Making and Breaking a Punk Diva

[WildCherry19]

(This thread is now closed)

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs13/i/2007/073/2/4/She__s_a_Punk_Rock_Girl___3_by_J_s_K_Photography.jpg

Candy had been on her bed listening to music for hours, switching back and forth between doing homework and reading about her favorite bands online. It was another boring Saturday because she just couldn't force herself to focus on her homework until it was finished. This was her first semester of college, and she sure as hell didn't want to flunk out.

The whole house had been quiet all afternoon. Her parents were out with a couple of friends, and her step-brother was probably out practicing with his awesome band. She had been to every one of their shows, and now they were trying to keep going after their singer quit. She was really hoping they stayed together, but she was equally irritated he never let her come over to watch them practice! It's not like she was a kid; she was just 5 years younger than him, and they had a lot of the same friends, but he still treated her like some obnoxious kid sister.

Tossing her pencil and math book off of the bed, she rolled over and grabbed the guitar beside her bed. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror on the back of her bedroom door: long blonde hair, a loose Black Flag t-shirt that wasn't long enough to cover her toned stomach and revealed one shoulder, extensively shredded jeans. She looked more punk than he did, and he still wouldn't even let her watch them practice.

Pushing her anger down, she began playing a song she was working on, her angry but sensual voice echoing through the house.

 

[Bevatoria]

"Look, man, I think we should talk to him."

The scowl that appeared on Travis' face to that statement did not deter Will at all, and he pressed on. The two guys were walking in the same direction, in lockstep physically, but not mentally, clearly on opposite sides of the fence as Will pressed on.

"He's really been bummed out since we lost Carter. He played fine today but his heart wasn't in it." continued Will, lost in thought. "I really think we need to hash things out." He met Travis' gaze squarely. "And *not* in the garage. Somewhere without instruments, without distractions."

"His heart wasn't in it because he can't sing." snapped Travis, kicking the gravel on the ground as if that would solve their problems. "None of us can, not like Carter could." Another kick at the ground, his movements more and more forced as the frustration ebbed in his body.

"Which is why I think we should alternate singing, since-" started Will, but Travis cut him off.

"You know, Will, you're a great drummer, but there's a reason you're a great drummer." He placed a not-quite-affectionate hand on his friend's shoulder as he continued. "Because you know that's what you do. You don't sing. None of us do." He spit at the ground. "And that's the issue."

Will sighed. "Travis, I've just cut my hours back at work to commit more to the band. Shawn's been living off savings and his parents' charity for weeks now, and you-" A moment's pause as he grinned cockedly. "Well, if your boss wasn't the biggest fucking idiot on the planet, you'd be looking for work, too. We're at the make or break point, here - Carter left us at the worst possible time, just when it was all coming together."

"But I don't know what to do." Which was the problem. Although Will provided their practice area, and Shawn a contact for cheap equipment, if anyone was the leader of their band, it was Travis, not just a lead guitar in name only. "Finding someone who can just slide in as a vocalist, guitar player, *and* provide that leading charismatic figure to draw people in will be near impossible."

"So what do we do?"

The two guys stopped as Travis considered it. "I don't want to just cut bait, but....maybe we stop group practices until we find someone to fill in. Today was just a waste of time without someone to sing." He looked around, realizing that they were close to Shawn's house. "Awright, let's stop in on him."

The five minute detour to Shawn's house was passed in silence as they knocked on the door. With no answer, Travis turned the knob, and finding it unlocked, he strode right in.

"Um, ever hear of the doorbell?" asked Will.

"He won't mind us stopping in." replied Travis, frowning in concentration as familiar sounds greeted his ear. "That's odd....it sounds like a guitar playing, not a bass." Without bothering to shout any kind of a greeting, he bounded up the stairwell, Will reluctantly following.

The two of them quickly realized that the sounds were not coming from Shawn's room, but his kid sister's, and Travis unashamedly approached her room. He'd always thought she was incredibly sexy, and took every opportunity to watch her, letting her keep singing and playing until she noticed them.

"Oh...hi." started Travis, pretending that they'd just come in. "We were looking to talk to Shawn, thought he was home...." Will sidled up behind him, also pretending not to stare at her as Travis kept talking. "Will he be back any time soon?"

At her answer, he walked uninvited into her room, watching her strum the guitar. "You were sounding pretty good there...is that stuff you wrote yourself?"

 

[WildCherry19]

Candy was playing as she leaned against her headboard, singing the half-finished vocals to a song she had been working on for a few weeks. She closed her eyes tightly as she played, a habit she'd had ever since she started writing music. It kept her from being distracted and made it so she could focus even more of her energy on the sound of the music. When her eyes opened, though, she saw Travis standing on the other side of the mostly-closed door of her room.

"Oh...hi," Travis said, pushing the door open.

Blushing, she stopped playing, still holding the acoustic guitar on her lap. "Hi, Travis," she said. As Will shifted himself more into the doorway, "Hey, Will." Sitting up Indian style, she put aside the guitar on her bed, wrapping her bare feet under her knees. "What's up?"

"We were looking to talk to Shawn, thought he was home....Will he be back any time soon?"

Candy shrugged, adjusting her top so that it wasn't revealing quite as much of her bra. "I think so. He went out for a job interview, and I think he was going out for coffee with a couple friends after that, but he said he'd only be gone a few hours. Do you guys wanna wait for him?"

Travis and Will both came into the room. The walls were plastered in posters of old school punk bands like Misfits and Ramones, and some newer bands like The Distillers and Bikini Kill. An amp sat next to the bed, but the only guitar they could see was the acoustic lying on the bed. Other than that, the floor was a bit of a mess, discarded clothing lying around, a bunch of makeup lying out on a counter, and of course notebooks and schoolbooks lying open. A jump rope and some light weights were in a pile against one of the walls. "Sorry this place is a mess. . . I wasn't expecting anyone to stop by."

"You were sounding pretty good there," Travis said. "Is that stuff you wrote yourself?"

Candy looked down, smiling shyly. "Yeah," she said, "I write a little. I wanna start my own band once I get better at playing. Right now, I like my singing, but still don't play the guitar too well. But soon, you guys are gonna have some local competition!" She giggled, smiling up at them.

"I'm sorry, I'm being rude. Do you want something to drink? Sit down wherever you want." The room had one chair beside Candy's desk, but the only other sitting space was on the full-sized bed.

 

[Bevatoria]

The pretty blonde looked down, smiling. "Yeah, I write a little. I wanna start my own band once I get better at playing. Right now, I like my singing, but still don't play the guitar too well. But soon, you guys are gonna have some local competition!" she giggled.

"Maybe." replied Will, a bit downcast as Travis glared at him. Shut up, shut up Will, he thought, the beginning of a plan forming in the back of his head.

"I'm sorry, I'm being rude. Do you want something to drink? Sit down wherever you want."

Almost simultaneously, Will said "No thanks." and Travis said. "That'd be great. I'll take a beer if you've got any." As she left to get his drink, Travis shouted out, "I'd feel better about drinking one if you had one too!"

Will took a seat on the chair as Travis flopped into the bed, whispering furiously. "Come on, T! Shawn's talked to us about this, we're not supposed to hit on his little sister."

"I'm not hitting on her. I'm taking advantage of her hospitality. Besides," continued Travis, looking longingly at the doorway, "I think we might be able to kill two birds with one stone."

