SO happy to (finally) update! I have a lot of dedications for this chapter, but my 'records' got messy, so I hope I didn't leave anyone out. (Let me know). This chapter is dedicated to moveouttathewayitzh, HideBehindTheMask, CuttieGirrl57, AmandaSimmons95 and runningfromtuesday. Plus my two anonymous reviewers, she she and anna. Also my dad, who came up with Larry's nickname.
Enjoy!
I do not own Radio Rebel.
"The last time I sat in this lounge after a segment, I got the idea to ask you about the dare."
"Yeah?" Gabe asked from where he sat at the table, feeling like that night was so far away.
"Did you think I was gonna turn it down?" He wasn't sure why he asked that. It was more of a spoken thought.
"Yeah, actually." Tara admitted, sounding far away. Like she was wallowing in the memory. That same fear crept back into her voice. "But I'm glad you didn't... even if it was one of the scariest things I've ever done. Besides being Radio Rebel."
He thought about that. "I guess her bravery shined through then, huh? Lucky for me."
Tara hid a sigh. For once, she wanted someone-anyone-to not be so shocked that she was Radio Rebel. That she was brave. Even she didn't believe it sometimes.
"So, I guess you didn't have to do much acting with Kim." She said, trying not to sound as disappointed as she felt. "Does it really seem that impossible for me to be Radio Rebel?"
Gabe blinked, trying to think of a way to answer. He felt he was being put on a guilt trip, though he was sure that wasn't Tara's intention. "I think, if I would've known you then, I wouldn't have been so surprised. But I wouldn't have said anything." At least when it came to the twins, that was their favorite guessing game and their mission. Tara didn't know that other kids had their own theories about Radio Rebel's true identity. "So, I guess it wouldn't have mattered."
She looked at Gabe, stunned by his words. Not because he wouldn't have seen the possibility of Tara being the girl behind Radio Rebel to be far fetched, but because he sounded scared to speak his mind. "Why wouldn't you have said anything? You're allowed to have your own opinions." Tara couldn't help saying that, since it was part of what Radio Rebel stood for.
Gabe gave Tara another direct look, and for a moment she thought he was going to spill his guts, but all he said was: "I know."
After a pause, Tara said: "Gavin gave me an idea today." She hadn't exactly changed subjects, which is what made her think Gabe wouldn't want to talk.
"What about?" He prompted, though he didn't sound interested.
Tara's arms were folded-but not in an angry way-as she leaned against the window sill. "Did you ever write a song about... something other than partying?"
"Nope." Gabe said simply. He didn't even have to think about it.
"Did you ever try?"
A frown threatened to form on Gabe's face. Rather than give a straight answer, he told Tara: "The thing about party songs is... people don't read into them. Either their catchy and 'danceable' or they aren't. There's not much to judge."
She caught his glance and held it. Then, she spoke from her heart.
"There's always a fear that comes with pouring your feelings into something." He knew she was speaking from personal experience. "Some people aren't going to like what they hear." Stacy was a prime example, in Tara's case. "Some people are even gonna try anything to shut you up." That seemed to be principal Moreno's mindset when it came to Radio Rebel. "But," Tara took an audible breath and finished her thought. "it all becomes so worth it... when your message reaches somebody."
Gabe swallowed a laugh. He didn't want Tara to think it was making fun of her for opening up and trying to encourage him to do something different.
But he found it ironic. She told him that to inspire him to try and make an impact on the lives of his fans. She didn't have any inkling of the impact she made on him with those words. Or that they made him count himself as her fan.
Which is why all he could do was smile. He was speechless.
"Where'd you last leave your phone?" Larry hadn't had much luck with making progress in the mission that night, so he was helping Kim with her own. "Stupid question, wasn't it?" He asked after an awkward pause.
"Not at all." She assured him. "I just wish I had an answer."
"Was it on and charged when you lost it?"
She nodded. "But it might be dead by now."
Larry pulled his own phone out of his pocket. "Only one way to know for sure." He dialed her number as quick as he could, and they anxiously listened for a ring. It came from her kitchen. "It's alive!" He declared, making Kim have a giggle fit. Together, they ran to find the source of the ring. "And apparently it's in your cabinet?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.
