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

  “Oh my God,” Ella and I both say in unison, both annoyed that he’s delaying our first concert.

  We lean back into Mum and Dad and just smile this time as he takes the photograph, then suddenly Mum leans in and kisses Dad. The camera flashes and Ella and I groan at our parents PDA yet again. They never bloody stop.

  “Great they’re making out ah-gain!” Ella says as Aston’s parents, Anna and Johnny, laugh. They’re my parents’ best friends and the parents of my best friend Aston; who is strapping on his bass ready for our concert which we should’ve already started, if it weren’t for Dad and his incessant photo taking.

  “Okay sorry, off you go,” Dad says wrapping his arm around Mum. Even though their PDA’s are a little too often, it’s nice to see how much they love each other.

  We both run over to our guitars and strap them on as Johnny helps Aston tune his bass guitar. As I start to fiddle with my microphone in front of me, I hear Dingo talking to his son, Chad.

  “Remember to hit the crash cymbal this time, Chad,” Dingo says and I inwardly grin knowing what’s coming.

  “Shut up, Dad, I got this,” Chad bursts out and I smirk. He’s a hothead like me.

  “Yeah, you do,” Dingo says, sounding so proud of his son while he hands him the drumsticks.

  “Chad, don’t talk to your father like that, and Dingo don’t let him talk to you like that,” Sia says. She’s Chad’s Mum and also the Manager of my Dad’s band ‘Slayed.’ She is kinda like the boss of everyone, including Chad’s four-year-old twin brothers Carter and Carlton. They were named after two drummers, Carter Beauford and Carlton Barrett, and Chad was named after Chad Channing. Apparently they wanted to keep with the letter C for all their kids. I’ve never heard of those drummers, but apparently Dingo knows every drummer in world, or that’s what he likes to think.

  “Okay, you guys ready?” Caleb asks as he plays with his microphone.

  “Yep. What song you wanna do first, Caleb?” Ella asks as she sets up her music stand.

  Love her to death, but she still needs sheet music to play. Whereas the rest of us can ad-lib and remember the notes. But she’ll get there, and I’ll help her as much as she wants.

  “How about the new one we’ve been working on?” Caleb says in his performance voice that always makes me giggle. We all nod in agreement.

  “Okay cool. So, parents and fellow un-cool people, we are the band ‘Staked’ and we’re gonna rock your socks off. This is our brand new song, ‘Don’t Mess With The Best’,” Caleb says as if we’re actually performing on stage. I guess it’s good to get into character when performing, even if it is only for our parents.

  He counts us in and we start to play. Considering we’ve been playing in a band together for most of our lives, we all gel pretty well and the sounds ripping from my guitar as I strum the strings sends a vibration through me. I feel nothing but utter contentment as I play the latest song Caleb and I wrote together. I feel like I’m in another world when I create music. The feeling engulfing me as I rip through my guitar strings and sing the backing vocals to our song sends a soothing warmth through me. It’s hard to explain, but it’s like the colours of the world get brighter when I’m in my music trance. Everything seems more beautiful as I’m set adrift in the lyrics of the song.

  I lean in toward Aston as we always seem to play better when we’re leaning on each other, back to back. Feeling him there supporting me is everything I need when I’m playing. I hear people laughing and cheering as we rock out playing our latest song. I pull back from Aston and look into his eyes and he smiles so brightly that it makes me smile in return. He always has the best smile I’ve ever seen.

  He’s only a few months older than me so we understand each other really well. Ella is a year younger than me. She’s the same age as Chad. Caleb is much older, but he doesn’t seem to mind jamming with the kids. He’s only nineteen, but he’s able to drink alcohol and go out to clubs, where we can only stay home and have sleep-overs and eat pizza and drink coke.

  I can’t wait till I’m old enough to go to parties. Sure, we’ve been to heaps of parties with my parents, but they’re full of celebrities and their boring, monotonous children who are always so damn spoilt and uppity.

  Rich kids suck! And I know because I’m one of them. So I guess I seem as bad to them as they seem to me, but I don’t care. All I care about right now, is this moment, looking into my best friend Aston’s eyes and feeling that musical connection we share. The love of the melodies flowing through us and our love for each other.

