"How do you not have a car?" Sasha asked, still unhappy about the whole situation.
About 40 minutes earlier, Charlotte offered to TAKE Sasha to breakfast. Now, they were walking there.
"I have a car, I just can't drive it."
"You're 18."
"I don't have my license." Charlotte sighed.
"Well maybe..."
Sasha trailed off, seeing a familiar car approaching them.
When the car slowed down, passing the girls, Sasha noticed Vince in the driver's seat, winking at her.
Sasha sighed, as she kept walking with Charlotte.
"Who was that?" Charlotte asked.
"Vince. He's this guy that pays my friend Alexa for sex."
"Oh wow... why did he slow down?"
"I don't know. I guess he likes me." Sasha shrugged.
"Creepy."
"I almost considered doing it..."
"...doing what?"
"...working with Alexa." Sasha muttered.
"Why!?"
"I really wanted that guitar."
"If I had known you wanted it that bad, I would've just gave it to you." Charlotte said, with a laugh.
Sasha gave a fake laugh in response.
"Apparently Becky's boyfriend knows someone at the venue and she managed to get us put up last."
"That's perfect. We'll be the last thing everyone hears." Sasha said, with a smirk.
As they walked into the restaurant, Sasha imagined AJ Lee, walking out of the venue with their performance fresh in her mind.
Roman was at home, alone, staring down the backpack.
All of a sudden, the phone inside began ringing. For a moment, Roman was certain that the intensity of his stare was somehow the cause of the phone call. He answered it.
"Hello?"
"Roman, it's Dean."
"Okay?" Roman said, sitting down on his bed.
"Look, I'm not coming back next week."
"Why not? You said they got nothing on you."
"Someone snitched!"
"Well... that person could be lying, they still don't have any proof."
"Yeah, but before, they had to prove I was guilty. Now they have more justification, so I gotta prove my innocence."
"What have your parents said?"
"Nothing really. They got me a lawyer." Dean shrugged.
"They really got you a lawyer!?"
"They think I'm innocent. Got me a real top notch guy too. Name's Otunga or something."
"Well I hope everything works out."
"Oh, by the way. The backpack. Take it to 143 Lebanon Street in Brooklyn, and tell Del Rio that I'm gonna be jammed up a little longer than I originally thought."
"All the way in Brooklyn!?"
"Yeah, gotta go." Dean said, hanging up.
"But who is... Del Rio... Wait... That's the angry guy, he wants me to meet him in person!?"
Roman immediately called Seth on his own cell phone.
"Hello?" Seth asked.
"We gotta take the backpack to 143 Lebanon Street in Brooklyn."
"Thank god!" Seth exclaimed, taking a sigh of relief. He smiled a bit, as Roman sat on the other line, confused.
"Why?"
"That thing's finally gonna be off our hands."
Roman shrugged.
"That's one way to look at it I guess."
"I'll pick you up at like 6 and we'll head over."
"Isn't Charlotte doing some open mic thing at 6?"
"Then we'll go at like 3. It's a 40 minute drive both ways so we should be back by 5."
"Well you better hurry up because it's 2:20."
"Alright, quick shower, then I'll be there."
"See ya when you get here, Uce." Roman said, hanging up the phone.
"Cause I'm a wheeling, dealing, kiss stealing, limo riding, jet flying, stylin' and profilin' Nature Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirl!"
"Okay, Trust Fund, since no one else will say it, I'll say it. You're flat. You are so fucking flat, it's borderline ridiculous." Sasha said.
"...really? Do you guys think so?"
Charlotte turned to Becky and Bayley, who awkwardly nodded their heads yes. Then, she turned to Dana, who did the same.
"Where did I lose it at?"
"The first word of the song. You've been flat all day. And while we're fixing mistakes, Becky, take it easy on the fucking cymbal until the end of the song. You're drowning everyone else out." Sasha said.
"How was I?" Dana asked, nervously.
"You have 4 notes. If you mess up, we're kicking you out."
Bayley chuckled a bit.
"I'm not laughing. AJ Lee is gonna be in that audience."
"How do you know?" Dana asked.
"Because I know." Sasha responded, annoyed.
Becky sighed.
"Let's take it from the top."
"Wait." Charlotte said, cutting off Becky before she could do her countdown.
Charlotte pulled out her phone and began playing her father's band's hit single, 'Nature Boy'. She began singing along to the words. After a few lines of the first verse, she turned it off.
"Wow, I was really flat."
"Wow, you were." Sasha said, sarcastically.
"You guys ready? One... two... one, two, three, go!"
Sasha began playing the opening riff, for the 5th time that day.
"Maybe this whole thing will teach Dean a lesson." Seth shrugged, from the driver's seat. Roman sat in the passenger seat, next to him.
