Rock Solid? (The Next Generation #1) Read online

  K E Osborn

  Rock Solid?

  The Next Generation Series

  By K E Osborn

  Copyright 2015 K E Osborn

  This book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this eBook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this eBook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  ISBN: 978 0994312709

  Book design by Swish Design & Editing

  Editing by Swish Design & Editing

  Cover design by Swish Design & Editing

  Cover image Copyright 2015

  To all those who have felt the joys of music.

  Let it flow through your soul and shine brightly in the hours of dark.

  First and foremost, I want to thank Kaylene Osborn. My mother, my editor, my friend. Without you my choice of career would never have been possible. I live to write and I can only do that with the incredible love, support and guidance you give me each and every day. Thank you for everything!

  To all of my amazing BETA readers – Thank you so much for sticking with me and helping me create Annie’s story into something I am proud of. Without your help, it wouldn’t be possible.

  To my family – For your continuous love, friendship and humour. Without you guys, my life would be very dull and boring. So thank you for supporting me without question and for always being there.

  To my beautiful, playful and completely adorable pup, Bella – I love you so much and I know it’s soppy to say about a dog, but I’m so grateful to have you in my life. I’ve noticed that when you’re at the groomers or away from home I have trouble writing and concentrating. I know it’s weird to say, but you help me to stay focused, and when I first started writing you were always there in my office, under my desk. With you just being there, you make me feel loved and I guess seeing as I write romance, it’s always nice to know that you have an unwavering love from those closest to you, even if they are ‘just a dog.’ You’re my best friend and I love you so much. I love you Annabella Bananarama!

  A BIG Thank You to Stephannie Marks Tolitsky for helping with the creation of the song ‘It wasn’t you, it was me’. What a beautiful song you created by capturing the emotions brilliantly.

  To Victoria. – What can I say about you? Honestly, there are no words decent enough to describe the absolute way I adore you! You started as a fan, turned into a BETA reader and are now one of my closest friends. You help me, guide me, and support me with everything I do in life and I honestly couldn’t imagine my life without you in it pushing me along. Thank you for being there and for always keeping me on track. I love your face hard!

  To Sophia. – Thank you for everything you do for me, with promotion, looking after all my social media and just to be there for a friendly chat. You’re the definition of a rock star!

  Last of all, I want to thank YOU, the reader. – Your continued support with my writing career is both humbling and heart-warming. I love the readers so much and I honestly couldn’t keep going without the love and support you all show me each day. Thank you for believing in me, and I hope I can keep you entertained for many, many years to come.

  Stay tuned because Get Rocked? The Next Generation Series #2 is on its way.

  Thank you,

  Much love,

  K E Osborn

  xoxo

  This book has been written using UK English and contains euphemisms and slang words that form part of the UK/Australian spoken word, which is the basis of this book’s writing style.

  Please remember that the words are not misspelled, they are slang terms and form part of the every day, UK/Australian lifestyle. Some euphemisms or slang terms have been provided below for your information. This book has been written using UK English.

  If you would like further explanation, or to discuss the translation or meaning of a particular word. Please do not hesitate to contact the author – contact details have been provided, for your convenience, at the end of this book.

  Twelvie - A twelvie is a person that is between twelve and fourteen, who thinks they’re cool and they know everything. Twelvies are also known as teenie boppers.

  Bloody – Commonly used expletive to describe something. A mild swear word.

  Douchewad – Stupid person, dickhead.

  Lounge room – Living room.

  Lounge suite – Sofa.

  Mate – Buddy or friend.

  Mobile phone – Cell phone.

  Muffin top – When a woman wears a pair of tight pants that makes her excess weight spill out over the waistband, just like the top of a muffin sits over the edge of the paper case.

  Paramedic – EMT.

  Shits me off – Make me angry or upset.

  Slurry – A promiscuous young woman, similar to a slut or skank.

  Snogging – To kiss passionately.

  Taxi – Cab.

  Twat – Fanny, Vagina.

  Vest – Wifebeater or tank top.

  Colter (Colt) Slade – Lead singer of Slayed, manager of Staked. Married to Lia. Father of Annie and Ella, brother to Hux.

  Delia (Lia) Slade – Married to Colt. Mother of Annie and Ella. Best friends with Anna.

  Annie Slade – Lead guitar and backup singer for Staked. Eldest adopted daughter of Colt and Lia. Cousin of Caleb.

  Ella Slade – Backup guitar for Staked. Youngest adopted daughter of Colt and Lia. Cousin of Caleb.

  Johnny Soulding – Bassist of Slayed. Married to Anna Soulding. Father to Aston Soulding. Best friends with Colt.

  Anna Soulding – Married to Johnny. Mother of Aston. Best friends with Lia.