She opened the cabinet happily. "With the rice cakes."
"Of course." He should've guessed. "You really like those, huh?"
"Love 'em. Kim corrected while she nodded vigorously. "They're my favorite."
"Do you hear the music?" Kim asked as she hurried through the school hallway the following afternoon. She had her phone to her ear and Stacy tugging at her wrist. "Yeah, I'm headed outside right now." She reported.
"Not fast enough." Stacy ridiculed. "Who are you talking to, anyway?"
"Larry." Kim told her under laughs. Stacy filled a pause with an annoyed grunt. "No, I was just telling Stacy that I was tal-"
Stacy took the phone from Kim's hand. "Goodbye, Larry." She hung up the phone and handed it back to Kim, who suppressed a whine.
Once outside, Stacy couldn't help but complain. (And even if she could, she would.) "That girl invaded our airwaves. Does she have to ruin my lunch, too?" Kim didn't have a chance to respond, too busy turning back to check on the twins, who had taken a spill thanks to a certain pushy principal.
"I was totally unprepared for that." Larry said calmly, brushing himself off. Kim offered him a helping hand.
"Ew, the ground is so unsanitary." She told him teasingly.
He rolled his eyes playfully while Barry looked after Moreno, who was quarreling with Cami. Though the DJ wasn't looking for a fight. She'd already won. "And here I thought Stacy was the Queen of Mean." Saying that didn't get a laugh out of his brother or Kim, but it made a thought cross his mind. He walked over to where Stacy was standing and said: "We need to talk."
She gave him a stare that was void of every emotion besides boredom. "Oh, no. Are you breaking up with me?" If Barry found her joke amusing, he didn't make that clear. Stacy didn't care about that. She spotted Tara across the way and could only hope she didn't get up the courage to join her and the GGGG's.
Tara was busy talking with Audrey-trying not to smile too brightly when she commented on the 'brill' impact Radio Rebel was making-when she looked over. Since Stacy made sure to keep Gavin talking, Gabe was the one who noticed. Tara sent him a wave he reciprocated. He motioned for her to come over-a smile pushing through his lips-and she faltered.
"Go on." Audrey urged, though her own feet felt like they were encased in cement. She knew well what kept Tara.
"Come with me. You've gotta make plans with Gavin for later, right?"
"Right." Audrey made the walk over there seem more like a march, given the expression in her eyes. Tara couldn't see the look though, since she was following behind. "There's always a table to sit on." Audrey observed, making Gavin chuckle. "I guess you can blame that new habit of yours on me." Stacy was obviously irritated since her conversation had been cut short but she didn't say so.
"What's the plan?" Gavin asked, knowing Audrey had one in mind. She had pretty much promised that.
"Today, I thought I'd go with you to work."
He laughed more when he heard that, making both her and Stacy give him an odd look.
Audrey's eyes shifted back and forth. "Why's that funny?" She asked him curiously.
"Come with me and you'll found out."
"So, are you giving up on us already? Did you decide running for prom queen is too much work?"
Stacy turned her head to eye Barry strangely as she opened her front door. She still couldn't believe he was about to step into her house. "No." She replied to his innocent question in a venomous tone.
"Then what happened to the...cupcakes?" The pause was caused by his reaction to seeing the place. I thought your house looked big from the outside. For some reason, he didn't say that out loud. He didn't want her to know he thought it was such a big deal.
"They... mutated." She said as they entered the kitchen.
Barry chuckled. "You sound like my brother." Though he knew he could be just as dramatic, if not more. Stacy seemed disgusted by that, giving Barry the same look he gave her cupcakes. Only one batch had been made, and they looked abysmal lying in the garbage, burnt to a crisp. "You just left them in the oven for way too long, that's all."
"Which is why I decided to-"
"Give up?" Barry teased. She didn't take too kindly to that. She went on talking as if he hadn't said anything to begin with.
"Drag you over here, so you can-" He knew where she was going with this, and there was no way he was going to let himself do all the work. He had to interrupt.
"Help you out? Sure." He started opening cabinets and drawers, taking out all the ingredients they would need. "The first thing you have to keep in mind is that the oven is your friend. You don't have to run away from it, you know." She gave him a push that was by no means friendly. He laughed, brushing that off. "That's obviously what you did."
