No Strings Attached

Chapter 3: Selection

Becca spent most of the previousnight working on a new song, continuing the next morning. Even though they had a few performances before the great Bandslam at the end of the month that they could use as practise, she was well aware that they had to play three songs. One has to be a ballad, one had to be a rock track, and the final one had to be their ultimate anthem. They already had the first two, but it was the third one that bothered her.

She would write and scratch and write and scratch again. It was never easy to write a new song, especially the song that would be that well-known anthem that would catapult them into the final round. The top three bands at the Bandslam would participate in a second round two months from now where the winner was guaranteed a record label. She was desperate to win it. It was all she ever dreamed of.

"You've had your cake and ate it too,
Without offering a single slice.
And when you sit down to chew,
I hope it cuts you down to size.

No dinner is complete without dessert,
And no dinner can be eaten without a fork.
And dinner getting stuck in your throat,
Is all you need to end in the morgue."

Becca backtracks on her writing, especially not happy with the second stanza and scribbles lines through it. This was going to be difficult. Writing a super anthem had to be a blast that would bring the crowd to their knees and back up again, and her brain was turning to mush from her efforts. She threw the notepad to the side of the couch and dragged her hands through her hair in frustration. What was taking Heng and Richie so long anyway? It was already the day after their first round of auditions and she was waiting for the top three candidates so that she could choose from them who had the best skills to suit their music style.

As she was sitting with her head in her hands she heard Richie's car pull into the driveway where he and Heng jumped out, big smiles on their faces. Becca leaned back on the couch and lifted a beer bottle to her lips, looking at them in anticipation. "Well?" She asked, worry streaking her brow.

We've got three candidates like you asked and they're all really good, although this one chick really stood out. Not only was she able to easily finger her way from a low D all the way up to a high A, but her strumming patterns were versatile and perfect. She played a few solos and handled that guitar like it was a lover. Not to mention she's hot as hell. She has music training, actually extensive music training. Graduated from that fancy musical university."

"So what's the catch? If she's that good why isn't she playing orchestra?" Becky raised one brow dubiously.

"Well she plays smaller orchestras, but I didn't ask why she wasn't in the big one. Probably some history she doesn't want to discuss. She said she needed a distraction and wanted to have some fun, and this seemed like a great opportunity." Heng's grin never faltered, while Richie stood to his side with a smaller smile on his face.

"Bro, what is your take on this one?" Becca trusted Richie more than Heng, whose brain seemed to reside in his dick.

"Well, to be honest, yeah. She was the best, but the other two could pull it off as well. You have to decided which one you prefer. We made them play some pretty hard songs where she was the only one out of the three that could nail it on the first try, so yeah, she is the best. And yes, very easy on the eyes, which may play to our advantage." Richie was careful in not saying anything that could antagonize his little sister, Becca being know to have a short fuse.

Becca stood up and slowly approached the two men, eyeing them with icy eyes. "Are you saying I'm not pretty enough to carry the band's image?" She growled and the guys took a step back.

"Look Becks, you're hot as hell. Two of you only catapults us further. That's the truth and you know it. And who's to say you might not end up enjoying her company?" Heng tried again, gritting his teeth in anticipation of a punch being flung his way, but luckily it never came.

"Fine. Bring me the three finalists, let's see how they do. First on their own, then with the bass and drums. I'll watch and listen and make a decision. When will they be here?"

"In about an hour. All three will arrive at the same time so that you can look and listen and compare." Richie shoved his hands into his pockets. "We need to decide what they'll be playing."

Becca nodded her head as she turned back to her notepad, looking over the songs from which they drew inspiration. "Okay, one ballad and one rock. I want them to play Disturbed's version of 'Sounds of Silence' aaaand let's go with 'Carry on Wayward Son' by Kansas. I also want them to sing the lyrics, just to check if they would be able to do backup vocals."

"I'm sure it won't be a problem at all." Heng said, grinning from ear to ear.

"It had not better be, or they'll be stuck busking for the rest of their 20's. They are all legal, right?

"Yes ma'am, we asked them some questions to get a feel for who they were. One of them even played in a rather successful band in school with performances and battles all over the city." Heng reassured.

"Well you had better be right or I'll fire you from the band, Heng." Becca growled and glowered in his direction.