hopelessly devoted12- Thanks!
Scary-Girly- Ah, the element of surprise, glad you enjoyed it.
Nanners-77- If you liked Justin Timberlake... that would be worrying.
bLuEhEaVeN79- Thankyou!
wyverna- Mcfly are almost as bad as busted. Tsk tsk. Thanks for the review!
SarahLou- Well here it is!
Mark of CTown- Hope you had a good holiday. Thanks!
BlackSouledButterfly- A new reviewer! Thankyou!
Swimmerkitti- Ack, not the pressure again. Please don't be disappointed.
mellowyellow36- Yep, started school last monday. Year 10, aaah! Thanks for the review.
FreddysGirl01 - I'm actually from England, ie I live here and everything. I just felt a bit out of it because the film is American and so are lots of the authors here, that's all.
t dot chick- Thanks!
kay345- Thanks for reading!
This is an especially long chapter, for all those who kept asking for more. Specifically, Freddy'sGirl01, Hermione Radcliffe Go Michael and Nanners-77.
Chapter 8: - It's that time of year again
There were photos and tickets stubs stuck in over the next pages: Battle of the Bands.
FLASHBACK
'We have to be there in half an hour! Where's Freddy?' Summer asked Katie and Zack. They were sitting in Ned's car outside the school. 'What was his last lesson?'
'World Cultures.' Katie replied. 'That doesn't explain why he's late.'
'Um, yeah it does. We had an essay due today. On our idols of the 21st century. He probably gave a doss one in.' Zack said.
Just then, Freddy ran out of the main door.
'Ok, I'm here. Let's go!' He got in the car.
'What did you try?' Katie asked.
'What do you mean?' he looked innocent.
'What was your essay, man?' Zack asked.
'Oh. That.' Freddy made a face. 'David Geffen.'
They were all shocked. It was a surprisingly sensible topic. But it was still Freddy.
'What was wrong with it?' Katie said warily.
'Nothing! I'm offended. I just fell asleep in class.' Freddy answered.
'How can it be so hot in here when it's like one degree outside?' Zack flopped on a sofa as soon as he walked in.
'Boilers must be stuck. It's almost as cold out as the winter of '62,' Freddy commented, rolling up his sleeves. 'Katie got her tongue stuck to a lamppost after we told her to lick it. Good times.'
'Whatever, man.' Katie grabbed his drumsticks and was about to hit him round the head, but-
'Too hot.' She let her arm drop.
'To hit me?' Freddy took his sticks back.
'No, to be chased by you all round backstage.'
They both sat down and leant against the wall, listening to Billy have a nervous breakdown.
'What do I do, Summer? What can I do?' he asked her. 'I'm the stylist! I can't let this happen. No way. We have to do something. They can't go on in their other outfits. They'll sweat and - oh no! They'll ruin my outifts. But how can I make what they're wearing work? I'm no magician. What if they go on and everyone laughs at their clothes?'
Freddy got up and poured his a can of Coke on Billy's head. Billy screeched,
'No! My Armani!' then chased Freddy round the dressing rooms, slapping him when he could, Freddy screaming at intervals. Summer clenched her fists and ordered Michelle, Eleni and Billy to sort through the other costumes and look at what the band could wear. Billy meekly stopped chasing Freddy and started lining the band up to try on outfits.
They ended up in an assortment of mock school clothes and their own clothes. Zack fared the worst out of them all, with a girl's blouse and shorts on. And his Slash-like hat. They'd run out of boys' shirts that fit.
'It'll have to do,' said Summer, after she had stopped hyperventilating. 'Billy, did you inhale my stain remover or something? These aren't up to your usual standards.'
Billy hung his head and Summer carried on.
'Now, guys, gather round. Right, for several reasons, such as an absent member three years ago, how was the Maggot Death reunion tour anyway, Dewey?'
Dewey held his palm flat out towards her, in the classic 'talk to the hand',
'- our drummer and bassist being charged for arson and our new costumes being burnt, in two apparently unconnected incidents year before last- ' Freddy and Katie high-fived ignoring disgusted looks from Billy, who muttered,
'Not all of those boots were imitation leather. And the capes were glam rock.'
'Spandex.' corrected Katie.