"Whadya mean?" As always, Will was as clueless as a pet rock to the subtle machinations in Travis' head.

"You'll see." Travis watched as Candy came back with his drink, smiling as she did. "Thanks, beautiful." Will's eyebrow shot up as Travis took a sip of his drink. "Take it as a compliment for your being such a kind hostess."

A moment passed as Travis looked down idly before speaking. "So, you say you've got interest in forming a band...have you tracked down any members yet? Any idea who you want to play with you?"

Travis nodded knowingly at her answer. "Yeah. That's the hardest part, actually, finding people and getting them to stick it out- we thought we had a good thing going before we lost our lead singer...such a shame, really." He sipped his drink again. "We just thought we were going to make it big, and now..."

 

[WildCherry19]

"That'd be great. I'll take a beer if you've got any." As she left to get his drink, Travis shouted out, "I'd feel better about drinking one if you had one too!"

Candy giggled. Travis had to know she wasn't twenty-one yet. . . she just turned nineteen a month ago, and she wasn't going to risk drinking at her parents house. When she was OUT of the house, that was another story completely.

She was a little nervous. Even though she had seen these guys a bunch of times, they'd never really given her any attention, and barely even made eye contact with her. She wondered if they'd start treating her like a pest again as soon as her brother got back home. If they did, that would really piss her off, and probably fuel another song or two.

Walking back into her bedroom, she was smiling as she offered Travis a beer.

"Thanks, beautiful," Travis said, taking a sip. Candy could feel herself blushing, still smiling, a little nervously. "Take it as a compliment for your being such a kind hostess," he continued.

"It's no problem," she stammered, sliding back onto the bed and lying on her side, head propped up on her hand. This caused her shirt to slide further up her toned midriff, showing five or six inches of her toned stomach.

"So, you say you've got interest in forming a band...have you tracked down any members yet? Any idea who you want to play with you?"

Candy shrugged. "Not really . . . I like doing fairly traditional punk, just a little bit poppy, like The Distillers or something. I don't know too many people who want to start punk bands . . . everybody is either doing electronic music or they want a heavy metal band."

"Yeah. That's the hardest part, actually, finding people and getting them to stick it out- we thought we had a good thing going before we lost our lead singer...such a shame, really." He sipped his drink again. "We just thought we were going to make it big, and now..."

"What about Shawn? I thought he was gonna start singing for you?" As she said this, Candy started wondering if there was any way. . . I mean, if Shawn wasn't going to work out, would they do try-outs? Would she have a chance of letting them hear her really sing some of their music? She wanted to blurt out she would love to try singing with them, but she knew that would make her seem like a kid sister again, and she wanted to seem cool. As cool as Travis and Will.

When she heard Travis's answer, she said, "That's too bad. But, well, maybe I could come by when you practice. I mean, I know the lyrics to all your songs, so I could sing for you until you, like, find a permanent replacement or whatever. I mean, If you wanted me to keep singing for you, I would, but I don't know if you'd want a female vocalist. And you guys are exactly the kind of band I want to be in, so . . . I mean, if you wanted me to." Candy was now blushing deeply, knowing that her attempt at being casual had failed miserably, and she had sounded like every bit as much of a nerd as she felt right now.

 

[Bevatoria]

"What about Shawn? I thought he was gonna start singing for you?"

"Hmpf." replied Travis, hiding his glances at Candy's exposed stomach a bit better then Will was. "Shawn's the king of bass players, but there's a reason he sang backup for Carter." A cockeyed grin appeared on his face. "And a reason I don't sing at all."

"It seems to mess up our groove, man." finished Will.

"That's too bad. But, well, maybe I could come by when you practice. I mean, I know the lyrics to all your songs, so I could sing for you until you, like, find a permanent replacement or whatever. I mean, If you wanted me to keep singing for you, I would, but I don't know if you'd want a female vocalist. And you guys are exactly the kind of band I want to be in, so . . . I mean, if you wanted me to."

Well, that eliminates one problem. Travis had never really believed Shawn whenever he mentioned that Candy 'idolized' the band, even when he saw how eager she was at the rare practices that Shawn let her attend. But seeing her here now, gushing like some random teenager over the latest boy band...suddenly, his thoughts were turning darker.

"...I suppose we could try it." Luckily, Will's shocked expression was out of Candy's field of view as Travis improvised. "You practicing with us, I mean. It'll at least keep us from losing our edge while we find a permanent vocalist." Travis' supposedly carefree shrug was matched by a smile as he edged closer to the nineteen year old. "And if things work out, who knows...?"

Again, Will was desperately mouthing what-the-fuck behind her as Travis's mind started whirling again. "We'd need to find another guitar player, since Carter was one too, but that's the easy part - those are a dime a dozen." He chuckled. "You ever been on stage before? In front of a crowd?"

 

[WildCherry19]

"...I suppose we could try it. You practicing with us, I mean. It'll at least keep us from losing our edge while we find a permanent vocalist." Travis shrugged and moved a little closer to her on the bed. "And if things work out, who knows...?"

Candy couldn't help smiling. "Really? That would be awesome. I even know your older songs, the ones you did when. . . well, when Will was TRYING to sing vocals right after you started," she said with a smile. "When is your next practice? My schedule is pretty much open," she said, knowing that if she had to skip a class or two in order to make it to a band practice, she would do it without thinking about it. This was too awesome, and she wasn't going to miss out on the chance to be in a real band. . . let alone an excellent band.

"You ever been on stage before? In front of a crowd?" Travis said.

"Umm, not really," Candy said, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head. "I was in a play when I was in eighth grade, but I was one of the trees in the background. It wasn't exactly something I would call 'experience.' Is it weird? I mean, you guys have done it a lot now. Do you still get nervous?" she said to Travis, her blue eyes looking into his.

 

[Bevatoria]

"When is your next practice? My schedule is pretty much open."

"Tomorrow, at noon." At this point, Travis wasn't sure what kept Will from gaping in shock at Travis' statement - they *hadn't* scheduled a practice, and that was what they were coming over to talk to Shawn about.

"We'd need to find another guitar player, since Carter was one too, but that's the easy part - those are a dime a dozen." He chuckled. "You ever been on stage before? In front of a crowd?"

"Umm, not really," said Candy, stretching her arms in a way that made her shirt ride up even more, her back arching slightly in a way that made Travis' grin just a bit. "I was in a play when I was in eighth grade, but I was one of the trees in the background. It wasn't exactly something I would call 'experience.' Is it weird? I mean, you guys have done it a lot now. Do you still get nervous?"

Yes. thought Travis, but before he could bullshit some meaningless lie about practice making the difference, Will finally butted in.

"Oh yeah. My hands almost shake every time I pick up the sticks when we're about to play live..." gushed Will, and Travis rolled his eyes as soon as Candy's back was turned to him. A beat later, Travis laid a hand on her shoulder in what was meant to look like a friendly gesture, although his hand did sneak under her shirt onto her shoulder.

"Not necessarily. Everyone gets butterflies before the show, but I usually remind myself that aside from solos, most eyes will be on the lead singer." He smiled warmly. "That's just how it is. You'd be the band's 'frontman', the first thing people look at during a show. If there's no reason to focus on anyone else, people look at the singer, right?"

