Otherworldlywriter(O.W.W from now on): Well I finally got this chapter rewritten.
Kyle: Bullshit! This is still a rough draft!
O.W.W: Ignore him. He's just pissed.
Kyle: Cause all I got were two measly parts! I'm...(O.W.W silences Kyle with ductape)
O.W.W: Please R&R.
I do not own Lemonade Mouth!
"What the hell dude?" Kyle said pulling another beer from the case. "I told you we had band practice." Dylan scowled; looking around at the motley crew of drugees and drunks that Kyle called a band. It was hard to see them as anything with everyone staggering around. Kyle and Dylan were the only clean members and even they slipped up sometimes.
"Yeah well forgive me if I'd rather be making friends then here at 'practice'" Kyle frowned, no doubt hearing the implications in his sentence. They'd been friends for so long that Kyle could pick up the hidden meanings in any sentence.
"Look I am happy for you, Dylan but how are we supposed to beat Lemonade Mouth if you miss practice?" His best friend shrugged looking away. He still hadn't told Kyle who his new friends were and he felt guilty keeping it a secret because they were opponents.
"We're good enough. It's not like practice can help The Rebels much." That was their band name: The Rebels. So much creativity in their name and in their band especially since most of their songs were rip-offs with different lyrics and some other changes. The irony of it made Dylan want to puke.
Kyle scowled as he stood up. "Oh shut up. I know you hate The Rebels but at least try to make it to practice. You usually screw your friends over so why are you trying so damn hard for this group?" Dylan stared at Kyle in shock. There had always been a pact never to speak of Dylan's unfortunate habit.
Without a word, he shoved his chair backward before storming from the room. Dylan crashed through the door to the outside, thinking back a few hours to his short time with Lemonade Mouth. That practice had been filled with laughter unlike Rebel practices. He could forget about his past when he was with them.
Dylan had reached his car when Kyle ran out. "Dylan! I'm so sorry! I'm an idiot!" Dylan just gave him a hard look. His best friend was always an idiot but this time he'd gone too far. "Dylan. Please. I didn't mean to bring that up. I was just angry cause I finally got us a gig and you skipped practice."
"No you got you a gig Kyle." Dylan gestured to the old building the Rebels used. "They aren't my band. I'm only here because you asked." Kyle hung his head. "You've always been there for me Kyle when I've fallen but I've always been independent on my feet. I'm going to do my own thing no matter what you want me to do." His best friend nodded and Dylan opened his car door. "I'll see you around."
"See ya" Kyle muttered spinning on his heel. Dylan waited until he was back inside before pulling out of the parking lot. It was hard to see the usually cheerful guy walking with his head down but Dylan wasn't going to apologize first.
"Why did life have to get so complicated all of a sudden?" Dylan wondered aloud as he sped homeward. Then he began laughing. When wasn't his life complicated? It was one big complicated moment for him with no breaks or rests. No matter what he did, everything led to something hard or stupid or complex. Nothing was easy for this guy nor would it ever be.
Dylan spent the rest of the way home smiling. Even with his weirdly difficult life, he had one thing to look forward to: His new friends, Lemonade Mouth.
The next day at school was not fun for Dylan at all. Every popular person glared evilly at him as if he'd put them into the trashcan. Several people tried to mess with his jacket before he taught them otherwise. Others knocked his backpack over or knocked into him in the hallways. The rest contented with making him feel their glares. He was annoyed by the time he got through the lunch line.
Dylan had started toward the corner where he had sat yesterday when Stella appeared in front of him. "Where are you going?" She asked putting her hands on her hips. "The table is that way, muscle head. We told you to sit with us." He couldn't help grinning. This was the perfect opportunity to poke some fun. After his morning, Dylan needed some fun.
"So everyone wanted me to sit with you guys or just you?" Dylan asked. Stella stared at him with a blank expression so he tried again. "I mean it's cool if you want me to sit with you, I've just never been hit on this soon. Second day has to be a record for me." A little color on Stella's cheeks told him the message had gotten through. His grin widened before something latched onto his back.
"Whatcha doing over here?" Scott asked somehow still holding Mo's hand. "Come on. Olivia has some info for us." They headed over to the table without another word, Scott and Mo leading the way. Dylan could feel the heat of Stella's gaze on his back. Even though he knew he shouldn't, the punk looked over his shoulder to wink at the rocker girl laughing softly when she blushed.
