A/N In reference to the last chapter. I just had to put that in about Mark and Jason. I'm not saying there's anything going on or will be going on or anything like that between them. I just thought I could see something like that running through Roger's twisted little mind. Especially after a few drinks.

Just to remind everyone since we haven't heard from her recently Molly is Mark's little sister.

Chapter 105

"Eight dollars." Cass said as she set the two drinks down on the counter. The guy paid and walked away.


"Hey Cass!" Krystal called over the band as she walked into the Iguana. "What are you doing working?"

"I'm not. Jimmy just got swamped while I was up here getting us drinks so I was helping him out. She picked up the tray of drinks and followed her over to the table where Jason, Mark, Jen and Rich already sat.

"What took so long?" Mark asked. "Hey Krystal."

"Hey guys. How they doing tonight?" She motioned toward the band.

"They sound pretty good tonight. They already played some of the new stuff." Mark told her as he poured her a beer.

"Thanks." She told him, taking a long sip. "God I needed a drink." Krystal said as the band finished playing.

Roger came over and sat on a chair backwards. "Hey Baby." He kissed Cass. "Hey Krystal."

"Hey."

"Your new stuff sounded good Rog." Jason told him.

"Thanks."

"Where's Izzy?"

"Screwing with the A/C. It's hot as hell up there." He told Krystal. "Is Mattie sleeping at our place tonight?" He took the beer Mark handed him.

"Yup. When I left, Emily was doing Molly's hair and Mattie, Collin and Molly's boyfriend were making themselves ice cream sundaes."

"Oh good, so the kitchen will be nice and sticky tomorrow." Cass laughed.

Krystal laughed too. "Please if sticky was the only thing going on at my place I'd be happy." They all laughed at her. "No seriously. You'll never believe what I found in Mattie's room."

"Oh God." Cass laughed.

"I don't even know what it is, but already I'm grateful Emily's a girl." Jen laughed.

Krystal shook her head as she drank back more of her beer. "Okay so I'm cleaning his room. I'm cleaning it because neither Super Slob or Super Slob Junior have any clue as to what that means."

Roger laughed at that but stopped with a look from Cass. "Sorry."

"So anyway, I'm pulling crap out from under his dresser and under his bed and I can smell something."

"So what was it?" Jason asked.

"Hermit crabs."

"Yuck."

"Ew. We went to the beach like five months ago." Roger laughed.

"Ah, he didn't get any hermit crabs this summer."

"Ewww!" Mark laughed.

"You mean it was one of the ones Rich and Izzy won for the kids two summers ago?" Jen made a face as Rich started laughing.

"Yup. Those stupid little stinky dead crawly things have been sitting dead under his bed for who knows how long. Probably close to a year."

"Oh that's nasty. Funny, but nasty." Mark continued laughing.

"Okay, moving past the dead things under the kid's bed, what do you know about the talent show at school?" Roger asked her.


"Talent show?" She played innocent.

"Yeah. It's some big secret. Collin won't tell us anything." Mark told them.

"Sorry. What little I know I've been sworn to absolute secrecy." She grinned.

"What talent show?" Jen asked.

"It's a really big deal at the school. Sixth graders and up." Cass explained.

"So why wasn't Collin in it last year?" Rich asked.

"He wanted to be in it." Cass explained. "He was really excited about it. That was one of the big deals of being in the sixth grade last year. Being able to be in the talent show. But then he realized Mattie was only in fifth grade and couldn't do it with him. So he waited until this year when Mattie was in sixth grade and they could do it together."

"Awww, that's so sweet. Putting it off for a year so he can do it with his best friend." Jen said. "That's definitely something he got from Mark."

"Hey I would have done that." Roger told them, drinking his beer.


"No you wouldn't have." Mark laughed.

"Okay, I wouldn't have. But I would have thought about it."

Mark rolled his eyes at him before turning back to Krystal. "So what are they doing Krystal?"

"I can't tell you." Krystal smiled. "All you need to know is they are both going to perform."

"But they won't tell us anything." Mark whined.


"Yeah what if they need help?" Roger asked her.

"They have help so don't worry about it."

"They do?" Cass asked surprised.

"Who?" Roger demanded.

"Can't tell you. I don't know who. I know who it isn't. It isn't any of you guys or Izzy."

"But-"

"Forget it Mark. You'll never get it out of me. Let's just suffice it to say that they are performing in the talent show, they have all the help they need and I can't tell you anything. So you might as well relax and wait to be surprised in three weeks."



****************

"Well do you want us to bring you any dinner?" Cass listened for a second. "Okay. Total including you guys and your parents we need eighteen seats. Okay. We'll see you in a little bit. Bye." She hung up her cell phone. "Krystal said the boys were already eating and she's getting us all seats together."

"We need eighteen seats? Who's coming to this thing that we need eighteen seats?" Roger asked as he bit into his burger.

Cass started counting off on her fingers. "You, me, Mark, Jason, Jennifer, Rich and Emily, your mom and Larry, Patrick and Shelly, Mickey and Sarah, Izzy and Krystal and Krystal's parents.

"That's only seventeen." Mark told her.

"Oh and Jason's date."

"Jason's got a date?" Mark asked surprised.

"His first date since Collins and he's bringing him to a school talent show?" Roger laughed. "I guess he doesn't want a second date."

"First of all it's not his first date." Cass told them. "It's just the first date he's let you two know about. And secondly, I think it's sweet that this guy likes him enough to subject himself to a school talent show. Not to mention all of us."

"He's been going out?"

"And you knew? And didn't tell us?" Roger pouted.

"He wasn't ready for everybody else to know."

"So he told you?" Mark asked. "And not us?"