At her response, Travis 'accidentally' slipped the shirt off of her shoulder, being careful not to make it too obvious he was just trying to see more skin; if she was that eager to get into the band, Candy hopefully wouldn't read too much into him being so closer to her. He squeezed her hand reassuringly as he continued.

"Listen, I don't want to put so much pressure on you so soon, but I need to know...how much do you want to become our lead singer?" At Travis's statement, Will's eyes were flashing DANGER! DANGER! signs, but he continued unheeded. "I'm not promising anything, but if you impress us during the next few practices, well..." As he looked into her eyes, Travis nodded imperceptibly at Will, hoping he'd let him explain himself a bit later. "...I could give you a few tips to help you along."

 

[WildCherry19]

Travis laid a hand on Candy's shoulder, and she felt his rough fingertips against the bare skin of her shoulder. She was too intent on what he was saying to think much of it, though, imagining herself on a stage in front of a packed club.

"Everyone gets butterflies before the show, but I usually remind myself that aside from solos, most eyes will be on the lead singer." He smiled warmly. "That's just how it is. You'd be the band's 'frontman', the first thing people look at during a show. If there's no reason to focus on anyone else, people look at the singer, right?"

Candy shook her head. "Yeah, that makes sense. . . the lead singer usually is the one people focus on. I don't think that will bother me, though. . . I mean, I'll get used to it, I think." She shrugged a little as Travis lifted his hand from her shoulder, and it caused her shirt to slide down off of her shoulder, showing about half of the left cup of her bra. She slowly reached down and pulled the shirt up far enough to cover it again, assuming it had been the timing of her shrug that made it fall off.

"Listen, I don't want to put so much pressure on you so soon, but I need to know...how much do you want to become our lead singer? I'm not promising anything, but if you impress us during the next few practices, well...I could give you a few tips to help you along."

Leaning forward, her loose top hanging far enough forward to show Travis an eyeful of bra, Candy said, "I definitely want to be your lead singer. 100%. And I'm gonna try really hard to give you guys exactly what you want," she said innocently. "I just hope you like it."

 

[Bevatoria]

"I definitely want to be your lead singer. 100%. And I'm gonna try really hard to give you guys exactly what you want. I just hope you like it."

Oh, I think I will. Her innocent look inflamed his lust as he stole a glance down her shirt, her breasts straining against her bra under his gaze, but he knew he couldn't be too obvious about this. Will was little more then a staring simpleton at this point, still not knowing what Travis was thinking as he took Candy's hands in his again.

"If you really want to impress the guys tomorrow, I need you to do two things." He looked around, pretending to be lost in thought, which was half true - he needed to wonder how to say what he wanted to say without being obvious about it, although that would be the second thing. "The first thing is, don't tell Shawn - I'll talk to him about it. Don't mention a thing about this to him, as it'll be our little secret, okay?"

He stopped grasping her hands. "The second thing is...I'd like you to dress up a bit during rehearsals." He held up his hands impassively. "Not fancy or anything, but like you would on stage, if you were doing a show. We know you can sing, and that you know our stuff - and we'd obviously make some changes to accommodate you." He grinned slightly. "If we make it that far."

"But as I started talking about before, being a singer is about more then just singing - stage presence is a big part of it too. We'll teach you about how to project confidence, to show charisma - " Travis looked at her again. "-although you probably don't need a lot of help in that department." He started to stand up. "But how you dress on stage is a bit part of that too."

"Let me show you one example." He held out his hand like a gentleman, pulling Candy to her feet as he turned her towards a mirror. "You look pretty good right now, but as a punk-" And he gently grabbed the shoulder of her shirt in one hand. "-you don't care about how you look. You're disinterested in what others think about your choice in clothing." With that, he pulled the shoulder of her tshirt down her arm, exposing her bra strap to his and Will's hungry gazes.

"You were hiding that from us earlier. But you can't do that. If you don't care about how you look, you don't care if your underwear's peeking out, right?" Of course, with almost all of the strap showing it was doing a bit more then peeking out, but Travis hoped his carefree smile and expression - and the fact he'd let go of her shirt - would sway her to the bullshit he was spewing out. "If you want to impress us, then dress up for rehearsals like you would for shows. Think of it like an extended audition."

 

[WildCherry19]

"The first thing is, don't tell Shawn - I'll talk to him about it. Don't mention a thing about this to him, as it'll be our little secret, okay?"

"Okay," Candy said with a shrug, hoping all his requests would be that easy. Now that she saw how cool Travis was, she was even more irritated at her brother for being such a jerk about never letting her come to rehearsals. Travis wasn't treating her like a kid sister, though. . . he was treating her like a singer, and she liked that.

"But how you dress on stage is a bit part of that too. Let me show you one example." Travis reached down to her, so Candy took his hand and was pulled to her feet. With his hands on her arms, he turned her to face the mirror on the back of her door. "You look pretty good right now, but as a punk--" She felt Travis take the shoulder of her shirt between his fingers "--you don't care about how you look. You're disinterested in what others think about your choice in clothing." With that, he pulled the shoulder of her t-shirt down her arm, exposing her bra strap. "You were hiding that from us earlier. But you can't do that. If you don't care about how you look, you don't care if your underwear's peeking out, right?"

She was nervous since they were both looking at her and so much of her bra was showing, but she didn't resist. After all, what he was saying made sense--it wouldn't be very punk of her to always be adjusting her clothes, would it? In fact, this bra wasn't very punk, either. . . she'd have to think about what she owned that would work for playing on stage. She thought it would probably require buying a lot of new things.

"If you want to impress us, then dress up for rehearsals like you would for shows. Think of it like an extended audition."

"Okay," Candy said softly. "Like, I don't want to sound stupid, but what kind of look should I go for? I have a lot of band shirts like this one, and maybe I could add some holes to them . . . And I have some holy fishnet tights and stuff, but like. . . is there anything in particular that you'd like to see me in?" she said, innocent of how many ways that could be taken.

She turned to Travis and Will, smiling. "Sorry, I'm just nervous. I'll pick something out that looks really punk," she said with a smile, brushing her hair back. "And you guys will help me, right? Tell me what looks good and what doesn't?"

 

[Bevatoria]

"Okay, Like, I don't want to sound stupid, but what kind of look should I go for? I have a lot of band shirts like this one, and maybe I could add some holes to them . . . And I have some holy fishnet tights and stuff, but like. . . is there anything in particular that you'd like to see me in?"

"We'll probably need to try out lots of looks." Will's voice almost started Travis as the clueless drummer finally spoke up, and Travis nodded in approval. "Just to see what fits in with our style."

"I hope you're willing to be flexible." Travis might as well have not said that; Candy had acquiesced to so much this far that he had little to worry about. "Fishnets would be great - maybe those and short shorts to our first practice and we'll have more suggestions for you later."

"Sorry, I'm just nervous. I'll pick something out that looks really punk," said Candy, brushing her hair back. "And you guys will help me, right? Tell me what looks good and what doesn't?"

"Of course." smiled Travis, placing a friendly hand on her thigh, once again under her shirt so he could feel her bare skin; he ached to do more then that with how compliant the teenage vixen had been so far, but he reminded himself to be patient; if he played this right he - and the guys in the band, willingly or not - would get so much more. "What are bandmates for, after all?"

Realizing he'd probably pushed his luck a bit too far, he backed off unobtrusively. "So tomorrow, noon, at Will's house - and remember, dress to impress!"

