Chapter One

“Ok, one more time from the top.”

My name is Alice Moore. I’m sixteen years old and I’m the lead singer of an all girl rock band with my friends. We call ourselves Devil Cheater.

It was a Saturday afternoon where our story begins. We were at my house, in the garage, practicing before an audition for the town’s annual rock festival.

“Alice, I really think we’d better go with ‘Deep Inside’ rather than ‘Desert’,” informed our lead guitarist and my best friend, Autumn Lee. Autumn and I have been best friends since we met at Future Stars summer camp three years ago. I’d found her sitting at lunch alone wearing a Linkin Park t-shirt. At the time, we were both obsessed with Linkin Park, so we clicked right away. We’ve been together always since then.

Autumn has raven black hair, with red tips, that shines in the sun. Her ice blue eyes are beautiful and her skin cold and pale. She plays like a pro and sings with the voice of an angel.

“Yeah, you’re right,” I nodded at my best friend. “We’re changing ‘Desert’ to ‘Deep Inside’,” I told the rest of the band. “Hit it, Avril.”

Our drummer, Avril Johnson, tapped her drumsticks four times before we broke into song. Our bass guitarist, Amy Forest, smiled as we started her favorite song. Her short dirty blond hair was spiked. Her black eyeliner was dark.

As the lead singer, I knew exactly when to start singing.

I’m hiding somewhere safe

I’m in the dark

I’m hiding from the truth

The truth that you’re gone

‘cause I know you are gone

When we finished the song about four minutes later, Amy’s cell phone rang. We heard her familiar “Dora loves you!” ringtone, recorded by her girlfriend, Dora Webber. If you haven’t already guessed, Amy is a lesbian.

While Amy chatted away, Avril, Autumn, our other guitarist Amanda Day, and our personal dancers, Hispanic twins Ana and Alicia González, and I discussed our outfits.

“But I really like the black one!” Ana wailed. She was holding a black tank. It wasn’t a surprise the twins were arguing again.

“But we have to match, and I look flattering in the red one!” Alicia whined.

I rolled my eyes. “Come on, you two! I already told you you’re wearing the black one for the audition, and the red one for the final, if we make it.”

“What do you mean ‘if’?” Amy smiled, joining us again. “No one can turn down the Seven Deadly A’s!”

The Seven Deadly A’s is the nickname referring to us. It came about because there are seven of us and our names all start with an “A”.

“Yeah, really, Alice,” Autumn grinned at me. “You’re the leader. You’re not very optimistic.”

“What can I say?” I shrugged. “I view the glass as half empty.”

About three hours later, we were at Eagle Point High, or EPH, ready for our audition. The way it worked was simple. Anyone who cared to show up, normally the teenagers of Eagle Point and anyone else who loved rock music, would get a ballot. The guests rate each band from one to ten, ten being the best and one being the worst, according to their opinion. It’s a big social event among the adolescent age group.

Seating is in the auditorium. Snacks, pizza, and beverages are served. Everyone has a good time. Who wouldn’t? Food, friends, and good rock music. Sounds like fun to me.

Except this time, I was performing. Devil Cheater was backstage, waiting for a group called Locas Chicas, who really sucked, to get done. Ana and Alicia were arguing again. Amanda was meditation. Amy was flipping out because Dora hadn’t showed yet. Autumn was tuning her guitar. Avril was checking her hair. I was warming up my voice.

Everyone looked great. Ana and Alicia are Mexican goddesses. They each have rich black hair and bright brown eyes. There are only two differences between the twins. One is the lip ring Ana has, which Alicia doesn’t. The other is their sexuality. Alicia is bisexual, while Ana is straight. They’re both punk, but they’re really fun. They take dancing classes at Eva’s School for the Advancing Dancer. They’re both fifteen and freshmen at EPH.

Avril is from Florida. She moved here two years ago. She’s an awesome drummer and a total hardcore punk. She loves wearing fishnets and black combat boots with red and black plaid miniskirts and baby-tee band shirts. Her blonde hair is normally in two pigtails near the back of her head. She often wears fake vampire fangs to look “unique”. She’s seventeen and is a junior.

Autumn is sixteen and is a junior, like me. Her mother abandoned her when she was seven, and she never knew her father. She was adopted by her aunt. Autumn is a Goth, but a happy one, despite the stereotypes. She loves the color black, but she doesn’t cut herself, isn’t obsessed with death, and isn’t depressed.

Amy is a strange person. Just when you think you’ve figured her out, she surprises you. It’s like going to school; you learn something new everyday. Her short, blonde hair is always spiked. Except for her chest, you’d think she was a guy at first glance. She’s always listening to Evanescence and has a huge crush on the lead singer, Amy Lee.

Amy was always known for being a tomboy. She wears tight white tees, tight jeans, and Etnies. She wears an Evanescence cuff on her wrist and a gold chain around her neck. She’s the stud for the lesbians. She’s seventeen and a junior.

Amanda is a weirdo from the way she dresses, you’d think she was a serial killer or a drug dealer. But she’s neither; she’s just Amanda. Her hair is always dyed crazy colors. Her eye shadow is always the same color of her hair. She always wear a black trench coat and black combat boots. Underneath her coat she wears a lacy bra and a pair of Soffe shorts, both the same color. It’s a miracle to see her wearing anything normal. Amanda is a sophomore at age fifteen. At the time, her hair was green, so she wore black eyeliner and sparkly green eye shadow.

