FicWad

*************
"You don't become a Misfit. You're either born a Misfit or you're not."
-- Pizzazz, "Father's Day"


When we returned, Roxy started treating me differently.

I first noticed it the day after our arrival. Miraculously, Roxy was up early enough for breakfast. I was standing between Roxy and the pantry, waiting for the oatmeal to finish, and she literally shoved me out of the way to get to the pantry! I was too shocked to say anything. Then a second or two later, Pizzazz bounded into the kitchen, complaining loudly about the fact that we had to make our own breakfast. (The hours of the servants were cut again). I reminded myself that Roxy was not a morning person, and that politeness was not her natural way, and tried to think nothing more of the incident.

Then later that day, the four of us went to see a movie. As Pizzazz, Jetta, and I took our seats in the theater, Roxy went to get popcorn. We were sitting in this order: me, then Pizzazz, then Jetta. There were empty seats on my other side and on Jetta's other side, and I was closest to the aisle. Roxy, with popcorn bags and sodas in hand, climbed over me, Pizzazz, and Jetta so that she could sit next to Jetta rather than to me! That raised a few eyebrows - not just my own - but no one said anything. I was so surprised and hurt that I hardly paid any attention to the movie.

The rest of the day, Roxy was just a bitch to me. If I said anything, she ignored or scoffed at it, or cut me off. I tried to tell myself that Roxy was just having a bad day, but she was treating Pizzazz and Jetta the same as always. And so even I didn't buy it. Roxy, in general, could be rude, abrasive, and physically confrontational - but rarely was she like that with me, and especially not during the last few years.

And then the day ended perfectly when I was heading back to my room for the night. Roxy went out of her way to trip me as I was walking down the hall. I nearly fell flat on my face. I heard Roxy laughing as I hurried back to my room.

I closed the door, changed into my pajamas, and felt a lump in my throat. My worst nightmare was coming true. My heart felt like it was being squeezed out like a sponge. Maybe Roxy was nice to me back in Chicago and on our way home because it hadn't sunk in yet. Now that she'd had more time to think about it, maybe she was disgusted with it, with the thought that I was gay. I tried to choke down the shame as I wiped my eyes with tissue. I couldn't even call Craig to get some comfort; how could I tell him what was bothering me? I felt myself surrounded by a circle of shame and fear, and I lay on the bed trembling.

**********
I didn't sleep much that night at all, but when I did wake, I noticed that there was a note that had been slipped under my door. For an unreasonable second, my heart leapt - could Roxy have written an apology or an explanation? But then logic set in and I remembered that, of course, Roxy avoided having to write anything, and I also recalled that the butler often communicated with us via notes under our doors, since he never knew what time in the morning we'd be up and he found this method of communication to be least intrusive.

Sure enough, it was a note from the butler. He wrote:

Good morning, Miss Phillips,

There are two messages for you. First, Miss Gabor requests your presence in her room as soon as possible.

Secondly, your brother called this morning. He requests that you return his phone call.

I was elated that Craig had called! I could hardly wait to get in touch with him. But I had to also look at the first part of the note. I smirked at the words "as soon as possible". Pizzazz was so impatient that this seemed uncharacteristic; why wasn't she banging down my door if she wanted me there quickly? Whatever she wanted, it couldn't have been too urgent, but I was real curious anyway

As I put on my robe, I once again replayed my interactions with Roxy during the previous day. Problems always seem worse at night and maybe I overreacted. Maybe there was something else bugging Roxy; maybe it had nothing to do with me being a lesbian. I knew I'd have to talk to her about this, as hard as it would be. I sensed that I was in for a lot of hard and uncomfortable moments in my near future.

I found Pizzazz in her room. She was sitting on the bed, painting her toenails, with a towel under her foot. "I have to paint my own nails now, since we don't have the spa here anymore!" she exclaimed. Believe it or not, the mansion did used to have its own spa.

"I've always found it really hard to paint my own toenails," I said.

"It is!" she said, her eyes still on her foot. The polish was bright purple and one of her toe dividers slipped out.

"Do you want help?"

"Actually, the reason I wanted to talk to you was to ask if you'd do my hair today. I'm going to see some guy Daddy recommended I talk to. He has connections at that Morality Office." She looked up from her foot and at me. "We gotta see whether that officer in Chicago ever did file the report on you."

I nodded. My heart sank to the ground. I knew that Pizzazz was right. (And actually, I would later find out that the idea to check this out had been Jetta's; she had made the suggestion to Pizzazz). Finding out whether I had a record was a sensible precaution, but I was terrified at what we might find. Even more, I was horrified at the idea that I was considered one step away from being a criminal. The thought made me sick. Since that ghastly evening in Chicago, I had tried to put those types of thoughts out of my mind.

"Do you think we can trust this guy?"

"Daddy said he's cool. Of course he doesn't know why I want to talk to him. But money smoothes everything over, and we still have enough of it."

"Should I come with?"

"I don't think so. I can handle it alone."

"Oh. Well...thanks," I said. I hoped Pizzazz would realize how much I did appreciate this.

"Here," she said, gesturing at me. She had finished one foot and, once I sat before her, she handed me the bottle of polish and stuck her other foot out in my direction. I guessed I would get a chance to show my appreciation by tending to her majesty.

Actually, I didn't mind at all. It was nice to have some physical contact with her, limited as it was. No, don't get me wrong; I'm not at all talking about anything sexual here. I'm referring to the fact that mammals tend to need and like to be touched. I thought about how rarely any of us Misfits received that. I imagined that my bandmates had their need for physical contact met through the guys they "spent the evening with", but that was probably it. Of course none of us grew up being given much in the way of affection, but even still I think we all had a need for it. I sure did. I mused that we needed another group hug, like the one we had when Pizzazz returned to the band after leaving us for Riot. Inwardly I sighed - none of this stuff would ever be easy for us.

As I painted her toenails, and later fixed her hair the way she liked it, I had to feel at least a smidgeon of relief over one thing. Roxy might have been freaking out over the idea of me being a lesbian, but Pizzazz sure didn't seem to mind my touching her, if the nail painting and hair styling were any indication.

***********
Craig Phillips had just gotten off the phone with Aja Leith when his phone rang again. The crackling noises on the other end indicated another long-distance call.

"Craig, it's Mary," the voice on the other end said.

"How is my favorite sister?" Craig asked affectionately.

"I'm doing well. How are you?"

"Just great! Mary, I have some good news. I've decided to come back to LA!"

"Oh wow! Really?"