 

[WildCherry19]

"I hope you're willing to be flexible," Travis said, and Candy smiled, nodding that she would be.

"Fishnets would be great - maybe those and short shorts to our first practice and we'll have more suggestions for you later."

Candy stood with her shirt still hanging off of her shoulder, quite a bit of her bra visible, smiling at them excitedly. "Okay, great! Thank you for letting me help out with the band and everything," she said, still trying to feign being calm, but she knew it wasn't working. This was awesome!

As Candy spoke, Travis reached out and put his hand against her bare side. Travis definitely seemed like someone who liked touching people when he talked to them. As he said a few more reassuring words about helping her to find a look that would work with the band, Candy smiled, sliding her hands in her back pockets.

"So tomorrow, noon, at Will's house - and remember, dress to impress!" Travis said as the two of them headed out the door. As soon as they had left the house, Candy started giggling, falling back on the bed. This. Was. Awesome.

---

The next morning, Candy was pulling out things she might wear today, trying on ann endless stream of outfits to try and find something that would be both punk and sexy. When she finally found a top she liked--a white Ramones tanktop--she took some scissors to it. Then, she finally settled on a pair of jean shorts and took the scissors to them as well. When she'd finished, she stood in front of the mirror, looking at her outfit. It was a little sluttier looking than she'd pictured it in her head, but it was definitely punk. She slid the top off now, realizing that without a bra underneath it, her nipples would show pretty obviously. Sliding on a sexy half-cup bra, she slid the top back on. "That's better," she said with a smile.

The top was cut off jaggedly a few inches below her breasts. She had cut quite a few horizontal slices across both the front and back, revealing slivers of skin, a couple of which revealed glimpses of the tops of her breasts.

The jean shorts were fairly standard, although they were riding very low on her hips, except for the ragged holes that now showed a little bit of each butt cheek. Her holy fishnet tights and 4-inch heeled black leather boots completed the look.

With her outfit complete, she applied some black mascara and a dark red lipstick, then headed for Will's house.

At a few minutes until noon, Candy knocked on Will's door, then slid her hands in her back pockets nervously. She waited to see who would answer the door, really hoping it wouldn't be Shawn. She was still a little worried he'd be pissed at her, although she was more than ready to tell him off if he started giving her shit.

 

[Bevatoria]

"Okay, please explain to me what the fuck just went on in there." asked Will, the moment they'd left Shawn and Candy's house.

For his part, the grin on his face could not be broken even by a semi-irritated drummer. "Come on, Will, we've got our own band hottie now! Tell me that's not a good thing."

"I'm not denying that, dumbass. First off, this is more then just her being a groupie - you basically promised her the lead singer's job. Second, we still need another guitar player. She said she can't play well enough, and I'm sure you know even if guitar players are a dime a dozen, that finding the right one isn't just a matter of picking one up off the street. Especially finding one willing to play second fiddle to you."

Travis' mock-nasty glare at him had no effect as Will continued to make his point.

"And third...there's no way you get Shawn on board with this."

Travis' eyebrow arched upward in response. "Oh really? How much you wanna bet?"

Will frowned in concentration before his expression turned sober. "I never win when you bet with me...."

"Exactly." He laid a hand on Will's shoulder. "I always think things through."

"Bullshit. You didn't go in there with the intention of making Candy our new lead singer."

"You're right." responded Travis. "I can do more then that."

Will went silent as Travis continued his long winded explanation.

"First - I haven't promised her anything, but yes, for all intents and purposes, she will be our new lead singer." He met his friends' gaze squarely.

"Second - I've already got a player lined up. We'll grab Marco."

"Doesn't he not speak English?" asked Will.

"Just because he speaks another language doesn't mean he can't speak English, dummy. And if things go to plan, I'll have no issue playing 'second fiddle' to him in guitar since I'll be busy doing...other things to help the band get farther. And as for Shawn...we'll just have to get him used to the idea. I've seen the way he looks at Candy even as he 'claims' to protect her. With some gentle persuasion, I'm sure he'll see things our way."

"*Our* way?"

"Yes. Our way." Travis slapped Will upside the head. "Whatever she wears tomorrow will just be the beginning. Candy agreed to whatever we suggested - we just need to push her further and further, and get Shawn used to seeing his stepsister as something else entirely."

Will's expression showed only the slightest bit of comprehension as they kept walking down the road.

*******************

Although they'd set the practice for noon, the four guys had been there more then a half hour going through some things. Marco was still hooking up his guitar, chittering happily to himself half in English and half in Spanish, leaving Will shaking his head as he tuned up his drums.

Shawn and Travis were talking in the house, their equipment already set up in the garage, Shawn's gaze baring down on the smaller man.

"Just let us try it for a couple of weeks, Shawn." pleaded Travis. "If she doesn't work out, I promise I'll let her go gently."

"She's family, dude." snapped Shawn. "I don't want her to be a part of this...."

"Family to you. To us, she's what's going to make this work." Travis looked down, pretending to compromise while asking for what he really wanted. "One week. Give me one week with her in our group and if it doesn't work, we'll cut bait and find someone else."

"Why didn't you ask me about any of this?"

"I made a judgment call." He looked his friend in the eyes, pleading with him. "Come on, dude...give me a chance to make us great."

"I don't know...I liked it with four people. Five seems a bit unwieldy."

"Trust me...four guys and one girl is exactly what we want." A knock on the door broke their reverie, and Travis strode towards it, Shawn following behind him.

He opened it with a smile, knowing who it'd be, and it took every ounce of effort from Travis to not look Candy up and down, so he stepped back in mock politeness, wanting to see her whole outfit. Even Shawn, still smoldering from his heated conversation with Travis, was a bit taken aback by how his stepsister was dressed, her shredded tank top gashed with cuts, her bra showing through in several places. Her jean shorts hung low on her hips, cuts and slits showing in them and her fishnet stockings, which ran down to a well chosen pair of leather boots.

There were very few woman alive who didn't look better wearing a pair of heeled boots. That category got a bit slimmer if you included the ones who looked better with most of their stomach exposed, and even with his restraint Travis had to steal a glance at Candy's toned torso.

"Glad you showed up." He leaned in, cupping her ass briefly to move her forward; she'd seemed comfortable with his touching and wanted to get her used to the idea; even with as fast as this was moving, Travis wanted to be careful to build the right foundation first, and he matched stride besides her - hands off, although still close by.

Shawn's gaze softened, but only slightly, clearly not happy with the recent turn of events as the three of them made their way to Will's garage. It was a small, spartan house, but it had a garage, and, more importantly, Will lived alone. Small patches of carpet lined the concrete floor, protecting the musical equipment from the unforgiving surface, electrical wires and cords wildly splayed about, hooking up the amplifiers, speakers, and mics.

Will didn't move from his drummers seat - 'locked' into place, as he called it - although his head snapped around the moment Candy strutted in, as Travis motioned to Marco.

"This is Marco. He'll be our new guitar player, hopefully, so that all you have to do is sing."

"'Allo." He took Candy's hand and kissed it politely. "It is an honor to play with one such as you." His heavy accent clouded the words a little.

"Okay, let's do mic checks." Travis gently pushed into the small of Candy's back to nudge her towards the microphone, which faced the closed garage door. "Candy, let's see if your levels are okay..."