"Dean's learned a bunch of lessons. They don't work."
"He's never gotten into real trouble before."
"He's barely in real trouble now. Otunga's gonna get him out on parole while awaiting his trial, then he's gonna go in and they're gonna give him a slap on the wrist and send him home 30 days later."
Seth pulled up to the house, looking at his phone. The time was 3:45 PM.
They both got out, as Seth grabbed the backpack. The two nervous teens approached the door.
"Knock on it." Roman said.
"No." Seth replied, backing away from it.
Roman sighed and knocked on it.
A guy wearing a wife-beater and a bandana peaked out from behind the cracked door.
Seth held up the backpack.
"La mochila está aquí!" he yelled behind him.
"¿¡Qué!? ¿Por qué es la mochila... Espera, ya voy." A familiar voice said.
And older man with black, greased, slicked back hair opened the door.
"You're Del Rio, right?" Roman asked.
"¿Sí, Qué quieres?"
"Uh..."
"Si... Si means yes, so, um... Dean. Dean told us, to tell you, he's gonna be stuck in jail a little longer than he thought. And he told us to bring this to you." Seth said, holding out the backpack to him. Del Rio didn't grab it.
"Bajalo. Le dije a Dean, 'un mes'. I told him, 'one month'. He has one month to sell everything in that backpack."
Roman and Seth looked at each other, confused about what to do, or even say at this point.
"Well he's... he's probably not gonna be able to. So we're returning your stuff. I mean... there's a lot of money in there, and it's not like any of your stuff is missing. Everything he sold, the money's in there for it."
Del Rio smiled at Seth. If Seth didn't know any better, he'd think what he said got lost in translation.
"No quiero que las drogas. ¿Escuchame? I don't want the drugs. I want my money. And I don't want SOME of my money. I want ALL of my money. And you can tell Dean, if he can't get me ALL of my money, by the end of the month... he better hopes he gets a long prison sentence, because he'll live a lot longer in there than he will out here. Am I understood?"
"...not... not the Spanish part, but the death threat part was pretty clear and straightforward." Seth said, nervously.
Del Rio closed the door, and they headed back to the car.
"Call him." Seth said, as they got it.
Roman called Dean's illegally acquired jail cell phone. After few rings, they heard the loud prison yard.
"Hello?" Dean asked.
"Dean, you're fucked."
"What do you mean?"
"The guy wouldn't take the backpack. He said he wants all of his money. And he wants it by the end of the month."
"What? Did you explain to him that I'm not getting out as soon as I thought?" Dean asked.
"He doesn't care. He said if you're not gonna be able to get him his money by the end of the month, you might as well stay in jail. You'll live longer." Seth added.
"Okay guys, I need a huge favor."
"No." Seth said.
"I just need you guys to sell the rest."
Seth grabbed Roman's phone and hung up.
"Dude." Roman said.
"Dude what?"
"Dean really need us right now."
"I'm not risking my life because HE fucked up." Seth said, beginning to drive.
"If we don't, he's dead."
"...I'll think about it."
Roman texted Dean to let him know that Seth was thinking it over.
"You really think the Charlotte thing is gonna work out?" Seth asked, nervously.
"If you do it exactly how I told you to."
Seth took a deep breath, and sighed, making his way back to the Bronx.
"Okay, so I'm driving my Dad's van, and I'll drive over Bayley and our instruments. I don't know if you guys would be conformable in the back" Becky said.
"Seth's coming to take the rest of us." Charlotte smiled.
Sasha sat silently while the other 4 girls excitedly discussed the performance.
"What wrong, Boss?" Bayley asked.
"Nothing, just nerves." Sasha replied.
"He's here." Dana said, looking out of the window.
Once the girls had moved all of the instruments down the stairs, and into the van, Bayley and Becky said their goodbyes.
As Dana, Sasha, and Charlotte got into Seth's backseat, Becky began driving to the venue. Seth followed her.
"So, pink hair, you got a name?" Roman asked.
"Nope." Sasha said, her arms crossed.
Roman chuckled.
"You guys are gonna do great."
"Thanks, Seth!" Charlotte smiled.
"That's a cute backpack." Dana said.
"It's really not." Seth sighed. Roman glanced over at him.
"Yeah, it's kinda ugly." Charlotte said, taking a second look at it.
"Yeah it's young X Factor, rapping faster than dasher, and laughing back at you actors for acting like you can answer. We ain't tryna starve more, that's what we working hard for, leaving head's spinning like Special K on the cardboard. Speaking of spinning, if you all with me, raise ya hands up and yell DJ Big E!"
"DJ BIG E!"
"If you all with me, raise ya hands up and yell DJ Big E!"
"DJ BIG E!"