Stacy narrowed her eyes at Barry. "Just shut up and bake."
Gavin sat on his front stoop fighting back the urge to call up his dare partner and demand that she stop avoiding him. He wasn't the type to demand anything, but he couldn't help wanting to after she approached him at lunch for what turned out to be nothing.
Sighing inwardly, he rolled the baseball in his hand down the concrete pathway in front of him. (There was no one else around to play catch with him.) He couldn't believe that in the free time he managed to find, that was all he could do. He continued with the monotonous activity, until the ball didn't roll back. He thought it had just lost momentum after getting too far way.
He looked up to find Audrey, with a brand new baseball glove in her hand. It hid the beaming smile on her face, but Gavin mirrored the expression anyway.
"Help me break this in." She said, sounding like her normal self. Then her expression turned apologetic. "I would have made it to Sub-O-Rama today, but-" She was glad Gavin interrupted her, unsure of her explanation.
"Don't worry about it. You're here now, that's what counts."
Gavin-having just gotten done with his game of catch with Audrey-showed up to band practice with a satisfied smile on his face, but when the band started playing 'We So Fly', his smile faded.
His frustration built up, and finally he had to speak his mind. "Sorry, guys, I was thinking..."
He trailed off as Gabe stopped singing mid-lyric, turning to give him a look. The expression was hard to place, but Gabe's tone didn't leave much to question. "What are you doing?"
Gavin couldn't help sounding flustered. He wasn't intimidated, but he'd kept quiet so long it was difficult to find the right words when he needed them. "Sorry, but... I think we can do better than this. You know, actually say something with our music. Something meaningful, relatable... I was h-"
"Gavin," He was prepared for ultimatums to be delivered. Until Gabe finished with: "I'm workin' on it."
He blinked. "What?" Gavin managed slowly, despite his surprise.
"I'm workin' on it." Gabe repeated, using the same calm tone as he did the first time. "I'll work on some new stuff, you work on some new stuff, and maybe we'll even collaborate. For now can we get back to the task at hand?"
As his smile made a comeback, Gavin answered: "Absolutely..."
"This is Radio Rebel. If you don't go to Lincoln Bay High, you missed out on a rockstar day. I've never seen so many people dancing..."
As Radio Rebel neared the end of her segment, she said: "Wednesday I introduced-or reintroduced-you listeners to a band known as the GGGG's. If you like what you heard, there's more where that came from. Not only is the band in the process of making their first music video, they have some other surprises in store for their fans. The one I can tell you about involves a jam session coming up. Which is just the SLAM family's way of saying... we're putting on a free concert! And the GGGG's will be first to take the stage." After putting on a smile her listeners couldn't see, Radio Rebel signed off.
"It's funny," Gabe said, making Tara turn his way. "with this dare changing up my schedule, Gavin only just got a chance to breathe. Now it's like the band's gonna be working overtime."
She didn't know how to take that statement, considering that-just the other day-the GGGG's had been Gabe's whole world. Was he saying he'd adjusted to 'dare time' and was dreading going back to the way things were? Or was he looking forward to their next project? Tara kept her thoughts to herself, despite how confused they had her. Wasn't the band the reason Gabe agreed to the dare in the first place? She didn't bother asking, figuring his actions would speak for him in the days that followed. She'd have her answers soon enough.
"Beautiful. " Barry complimented.
Briefly dazed, Stacy asked: "The cupcakes?" He had taken their freshest batch out of the oven while she went to do a quick outfit change. Being around him for so long nearly made Stacy forget doing things like that was the norm. She came downstairs just in time to see him place the pan on the cooling rack, and look up to see her new clothes.
"Yeah." Barry clarified, not even hesitating to add: "Not that you ever don't look beautiful." She failed to see his sincerity.
"Quit sucking up to me and hand me one of those. I deserve it after spending the day with you doing something like this." Disgust never left her tone.
"I think we both do." Barry replied, not letting her words hurt him. He picked up a bare cupcake and asked: "Should I frost it first?"
"Why even ask that? Who eats a cupcake without frosting?"
Barry blinked. "People who don't like frosting?" He picked up a frosting-covered plastic spatula and did the job, quickly and neatly. Stacy felt he could've done that without spinning the spatula first, at the risk of getting frosting flung around the the room and making a mess.