 

[WildCherry19]

Candy smiled up at Travis as he opened the door. "Glad you showed up," he said, his hand suddenly on her butt and prodding her through the doorway. She blushed since his hand had landed on one of the holes in her jeans, and she'd just felt his fingers on her bare ass. She knew it hadn't been on purpose, but it still made her heartbeat speed up a little.

She looked around at the practice space. It was larger than she'd imagine, which was good since the band was even bigger now: someone she didn't recognize was tuning a guitar while smiling at her.

"This is Marco," Travis said. "He'll be our new guitar player, hopefully, so that all you have to do is sing."

"'Allo." Marco took Candy's hand and kissed it politely. "It is an honor to play with one such as you."

Candy giggled. "You haven't even heard me sing yet!" she said, glad he seemed like a nice guy, even if it was hard to understand what he was saying a little.

"Okay, let's do mic checks." Travis gently pushed into the small of Candy's back to nudge her towards the microphone, which faced the closed garage door. "Candy, let's see if your levels are okay..."

"Okay," Candy said, still feeling his hand against her lower back. "Testing, testing," she said with a giggle. Then, she sang a couple lines from an old Misfits song:
"Die, die, die my darling,
don't utter a single word,
die, die, die my darling,
shut your pretty eyes.
I'll be seeing you again.
I'll be seeing you in hell."

As they finished adjusting the volume and the mic was lowered a little bit more, Candy wrapped her hand around the mic stand, nervous and really needing to hold onto something. She was trying to look cool, but she felt like she'd just drank a couple Red Bulls.

Fortunately, the band started off by practicing some of their more popular songs which she knew inside and out. Closing her eyes, she began alternating with a soft, emotive voice during the verses and a raspier, very aggressive singing style during the choruses. She was still nervously clinging to the mic stand, though, and realized it about halfway through the first song. She forced herself to let go of it and took the mic out of the stand. Whipping the cord away from it, she felt a sudden surge of confidence as she saw the way Travis was smiling at her. Bending over and chanting the chorus once again, she knew her singing was matching up with the music's tone better than it had at first. She began walking around the floor a little more, her confidence level creeping higher with each passing verse.

After a few songs, her pacing was turning into more of a primal, violent belly dancing. Her eyes were still tightly closed, but her timid expression was dissolving and being replaced with sneers, pursed lips, and more expressiveness.

"Tell me something,
tell me something,
will I die, will I die on a rope?
Tell me something,
tell me something,
will I die, will I die on a rope?

When they took a break between songs, a lot of her shyness came creeping back in. She gently put the mic back in the stand and squeezed the cold metal as she looked around at the guys. She felt like she'd sounded great, but it didn't matter too much whether she was impressed or not.

Giggling and nervously brushing back some of her hair, covered in a light misting of sweat, she said, "How was that?"

 

[Bevatoria]

"How was that?"

For a plan that had been improvised in the span of several minutes in her bedroom, and was being thrown together pretty much on the fly, Travis was impressed by how it all seemed to be flowing. She had gotten more and more comfortable moving in the practice area, and Marco had even started some headbanging - not as much as they'd do on a show, but still some as the music moved them. Will was doing his thing, grooving in the back with the drums wildly crashing. Even Shawn, as he was still brooding about having his kid sister along, was getting into it.

Still, Travis had to keep her on edge. The job was hers, but he still wanted some leverage, so he sighed.

"Pretty good." He said, seemingly detached from it all. "For someone who's never sung with us before you're doing a fine job." Travis looked her up and down. "You've got good stage presence - don't be afraid to 'get into it' a little more with the band. Leaning into Marco or me on choruses, singing verses while looking at Shawn, or dancing at the back during a drum solo." He wanted her thinking about how she moved on the stage, and knowing that they liked that about her, and wanted her to do more of it.

"Okay, let's try 'Bludgeon'...."

They did a few more songs, and Travis tried not to stare as Candy tried to take his advice to heart, getting even more into the music, interacting with the guys on stage as she sang. It was all a part of what he was going to end their practice with.

Eventually, everyone looked a bit winded, but Travis wanted to do one more.

"You guys think you got one more in you?"

Will, being insane, nodded. Shawn flexed his hands but also inclined his head. Marco seemed unsure of himself, but Travis had a plan for that.

"We won't need you on this song. We're going to try 'Heartbreaker.' "

The two guys who knew the song arched their eyebrows in confusion, but Travis pulled out a chair. "We only need one guitar. Marco, sit here." The Mexican nodded as Travis turned towards their lead singer.

"You know how 'Heartbreaker' is about a guy singing about a girl normally?"

At her reaction, he continued. "Just flip the lyrics around. So that you're singing about 'yourself'. But not really. Remember, we're just performing, so you're only pretending to sing about a lying cheat who leads other guys on." He placed a reassuring hand on her bare shoulder. "Okay?"

He moved into position. "You'll also be dancing very close to Marco. Like he's the guy who's heart you're breaking. Don't afraid to get very personal with him, like you're torturing him with your body." At her nervous glance, he again tried to smile reassuringly. "We're just putting on a show. This isn't for real."

Although the guys' reactions to it would be...

 

[WildCherry19]

"For someone who's never sung with us before you're doing a fine job." Travis looked her up and down. "You've got good stage presence - don't be afraid to 'get into it' a little more with the band. Leaning into Marco or me on choruses, singing verses while looking at Shawn, or dancing at the back during a drum solo."

"Okay," Candy said with a shrug, thinking that sounded easy enough. Really, what she had been the most nervous about was singing these songs that already belonged to the rest of them, and making it sound like she was just as capable of doing them justice. Dancing and writhing around on stage. . . well, that was the easy part!

"Okay, let's try 'Bludgeon'...."

As the band blasted into Bludgeon, Candy was dancing even more animatedly, hands behind her head and her hips swaying. She pulled the mic from its stand and crossed the stage slowly, walking up to Marco and standing back to back with him, her ass against him as she started dancing again. Candy was smiling and biting her lip playfully, able to tell Marco was more nervous with her dancing against him than usual. Just to torment him more, she slid away from him and, while standing just far enough away he could still play, started belly dancing again, looking into his eyes and slowly running her tongue along her lips.

When Bludgeon was over, Travis said, "You guys think you got one more in you?"

Candy was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling quickly, and her skin glistening. "Sure," she said, grabbing a nearby bottle of water and drinking some.

Travis sat "You know how 'Heartbreaker' is about a guy singing about a girl normally?"

"Yeah," Candy said nervously, looking down at the floor. She liked the song, but the lyrics had always seemed kind of mean and degrading.

At her reaction, Travis continued. "Just flip the lyrics around. So that you're singing about 'yourself'."

At this, Candy felt even more nervous. Singing such degrading things about herself was something she hadn't thought about. . . she was worried she wouldn't be able to get as into her stage presence while singing about being a slut, and saying lots of other really dirty things.

Travis continued. "But not really. Remember, we're just performing, so you're only pretending to sing about a lying cheat who leads other guys on." He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "Okay?"

Candy nodded, looking up obediently into Travis's eyes. "Okay," she said. "Can I have just a moment to think about the lyrics?"

Candy began singing the verses quietly to herself, figuring out how she would need to change them. Finally, when everyone was ready, the song started.

