It was awkward at school the next couple of days around Robbie. Tig tried to pretend that nothing was wrong, that she wasn’t aware of what Robbie was up to. But Robbie could always tell when Tig was upset.
“What is with you lately?” Robbie asked at lunch.
“Nothing,” Tig replied. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“For starters, you haven’t made a joke in two days, and you always make jokes,” Robbie said. “And you don’t initiate conversation. When I talk to you, you answer, but it’s like it’s the bare minimum to be polite or something, not like you’re really into it.”
“I don’t know,” Tig said. “I certainly didn’t realize I wasn’t acting like myself.”
“There it is again,” said Robbie.
“What?”
“That weird formality in the way you talk. Since when do you say ‘certainly’?”
Tig faked a laugh. “I think you’re imagining things.”
Robbie shrugged. “Whatever you say, Ripley.”
It was a relief when the other girls got to the table. “Tig,” Olivia said, “did you ask your mom if we could push practice back a half hour this Thursday? Coach says we won’t get back till five.”
“Yep,” Tig said. “She was fine with it.”
“That’s actually better for me,” Kyra said. “Mom’s out of town, so Dad’s going to have to leave work a little early to get me there.”
“Is Paris going to make it?” Claire said to Robbie.
“Of course,” Robbie replied. “She wouldn’t miss it. She’s completely amped about it.” Robbie laughed. “See what I did there? Amped? Paris is amped? Get it? Our bass player is amped.”
Claire and Olivia laughed, so Tig and Kyra joined in, trying to sound genuine. Then Tig realized what she was laughing at.
“Did you just call Paris our bass player?” Tig asked. She tried to sound nonconfrontational, but she felt plenty confrontational.
“You know what I mean,” Robbie said. “She’s the bass player for the new song.”
“Oh,” said Tig coldly.
“Wait a minute,” Robbie said. “Is that what this is all about?”
“What what is all about?” Tig said.
“That’s why you’ve been acting so weird,” Robbie said. “You’re ticked that Paris’s playing bass on ‘It’s Only Rock ’n Roll.’”
“I’m not ticked about anything,” Tig lied. “I was just asking for clarification. That’s all.”
“You all were witnesses,” Robbie said, gesturing to Olivia and Claire. “Kyra said she didn’t care if Paris played bass on that song. Am I wrong?”
“That is what Kyra said,” Olivia replied.
“Do you mind, Kyra?” Claire asked. “Were you just being polite?”
“It’s fine,” Kyra said.
“See, Ripley?” Robbie said. “Kyra said it’s fine. Nobody’s taking anybody’s instrument, okay? Are we all cool?”
“Cool as the other side of the pillow,” Tig said.
“Awesome,” Robbie said. “Whew. That was starting to bug me.”
“And you’ll be glad to know that Kyra is determined to nail the rhythm guitar on the new song, so we should be humming right along come Thursday,” said Tig.
“Is that right?” Robbie said. “So, Kyra, you’ve been logging the ol’ practice hours, huh?”
“Totes,” Kyra said.
“Heck, yeah,” Robbie said. “I can hardly wait for Thursday!”
Tig agreed. And this time, she wasn’t faking anything.