  I’ve known Aston all my life. He’s my best friend so, of course, I love him. But not in a weird relationship way… are you kidding me? He’s kind of like my brother next to Caleb, my two older, not actual brothers, who look after and care for me whenever I stuff up, which is often.

  The song finishes and I high five Aston and a spark shoots through our hands as it always does when our hands touch. He smiles at me again and I look at Caleb and he nods knowing I want to keep going. I’m having far too great a time to stop rocking it out now. So we start up our next song and Ella leans into Caleb as she plays and he sings to her while Aston and I play to each other like always. He’s like my muse for music and I’m just so glad that he is a part of our team, our band, our family.

  We finish playing the set and I’m sweaty from bouncing around all over the place and enjoying myself to the max extent. When I get into the zone I can’t concentrate on the outside world, the only thing I see is Aston and the only thing I hear is the rock music we make. I hear the clapping pulling me from staring at Aston and I look around the room to see Anna and Johnny – Aston’s parents. Macy and Uncle Hux – Caleb’s parents and Sia and Dingo – Chad’s parents, but two people are missing. It’s the very two people I was hoping to see the most.

  I search the room with my eyes trying to find Mum and Dad while all my other bandmates are congratulated by their parents. Ella comes over to me and wraps her arm around my shoulders.

  “It’s okay, they would’ve heard us from upstairs,” she whispers and I bite my bottom lip wondering how much of the concert my parents actually missed. Anger washes over me. They knew how important today was for me and yet they chose to leave during my performance.

  “You okay, Lennox?” Aston asks calling me by my nickname that only he is allowed to call me. It’s because I was named after Annie Lennox, and he hates calling me Annie because it’s too close to his mother’s name Anna, who I was also partially named after.

  “Mum and Dad missed it,” I say as my eyes start to well with frustrated tears.

  “Yeah! I saw them leave just after we started the first song,” he says as he removes his bass guitar from around his body.

  I huff and take off my guitar and force it harshly into the stand by the wall. “So, they’ve been gone for our entire performance?”

  “Sorry. I know you wanted them to see you,” he says while he walks across wrapping himself around me.

  For a thirteen-year-old, the boy certainly does have muscles. I know he works out with his dad. So instead of being the scrawny, pimpled face rock kid he should be, he’s quite good looking with his floppy brown hair and big blue eyes and toned body. It’s almost like he went from being this tiny boy I used to play with in the sand pit, to this almost grown man. He’s quite tall for his age and I’m sure people would think he’s much older than he is by looking at him. But to me he’s just Aston and right now he’s looking at me with that expression he uses just before he thinks I’m about to snap.

  “Lennox, don’t get upset. You know what your parents are like. They can’t keep their hands off each other. They’ve been like it… forever!” Aston says, confirming what I already thought was the reason why they’d left.

  They went upstairs while we all stayed down here performing for them. They ignored us for their own pleasure. I don’t get it, sex can’t be that great. Plus, they’re old and it’s gross for them to be going at it like rabbits all the time. They thin
k we don’t know, but we’re teenagers, not kids. We know how that stuff works, Caleb has told us all about it. I know how to do it I just never would. That shit sounds nasty! Plus, you can get pregnant, and that is something I never want! Babies scare me. They smell, and all they do is cry. So why would I do anything that could make me have to deal with all of that? No thanks!

  “Don’t get upset? It’s our first performance, Aston. They should’ve been here,” I say as a tear falls down my cheek. He leans in and wipes it away with his thumb, and his caress soothes me to my core. That is until I notice them walking back into the room looking all happy and doe-eyed at each other. I frown at them and fold my arms across my chest.

  “Lennox, stop… take a breath,” Aston says resting his hand on my shoulder.

  “No,” I reply and walk up to Mum and Dad and I stare straight at Dad and frown.

  “Hey Annie, you sounded great,” Dad says and ruffles my hair like some little kid.

  I huff, slap at his hand and take a step back from them and their faces fall like they know they’ve been caught out.

