Once again, thank you for taking the time to read another chapter. And I love the comments and appreciate constructive criticism. Big question: What would you like to see happen?

After their rehearsal, they all hung outside the music room on the stone patio.
 
“We sounded good.” Tiffany was drinking red wine. She would sit up to take sips but was content to lay on a chaise. “Real good," she said.
 
Zoe stared out at the trees that bordered the property. “Uh-huh. But it’s really what Little thinks about whether we’re ready. After all, he’s our musical director.” She playfully punched him in the arm.
 
Terry laughed and nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, we’re ready! I think we get better each time we play. We’re soooo ready. This band has grown so much.”
 
Gina laughed, “I love when you talk dirty.”
 
Lisa defended him. “Seriously, I think Tee’s right. Nothing like the discipline of recording an album to get us sounding tighter.”
 
Gina was still laughing. “Well, we haven’t played for a crowd in a while. You think we’re ready to shake that rust off?”
 
Terry grinned and turned to Lisa. “Absolutely! Hey, sis. How long do we play during our Wednesday concert out on Sid Mack’s rooftop?”
 
Lisa nodded, “Good question, Tee. We start making noise around 11:00 a.m., and we have to go silent at 2 p.m. Law.”
 
Terry smiled. “Tee, huh? Is that what happens when Terry and Tasha finally become one? Just a letter?”
 
Everyone was grinning. Another nickname had been born!
 
 
Terry walked out on the stage by himself. He had his Fender Telecaster strapped on. As he returned to his two Marshall amps, he fiddled with the dial touching his strings and listened to the resonance he could create. When he had it just right, he returned to the front of the stage and tapped on his mic. The sun was shining, and it was a perfect May weekday. The gates had opened at eleven, and everyone was staring at the one person on the rooftop stage.
 
Terry smiled fifteen feet above the crowd and whispered into the mic. “Hey, everybody.” The crowd roared, and many people called her Tasha, Tasha.
 
Now, Tasha felt the electricity running through her body. It was like somebody had plugged her in. As her heartbeat increased and her breath became shallow, she felt her pulse quicken. She kept reminding herself that this was a marathon, not a sprint. Everyone watched as she turned her back to the crowd and began to play.
 
The gates had opened at eleven. Everyone had to pass through security, so the lines took a few minutes. The crowd was patient. After all, they were rocking out on a Wednesday afternoon. Some people had started getting in line at 9:30. The parking lot was half full in ten minutes. That’s when Tasha appeared holding her guitar. She waved and then fooled with her amplifiers against the back of their stage. She’d already set everything up, so these seconds were all for show.
 
Tasha was dressed in Jersey Girl casual. Each of them was wearing different colors. She wore black, skin-tight, high-waisted capris that shined in the sunlight. She had a bare midriff and a banded bra top. As Terry had gotten Tasha dressed, he thought about how a lovely pierced navel would look. Her bolero jacket was silver and matched her shiny stilettos.
 
She’d been to Isabella’s salon yesterday, sporting long hair extensions. Since the sides of her head were close-cropped, she’d dumped a ton of product on and made it all into a crazy Mohawk. Gina and Lisa had helped her tint the ends a bright red. She used that same color on her lips and eyes.
 
Tasha frowned and looked at her band members. “Too over the top?”
 
“Definitely over the top and perfect.” Gina smiled. “I’m jealous that you get to be Joan Jett. You’re so electric, you’ll light up the stage.”
 
Lisa grinned. “You’re our glam punk rocker. I think you look more like anime than Joan Jett.”
 
“Yes, definitely a cartoon. What’s the blue hedgehog that’s in the movies?”
 
Tasha laughed. “Sonic.”
 
With that, Terry thought about the direction he was taking Tasha. He wasn’t hiding her anymore but bringing everything out in the daylight. He looked into the mirror. If you liked crazy-looking, skinny model types, Tasha was it. She was tall, pretty, and could easily walk a runway in high heels. She even had curves. And, well, Tasha looked like she liked what she was doing.
 
Tasha lacks a brain, he thought. She’s here for the applause and the glamour. She’s not a thinking puppet and just does what she’s told. The band tells her, and Jenn tells her. Everyone is in charge of her.
 
