“So what’s the plan now that, you know, Leona bailed?” Alarie asked Illyana. Illyana had stayed over for dinner and the two girls were hanging around in Alarie’s bedroom before Illyana had to leave.


Illyana’s spirit for competition had waned, and she looked blankly back at her friend. She couldn’t help but to feel a bubble of rage boil in her throat at the thought of Leona’s betrayal.


Finally, she blurted, “Well, it looks like we need a new singer. You know anyone we can get last minute?”

Alarie shook her head, at a loss for an answer.



Then, the door opened and her younger sister, Alanna peeked her head in. Alanna was often mistaken for the older of the two. She was just so responsible, smart, got all the good grades and never, ever got into trouble. Unlike Alarie.

Alarie stood up immediately, “Hey, we were in the middle of an important discussion. You can’t just barge in here!”

Alanna looked mildly affronted and put her hands on her hips, “This is my room too!”



Before the sisters could start an argument, Illyana got an idea, “Alanna, you don’t happen to sing, do you?”



The question caused Alarie to fall back into the sofa with a ridiculing snort of laughter. Alanna? Sing for their band? She wouldn’t even show her stomach at the swimming pool much less a rock concert.


“Actually, I do. I sang a solo for the school choir,” Alanna admitted with a proud smile, but Alarie could tell there was a hint of a bragging in her sister’s tone. Typical.

Illyana’s rapt expression of glee turned into a pleading pout toward the older sister.

She couldn’t believe Illyana would be this desperate to accept Alanna’s help. Alanna was more of a choir girl than a rocker, she didn’t have the range Leona had. Most of all, she wouldn’t fit in with the sound, look, or vibe Illyana was always pushing for in the band. Alarie knew a lot about sticks - she was a drummer after all - she could beat out rhythms with them, throw them, and she knew there was one so far up her sister’s ass that it couldn’t be removed.


Alarie stood and paced, her face now contemplative and serious. Illyana’s dramatic, quivering lower lip of plea was getting even more ridiculous by the second. Not to mention how wide and round her eyes became. Alarie sighed and said curtly, “Fine. Alanna can sing for us.”

But as Illyana smiled with a new and inspired competitive spirit, her drummer turned around and made a face that told that complications were still sure yet to come with this choice.