Out of Tune

Chapter Thirteen

Music is the strongest form of magic--Marilyn Manson

"Your parents are seriously still that mad about you being in a band?" Spencer asked. "It's been over a month. I thought they would've cooled off by now."

Lennon nodded even though Spencer couldn't see her through the phone. She was in her bedroom getting ready for Taylor and Kyle Adams' annual New Year's Eve party. The last month had been a crazy mess of band rehearsals, finishing the fall semester at school, and celebrating the holidays with her family.

The band rehearsals had been going incredibly well – as had their subsequent performances at Quincy's. They'd performed twice since that initial performance and there was no denying that Imagine Reality was only improving. Word had started to get out about them and they now had a small but steady following that was showing up at the restaurant specifically to hear them perform.

Imagine Reality had been working to include new material into their sets and as a result, Lennon was spending a lot of her spare time with Spencer. They liked to sit in his basement, talking about songwriting and the band's future. Now that he knew the basics, Lennon had to admit that Spencer wasn't a terrible songwriter at all. In fact, he'd been rather helpful when she'd started working on a few new pieces to add to their sets.

It had also become clear that the band's increasing popularity had infiltrated Los Altos High. It wasn't at the point where their band was regarded with the same popularity as some of the athletes or student government representatives, but Lennon had heard the name of their band thrown into a casual conversation on more than one occasion.

As things were going well on the band and school front, Lennon's home life was becoming increasingly messier.

"My mom thinks I'm wasting my time because music will never actually go anywhere. And the step-monster thinks I'm an idiot and hates having me around so he agrees with everything she says," Lennon told Spencer as she wrapped a strand of her hair around the curling iron.

It had been a very intense conversation. Tensions had been building between Lennon and her mother for a while. Little things that grew larger but it hadn't been until her mother's co-worker – Grace – had seen Lennon performing with Imagine Reality at Quincy's did tensions reach an all-time high.

Things had been fine through Thanksgiving and even through the majority of December. In fact, Lennon had hardly seen her mother, step-father, and half-brother. Between her end of term tests and papers at school, band rehearsals, and Bryce, she'd had very little time to spend at home. Which was probably a good thing.

Once Grace had informed Paige about Lennon's continual involvement in Imagine Reality, the strain had begun to increase.

Though they'd performed at Quincy's a week before Christmas, it was only on Christmas Eve that Paige cornered her daughter in the kitchen. Lennon had been pulling out the ingredients to make cookies for Santa with Colby when her mother had walked in and asked to talk.

"What's up?" Lennon had asked as she reached for a mixing bowl. Colby was still watching cartoons in the other room, waiting for her to have everything prepared before he came sprinting over to help.

"I heard that you've been playing in a band at some pizza place...Is that true?" Her mother had brushed her hand through her styled blonde hair and stared at Lennon with the green eyes they both shared.

"Um, yeah it's true."

Her mother had only pursed her lips. "I don't think that's a smart choice for your future, Lennon. In fact, I'm going to suggest that you quit that band right now before you ruin your grades for the rest of the year, and your chance at college, on a pipe dream."