Lemonade Mouth had delegated Dylan a spot in the middle of the group. Stella sat to his right while Charlie sat to his left. "You guys sure I should sit here? I don't want to intrude on band meetings." Olivia overheard him as she sat down.
"You're our friend Dylan. It doesn't matter if you hear our plans or not." She looked around. "Alright everybody. GroundBreak is a go. We're in with only one other band to face. I'll do my best to figure out who it is but we gotta practice hard. It's a while til the concert but Dylan can help us improve a lot in that time." Dylan paled, losing his appetite. Lemonade Mouth was counting on him? Olivia continued talking but Dylan got stood up.
Luckily everyone was so focused on Olivia they didn't notice him leave. Dylan didn't want to hear any more of their plans. Even if he'd been an ass about it, Kyle was right about him—he ended up stabbing his friends in the back one way or another.
Dylan disappeared into a hallway, leaning against the wall. "Wonder how long it'll take them to finish." He asked himself turning away from the lunchroom.
"Not long considering you gave us what we were looking for." Dylan spun around to see a group of jocks. None of them looked familiar. One of them stepped forward. "Try not to struggle and we won't hurt you too much." The others gave a chorus of ugly laughs.
Dylan pulled his fists up, hopping on the balls of his feet as the jocks surged forward. He'd been aching to hit something since yesterday. Dylan slid through the jocks, tripping some, twisting around others. The leader of the group hadn't run forward which locked him into Dylan's sights. He'd be the first KO.
The idiot didn't realize what was happening til Dylan grabbed his jacket. He squealed like a pig, flying up and over Dylan's head into three of his goons. "I have to thank you guys." Dylan said dusting his hands up. "You all came to introduce yourselves." The hallway darkened and Dylan filled with dread found himself facing another group of jocks. There were more than enough to overwhelm him now no matter his training.
"Dylan?" Stella appeared, shoving her way through the crowd. "Jeez Dylan, how did you get yourself into this mess?" He shrugged turning toward the first group. She pushed up against his back. "You owe me one after this." She muttered so only he could hear. Dylan grinned and they went to work.
It was more fun than Dylan had thought it would be. Stella moved in perfect tangent with him, striking down jocks and grinning widely. Jocks fell before the two of them, whimpering or cowering as they waited for it to end. "You really know how to piss people off." Stella murmured when they passed each other. Dylan slammed his head into someone's gut before answering.
"Yeah it's a strange talent I have. Usually I don't have friends helping me though." Stella laughed and they collided, back to back. The populars lay strewn about the floor, most clutching their heads. It was obvious that none were actually hurt. Dylan lowered his fists as he turned toward Stella. "Thank you for helping me."
She hit him—hard. He staggered back clutching his arm. "OW! What the hell was that for?"
"Teasing me earlier" A sudden whir of wheels kept Dylan from responding. Brenigan was headed toward them. His face was completely red from anger as he surveyed the 'injured' jocks.
"Which of you two do I have to thank for disabling the entire basketball team?" Stella stepped forward. Dylan was so surprised he wasn't able to say anything before Brenigan locked on her. "Ms. Yamata, how does three months of detention sound?" He began scribbling on his little pad, almost tearing through the paper.
Stella shrugged. "Sounds fine to me" She said rebelliously. There was a defiant glare in her eye that Dylan recognized. He groaned loudly which brought Brenigan's glare on him.
"You'll be joining her, Mr. Potens, as you clearly helped." He tittered holding out a slip. "And it's only your second day. Try not to make a habit of this." Brenigan glanced at Stella with open disdain. "You might start by choosing a better crowd to hang around."
Rage filled Dylan. It burned through reason as he raised a fist. No one made fun of his friends. Stella suddenly appeared in front of him, pushing his fist back down. Her other hand was on his stomach steadily pushing him backwards. She muttered soft words as well but Dylan couldn't hear them past the roaring in his ears.
Brenigan finally wheeled away, smirking to himself. Only then did Dylan finally calm down. "Are you done yet Dylan?" The sound of her voice finally drew his gaze.
"Why did you stop me?" He asked angrily. She smacked him, stepping away when she saw it only made him angrier.
"Because I'm your friend, you idiot" Stella kicked him until he hopped around in pain. "You would have been expelled in a heartbeat and it's only your second day! How could you do that to your sister?" Dylan put his foot down slowly, finally seeing past the red haze.