Craig was a bit surprised. He had expected to hear more elation in his sister's voice. She sounded happy but he knew her too well and would not describe what he heard as the jubilation he had expected.

"Yeah. I'm just not having any luck with the music scene here since the Bluebloods split up," he explained. "And the scene isn't as good as it was five years ago anyway - a lot of the bands have broken up, and if you don't have a major label deal, you can forget about getting any airplay."

He silently added that, conversely, you could also forget about getting a major label deal if you didn't get any airplay. Too many of the smaller clubs that would showcase underground bands had closed as well, and most of the smaller labels were defunct too.

"You know, a lot of that's going on here too," Stormer said somberly.

Again, Craig was surprised at his sister's words and tone. "Yeah, I know times are rough all over, but that's not the main reason I'm coming back. Aja and I have been talking. We've finally decided that we should give our relationship a real go, too."

Craig and Aja had been maintaining a long-distance relationship ever since they had reunited in England a few years ago. Neither was finding it simple or satisfactory. They had tried different approaches - taking vacations together, allowing each to see other people, talking on the phone most days. Lately they had been realizing that what they had between them was serious and they should make an attempt to focus on it and see where it leads.

"That's great. I hope it'll work."

"I'm also glad that I'll get to be closer to my little sister, too."

"Awww, thanks, Craig. Do you want to live at the house?"

Craig and Stormer had inherited their parents' modest house. It wasn't very spacious but it was in a scenic part of town. Stormer maintained the residence though she spent most nights of the week at the Gabor mansion. Although the Phillips' house was not used too often, there was no way that Stormer would have sold it, given the precious memories of their parents that were contained within.

"I'd love to. After all, I don't know how much time it'll take before I get a gig in LA. You still spend some time there too, right?"

"Yes, though I'm usually at Pizzazz's. But I'll get your room all ready. I just need to move a few boxes and things out of there."

There was a pause for a second or two. Then Craig said, "Mary, I wanted to say how glad I am that you and....the Misfits called a truce with Jem and the Holograms. If you hadn't, I don't know if Aja and I would have a chance of making it work between us."

"I'm glad about the truce too, but don't get the wrong idea, Craig. We're not exactly best friends with that band. It's more like we stopped attacking them."

"I know. But it'll still make things easier for us."

"Well, I hope it works out with you and Aja. So, when are you coming?"

"I haven't bought the ticket yet but I'm going to see how soon I can get one. My lease is up next month and I don't have too many loose ends to tie up here. If I'm lucky, I can be back in a few weeks."

"That's great!"

"So....how are things with you? What's going on?" he asked, trying to see if he could peel a few layers of the onion and find why Mary seemed even more reserved than usual. "Weren't you on a tour recently?"

"Yeah, we just finished it up. It....it went well."

The hesitation did not go unnoticed and Craig detected an unmistakable awkwardness in his sister's voice.

"It doesn't sound like it was so well. What happened? Did your lovely bandmates threaten to kick you out again?"

"No, no - nothing like that at all! Things are really good between us. We're going to work on writing some more songs now."

"Well, if you're happy there, then that's what's important."

Craig said the words without much conviction. Though it was not his goal, he hoped that now that he would be living in Los Angeles again, he could convince his sister to leave that band of rejects and either strike out on her own or team up with the Holograms. Despite her best attempts, nothing Stormer had ever said convinced Craig in the least that Pizzazz, Roxy, and Jetta deserved her talent.

*************
Pizzazz reached the massive office complex that housed the man she had an appointment with, Terry Winters. Given the warm LA sun outside, and the expansive building with the marble floors and sparkling sculptures, Pizzazz could almost forget recent memories of dingy motel rooms in freezing cities. However, the reason for her meeting with Terry precluded any notions of forgetting the occurrences over the past few days.

Walking towards the elevator, Pizzazz heard a familiar voice. "Pizzazz. How are you today?"

The wind was momentarily knocked out of her system as she turned and looked at Riot. The tall, blond man was as stunning as ever. Totally taken by surprise, Pizzazz felt her mouth go dry and any sense of arrogance and pride flew out the window. She needed every ounce of control to fight off her attraction to this manipulative and enthralling man.

"I'm fine. Just fine. H-how are you?" she managed.

"I'm doing well," Riot answered. His voice was as smooth as always. "I'm surprised to see you here, Pizzazz. I thought the Misfits wouldn't be back in town until Thursday at the earliest."

"Oh! Well, we...uh, we came back a bit early. How are the Stingers doing?" she asked, desperately groping for a chance to change the topic.

"Very well. The next album's being remixed right now." Riot's eyes drilled into Pizzazz. "Who are you here to see?"

"Oh, some guy...." Pizzazz reached for the business card in her pocket and glanced at it, glad for the chance to break eye contact with Riot. "Terry Winters is his name. We, uh, have an appointment." Pizzazz tried to stop the plummeting of her stomach. She detested the fact that this one person had the power to turn her insides into fettuccini. "What about you?"

By then, casual onlookers in the lobby were beginning to realize that two celebrities were in their midst. A small group began to approach Riot and Pizzazz.

"Riot! Oh, can I have my picture taken with you?"

"May I have an autograph, Pizzazz?"

"Please? I can't believe I'm standing before two of my favorite singers of all time!"

Pizzazz's instinct was to swat at the fans like flies, but this time she was relieved at the distraction. And, of course, Stormer was always gently reminding her to be more gracious to the fans, advice which Pizzazz had been taking recently. `Though she still owes me for the rest of her existence!' Pizzazz thought, as she signed autographs. 'Manicures, pedicures, massages, and hair stylings on demand. Especially now since we don't have the spa anymore.'

Out of the corner of her eye, Pizzazz noticed something. Riot had set some papers down on top of a garbage can so that he could sign autographs and pose for pictures. Pizzazz, who was less besieged by fans than the more-popular Riot, stepped over to the papers and took a look. They appeared to be naturalization papers for an Ingrid Kruger - better known as Minx. `Why would she want to become a citizen?' Pizzazz wondered. `She's always bashing Americans.' She looked away before Riot could notice her investigating.

Eager for the chance to get away, as soon as Pizzazz had given autographs and pictures to everyone who requested one, she slipped away. Riot was still mobbed by the group.

Later, Pizzazz found herself sitting in Terry Winters' office. This man owed her father a few favors (just as Pizzazz knew she herself was further in debt to her father than ever before) and proved himself kind and courteous.

"Let's see...." he said, as he punched up files on his computer. Pizzazz could see only the back of his computer screen. "What did you say their names were again?"