  Aston Soulding – Bassist of Staked. The only child of Anna and Johnny.

  Huxley (Hux) Slade – Lead guitar of Slayed. Married to Macy McCormack-Slade. Father of Caleb McCormack-Slade. Brother to Colt.

  Macy McCormack-Slade – Married to Hux. Mother of Caleb.

  Caleb McCormack-Slade – Lead singer of Staked. Son of Hux and Macy. Cousin to Annie and Ella.

  Dingo Everly – Drummer of Slayed. Married to Sia. Father of Chad, Carter and Carlton.

  Sia Everly – Manager of Slayed. Married to Dingo. Mother of Chad, Carter and Carlton.

  Chad Everly – Drummer for Staked. Son to Dingo and Sia. Brother of Carter and Carlton.

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Note To The Reader

  Character Relationships

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twe
nty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Epilogue

  Connect With Me Online

  About the Author – K E Osborn

  It’s a hot summer’s day and I’m running down toward the willow tree to play with Aston. I just turned five today. My party is in my back yard and everyone is here, but I just want to spend some time with my best friend.

  “Aston c’mon,” I yell as he has trouble keeping up with my running pace.

  “I’m coming Annie,” he says and I stop running and stand right under the willow tree. It’s our favourite spot in the whole wide world, and this is where we come to spend time together.

  He runs up to me and tackles me to the ground. I laugh so hard my tummy hurts and we roll around on the soft grass underneath us.

  “You run too fast for a girl,” he says and I giggle and shake my head.

  “No Ast, you run too slowly for a boy!” I say and he sits up under the tree and looks back at the party.

  “Do you think they know we’re here?” he asks and I shake my head from side to side.

  “Nuh-uh, this is our special place and no one can see us here.”

  “Not even that spider?” Aston asks and I scream and jump up.

  “What? Where?”

  He points to the tree where a small spider is crawling up the bark.

  “Eeew Ast make it go away.”

  He laughs and stands up wrapping his arms around me. “It won’t hurt you, Annie, it’s just a little guy,” he says and I start to cry.

  “No Ast, I hate him. Please take him away,” I say and he nods and walks up to the spider picking up a leaf and moving the spider onto it ever so gently.

  “Don’t let it bite you, Ast!”

  “Don’t worry, Annie,” Aston says and walks over to the lake and throws the leaf into the water. “See spiders can’t swim. So he will be stuck on the lake forever and can never hurt you,” he says and I run up to him and wrap my arms around him and kiss his cheek.

  “You’re my hero, Aston,” I say and he turns in my arms and faces me, kissing my lips quickly.

  I pull back and laugh wiping my mouth. “Gross Ast, now I have boy germs!” I say and keep rubbing to get his yucky germs off me. He laughs and sits back down on the grass under the tree.

  “We’re best friends, Annie. We can’t catch germs from each other.”

  I put my hand out and he takes it in his. “Best friends forever?” I ask and he smiles and nods.

  “Best friends forever!”

  Some people wonder what it would be like to meet someone famous, to just be in the same vicinity of greatness – well, I can tell you right now that it’s a royal pain in the arse! It stinks to be honest, and I should know. I’m the eldest, adopted daughter of the world’s most famous rock star – Colter Slade. My name is Annie Slade and today my band are going to show the great legend Colter Slade how it’s done in this day and age.

  My band ‘Staked’ formed, well basically, ever since I can remember. I’m the lead guitarist and backing vocalist. My adopted sister Ella plays guitar, my cousin Caleb is the lead singer. Chad is the drummer and then there’s my best friend in the whole world – Aston; he plays bass, and I couldn’t imagine my life without him. He grounds me and keeps me sane in this crazy world of paparazzi, screaming fans and people who always know who you are, even when you walk down the street.

  “You’re Colt’s daughter, aren’t you? Oh my God, can we meet him?” Is the kind of bullshit I have to put up with on a daily basis. Being the daughter of rock royalty is not all doom and gloom though. Having Colt as my dad means that I was brought up with music ever since they adopted me when I was only six-months-old. I know I’ve lived a privileged life. I know I’m spoiled and get things other kids don’t, but that comes at the price of being a kid to a legend.

  Me and my sister Ella couldn’t be further from polar opposites if we tried. I guess because we’re not real blood sisters that’s why we’re so different. Me? I’m tall for my age of thirteen. I have brown hair but the tips are dyed purple, my favourite colour, and people tend to think I have an attitude problem. But I’m a teenager for crying out loud, my hormones are running rampant and I have so much going on, that I guess sometimes I can lose my cool a little too easily. I have really bright green eyes and I’m quite skinny I guess you could say, but my boobs are growing and they’re not tiny little lumps any more. Thank God! I can’t wait to look like a real woman.