She was dancing in front of Marco, her hips and belly gyrating as she smirked at him. She then turned her back to him, sliding onto his lap and leaning her head back against his shoulder. Reaching down, she took his hand and slowly slid it down her stomach, then let it rest against her hip as she sang the first verse. With all of the holes in her jeans, she could feel his fingers resting gently against her bare skin in several places.

Dirty little girls are a dime a dozen
And now you know I'm one of 'em
A bad little bitch who needs a spanking
The way I use men it's a shame, but they thank me!

Turning toward him, Candy started lap-dancing on one of his legs, sliding herself along him, and getting a little turned on in the process. Lifting his hands, she placed them on her bare waist as she danced closer and closer to Mark, her chest bouncing lightly just a few inches from his face. All the while, she continued singing.

I'm a slut, I'll give you what you want
I'm a tease, you'll have to take what you need
I'm not nice, you'll have to send me to my maker
A heartbreaker!

During the last performance of the chorus, Candy pushed his legs apart and dropped to her knees, looking up at him naughtily as she sang in a breathy voice, "Let's see what happens when you've got me on my knees!"

When the song was over, Candy couldn't help giggling at her whole performance, hoping she wouldn't be in trouble for being so completely over the top. She looked over at Travis, biting her lip, having no idea how he would react.

 

[Bevatoria]

Poor, poor Marco. thought Travis. Dude thinks he's getting a song off and all he's getting is a case of blue balls. As he ripped into the opening riff of 'Heartbreaker', his only regret was that the heavy guitar parts were so complicated that he wouldn't be able to gaze at Candy's entire performance to see if she took the lyrics to heart.

Marco watched, eyes and smile widening as Candy smirked at him, turning away and sliding into his lap. He breathed in as she leaned her head against his shoulder, her ass grinding into his jeans, right on his hardening member. She took a free hand with her, sliding it down her torso, and Marco couldn't resist a squeeze as he felt her soft skin, his hand settling on her hip as she sang.

Dirty little girls are a dime a dozen
And now you know I'm one of 'em
A bad little bitch who needs a spanking
The way I use men it's a shame, but they thank me!

Marco didn't bother to hide his lecherous gaze, unnoticed by Candy as she focused on her singing and seduction, sliding her body up his leg, once again grabbing his hands and placing them on her waist, as he discreetly slid her shorts down a notch to expose more skin, not missing her barely covered tits shaking inches from his face, cleavage and bra shown freely for him.

I'm a slut, I'll give you what you want
I'm a tease, you'll have to take what you need
I'm not nice, you'll have to send me to my maker
A heartbreaker!

What happened next, thankfully after he'd hit the last enduring chord of the song, would cement in Travis' mind forever that this had been the right idea.

"Let's see what happens when you've got me on my knees!"

He could see Macro lock his gaze on Candy as she slid down to her knees in front of him. And her look at Marco was purely naughty, sensual, dirty....and it had been less then 24 hours since they'd asked her to become their lead singer. The best part was, Candy's giggles after the fact seemed to indicate that she had little idea what kind of an effect she was having on the guys, biting her lower lip as she looked at Travis.

He struggled not to look away, trying to look at the band in his peripheral vision. Marco was gaping, Will was looking in shock, and Shawn looked...impressed.

But Shawn was looking at Travis, not Candy. Travis tried to contain his wide grin, but couldn't - if he had Shawn on board, this would all work.

"That was great!" He gushed. "I can't wait until we can script a whole routine for you." Shit, I wasn't supposed to say that out loud. Think fast.... "...assuming you do well at our next practice."

It was then everyone's gazes locked in on him, and Travis knew he had them all. The guys, with the promise of more exposure of Candy, and Candy...with the idea of being in the band. So, he was lost in thought, wondering when the next time they could get together was, meaning when was the next time he could make this work.

"Saturday night?" he asked. "7:00 PM? Then we can go out for drinks afterwards." Things were progressing better then he could have hoped, so he didn't bother to see if the guys acquiesced. "I'll walk her to the door while you guys tear down." He slid his hand onto her bare back, feeling her sweat as he walked her back into Will's house, so that they could talk alone.

"I just wanted to say that...you were amazing." He said that as soon as they were out of earshot, and Travis grasped her shoulders warmly, wanting her to get used to the idea of his hands on her skin being nothing threatening. "I didn't want to make them think that I was playing favorites with you...but I think you'll fulfill all of our wildest dreams."

He was glad she didn't seem to catch the full meaning of what he said, but he looked down at her. "I've got a request for Saturday night...and I hope you're willing to do it for me."

"You have one of our band shirts, right?" He knew the answer to that, but Travis didn't want to tip her off as to how much he was planning this out. "For Saturday's rehearsal, you can wear the rest of your outfit just like you did...but I want you to wear one of our shirts, with no cuts in it. Just once." He smiled at her genuinely. "The rest of the time, you can cut everything up and show as much skin as you want. In fact, I'd encourage it, to sell the punk image of not caring about what others think about your look.."

 

[WildCherry19]

"That was great!" Travis said, walking closer. "I can't wait until we can script a whole routine for you...assuming you do well at our next practice."

Candy nodded, understanding it was gonna take a while before she was accepted as a full-fledged member of the band. She knew she'd be spending a lot of time over the next few days practicing, and her next performance would be even better.

"Saturday night?" he asked. "7:00 PM? Then we can go out for drinks afterwards."

"Definitely!" Candy said, hoping she didn't sound too eager. She was still trying to be cool about everything, but it was hard because she was having so much fun. The adrenaline coursing through her veins made her feel more alert and alive than she had in quite a while. "Do you mean, go out for beers or something? Because I'm not 21 yet," she said, sliding her hands in her back pockets again, her back slightly arched as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"I'll walk her to the door while you guys tear down," Travis said, sliding his hand onto her back and guiding her toward the door. She walked with him, a smile on her face, and she thought it would be impossible to sleep tonight!

"I just wanted to say that...you were amazing," Travis said as soon as they were inside. His hands grasped her shoulders, squeezing them reassuringly. "I didn't want to make them think that I was playing favorites with you...but I think you'll fulfill all of our wildest dreams."

Candy giggled again, blushing as she looked up at him. "You think we'll be more popular than you were before?" she said, wondering if it would be possible to go on a real tour. That would be so awesome!

"I've got a request for Saturday night...and I hope you're willing to do it for me."

"Sure," Candy said sweetly, "I'll do whatever you want!"

"You have one of our band shirts, right?"

Candy smiled, tossing her hair back with one hand. "One of them? I have like five," she said.

Travis said, "For Saturday's rehearsal, you can wear the rest of your outfit just like you did...but I want you to wear one of our shirts, with no cuts in it. Just once. The rest of the time, you can cut everything up and show as much skin as you want. In fact, I'd encourage it, to sell the punk image of not caring about what others think about your look."

"Yeah," she said with a shrug, "I can definitely do that, no problem. I'll be there," she said. "Travis . . . thanks for everything," she said nervously, turning to leave.

***

Over the next few days, Candy spent an hour or two each night practicing. Not singing, because that was the easiest part of it all. Performing was harder, though, since she didn't normally consider herself a "sexy" sort of girl. She had always been more of a tomboy before now, listening to loud and angry bands, playing a totally phallic instrument, and spending more time going out and causing trouble than thinking about boys or makeup.

