home.â
âLet me know next time youâre free and want to hang out,â says Sandy as Iâm getting into the car. âIâd really like to jam again soon, if youâre up for it.â
âDefinitely,â I say. âIt was fun.â
In the car, I try to politely answer her grandmotherâs many questions about âthe musical life,â but Iâm dying to text Bert. As soon as she drops me off and drives away, I pull my phone out of my pocket.
How do you feel about a girl singer? I type.
Eight
Bert doesnât take much convincing. That a cute girl might actually be willing to hang out with us, even if itâs just for practice, is more than enough reason to give it a try as far as heâs concerned.
Sandy, on the other hand, is a tougher sell.
âI donât think Iâm good enough,â she says when I call to ask her about it.
âYou are!â I say. âYou have a great voice, and you can play rhythm guitar too. Itâll be fun!â
âI donât know,â she says. âWhat if I look stupid?â
âTrust me,â I say. âNext to Bert, you and I will look like we should be performing at the Grammys. At least come to one practice before you decide.â
âOkay,â she finally agrees. âBut Iâm not making any promises.â
When I arrive at Bertâs house for our first full band practice, Iâm shocked to find that heâs actually cleaned his basement. Not only has the garbage everywhere been picked up, but the floor has been vacuumed, his clothes are put away, and thereâs even a lit candle in the bathroom.
âWhat?â he says when he sees me looking around the room with my mouth hanging open. âThis is the first time Iâve ever had a girl down here. I donât want her to think Iâm a total slob.â
âIâm impressed,â I say.
âItâs like you think Iâm a Neanderthal or something,â he says, then belches dramatically. We both bust up laughing.
The door at the top of the stairs opens, and his mom calls down, âKnock knock! You have company!â
Sandy comes down the stairs, her guitar slung over her shoulder and Beast clomping after her.
âSorry,â she says. âI promised Iâd babysit him before we set this up.â
Bert and Beast regard each other warily.
âYou play video games?â asks Bert.
Beast lets out an affirmative grunt, and Bert gets him set up in front of the TV with a pair of headphones.
âSo,â says Sandy. âWhatâs the plan? What are we playing?â
Bert and I hand her the lyrics to âPass the Testâ and do a slowed-down run-through the song. Iâm impressed with Bert. Not only has he rewritten the final verse, heâs also done a lot of practicing on his drums. Iâve been working on the guitar parts, too, and I find that Iâm really happy with the way itâs coming together.
Sandy nods along as we play, her eyes on the page of lyrics. âCool,â she says when weâre finished. âI like it.â
âYou want to try singing?â I ask.
âI think Iâd prefer to play along a few times first,â she says. âJust to get comfortable.â
âAnything we can do to make you comfortable,â says Bert suggestively. I shoot him a dirty look, but sheâs getting her guitar out of her case and doesnât seem to notice.
We spend the next hour or so going over the song. Itâs more barebones than Iâm used to, just two guitars and drums, but it sounds pretty good, despite the occasional unnerving bellow or roar from Beast, whoâs focused on the TV. After five run-throughs, Sandy finally starts to sing, and thatâs when things really fall into place.
âThat sounded great!â says Bert when weâve finished.
âHow did it feel?â I ask her.
âFelt good,â she says. âIt was