Hey you guys, another chapter! Thanks for answering so fast to the little 'survey' I had to have you guys fill out. It's really going to help a whole lot when I continue the story with the multiple plotlines. Please keep on reviewing, I love to hear from you all. And constructive criticism is one of the most helpful things you can do for me.

Disclaimer: still don't own anything that you recognize.

Onward!

Kat and Skittery continued their conversation at the merchandise tables, yelling to hear each other above the power chords of the guitar and the pounding drumbeat. From the door to the merch table area, Kat had a clear view of the mosh pit that had formed in the front of the room. Saiorse and Kaya were both jumping to the beat near the front, and Kat even saw Saiorse wink at the lead singer and guitarist. The dark-haired guy looked at her through his glasses and smiled shyly.

"So you play guitar?" Asked Kat.

"Yeah. I've been playing since I was seven, so that makes it about ten years of playing." Answered Skittery.

"So you must be awesome then, huh?" Kat smiled coyly, knowing by the way he flushed that he was very much flattered. "My friend plays guitar, too. He's been playing for about half as long as you."

"Does he play electric?"

"Naw, Racetrack plays acoustic." Kat smiled inwardly as she thought of Race and his guitar. He was her best friend, and they had known each other since childhood because he lived in the huge house next to her apartment complex. Whenever they were just relaxing quietly in his room, he would pick his acoustic up and play it, and if you pretended not to notice he would always start to sing without realizing it. He didn't an amazing voice, but it never wavered on notes, and Kat had always found a calm, pleasant escape in her the familiarity of Racetrack's unconscious singing.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Asked Skittery, attempting a nonchalant tone.

"No, just a really close friend." Kat raised her eyebrows in playfully suspicious look that made him blush again. "So what's the lineup for your band?"

"Well I'm on guitar, and Fluxy's on bass, but you already knew that. Snitch is our drummer and Swifty's the lead singer." Skittery said, rattling off the names as Kat connected them to the faces she remembered from the last Underfed show she saw.

"I was at the house party show a couple weeks back." Kat said. "You guys put on quite a performance."

"You mean Swifty put on quite a performance? The convulsing on the floor while singing is what really entertains these punks." Skittery smiled and shook his head at his friend's crazy in-concert antics.

"Yeah... I've never seen someone seizure in time to the music before."

"Takes skill." Said a new voice to the right of Kat. She looked up to see Swifty, the convulsing lead singer for the Underfed, smiling at her. While offstage, he seemed pretty normal. He extended a hand to Kat. "I'm Swifty."

Kat was a little embarrassed, considering they were just discussing him, but she shook his hand anyway. "I'm Kat. I saw your last show."

Swifty nodded then turned to Skittery. "Traffic was a killer, man. Where's Fluxy? I promised to tell her when I got here."

"She's in the pit. Wait, no... she's up front with Specs." Skittery nodded through the door to where Fluxy was singing into the microphone with the bespectacled lead singer. Kat loved how everyone from the bands knew each other so well. It added to the camaraderie of the high school rock scene. Swifty thanked them and walked out of the room, joining the mosh pit outside. Kat wished that she could see the drummer from were she sat, but alas, the angle was just a little off. She could barely see the bass drum if she leaned toward Skittery, which she didn't do so as not to scare the guy she just met.

They talked a little more about music, and Kat found out he was a big fan of Rancid and Nofx, and he shared her love for AC/DC. They became so absorbed in conversation that they didn't realize that the set was over, until they noticed the mosh pit had drifted apart, waiting for the next band. The members of Subversive Youth came into the side room, and grabbed cups of water from the water cooler before plopping into the plastic chairs around the room. Itey spotted Skittery and Kat and walked over, paper cup in hand.

"Hey, you the merch girl now?" Asked Itey jokingly of Kat, who smiled and shook her head.

"Hey Itey, how's it rollin'?" Asked Skittery.

"All good. Hey do you want me to take over so you can get ready to play?" Skittery nodded, and stood up so Itey could take his seat.

Skittery paused for a moment, and then said to Kat, "Hey, uh, you got a number or something?"

Kat's insides jumped with a small surge of happiness and feeling very flattered, she nodded. Skittery dug his cell phone out of his pocket and tossed it to Kat, who entered her name and number into the phone book before handing it back to him. Skittery smiled awkwardly, before turning around and walking through the door, jumping down the three of four steps in front of it into the main area.

"You played really well." Said Kat to Itey, pulling a conversation out of thin air.

Itey grinned, "What can I say, I'm great." He laughed to show he was joking. "Specs is really good for just two years of playing, and Spot's a fuckin' prodigy." Across the small room, the cute drummer looked toward Itey, hearing the sound of his name mentioned. Itey waved him over.

Kat straightened up a little in her chair as he approached the table. He sat down next to her, reaching across to spit shake with Itey. Kat hadn't seen a handshake like that since the third grade.