But I used to be in charge of myself. I used to have dreams and fantasies, but none were about being a Tasha. He never knew how exciting playing music on the stage in front of cheering crowds could be. All he ever wanted to do was play his guitar and write music. Now everything had changed.
 
He shook his head and felt Tasha’s hair sway. I’m halfway between being a boy and a girl. I’m halfway between Terry and Tasha. And the challenge is that Terry has to find a way to join the two together.
 
He stared at the mirror. Tasha is pretty, and everyone likes her. Terry was hidden in the daylight. No one ever looked twice at the tall, skinny guy with a nerdy look. But Terry was smart. He had a gift, a talent to write and play music. He was a genius when it came to music but brain-dead when it came to life. He was afraid to tell Jenn how he felt. He was a coward, afraid of rejection.
 
Terry knew rejection. He’d applied to all the music schools around the country. He’d made audition tapes showing off his songwriting and his playing. But every school turned him away.
 
He saw the path ahead of him. He saw himself as being happy and loved. But it wasn’t Terry walking forward. No, Terry was stuck in place. It was Tasha moving into the future. He saw all the doors opening for Tasha. But he was so afraid to let all his mind and body parts merge. He liked women. He admired them for their strength and determination. But he had none of those qualities. He needed to be stronger and more determined. He was even afraid to try to become Tasha because it might ruin things.
 
Maybe it was just being able to release some energy or channel her inner rock chick. Still, Terry was ready to light her afterburners and take off. She’d looked in the mirror, seeing Lisa and Gina standing behind her. She shook her head. “I’m not sure this is who I really am. It’s like Bowie and Jett had a baby named Tasha.” 
 
It was laughs and hugs all around.
 
 
At quarter to twelve, the audience listened as Tasha played the intro to a Jimi Hendrix song, Little Wing. After finishing up the guitar intro, she stepped to her mic and sang the first verse. 'Well, she’s walking through the clouds, with a circus mind that’s running wild…'
 
As the crowd cheered at the sound of her voice and guitar lick, Tasha knew that she was the girl dreaming of moonbeams and riding with the wind. Tasha was a figment of their group's imagination. She had been brought to life by a committee, and Terry had stepped in to animate her. As time went on, a strange thing happened. Tasha became real. Whether it was the mysteries of science or the lure of being a superstar, she was no longer a puppet.
 
The crowd cheered at the mesmerizing sound of her alto voice. After that, Jimi’s song became a footnote of the solo she played alone on the stage. When she stopped, the crowd cheered.
 
As they clapped, Tasha blinked her eyes as if she was waking up from a dream. She smiled as she spoke. “Thank you, thank you. I’m Tasha, and I grew up right here. At Allentown High, everyone called me Terry, Terry Nelson. I’m still Terry, but I’m a Wildcat named Tasha out here. If you think it sounds confusing, take my word for it. It’s crazy! So call me whatever you want.”
 
At that point, she started counting a slow blues beat. Tapping her foot, she smiled. “This one’s called Two-Thirty Blues. It’s about being a twelfth grader stuck in last-period study hall.”
 
After bending notes and chording out a lazy rhythm for sixteen bars, a bass joined in, and Tiffany appeared from the other side of the stage. Her blonde hair glowed and fell over the shoulders of a gold jumpsuit with matching heels. If people thought that Tasha was sexy and cute, everyone knew that Tiffany was the real thing. With her blue eyes wide open and her smiling grin, she was almost six foot of fantastic woman. The crowd cheered when she appeared. The two of them faced each other across the stage while Tiffany sang the first verse of their song.
 
Climbing up my butt and dragging on my heels
Holding me back, hearing brakes squeal
 
Slowing me down by weighing on my mind
Keeping me chained and wasting my time
 
Tasha joined in on the chorus, and they filled the air with their harmonies.
 
I’ve got the two-thirty blues, baby.
Can’t seem to shake them off my mind.
Those two-thirty blues, baby.
Well, I get them all the time.
 