Now, she was watching videos of female singers for ideas. She was spending time practicing her belly dancing for the sexier parts of the songs, and practicing writhing and arching her back on the floor--something she hadn't tried at the last practice, but that might be kind of sexy when one of the guys was soloing, or when the show was hitting its climax. By the time Saturday rolled around, she was feeling more in shape and ready for the practice.

The problem with her shirts for the band, though, was that all of them had one bare shoulder and was too short to cover all of her stomach. Travis had said it shouldn't have any cuts or tears in it, but did that mean it should cover all of her skin? She didn't know, but it was too late to ask him before hand. Surely Will had to have boxes of their band shirts around somewhere, anyway.

She slid into the band shirt, then put on a short, frilly black skirt and her black fishnets with the same boots as last time. To switch up her look a little bit more, she put her hair in pigtails. She didn't know what the guys would think of it, but they HAD said she should experiment with her look, hadn't they?

Arriving a few minutes early, Candy was nervous about just walking in, so she once again rang the doorbell and waited, her legs a little cold in the night air.

 

[Bevatoria]

Once again, everything was in place beforehand, as Travis had instructed the rest of the guys to show up even earlier. It actually *had* been standard practice for instrument players to show up before singers at their practices, although they'd only had a dedicated singer in their very earliest days, so they'd just set the practices for earlier.

Plus, Travis liked the look of her always being the last to arrive.

As it was, Travis had been tuning his guitar, before he heard the knock on the front door. He took a moment to place his guitar carefully on the stand - Marco didn't even look up from his tuning, Shawn was busy at the board, and Will was already 'locked in'. He stepped into the main foyer, taking a quick look out the peephole to see if it was Candy.

It was, and he saw her shiver a bit. The shirt did expose her shoulder and show the bottom portion of her stomach, but all in all she was still more modestly dressed then during the first practice. A short frilly black skirt with fishnets and books completed her look, and Travis had to pull himself away to open the door - she was still hot.

"Heya." Travis pulled her in for a quick hug, his hand discreetly snaking up her exposed back as he did. "The shirt looks perfect, by the way - I just wanted you wearing one as proof of your commitment to our band. I promise later on you can tear one up to look more punk."

They walked together through the main area. "Some of us have started working on some songs better suitable for a female lead - as the band gets better chemistry, we can try some of those once they're fleshed out. If you have any, let us know and we can take a look." They stood at the periphery of the garage, and Travis turned to her squarely.

"I just want you to know - if you do really well during this practice, while we can't make it official until we do a show, unofficially....well, you'll be in." He smiled at the nineteen year old vixen. "You've done a lot to impress us, but don't think you have to stop doing that."

He opened the door, gallantly holding it with one hand for her with the other 'guiding' her through, brushing her ass through her thin skirt. The guys all looked at her in appreciation, although even as they enjoyed ogling her, Travis could sense their disapointment in how much she was wearing.

"We're going to start with 'Inevitable Breakdown'." Travis quickly yanked up his guitar, getting into position. "Shawn, if you please..."

 

[WildCherry19]

"Heya." Travis pulled her in for a quick hug, and she smiled at how sweet he was.

"Thank you," she said.

"The shirt looks perfect, by the way - I just wanted you wearing one as proof of your commitment to our band. I promise later on you can tear one up to look more punk."

"Cool" she said with a shrug. "I don't mind either way, as long as my look fits in with the band's sound." She thought for a moment that Travis had been the one to suggest showing a little more skin in the first place, so it wasn't going to hurt her feelings any to wear one of her regular shirts.

"Some of us have started working on some songs better suitable for a female lead - as the band gets better chemistry, we can try some of those once they're fleshed out. If you have any, let us know and we can take a look."

"I do have three songs that are mostly finished, so I'll bring them to the next practice," excited that he offered to let her bring songs in. She didn't want to change the band's sound more than they wanted to change, but she did like writing songs, and felt she had a lot to express.

"I just want you to know - if you do really well during this practice, while we can't make it official until we do a show, unofficially....well, you'll be in. You've done a lot to impress us, but don't think you have to stop doing that."

Candy shook her head, her expression turning more serious. "No, I won't," she said. "I've been practicing every day to try and make sure I'm even better this time. Don't worry, I'm gonna work hard to keep impressing you guys."

"We're going to start with 'Inevitable Breakdown'." Travis quickly yanked up his guitar, getting into position. "Shawn, if you please..."

Shawn began strumming the at a breakneck pace, then everyone else joined him at the same moment. This had always been one of Candy's favorites, and she hoped that if they ever made an album it could be the opening track. It had an insane amount of energy, and it started her dancing immediately.

She started off doing a much more complicated set of belly dancing maneuvers as she sang the first verse, her arms behind her head and the shirt raising to show more of her waist. At the first chorus, she delivered a fierce looking kick to the air, her skirt flipping up too quick for anyone to see anything before she was standing again.

Later in the song, she made her way across the garage to where Travis was playing, and reclined herself backwards over the amp beside him, looking up at him as she sang the second verse. She was rubbing her legs together sensually as she arched her back across the amp, then stood up suddenly to burst into the second chorus.

During Travis's solo, Candy dropped to her hands and knees, her blonde hair spinning as she headbanged, her ass shaking just as much, the skirt tossing about and giving the entire band a quick view of her panties. Then, sliding totally onto her knees, she sang the last couple of lines as she arched her back again, leaning backwards as far as she could.

When the song was over, Candy stood up, already a little sweaty but still fired up to see what other songs they would be playing tonight. "What's up next?" she said, confident her performance had met--and maybe surpassed--their expectations.

 

[Bevatoria]

With the quick opening bass notes, followed by the drums and guitar coming in at the same time, Travis ripped into his chords, keeping a stray eye on Candy. She was clearly pumped up, raising her arms and shirt as she started growling the lyrics, kicking with the chorus; Travis noticed in disappointment that he and the guys couldn't see a thing.

As the song progressed, she eventually wandered over to Travis, leaning back on the amp, pressing her legs together and arching her back as she sang, giving him a nice view of her thrusted up tits through her shirt. He licked his lips as she turned away from him. There was more during his solo as she dropped onto all fours, starting to head bang, flashing her panties to every guy in the band, and Travis was glad he had to concentrate on his music; Marco and Will were gaping, and even Shawn lost a beat for a moment.

With that, the song ended, and Candy sprung back up. "What's up next?"

"Flailing Trail." Travis nodded at Will as the energetic drummer broke into the next song, and the band barely missed a beat. Candy seemed to have taken to heart any urging on Travis' part to work on her stage moves and to not be afraid to let loose; it was probably helping her stave off the slight chill of being in the garage, and not inside the warm house.

The practice progressed to the last song, and Travis spoke up again. "Marco, take a seat. We need to practice 'Heartbreaker' again." As the amenable Spaniard placed his guitar onto the stand, getting the chair out to sit on for Candy's dance routine, Travis met his gaze deliberately.

"Now that we've gotten the idea of the song worked out, we need to personify it more. Marco, don't be afraid to be a bit more aggressive with Candy as she's dancing on you - she's teasing you and begging to be punished. Candy, remember, it's just an act, but you have to convince the audience about who you are in this song. So don't hold back."

