Disclaimer: All characters property of Hasbro/ Sony Wonder.
"I'm sorry I won't be by your side tonight, Jerrica," Rio was saying, "but you know I'll be supporting you and Jem all the way from behind the soundboard." I tried not to let too much dissapointment show as I sighed into the phone.
How convenient for him, I thought. I should have known.
"That's all right, Rio." I replied, watching Christie try to hem Aja and Kimber's dresses in the dining room. Craig and Sean looked on from the table, already decked out in their tuxes. "I'll just meet you after the show at Howard Sands' party."
He chuckled. "Wait til you see his mansion, it's out of this world." Rio paused. "Be sure to save the first dance for me, okay?" He intoned tenderly. My hard feelings melted just a little, and I smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
One glance at the kitchen wall clock told me I should be getting ready instead of sitting here, getting all romantic. I bid Rio an affectionate goodbye before dashing off to my office, breezing through the holographic wall to greet my closest friend.
"You are looking forward to tonight's proceedings, I assume, Jerrica?" Synergy inquired in her warm monotone.
"Well, Rio is working behind the scenes for VTV tonight, so I won't have him for a date." I mused. "But it doesn't matter. I feel like I've been waiting my whole life for tonight, and now it's finally happening! Being officially recognized by our peers in the industry," I sighed with passion, "It's just a dream come true."
Synergy's lips turned upwards slightly in her digital version of a smile. "It was your father's dream for you as well. He would be very proud of you, as would your mother."
An invisible hand clenched around my heart at her mention of my parents, but I forced myself to recover before any tears could form. "Showtime, Synergy!" I told her hastily, gently touching my earring.
"As you wish, Jerrica." She replied, the familiar glow enveloping me with the slightest nod of her head. I looked down at Shana's fabulous silver evening gown, flared at the hem with irridescent pink, and felt an instant flush of happiness.
"Oh, you're the best, Synergy!" I cried, patting her screen lovingly. "Good luck, Jerrica!" Her metallic voice called out after me as I hurried out of the room.
Everyone's head turned to look at me as I emerged from the hallway. "How do I look?" I asked, stepping into the living room and striking a pose. "You look awesome, Jem." Ashley said, making me blush. "All of you do." Christie added, her eyes glowing with wonder.
"You're so sweet, you guys." Kimber gushed, hugging both girls tight. They giggled and tried to wrestle out from under her. We laughed.
"Guys, it's getting late," Aja remarked, glancing at her watch. "Our limo should be here any minute." No sooner did she speak the words than the doorbell rang. Mrs. Bailey answered it and called to let us know our ride had indeed arrived. We all looked at each other, delirious with excitement.
"What are we waiting for, let's go!" I exclaimed. The five of us erupted into a chorus of elated shouts and squeals, filing out of the mansion as elegantly as possible. While Craig held the door open for us, Sean paused outside the slick elongated vehicle, opening the car door with one suave movement. All of us, especially Kimber, swooned as we carefully slid inside.
Mrs. Bailey and the girls all waved from the front step as we pulled away. We waved back and settled into our seats.
"This is outrageous!" Kimber raved, checking her makeup for the umpteenth time in her compact. "The biggest night in music, at the best venue in the city, the Hollywood Palladium! I can't wait." Sean grinned at her. "You'll be great, luv, I just know it."
"Do you think we'll actually win something?" Raya mused happily, her brown eyes sparkling. I laughed and shrugged. "I don't think it matters if we do or not." I looked out the window at the majestic palms towering over the boulevard. "As long as we have a good time."
"Amen to that," Shana remarked, crossing her legs. "This is going to be the best night of our lives."
Aja nodded, smiling from ear to ear as Craig wrapped his arm around her. "And our closing performance is going to blow everyone out of the water. Kimber, how did you ever get Jetta to agree to appear with us on our single?" She asked.
"Stormer convinced her to do it. She's going to record a solo for us, too, so it can be on the final cut." Kimber replied, examining her finely manicured nails. "Rio's already had all the tracks in mixdown. He says it should be ready in a month or so."
I flinched inside at the mention of Rio's name, missing him deeply already. I drifted out of the conversation at that point, watching as the city seemed to spring up all around us. Craig reached up to open the moonroof, letting in the sweet rain scented night air. Closing my eyes, I breathed it in deeply.
I felt the car slow down as the traffic thickened. "Look!" Raya exclaimed, pointing upwards. Huge spiraling beams of light danced in the night sky, heralding the close proximity of the Palladium. Kimber squealed, bouncing almost childlike in her seat. "Outrageous! We're almost there!"