  My sister Ella, well she’s short with blonde wavy hair and beautiful blue eyes. Unlike me, she’s calm and cool as a cucumber, as they say, nothing fazes her. She doesn’t care if people want to take photos of her simply because she’s related to the Colter Slade. She doesn’t care about all the hype surrounding our family, she’s just so relaxed about everything. I don’t know how she does it. I wish I didn’t let things get to me but they do, and I’m so glad to have my little sister Ella around when I start losing my shit. If Aston isn’t there, then Ella always is, and without her I would’ve been in a lot of trouble, a long time ago. Mum and Dad adopted Ella when I was about a year-and-a-half-old. She was apparently six-months-old at the time they adopted her too. Of course, I don’t remember, I was too young, so for me Ella has always been there. Sure we fight and argue like most teenage sisters do, but behind the arguments is always love.

  I do love my family and even though I complain about all the headaches that come with them, it’s still nice to know that I’m loved unconditionally. Mum had a awful accident when Dad was on tour. She was hit by a van and some metal tubing impaled her stomach. The doctors had to remove all her insides, like her ovaries and stuff that makes her a woman. Mum doesn’t like to talk about it and Dad always gets a sad face on whenever I bring it up, which isn’t often anymore. But in a way I’m glad that happened to my Mum otherwise they would’ve had their own children and me and Ella would be with some other families, living God only knows what kind of life. Sometimes when I get angry, I wish I could’ve had other parents. But I quickly stop thinking like that because even though I hate some stuff that comes with this life, I still love everyone in it, and I couldn’t imagine my life any other way.

  I have demons, and they play on my mind a lot. I guess that’s what makes me so angry all the time. I hate not knowing. Some think I’m a gossip because I have to know what’s happening with everyone around me all the time, and not knowing something does my head in. Like, not knowing who my birth parents are, and why they adopted me out. I want to know so badly everything about them, but then at the same time if they didn’t have the respect and decency to want me then why should I give two hoots about them? It’s a vicious cycle. I want to know, but then I don’t, and the ups and down with knowing you weren’t loved enough, that you weren’t wanted, well that damages people’s souls. And I know that my soul is damaged, probably forever, but with the help and support around me it helps. At least I know my parents, the ones who raised me and my sister, Ella, I know they love and support me.

  My cousin, Caleb… well, there’s a family drama right there. He’s older than the rest of us and even though he is my cousin, he’s more like my big brother. He always looks out for me.

  Mum and Dad have never said anything to me and Ella. We both know that Caleb’s mum Macy originally dated my dad Colt, but now she’s married to my Uncle Huxley, my Dad’s brother. I think that’s just plain weird! I also know that Macy told my dad that he was Caleb’s father, but after some testing it was found that Uncle Hux was Caleb’s biological father. It’s very complicated, but I think everything
worked out for the best. I know Mum and Dad don’t have much time for Macy, and I don’t blame them, she is a little snobby, but I can’t talk I’m a snob too.

  Uncle Hux is awesome. He spoils me and Ella and Caleb too, especially when we were all younger. He’s like a second father to me and he knows how overbearing my dad can be. Mum is good when Dad gets too over protective. We always let him have his little rants and then when he leaves Mum will calm me down. We fight, a lot… and I mean a lot. He treats me like I’m some pathetic little girl and I’m not! I’m thirteen for crying out loud! I have boobs and my period, so I’m practically a woman, but all he sees is his little girl that needs protecting. He’s nowhere near as overbearing with Ella and sometimes that makes me jealous of her, but it quickly passes because I love her too damned much.

  “Annie and Ella, come here,” Dad calls out.

  “Daaad,” I groan out as I know exactly what he wants – another bloody photo. I swear he should’ve been a paparazzi himself.

  “C’mon just one more before you start your practice,” Dad says and Ella and I both groan as we walk over to him and Mum.

  “Okay fine, but no more after this. You’re totally killing our rock and roll vibe, Dad,” Ella says making me laugh.

  “I am rock and roll girls. Just remember where you learnt it all from,” Dad says putting his arms out to me and Ella and pulling us in front of him and Mum. Dad pulls his phone from his pocket and sets it to camera now that we’re all facing the right direction.

  “Whatever Dad, you’re so lame,” Ella says making me and Mum laugh.

  “Okay, are my girls ready?” Dad asks and we all squish in ready to pose for another family photograph.

  “Yes, hurry up,” I say as I put my fingers up in a peace sign and stick out my tongue. The camera flashes and Ella and I go to walk off.

  “Just one more,” Dad says making me and Ella laugh. He’s so obsessed with ‘capturing the moment’ because you never know when this might be your last or some bullshit he always spins.