Rock 'n' Roll Rebel (22 page)

Chapter Fifty-Nine

S
omeone
had
watched the local news. The video on YouTube was blowing up. Uncle Paul had told her that many of those hits would be the losing teams who'd be watching to see how UA had bested them. He'd warned Tig not to take any negative comments personally: winners had to learn to cope with sour grapes.

Robbie and the other girls had already linked to the page on their social media accounts. The video now had several hundred likes as well as views, and most of the comments were positive.

“‘LOL'?” Robbie asked as they scrolled through the comments on Tig's computer. “What exactly is
that supposed to mean?”

“It means, haters gonna hate,” Kyra said.

“Look! This one says ‘cute girls'!” Olivia said.

“Is that good or bad?” Robbie asked.

“How can being cute be bad?” said Olivia.

Claire scrolled right past the
Sid Vicious is rolling over in his grave
comment to
The singer kicks butt!
She gasped. “Look, everyone! I kick butt!” she said.

“Here's one,” said Tig. “‘I think I have a crush on the guitarist.' Oh, Robbie, you have an admirer!”

“Yours is coming,” Robbie said. “It's early yet.”

And Robbie was correct. Every girl had at least one admirer by noon Saturday. A few posted that Tig rocked, that Claire killed on vocals, and that Kyra and Olivia were cute. A couple of people said Robbie played like a professional. Several commenters said,
Girls Rock!
and urged the band to stay with music.

At school Monday the girls were practically royalty. People came up to them in the gym and actually asked for their autographs! Tig looked forward to a chance to rub it all in Regan's face, but Regan and her crew refused to look up from the Bot Spot. Tig thought about going up to Regan and saying something smart, but she decided against it. It was enough that she'd proven Regan wrong, and that Regan knew it. Soon Tig forgot all about the Bots and just enjoyed her new celebrity status. The other girls in the band seemed to be enjoying themselves, too: Kyra was positively glowing, basking in the popularity she'd so desperately wanted for so long. Olivia's smile was so big, Tig thought her face must be getting sore. Even Robbie was smiling and laughing with people instead of rocking her usual calculated scowl. And despite the fact that everyone was clamoring for her attention, Claire wasn't even blushing the least bit.

As the first period bell rang and everyone made their way out of the gym to their class, Tig looked at her friends. “What do you say?” she asked. “Practice at my house this afternoon?”

Acknowledgments

Being completely devoid of any musical talent whatsoever, there is no way I could have ever written this book without the help of my many musically inclined friends. I'm sorry I bugged you with so many questions, but I hope when you read this book, you'll think I got it right. If I did, it's thanks to you! Big shout-out to these drummers: my lovely younger daughter; brother-in-law Hansel Stewart; and friends Chris Wier, James Podmore, Matt Wiley, Jud Cameron, Susy Daria; and of course, my dad—the original BD! And for all the other musical assistance, thanks to my sister-in-law Alithea Stewart and friends Michael Terry, Jeff Berry, Justin Brasfield, Kelly Ferguson, Emma Lambiase, and Casie Jones. I admire (and, let's be honest, totally envy) your talent and appreciate your friendship.

Thanks to my former students who inspired this book. Your special gifts and personalities were the pixie dust that helped me imagine many of the girls in these pages. (Rest assured, though, none of you inspired Regan and the Bots!)

Many thanks to Abigail Samoun for being a great friend and a fantastic agent. Thanks for finding the right home for this project.

Thanks to Barb McNally and all the folks at Sleeping Bear Press for loving the Pandora's Box girls along with me and helping bring them to life. Thanks, Catherine Frank, for pushing me to give the girls in these pages my best.

And finally, as always, I thank my family: my parents and brother, who haven't stopped cheering me on since I first wrote my name in crayon; my stepson for reminding me how girls lose their minds over a cute boy; my daughters who inspired Tig's heart and her coolness; and my husband, because, “What is all this sweet work worth/if thou kiss not me?”

About the Author

Ginger Rue is the author of
Brand-New Emily
and
Jump
. She's a former advice columnist for a teen magazine, and her work has appeared in
Seventeen
,
Teen Vogue
,
Girls' Life
,
Family Circle
, and other publications. She is currently a contributing editor for
Guideposts
.

Ginger lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with her husband, two daughters, and stepson. Before she wrote this book, Ginger bought a drum kit and signed up for drum lessons. She failed miserably and has made peace with the fact that she possesses neither rhythm nor coordination. Ginger hopes you like her writing, because there's no hope of her ever becoming a rock star.