"Sheila Burns, Roxanne Pelligrini, and Mary Phillips."

"How do you spell Pelligrini?"

"Damned if I know," Pizzazz muttered impatiently. "I hate that name! I think it's...." she spelled the name out.

"Okay, here we go," Terry said. "I'm showing records for all four of you at the Morality Station in Chicago. Just a few days ago. Hmmm....." he said, reading through the reports. "Looks like you all went through the detailed background checks - standard procedures for getting into a lot of cities now. I'm showing that you all were allowed entry."

"Good," Pizzazz said. She was surprised to find herself sitting on the edge of her seat. She forced herself to scoot back and sit up straight.

"Hmmm, this is weird," he said, his eyes still on the screen. "The record says that Mary Phillips had an 'inconclusive' blood test result. Not sure what that means. This is a kind of strange report." He sighed, "Well, it doesn't show any conviction and it looks like she was allowed entrance. So whatever they mean by an 'inconclusive' test result is open to interpretation."

Pizzazz noticed that her heart rate was slightly accelerated and her hands damp. She absolutely hated the fact that she was nervous, and she knew it was not solely due to her run-in with Riot.

"So what's up with this blood test stuff? Do we have to take one every time we want into a different city?" Pizzazz asked.

Terry sighed. "The way this is being handled is a mess. The latest word is that it's left up to each state and how they want to handle it. Some states have decided that it's required to enter all of their major metropolitan areas. Other states are just holding back and waiting." He continued, "Some cities only require the test if you're entering via train but more and more are setting up checkpoints on the major highways so that they can stop all cars."

"How do I find out where it's required and where it's not?"

Terry looked up from his computer screen. "My, you're asking a lot of questions. What's going on? Your friend with the 'inconclusive' test....she's not a drug user, is she?"

"F--- no!" Pizzazz said, shifting into her intimidation mode. "I'm asking because I don't want to ever have to wait in line for a f---ing hour again and then get my finger pricked!" Inwardly, Pizzazz cursed Stormer again, cursed her for the fact that she cared about her and for the fear of loss that welled up inside.

"Of course. Well, you can call the Morality Office of each city and ask. But you might want to use a pay phone - if you can find one - and disguise your voice. I'm not kidding. You poke around in things too much these days and it will raise eyebrows."

"But I passed the stupid test! Do I have to take it every time I wanna get into one of these cities?"

Terry shrugged. "It varies, Miss Gabor, from state to state. Some will accept a test previously passed. Most are accepting test results that are a year or less old."

"So what about Stormer and her 'inconclusive' test?" Pizzazz asked, making her voice sound casual.

"I don't know. If I worked at one of the checkpoints, this would probably raise a red flag for me." He paused, and then said, "I can't say for sure, but if I had to place a bet I think they'd make her take the test again."

Pizzazz left Terry with a stack of money and words to the effect of, `I trust you won't share our conversation with the world.'

'Damn that officer in Chicago!' Pizzazz thought, as she walked to her car. `I oughtta.....' her line of thought trailed off. What could she do? Hiring another Zipper wasn't as easy at it once was. Driving home, Pizzazz felt an unmistakable sense of dread. She also had the urge to get with the rest of the group and start making mischief, but they had to be careful now. They couldn't have the kind of unbridled fun anymore, not unless they wanted to risk another arrest.

********
I waited for Pizzazz to return, to find out what my fate might be. During the day, something else happened between me and Roxy. I don't even remember what it was - maybe another shove or another bitchy comment. But when it happened, I forgot all about fear and just let my pain take over. I grabbed her and shoved her into the nearest empty room. She was pretty shocked.

"Alright, Roxy - what the hell is going on?!" I demanded. "I can't believe you're treating me this way! Me, who never once looked down on you for being illiterate, who never cared where you came from, how bad your background was....." and then I got choked up and couldn't say anything more.

She looked like she'd recovered her composure. "Yeah, well if you're such a great friend, how come you never told me?"

"What?!" I asked, not sure where she was coming from.

Roxy shrugged. "I dunno. I thought we were friends but now it turns out that you've been keeping this big secret from me for - what did you say it was? - ' a few years'?"

"Is that what this is about? Are you mad about me not telling you or are you mad at me for being gay?" That last word gets less difficult each time I say it.

She threw her hands up, exasperated. "I don't give a shit about you bein' a dyke! But I'm f---in' pissed that you never told me!"

I was actually a bit giddy with relief, but I tried to contain it so I could help Roxy understand. "Look, cut me some slack, Roxy. I told you that I...it's not an easy thing for me to talk about. I mean, my God, the last few days have been mortifying for me! What would you've wanted me to do? March into your room one day on tour and say, 'Hey guess what? I think I'm a big lesbo!'"

I really hadn't intended to be humorous but Roxy and I practically fell down laughing. Roxy was holding onto her sides as she laughed and I nearly had tears welling up.

"Well, you couldda," she said, when our giggling died down. She was still smiling.

"I know. Look, Roxy, I wish I had told you but like I said....it's just not something I'm all that comfortable with. It's really hard to talk about."

"It never wouldda mattered to me. I mean, shit I'm not exactly a saint either."

I smiled, elated that things were back to normal between Roxy and me. "Tell you what. I'll apologize for never telling you, if you're sorry for being a jerk to me the last day."

She only took a second or two to think about it. "Okay. Deal."

********
Riot made a few phone calls. His connections were numerous and he had adapted, chameleon-like, to the societal changes. He inquired as to why the Misfits' last few gigs had been cancelled.

`Pizzazz certainly did not seem to have "a bad cold" when I saw her,' he observed silently.

He decided to also pay a visit to this Terry Winters.

*******
Pizzazz returned to the mansion. She found Jetta intently playing a video game by herself.

"Let's assemble the troops," Pizzazz said.

Jetta frowned as she looked at Pizzazz, allowing her Pac-Man to flounder. "I can tell by the look on your face that you don't have good news."

Pizzazz nodded grimly. Moments later, she was sitting around a table with all three of the other Misfits. Stormer closed the door on the way into the room, to ensure that none of the servants could overhear.

Pizzazz recounted her conversation with Terry. Her bandmates listened patiently.

"That bloody bastard," Jetta muttered when Pizzazz had finished, referring to the officer in Chicago.

Stormer looked ill. "I can't believe it. After all I went through....how hard would it have been for him to say that I passed instead of saying that the test was inconclusive!"

"So what do we do now?" Roxy asked. "We sure can't tour!"