My spirits soared, dizzy with anticipation. Kimber and Raya grinned at each other with eyes alight and suddenly stood up, pushing themselves through the moonroof. All of us couldn't help but laugh as they hollered to passers-by like inebriated cheerleaders.
"You guys, get down from there!" Aja laughed incredulously, tugging at the fringe of their dresses. Shana slapped her hand away and frowned at her. "Hey, hands off, woman! I worked way too hard on those for you to just tear 'em off!" She admonished, trying to suppress a smile. I laughed even harder and decided to join Kimber and Raya, inching myself between the two of them.
"Hey, sis!" Kimber crowed as she waved to a startled group of onlookers. "Check out the view!" Raya added brightly, staring up at the twinkling skyscrapers. Loving the feel of the wind rippling through my long pink locks, I gazed up into the swirling metropolis above me. Butterflies took flight in my stomach as I realized the Palladium was but a few yards away.
"Quick, you guys, get down!" I ordered, and all three of us plunked back down inside again, giggling like fools. Aja and Shana were still laughing. Craig and Sean just looked at each other with expressions of bewilderment.
"You're all out of your minds, you know that?" Sean remarked dryly, not without a trace of amusement. Kimber let out a peal of laughter and crumpled face first into his lap. Her head perked up and she looked at him with big blue eyes. "You know you love us anyway." She said with a grin, and he grinned back. "Especially you." Sean replied, planting a light kiss on the tip of her nose.
The anticipation was killing us as our limousine pulled up to the front of the majestic building. It thrilled me to see our name at the top of the neon marquis, right underneath VTV's. Mammoth spotlights swayed back and forth, flashing blinding light over the crowd. Reporters, cameramen, and fans lined either side of the velvet rope, clamoring for a soundbite or photo. "Wow," I breathed, taking in the spectacle.
Aja giggled nervously. "Are we ready to rock or what?" I turned to grin at my beloved bandmates. "Anytime you are." I said. Craig leaned over to open the door.
Excited screams greeted us as we stepped one by one onto the red carpet. Instantly, flashbulbs glittered all around me, and I beamed, waving enthusiastically to fans and papparazzi alike. Encouraged, the cluster of photographers begged for a photo op. Smiling, I obliged them and struck a pose.
As the first flashbulb burst, something out of the corner of my eye grabbed my attention. I could have sworn I spotted Zipper's sinister black van, lurking in the shadows of an adjacent alley.
"Come on, Jem, let's go inside!" Kimber was saying, her voice bright and enthusiastic. She saw the look on my face and started to frown. "What's wrong?"
I pointed to the alley. "Did you see that van parked over there?"
Kimber squinted, peering into the distance. "I don't see anything but a mass of people, Jem. Are you feeling okay?" I stared at the alley, still shaken, and sighed in resignation. "Never mind. It was probably just my imagination."
Two hulking security guards appeared by our sides, offering to escort us inside. Feeling safer from their presence, I nodded and allowed the men to lead us through the packed arena.
"You all arrived just in time," the first guard told us as he ushered us into our seats. "The show's just about to start." I let everyone else find their seats before choosing mine between Kimber and Aja. "Thank you," I called back to the men as they dissappeared into the crowd.
"Third row center!" Kimber exclaimed to me as I sat down. "Can you believe it?"
The house lights suddenly went dark, interrupting our spat with a scalding blast of guitar from the main stage. The curtain flew up to reveal five strangely familiar, lanky, long haired young men who launched into a surprisingly tight rock song.
"Are those the Limp Lizards!" I shouted to Kimber over the noise. She nodded, as incredulous as I was. "Yeah, that's them all right! How did they get so good all of a sudden?"
The lead singer howled, bashing out a churning riff on his beat up Fender while the band pounded away behind him. Up front in the dance pit, the kids were bouncing wildly to the music, screaming and dancing.
"I don't know, but whatever they tried, it worked!" Aja remarked, her head nodding to the beat.
While the Lizards played, LinZ Pierce emerged from a trap door in the floor, illuminated by hundreds of blazing footlights. She laughed as the crowd screamed for her. "Welcome, gals and pals, to the show of a lifetime!"
The Lizards' song crashed to a clumsy halt, leaving stunned and uproarious applause in it's wake. LinZ waited with a carefully trained Hollywood smile for the cheering to die down before speaking again. "Welcome, everyone, to the annual VTV Music Awards! Let's start handing out some trophies, whaddaya say?"