"Hey, I'm Spot." He said, giving her a slight nod of his head. Kat was secretly grateful he didn't shake her hand after spitting in it.

"Kat Kaylor." She managed weakly. She suddenly noticed that his eyes were bluer than she originally thought.

"What school do you go to?" Itey asked Kat.

"I go to Hearst." She answered, regaining confidence.

"That's where Granny goes. I go to Irving High." Itey laughed at the look on Kat's face. Most people had that reaction when finding out what school he went to. It was in the poorest area of the city, and every day, the students had to walk through metal detectors to get in.

"I go to Saints." Said Spot casually from next to Kat. Kat had to fight down the urge to widen her eyes in shock again. Who would have thought that this guy at a concert in a faded Dead Kennedy's shirt and cargos would go to the most exclusive and expensive private catholic high school in the area.

"How old are you two?" Asked Kat.

"We're both seventeen." Responded Spot, answering for the both of them. "What about you?"

Kat had a split-second debate in her head whether or not to lie about her age. She really wanted Spot to take an interest in her, would her age crush it? Deciding that the truth was always better, she answered, "Fifteen."

With a crash of cymbals, the music in the next room started up amidst wild cheers from the audience that had reassembled into a tight group in the front. Itey leapt up from his chair and pretended to tip his hat toward Spot and Kat as he left the table, shouting with the crowd as he joined the moshing, which was again picking up speed.

Kat looked out the door, getting lost in the pounding music and forgot Spot for a few moments. Spot leaned the chair back on two legs, and surveyed Kat out of the corner of his eye. She was extremely attractive, and his insight with how people acted told him correctly that she was interested in him. But he recognized her name immediately when she introduced himself, and he hid the fact that he knew her by her wild reputation. She was nothing like he'd imagined....

The sound of Spot slamming the chair down on all four legs caught her attention. She turned and saw him looking at her, tapping his fingers on the table- an odd habit he had from too much drumming. She looked at him sideways and flipped her messy hair over her shoulder.

She leaned toward him with a hint of a seductive smile, "Wanna go outside for a smoke?"

Spot nodded, stood up, extended his hand and easily lifted the small girl to her feet. They walked through the back door, and coming across the steps that led from the upstairs area into the alley behind the front of the main street. They could still faintly hear the music from the show. Sitting down on the steps, Kat pulled out her pack of Camel Lights while he pulled out his pack of Marlboros. Spot was already lighting his cigarette as Kat rummaged her pockets for her cheap lighter.

"Use mine." Spot said, tossing her his lighter, which she caught in midair. Kat flipped the metal top open, and spun the wheel, lighting her cigarette. Taking a drag, she took a closer look at the lighter. It was one of those trusty metal flip-top ones. Emblazoned on the front were tiny gothic style letters, spelling, "CONLON".

"Conlon." Kat murmured quietly, and handed the lighter back to Spot.

"My last name." He said, turning his face toward her and smiling lopsidedly. Seeing the familiar surprised look in her eyes when she heard the last name, he added, "Yeah, as in The Conlons." Everyone in the huge city had heard of the Conlon family. They were an old, wealthy family that owned a couple expensive high-rise condominium towers in the bustling downtown, and contributed a ton of money to the hospitals.

Trying not to let her intimidation show, she replied jokingly, "I might have heard of you once or twice before."

"How come I've never seen you at many of these before?" He asked.

"I don't usually go." Kat said.

Spot nodded, "How'd you like our band?"

Kat took another drag at her cigarette, and flicked the ashes at her feet.

"You're the best drummer I've seen for your age... but you probably know that." She raised an eyebrow and smiled playfully at him, watching flattery work its magic as he looked particularly pleased with himself.

"You're the hottest girl I've seen here tonight... but you probably know that, too." Spot's cool blue eyes narrowed at her.

Kat smirked, "Don't think you're getting me to me, you player."

Spot turned to look at her for a second and laughed, then leaned forward and put out the cigarette on the stair in front of him. He hadn't told her that he knew her by reputation. He had heard her name mentioned by his friends that went to the school. He also knew she never fell for any guy, nor did she want to be tied down to any guy either. Little did she know, that was about to change. Spot loved a challenge, and now he had assigned himself one.

"Well, beautiful, look who called the kettle black." Spot remained relaxed and unconcerned.

"What do you mean by that?" Kat asked.

"Don't think I don't know who you are, Kat Kaylor. Quite the bad girl from what I've heard." Spot leaned toward her, smiling victoriously. She was visibly shaken, and stared at him incredulously. Regaining composure, she leaned in closer to him.

"What are you gonna do about it?" She asked with mock defiance. Spot studied her in the half light that outlined their faces from the show above them. Kat held eye contact with him as his hand crept up her neck to hold the side of her face. He leaned toward her more, and kissed her lightly. Spot pulled away, his hand still on her face. His icy blue eyes bore into hers, as his arm wrapped around her tiny waist. Pulling her in tightly, Spot kissed her again, with a fierce wanting that made her head spin.