She couldn't resist saying something about it, but she surprised herself with what came out of her mouth. "I'm glad you treat that like an art form 'cause I'm all about presentation, but you don't have to treat it like a game, too."
He shrugged. "I can't help it. Plus, there's no reason it can't be both." When he passed the cupcake over, she mirrored his smile sarcastically. Then she took a moment to eye the dessert food. The excitement in her eyes melted away. She hesitantly went to take a bite, but didn't go through with it. Instead, she picked up a butter knife and cut the cupcake evenly. She handed one half of the cupcake to a baffled Barry. "Oh, what? You can't eat a whole cupcake?" He wondered aloud, despite how he doubted that. He saw the question as a pointless one, and figured he wouldn't get an honest answer. He had no idea what Stacy's reason for splitting the cupcake was, but he had a hunch it had nothing to do with being nice.
She said she was big on presentation. Apparently, she put herself under that umbrella, and-by her false logic-she might not fit into her prom dress if she treated herself. With that thought in mind, Barry didn't find his half of the cupcake to be very appetizing. He tried not to give off any negative vibes regardless, as he put another batch in the oven and declared: "Break time." With relish.
"You mean we're not done yet?" Stacy asked, making no attempt to suppress a whine.
"Soon." He assured her, heading upstairs.
Angrily, she followed. "Where do you think you're going?" Not only had he neglected to ask permission before wandering off, he was bringing food somewhere other than the kitchen.
"Your room." He replied casually, as if that happened on a daily basis. He moved too fast for Stacy to object.
She walked through her door to find him staring oddly ad the plethora of pillows on her bed.
"For decoration." She explained, since he clearly didn't understand the purpose of that. After he politely gobbled up his cupcake, he turned to her with an eager look in his eyes. She had no way to guess what was going through his mind, so she had to ask: "What, Barry?"
"Can I use them to build a fort?"
He was expecting ridicule in response, but all Stacy said was: "Knock yourself out." Her tone implied that she hoped that would happen.
She began tossing pillows his way lazily-trying to get that over with as fast as she could-when it accidentally turned into a game.
Stacy found herself laughing along with Barry, especially when he had to dive for a pillow that flew off course, and his cell phone ended up dropping out of his pocket. It was within Stacy's reach, so she picked it up as it began to vibrate.
"Who's texting me?" Barry asked, his voice sounding muffled among all the pillows he crowded around himself.
Stacy thought there could only be one answer. Though, looking at the screen, she wasn't positive.
"Ditto." She reported, her tone reflecting the puzzled look on her face.
"Ah. It's Larry." He said, a soft smile spreading across his face.
"Of course it is." Stacy said flatly. The name seemed totally random to her-since she didn't catch the meaning-so she found it fitting. She stepped over the pile of pillows in her way and held the phone out to Barry impatiently.
He took it from her, sending her a thankful smile when he did, and seconds later he was laughing. "He's checking up on me. It's like he thinks you re keeping me prisoner."
She rolled her glaring eyes while Barry typed out a text message and pressed 'send'.
"What'd you say?" Stacy asked curiously, crossing her arms. She wanted him to say he defended her, but had a hard time believing he would.
"I said 'How's Kim?'"
"What does that have to do with me?" The annoyance in her voice wasn't just because Barry hadn't stood up for her. She couldn't wrap her head around why Kim and Larry spent so much time together, when they had nothing to do other than work. (Since Larry accidentally landed himself a job at the pizzeria.)
"Not everything is about you, Stacy." The sing-song way Barry said this told her that comment wasn't meant as a lecture. If anything, it meant he didn't like to dwell on the negative.
"Whatever." She dismissed. Then her tone got softer. "Can I ask something about you?"
Even though Barry felt he was far from finished with his conversation with Larry, he gave Stacy all his attention. He had his shock to thank for that. "Sure. What?"
"Do you give all your contacts nonsensical names?"
He laughed lightly, but he took the question seriously. "They make perfect sense to me."
His tone implied something, but she wasn't sure whatthat was. She shook off her curiosity and said: "Shouldn't we put the cupcakes in the fridge to make sure they stay fresh for Monday?"