"Yeah we rose, like a bouquet, best hip-hop in the state since the Wu-Tang, end of the song now, and you know our group name, not Sunday, not Monday, not Tuesday, it's NEW DAY!"
The crowd cheered as the host came back on stage.
"GIVE IT UP FOR THE NEW DAY!" he yelled.
"Your boyfriend knows that WE'RE trying to win, right?" Bayley asked.
"He said he'd get us up last, he never said he'd go easy on us." Becky shrugged.
"OUR SECOND PERFORMER, GOES BY THE NAME, OF JILLIAN HALL!"
"UP NEXT, PLEASE GIVE IT UP, FOR THE EAST COAST MOVEMENT!"
"I knew they'd be here." Sasha said, with a smirk.
"Who are they?" Charlotte asked.
"Tamina Snuka, Nia Jax, and Alicia Fox. They're a band in Brooklyn. They kinda do a little of everything. A little pop rock here, a little R&B there. A dash of rap. They're good."
Bayley sighed, worrying about their chances of winning.
"Don't worry, we got the only thing that none of these other bands have. We've got a second generation rockstar!" Becky smiled, putting her arm around Charlotte. Charlotte chuckled.
Before Sasha could respond with a rude comment, the host came backstage to them.
"Hey, you guys up next?"
"Yeah." Sasha said.
"It says right here on the card, the Four Horsewomen are next."
"That's us." Becky said, pointing to herself and the rest of the girls.
"Yeah, but there's five of you."
"I know right? Ruined a perfectly good name." Sasha said, putting her guitar strap over her head.
"Well the rules of the contest say that the largest group can only be a group of 4."
"WHAT!?" Charlotte yelled.
"So... I mean, you guys can still perform. But you're gonna automatically be disqualified, because there's 5 of you. Unless one of you sits this out. Either way, let me know." The host shrugged.
"Sorry, Dana." Bayley said.
"Woah, woah, what do you mean 'Sorry, Dana'? If anything, the bass part is way more important than the keyboard part."
"Guys, we're not doing this. We're not arguing minutes before we go on." Charlotte said, stepping in between Bayley and Dana.
"Look. Dana was the last one to join. So the rest of you, just vote on whether she can perform with us or not." Sasha said, quietly playing the notes to the opening riff.
"Why aren't you voting?" Bayley asked.
"Because I don't care about winning. I care about AJ Lee hearing me play this guitar."
"I vote yes." Becky said.
"I vote no! The whole reason we did this was to win money." Bayley said, glaring at Charlotte.
"Well, Trust Fund, it's up to you." Sasha shrugged.
Charlotte nervously looked at Dana, then back at Bayley.
"I..."
"Our final group, has too many members, and is unfortunately no longer eligible for the grand prize, but nevertheless, give it up, for the Four Horsewomen Plus One!"
"One... two... one, two, three, go!"
Sasha began playing the opening riff, while looking through the crowd, trying to find AJ. Becky, Bayley, and Dana joined in, playing the parts that led up to Charlotte's first verse.
"All of the girls, they try to act like me, all the boys are chasing after me, it comes naturally... yeah it comes naturally... Going out in public's a catastrophe, because they all want pictures and an autograph from me, it comes naturally... oh it comes naturally... They say to be like me, you have to practice every day in the mirror, but actually... it comes naturally... Cause I'm a wheeling, dealing, kiss stealing, limo riding, jet flying, stylin' and profilin' Nature Girl! A wheeling, dealing, kiss stealing, limo riding, jet flying, stylin' and profilin' Nature Girl! A wheeling, dealing, kiss stealing, limo riding, jet flying, stylin' and profilin' Nature Girl! a wheeling, dealing, kiss stealing, limo riding, jet flying, stylin' and profilin' Nature Girl!"
As Charlotte finished the chorus, Sasha found AJ, sitting between two huge bodyguards. The two made eye contact, and AJ smirked a bit.
"The crowds all over wanna clap for me, the center of attention's what I have to be, it comes naturally... yeah it comes naturally... All of the boys that used to laugh at me, every single one of them are running back to me, it comes naturally... oh if comes naturally... They say to be like me, you have to practice every day in the mirror, but actually... it comes naturally... Cause I'm a wheeling, dealing, kiss stealing, limo riding, jet flying, stylin' and profilin' Nature Girl! A wheeling, dealing, kiss stealing, limo riding, jet flying, stylin' and profilin' Nature Girl! A wheeling, dealing, kiss stealing, limo riding, jet flying, stylin' and profilin' Nature Girl! a wheeling, dealing, kiss stealing, limo riding, jet flying, stylin' and profilin' Nature Girl!"
The crowd began cheering and dancing as Sasha, Dana, Bayley, and Becky started playing the instrumental breakdown. Sasha continued her intense stare down with AJ, who held an amazing poker face. Neither one of them would break eye contact first.