  “How the hell would you know what we sounded like if you weren’t even here for any of it, huh?” I ask and Mum looks at Dad and bites her bottom lip.

  “Annie, honey—”

  “Don’t you Annie honey me! Every other band member had their families watching and supporting them and who did me and Ella have, huh? No one, because you were too busy upstairs,” I interrupt Mum louder than I meant to as I stare my dad down. He of all people should know what performing in front of your family is like for the first time.

  “Annie, we still heard you guys. We were just discussing something important,” Dad says and I scoff as my anger boils even hotter. My heart starts to pound and my forehead furrows in frustration.

  “Discussing what?” I ask putting my hand on my hip and resting my weight on one side as I stare at him with one eyebrow raised.

  Ella walks over and stands next to me. I know she’d be upset with them too, but she is too placid to say anything.

  “Adult stuff, Annie,” Dad says and Mum looks at me and frowns, at least she looks remorseful.

  “Well? What was so important you couldn’t even be here to watch your daughters play to you properly for the first fucking time?” I yell and they both wince.

  “Annie, don’t swear,” Mum says softly and I scoff while everyone else in the room watches us.

  “Why? You and Dad swear all the time?” I rebut and she exhales and looks at Dad.

  “Yes, but we’re adults,” Mum says.

  “So am I!” I yell and they both shake their heads as Ella places her hand on my shoulder knowing I’m about to burst.

  “Sweetheart, you’re thirteen. You have a long way to go before you’re an adult,” Dad says blasé with a smile like I’m being ridiculous.

  “Fuck you!” I yell in his face and his nostrils flare as he leans in closer to me and points in my face.

  “Annie Slade, you pull your head in right now, if you swear again, I’ll—”

  “You’ll what, huh? You’re too wrapped up in yourselves to care about me or Ella. I bet my real parents would be proud of me and would want to watch me perform. You guys don’t even care enough to watch for thirty God damn minutes!”

  “Annie—”

  “No Ella, I know you’re pissed off about this too. They shouldn’t be allowed to just waltz back in here and just expect us to be okay with them choosing themselves over us... yet again. It’s ridiculous Ella, and you should be joining with me on this one. Our parents only care about themselves. Why adopt us in the first place if you’re just going to disregard our accomplishments? You’re meant to be supportive not ignoring us for yourselves. Maybe you need to look up the definition of what a parent is because you two suck at it. What kind of parents are you?” I yell and look at their stunned faces. I shrug Ella’s hand from my shoulder and run my fingers through my hair letting out a groan of frustration as I turn away from them before I lash out physically.

  “Annie, we’re sorry—”

  “Save it, Mum. This is so unfair,” I say quietly as I storm past them and out of the music room.

  “Life’s not fair, Annie,” Dad calls out making me even more annoyed. I wrap my arms around myself for comfort as I walk down the hall. Away from everyone who just witnessed yet another Annie outburst. My temper just exploded and I said some very hurtful things and now I just want to be anywhere but here.

  I walk out of the hallway and into the kitchen, moving as fast as I can without running and make my way through the sliding door outside. I know where I’m headed. It’s my safe place. The only place where I can be alone in this massive manor. I walk quickly across the lush, green, manicured to perfection lawn, and our two Yorkiepoos run across to me. Queen Sassypants and King Snagglepuss – yep that’s their names. The reason we went with Queen and King was because we were trying to emulate our first dog Princess Sophia, who died from old age. Of course, we were all heartbroken at the time, especially Mum.

  Ella and I named them when we were six, so that might explain the stupid names. But I love them anyway and some doggie cuddles are just what’s required right now.

  “C’mon Sassy, c’mon Snaggie,” I call out as they run alongside me while I walk toward the end of our property to the lake and the willow tree. My safe place… the place where I can calm down and think about the horrible things I’ve just said in the heat of the moment. I walk in the July setting summer sun and scuff my combat boots along the freshly mowed lawn. I know I shouldn’t have said those mean things to Mum and Dad, but they pissed me off. I just tend to snap and say hurtful things to the people I love before I can take a breath and stop to think about what I’m saying. I wish I didn’t have such a temper and I wish I knew where it came from. Ella thinks Dad and I are too similar and that’s why we clash heads, but how can we be similar if there’s nothing genetic in our relationship? His blood doesn’t flow through my veins. We don’t have the same DNA, so how could I possibly be anything like him?

