My Little Decoy

♪ Everything's Gonna Fall Right into Place ♪ {11}

"Somehow everything's gonna fall
Right into place.
If we only had a way to make it fall,
Fall faster everyday." -Hallelujah

"What the hell?" Gabriel choked out, eyeing Xander and I on the ground trying to compose ourselves. "Were you guys eavesdropping on our conversation?"

"No shit, Sherlock." I muttered under my breath, getting to my feet and dusting off my clothes.

Xander was already up, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, see..."

As he tried to form a coherent sentence, I gazed at the three guys in front of me, taking in their appearances. I already knew Gabriel but the other two were slightly new.

I recognized Drake from my history class; he had curly, light brown hair with amber lowlights, and his eyes were a unique mix of hazel and green. He wore a sky blue Abercrombie shirt combined with dark navy blue jeans and DCs. Drake fixed a narrowed scowl at me when he noticed I was almost checking him out.

So I switched my gaze to the other boy, who I bet was Zac. He had sleak jet black hair with side bangs that covered his entire forehead. His skin was a lovely shade of tan, and that mixed with his narrow dark brown eyes that showed his Asian heritage. A pair of rectangular glasses sat on the bridge of Zac's nose. He wore a baggy graphic tee and skinny jeans; a weird combination. He had a pretty lean build unlike Drake and Gabriel who had a bit of muscle. He sent me a curious look, one that wasn't filled with hostility.

"We want to join your band." I said abruptly, cutting off Xander's stammering explanation.

"What?" All three boys asked incredulously at the same time.

"You heard me." I ground out, crossing my arms and standing my ground. If they said no, I wouldn't leave until they changed their minds. I would be joining their band no matter what. This was my last resort, my last chance.

"And why would we do that? You were just eavesdropping on us! How could we trust you?" Drake hissed, glaring.

"Chill, bro." Zac interjected, placing a hand on Drake's shoulder. Drake relaxed a bit, but still looked a little suspicious.

"Drake has a point though." Gabriel shrugged, fixing an uneasy stare on Xander and I.

"Yeah, we were eavesdropping. But it wasn't on purpose," I lied, keeping a poker face as my expression. "Anyone could hear you guys arguing from a mile away." At least that part was true.

Zac sent a glare Gabriel's way and muttered, "Told you we were too loud."

"So?" Gabriel shrugged, turning his gaze back to me. He had this air of superiority surrounding him. Not like Tilted Reality's manager, but a nice wave of confidence.

"So," I continued, leaning against one of the walls, pushing a broom out of the way. "You guys are desperate. You need a drummer. And now you've got one."

Gabriel eyed me suspiciously, and then turned to form a huddle with Zac and Drake. There was hushed whispers and lots of gesturing. I shot Xander a bored look. He returned it by sticking out his tongue at me.

Eventually, the three members turned back to us and Gabriel crossed his arms. "Alright. Meet us after school in the Piano Lab and we'll see what you can do. And you-" He turned to Xander, prodding him in the chest. "You better be good."

"What-?" Xander choked out, confused, before Gabriel continued.

"Your girlfriend here, I don't like her attitude but if she's trying this hard to get you to be our drummer than you better have talent, got it?" Gabriel threatened, towering over Xander's 5'8" frame.

Wait. What?

What the hell? I didn't mean Xander! It's me, you idiots! Iwant to join your freaking band! Not this moron next to me! And what do you mean, girlfriend?!

I set the most hate-filled glare on my face before opening my mouth to object when Gabriel made his way past me to the door. "Don't be late." He ordered before exiting the janitor's closet. Zac and Drake sent us curious stares before following their fellow bandmate.

As soon as door slammed shut, Xander turned to me and yelled, "What was that for?! I'm not a drummer! I don't want to join their band!"

"Xander! Calm the fuck down!" I shouted back, smacking him upside the head. "Just listen, okay?"

Xander pinched the bridge of his nose before leaning against the wall opposite me and saying dejectedly, "Go on."

"You'll go to the auditions," I shot him a glare when he tried to interrupt. "I'll come too. We'll explain to them that I meant myself, and that you'll audition to be their guitarist."

"What?! Lace-"

"Xander, you're amazing at guitar. Alright, I'll admit it. You can totally do it. Besides, those guys hate me. It'll do some good to have some support."

"Lacey-"

"Please, Xander?" I tried to plead like Olivia and Amber did but it came out in my usual monotone voice instead.

He fixed a stare at me, calculating his options. His gaze softened and he murmured, "You're lucky I love you."

"What?"

Xander blinked in surprise and quickly added, "In a friend way, y'know? Besides, I don't trust you around those guys. You'll need me around to protect you."

I scowled at him, setting my jaw. "I'm. Not. A. Five. Year. Old. I can take care of myself."

It was then that Xander fixed the oddest stare at me. Like the look in his eyes when he took my hand at the assembly. I couldn't pinpoint what it was.