"That may be true," Jetta said. "But think of it this way. We were pretty much done with our tour anyway. We're not going to go on another one until we cut another album. Maybe by the time we finish writing and recording it, all of this stupid stuff will be finished."

"Yeah!" Pizzazz said. "It takes a while to make an album. So what if we can't leave LA? We can write and record the best damn album ever!"

"I hope you're right, Jetta," Stormer said. "I hope all of this will just blow over some day soon."

"It's gotta," Roxy said. "Maybe a few years from now, no one will remember what a Morality Office was."

Stormer looked down at her hands which rested on the table. She knew that she would never forget.

"But what about staying in the public's eye?" Jetta wondered. "We don't have Eric to promote us anymore - not that he was good for much anyway. We don't want the public to forget about us."

"Maybe we can get on Lin-Z's show. It's still on. Some things never change," Roxy said.

"I dunno guys," Stormer said. "I think the last time we were on was our final chance and she kicked us off again."

"It's her loss if she doesn't want us," Pizzazz said dismissively. "But there are a ton of things we can do to promote ourselves - TV appearances, magazines. We just gotta get busy. Hell, maybe we can even throw a benefit concert - it's great publicity!"

"Though it's awfully pricey," Jetta observed.

"Okay, Misfits," Pizzazz commanded, "starting tomorrow, we roll up our sleeves. We'll get busy promoting ourselves and start working on the next album."

Roxy shrugged, "Stormer's our main song writer anyway. Since she's gotta lay low for a while, maybe she can work on the music and the rest of us could do interviews and stuff." Roxy looked in Stormer's direction as she spoke and tried to give a reassuring smile.

The group seemed to like the plan. Jetta sensed that the "meeting" was drawing to a close, but there was one item of business that she felt compelled to bring up, as uncomfortable as it made her. "You know, I hate to bring this up," she began, "but I think it's something we need to think about. Since it's on file that Stormer's blood test was 'inconclusive'....do we need to worry about people finding out?" She then gave a sympathetic look at Stormer. "Don't want to alarm you, luv, but I think it's something that we need to consider. It could hurt our career."

"I know," Stormer said quietly. Her sense of unease had returned in full force. Fear of a very uncertain future loomed in front of her.

"You got a point," Pizzazz said. She then turned to Stormer and asked a question that had not been raised before. "Does anyone else know? Besides us, and that creep in Chicago?"

"Like your brother," Roxy said. "Does he know?"

Stormer shook her head. "I haven't told him. I don't know whether he suspects or not, but I think he doesn't." She swallowed then, and decided to answer Pizzazz's question truthfully. She didn't want to have to reveal this, but the thought had been buzzing around her for the past few days.

"There is one person I told," Stormer began. "Kimber Benton."

"Kimber?!" Roxy echoed. Once again, her emotions took off. "What the hell, Stormer?? You just told me that you kept it a secret because it's so hard to talk about and you didn't want to tell anyone!"

Stormer responded with the same vigor as Roxy. "That was different! It was totally different. Look, we---" Stormer sputtered, searching for the right words. "I know this sounds silly, but when Kimber and I made our album together, we got really close really fast. It was an intense friendship that lasted for a short amount of time. She knew I was hiding something from her, and she wouldn't leave me alone till I told her! Kimber wouldn't let it drop. She can be really, really persistent. So I told her." While trying to be as persuasive as possible, Stormer watched Roxy and knew that her friend was hurt again and justifiably so. It did seem as though Stormer had just contradicted what she had told Roxy only hours ago.

Stormer began again, her voice soft this time, "Roxy - everyone - I'm sorry that I told a Hologram instead of telling you. But Kimber wouldn't let me keep quiet; she kept insisting on wanting to know what was bothering me." Then Stormer silently added, `Unlike the three of you. Who didn't seem to give a damn when I was suffering, who didn't even notice let alone care enough to ask me what was wrong.'

Roxy crossed her arms and remained quiet now. She didn't want to respond with more anger at Stormer - she could tell that none of this was easy for her friend - but was loathe to admit how hurt she really was. Roxy tended to convert feelings of hurt into anger, and she was struggling to keep a lid on her ire.

Pizzazz wasn't too thrilled either. To think that Stormer confided in one of the Holo-twerps rather than in her own band! And Kimber was probably the worst one of them all, after Jem. Yet even Pizzazz was not unaware of the concept that the Misfits had not exactly created an atmosphere where Stormer could have confided in them either.

Jetta was thinking over the ramifications of Stormer's action. "So you told Kimber," she began. "I wonder if Kimber kept it to herself. Knowing the way Jem and the Holograms are, I bet she told them all"

Stormer had to stifle a gasp. With embarrassment, she realized that she had not considered that possibility. "She promised not to tell anyone," she managed.

"Yeah, but you know how they are," Pizzazz said, realizing the truth of Jetta's words. "I think we gotta assume that they all know."

A sense of dread began to envelop the room. Jem and the Holograms weren't vengeful; they never would initiate an attack on the Misfits. But times were different, and the fact remained that Kimber and her bandmates were aware of a piece of information that could spell doom for the Misfits. The Misfits now realized this and began to wonder what might happen.

"We're in deep shit," Roxy breathed. "Deep, deep shit." Her sense of fear began to overtake the anger she felt.

"Well," Stormer began, grasping for straws, "maybe if they bring it up, I just say something like I was confused. Or that I've changed. Or - " Stormer stopped herself. "But there's that inconclusive blood test on file."

"And it's not just that," Jetta said. "Nowadays, it's bad enough to just be suspected of something."

"Yeah, and the authorities can always order you to take another test!" Pizzazz said.

"Okay," Stormer said sorrowfully, spreading her hands, "well, then if it comes to that, I'll leave the band. I don't want to do anything to get you guys in trouble or hurt your career. So if it comes to that, I'll leave. Maybe I can still work on writing the songs, but you can get someone else to go on tour with you.

"No way," Pizzazz said firmly. "Nobody leaves the Misfits."

"But I -"

"She's right," Roxy agreed, despite her anger at her friend. "We gotta think of another way."

There was silence for a moment or two. Then Stormer said, "Well, maybe I should go talk to Kimber. I could tell her that I didn't know what I was talking about, and I could try to find out if she told anyone else."

"I don't think that would do any good," Pizzazz said.

"I don't know, Pizzazz, I think it's a good idea," Jetta said. "Kimber's a complete muppet; she might believe it."

"Why remind her of it? Maybe she's forgotten!"

