Solid Right Hooks [Gabilliam]

3. Girls Can Be Rockstars, and Girls Can Kick Your Ass

Over the years, Nate Novarro taught himself to expect the unexpected. And if there was one thing Nate Novarro didn't expect, it was Kate Asher's little sister to barge into his dorm room at three in the morning.
While Kate was there.
While Kate was there, naked.
It was not like Victoria didn't know that Kate and Nate were dating, or that Victoria cared that Kate was stripping down to socks in the dorm- she just remembered that this was the perfect time to get back at Kate for that one thing in middle school.
Victoria took in the scene with an indifferent look on her face, and very sarcastically spoke up in the stunned silence- "Bad time, I guess?"
"Get the fuck out of my room!" He shouted, like any sane person would do after their dorm got broken into. He turned around, and in seeing it was just Victoria, resigned himself to an anticlimactic "oh."
Nate was pretty embarrassed. And shocked that Victoria was able to pick the lock. He never really liked Victoria, and now she was really being- for lack of a better term- a serious cockblock. "What do you want, Victoria?" He asked, arms crossed, his annoyed feelings playing out on his face.
"Well, first let's get Kate fully dressed," Victoria snickered, reveling in the fact that she had just caught her sister about to fuck Nate Novarro. Kate was totally never going to hear the end of this.
Kate glared from behind her long brown hair as she shoved her t-shirt back on over her head. "There. Happy?"
Victoria plopped down on the bed, and nodded, the beginnings of a laugh playing on her face. "Kate told me you're in a band- Anaconda something, right?" She asked, addressing Nate.
He sighed. "Cobra Starship. Why do people always think Anaconda?"
"Whatever. Anyways, I was wondering if I could join-"
Nate's jaw nearly hit the floor. This girl had nerve, to come in here at 3 am, embarrass him and his girlfriend, and then ask to be his band?
"What?"
"I play keyboard, and I play it good. I know you don't have anyone on keys, and if you want to win this-" Victoria struggled for a second to get the Band Battle flyer out of her back pocket, "-you're going to need to find some way to get you out of the Vortex Club, something to set you apart from the other bands."
"What's that?" Nate exclaimed, pulling the flyer from Victoria. "Band Battle? Oh! It's invite only,"
"Yeah, and if you want that invite, you're gonna need me,"
It was a bold statement coming from a girl with messy dark hair that was still damp from a shower, wearing spandex underneath a baggy t-shirt from spring break two years ago, but Nate had to admit she was right. If Victoria was as good as she said she was, having someone on keys would really set them apart from all the other bands.
But Nate did not want to resign himself to this fact, because that would be letting her win.
"Let me call Gabe."
Victoria smiled, a smug smile, as Kate rolled her eyes. "Okay. And tell Gabe that I'm the best keyboardist in all of this college,"
Now it was Nate's turn to roll his eyes, dialing the number on the phone screen.
Gabe was drunk, as seemingly always, picking up on the fifth ring.
"Heyyy Nateyyy," he slurred, resulting in a long sigh from Nate.
"Look Gabe-you know Kate?"
"You mean, your girlfriend?"
Nate sighed-again. It seems like you can never sigh enough around Gabe Saporta. "Yes, Gabe- well, she has a younger sister who plays keys. And she wants to be in Cobra,"
"A girl? Girls can't be in bands-"
Agitated, Victoria sprang up, grabbing the phone out of Nate's hands and screaming into the receiver, "To hell with you! I'm better than half the state. I'm good, damn you. And if you won't let me in because I'm a girl, oh, um, I'll kick your ass! And you know what, I'll prove it to you. I'm coming to your next practice, and I'm going to show you that you need me if you're ever going to be good, you misogynistic piece of shit!"
Rather proud with herself and her speech, Victoria handed the phone back to Nate and calmly relaxed on his bed.
There was no word from Gabe on the other end of the phone, and there was no noise (except for Kate trying to stifle her laughter) until the three beeps that signaled Gabe hanging up.
There. Victoria had won.
Nate exhaled, a long, deep breath, and resigned himself to the fact that, like it or not, Victoria would be in the band.
"Practice is at 7 on Sundays. Be there on time, or you're out."

(an- happy international women's day! and to celebrate, here is Victoria smashing Gabe's ass in the name of women :). thank you for all the feedback, votes, and comments. i love you! xoemily.)