The crowd erupted in excitement, and I felt a surge of adrenaline. Kimber clasped my hand tightly and made a keening sound. "Ooh, here we go!" I gave her a smile, amused at her boundless enthusiasm, and settled in to watch the show.
"Thank you. I'm humbled," Riot gloated, basking godlike in the deafening adoration of his female fans. Rapture and Minx posed mutely on either side of him, pouting seductively for the camera. "We have worked hard for this honor," he continued, holding the golden trinket aloft. "Now it is our time to shine!" More screaming ensued.
"He sure doesn't sound humbled." Sean noted dryly, making me giggle.
"Well, they are exceptional musicians, especially Riot." I countered with a smile. "But that doesn't necessarily make them nice people."
Kimber scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Sure. That's why you went to all that trouble trying to fix his family drama, because Riot can play a few chords in succession without stumbling. That makes sense." I glared at her.
"Oh, great. Here comes trouble." Aja groaned, slumping down in her seat. I watched warily as all three Stingers, fresh from winning Best New Artist, strutted victoriously up our aisle to the rhythm of their winning song.
Riot bestowed a charming lethario grin in my direction as he passed my seat. "My lovely," he addressed me, setting my teeth on edge. "Congratulations, Riot." I commented politely, already wanting to eat the words I'd just said to Sean. His two willowy appendages scowled at us before stalking away.
Sighing with relief when they were finally gone, I leaned over to Aja. "You know, despite the few times he's shown actual kindness, I still don't know what I ever saw in him." Aja snickered. "Me neither," she replied dryly. Kimber shushed us as Roland Owens and Flint Westwood stepped onstage.
"We're here to present the award for Best Pop Performance," Flint enunciated, tediously reading from the teleprompter. We waited in suspense as each nominee's name was announced. "And the winner is.." Roland slowly pried open the envelope as Flint peeked at the result. "Jem and the Holograms, for 'Love's Not Easy'!"
My jaw dropped open and all five of us leaped up, hugging and shouting before giddily making our way up to the podium. "Oh my gosh," I gushed as the audience screamed in response. "I don't know what to say..this is such an honor."
In a blur, profusely we thanked everyone we could possibly think of, including Joanie, the Starlight Girls, Mrs. Bailey and our fans. I spotted Rio way in the back of the theater, behind his beloved soundboard, and waved to him. He waved back.
"I'd also like to thanks Rio Pocheco for being an incredible tour manager and a wonderful man. We could never do this without you, Rio." I added, knowing he was smiling at me warmly. Kimber grabbed the mic and yelled, "love you, Mom and Daddy!" before Video hastily beckoned us offstage.
"I can't believe this!" I gushed, staring at my shiny gramophone in awe. Kimber squealed and threw her arms around me. Fighting back happy tears, I hugged her back as Shana, Aja and Raya joined in the embrace. Video looked on with a smile.
"Congratulations, you guys. Nobody deserves it more than you," She said brightly.
Just then, the stage darkened and women all over the arena started screaming as they recognized the unmistakable silouette of Riot. Lena Lerner stood off to the side, clutching her microphone and smiling as the screams grow louder. She laughs, shrugging affably to the camera. "Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, tonight's Best New Artists - The Stingers!"
Various mystic symbols appeared on the video screens as dry ice vapor wafted in the air. Minx's clear chiming melody floated through the stacks of Marshall amps as Rapture's bass undulated underneath it. Suddenly the song burst to life as pyrotechnics ignited from under the stage. Deftly manuevering through the controlled fire, Riot stepped up to the mic, singing in a deep raspy tone.
The air vibrated as he struck a deep, heavy note. His dark eyes met mine and seemed to look right through me. The music chugged along, spurred on by Rapture's haunting vocals.
"Want to stay another way..." She moaned, the song building behind her voice. That imaginary fist seemed to grasp my heart again as she sang the strangely affecting chorus.
I stood frozen in my tracks, enraptured by the music, until a sharp nudge from Aja jarred me back to reality.
"Hello, Earth to Jem! I thought you didn't know what you saw in him." She remarked, one thin blue eyebrow lifted sardonically. I groaned, tightly shutting my eyes.
"No, it's not that. Their song, it's beautiful, that's all." I explained, her face showing obvious displeasure.
Sighing, I threw my hands up apologetically. "I can't help it if I relate to the lyrics, Aja."
