The Only Girl For Me

The Newmans have gigs nearly every week.

Laney finds out before Corey does, because Carrie texts her all the details.

Corey finds out the day after, when the Newmans drop by to brag about it.

At least Carrie's band know and didn't have much of an issue with it.

The relationship, that is.

But Laney couldn't even imagine telling her friends, especially taking into account how much they hate the Newmans.

She'd be called a traitor and kicked out the band.

Carrie didn't mind, at least the two of them could hang out at their houses and around Peaceville.

Hiding from Corey, Kin and Kon turned out to be ridiculously easy.

...

Corey was starting to get suspicious of Laney, the way she'd been missing rehearsals.

The weird thing was that she didn't come to practice on the same days Newmans had a gig.

Kin had pointed this out after the third time Laney had to cancel.

Corey had brought up the possibility that she had joined their rival band.

That made all three burst into tears at the thought of their bassist leaving.

"Hey! Let's follow her the next time she cancels," Corey decided.

The twins easily agreed.

And so the plan was on.

...

A few days later, Laney said she couldn't come to practice on Saturday.

"Really? And why, Lanes?" Corey asked.

"I'm busy, but I can come by in the morning. I just have stuff going on in the evening so I have to leave early."

The three guys exchanged worried glances.

Right at that moment, there was a knock on the garage door.

The Newmans had arrived, of course.

While the rest of the band glared at the new arrivals, Laney sneaked away in the chaos.

Carrie and her band bragged and then she met up with her girlfriend just round the corner.

"Hey. You coming to see us this weekend?" she asked.

Laney smiled. "Yeah, of course. I need to do band practice but I'll be there."

"Great. I've got a front row seat just for you, babe."

"I'll see you after the show?"

"And before. We'll get you a ride with us, pick you up from practice?"

'Hmm...it would be easier than going home and having to rush'

"Yeah, okay."

...

After the bragging from The Newmans, Corey and the twins were left raging.

If Carrie was really trying to take Laney from them, maybe this was it.

This was the gig where it would be revealed she's their new member.

And of course Laney wouldn't want to hurt their feelings, so she hasn't told them.

No doubt about it, they had to follow her that Saturday and convince her to stay.

The three were so distracted with their plan they hadn't even noticed Laney leave.

Or sneak back in, for that matter.

...

On Saturday, the band practiced until there was a car horn blast from outside.

"That's me, gotta go!" Laney rushed out, taking her bass with her.

Corey, Kin and Kon got outside in time to see Laney leave with the Newmans.

"They're on their way to the gig! We gotta go, now!"

With Trina having left her car, they packed the rest of their instruments in and drove off.

They had a bassist to win back, after all.

...

Laney was impossible to find.

She didn't seem to be in the crowd, but the Newmans had definitely arrived.

"Her bass is in their car," Kin pointed out.

Corey gasped. "What if they gave her a new bass?"

The twins also gasped.

This wasn't good, and time was running out.

"We'll just need to let the gig start and go on after the Newmans," Corey said.

Hopefully, Laney wouldn't have made her decision at that point.

It wasn't until the start of the gig that the three noticed two things:

1. Laney wasn't on stage with the Newmans at all

and

2. She was in the front row, closest to the stage, watching the show.

No...

Watching Carrie.

Who was looking right at her while playing.

...

Yeah, the dots weren't quite connecting yet.

But later...

Corey, Kin and Kin continued to follow Laney after the show was over.

She went backstage and met up with Carrie and then...

Oh.

OH!

So THAT was what Carrie had taken, not Laney.

But her heart.

"Come on guys, let's go," Corey said as he dragged the twins away.

"So what's going on?" they wanted to know.

"They're not stealing Laney from us, it's nothing we need to worry about."

She's not leaving the band.

It's something she can tell them whenever she wants, and they'll accept her.

She's their bassist, their best friend, their Laney.

Nothing will ever change that.

("If you ever follow me around again, I'll break your legs."
And in the future, to never do that again or face her wrath.)