother. I’ll talk to him.”
“Thanks, Ryan,” I said. “I think he could use a friend who has already been through it.”
“Gotta go,” he said. “But we’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
That’s when the judges were going to announce the finalists. And immediately after that, the bands who had made the cut would be performing to determine who would win the grand prize.