Her stern look softened slightly. "Yeah, well, it should be a criminal offense, with crap like that." Aja replied, following the others into the hallway. With one last glance over my shoulder at the Stingers' impressive spectacle, I joined them.
Pizzazz
"God, we are so late!" Roxy complained as our limo bumped up against the curb. "Fashionably late," I chirped, scrunching my stiff green locks a final time before climbing out of the long black vehicle. I knew she and Stormer were exchanging that "it's her fault and she knows it" look behind my back, but did I care?
"Hell, no!" I grinned to myself, basking in the adulation of all our fans. Some of them were even holding up signs, proclaiming their love for us. "Hi, kiddies!" I cried, waving with enthusiasm. They screamed and pushed against the harried security officers trying to hold them back.
I waited as Stormer stepped onto the red carpet, then Roxy and Jetta. Clash peeked her head out, obviously not used to the whole being seen in public thing. "Come on, sweetie," I called out in a syrupy voice. "The drums aren't just going to play themselves, you know."
"Bite me, Pizzazz." She retorted, coming out from the safety of the limousine into the glare of the media.
One particular clamoring news flunkie sounded so pathetic, he actually caught my attention. Feeling exceptionally forgiving tonight, I sidled up to the poor jerk.
"Okay, sweetie, you want a story?" I cooed, running a finger along his skinny new wave tie, then grasping it in a choke hold. "Here's your story. The Misfits are back with a brand new sound and a fresh new attitude, and this time, nobody's gettin' in our way. Nobody, you dig!"
The man's jaw dropped and he stammered, nodding vehemently. "Good," I snarled, tossing him back into the seething mass of people. As I strutted on down the carpet, Stormer ran up to me.
"Pizzazz, you didn't tell them anything about Clash, or how we financed the record, or even that we're playing the new single for the first time live on stage! You didn't do anything but threaten that poor man!" She exclaimed, her husky voice squeaking in disbelief.
"So?" I replied casually over my shoulder. "Nobody cares about all that. I told them all they need to know." Stormer sighed exasperatedly, walking faster to keep up with me.
"But you didn't even tell them the album's name!" She protested, her hands fluttering like birds. Rolling my eyes, I stopped and whirled around to face her. "Look, quit bitching about it, will ya? I'm telling you, everything's under control. You gotta learn to trust me more, Stormer." She scowled silently, trailing behind as the rest of us stumbled past security.
"Where the hell have you been?" An irate Video demanded when we entered, wielding her clipboard as a sign of utter self-importance. "Hey, calm your piehole, Viv!" Clash replied in her usual snarky tone. "We're here now, aren't we?"
I suppressed a snicker as Video's face turned crimson with anger. Her eyes flashed at me. "You let her into your band? You can't be serious." I shrugged. "Why not? I took pity on the poor thing. Nobody deserves it more than her." Clash scoffed at me. "More like the other way around, Phyllis."
My eyes narrowed, fixing her with the dirtiest look I could muster. Video groaned, throwing the clipboard up in exasperation. "Whatever, nobody cares! You see the Stingers up there on stage? Do you?" She asked, sounding like someone speaking to a toddler. "Yeah, and unfortunately, we can hear 'em, too." Roxy quipped, folding her arms over her chest.
"Listen, the second they're done, the stagehands are putting up your set, so you'd better get a move on before I find someone to replace you!" Video threatened. I laughed.
"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it, Viv. We'll be ready." I replied sweetly, one hand cocked on my hip. Video rolled her eyes skyward.
"Fine. Good. Make sure that you are." She retorted hastily, running off to harass Luna Dark, who had just strolled in with her formidable entourage in tow. Rock's latest pop tart shot an icy glare in our direction as she passed us by, turning up her nose in disdain. Roxy snorted.
"Someone's sure holding a grudge," She sneered. Jetta and Clash looked perplexed as Stormer and I cracked up at the memory.
"Ah, the hell with her." I said, waving my hand dismissively. "C'mon, let's go tune up."
By the time the five of us finally wriggled into our stage costumes, Video was banging on our door, hollering that there was only one minute to showtime.
"Keep your pants on, will ya, Montgomery? Jesus." I told her haughtily, grabbing my guitar on my way to the stage. "Yeah, yank, didn't we tell you we'd be ready?" Jetta added as she followed me. Video glowered at her, then thankfully dissappeared into a nearby corridor.
