-//-Chapter 3-\\-


"This better be worth my time," Race grumbled. He followed Autumn into the old house and raised his nose at the smell. A band definitely lived there.

"It is worth your time, Race. Blaze of Glory is fantastic!" Autumn grinned. She was great at promoting, which is exactly why the band had hired her to manage their music. She could make even the worst band sound as good as Aerosmith. Through her connections, Autumn had found Race – the cousin of the best friend of the sister of the manager of Bon Jovi. After much coercing, Race had agreed to hear the band play, and if he liked them, he might just use his own connections to get a demo tape to the manager of Bon Jovi.

As Autumn walked into the living room, she saw Spot with a vacuum still stuck to him, Skittery in another one of his contemplating moods, and Filly was sprawled across the recliner, holding a beer on her stomach as she belched out 'Runaway'.

"Guys!" Autumn hissed, throwing her hands up in the air. They knew she was bringing over someone to hear them play tonight. Why oh why did they have to act like this tonight?!

Filly was the first to notice new faces in the room. In an attempt to get up, she gracelessly fell out of the recliner and climbed to her feet. "Hey Auty!" Her sleepy eyes moved to the small Italian in the room and she smiled slyly. "And friend… Who's this?"

"This," Autumn accented, "is Race, remember? The wonderful man who has agreed to hear you play?" Okay so he was still rather young and not really a 'man' per se, and he was hardly wonderful, since Autumn had to do major ass kissing to get him here, but she had to butter him up, especially after the band's appearance this night.

Filly stared at her like she had never heard Autumn say this before.

Sighing, Autumn tried again. "The cousin of the best friend of the sister of the manager of Bon Jovi, remember?"

In an instant, Skittery had snapped out of his daze, Spot had pushed away his personal vacuum cleaner, and Filly was at Race's feet, about ready to kiss his shoes.

"For christ sakes, get everyone together and play for him!" Autumn shouted.

Filly and Skittery both raced towards the garage door, while Spot sauntered behind them. He was too cool to run, of course. For his talent, Race could wait. Spot turned on his heel, blew a kiss to the auburn-haired girl whom had given him such delight, and turned back to the door.

Autumn sighed. "Wait, where's…"

Ironically, just as Autumn started to ask that question, the pounding of feet could be heard upstairs, followed by laughter. No, please no… Not tonight…

Autumn caught sight of a bare brown-skinned bottom racing into a room down the hall, which was followed by a slam of the door and massive giggling. Damnit, she sighed. "Race, why don't you go get comfortable out in the garage and I'll be right out, okay?"

Rolling his eyes, Race nodded and headed for the garage. He opened the door just in time to hear Spot rambling about his singing skills. This is gonna be a long night, he thought angrily.

Autumn trudged up the stairs and down the hallway. Well, she was pleased to see that at least this time they weren't using her room to play their game.

"Bumlets! Blaze! Downstairs now! You've got someone here who wants to hear the band!" she shouted and banged her fist against the door several times. Please, don't be too drunk to play, please!

She heard a barrage of groans from inside Blaze's bedroom and frowned. "Do you want to get signed someday or not!" she screamed. "Cops and robbers can wait for later! Get down there now and play!"

As Autumn stormed down the stairs in frustration, the door to Blaze's bedroom creaked open, and two figures finally appeared. They raced down the stairs, still finding the right holes to put arms through in their 'Blaze of Glory' t-shirts, nearly toppled Autumn over in the process, and bounded through the door to the garage.

Skittery was slinging the strap of his bass guitar over his shoulder and tuning his perfectly tuned instrument. Spot was bragging, er... warming up his vocal chords. Filly was rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand trying to get the glazed look from her eyes. Not that she was stoned, but it sure looked like it.

Bumlets wiped a smudge of red lipstick from his face and turned his keyboard on, playing a few chords. Blaze pulled her shirt further down her belly and got behind her drum kit.

As Blaze bent down to get the drumsticks she had dropped, she banged her head on the drum kit. Swearing a blue streak, Blaze went silent in shock as the bass drum rolled off the kit and hit Skittery in the back of his leg, making him wobble precariously before somehow managing to right himself.

Spot shook his head disgusted, swinging his microphone around like a rock star, as Filly tried to grab the bass drum, her guitar slung behind her swung forward and crashed into the side of the drum.

Filly and Blaze shared joint concern as Blaze shouted loudly as if trying to stop the impending collusion, as Filly dropped the drum frantically assessing her guitar trying to find even the slightest scratch. Blaze, with a nasty collection of swear words directed at Filly, jumped out from behind her drum kit and checked her precious bass drum.

Bumlets came out from behind his keyboard to help Blaze and got stuck in the stomach by Spots wild microphone stand. Bumlets groaned in pain and Autumn, closed her eyes, hoping if she didn't see it, it didn't actually happen.

Blinking her eyes open a few second later, Bumlets had Spot around the scruff of the neck ready to beat him up, Skittery was watching his two friends with a docile smile on his face, and Blaze and Filly were screaming at each other about the damage to their respective instruments.

