Five Flavors of Dumb - Antony John [89]
I couldn’t believe it was happening again. And yet, I could believe it too. Josh’s schizoid act had become so common I was already trying to formulate alternative plans, knowing he’d never budge.
“Look, Josh, we’re contracted to play—”
“For forty-five minutes. I know. But that’s a time limit. No one’s going to complain if we get offstage early and let the real band on.”
Tash had clearly had enough of my brand of diplomacy. She placed a hand on my shoulder and eased me aside. “I don’t want to fight over this, Josh,” she said with uncharacteristic calm, “but I’ve practiced that opening riff a thousand times. I’ve nailed it. I won’t let you take that song out.”
Josh shrugged. “Then go ahead and play it as an instrumental. You can even—” He broke off and peered over my shoulder, then started laughing.
I looked around. Kallie was still sitting cross-legged on my car, her guitar in one hand and the other raised high above her head like a shy kindergartner just itching to be called on in class.
“I, uh, don’t think we should drop it,” she said. “It’s a Nirvana song. It just feels wrong to cut a Nirvana song.”
Suddenly Josh was laughing, utterly unself-conscious as the ever-growing crowd stared on with morbid fascination. “And why the hell would you care, Kallie?” he fired back. “It’s not like you’re actually contributing anything.”
Kallie’s head drooped. She stared at her guitar intently. “You’re such an asshole, Josh.”
“And you’re so superfluous. Which is why I’d still rather be me.”
And with that, Josh began to walk away. Just like normal, he’d fractured the band and was executing his exit strategy before anyone else could have the last word. And that’s when I knew I’d had enough.
I shouted for him to stop, but he didn’t even pause, just kept striding toward the school door. I began to follow him, walking faster and faster until I caught up with him just inside the building. Students poured out of the cafeteria beside us, a mass of bodies streaming around us like we were rocks in a river. Within seconds the spectators from outside hurried to join us, either because they wanted to get warm or because they didn’t want to miss Dumb’s latest train wreck.
“I won’t let you do this, Josh.”
Josh rolled his eyes and turned away, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him around to face me again. “Did you hear what I said?”
“Yes, Piper. I’m not deaf.”
I brushed off the remark, refused to play the role of easy victim, but inside, my heart was pounding. The crowd was getting larger, their persistent hum obscuring Josh’s words. I focused all my energy on watching his lips, knowing this was a fight I couldn’t afford to lose. “We’re sticking to the set we agreed on, Josh.”
“Or what?”
Or what? It was a good question actually. For a few seconds I didn’t know what to say. “Or I’ll cancel the gig on Saturday.”
Josh smiled, cold and calculating. “No, you won’t. You need the money. You and Tash and Kallie—you all need the money.”
His words dripped with scorn, like our lack of wealth was a personal failing. I despised him for thinking that, and for outing us in front of so many people.
“Whether or not I need the money, I’ll cancel. Only I have the power to say whether or not this goes ahead. Me. Do you understand?”
“Oh, sure. You’re so important that—” He turned around as he continued speaking, like something had grabbed his attention. My heart sank, but I knew exactly what he was doing.
“You’ll have to repeat that, Josh,” I said calmly as soon as he turned to face me again.
“I said that—” Again he looked over his shoulder and I couldn’t read his lips.
By now there must have been a hundred people grouped around us. I’d never felt so public in my life. And then Belson strutted up, ready to hand out detentions like so much confetti if the occasion called for it. Which, to be honest, I suspected it was about to.
I fingered the ends of my hair nervously, reminding myself of the pink strands that represented the new Piper—the real Piper. The Piper who wouldn’t hide or back down. What would that Piper do?
Suddenly I felt calmer, more