"Fridge?" Barry echoed, as if the idea was absurd. To explain why he thought that, he added: "If we did that they'd get all dried out. We should freeze them until they're ready to be frosted." As he spoke, he left the room-with Stacy reluctantly following-and descended the stairs. Another trademark pout of his surfaced, since he had to leave his half-built fort behind.
"You're gonna show up here Monday morning to frost them with me?" Even though this was a question, Stacy made it sound more like an order.
"Only if you're nice to me all weekend." Barry teased.
"Like I'd want to spend my weekend with you."
Stacy was going to have to if she wanted to keep up the campaign. That's not what he said to her, though. He cocked his head to the side and looked her square in the eye. "Still acting uninterested?"
Wide-eyed, she stamped her foot in frustration. "It's not an act!" She insisted, in a yell that-considering he covered his ears-Barry found unnecessary. He was surprised she hadn't laughed his question off instead. "I have a prom date, remember?" By the way she said this, it was difficult to tell whether she was being defensive or gloating. "Plus, there's absolutely no way I would even want be your so-called soulmate Radio Weasel, so there's no way you could like me."
Barry looked offended. "I like weasels, they're cute. Besides, the way I see it, you have a cover story. And this isn't about me."
"Sure it is... since the idea of me liking you came from your imagination."
Stacy expected an answer full of-what she thought was-false confidence, but instead Barry said: "Do you smell something burning?"
"Not again!" She groaned, running for the oven along with Barry. They got there just in time to salvage the latest batch. He turned off the oven a put the pan on top of the stove. Then they shared a sigh of relief and a laugh.
The GGGG's, along with Tara, Rob, Delilah and Cami, were up the next morning at five o'clock. (That had been Gabe's idea-as part of preparation for a celebrity lifestyle-but the activity planned for the day was not.)
"Are you sure this is where you wanna be on your day off?" Delilah asked Cami. The excitement in her voice made it obvious that she for one did not want to be anywhere else.
Cami just smiled. "I love stuff like this." She also felt obligated to be there for Tara. If she hadn't given the younger DJ a little push, the group may not have been doing this at all.
At first, Rob had suggested buying the boys all new clothes before everyone set out to find the perfect spot for their photoshoot. Tara didn't agree on that. (Though it took encouragement from, Cami, her mom, Gavin and Gabe to get her to say so.) She thought the band should dress the way they would on any given day, because that was real. (Delilah was only a smidgen disappointed that she didn't get to be Gabe's stylist for a day.)
Once the group decided on a location, Rob set up the professional grade cameras some of his photographer friends had taught him to use. Cami served as a distraction, because a few fans who recognized her voice and/or knew her face stayed out of the frame while she signed autographs for them. She was a roadblock for a moment. The shot-of all four boys standing in the middle of Pike Place Market, with Gabe closest to the camera-was all set up. Rob was ready to take it, when Tara spoke up again.
"Uh... I don't think this is gonna work."
"You don't dig it?" He whispered, since anything Radio Rebel related-even her lingo-had become an inside joke between them, Delilah, and Gabe.
The way he asked made it sound as if he thought she was unsatisfied with his work.
"No, it looks totally cool." She rushed to reply. "It's just... you know how people say a picture is worth a thousand words?"
Rob gave an understanding nod, curious to find out what his step-daughter thought the picture said.
"Right now, the only message I'm getting is... Gabe is a conceited snob."
After a gasp, Delilah mumbled: "Impossible..."
Tara's eyes went wide when she saw that Gabe overhead, but-aside from a forced cough-he gave no reaction. She quickly rephrased herself.
"Not that I actually think that anymore." She said the last word without realizing it, but no one else seemed to pick up on that. "I just don't understand why he's not standing with everyone else."
"Well, he's the frontman." Rob explained. "That's why he's in the front." She looked unsure, regardless of his point. He knew how see saw the situation. They were a band. They were a family. They were all equally important. "You know what? You're right. Guys, move up so your in line with Gabe." They did as they were told while Tara smiled. When Rob went to take the picture, he didn't tell the boys to 'say cheese'. He simply asked: "Can you taste the fame?" And let the smiles form on their own.
Gavin used Tara as his focal point, so he didn't have to force his smile.