But all too quickly, the look vanished and he rolled his eyes, "I'm like your older brother. You need me." I noticed how his voice caught a bit at the word brother. Weird.

"Whatever. Just meet me at my locker afterschool and we'll head down together. Got it?" I declared, arching one eyebrow.

"Aye, aye, Delinquent."

--

One detention, three classes, and a run in with the Grinch later, the final bell rung and I instantly got out of my chair. Goodbye Biology, hello big chance at freedom.

Shoving my way out the door, I high-tailed it to my locker, quickly unlocking it and doing my usual routine of putting books away and grabbing homework.

When I slammed it shut, I was met with Xander's body leaning against the locker beside mine. He gave me a nervous wink and asked, "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." I shrugged and slung my backpack over one shoulder, gesturing for Xander to lead the way.

As we made our way past the stragglers sprinting to catch their bus, I felt the adrenaline fade and nervousness take over. What if I wasn't even good enough? What would I do then? How can I leave?

The lockers on either side of me started to close in, making me feel like a cornered animal. Anxious, I dabbed at a small bead of sweat on my brow and bended down, yanking Rev out of my boot.

Once my faithful sticks were in my hands, I started to relax a little but the nervous jitters were still there. Xander continued on, oblivious to my predicament. So I simply played an easy rhythm in the air to calm myself even further.

"Here we are." Xander stopped at the wooden door with the sign "Piano Lab" plastered onto the front. He spun around, giving me a grin.

Rolling my eyes, I walked past him and rested my hand on the knob, hearing the low buzz of the band tuning their instruments. One particular guitar string let out an enormous amount of feedback and the note being played made me feel like my ear drums were shattering.

Without thinking, I slammed the door open and blurted out, "Your D string is really, really sharp."

Instantly, Gabriel, Zac, and Drake's eyes narrowed on my impassive face.

"What?" Drake eventually spat, and I recognized his electric guitar as a beautiful mahagony Fender. It was also the source of the horrible tuning.

"I said," I ground out through gritted teeth. The resonance of the out of tune string was still ringing in my ears. "Your D string is sharp. Extremely."

"And how would you know?" Drake muttered, turning the tuning knob anyway to try ad tune it to my standards.

"Perfect pitch." I replied uneasily, wincing a bit as the string became flat instead. "Give me that."

"No." Drake stared at me, irritated by my request. I strode over and took it anyway, tuning the string perfectly before fixing the other strings too.

"There." I breathed, strumming all six strings and then handing out towards Drake. He ignored me as he took his guitar back, testing out a few chords. I saw the hidden surprise in his eyes when he realized that the sound eminating from the instrument was beautiful.

I half-smirked triumphantly before realizing that the other two members of the band were glancing at me with a mixture of annoyance and awe.

"Er. Hey." Xander walked into the room, waving.

"Oh, good. You're here. I thought your girlfriend was just here to crash the party." Gabriel stood, extending a hand to Xander.

"I'm not his girlfriend." I snarled, crossing my arms.

Xander flushed a bit before shaking Gabriel's extended hand. "Yeah, she's not." He added a bit glumly.

Gabriel grinned, laughing a bit. "I can see why."

"I'm not deaf, morons." I muttered but was discreetly ignored by the boys.

Ignoring me, Gabriel released his hand and gestured to himself. "Anyway, I'm Gabriel Evans, vocalist of the group. That over there is Zac Padilla," He pointed to Zac who waved to us. "He's our bassist. And that over there is Drake Mallone. He's our lead guitarist." Drake gave us a mini-salute before turning back to his guitar.

"Hey, I'm Xander Corradino. And this is Lacey Carson." Xander smiled, giving a wave of his own to the three. I didn't attempt to greet them.

"Why don't you show us what you've got?" Zac came up behind Gabriel, his bass strapped backwards into his bass. It was a beautiul shade of peach with white stripes. Zac held out a pair of drum sticks to Xander, giving a small smile.

"See about that... I'm a guitarist," Xander held a palm out, pushing the drum sticks back to Zac. "Not a drummer."

"But she said..." Zac frowned, exchanging a glance with the others and then turning to me.

I arched one eyebrow, daring them to challenge me. I hid Rev in my arms, prepared to retort about them misunderstanding everything when Gabriel interjected, "Nevermind. We still need a rhythm guitarist anyway. You can audition for that."

Xander nodded as Drake rose from his seat at the piano bench and handed his Fender to Xander. "Let's see what you got." He nodded.

Xander took the instrument gingerly, taking the strap and placing it over his head, securing the instrument easily over his stomach. "Alright. What should I play?"

Drake shrugged, "Well, we're more of an alternative and hard rock band, so try something within that genre."

"Sure," Xander agreed and he postioned his fingers on the frets, taking in a deep breath.

Then he started to play.

