Two high school misfits who hate each other. One music competition where they have to work together. Can their love of classic 80s rock unite them?
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High...
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Side A: Mitzi
It's Friday and my head hurts.
"Are you going to the basketball game tonight?" Casey asks me before voice class starts.
I was planning to go straight home and change into my pajamas, then spend the rest of the night in bed watching YouTube videos, but I can't tell Casey that. All week I've been learning about the kind of person I need to be if I'm going to stay friends with Shawna, Casey, and Elsie, and doing nothing on a Friday night is a massive No-No. I need to be Getting Out There and Doing Things on weekend nights. I should also be part of some extracurricular activities, but I haven't gotten around to that yet. I'm thinking Yearbook sounds safe.
"What time does it start?" I ask.
"Seven. My boyfriend is on the team. Have you met him yet? Adam Young? He has second lunch, because he's a senior."
I wouldn't remember even if he had our lunch. "I don't think so."
Shawna checks her lip gloss in a mirror. "You should totally come. We'll be cheering."
"They have cheerleaders for basketball?" I'm not sure how I've gone three years in high school without knowing this, but then again I've also gone three years without going to a single sports event.
"Of course. Football's only in the fall. Then basketball in winter, and in the spring we do competitions."
Oh, god. That means I can't just wait out basketball season.
"I don't know if I can come tonight," I tell them. My brain doesn't want to work, to come up with an excuse. "I... have to ask my parents."
Shawna and Casey purse their lips and give each other a knowing look. I can't decide if the look is about how my parents are strict like that, or if they're thinking I'm a massive loser.
"All right, everyone, find your places," calls out Miss Burgess.
I feel my shoulders sag in relief.
We go to our music stands and shuffle through our sheet music for the song we're learning. It's "Bicycle Race" by Queen, with a bunch of the lyrics edited out. Like the one about "You say Coke, I say 'caine." I'm not sure anyone else knows.
Miss Burgess approaches with a sheet of neon green paper in her hands. "An announcement before we get started. A few students are looking to start a band, and they're holding auditions tomorrow. They're looking for lead and backup vocalists." Miss Burgess waves the sheet of paper, then tacks it to the bulletin board by the door. "If anyone is interested. Now, let's warm up."
"A band," Casey whispers. "That could be cool."
"It's the band kids," Shawna replies flatly.
As we do the diaphragm breathing exercise and scales, I weigh my options about tonight. Mom would get off my back if I went to the basketball game. But if Shawna and Casey are cheerleading, then I'll just be sitting by myself. Which wouldn't be so bad, necessarily, but then there would probably be some after-game thing. I'm imagining one of those crazy parties from the 80s movies Mom likes to watch. Plus, I would need to ask my parents for a ride there and back, and what if they decided to stay? It would be so much worse to say, "I can't go to the after-game party because my parents are here" than to just say no to the whole thing.