Stormer shook her head. "I doubt she's forgotten. After I told her, from that point on she always treated me a little differently. Different enough that I knew she was thinking of it." She paused. "No, I'd be shocked if Kimber's forgotten. I think I should talk to her. She doesn't always realize....how serious some things are. Maybe I could remind her not to tell anyone and tell her that I didn't know what I was talking about when I told her. I'll just tell her I was sad and confused and I missed my mother or something."

"If you're convincing enough, she'd probably swallow it," Jetta said conspiratorially.

"Yeah, I think so too," Roxy said. "Look, the Holograms are a bunch of twits but I don't think they'd ever try to hurt Stormer. They like her. So maybe she goes, talks to Kimber, and reminds her not to blab this to anyone."

"Okay," Pizzazz said. "We'll try that."

Stormer looked around the table at her bandmates and saw a myriad of emotions reflected in their faces. There was fear and uncertainty, though most of it was Stormer's own. The anger was there too, eternally present. Against her better judgment, Stormer decided to apologize once more to her bandmates.

"I'm sorry about all the trouble this has caused," she said quietly, the sick feeling present in her gut. "I wish things were different."

Part of Pizzazz truly wanted to react with kindness and understanding. Part of her wanted to extend some empathy to her bandmate and friend. But the part of her that saw things differently won out. "Yeah, me too," she said bitterly.

Stormer, reproached, looked down.

Jetta, too, had a part of her that wanted to show Stormer some compassion. But she, like Pizzazz, failed. She decided to follow her leader's tone. "This has been a bloody pain in the arse," she mumbled.

Roxy kept quiet but she cut her eyes at Stormer, still furious that she had confided in Kimber.

Their meeting dissembled. Stormer skulked back to her room.

**********
Well, I felt about two inches tall. The officer in Chicago did a number on me. I faced more potential problems with the law. And worse, my bandmates resented me.

And what I said to Roxy earlier did go against the fact that I had come out to Kimber. I couldn't explain why, but telling Kimber felt totally different to me and it didn't seem like a contradiction to what I'd told Roxy. But it didn't matter. I hadn't convinced Roxy, and I had no idea how I ever would.

Maybe Pizzazz and Jetta didn't mean to sound as bad as they did after I apologized, I told myself. Maybe apologizing had been a bad idea. Fleetingly, I wondered what it would be like if I'd joined the Holograms. They'd probably all be hugging me and asking what they could do to support me.

But then again, maybe not. Kimber was clearly uncomfortable with my being gay. No idea how the rest of the group would take it, but I could see them all not being thrilled about it either.

And then I reminded myself of a few things about the Misfits. I had offered to leave the band and Pizzazz soundly defeated that idea. She still wanted me in the group. The other Misfits went back for me in Chicago, Pizzazz had to beg her father for the use of a helicopter to get me home, and she went to see that Terry Winters guy on my behalf. In her own way, she was showing me that she cared. There wasn't much else I could ask for. She wasn't the type to throw her arms around me and let me cry on her shoulder anyway.

I thought again about how uncomfortable Kimber had seemed. I guess I kept stewing over it since I dreaded going to see her about it again.

I wasn't sure if the Misfits were really uncomfortable or not. It was almost more like they were pissed at the inconvenience this was causing, but no one seemed freaked out by being around a lesbian.

Not knowing what else to do, I decided that there were one or two things I was good at and that might cheer me up. I picked up my keyboards and began to compose. And I decided I'd cook dinner for the band later on. I could make lasagna (hard work but a very popular dish with the others), salad, and maybe even my famous chocolate chip cheesecake.

I turned the tape recorder on, put my fingers to the keys, and lost myself in the music. The sounds that came out of me were perhaps a bit more mournful and reflective than a lot of our music but I didn't care; I just allowed the music to take over. I turned my experiences over the past few days into a piece of music and it gradually began to take shape.

At some point, Roxy entered my room with her guitar. Wordlessly, she sat down next to me and began to play. Our sounds started as a cacophony but after a while, my keyboard and her guitar meshed into a melodic tune. After we played it a few times and had it captured on tape, Roxy shut the recorder off.

I guessed that was perhaps an indication that she wanted to talk. So I began, "Look, Roxy, I'm --"

She cut me off. "Hey. Don't apologize again."

For someone who's been called ignorant, Roxy can sure be perceptive when she wants to. "Okay," I said. Then the fact popped into my head. "Would it help if I told you that I just cared a lot more about what you and the others thought about me than I cared about what Kimber thought?"

From the look on her face, I guessed that that did make a difference. But she said, "Yeah, I guess so. But screw it. I'm not pissed anymore."

She smiled at me, and we resumed making music together.

*********
The Misfits enjoyed a scrumptious dinner of lasagna and salad, with chocolate chip cheesecake as the crème de la crème, compliments of Stormer.

"Oh, isn't this just so cute?" Jetta said, holding the newspaper. "The Holograms get the front page again."

"What is it this time?" Pizzazz asked, sounding more annoyed than angry.

Jetta read from the article, "`The Hologram's guitarist, Shana Elmsford is to marry her longtime boyfriend, director Anthony Julian.'"

"Sheesh, finally," Roxy said, speaking with her mouth full. "I thought they're already engaged."

"Looks like they have been," Jetta said. "But they've announced that the wedding will be in June. Oh how sweet. Her bandmates and Jerrica Benton will all be her bridesmaids. She's not having a maid of honor."

"It looks like the Holograms are in the mood for settling down," Stormer observed, very proud of both her culinary and musical achievements this evening. The others had raved about the lasagna, and had been thrilled when she told them about the progress on a new song. "I didn't tell you guys that my brother is returning from London."

"Is he?" Jetta asked, her ears perking up with mention of her homeland. "Permanently?"

"Yes. He said part of the reason is that the music scene's dead, but I think his biggest reason is that he and Aja are going to try to give their relationship a real chance. I don't think the long-distance thing's been working out too well for them."

"Bet you're thrilled that you're brother's comin' back," Roxy said.

"I am. And who knows? Maybe Shana won't be the only Hologram to be getting married soon."

"What a romantic time for our old rivals," Pizzazz said, with a smidgeon of sarcasm, though she was devoid of any malice tonight.

None of the Misfits had had a serious, long-term relationship, Pizzazz realized. She knew that some of the reasons were logistical: playing in a band for the past several years, constant touring, and the hectic pace of a rock star's life. And, of course, none of them had any desire to settle down and make a commitment just yet. Pizzazz understood enough, too, to see that the group also had their own issues to deal with. Love was not easy for any of them. Inwardly, she shrugged. It was enough that they'd concentrated on their friendship lately; romantic attachments could happen later.