"A- he didn't tell me, Jennifer did. And B, he wasn't ready for you to know. Now he is and now you know."

"I can't believe he never told us."

"Just leave him alone. And both of you better be on your best behavior tonight. I mean it."

"We're always on our best behavior." Roger told her as Mark laughed.

"I mean it Roger."

"Yes dear." Roger grinned.

"Yes Cass."


"Okay, then lets get going."

They paid the check and headed to the school. It was still early when they got there so they found their seats and waited. After awhile Krystal came out and saw them.

"Hi!"

"Hey Krystal. Where are they?" Cass asked.

"In the back finishing getting ready." She grinned.

"Well do they need any help?" Mark asked her.

"Nope. They said their roadie had it all covered." She laughed.

"Their roadie?" Roger laughed.

"Izzy?" Mark questioned.

"Nope. You'll see." She grinned. "I gotta go finish taking care of some stuff."

By the time Krystal came back just about everyone else was there, seated and waiting. "Here I brought you some programs." She handed them out.


Mark flipped through the program. "Oh my God." He laughed.

"What?" Cass looked up from her program.

"Oh God." Roger grinned. "I guess we know what they are doing now."

"The Well Hungarians 2? Wasn't that the name of your old band?" Larry asked Roger.

"Yup." He started laughing with Mark.

"You think they understand what Well Hungarians really meant?" Mark laughed.

"No." Krystal grinned. "And luckily for them none of the faculty advisers on this little show realized it either. And I wasn't going to be the one to explain it to anyone."

"Oh God." Cass tried to stifle a laugh.

"There's Mickey and Sarah." Patrick pointed as the two of them came out from the back stage area.

"Hey guys." Mickey grinned.

"What are you doing back there?" Roger asked them.

"Nothing."

"Nothing." Sarah grinned.

"Mickey why do you look so guilty." Joanie said to him like he was an eight-year-old, causing everyone to laugh.

"Aww Mom, leave me alone." Mickey whined.

"You're their roadie?" Roger laughed.

"Hey they called me!"

"Oh this is gonna be interesting." Mark laughed.

Just then they flashed the lights signaling it was time to start. The talent show began. Because they were in the lowest grades, they were one of the first few acts. The curtain closed on the act before them and the MC came out. He introduced them and the curtain slowly opened. The first thing they saw was a high school girl at a set of drums.

"That's Julie. She's a junior." Krystal explained. "She thinks the two of them are just, and I quote, the cutest little things. Especially when they asked her to audition for their band."

"You're kidding?" Roger laughed.

By then the curtain made it all the way open and they saw the boys.

"Oh my God!" Cass exclaimed as she saw Collin. His hair was sprayed a bright shade of blue. He had on a tee shirt with the sleeves cut off and a when he turned they could all see the tattoo on his bicep. Even from that distance, Cass could tell it was an almost exact replica of Roger's tattoo. When she looked closer she saw he also had a cross on his hand between his first finger and thumb. Also like Roger's.

Mattie's hair was sprayed black. He too had a cut tee shirt on exposing the tattoo of an iguana that ran from the side of his neck across the back of his shoulder with it's tail running down his arm. Just like Izzy's

"Michael Andrew Davis!" Joanie quietly yelled at Mickey as she grabbed him by his ear and yanked him towards her. "If any of that is permanent!"

"Owww Mom! Owww! Let me go!"

"It'll all wash off." Sarah laughed as her boyfriend got scolded by his mommy.

Julie counted off and the boys started to play. Roger and Mark recognized the old Well Hungarians song as soon as Collin started to sing.

When the song was over all of them jumped up. They made so much noise it took almost five minutes before the next act could come on. Cass had to almost restrain Roger and Mark they were so excited.

***************

"Hey." Roger leaned against the doorframe of Collin's room. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." He put his guitar away in the corner of his room.

"You really did great tonight. Really."

"But we didn't win." He looked up at Roger.

"Who cares. You guys were incredible." Roger sat down next to him on the bed. "I still can't get over how good you guys did."

"I still wish we woulda won."

"Hey I think you guys were the best ones out there."

"Really?"

"Really. Besides, I don't think Well Hungarian music is exactly what that group is used too. If you'd been playing for an Iguana type crowd you would have won for sure."

"You really think so?"

"Definitely."

"Were you surprised? I wanted to surprise you."

"I was definitely surprised. By the whole thing." Roger put him into a headlock hug, messing up his still blue hair.

"How'd you like my tattoo?" Collin beamed up at him.

"I think it's pretty cool. You've got good taste." Roger smiled at him.

Collin lightly fingered the tattoo. "Uncle Mickey had Sarah do them for us. At her job."

"I figured." Roger grinned thinking back to when Mickey and Sarah started going out and Mickey had taken a then seven year old Collin to pick her up at the tattoo, piercing and S and M shop she worked at.

"It's just like yours. She did it from a picture. She said it'll wash off in a few days." He told him sounding somewhat disappointed.

Roger couldn't get over everything Collin had gone through to do this. The music, the tattoos, calling Mickey for help. Not to mention not telling any of them. All to surprise him. Roger put an arm around his shoulder and pulled him close. "You know I love you right? Cause I do." He smiled at him.

"I know."

"And I'm real proud of you too. You're a pretty great kid."

Collin looked up at him. "Great enough that you'll let Sarah give me a real tattoo?"

Roger started laughing and gave him one more squeeze. "I don't think so."

"But you said you loooooooved me." Collin gave him his puppy dog pouty face.

"I do love you, and because I love you, I'm telling you no. Because while I love you, I fear you mother more!" He laughed as he kissed him on the forehead before letting him go and getting up, walking out of Collin's room.