Rocker Chick (Completed!)

Chapter 21: Cassidy

I get to school early Saturday morning to get people organized. Surprisingly, others are already there opening up their shops. Gift shops line the entrance and there are activities in each classroom. At 8 am, we officially open the school gates for the festival. After that I am busy all day long helping people out with everything under the sun. If there are problems, I would have to solve them. Need more paper? On it. Out of cups? Got it. Someone lost a child? No problem. It goes on and on and on. Around noon-ish, Cole pulls me aside saying he'd take over while I had my lunch break. I start to protest but he dismisses me with a wave of his hand and a turn of his back.

Gratefully, I slink away to a desolate part in the school yard and sit at a base of a tree. The breeze outside feels lovely and the air crisp. We're well into fall now. Soon winter will be here. I sympathize with the trees losing their leaves. It seems like such an essential part of them to lose them and I can't help but feel like my situation is similar. I sigh and, for the first time in ages, feel completely and utterly alone. That is, until someone starts calling for me.

"Miss President! Miss President! We have a situation!" Treasurer Jonas comes running toward me at full speed.

I quickly stand and brush myself off. "What's wrong?"

"Some of the Gifted School Students have come to cause trouble! They are posting signs everywhere that you're in a band?!" He says that last sentence as a question.

"Oh, shoot," I say, dashing off with him following behind me.

In the parking lot, Tadashe and Tobias are getting into it. Tobias is one second away from throwing a punch. He's hopping mad.

"Stop!" I demand. Tobias turns to me and his face pinched in anger but dissolves when he realizes it's me.

I approach them and Tadashe smugly hands me a flier he's been handing out to everyone. I quickly scan it.

It has Delightful Hope's vs. Crushed's band facing off. My picture is on there along with my name. Not my alias. My real name. Shoot. I take the flier and rip it in half, dropping the halves to the ground. "This is a school festival. Participate in activities, buy some gifts, and then leave. We do not allow outside propaganda during the festival." Tadashe looks taken back a bit and I can't resist adding, "No matter how flattering the picture is." I wink and turn heel, savoring the expression on not only Tadashe's face but also Tobias's.

For the rest of the day, I answer question after question about being in a band. There was no way this wasn't going to get back to my mother, and I couldn't care less. You know what they say, cat's outta the bag! Meow!

Fireworks roll around and the boys, Maydean, and I ditch, heading toward the concert in the limo. It's a tight fit but we manage.

Once there, we get backstage and start getting ready. Talia meets us there, all ready to go with her makeup case and my outfit.

She styles me the same way as last time except with blues this time. I'm dressed in a short white skirt with black lace edging, light blue converse, and low scoop neck black tee. I sling a white jacket over my shoulders just in case I get too cool but even Talia doubts I will need it.

"Thank you," Talia tells me. I glance up and meet her eyes. "For doing this for them. It's always been their dream. Now go out there and kill it!" We fist bump and hug it out.

I meet Maydean in the hall. "Wow! You really look totally different!" Her eyes sparkles as she says this. I give her a look and she rolls her eyes. "In a good way."

"Thank you," I letting out a breathy chuckle. I grasp her hand in thanks.

"You nervous?" She asks, knowing full well I am but trying to distract me from it. She's been there a time or two through one of my rhyming nerves. Freaks her out. Every. Single. Time.