Chapter 5

The next day after school they were picked up from school by Dewey who drove his van to get them. Summer saw him park his van along the side walk and directed everyone to head out to his van. When they got there, Dewey stepped out to meet Sam.

"Dewey, this is Sam, the girl I've been telling you about." Summer introduced Sam to Dewey.

"Well nice to meet you Sam." He said with a friendly smile.

"Hey Dewey." She said, shaking his hand.

Dewey crossed his arms across his chest. "So, everyone tells me you can uh…belt them notes huh?" he asked her.

"Ah, nah, not really." She disagreed, somewhat blushing herself.

"Don't listen to her Dewey." Freddy said stepping into the conversation. "She can really sing." He said smiling at her.

"Well, hopefully you do decide to join our little rock-out band so we can really make it big this year!" he said with excitement. "Let's go!" he exclaimed and headed over to the drivers side to get in. Sam stepped into his van and was amazed at what she saw. Posters or artists up against the walls of the van, old t-shirts of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin were thrown around on the floor, and classic rock music was playing on his CD player. Zack closed the door behind him and Dewey started the van to take them to his place to practice.

"So, what kinda music you into Sam?" Dewey asked. "It's somewhat essential you like the music we play." He told her.

"All kinds of music." She said to him, still looking around his van.

"Well, let me ask you this one question." He said, turning around to look at her. "Have you ever gotten the Led out before?" he asked with narrowed eyes. Everyone turned to her, hoping she'd say yes, and that's she'd know what he was talking about.

"Dewey," she paused. "There wasn't one moment that I did not take the Led out as I rocked to Rock and Roll, Battle of Evermore, or Black Dog. And who could ever forget Stairway to Heaven man." She exclaimed. They all cheered and smiled that she knew the kind of music they were talking about.

"Yes, finally! Someone who knows the history of real music right off the back!" he remembered when he first asked everyone what music they listened to. "Man, if you guys were like Sam and knew who Led Zeppelin was the first time I met you, we would've been able to make it like that!" he said snapping his fingers.

Summer gave Dewey a small smirk and turned to Sam. "So, you like classic rock like Zeppelin and Hendrix?" Summer asked in reassurance.

"Well, yeah!" Sam exclaimed, speaking over the music. "I mean with my mom and dad, I gotta have some history in myself about this kine music." She said. "My dad's totally into Zeppelin, and he can't ever let me forget Jimi Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner". My mom like Black Sabbath, who could forget Ozzy's "Ironman"?" she said, everyone impressed someone other than one of them knew about this type of music. "The Rolling Stone, Styx, The Doors. Even a little newer groups like Queen, or Metallica. That's the music I grew up with." Sam said. They reached Dewey's apartment in which they practice. They all filed out of his van and headed up to his apartment. Dewey opened the door and everyone went to their separate instruments awaiting to be played, Summer sat down on her couch, Tomika stepped up to the mic, and Sam just stood in amazement once again.

"This Sam, might become your second home." Dewey said to her as he closed the door. "Now see Sam, may I call you Sam?" he asked, walking her towards their practice space. "Sam, I used to be the rocker of this group, long long ago." He said in memory of the good old days. "But then I finally realized that Tomika could rock out without me, and Zack would be able to melt faces alone, so I stepped aside." Dewey continued speaking dramatically.

"Nah, he just realized the crowd like us kids better, and he had to get a real job." Zack said chuckling.

Dewey pointed to Zack who was hooking up his guitar. "Zack Attack, don't make me pull the plug!" Dewey threatened in a joking way. Everyone chuckled as Dewey walked Sam over to the couch where Summer was sitting.

"Now, we'll run one song for you so that you can hear Tomika sing, and see the magic happen." He said making a picture frame with his hands around the band. As Sam sat and listened, she noticed that they all were totally into what they were doing. Lawrence on the keyboards was totally focused on playing, Katie looked so mellow-out and relaxed on her bass, Tomika was singing her heart out, Zack couldn't help but melt some faces as he played his guitar. And as she looked at Freddy on drums, she noticed every once in a while he'd look up to see if she was watching and smiled at her. She could tell he had a blast getting all his energy out on his drums and to be able to feel the rhythm from his fingers, through his sticks, and into the music of the drums.

"Guys that was awesome!" Sam said with such excitement as she stood up when they were done with their song. "That totally rocked! Seriously, you guys have such talent!" she said cheerfully.

Summer stood up next to Sam. "I know, I do manage a pretty damn good group of kids don't I?" Summer declared.

"Tomika, your voice is like it was sent from heaven! It's so beautiful!" Sam told her.

Tomika smiled. "Thanks, but I'm just a soprano. We've gotta have an alto to balance it out." Tomika hinted towards Sam.

"So Sam, you ready to try a song with the School of Rock?" Dewey said in a mysterious voice. Sam hesitated for a couple of seconds before answering.

"I'll give it my best shot." She said, hoping she'd do okay.

"Okay, great!" Dewey said. "What song do you know, a song we could play?" he asked her.

"Mmm…" she thought to herself. "I could try Blue Collar Man?" she replied. "Ya think that'll work?" she asked all of them.

"Yeah, sure." Zack said, whispering cues to Katie, Lawrence and Freddy.

"One, two, one, two, three, four!" Freddy shouted as he clicked his sticks together. Zack began to play the intro of the song as Freddy joined in with the drums as both Katie and Lawrence played along. Tomika stood next to Sam and Sam started to get into the feel of the song. She began to sing and her 'true' self shined like the morning sun.

"Give me a job, give me security

Give me a chance to survive

I'm just a poor soul in the unemployment line

My god, I'm hardly alive

My mother and father, my wife and my friends

I see them laugh in my face

But I've got the power, and I've got the will

I'm not a charity case"

Tomika then joined with her for the chorus. Tomika's soprano voice matched perfectly with Sam's alto voice that made the chorus sound perfect.

"I'm gonna be a blue collar man."

Dewey and Summer both watched Sam take part in The School of Rock. Dewey watched Sam 'take the stage' and really show them how she could sing and how she acts on stage. He didn't see her as someone who was on stage just for the money or the glory. But he could tell that she really did enjoy what she was doing. Her presence in the room to begin with changed everyone, and now having her sing a song with the band changed them all for good. Summer saw Sam as a great new member of the band. She knew that Sam would be able to help them move along with their career in the business. Summer knew that Tomika could carry the band by herself, Tomika knew this as well. But they decided it'd be easier on everyone if they had someone else to help Tomika sing their songs. Summer nodded to Dewey in agreement that they've just found the missing piece of their puzzle. As Sam finished

"I'll take those long nights, impossible odds

Keeping my eye to the key whole

If it takes all that to be just who I am

Well I'm bound be a blue collar

Gotta be a blue collar

Gonna to be a blue collar man"

"That so totally rocked you guys!" Dewey said with such enthusiasm, he knew that they'd just hit the jackpot. "Sam, you did awesome!" he said, slapping her hand.

"Thanks. That felt great." She said, smiling and high-fived everyone else. They were all pumped and energized from that song that the whole room was buzzing with excitement.

"So Sam, what do you say?" Summer asked curiously.

"Yeah Sam, what do you say?" Dewey repeated. "How about it? You'll be our new member of The School of Rock!" he said. They all awaited her reply as she thought about it.

She looked at everyone for a while. "Well," she began. "If it's okay with my mom, I don't see why not!" she said happily. Everyone cheered at her answer, knowing that with her in the band they'd definitely make it big this year. They hugged her, smiled at her, slapped her hands, they were all just glad Sam decided to be apart of their band. More than anyone, Freddy was ecstatic to be able to spend even more time with Sam.