Everyone could feel the electricity in the air as we took the stage as a quintet for the first time. Slinging the guitar over my shoulder, I made eye contact with Roxy, Stormer and Jetta before locking eyes with Clash. She nodded, and I returned the nod in silent acknowledgement.
"On my mark," I whispered to the others. "We'll show them." They stood ready.
We listened as Stormer's brother's band gave us a flowery intro, going on about some crap or another. Screw it, I thought. "1,2,3,4!" I shouted into the mike, the other Misfits launching into song behind me.
"Yeah.." I whispered into the mike, leering at the audience. They squealed and waved, clapping their hands dutifully to the dirty rhythm. Jetta's bass kicked in with Clash's drums, and I grabbed the microphone fearlessly.
Stormer and Roxy grinned at me, playing their guitars with newfound zeal. Roxy chimed in with her background vocal, ready to shift into the second verse. Burning with purpose now, I propped one heel on the speaker in front of me, nearly spitting my lyrics out in defiance.
Spotting Riot in the second row, I fixed him with a steely glare. "You're an idiot.." I sneered, my wrist chopping out the rhythm. Roxy echoed the line as I stared directly into the camera, pretending it was Eric. "And I hate your guts!"
Drawing the last note out, I slung my guitar to the side and grasped the mic stand in a chokehold, repeating the word as the song built into a rough, noisy finish. The crowd roared and jumped to it's feet. I closed my eyes and smiled, basking eagerly in the adulation.
"Thank you!" I shouted, flipping the camera off before the stage lights cut out. Screaming and laughing, the five of us ran offstage, giddy from the release.
"We did it!" Roxy crowed, practically bouncing on her high heels. "We proved everyone wrong!" Stormer added, and the five of us erupted into girly shrieks, crushing each other in a huge group hug.
"Clash, I gotta hand it to ya." I panted, blotting perspiration from my body with a towel. "You were blowing minds out there." Her face reddened and she smirked, turning away. "Yeah, well, thanks. Don't make a big thing of it." Our eyes met for an uncomfortable moment.
"Shush, listen! They're going to announce the award for Best Rock Performance!" Jetta exclaimed, and we all stopped in our tracks to pay attention.
Eric
"Don't worry, boss, everythin's goin' according to plan." Zipper assured me, his voice crackling through the walkie-talkie. My lips tightened into a firm white line, watching as my former cash cows made a cacophony on the television.
"You have your men keeping a close eye on the Holograms?" I inquired icily. He laughed, an abrasive sound that made my jaw clench in irritation.
"They escorted the girls inside personally," Zipper replied, clearly proud of himself for coming up with the idea. "Good." I snapped, looming over a harried Techrat, who was putting the last touches on his most important creation. He glared at me as I continued to watch.
"Do you mind? I don't work well under pressure," Techrat hissed, typing a code into the device. "You're not going to work at all if you don't shut up and do your job," I shot back, nervously checking my watch. "Are you absolutely certain that modulator is fixed on Jerrica's signal?"
Techrat made an affirmative sound. "It's now electronically tracking her wherever she goes. All we do now is wait for the Holograms to take the stage."
I started pacing back and forth, my shoes making dull sounds on the concrete floor. "And how long until that happens?"
He thrust a packet into my hand. "I took the liberty of snatching a few pages from Vivian Montgomery's itinerary when she left her clipboard unattended. It has all the information you need."
Scanning the papers thoughtfully, my face fell as I realized Jerrica and her sniveling whores were going on last. "And Jetta's going to perform with them as a 'public declaration of the rival bands' newfound truce'. Nauseating." I muttered, tossing the papers aside.
On the TV, yet another award was pawned off to another talentless hack, the crowd predictably squalling in worship. My attention was aroused, though, at the mention of the Misfits.
I watched in silent resentment as the four women - or five now, I noted with distaste - bounded back onstage to accept the award for Best Rock Performance. Pizzazz leaned casually on the podium with one hand on her award, grinning stupidly as the applause slowly died down.
"I'd like to dedicate this hard earned piece of tin," She began, casting a knowing look at her bandmates, "to one very special former manager, without whom we would have gotten this award a hell of a lot sooner; may his cojones roast in hell!" Pizzazz crowed, holding the object triumphantly in the air. The other Misfits burst out laughing, as did the audience. With that, they strutted backstage and out of sight.
The laughter continued, singed my nerves. Ice formed in my veins as my former love's cutting remarks echoed in my head, growing louder with every repitition. "I'll show that bitch." I growled roughly, Techrat casting a suspicious look in my direction. "I'll show all of them."
