from work tonight.”
“But did you try denying the whole thing? Saying it was Eva’s ticket and roach clip?”
“Yeah but she didn’t buy it. Eva even called and offered that story up. But my Mom said it was implausible that the roach clip and ticket ended up in my pants when Eva was the one who went to the show. And then she said she doubted Eva would’ve gone to an Arcade Fire show.”
“Hold on a minute,” Casey said, “How’d your mom know enough about Arcade Fire to know that Eva, despite owning three vinyl Stevie Wonder albums and everything the Beta Band has ever put out is still a touch long in the teeth--”
Leigh gave her a dirty look. Casey realized she had gotten too far off topic.
“Leigh!” Leigh’s mom called from upstairs.
Leigh jumped down from the dryer. “I better go.”
“Well what do you want me to do?”
Leigh shook her head. “I just needed moral support. I didn’t think she’d be tracking my inter-house movement so closely.”
“It’ll be okay. Look I’m sure your parents once got busted with a roach clip too.”
Leigh sighed. “Not once. That’s the whole problem.”
Casey frowned. Unfortunately she knew Leigh’s parents well enough to know that that was probably true. “Don’t worry,” she said. Leigh’s mom called again from upstairs. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Casey added.
The weird thing, though, was that she wouldn’t.
18
Leigh not showing up for school the following day may not have been the most extraordinary thing for some kids. But for Leigh it hands down was. Leigh had the attendance record of a miniature carton of milk. She never missed school.
Casey was at her locker mulling over what had gone down in Leigh’s household the night before to have caused this deviation from the natural order when something even more shocking happened: She heard Alex Deal’s voice behind her.
“Hey.”
Casey turned, froze for a moment, and then spoke. “Vincent?”
“You didn’t tell me you had a band.”
She blinked. “I…?”
“You guys are auditioning for talent show?”
She felt dizzy. She did not sign them up for talent show auditions. It must have been Ben or Sukh. But still, even if that was her original intention, the first band rehearsal did not fill her with confidence. “Um.”
He stared. Alex Deal was interested in her again! He wanted to know about her band. Yull was wrong. Alex Deal and Casey’s bands would play, no headline, talent show together and become even better than a super couple. They would join the ranks of Marianne Faithfull and Mick Jagger. Damon Alburn and Justine Fishman. Kurt Cobain and (pre-siliconization) Courtney Love. They would become a super rock couple.
“Yes, we’re trying out for talent show.”
“Interesting” he said, “You know they’re only letting a few bands in this year, don’t you?”
She attempted to look tough. “Yeah.”
“Alex,” a nastily familiar female voice called out. Casey grit her teeth and looked in the direction from whence the interruption had come. Her fear was confirmed. Maxine French was standing there.
“Good luck,” Alex said. He turned and walked away. There was something in the way he uttered his last two words that gave her the impression “rock super couple” was not quite topping his to-do list that week. As she watched him with Maxine French she got a nauseous feeling. Why was it that when boys found out girls had other boys it made them try harder, but when girls found out boys had other girls they wanted to die?
Suddenly she saw Sukh at the other end of the hall. She slammed her locker shut and ran towards him. “Sukh!”
Sukh smiled. “Why hello Casey. How are you today?”
“You signed us up for talent show auditions!? I don’t quite think we’re ready.”
Sukh’s smile vanished. “What is this, Casey? I did not do such a thing. Oh no, after yesterday there is no way I would, I mean your songs were very nice. But I think we need more practice before…have we really been signed up to audition for talent show?”
“So it wasn’t you, then?”
“No!”
She waited at the door to Spanish class. When she saw Ben coming she ran up to him. “Did you sign us up for talent show auditions?”
“Yes,” he replied without breaking stride.
“Why didn’t you ask us first?” They reached the classroom door. Ben kept right on going and headed to his seat. Casey had no choice but to follow.
“That was why you started a band, wasn’t it?” he asked.
“Yeah, but I didn’t exactly think we were ready after yesterday’s rehearsal.”
He shrugged. “Yesterday’s rehearsal went well. We