"I wasn't really thinking about my sister. I was thinking about you." They both blushed after a few moments and he raised his hands defensively, seeing Stella's expression. "Wait! Before you hit me, I meant I'm overly protective of my friends and I hated that he made fun of you. It didn't matter that he's the principal. No one makes fun of my friends."
Stella smiled slightly, the blush bleeding out of her face. "Thank you." She stepped forward to kiss his cheek. Then she left him standing there, heading back to the table. Dylan looked around at their work before heading after her. He hoped that this would be a clear signal to all the populars: Do not mess with Dylan Potens.
For the next month, Dylan didn't do anything outside the line. Or more precisely, Sophia stood over him with a blowtorch and made sure he didn't do anything. She only allowed him to go to school, detention and Lemonade Mouth practices. Other than that, Dylan was trapped inside his house with no visitors until his probation was up.
Dylan accepted his punishment without complaint. He'd earned pain beyond pain instead of grounding but Sophia was a benevolent person. That was the only reason he was getting off so lightly. Kyle had shuddered when Dylan had described Sophia's face after he'd gotten home that day. Besides Dylan, Kyle was the only person that had pissed Sophia off—for someone so sweet her rage should have been legendary.
The only good thing coming out of the detention was Dylan got to know Stella a bit better and through her, Lemonade Mouth. After being with the Rebels, the little band surprised Dylan to no end. They were so close knit it was more like a family then a band. Even Scott was like a brother in their group despite his having been a part of a rival band before coming to Lemonade Mouth. They tried to pull Dylan in too but he always found a way to back away. He wasn't quite ready for such acceptance—or maybe he was scared of repeating history.
Olivia especially tried to integrate Dylan. The punk was always sticking his neck out for her no matter the trouble it would get him into. They got to know each other pretty well through his selflessness and most of the band encouraged their friendship. Some however saw more in their bond then there actually was. Dylan caught Wen glaring at him one practice after Olivia shared a laugh with him.
Dylan made an excuse to leave the room. When he had almost reached the stairs, a murmured excuse from Wen touched his ears. The punk frowned, wondering if things had already gone sour. Kyle always said he could touch an apple and turn it sour.
Wen caught up with Dylan a little ways from the bathroom. "Stay away from Olivia." The red-head ordered, standing as straight as he could. Dylan took his time answering, leaning against the wall.
"And why should I do that, Wen?" The pianist shifted uncomfortably, looking away. Dylan chuckled shaking his head. Both Olivia and Wen were completely obvious about their feelings but neither seemed to notice. "I have no plans on her, since that's what you're worried about." That statement made Wen's head snap back around. Dylan tried not to laugh at his friend. Instead he put a hand on the red head's shoulder.
"You're very obvious about your feelings dude. While it would be nice to have a girlfriend, Olivia is not on my list of girls." The thought made him shudder slightly. Olivia reminded him of a younger Sophia so it would almost be like dating his sister. "She just …like a sister to me. I feel like I haveta look out for her ya know?" He smiled when Wen nodded. "At least until you're her white knight."
Wen looked at his feet and they both headed back down the stairs. When they were back with the band, Dylan found himself seized by a desire to play. He swept up a guitar, strumming the strings. The conversations stopped as Lemonade Mouth noticed who was holding the guitar. Dylan leaned against the wall as self-consciousness swallowed him.
"You guys keep practicing. I'm just gonna strum along and add my own flavor."
"We've been practicing for a while Dylan. Why don't you entertain us with a song?" Scott called from the back of the room, an arm around Mo. The rest of Lemonade Mouth nodded. They all looked at their newest friend expectantly.
"No pressure on me or anything" Dylan muttered shoving off the wall. For a minute, he found himself unable to play. He was too conscious of their eyes. The expectation lay heavy on him, freezing his fingers. Then a few haunting notes began to float into his ears and his hands guided themselves. The notes glided from his strings, weaving with the other notes effortlessly. The music they created opened something deep within Dylan.
Without realizing it, the punk opened his mouth to add a guttural harmony. There were no words but it blended somehow. Before long, a higher set of vocal tones added themselves to the tangle of notes. Dylan found himself slipping away, completely consumed by the music.
Too soon, the last note was fading into the air. The room was motionless, a frozen state induced by the strange music. The music's winter ended when Dylan turned around to see who had helped pull the song from him. All around the room, they began to move as the urge to move flooded through their bodies.
Hushed voices murmured praise but Dylan kept his focus on the guitarist next to him who was, to his surprise, Stella Yamata. Despite their newfound bonds through detention, Dylan had never thought she would help him.