"Be ready for my signal, Techrat. Wait a few beats after Jetta's solo, then flip that switch, understand?" I snapped curtly. "Affirmative," Techrat sighs, readying his device for utter devastation.
On the television, LinZ's tiny form emerged again to announce a commercial break. "Don't touch that dial, gals and pals - more music and magic on the way from VTV!"
Kimber
The audience erupted in laughter at Pizzazz's off-color remarks about Eric, and we did too. At least she was using her mean streak positively for a change. Jem had tears in her eyes, she was laughing so hard. "I have to say, that was a priceless acceptance speech," she said, still giggling.
Raya chuckled. "Well, for once, they deserve to win," She said. "Their set was amazing!"
"I'll say. I never heard them sound so tight before." Aja remarked, shaking her head.
Our attention returned to the stage as Countess Du Voison and Liz Stratton warily took their places next to each other at the podium. Obviously, neither woman was very fond of the other, and they read off their lines from the teleprompter with calm, barely controlled voices.
"We're here to present the last award of the night; the coveted title of Album Of the Year." Liz said, glancing at the Countess. The blond woman smirked at Liz before giving a dazzling smile to the camera. "And the nominees are..." Countess cooed, looking up at the huge video screen.
All five of us exchanged hopeful glances, waiting with baited breath as the other bands' video snippets rolled by. My heart warmed at the shrieking response when the Countess announced our names. Jem reached over and gripped my hand as Ms. Stratton sliced open the envelope with a long pink talon.
"And the award goes to..." Liz paused for dramatic effect. "...Jem and the Holograms, for 'Glitter and Gold'!" Countess Du Voison cheered unabashedly, clapping her hands as the audience applauded wildly.
I immediately leapt from my seat, clapping a hand over my mouth to contain my shocked cry. Aja, Shana and Raya all jumped up and crushed each other in an exuberant group hug. "You did it!" Sean shouted before bending me backwards in a celebratory kiss. Jem remained firmly in her seat, her jaw practically on the floor. She stared incredulously at me.
"Come on!" I cried, pulling her up from her seat and dragging her down the aisle. The other girls followed close behind, still cheering as the PA system blared our winning song. For the second time that night, the five of us crowded giddily around the podium, gushing our thank-you's like nervous schoolgirls.
"I don't know what to say!" Jem cried, gazing at the little gramophone in utter disbelief. "This is the greatest honor any artist could ask for. Thank you so much to everyone who helped us get to this point." The Palladium fell quiet as tears welled in my sister's eyes. I laid a hand on her shoulder.
"There are two people that I'd like to accept this in honor of." She continued, keeping her voice steady. "This is for Emmett Benton, the genius who founded Starlight Music, and for Jacqui Benton, it's first star." Jem paused, glancing towards the ceiling. "They helped all of us find our voice."
The audience applauded with approval and respect. Relieved that she hadn't revealed anything incriminating, we shouted a few more "thank you"s before being gently ushered off to our dressing room.
"Hurry up, Kimber, we're on in thirty seconds!" Raya hissed, snatching her drumsticks before running after the other Holograms. "Hold your horses, I'm coming!" I retorted, making sure my skirt was firmly in place, and hurried after them.
Quietly, we took our places in the dark behind the curtain. "Okay, Jetta's down in the 'manhole' and waiting for your cue, Kimber." Video said, referring to the trapdoor on Jem's right. I nodded. "Danse already ran you through the choreography, right?" She asked, and we all replied in the affirmative. Video gave us a curt nod before dashing to the far right of the stage.
All five of us waited in poised silence, listening with bated breath to LinZ's introduction. The crowd started to scream in anticipation, and I looked at Jem. She was clearly nervous, but smiling. I grinned back at her, psyched to debut our new song.
"Ready?" I asked my bandmates, my fingers hovering over the keys. "Let's rock 'em!" Jem exclaimed.
"And now, closing out the night with their 'outrageous' brand new single, it's the band you've been waiting for, gals and pals, give it up for JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS!" LinZ hollered, and the audience erupted into shrieks.
Aja strummed the opening chords simultaneously with the opening of the curtain. The lights shone down as I slid one finger down the keys before striking a long note. Raya started to beat out the rhythm. Illuminated by one pink spotlight, Jem stood elegantly in place, eyes closed, waiting for her cue. I played the lead-in note and she came to life.