*******
A few days later, Stormer was at her family's old house having spent the morning cleaning the place. She was doing so to prepare both for her brother's return (Craig had his ticket and would be home in a week) as well as for a lunch she had arranged there with Kimber. Stormer had called the Starlight House several times over the past few days and finally had gotten a hold of Kimber. Kimber had been happy to plan some time together, and Stormer suggested her family's house.

As she dusted, Stormer inwardly thrashed herself for her revelation to Kimber. `How could I have been so stupid?' she asked herself. 'Well, that was such a weird time, being away from the Misfits. Everything in my life was new and different then. But why did I have to tell Kimber? Of course she would've told the other Holograms! What was I thinking?' She then wondered, her heart sinking, `So, if Kimber did tell Aja, then did Aja tell Craig?'

Kimber called Stormer's house just before she left Starlight mansion to say that she was on her way.

"Do you like Mexican?" Stormer asked. "I thought I'd make tacos."

"That sounds lovely!" enthused Kimber. "But I gotta go light on the beef and sour cream. I'm trying to watch my calories."

"Okay," Stormer laughed, "I'll hide the sour cream from you!"

Soon Kimber arrived and met Stormer at the door with a gift. She had purchased a scarf for her friend.

"We played in Canada a while ago, and I went to this boutique where they had the most beautiful hand made scarves! The blue color reminded me of you," Kimber said. "I haven't had a chance to give this to you yet." They chatted for a bit about the boutique, and other sites and adventures on the Holograms' last tour.

"So what have the Holograms been up to lately?" Stormer asked, as they finally sat down to eat.

Kimber shrugged. "We're writing songs, making a few appearances here and there. No big plans to release an album or go on tour anytime soon. It's hard with the economy being so bad right now."

Stormer nodded. "It's impacted us too."

"We're kinda trying to ride out the storm and hope things get better soon. And we're trying to stay in the public's eye too."

"I know what you mean. Hey, what about the Starlight House? Are you able to get by?"

"Oh, yeah, we have a good endowment that we've built up...." Kimber paused and laughed, "sheesh, I sound like Jerrica now! But I think the house will do okay for the time being. My sis isn't all that worried anyhow. Leila - one of our oldest girls - she's in college now."

"That's great! Hey, I heard that Shana and Anthony have finally announced a date for their wedding."

"I know - it's totally outrageous! I'm so happy for them!" She paused and said, "Stormer, these tacos are great. I love the avocado! This salsa tastes so fresh."

"I made it myself," Stormer said proudly.

"I gotta take some of this to Raya - I bet she'd love it! Anyway, about Shana and Anthony -- Shana always knew that they'd get married someday. She told us so a week or two after they met, which she recently reminded us of. And we all love Anthony; it's so cool that he's going to be a member of our family!

"But speaking of people's love lives," Kimber continued, "Aja is so excited that Craig's coming back!"

"I know," Stormer said, smiling. "I am too. I really hope it works out between them."

"I do too. And I gotta think it will! They've kept it going long distance for so long. I've never seen Aja so sweet on someone."

"How about you?" Stormer began, trying to gently shift the conversation over to the item she needed discuss, as much as she dreaded it. "What's new with you in the boyfriend department?"

"Oh, nothing big. I'm seeing a few guys here and there but nothing serious. Oh my God, did I tell you about this awful date I went on recently? I met this guy at a club. We talked for a bit, we danced a lot, and before I left, we exchanged numbers. I didn't really think it would go anywhere or that he'd actually call, but he did. So we met for coffee. Oh Stormer, it went so bad. We had nothing to talk about!"

"You? Nothing to talk about??" Stormer teased.

"It's true, I know it's hard to believe. But I got up to go to the bathroom at one point, and when I got back to our table, he'd left! The server told me that the bill had been paid. He flat out walked out on me!"

"What a loser," Stormer said.

Kimber shrugged. "His loss, not mine. He was cute but he was such a bore." She paused, and then asked, "So, um....what about you? How's your love life?"

Stormer easily picked up the discomfort in Kimber's voice; hiding emotions and feelings was not one of Kimber's strengths. "Well, actually...that's one of the things I wanted to talk about with you today."

Stormer could feel her cheek flush and hoped Kimber wouldn't notice her hands were shaking slightly

"Um, do you remember that I told you something when we were working on Back 2 Back?" Stormer asked. "I just wanted to let you know that what I told you isn't true anymore," she said, forcing a smile. "I don't know what I was thinking when I told you that I was gay! I guess I was just confused and all. Things have been weird for me since my mother died....I just didn't know what the heck I was talking about. I was going through a phase or something. But I, uh, wanted to let you know that I am definitely straight!"

Kimber smiled. "That's great! Um, not that I would've cared one way or the other though," she said, with a little forced laugh.

"Cool." After an awkward pause, Stormer said, "Well, Kimber I was wondering....did you tell anyone what I told you? Um, please let me know and I promise I won't be upset if you did. I just need to know if you told anyone."

It was Kimber's turn to blush and look down. "Well, I...."

"It's okay, Kimber. Did you tell the other Holograms?"

"Yes," Kimber admitted, not meeting Stormer's eyes.

"And Jem? And your sister?"

"Oh, gee. Stormer, I'm so sorry." She put her taco down and looked repentant. "I feel sick. I'm sorry," she repeated.

"No, no, Kimber, it's okay," Stormer said, gently touching Kimber's arm. She wasn't happy about this but she wasn't the least bit surprised either.

"But they're all really good about keeping secrets!" Kimber vowed. "And it's just that....we all share everything. The five - six - of us are really close. We tell each other everything."

"I know, I know. It's okay, Kimber."

"No, it's not okay. I betrayed your trust in me! And it's even worse now, since what you told me isn't even true anymore."

"Don't worry about it. The only thing is....Kimber, you know with everything that's going on now, like with this Department of Morality...I could get in a lot of trouble, if someone was to think that I was gay. I think I could even go to jail in some cities and states."

"Really?" Kimber asked, wide-eyed. "Oh wow. But it would be okay now, since you're not like actually gay, right?"

"Well, I think so. But even if I was suspected I could get in trouble. Kimber, it's really important that you and your bandmates don't tell anyone else," Stormer urged, firmly.

"I promise we won't! Do you think I should tell them what you told me, that it was just a phase you were going through?"

