“Especially those whose beaver curtains are bare,” River comes in and says with a wink.

“How the fuck do you know?” I snap at him.

He sticks his tongue out slowly, then pulls it back in. “Most rode tongue in the state.”

“If you read the Internet gossip pages, that would be my brother. Lead singer with the tongue made for her pl—”

“You clearly mean the drummer,” River says with a perma-grin on his face.

River’s high. I know it, Finn knows it, and Billy … Yeah, he doesn’t know it. I laugh to myself.

I’ve dabbled in some heavier stuff. When we first started playing together, River and I got fucked up a couple times, but a couple times of doing a line or two wasn’t enough for him. No, fucker would go on a binge, and then he’d crash. As a result, I only take a couple hits of chillz once in a while when I am feeling froggy, like yesterday. I didn’t want to put that temptation in his face again.

Finn doesn’t touch shit. He smokes cigs, drinks like a fish when he’s in a mood, but he hates drugs. I knew there was a story behind it the day I had to pull him off River. He spilled it about someone OD’ing and told River he was a selfish fuck. When I asked him later if he wanted to talk, he simply said no.

Billy walks in. “Good morning.”

We all say it back, and as we load our plates, I see him and Tally exchange a look that pisses me the fuck off. Mads notices the exchange, too, and she elbows Tally and giggles. Tally looks at her with a clueless confusion, and I can’t help smirking. Tally sees me, shrugs, and continues placing bird-sized portions on her plate. She is clearly uncomfortable, and it pisses me off.

“Tales, you have got to eat more than that, girl.”

Billy smiles at her. “She ate well last night.”

She ate well last night, I mock him in my head.

“Then she threw up. Eat, Tales.”

“Memphis.” Madison looks at me like I’m crazy. “She’s a grown woman. I think she can handle herself.”

“Yeah, you’re both all sorts of grown up now, aren’t you?” I sneer, then walk to the door with a full plate. I decide to eat outside because I already want to kick Billy’s ass, lock up Mads, and tie up Tally and show her a thing or twenty about sex.

I sit at the outdoor high top where the sun is already blazing. There is a breeze that feels really good, but even as beautiful as this place is, nothing is distracting enough to un-hear your kid sister talking about banging his or his.

“What’s your problem?”

I look up to see Mads walking out and shutting the door behind her.

“How’s school?” I can’t help the irritation in my voice.

“Great.”

“Learning a lot?”

“Why the inquisition?”

“Why avoiding the question, Mads?”

“Okay, I love it. I get up and finish my classes by one in the afternoon. Most of the time, I am done with my homework by four or five, and then I hang out with friends.”

“What kind of friends?”

Tally walks out now, sets her plate on the table, and pulls her shades down.

Mads and I stare at each other. She’s clearly pissed, and so am I. Neither of us says a word.

“Should I go?” Tally thumbs behind her toward the door.

Mads says no, I say yes, and Tales sits, looking down.

“Don’t be a dick, Memphis,” Madison snaps at me.

“Or what? You’ll tell Mom?” I snap back

In true Madison form, she dramatically shoves her chair back and storms back into the house.

“Why are you fighting with her?” Tally asks in an even tone that kind of infuriates me.

“I heard you two. She’s banging all sorts of boys at school and …” I stop when Tally starts to smirk. “I said bang, not fuck, Tales. Jesus, keep it together.”

“It wasn’t the word, Memphis.” She scowls. “I’m kind of used to them by now. It was the fact that you’re judging her, yet live the life you do.”

“Me, judging?” I gasp. “This coming from the preacher’s daughter.”

Her mouth forms a straight line.

“I didn’t mean it to hurt you, Tales.”

“Well, just so you know, I don’t judge. There is a huge difference between being religious and being a Christian.” She’s pissed, but so am I.

“So what would Jesus say about you fornicating in the dorms, Tales?”

She pushes back and stands. “That’s none of your business. Who are you to judge me or her?”

“Wait just a damn minute. I’m not judging—”

“It’s okay for you to sleep with everything with two legs and boobs?” She blushes immediately.

“You just wait a minute, Tales. I’m a little bit pickier than two legs and tits—”

“I find that questionable when you’ve been trying to get me in bed.”

“Tales, I don’t try. I do. Don’t kid yourself. If I wanted to fuck you, I would. Then your little dorm indiscretion that, I assume, left a bad taste in your mouth would be like fucking crack, and you’d be all but dry humping my—”

Without warning, she slaps me across the face, and hard, too. Then she runs into the house.

Angry is not a strong enough word to describe what the hell I’m feeling right now. I storm toward the house and see the guys looking out the window. They saw everything.

Embarrassed? I probably should be, but I’m not.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Finn asks, and he’s not laughing, either.

I don’t answer. I go to my room and grab a duffel bag.

“I asked you a fucking question, man. Don’t disrespect.” Finn’s voice is low and angry.

“Tell them motherfuckers, if they touch Mads or Tally, I will quit this fucking band.” I throw a change of clothes in my bag and walk past him.

His voice booms behind me. “Where are you going?”

“To the fucking woodshed,” is all I say.

He steps back and gives me a nod. “Any idea when you’ll be back?”

“Two days, tops,” I answer.

“Work it out, bro. I’ve got this covered.”

***

I crawl out of the bed and look down at the chick from the hotel bar. She’s hot, blonde, tall, has big titties, and a nice ass. I worked it out, all right, for three hours, and she took it like a champ. I will definitely be giving her a VIP pass if we tour down here.

I look at my phone lying on the floor next to my shorts. It has fifteen missed calls and ten text messages, all from Madison.

I shoot her one back.

Mads, I will see you in a day or two. Stay put and enjoy.

Her reply is immediate.

Where is the woodshed?

I laugh to myself and shake my head as I type.

Ask Finn. See you soon. Airplane mode commencing.

I sit, and I write.

I look down at the paper, pretty content with myself. I haven’t worked something like this out in a year. Finn is the man behind the lyrics lately when it used to be my thing. Today, it all comes back.

I feel hands resting on my shoulders.

“How did you do?” she asks in the raspy tone I have admired for a few years now.

“Inspiration at its finest.”

“I see that.”

I look up and see she is looking at my notepad.

“No way, babe. This is mine.” I flip it over.

“And every time I hear it on the radio, I’ll think about what happened next.”

“Oh, yeah, not before?” I ask, pushing back in the wheeled chair and turning it so I am eye level to her jugs.

“I’ve seen you live in concert, Memphis. I know how well you perform, but your encore … Nothing beats that.”

“You ready to be rocked my way?”

“Rock me any way you want.”

And I did.

She didn’t stay over. I didn’t ask.

***

I spend the entire next day writing in the hotel room.

Two songs in two days.

X-man asked for five. I knew Finn had two, so that meant only one more.

When I walk into the house, Madison glares at me.

“That’s a nice welcome back,” I say with an eye roll.

“Tally is leaving,” she yells.

“When?” I ask, trying to ignore the anger boiling inside of me.