I could tell she was loosening up and getting into the performance as the first verse exploded into the chorus. The crowd ate it up, staring up at her lovingly as she sang to someone in the back. Out of the corner of my eye, I realized she was focused on the man behind the soundboard, Rio. Shana and I glanced at each other knowingly as we merged into the second verse.
On Shana's cue, Jem pointed to where Jetta suddenly emerged from a trapdoor in the floor, wailing out a fierce solo on her sax. The crowd went nuts and we all felt a little thrill of newfound comradery. We rocked along with her until she hit a high note and the beat dropped back.
I kept a close eye on Jem as she cooed the next few lines. The music crept menacingly behind her voice, creating a tense backdrop for her angst-ridden lyrics.
"I've waited too long..." She drew a breath and wailed, "and now you've slipped ooooouuuut!"
Just as I played my accompanying key line, the whole world suddenly fell apart. I gaped in horror as Synergy's signal cut out and my sister was instantly outed as Jerrica, for the whole world to see. On the side of the stage, Video's jaw dropped open. Blood drained from Jerrica's face as she made the terrible realization. Raya kept hitting the beat mechanically, unable to do anything but. The rest of us kept playing until blessedly, the signal resumed and she was Jem again.
Amazingly, the audience barely reacted, probably thinking it was just part of the show. My sister stood frozen for a moment, as if she hadn't quite realized what had happened. Clearly terrified, her eyes met mine as I went through the motions. Helplessly, I returned her terrified look and motioned for her to keep going.
As if to encourage her, Jetta cut in with some catchy improvised notes. Jem shook herself out of it and continued to sing. We finished the song with a flourish, trying to pretend, to the audience at least, that nothing had happened. They applauded wildly anyway as Jem stood mutely. Aja thanked the crowd for her as the curtain finally came back down again.
Security huddled around us as soon as we stepped off the platform, ushering us past the throngs of shocked and curious onlookers. I held on to Jem's hand as we filed through the hallway in a dead silence.
One of the guards opened the door to our dressing room and shut it behind us. Aja and I caught Jem as her legs gave out. Raya brought her a chair and the rest of us helped her into it. She stared at all of us in a state of shock.
"What happened?" She asked quietly in a trembling voice. We all looked at each other helplessly, not knowing what to say. I spoke up first. "I don't know, sis, but somehow Synergy's signal malfunctioned, just for a few seconds."
Her face turned ashen white and she moaned as if she were going to be sick. "Oh God. Everyone saw. Everyone watched the whole thing. Even Jetta, the other Misfits, the Stingers...oh no." Jem's voice faltered. "Rio. I was singing directly to Rio." Her eyes flickered over us. "Surely he must have..."
Aja grabbed her tightly by the hand. "Jerrica, it's okay. Everything's going to be fine. Do you hear me? Don't panic, we'll work it out. We don't even know for sure just what happened yet." Distantly I realized that Aja had addressed her by her real name, as if to unofficially declare a state of emergency.
Outside the door, there was a loud scuffle followed by the guard telling someone to get back. We could hear Rio arguing with him, telling the guard he had to talk to Jem. My heart dropped down into my stomach. Couldn't he have waited until we had calmed her down?
Aja cursed under her breath. Jem immediately stood up and headed for the door. I reached out to grab her arm. "Jerrica, no! Don't go out there!" I pleaded. She shook her head vehemently and pushed her way out into the hallway, knocking Rio and the guard aside.
Briefly startled, Rio recovered quickly and cried Jem's name. She ignored him and fled into the crush of people, security close at her heels. He started to follow her, but thanks to the four of us he didn't go far. Aja stared him down crossly.
"Jem needs a moment alone, Rio. You'll just have to respect that." She stated. Rio glared at her. "Don't bullshit me, Aja. I don't know what I think I saw, but I have to get to the bottom of it."
"Not right now, you don't." Raya replied, folding her arms. Just then, Craig and Sean caught up with him. "Come on, Rio, let's go for a walk." Craig told him firmly. Very reluctantly, Rio allowed himself to be escorted away.
"Tell Jem I'll see her at Sands' party," he called to us. "Make sure she's okay?" Shana dryly assured him that we'd relay the message.
My mind reeled as I tried to wrap it around what had taken place. Jerrica's words echoed in my head and all of a sudden, I knew who had done this. Red flashed in my eyes as the sting of betrayal reverberated through my body.
Everyone watched the whole thing. Even Jetta, the other Misfits...