"I don't know. I think the most important thing is that they understand how serious this is, and not tell anyone else."

"I got it. We won't let you down, Stormer," Kimber vowed. She meant every word.

"Great! So, let's talk about happier things then. Have you and the others picked out your bridesmaids dresses yet?"

"Shana's designing them for us," Kimber said, her trademark enthusiasm having returned.

"Oh, of course," Stormer laughed, having momentarily forgotten about Shana's designing skills.

"The gowns are going to be stunning when they're finished. And Shana will be the most beautiful bride!"

********
The next day in the studio, Jem and the Holograms were not having a productive session. In lieu of practicing, the young women were spending most of their time chatting. The premier topic was Shana's upcoming nuptials, though the band's shy guitarist wished they'd discuss something else as she did not wish to be the center of attention.

Aja later asked Kimber about lunch with Stormer, and she gave them a brief run-down. Kimber told them about their discussion.

"So that's what she said," Kimber finished. "Gosh, I didn't know that she could get into a lot of trouble for that!"

"I'm just glad that she's not....that way anymore," Raya said softly. "That's no way to live a life." She had a cousin back in Mexico who was gay. He had been ostracized from his family and Raya would not wish his lonely existence on anyone.

Jem looked at Aja and said, "I bet Craig would also be glad that his sister's not... that way anymore."

Aja returned Jem's gaze and said, "I think Craig loves his sister, and something like that wouldn't matter to him. Me, I could care less if someone is that way or not." She paused for a second, trying to temper her irritation at the fuss they were making. "But regardless, I don't know if Craig even knows. I never said anything about it to him." Aja wondered how honest Stormer had been during her lunch with Kimber.

"Well, whatever we might think of this," Jem concluded, "we do need to keep in mind what Kimber said. None of us want Stormer to get in trouble with the law."

Shana nodded. "These are scary times now. Let's just be glad that Stormer has recovered now and make sure we don't ever reveal anything about her past."

Jem suppressed a giggle. "I wonder if the Misfits ever knew."

"Are you kidding?" Shana said. "They're so narrow-minded, they would've kicked her out ages ago if they'd ever found out!"

*********
We worked on promoting ourselves and staying in the public eye, but it wasn't easy. There just were a lot fewer outlets than there had been - fewer rock magazines, fewer shows, and a limited selection of artists they would profile. We did make a brief appearance on one show and Pizzazz did a couple of interviews.

"You sure things aren't any better in the UK, Jetta?" Pizzazz once asked our saxophonist. "Maybe we should move there for the time being."

"I'd love it if we could go back to my home," Jetta replied. "But I don't think we're going to have much more luck there from what I've heard. Besides, emigrating there could cause some....problems," she said, looking in my direction with that last bit.

I was counting down the number of days until Craig would return from England. I could hardly wait to see my brother!

Roxy shrugged. "Isn't England like really small anyway? There's more music fans here, more people who could buy our stuff and come to our shows."

So we stayed put. If the promotion piece wasn't what it once was, at least the songwriting was going well. I had all these feelings bursting from inside of me, and I managed to translate them into songs. Generally speaking, when it comes to writing our songs, I will create the demos. Then all four of us go through them and polish them up with Jetta and Roxy embellishing their instruments' parts and Pizzazz writing most of the lyrics. I often change some of the elements around during this stage too. So, in a relatively short amount of time, we had a nice stockpile of new songs in the works. We weren't anywhere near ready to go the recording studio yet but it didn't matter since time was on our side.

"Okay, Misfits," Pizzazz said, after one such session. "Enough work for today. Time for a girls' night out!"

I smiled at the prospect. We did spend a lot of time hanging around the mansion, doing thing such as swimming and watching movies. The wild nights on the town we used to have weren't as numerous now. There were too many possible ways to get in trouble with the law, and fewer options for getting bailed out now.

"Hey, I've got an idea," Jetta began, in that special tone she uses when you know she's cooking up something good. "How about the Sugar Shack?" she suggested, giving the name of the strip club where the guys went "the full monty". She then looked at me and said, dejectedly, "Oh, but Stormer, you -"

"No, no," I said, waving my hands, "I'd actually love to go along with you! I had a fun time when we went." Believe it or not, I was telling the truth.

"Then let's go!" Pizzazz said.

"I'll ring them first to see what time they open. It's only 8:00 now," Jetta said.

"Why would ya enjoy that?" Roxy asked me, sounding confused, as Jetta retrieved the phone book. "I mean, shit I sure wouldn't wanna watch any female strippers!"

I shrugged. "I dunno, it's just kinda fun to go and see you three having such a good time. And it's a night on the town! Though the guys do nothing for me."

"She just wants to see what she's missing," Pizzazz said, authoritatively.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to take our trip to the Sugar Shack. The place had closed. In fact, we couldn't find any male strip joints. We wondered if maybe the Morality Office had shut them down. (Oddly enough though, strip joints featuring female strippers were still plentiful). So we just settled for going out to a dance club.

**********
One day the butler summoned me, saying that I had a phone call. I leapt to my feet, thinking that perhaps it was Craig. It wasn't my brother, though. It was Aja Leith.

"Craig's coming in the day after tomorrow," Aja said.

"I know," I replied, smiling. It was strange to be so casually talking on the phone to one of the Holograms other than Kimber. Our feud with that band had lasted so long, and I always felt pangs of guilt whenever I thought of Jem and the Holograms and everything we'd done to them. (Even though part of me had a blast while doing it. I can be so evil.)

"Listen, I was going to meet him at the gate. I was wondering if you planned to do the same," Aja said.

"Yeah, I also wanted to meet him there. I'm planning on bringing a pizza, since he hates airplane food."

"So, do you want to carpool?" Aja asked.

"I'd love to. I guess it doesn't make sense for both of us to drive there separately."

We made plans for me to pick Aja up on the way to the airport. While in town, Craig would be using my car until he could get on his feet financially. I didn't mind if he used my vehicle; I knew that he'd sacrificed a lot to try to make it as a musician and luck hadn't smiled on him the way it had on me. He didn't have a lot of money saved, I knew.

The day finally arrived! I got up early and drove to Starlight House. My excitement over seeing Craig was tempered only by the realization that I had a long car ride to share with Aja, and then even more time together at the gate with her. What would we talk about? With Kimber, it was always easy. She was so ebullient and talkative. Aja had more seriousness to her and wasn't as outgoing; sometimes it seemed she even boarded on being stern. And I know I've said it before, but I really have felt tremendous guilt over everything the Misfits did to Jem and the Holograms. I think back to some of the stuff and I shudder. Another thing that added to the awkwardness level was the fact that Kimber had outed me to Aja. Even though I knew she might have de-outed me since then, it still felt weird. To me, this was such a personal thing, one that I didn't want to share with anyone outside of the band. It felt weird knowing that she'd been told.

