The Pros And Cons Of Being In Love With The Lead Singer Of A Rock And Roll Band

Chapter Two

“So,” Kylie Winters said, as I walked into school the next morning. “How’s Frizzy-Hair today?”

I hate Kylie. Just because her hair is always perfect. Turns out, curling my hair last night was not a good plan, and it’s ended up in corkscrew curls. They don’t suit me. A fact Kylie wasted no time in telling me.

I looked at Kylie, her pouty pink lips, her perfect face, her perfect blonde hair, her perfect blue eyes.

How is it some people are so aesthetically gifted, and then you get people like me with ordinary brown hair, blue eyes and spotty skin?

OK, I know I’m not the ugliest person out there. But I’m definitely no Kylie.

I smiled at her, because I was trying to work on being nice to people, but I couldn’t help wishing a great claw would come out of the sky and pick her up and carry her to a galaxy far, far away.

Sadly, it didn’t.

I walked past her, head held high.

Too high.

Kyle stuck out a perfect foot, tripped me up neatly, and sauntered away.

I crashed to the hard floor, all the breath knocked out of my body. The contents of my bag smashed down, and all the stuff rolled out of it. I lay there, winded for a moment.

Two shoes appeared in front of my eyes. Boy’s shoes. I didn’t even have to look any farther to see who owned them. Only one boy in the entire school wore platforms.

“Alex?”

“You OK? Nothing broken?”

“I don’t think so.”

He picked me up and stood me back on my feet, and put all my stuff back into my bag while I recovered.

And not just from the fall. From the shock of Alex Carter, yes, Alex Carter, coming to my assistance.

Alex Carter picked my up off the floor.

Alex Carter put all my stuff back in my bag.

Alex Carter handed my bag back to me and gave me another flash of that knee-melting smile.

“Uh, thanks,” I said. Scintillating conversation from me, as usual.

“You’re welcome.” He shrugged, as if it was nothing.

“No, really. I mean. Yeah. So. Um. Yeah.”

He smiled again as he looked at the ground, as if he understood what I was trying to say. “So… Did you like it last night?”

“Like what?”

“The music.”

“Oh. Oh, the music! Right. I loved it!” I’m going to have to stop lying. Seriously. But… There’s no way I could just come right out and say: “No, it was too loud. Your voice, I loved your voice, could listen to you forever, but the music is rubbish.”

Because I’m sure it would be OK music if it wasn’t played at ear-splitting levels.

“Yeah? Good.”

We walked along together. Right past my classroom, but, come on. When the boy you’ve loved for years suddenly starts walking with you, there’s no way you’re going to say: “I have to go now.”

Even if it means you get a detention.

Even if it meant a jail sentence, I think I’d still do it.

“So…” I said, casually. “Do you want to have lunch with me?”

He stared at me, strangely. “Uh… No, thanks. But… Look, Morgan… I just wanted to say…” He tailed off. “Uh, the school’s doing a kind of end of term concert thing.”

I nodded. I knew all about that. I was president of the school committee, after all.

“Well, there’s a prize for the best demonstration of musical talent.”

“And you want to enter with the band?” I raised an eyebrow. Alex’s music is very popular with teenage boys, but not so much with the teachers. And it’s the teacher who will be awarding the prize.

“Yeah. If we win this, Morgan, it’ll be a step in the right direction. People will start asking us to play at parties, we can do a few gigs, see how it goes…” Enthusiasm was written all over Alex’s face.

I wasn’t convinced. I know it’s not that easy to be successful. People spend their whole lives trying to be rich and famous. Trying to get somewhere. Most of them never do.

I’d be the first to say Alex is special. Alex was born to shine.

But… like I said, it’s not always that simple.

Part of me wished I was like Alex. That I believed anything was possible.

I just couldn’t, though. My Mum says I’m a born cynic. I don’t know exactly what that means, but I think it means I see the glass half empty, rather than half-full.

Hey, I’m just realistic!

“So, will you be there?” Alex said.

“Where?” I had been so busy thinking my own thoughts, I hadn’t been paying attention.

“At the dance. Y’know, the end of term dance. Have you ever been before?”

I shook my head. I didn’t go to dances and things. Nobody ever asked me. Because, try as I might, I still wasn’t “cool”. And I never would be.

“OK, well the bands get up on stage, play their stuff, and the kids all vote and decide who was the best.”

So the kids decide. Ah, well that was a bit different. Maybe Alex did have a chance.

“So… Are you coming?” repeated Alex.

I shrugged. “I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

I shrugged again. What do you say to that? “Because nobody ever asks me, and, even if I did have enough guts to go by myself, I’d just end up sitting in the corner, trying to look as though I was enjoying myself, and failing miserably?”

Somehow, I don’t think an answer like that is going to impress the guy you’re in love with.

So, I just smiled and said: “Not really my thing.”

“It’s not mine, either,” Alex admitted. “But I’d really like it if you came.” He turned those wonderful golden eyes on me again, and I was lost.

“I’ll come,” I whispered.

“Oh, great!” He grinned. “See you then! Oh, drat, I’m late for Advanced Calculus! See you, Morgan!” I watched as he turned and sprinted away.

I slowly made my way to my class-room, feeling confused and dazed. Was that like… a date?

No. It wasn’t. He hadn’t said: “Will you come with me?” He just said: “Will you come?”

And I had said yes.Why had I said yes? It was just going to be the same as all the other parties I had been to.

An ordeal!