Like before, I watched in silent awe as his fingers grazed swiftly over the frets, causing notes to jump out and melodies to occur. He was playing a Breaking Benjamin song. I'm pretty sure it was called Diary of Jane.

I noticed that the other guys were nodding, as if analyzing every detail and flaw in Xander's playing. Xander on the other hand, played easily with dexterity and grace, even bobbing his head in time with the tempo.

When he strummed the last chord, Zac and Drake applauded with grins on their faces.

"That was amazing, bro." Zac clapped Xander on the back.

"Yeah, I think we've finally found someone who can match my talents." Drake laughed, taking his guitar back as Xander handed it to him.

Gabriel looked a bit skeptical, rubbing his chin. "I dunno guys."

"Come on, he's perfect." Zac protested, standing by Xander. Xander just shoved his hands in his pockets, a small smile on his face.

"Alright, alright. He was pretty good, I'm admit." Gabriel agreed, winking. "I guess we've found our missing link."

"Well... not exactly." Zac said in a quiet voice. "We still don't have a drummer."

Xander's face broke out into a knowing smirk, "I think I have a solution to that."

"Really?" Drake asked, eyes widening. "Do you know anybody who can play?"

"Hell yeah, he does." I shouted from the other side of the room, postioned behind the drum set.

While the three guys were watching Xander play, I had slunk to the opposite side of the room where the drum set was located. I was now sitting behind it, Rev in my palms and ready to play.

Zac, Drake, and Gabriel stared at me with wide eyes. I smirked and lifted my arms in the air, remembering the way Blake accented the first beat by crashing down with momentum.

"When I said you guys finally found a drummer, I meant me, idiots!" I shot out before crashing my arms down on the set and getting lost in the music.

I played no particular song whatsoever. It just started out as improv, with me concentrating on playing perfectly. But as the music took over my body, I focused less on the playing and more on the passion.

My right foot beat down on the bass drum pedal every other beat while my hands alternated with the snares and hi-hats, creating intricate patterns to match the melody playing in my mind.

As my mind collapsed into a pit of sound, the memory of Blake teaching me a pattern at the park exploded in my mind and my hands instantly shifted counts. I was playing Blake's rhythms exactly like he had taught while all the same, I saw the smile on his face.

A smile broke out onto my own face; I couldn't help it. Feeling sweat drip down my forehead, I decided screw it, and ended my audition with a fast-paced solo that nearly made my ears go deaf.

When the final cymbal crash echoed through the air, I opened my eyes and panted heavily, holding Rev tightly in my hand.

"Well?" I coughed out, narrowing my eyes at Gabriel, Zac, and Drake.

Drake and Zac's mouths were wide open, imitating the shocked look on Xander's face. Gabriel stared at me with a blank expression.

"You're in." Drake blurted out, shaking his head out of his daze and staring at me as if seeing me in a new light. Zac nodded his eager agreement.

"Wait. We need to decide on this together." Gabriel glared at them, fixing the scowl on me.

"There's no need to decide! She's fucking amazing and hot!" Drake exclaimed, gesturing to me. I started a little at the word hot but said nothing.

"Yeah, but I don't want a girl in this band." Gabriel growled, making me set my jaw in irritation. "She's only going to slow us down. Plus, you know everyone flocks to the female. We'll always have to live in the shadow of her fame!"

Excuse me, what?!

"Well, that's very sexist of you." I growled back, standing up abruptly from my seat.

"What are you going to do about it?" Gabriel retorted, watching me as I stalked in his direction. I stepped right up to him, sizing him up. It didn't exactly work becuase I was short and he was a freaking giant.

"You know you guys need me. I need you guys. If you let me in, it's a win-win for the both of us." I hissed, pointing him straight in the chest. He didn't budge, still glaring at me.

"Come on," I added, feeling desperation bubble up inside of me. If he said no, my entire plan would go to waste. I'd have to live in the shadow of my past. I'd have to put with Marco. I'd never have a chance to do something with my life.

I'll never be free.

Gabriel stayed silent for an immeasurable amount of time. Every second was a stab to my heart. And then finally-

"You have to prove yourself first. But one mistake and you're gone. Got it?" Gabriel hissed through gritted teeth before stalking out of the room. Goodness, was he always going to leave like that?

"Oh, thank God." Drake exclaimed in a breath, walking up to me and slinging an arm around my shoulders. I fought the urge to flinch.

Zac stopped in front of me and Xander, beaming as he extended his arms to the sides. "So, Lacey... Xander." He exchanged a glance with Drake and then the two turned to us. They spoke at the same time with smiles on their faces.

"Welcome to Chasing Avenues."

--

Dedicated to monsterinthemirrorx because she made me an awesome banner. (Which is on the side. )

Happy New Year's Day everyone! I remember last year like it was just yesterday. Hehe.

Stay lovely,
Isabelle