The crowd was ready to go wild. With all the excitement surrounding the band, Tiffany was too beautiful to be real, let alone an accomplished musician. As she finished singing, high up on a raised platform, Gina kicked her foot pedal, and her bass drum caught the rhythm. She waved her arms up, showing off her brushes. Then, she created a steady beat. She looked like a gym princess. Her sleeveless bright blue spandex leotard and matching leggings were covered in big, bold red stars. Her high tops matched that rich, red color. Gina’s dark, wavy mane framed a classic face with sparkling eyes and lush lips. She laughed out loud at how much fun she was having.
 
Tasha pointed to them and yelled, “These are my best friends, Tiffany and Gina!”
 
The crowd cheered as Tiffany picked up the pace. At that point, Lisa walked out and stood behind their synthesizer and began playing and singing the second verse. Everyone gazed at the beautiful blonde in the red party dress. With her hair pulled back in a high ponytail, no one could take their eyes off her. Everyone said she was the real Barbie, but only if the real Barbie could rock all night and take no prisoners.
 
The entire audience stared at the band until the sound of another guitar rang out. They turned their heads to see Zoe appear in a white sleeveless tuxedo shirt and emerald green tailored pants. Everyone watched as she moved around gracefully on highly polished, four-inch black patent leather stilettos, shredding her guitar. No one could look away while the whole band played.
 
Tasha, Tiffany, and Lisa shared the vocals, and when they finished the song, it was twelve o’clock, and the parking lot was full. The police had wisely closed the street to traffic, allowing people to crowd up along the sidewalks and the streets. It looked like all of Allentown had shown up for a Wednesday afternoon with the Wildcats.
 
When the song was over, Lisa moved away from the keyboard and fixed her mic to the stand at center stage. 
 
Terry chuckled, remembering Lisa mentioning how the five-pound weighted mic stand was a handy weapon for stopping drunks wandering up on the stage when they used to play dive bars and small clubs.
 
Lisa waved, “Hello, Allentown. It’s so nice to be back. First, we must thank Sid Mack and Allentown Music for making all this possible today. Sid also outfits the whole band with all our instruments. And while we are thanking, how about another one of our sponsors. These are the wonderful people at Jersey Girl. We can honestly say that Jersey Girl is with us everywhere we go. It’s all we wear!”
 
She paused while people laughed. “But enough. Let me introduce my family. You all remember Tasha, Tiffany, Gina, and Zoe. We’ve all been around long enough to help bring two State Championship Volleyball titles to Allentown High.”
 
As the crowd cheered, the band gathered in the middle of the stage and talked. Lisa whispered, “I guess we’re ready to start. While we get everyone clapping, how about Zoe whipping them up with her guitar?”
 
Zoe nodded. “I’m ready.” She was strapping on the original Gibson Flying Vee her dad played with his band in the sixties.
 
Gina whispered, “Uh before we start, I want to share something. It’s been on my mind for a while.” She waited until everyone got quiet. and whispered, “I think I want to have Mike’s baby.” She looked into Tiffany’s eyes, who started to laugh at her drummer’s devilish grin.
 
When Gina returned to her drum set, she stood up and banged her sticks together overhead. The rest of the Wildcats held their clapping hands over their heads, getting everybody to join in.
 
With the audience clapping along, Zoe started playing. She held the audience in her hand and showed off everything she could play on the same guitar that her dad used to whip up his fans over thirty years ago.
 
Her dad, Conner, was off on the side of the stage watching the band. He was holding Amy’s hand and gave it a squeeze. Of course, she was beaming while watching her kids, Terry and Lisa, perform. The two parents discovered each other at a Wildcat Rendezvous weekend and hadn’t been apart since then.
 
As the band began their opening number, each member came into the song one at a time as the crowd clapped. When all four instruments were pounding, Lisa screamed like a banshee. She started singing the words to the music that had become their opening trademark after premiering it on The Ellen Show and the Tonight Show.
 
I’m a racer,
I’m a cheetah,
I’m a dragster,
I can beat ya.
 
I’m a missile,
I’m a rocket,
I’m a speedster,
I can sock it.
 
Then, Zoe, Tiffany, and Tasha joined Lisa at the front of the stage to sing together.
 
GONE, baby, GONE
I’m not gonna chase ya
GONE, baby, GONE
and I won’t miss ya
 
By the time the song ended, the whole crowd was singing along. Women loved this song because it was empowering. Guys loved this song because the Wildcats could rock it.
 