Last, but not least, is me, Alice. My hair is black, I have one blue eye and one green eye, and my mom calls me “Princess”. I always leave my hair down and I wear tank tops that I design myself at home. I love the feeling of my hair on my back, so I usually wear my hair down. I also wear low-rise skinny jeans. Besides being known for designing tank tops, and having an awesome singing voice, I have a reputation for wearing the best belts. My collection consists of fifty belts. I keep them in a trunk in my room.

Locas Chicas finished with a bang. Literally. I was startled by a huge thud! Turns out that their drummer hit one of the drums too hard and it broke. The only ones giving Locas Chicas a standing ovation were five girls. They must be acquainted.

As the band headed backstage, Principal Burns announced us. “And now, I’m proud to announce Eagle Point High’s number one band, Devil Cheater!”

The crowd gave us a warm welcoming. As we passed Burns on our way to the stage, he wished us good luck.

It took a few minutes to set up our instruments, microphones, amplifiers, and speakers. I took a deep breath. “Ice Cold” was our first song. I glanced back at Avril and nodded, indicating I was ready to go. Avril raised her drumsticks and tapped them together four times, signaling to the band the start of “Ice Cold”.

Amy broke out into her guitar solo the second the song started. I figured she’d seen Dora in the crowd somewhere, or she wouldn’t have been so energetic.

As the band played and the twins danced, one on either side of the stage, I played air guitar. After four measures of instrumental music, it was my turn to sing.

I see you somewhere new

Can you feel it too?

It’s not love

It’s not hate

It’s something even worse

Ice cold!

Hell’s freezing over

Ice cold!

It’s snowy white

Ice cold!

A hate stronger than any love we had

I sang my heart out. “Ice Cold” wasn’t just a song. It was a shout out to my ex-boyfriend, Travis. We went out last year. There definitely was something there, but he cheated on me. I walked in on him and my cousin. I broke up with Travis the next day. I don’t talk to either of them anymore. I still hate them.

Ice cold!

I hate you now…

As Amy’s last note faded, the crowd burst into screams and applause. I smiled at Amy when I heard Dora scream, “I love you, Amy!”

We waited until the applause died down before starting “Skulls and Love”.

I never saw a love like this

Until you gave me my first kiss

A love so new

A love for you!

A skull is all I see…

Skulls and love!

Skulls and love!

One love is dead,

Another is born!

Skulls and love!

Skulls and love!

I’m ready to accept you,

I’m ready for you!

I sang this with all my heart. I knew Amanda, who also sings, was too. We wrote this last year. At the time, we’d each had a new boyfriend, except for Amy and Alicia, who had a girlfriend at the time. We were, as we thought, in love.

When we got done playing our final song, “Deep Inside”, we went backstage to wait for the results.

“Amy!” Dora exclaimed. “She ran up and gave Amy a hug.

When they broke away, Amy said, “Dora! I’m all sweaty!”

“Just how I like you,” she cooed. Then she gave Amy a quick kiss. “Now go get ready. After this, you and I have a date at the movies.”

As Amy turned to put away her guitar, Dora’s hazel eyes twinkled playfully, and she hit Amy on the butt. Amy took off her guitar and handed it to me. Then she turned back to Dora and started making out with her.

I rolled my eyes. “Major ew.”

Amy’s ex-girlfriend, Cara Dillon, passed Amy on her way to the stage. “Get a room, dyke!”

“You wish it was you, cunt!” Amy shouted back before turning back to Dora for more.

“Good job tonight, girls,” I said, trying to keep my mind off of Dora and Amy.

“I did horrible!” Alicia whined.

Ana rolled her eyes. “I told you to stop looking at that girl!”

“Sorry! I know she liked me!”

“Honestly, Alicia, why not just go all the way?”

“Because I like guys too. Besides,” Alicia said with a smug smile, “Jake Richards has been hitting on me at work.”

“God, Alicia,” Ana growled. “You get all the guys when it’s the girls you’re after. Save some for me!”

“Sorry to interrupt this interesting conversation,” Amanda broke in, “but I think there’s a girl over there who is looking for you, Alicia.”

Alicia looked towards the backstage doorway. Her face lit up and she hurried towards the girl.

I rolled my eyes. “Anyone else care to run off with someone of the same sex?”

“Chill out, Alice,” Autumn said, rolling her eyes back. “Have some respect.”

“They’re making out with other girls, Autumn!”

“Yeah? You have a problem with that?”

I turned around to find Amy and her brunette girlfriend standing nearby, looking pretty mad.

“No. It’s just…” I threw my hands up in the air in defeat. “I don’t know! It’s just bothering me!”

Avril put her hand on my shoulder. “Relax.” I felt a shock go up my arm. “You’re overreacting. You’ve seen them make out before. Take a deep breath.”

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, like Avril said. Then I opened them again. “You’re right. I’m so sorry, Amy. You too, Dora.”

Amy laughed. “Chill, A. I know you’re PMS-ing.”

“How can you tell?”

“Oh, please. You get emotionally into the music when you’re PMS-ing.”

I sighed. “Tell the whole world, Ames.”

Amy grinned. “You’re welcome.”

We could hear Burns talking from the stage. “That was our last band, Nightmare Haunters. Please put your voting cards into the baskets by the doors because now it’s time for ¾”

“The results!”