  I sit down under the tree and lean my back against the giant thick trunk. A gentle summer breeze wafts over my flaming hot skin and I take a deep breath and close my eyes leaning the back of my head against the massive trunk. The two dogs jump into my lap as I sit cross-legged and try to calm myself down. I can feel the tears welling up behind my closed eyelids and I can’t tell whether they’re coming from my anger or from my regret.

  A tear leaks out the side of my eye and slides down my face. I wipe it away but keep my eyes closed as I try to think of something happy. Aston’s face comes into my mind and then I feel the hairs on my arms stand up, and I know he’s close. That always happens, every time Aston is near me my body reacts in some way, whether it be my hairs standing on end or a flutter in my stomach. Even without seeing him I know when he’s near me. I guess it’s because we’re so close.

  “That was quite a show you put on in there, Lennox,” Aston says and I open my eyes and the floodgates open. The tears that were building up behind my closed eyes fall down onto my cheeks in steady streams as he sits down next to me and wraps his arm around my shoulders pulling me to his side.

  “Are they all talking about me?” I ask and he chuckles slightly and leans in so the sides of our heads are leaning against each other.

  “Umm… do you want the truth or something to make you feel better?” he asks and I half-smile and sniff back.

  “I guess the truth,” I reply and he runs his fingers gently along my shoulder.

  “Lia’s pretty upset, and when I left your Dad was consoling her. She was pretty close to tears. I know you really upset her with what you said.”

  “I don’t know why I said that stuff. I was so angry and I lashed out… again. Mum has been so good to me and I throw it back in her face the minute things don’t go my way.”

  “I understand why you went off. Them not being there was selfish. They should’ve been there to support you and Ella. But you can’t go around rubb
ing their faces in the fact that you’re adopted all the time. You know how much your mum struggles with the idea that you’re not really hers. She loves you so much Annie and so does Colt, and I know they feel bad for missing it. But really in the scheme of things it’s not that bad, is it? There’ll be plenty more concerts, and when we’re the headline act I just know they’ll be right there in the front row cheering and supporting us. I know they will,” he says and I exhale and wipe away my tears again. He’s always the level-headed one out of the two of us.

  “I know it’s not the worst thing in the world, but it hurt, you know? That Dad cared more about pleasing Mum than seeing his daughters perform together. It sucked!” I say in my defense.

  “I know, and you’re right it did suck. I knew the moment I saw them walking out of the music room that this would be the outcome. But Lennox, you need to stop and think before you start spitting out things that are only going to hurt the people you love. You need to set that brain-to-mouth filter into action because you know how much they love you, and you know they’d do anything for you. You just threw it in their faces that you’re adopted. That’s a low blow, even for you,” Aston says and I turn to face him. He looks at me with those big blue shimmering eyes and I know he’s right. I know I’m the one in the wrong here and I absolutely need to stop wallowing and go back in there with my band.

  “Do you think they hate me? And that everyone thinks I’m an idiot?” I ask and he smiles and shakes his head.

  “Nope. They definitely don’t hate you and no one thinks you’re an idiot. I’m sure Mum and Dad and everyone else who’s in there agrees with you that they should’ve been there, but I’m sure they all think the tongue lashing was a bit extreme.”

  “What would I do without you?” I ask and he smiles that jaw-dropping smile that lights up his eyes and always makes my insides dance.

  “Probably fall apart,” he states making me laugh as we wipe the remnants of my tears from my cheeks. “Annie, you’re stronger than this. Don’t let this one thing get you down. We’re good, the band I mean, and we’re going to make it. I know we’re young and support right now means everything, but trust me when I say your mum and dad will be there when it counts. Your dad hasn’t spent all of your life teaching you guitar just to miss your big break. Who do you think will be the one to help us get noticed?” he asks and I exhale and pat Sassy on her furry little brown head.