More than Music

17

I studied his face and wondered if there was a personal reason he’d chosen that name or if they really were just comic book geeks. His comment reminded me of the lyrics in “Behind the Mask,” about presenting a certain image to the world but no one seeing the real person underneath.

Before I could ponder it further, Ray continued with his next question. “Can you tell us a little about how long you’ve been together and how you formed?”

“Sure. Kyle and I started playing music together when we were kids. Our mom’s a songwriter and our dad’s an entertainment lawyer, so it must be in our blood. Hector was my best friend in high school, and I convinced him to learn the drums so we could start a band.” He stopped and glanced at me. “And Maddie joined us…recently.”

Ray quickly rattled off a few more questions to Jared about the band and what we hoped to get out of the show while the rest of us just stood there like we didn’t exist. Hector and Kyle kept trying to butt in, but Ray never let them have the mic.

“One last question,” Ray said. “Maddie, are you and Jared together?”

“What? No!” He hadn’t addressed me for the entire interview and now he asked that? Where had that question even come from?

“So no hidden story there?” he asked, and I shook my head. “C’mon, there has to be something. Look at this guy. You like him, right?”

My god, what was this guy’s problem? As the camera focused on me, I coughed, trying to find the words to make this moment end.

“No, we’re just friends,” I finally managed to say. Jared stared at the floor, like he wanted to be anywhere else. Me too, Jared, me too.

“Too bad. Okay, that’s it,” Ray said, and the interview was over. He left the room without another word, with the camera crew trailing behind him.

“What the f**k was that?” Hector asked. “This isn’t the Jared Cross band.”

“Huh?” Jared asked. “I didn’t ask the questions.”

“No, you just answered all of them. And this isn’t the Jared and Maddie love story either.”

“I didn’t—” I started while Jared said, “There’s nothing—”

“Whatever,” Hector said. “Just keep it in your pants, man.”

Jared’s face darkened. “What the—”

“Enough,” Kyle said, getting between the two of them. “The show is just trying to find an angle they can work. Don’t worry about it. Besides, Maddie already promised she won’t hook up with Jared.”

Wow, thank you, Kyle. As if this moment wasn’t embarrassing enough. “Can we please drop this?” I asked.

Jared raised his eyebrows at me and Hector snorted, but no one else said a word after that.

The show gave us all the information about what would happen next, and we were finally sent home. I still couldn’t believe I’d made the choice to do this, to give up my internship to join a rock band and compete on a reality TV show. Who was I and what had I done with my former self?

Quitting my internship was harder than I’d expected. Let’s just say the LA Philharmonic wasn’t pleased to have their carefully selected intern back out at the last minute. I’d definitely burned some bridges there, not to mention with the professor who’d sponsored me. I came pretty close to calling the guys to tell them I couldn’t join the band after all, but Carla and Julie assured me I was doing the right thing. God, I hoped they were right.

On Monday, I met the band at the high-rise hotel in LA Live where we’d be staying as long as we were on the show. We were only allowed two rooms, and the guys decided it would be best if they shared one, giving me a room all to myself. I think they just didn’t want to argue over who would have to share with me.

I dropped my luggage off in my nice big room and ran into the guys again in the elevator—their room was a few floors up. As the door closed, a voice said, “Going down,” and immediately the Fall Out Boy song “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down” popped into my head. As if on cue, Jared started singing the chorus of that exact song.

“I heard that, too," I said, and he grinned at me.

“I thought of Aerosmith’s ‘Love In An Elevator,’” Kyle said.

“Also a good one,” Jared said, and belted out the lyrics.

Hector shook his head. “Not me. I heard that Nelly song ‘Country Grammar.’”

“What?” Kyle gaped at him. “I think we might have to kick you out of the band.”

“No kidding,” Jared said. “I’m not sure our relationship can survive such fundamental differences in musical taste.”

“Please, we all know you’d be lost without me,” Hector said.

“True.” Jared grabbed him, and they wrestled until the elevator door opened. I rolled my eyes. Guys.

The lobby was all smooth bamboo and stainless steel trim, and my shoes squeaked loudly as we walked across the shiny floors. Some of the people checking in or sitting on the couches were business people or tourists, but the rest had to be musicians on the show, with their dyed hair, faded band T-shirts, and guitar cases. Many of them were sizing us up, too.

“What do you think the other bands on Angel’s team are like?” I asked the guys.

Kyle shrugged. “Who knows? Last season she had all kinds of music.”

“Yeah, but she tends to go for harder stuff usually,” Jared said. “Punk, emo, heavy metal.”

“Last season she had one pop band that almost won though,” I said.

“True. I just hope she picks a good song for us to play in the battle.”