"That was…" Stella began trying to describe their recent success.
"Indescribable" She smiled, pulling off her guitar. Dylan did the same while glancing at the clock. "Shit, I need to get home. Who's getting rides with me?" His question broke the last of the ice. Lemonade Mouth came alive, each gushing about the music. When no one answered his question, Dylan slipped away hurrying to his car. As much as he liked praise, Sophia would skin him alive if he didn't get home on time because he was basking in it.
Dylan was unlocking the car when a hand touched his arm. The punk jumped away in surprise, raising his fists. Stella stood there with a shocked expression that quickly vanished. She watched him warily until he lowered his hands. "Sorry old habits." Dylan mumbled softly, rubbing the back of his neck. He had thought those habits had died a long time ago. "So did you want something?"
"I was going to take you up on your offer. It's pretty far to my house." Stella eyed him suspiciously. "Maybe I should find another way home though." She turned back toward the house.
"Stella, come on." Dylan said when he realized she was serious. "I don't bite hard and I promise there aren't any cell phone dampeners in here. If you're really worried, just keep a hand on your phone and a finger on speed dial."
Stella headed back to him, struggling to keep a straight face. "Alright but I need to check you first. I want to make sure there isn't any chloroform or whatnot on you." Dylan raised his arms without complaint. He figured might as well play the joke through at this point.
"Check away Officer Yamata." She let slip a giggle as she patted every inch of him down. He only twitched once with a "Where are you putting your hands?!"
Stella looked up, her face innocent. "What are you talking about?" Grumbling Dylan let her finish, putting his arms down when she stood up. "You seem clean but don't try anything funny. I've got my finger on the speed dial."
Dylan bowed to her, holding out an arm. "As you command, your highness. Would you like me to get the door?" Stella slapped his shoulder before climbing into the car. He grinned getting in quickly. "Would you like a cup of—"
"Just go!" Dylan laughed all the way down the road. When he finally stopped, Stella was looking at him curiously.
"What?" He asked scratching his nose. Did he have something on his face?
"Nothing" She looked out the windshield as Dylan narrowly avoided a cat running into the road. "You just aren't a typical punk." Dylan glanced at the guitarist. Was that a bad thing? "Most people would expect a punk to be angry all the time and/or self-centered yet you aren't either. You strike out on your own path." Stella shrugged. "I was trying to figure out where that put you."
Dylan chuckled. "I'm a rebel. My friend Kyle is always telling me that." He tried to imitate his best friend. "You're a self-proclaimed punk but you aren't punk dumbass. You're just a rebel" Stella giggled at his imitation and silence filled the car.
"I'm sorry for getting you detention" Dylan murmured after a while. "I didn't want you to get in trouble." Stella leaned over to hit him in the back of the head.
"Don't apologize. I'm the one who decided to step forward." She grinned evilly as Dylan rubbed his head. "That reminds me—you still owe me." Placing a finger on her chin, Stella began to muse. "Now what can you give me…"
Dylan turned a corner toward Stella's house. He'd been there once or twice giving her a ride from detention. "Whatever you choose, it'll probably have to wait until after our detentions are done. I've got no money, no talents besides playing the guitar and virtually nothing else to offer." Stella snapped her fingers.
"You'll play with us at GroundBreak!"
"I can't." He pulled into her driveway. "But I will repay you, Stella, make no mistake about that." She slipped from the car with an impassive face.
"You better Dylan. Three months of detention isn't exactly fun, even if…even with someone else there." Dylan waited until Stella was safely inside before heading home. He made it in time cutting it close enough that Sophia was waiting for him when he walked through the door.
She sent Dylan to his room where he snatched up his phone. He didn't know Stella well enough to pay a debt but there were others who did. The punk could only hope that they'd have answers. A few phones soon rang with a desperate plea.
Dylan received answers only minutes after sending his plea for help. The first two weren't exactly encouraging.
Can't think of anything. Wen texted back. Stella isn't really one 2 want.
Got nothing sorry. Charlie responded.
A boyfriend Mo said but you didn't hear it from me. That made Dylan smiled coldly. Stella had known him for only a month. There was no way she'd accept him as payment for his debt.
Bf. Olivia messaged quickly adding Might not seem like it but she does. Why don't you give it a shot?