Summer continued over their squabbling.
' -and Zack being mobbed by girls last year,' she squinted at him, 'although I still don't see why that stopped us.'
'He was in hospital, Summer.' Ned reminded her.
'Well, anyway, this year is only our second Battle of the Bands. Now we may not get into Harvard if we win,' everyone mocked her, pretending to be devastated.
'Ha ha. But we may win $20,000, which has got to count for something!' They cheered.
'Now good luck guys!' a backstage manager appeared and ushered the band on. Summer clutched her clipboard anxiously. They were top of the bill, so last on, and she'd already taken three times the amount of aspirin allowed for someone her size.
They went onstage, unsure if the audience was going to laugh or throw stuff at them, and after Dewey introduced them, they began playing. It was another of Zack's songs, and Katie remembered it as being the best out of his collection. She also played her first solo in a concert, which she thought was great, although it was somewhat marred by a girlish scream from backstage. It appeared that Billy had realised coke doesn't come out of silk. Dewey pulled his blazer off near the end, and threw it in the crowd where Miss Mullins caught it and fainted. As soon as they'd played the last chords, they ran off the stage.
'How was it?' Summer asked.
'Um, everyone was standing at the end!' Zack said cheerily.
'Really? Excellent.' Summer sighed in relief.
'Are you gonna tell her it was standing room only?' Freddy whispered.
'No!' Zack exclaimed.
Just then they heard the voice of the head judge. They all stood in a circle and crossed their fingers.
'The winners of this year's Battle of the Bands $10,000 prize, are: Norfolk and Chance!' A bunch of guys who Katie had seen smoking backstage went back on to collect a big cardboard cheque. One person in the audience clapped. Then they heard a punching niose and the clapping stopped.
School of Rock were silent.
'Damn,' said Dewey. 'We forgot to pray to the God of rock.'
'I did.' Freddy said.
The judge cleared his throat.
'And the winners of the $30,000 prize are The School of Rock!'
'What?!' Zack and others of the band cried out.
'They must have changed the prizes! Let's get on stage guys!' Dewey yelled.
They all ran on, Leonard and Alicia taking a moment to freestyle in the middle of the stage while Frankie cheered them on.
'We especially liked their inventive outfits,' laughed the judge, handing them the cheque.
Billy flushed pink as the others pushed him forward and he curtsied, trying to hide the coke stain with a french-manicured hand.
'Um, I'd just like to say a few words' Dewey stepped up to the mike.
'Oh no,' Freddy tried to grab the microphone away from him, failing spectacularly and falling over a speaker at the end of the stage and almost knocking out Zack's father.
Dewey cleared his throat.
'First off, I'd like to thank the judges. You picked the right band.'
Half an hour later, the kids were sitting on the edges of the stage as Dewey thanked every member of his immediate and extended family. He was even getting a little emotional.
'These aren't the flipping Oscars.' whispered Katie disgustedly.
'I tried to stop him.' Freddy sighed.
'How'd you know he was going to do it?' Zack muttered to Freddy.
'I saw the paper on the windowsill.' He replied.
'That was his speech?' Zack gasped. 'I thought it was his Christmas list again.'
'No, that's been mailed already. It looks like I only saw the Cliffs notes anyway. There should be at least another forty minutes or so.'
Suddenly, Summer caught sight of security guards at the edges of the curtains. She whispered something quickly to Zack. He grinned and whispered to Freddy, who whispered to Katie and so on. They all got up and started moving to their rock positions.
'And my Auntie Jean. She wasn't really my auntie, more of a neighbour, but we called her that- '
Zack started with the opening notes of 'In the end of time', which he played again and again.
Dewey turned around, shocked.
Summer put her hands together and gave him a pleading face. He shook his head. Simultaneously, the whole band and crew put their hands together and gave him pleading looks, except for Zack, who whispered, 'Come on, man!' while playing the notes.
'Fine.' Dewey scowled. 'But you guys owe me big time.'
'In the end of time...'
Katie grinned as she did her bass part. Who cared if bass players never smiled? Winners of Battle of the Bands never made speeches, but that hadn't stopped Dewey.
END FLASHBACK
Ok, say the name of the runner-up band really quickly. Hehehe!Ukgirl:)