"Cause I'm a wheeling, dealing, kiss stealing, limo riding, jet flying, stylin' and profilin' Nature Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirl!"
The crowd loudly cheered, as the host returned to the stage. AJ Lee silently clapped.
"That was awesome!" Bayley shouted, with a smile, as they returned backstage.
Just then, one of the large bodyguards approached them.
"Hey, you girls, come follow me?"
"What? Why?" Dana asked.
"Shut up and follow him." Sasha said, recognizing him.
The 4 others looked in confusion before following him and Sasha through the building. Once they got into a dimly lit hallway, they saw AJ Lee, standing with the other bodyguard.
"Oh my god. Oh my god." Sasha muttered, under her breath, shaking.
"So apparently you know who I am." AJ said, still refusing to show any emotion.
"YES!" Sasha shouted, before Charlotte, Becky, Bayley, or Dana could say otherwise.
The bodyguard stepped in front of AJ.
"I'm... I'm sorry, it's just that... AJ you're my idol. I wanna be just like you. And I was hoping I could impress you. And maybe... you can take me under your wing like Lita did to you!"
AJ slowly pushed her bodyguard out of the way.
"You really did your homework, didn't you?" She said.
"I know everything about you." Sasha said, with a smile.
"You skipped the C# in the breakdown."
"W... what?"
"You skipped the C# in the breakdown. You were supposed to change keys to hit it and you didn't." AJ said, almost staring a hole through Sasha.
"Well I... I... The note is so insignificant and difficult to play, I just skipped it. I thought no one would notice."
"I noticed." AJ said, titling her head to the side, with a smirk.
All the girls fell silent, unsure of what to say.
"The Four Horsewomen?" AJ asked.
"Plus one." Dana muttered.
The other girls glared at her.
"What are you a cover band or something?"
"My... my father is Ric Flair." Charlotte said.
"Cute."
They stood silently a little while longer.
"What's your name?" AJ asked.
"Charlotte."
"Not you. Her."
AJ continued to make eye contact with Sasha.
"My, um, I, people call, I... I mean I... I'm, my, um..." Sasha trailed off, her brain unable to decide between "Sasha" and "The Boss". On one hand, maybe AJ would respect her unwavering confidence. On the other hand, AJ could embarrass her and demand her real name.
"We call her The Boss." Becky said, sheepishly.
AJ chuckled.
"Here." She said, with a smile. Handing Sasha a pink Sharpie.
Sasha nervously took it.
She handed a blue one to Charlotte, an green one to Becky, a black one to Bayley, and a red one to Dana.
"What are these for?" Bayley asked.
"When The Boss figures it out, she'll officially be under my wing."
Sasha almost melted. It took everything in her power not to run over and hug everyone in the hallway.
AJ handed Sasha a small piece of paper, with her phone number on it. Then, without another word, she left with her bodyguards.
Sasha held her hand out, and everyone gave her their markers.
"We did really great tonight, guys." Sasha said, putting them into her pocket.
"We should do this again sometime." Charlotte smiled.
"Maybe."
After Roman, Seth and the girls re-loaded the van, they said their goodbyes and got into their vehicles. Seth made sure to drop off Dana, Sasha, and Roman first.
Once he was alone with Charlotte, they pulled in front of her house.
"You were great tonight!" Seth said, with a smile.
"Thanks." Charlotte said, blushing.
"So... we'll hang out tomorrow?"
"Sure."
"Wait, hold on... you got a little something, right there."
Seth pointed at Charlotte's lower lip.
"What it is?"
Once Charlotte asked that, Seth immediately kissed her.
Charlotte just sat in shock.
"Seth... What just happened?" Charlotte asked, still in disbelief.
"I... I'm sorry, it was stupid. It was Roman's idea."
Inside his own head, Seth yelled at himself for taking Roman's advice.
"I, uh... wow. I gotta go, see you later, Seth."
"Wait, Charlotte, I'm really, really sorry."
"Don't be." Charlotte said, leaving the car with a smile.
Seth sat alone, debating on whether or not he should be yelling at or thanking Roman for the idea.
"Right on time. I was about to head in." Finn said, handing Becky his book.
"But it's only 1 AM."
"Yeah, I'm not really feeling well. I only came for your book, to be honest."
"That means a lot to me." Becky smiled, handing him the empty book.
"See ya around, Badlass!"
"See ya!" She called out, as he disappeared.
She began flipping through his book.
"He's got everyone... except Storm I guess..."
As she continued flipping. She saw a page that had nothing but a pair of purple shutter shades and the words "THE BO$$" written in gold letters.
"Hmmm. Small world." Becky said, looking down in the book with a smile.