A dark laugh escaped his lips. Dylan could think of plenty of reasons why he shouldn't do that. Chief among them was he didn't want to hurt Stella. He wasn't the ideal boyfriend and from past experiences he wasn't good at being one either.
Sighing, Dylan put his phone down before falling asleep. If he couldn't come up with anything else, he'd have to ask Stella out and do his best to make it decent for her. Just before Dylan drifted off to sleep he thought 'Kyle is going to get a kick out of this one'.
Trina woke Dylan as she bounced into the room. "Dylan!" She squealed "Kyle is here to see you!" He groaned rolling over to discourage her. Instead Trina leapt on top of him. "Get up!" Dylan swore loudly, grabbing at his sister. She giggled dancing out of the room. "Up!"
Dylan struggled out of bed and into clothes before Kyle came in. "You take forever to get up." His best friend scowled.
"I don't usually get up this early." Kyle chuckled reaching over to pat the clock. It flashed 7:30. Dylan glanced at it before shrugging. "Whatever. I'll still get to school on time." He pulled on a sock and frowned at Kyle. "What are you doing here?"
"Checking up on you. You haven't come around much."
"I got detention for three months remember? Sophia's punishments are harsh." Kyle nodded slowly, leaning against the wall. Dylan brushed past him before remembering his current problem. "Oh yeah. Get this Kyle…" He filled his best friend in quickly, carefully leaving out anything Lemonade Mouth if he could. When Dylan was done, he waited for Kyle's scorn or laughter.
Surprisingly, Kyle did neither only shrugging. "Just ask her out Dylan. She doesn't sound like any of your past girlfriends." Dylan frowned, heading to his car. Kyle caught him just before he got in. "I only mean it sounds like you actually care this time. Just try and see how it turns out."
Dylan couldn't see the harm in trying. Besides all he had to do was ask her first then treat her like an angel. How hard could that be? "Alright Kyle. I'll give it a shot"
Simply asking Stella turned out to be a lot tougher then Dylan thought. Similar to his experience at the practice, he felt a ton of expectation pressing down on him. It froze his tongue and brain making it difficult just to string together a sentence in front of Stella.
Lemonade Mouth didn't help his sudden anxiety either. Olivia and Mo had spread the word saying Dylan was going to ask Stella out which made them determined to make it work. Whenever Lemonade Mouth saw Dylan walking toward Stella, they leapt into action.
Mo would drag Scott away, winking at Dylan. Wen engaged Olivia in a quiet nonsense conversation, shutting Stella out subtly and Charlie excused himself for various reasons. It seemed normal the first few times but Dylan caught on eventually. Knowing they were doing it for him only increased the ice upon his tongue. He went from stumbling sentences to stuttered words.
Stella noticed too. She laughed, giggled, frowned or looked at him curiously every time he tried talking to her. It was like she knew he was nervous and was trying to put him at ease. Unfortunately it didn't word. Dylan's strange speak impediment lasted all the way to detention.
A punch was the icebreaker. Stella finally got fed up with his failing speech, punching Dylan in the arm.
"What is wrong with you today?" She exclaimed after punching Dylan. "You haven't been able to string together two words!"
"It because I'm…I was nervous. Kinda like at practice yesterday." Dylan replied carefully. He had no idea whether Olivia or Mo had given Stella hints to his plans.
"What the heck do you have to be nervous about?" Her exasperated tone brought a smile to his face.
"Well I'm actually a super hero in training and detention has really cut into my practice time" Her expression didn't change. "Seriously, when I play my guitar, villains run in fear. They cry 'Look out! The Destroyer is coming! One touch will curse you with bad luck for the rest of your life!'" Dylan thought he saw the corner of Stella's mouth twitch. "'You'll be surrounded by hot women but you won't be able to talk to them! You'll be an outcast with a bad attitude! Run!'"
That drew a laugh from Stella's lips. Dylan grinned, reaching out to take her hand. Ice tried to creep back into his limbs but he forced it back. This was the best chance he was likely to get.
"Stella" He said when his fingers had closed around hers. The laughter died on her lips. "Will you go out with me?" She looked stunned. Slowly, she extracted her fingers from his.
"Is this a joke?" Stella asked, her hand still resting on the table. Dylan shook his head, pulling back his hand. He thought it was best not to force it on her.
"I wouldn't joke about something like this. It would be unbelievably cruel and you know I'm not like that." She nodded a smiling creeping back onto her face. Placing a hand over his, the female guitarist looked into Dylan's eyes.
"Then my answer is…"