With a shudder of impending doom, Autumn let out a shrill whistle, and coughed, hoping to good the beshambled 'Blaze of Glory' would realize just what they were throwing away acting like drunken idiots in front of the cousin of the best friend of the sister of the manager of Bon Jovi.

All 5 band members stopped and stared at a furious-looking Race. Blaze coughed and realized her grip on Filly's hair. Skittery kept his contemplative gaze focused dimly on Race. Bumlets let go his grip on Spot's throat, and Spot sucked the air into his lungs, fleetingly wishing he had the same suction power as Whiskey, his fuck junkie, had moments before. Filly's eyes visible lit up indicating an idea.

"TA DA!" Filly said with a flourish, letting Blaze out of the headlock she'd been halfway through giving her.

Race raised an eyebrow, "Ta... da...?" he didn't look convinced. He wasn't exactly sure what they were trying to convince him of.

Bumlets nodded and said, "Yes, Ta Da! What did you think of our... er..." Bumlets stumbled.

Blaze came to his rescue, "WARM UP SHOW! Yeah!"

Skittery looked between his band mates and Race and then nodded, "Yes… yes..." then he looked down at his bass.

Spot looked between his band mates as well, a frown visibly appearing on his face. "What the hell..." Before he could finish Filly attacked his Steven Tyler, wannabe lips with her own - for the good of the band of course.

Autumn raised a hand to her forehead and looked away. This couldn't get any worse, could it? She sadly thought that way too much. This band just tugged at her last nerve. She was interrupted from her thoughts but Race's elbow in her side.

"Are they gonna play, or can I get out of here?" Race barked. He had important places to be and important people to meet, otherwise known as he had to go pick up his brother at Chuckie Cheese.

"No, no, they're going to play. They just needed to loosen up first," Autumn explained. "They're all set now, right guys?" she asked, hoping by this time they were set up and ready.

At this point Filly ripped her lips from Spot's, discreetly spitting out any residue Spot saliva, and returned to her guitar. Blaze had finally secured the bass drum with the help of Bumlets, and Skittery, who had been ready since the beginning, tapped his foot anxiously.

"We're ready," Spot nodded and winked at Filly. Oh yeah, he knew she wanted him too. No one could resist the Conlonator.

Blaze counted them off and soon they all began to play… different songs… They had created the first ever, Wanted, Always Keep the Bed of Roses In and Out of Love. It was… hard on the ears.

Stopping immediately, the five turned to each other, glared, and mouthed 'Bad Medicine'. Autumn had come up with this plan a long time ago when they couldn't make up their mind about what to play. Whenever they couldn't agree, they had to settle on Bad Medicine.

Again Blaze counted them off and the fun began. Spot brought out his best moves, and actually tried to concentrate on singing, instead of gyrating his hips 100% of the time. Filly skillfully added a few extra patented 'Filly Riffs' to the performance. Skittery kept his fingers in the song, but his mind was far from it, envisioning Filly cleaning Spot's teeth. Bumlets hit the right chords, even if he was still a tad bit drunk, and Blaze kept the rhythm steady as she lost herself in the song like she normally did.

"I ain't got a fever got a permanent disease
It'll take more than a doctor to prescribe a remedy
I got lots of money but it isn't what I need
Gonna take more than a shot to get this poison out of me
I got all the symptoms count 'em 1,2,3
First I need
That's what you get for falling in love
Then you bleed
You get a little but it's never enough
On your knees
That's what you get for falling in love
And now this boy's addicted cause your kiss is the drug
Your love is like bad medicine
Bad medicine is what I need
Shake it up, just like bad medicine
There ain't no doctor that can
Cure my disease
Bad, bad medicine
Bad, bad medicine
I don't need no needle
To be diving me a thrill
And I don't need no anesthesia
Or a nurse to bring a pill
I got a dirty down addition
It doesn't leave a track
I got a jone for your affection
Like a money on my back
There ain't no paramedic
Gonna save this heart attack
When you need
That's what you get for falling in love
Then you bleed
You get a little but it's never enough
On your knees
That's what you get for falling in love
Now I'm addicted and your kiss is the drug
Your love is like bad medicine
Bad medicine is what I need
Shake it up, just like bad medicine
So let's play doctor, baby
Cure my disease
Bad, bad medicine
Bad, bad medicine
I need a respirator cause I'm running out of breath
You're an all night generator wrapped is stockings and a dress
When you find your medicine you take what you can get
Cause if there's something better baby well thay haven't found it yet
Your love is like bad medicine
Bad medicine is what I need"


Autumn periodically looked over at Race, hoping for approval. At one point it did seem like he had tapped his foot – that was a big accomplishment for the Italian's normal attention span for music.

"Shake it up, just like bad medicine
There ain't no doctor that can
Cure my disease
Your love is like bad medicine
Bad medicine is what I need
Shake it up, just like bad medicine
Your love's the potion that
Can cure my disease
Bad, bad medicine
Bad, bad medicine"

As Blaze of Glory finished the song, the garage went silent, all eyes on the dark-haired figure.