So I kicked off our conversation in the car with the hot topic for the Holograms: Shana's wedding.

"She's not going to leave the band, is she?" I asked.

"No, there aren't any plans at all for her to do that," Aja replied. "We were just talking about that, and she said that they don't plan to have children anytime soon. She said that maybe once that happens, she'll take a break from the group, but that's not for a long time. And even then, she would just go on hiatus from us, but she'll never leave."

"That's good," I said. "Where will Anthony and Shana live? Can they live at Starlight House with the rest of you?"

Aja shook her head. "We're not allowed to have a man sleep over at Starlight House, since it's a foster home for girls. He has his own condo. Shana stays there sometimes and she'll probably just spend more time there. But we're adamant that she not completely move out of Starlight House! And she's so loyal, she won't do it. We want her there with us at least a couple nights a week."

"That's nice how close you all are," I said, keeping my eyes on the road.

"So how are things with the Misfits? They treating you okay?" Aja asked. She made the question sound like an innocent one. Of course, I always had to wonder what Craig has told her since he so clearly wants me to leave the group.

"Oh yeah. We're getting along better than ever. Um, I'm really glad that we called that truce with your group."

Aja nodded. "Someday you'll have to tell me how you ever got Pizzazz and the others to agree to that. And to bring gifts for Ba Nee."

For a moment or two, I found myself lost in a memory of that time. I smiled at the thoughts because it was such a good time for the group.

This is how it happened. We had reunited not long ago, after having briefly lost Pizzazz to her Riot-madness. The four of us were delighted to be back together. Pizzazz, though, was still sullen because she was realizing that the man she obsessed over wasn't interested in her; instead, his feelings were for her biggest rival, Jem. Very rarely have I ever seen Pizzazz break down, but we saw it. She opened up to us that night on the beach (the same beach where we later shot the "Now" video). We actually had a talk. It was the first time Pizzazz verbalized how much she cared for us - both as sisters and as a band.

Since that time something shifted in the band. The shift had begun when I left the group and they persuaded me to return, and the change was complete at that time. Pizzazz listened to me, to my suggestions. I adopted the role of the peace-maker in the group; I helped us get along better and work through our issues. The others followed through with what they agreed to when I had re-joined the band: they listened to my ideas and respected them. And although we've never had that "group therapy" session that we probably all need, we did manage to keep up the conversation that started on that beach.

So I think the idea of calling a truce with Jem and the Holograms - and buying departing gifts for Ba Nee - naturally flowed out of all those things. My new role and influence within the band, the fact that we were slowly facing our own childhoods, the fact that we were realizing our music was powerful and we didn't need to keep attacking Jem and her group. Instead we focused on us -- our music, what we had among us, what we meant to each other.

My pleasant reverie was interrupted by a question from Aja.

"I heard you had a tour that just finished up. How did it go?" she asked.

"It was great! They were probably the smallest venues we'd played since the band first started, but...." I let my voice trail off.

"But what can you do? Nobody plays stadiums anymore. A lot of the bigger concert halls are closed now too. So are a lot of the mid-sized ones."

I shrugged. "I kinda like the smaller places anyway. You can get great audience interaction. Pizzazz is a pro at that - she looks practically everyone in the audience in the eye. They're glued to her the entire set."

"I heard Eric's not your manager anymore," Aja said. She changed the subject a bit abruptly and I wondered if perhaps she didn't care for the adulation in my voice on the subject of Pizzazz. Well, I can't blame her since Pizzazz spearheaded so many attacks on her group, but I won't hide my feelings about Pizzazz as a performer either. She'll never win a Humanitarian award, but no one can match her strong singing voice or her on-stage charisma either.

"Yeah, he took off. Riot's not saying where he went. I'm glad to be rid of the creep myself," I said.

"He was such a scumbag," Aja breathed with enmity.

"Won't argue with you there," I said.

The more we talked, the easier it became. It was kinda cool because I knew my brother cared about this woman, and I could see why. And things would be so much easier for Craig if the two of us (and our bands) could get along.

We reached the airport and stopped at a pizza place to get Craig's favorite snack. A few people recognized us and asked for autographs; we were glad to oblige. We arrived at the gate just as people were getting off the plane.

"There he is!" I exclaimed when I saw Craig. What can I say? Maybe I was over-enthusiastic but I adore my brother. I rushed up to him and hugged him. It felt so good to get a hug since rarely did I get to experience any physical affection. Craig was the first one to let go of the hug.

He then hugged and kissed Aja. I stood back and watched them. I almost felt guilty looking; their embrace was one that nearly seemed too private to take place in front of all these people. It was almost like I could see the energy between them. A vision of Aja in a wedding gown flashed in my head and I wondered if Shana would soon be followed down the aisle. I simultaneously felt guilt at watching and happiness for them.

And then, jealousy -- as I wondered whether I could ever dare to even hope for that kind of love in my own life.

********
Riot had returned from his quick trip to Chicago. Minx and Rapture were delighted to have their leader back in town.

"Did you get what you were looking for?" Rapture asked.

"From the look on your face, I think that you did," Minx said, with a smile.

Riot nodded.

Rapture put her hands on her hips and asked, "Well, are you ever going to let us in on your scheme? What were you doing in Chicago?"

"Let's just say that we now have what we need to get rid of the Misfits once and for all," Riot said, nearly purring.

"The Misfits?" Minx asked, wrinkling her brow. "Is that what this is about? Who cares about them?"

"Yeah, ever since we hit the scene, they've been the number three band in America," Rapture added, triumphantly.

"Think about it," Riot encouraged. "We still have a lot to gain by getting rid of them. With the music business in such bad shape, it is to our advantage to have one fewer supergroup to compete with. When things turn around, they won't be around to contend with our ticket sales and album sales. And I won't have to deal with pesky Pizzazz anymore." He smiled at the thought of the chance to see Pizzazz fall apart once and for all.

"Your logic is perfect, as always. It will be nice to get to see them taken down. Again," Rapture said.

"So what's the plan?" Minx asked, intrigued.

"It's very simple. We're going to destroy the heart and soul of the group." He paused and smiled, and then spoke with utmost certainty, "They will not recover from this."

*******
TO BE CONTINUED