In the wings, Jenn and the guys all watched and sang along. Tony, Don, and Brian couldn’t take their eyes off the beautiful women standing only yards away. Jenn was watching the guys. She had a smirk on her face, watching her guys get all moony-eyed. She was focusing on one of the guys who couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Tasha.
 
Tasha was totally in the zone as the band continued to play. Lisa had already mentioned that the new album was coming out. One at a time, they played each song, adding extended solos and repeating lyrics and choruses to build each number’s power. After all, now they were in the business of selling hits for Warner’s.
 
After the song was over and the band stopped playing, the crowd yelled out. In the silence, the bass started up as Tiffany walked over to the mic. The crowd roared, knowing what was coming.
 
“Oh, Tasha?” Tiffany spoke aloud into her mic as she played. “Oh, Tasha!” She played her bass, then smiled. “Oh, Tasha. You look so sexy. So sexy, Tasha. So sexy.”
 
Each time she did this, Tasha blushed. It still unnerved the eighteen-year-old to be singled out and talked about in front of the crowd. But it was all okay. She had to remember that this was part of the game. Tasha tried to steel herself up, knowing she had to do the same for Tiffany. Being a solo artist wasn’t in her nature, and the band knew that she needed a little nudge to get out there.
 
Taking a deep breath, she cooed, “Oh, Tiffany. You look so sexy tonight.”
 
The band had decided to power straight through their usual forty-five-minute set rule and play right up until quarter to two. This way, they could fit in a three-song encore and still be done by two o’clock.
 
When the show ended, Tasha was exhausted. She’d been singing and playing for two hours without taking a deep breath. As she was toweling down and wiping off her instruments, she thought about creating other songs that would showcase each member while some of them could take a break.
 
“Hey, Rock Star! You were great out there.” Tasha turned and wrapped her arms around Jenn. As she squeezed hard, she started to take deep breaths and find her center.
 
“Oh, baby, it felt awesome. I really needed to get out in front of the crowds. I’m the junkie loving that adrenaline rush. I felt like I was playing in the clouds. It was pretty amazing.” He kissed Jenn lovingly and held her tightly. Terry blinked a few times and looked around. He saw his mom and Conner, and then he saw his friends. Everyone was waiting for him to approach them.
 
It was nice that they were giving him some space for the rush to slow down and stop amping him up. Terry felt he should be shaking like a dog getting the water off its body after the big swim. At this point, he grabbed Jenn’s hand and headed toward his mom and friends. He said hi to Conner and then gave his mom a hug.
 
“How are you doing? The band sounded amazing.”
 
“I’m great, mom. I was telling Jenn that I think I really needed to explode after burying myself in the recording studio for weeks.”
 
His mom studied him. “Tasha looked pretty amazing out there this afternoon. She has amazing hair.” She touched her spikes.
 
“Yeah. I stopped by Isabella’s to get a mani-pedi and have her put extensions in my hair. Tasha needed to get spruced up for all the shows coming up. Lisa and Gina added color to the tips. What do you think?"
 
“Great, it’s perfect when you’re on the stage. Will you wear it like that when you’re out and about?”
 
Terry shook his head, feeling Tasha’s hair moving. “Nah. This is for the crowd. When we go out, everything is understated and conservative.”
 
“You said when we go out.”
 
“Oh, I did. Maybe I meant the whole band.”
 
“Are you still fighting with Tasha?”
 
“Well, sometimes I don’t have a problem with being a rock chick. But I’m still clinging to what’s left of Terry.”
 
“Would it be easier to just let it all flow?”
 
“You mean just give up?”
 
His mom kissed his cheek, then patted it. “Nothing to give up, honey. You’ve got it all.”
 
Just about then, the guys all surrounded him.
 
“Dude, you guys were awesome out there. You were meant to rock. Everyone looked so great!”
 
“Thanks, Tony. It’s a lot of fun!”
 
Brian was shaking his head. “Dude, you’re successful and rich. What more could you want?”
 
Terry decided to just smile and nod. He was tired of debating with himself.
 
Then Don stood close and spoke directly into his ear. “Hey, would it be all right to talk together sometime? And maybe text?”