"Posing feels so unnatural."
Gabe said this with perplexity. Photoshoots were something he'd dreamt about. Not for the glamour factor-because he knew he didn't need one to make him look good-but simply because that was a part of being famous. Having that dream fulfilled, he thought he'd feel more accomplished. He thought he'd be happier.
While his bandmates agreed, Tara wasn't even listening. She stood off to the side. Looking at her phone and feeling guilty. Rob was the first one to catch her glance. "What's up?"
"I promised Audrey I'd spend today with her."
"Don't worry. It's only nine o'clock. She might not even be awake yet. Besides, I think we're all in agreement about you not being in this music video-"
Cami and Delilah counted an in sync "Aw" as a bonding moment. They both wanted to see her shine, but it it was obvious Tara didn't see this as her spotlight.
"Wait, why not?" Gavin interjected, automatically. He turned to Tara. "Tara, you're a great actress."
Gabe couldn't help scoffing. And once again, there was pride behind the sound. Pride in her. "I'll say."
Gavin looked between his other bandmates, and then Gabe, while Tara's eyes widened so much it was painful. She was glad no one noticed. "You've seen her act?"
"Yeah, I help her rehearse." Gabe replied, without any hesitation. He was completely straight-faced, and Tara wondered how he pulled that off.
She knew she had to give the guys a answer before she got roped into acting for the music video. She couldn't let that happen when she had a prior commitment. So she said something that made her heart flop.
"Hey, Gavin. Why don't you call Stacy and see if she wants to be in the video?" She'd be a be a better fit anyway. She's got the look.
Her uneasiness didn't go unnoticed by anyone, but most of the band figured that was just her nature.
"Alright, if you think that's best." Gavin took out his phone and dialed Stacy up.
"Hey, Gavin."
He knew her well enough to tell that she just got through yelling. Which meant she was either angry the phone woke her up, or she had been up already and was yelling at whoever was the reason behind that.
"Sorry to bother you-"
"Oh, trust me," She interrupted. "you're not the one who's being a bother." She told him, talking through her teeth, "I never thought I'd say this, but you're lucky to be partnered up with Audrey."
"Yeah," Gavin said. Sometimes he didn't feel that way, but that's not how Stacy heard his answer.
Her eyes narrowed, thanks to her jealousy. "What do you mean by that?"
"Mostly she avoids me." He said, before he even realized his mouth was moving. This calmed Stacy down, but Gavin remember Tara was standing right behind him. She would know who he was referring to, and he hated to make Audrey look bad. He had to rephrase himself. "But not lately. I guess she was busy before, which is perfectly understandable." He could relate. "Anyway, I called to ask for your help with something." When he said that, he tried to make it sound as if she wouldn't have to work.
"I'd love to, but unfortunately I made the mistake of letting someone else write my schedule for today."
"Barry's got your plate full?"
"That's an understatement." Stacy sighed. "Even though I'd rather be anyone but here right now-" She cut herself off. "Why don't you just ask Audrey?" The edgy attitude she used around people outside of her circle crept into her voice then. "Maybe you can guilt her into it."
Gavin didn't reply for a minute. That wasn't the way he did things, and Stacy barely gave him a chance to explain himself. He was sure she'd change her mind and cancel her plans with Barry if she knew the reason he'd called, but he had to wonder. With the way Stacy was acting, did she even deserve to know?
"I won't need to. I'm sure Audrey will be happy to help."
Tara got her best friend on the phone.
"Hey!" She answered excitedly, eyes bright. "What's the plan for today?"
"There's been a slight change." Tara said nervously, pacing in a circle. She was unaware of her audience. The way Cami saw it, Tara's parents and the GGGG's were holding their breath. Audrey might be their last resort.
"What kind of change?" Audrey asked, sitting up abruptly. "Can you still hang out?"
"Yeah," Tara replied quickly, not wanting to disappoint her again. "but, what would you say if I asked you to be in a music video?"
Audrey didn't hesitate to answer, smiling to herself . "I'd say: 'Name the place, I'll be there as soon as I can...'"
Thanks for reading, please review! Anything you want me to elaborate on? Anything you want to see? Any ideas? (And did I spell Moreno's name right?) Let me know, I'll update ASAP! =]