I growled and launched myself in the direction of the Misfits' dressing room before the others could catch up. Without warning, I flung the door open and stomped inside, much to their surprise. Sure enough, Jetta was in the middle of telling them all about what happened.
"How could you!" I shouted, glaring at each woman with fire in my eyes. Stormer looked particularly startled. "How could you betray our trust like that?" I asked her, ignoring the horrified look on her face. "Well, I hope you're all satisfied, you've finally done it. Are you happy now that you've ruined Jem's life!"
While the others stared at me, Pizzazz leapt up from her perch on the duvet, ready for a fight. "Look, Benton, I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but you'd better step down before you get yourself hurt." She threatened, her hands clenching into fists.
Stormer quickly got in between the two of us, looking like she was ready to cry. I felt little sympathy, after witnessing Jerrica's reactions. I was more than ready to take them on all by myself.
"Kimber, please, what's gotten into you?" She pleaded, wringing her hands. I scowled at her fake emoting.
"Haven't you lied to me enough? I already made the mistake of trusting you and letting you into our lives way too often. I should have known you were plotting to out Jem's identity all along!" I yelled, feeling the heat creep into my face. Pizzazz and Stormer looked at each other, aghast.
"What are you talking about?" Pizzazz retorted, hands on her hips. I snorted. "You can't be that dumb. I'm talking about that stunt you pulled when we were playing! That - that trick of light, I know you're behind that! Don't play dumb with me, Pizzazz, I know you too well."
The two women gave each other a quizzical look before looking at me again. "What trick of light?" Pizzazz asked, her tone indicating she thought I was insane. Stormer gently touched my arm. "Are you all right, Kimber? What's going on?"
I started to form an acidic reply, but my bandmates rushed into the room before I could speak. "Kimber, stop it!" Shana admonished, dragging me out of the room by my arm. Angry, I broke away from her with one swift motion. "Cut it out, Shana, I'm giving these Misfits a piece of my mind! They deserve it, after what they did to Jem." I said, glaring at the five Misfits again.
"Kimber, they didn't do it!" Aja exclaimed. She glanced warily at the Misfits before continuing. "Something...else happened. It wasn't their doing."
Roxy spoke up then. "Wait, wait, wait. Now I'm really confused. Jetta, did you see anything while you were onstage with them?" Jetta folded her hands in her lap. "I did see a strange thing. I could've sworn for a second there, I saw that bird Jerrica where Jem was standing."
All of us fell deadly silent. Jetta continued to speak. "I wouldn't 'ave believed it, had I not witnessed it with me own eyes. It was right smack in the middle of the song, I didn't know what to do. So I just started playin' again, hoping it would snap everyone out of it." Her voice, hollowed from shock, conveyed sincerity. "I'm tellin' the truth, Kimber." Jetta insisted, meeting my eyes. "That's all I know. That's all any of us knows."
Still inclined not to believe her, I sighed and pressed my lips together tightly. Pizzazz sat back down on her couch again and folded her body into a thinking stance. "Something's not right." She said simply. "You're right, Benton, someone is behind this, but it ain't us."
Aja laid a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Come on. The guard told us she was headed for the limo. Let's find Jem again and go from there."
Still fuming, I shot one more withering look at the Misfits before being led away. We managed to leave the building without making much of a scene and quickly found our limousine waiting. Sure enough, Jem was inside, shivering and in tears.
We all climbed inside and tried to console her, telling her that things aren't as bad as she thought. "Nobody in the crowd seemed to notice," I told her, "and Rio is actually very concerned about you." Raya squeezed her knee affectionately as I hugged her close. "In fact, he wants to see you at the party to make sure you're okay." Aja added.
Jem sat up a little and wiped the tears from her face. "Is that true, Kimber?" She asked tremulously. Giving her what I hoped was a reassuring smile, I said yes. Jem took a deep, shaky breath and let it out slowly. "And the audience didn't notice?"
Aja and I looked at each other. "Not a soul." Aja lied, and Jem seemed to brighten a little. "Okay," she replied, "let's go, then. What harm could it do?"
I knocked on the glass to alert the driver. "Howard Sands' residence, please!" I told him, and he nodded, stepping on the gas. The conversation was kept light during the drive, in an attempt to soothe my sister's frazzled nerves. She seemed much better, happy, even, by the time we arrived at the party. It'll be good for her to get back on the horse, I told myself, and opened the door to exit the vehicle.
All of us locked arms in solidarity as we walked through the gates, hoping for the best.