More than Music

13

“What’d you find out?” Kyle asked when Jared returned.

“Some of these people have been waiting for two hours already.” He sighed and leaned back against the wall. “We’re going to be here forever.”

Hector grunted. “Unless the mentors pick all their team members before we even get in.”

“Don’t even say that,” Jared said. “Just don’t.” “Relax, that’s not going to happen,” Kyle said.

Other bands got called up and then disappeared, never to return. It was impossible to know from this room what happened to them or what our competition was like. The longer we waited, the more I was convinced that Hector was right and the mentors would fill up their teams before we got a chance to audition. No, that’d be too easy. It was more likely we’d get on stage and I’d screw up horribly, and it would be my fault the band wasn’t picked for the show. How could the other guys trust me with something this big?

Our number was finally called thirty minutes later, and we all rushed to the desk at the front of the room. A woman with a high ponytail and a polo shirt with the show’s logo on it grabbed four clipboards and shoved them at us.

“This is the show’s contract. Each of you need to print your name and the date and sign it at the end.”

I tried to read the small print, but there was just so much of it. Pages and pages of legalese I didn’t understand. The guys looked just as baffled, except Jared, who was actually reading the thing like it was interesting.

“It’s all pretty standard stuff,” the woman said, sounding annoyed that we weren’t signing it immediately. She started ticking things off on her fingers. “If you’re selected during the audition, you agree to be on the show for the next five weeks. The show will pay for your hotel, plus a small living stipend. Any songs you record for the show will be sold on the website, and you’ll receive ten percent of the profits. If you’re one of the final four bands, you agree to go on tour in August, and if you win, you receive a recording contract from Mix It Up Records.”

“Um, should I sign this if I’m only a temporary member of the band?” I asked while I flicked through it.

“No changes in band members for the duration of the show, including the audition,” the woman snapped. “It’s right there on page four.”

“No changes?” I nearly dropped the clipboard. If I did this audition, I’d be stuck with the band for as long as they were on the show. Or even longer, if we made it to the final four and were sent on tour. That would be the entire summer—and my internship started next Monday. There was no way I could do both.

“What?” Kyle asked and then spun to face Jared. “Did you know about this?”

“No! I would never trick Maddie into joining the band. I swear, I didn’t know.”

Kyle tossed his clipboard on the table. “That’s it then. It’s over. Let’s get our gear and go.”

“I told you we should have waited until next year,” Hector muttered.

Jared scanned the contract again. “This can’t be it. There must be some other way.”

Kyle sighed. “Should we call Becca? Maybe if we begged her…”

“No. Definitely not. We can’t trust her to keep it together for the next five weeks.”

“I know, but—”

While the guys argued, I stared at the contract in my hands. The decision I made here could impact the rest of my life, and the two choices weighed on me, heavy with their uncertain futures. I could leave the band now without any hard feelings and go back to my normal life and the internship I had worked so hard for. That was the safe path, the one I’d been traveling on for the last three years. Once I washed off the makeup and returned the clothes to Julie, I’d be regular old Maddie again, who only practiced guitar in secret and had her future figured out.

Except…I didn’t want to go back to my normal life anymore.

I’d joined the band thinking it would only be for this one audition. But now that I’d played with them, I wanted more. I wanted to compete with them, to perform their songs on stage, and maybe even have a shot at winning this thing. I wanted to fight for my dream—my real dream—for once in my life, instead of standing in the audience and cheering for someone else.

“I want to do the show,” I said, my pulse racing with equal parts fear and excitement. “If you’ll have me in the band, that is.”

“Are you sure?” Kyle asked. “You were so excited about your internship.”

“I was, but when I practiced with you guys last night, it just felt…right. Like this is what I’m meant to be doing. I don’t want to look back years from now and wonder what if, you know?”

“Yeah, I get that.” He turned to the rest of the band. “Well, I’m happy to let Maddie join the band permanently. What about you guys?”

“I’m cool with it,” Jared said.

“Of course you are.” Hector rolled his eyes. “But yeah, let’s do this.”

Jared grinned and draped an arm across my shoulder, sending another spike of heat through me. “Welcome to the band, Maddie.”

After signing the contract, we were taken to a small waiting room and told we’d be going on in ten minutes. Hector stretched his neck and arms while Kyle texted someone, probably Alexis. Jared ran through some vocal exercises and paced back and forth, like he was about to burst through the door and take on the crowd by himself.