It started, and once again Travis regretted the fact that he needed to focus on his playing with Marco being 'seduced' by a still-upbeat Candy. His hands boldly molested her torso and legs as she sang, pushing her shirt up during the verse as his free hand slid across her smooth skin, and down as the top hand rubbed up and down her shoulder, taking her bra strap with it to completely expose it.

The chorus passed as Candy continued to croon while Marcus let her twirl, holding her hips to his own as he teased her skirt, flashing her bare thighs to Shawn and Travis as they played, another teasing glimpse of her panties appearing to the guys before she pulled away from him, torturing him despite his aggression.

And then the end came, Marco watching her as she slid down with the final words, but Travis was not happy.

"Will, get your head out of your ass! Again." he said, mock-anger in his voice. He talked like that with the guys all the time, and they knew he was joking. Truth be told, Travis would've taken any excuse to watch Candy lap dance Marco one more time, but he didn't need to make up a reason; Will and Shawn had been sloppy, and he didn't want to end the practice that way.

Marco's hands weren't tired, and he took more pleasure in sliding them under Candy's clothes as she sang; teasing fingers getting near her breasts, not quite touching her bra. During the second chorus, one hand glided between her tits, teasing her cleavage while the other slid under her skirt, just for a moment, and he smiled innocently, as if it had been an accident, unintentionally going too far.

It might've been, as he held back, although Candy didn't seem to as she breathed the last words again, and Travis shook his head.

"Last two lines, *again*." He looked at Shawn defiantly. "We'll do this all night if we have to."

It took four more tries before he was happy, and as if by some miracle, Marco stood up unexpectedly on the last one, his waist almost at Candy's eye level, and he blushed as he realized that his bulge was almost at her...

"That's a wrap!" As if in a daze, Marco stumbled back. "Not our best, but I still think we deserve some beers, don't you?"

"Fuck yes." said Shawn.

"Ci." said Marco.

"Fifthed. I'll go get a round-" Will started off his drums, but Travis held his hand up.

"I think our newest recruit should go get them." he smiled at Candy. "There should be two dozen in the fridge - you know where Will's fridge is, right?" As she went off to obey his request, Will looked down ashamedly.

"Um, I've only got six left..."

"Damnit, Will...I got those for the band..how'd you drink eighteen of them without remembering that?"

"Uh...I like beer?"

 

[WildCherry19]

"Now that we've gotten the idea of the song worked out, we need to personify it more. Marco, don't be afraid to be a bit more aggressive with Candy as she's dancing on you - she's teasing you and begging to be punished. Candy, remember, it's just an act, but you have to convince the audience about who you are in this song. So don't hold back."

As the song began, Candy danced up to Marco, still feeling energized, ready to dance even better than she had her first time doing the song. Sliding along Marco's body, shaking her breasts in front of his face, she was a little surprised to find that his hands were roaming freely while she danced. Without her taking them, he was already putting his hands on her sides and sliding his hands along them. His hands started sliding along her legs, even her upper legs. If she weren't continually moving, she wondered if he'd be trying to touch her panties.

As she slid across his lap, singing the line about needing a spanking, Marko was more than happy to oblige. She felt his hand slap her ass, her skirt not quite long enough to guard her whole behind from his palm. It stung, but she knew she couldn't let it distract her: she wanted this performance to be great. Sliding her back against him and leaning her head back against his shoulder, she felt his fingers slide the shoulder of her shirt and bra down. She almost began reaching up to fix them, but she remembered Travis said she should act like she didn't give a fuck about how she looked. . . so, she let the shoulder stay exposed as she continued dancing.

At the final line, she slid down to her knees, arching her back, her face literally almost touching his groin as she smirked naughtily up at him. Before she'd even begun to stand, she heard Travis say, "Will, get your head out of your ass! Again."

Getting up and tossing her hair back, she got ready for a second run-through of 'Heartbreaker.'

This time, she was less fazed by Marko's hands than the first time. She still felt them sliding up under her shirt and almost high enough to touch her bra, but she simply focused on her own performance. During the second verse, though, one of his hands slid up her shirt all the way to her breasts, his hand sliding up her skirt and sliding over her panties. She gasped softly, amazed he would do that considering he barely knew her. She kept dancing, and was relieved that his hands retreated quickly.

After the second performance, Travis demanded they run through another. Candy stood up, starting to feel exhausted but not willing to show it by anything other than her deep breathing and the sweat on her skin. She gave the third--and then the fourth--tries of the songs just as much energy. During the final performance of the night, Marko stood up at the very end just as she slid to her knees, his crotch right in front of her face. He blushed a little bit, but Candy started laughing.

"That's brilliant," she said. "I thought it was already as over-the-top as we could make it, but standing up pushes it just a little further."

As she stood up, her legs exhausted, the boys were talking about getting some beers to celebrate.

"I think our newest recruit should go get them." Travis smiled at Candy. "There should be two dozen in the fridge - you know where Will's fridge is, right?"

Candy nodded her head with a smile, turning to head back into the house.

"Um, I've only got six left..."

"Damnit, Will...I got those for the band..how'd you drink eighteen of them without remembering that?"

"Uh...I like beer?"

Candy giggled as she went back inside, not actually having any idea where the fridge was. It didn't take more than a moment to find the kitchen, though, and she started pulling the beers out. They weren't in a box or a 6-pack or anything, just standing up at the back of a shelf, so Candy went through several cabinets until she found a little serving tray to balance them all on. Then, feeling a little like a waitress, she carried the tray back out to the garage. Walking up to each of them, she handed everyone a beer. Two were left, so she looked at Travis curiously. After his response, she took one of the bottles for herself, sitting down with her legs crossed on an amp and tasting the cold, delicious drink. Then, she pressed the cold bottle against her shoulder, feeling a little of the condensation run down her back and under her shirt. Even though she knew it was cold in the garage, all of that dancing had been enough to make her so hot she kind of wanted to lie down on the cold floor. She'd be satisfied with a cold beer, though, and with a little time relaxing with the band.

 

[Bevatoria]

Travis watched silently as Candy took a beer for herself, rubbing the cold bottle on her bare shoulder after taking a swig. He took a drink of his own beer, nodding at the sexy blonde.

"You seem to need to cool down, so you can have the extra one." He smiled politely. "I insist." They'd need to make a run for more in a bit, so he knew he needed to get one step out of the way now. As the guys all casually drank - which Travis knew meant he'd have a fleet of empty bottles on his hands shortly - he stood up, getting their attention.

"I think we need to let our new singer know what we expect of her." He edged over to Candy, who was sitting on a nearby amp. "It's important to maintain band chemistry at all times. So I want you to promise that you'll treat us all equally at all times when we're in the band together - you can't do anything for one member that you wouldn't do for all of us." Travis looked at her seriously. "It's very important that you make that commitment if you want to become a member."

At her response, he raised his bottle. "Let's all drink to that!" He chugged most of what he had left, intending to savor the rest of it while Candy finished her 2 bottles, settling himself down on an amp near to Candy. Even if she drank as often as she could, being 19 would prove a significant obstacle to doing it as often as the rest of the band did. And that's what he wanted - her just lacking in a bit of judgment before they went out.

Eventually, they were all done their beers, and Candy was done both of hers as Travis stood up again. "Well, since some idiot drank the beers I had planned to use to celebrate our new member..." Will gave him the finger as he continued. "...we're going to go get some more, and he'll pay for it." He made his way to the side door which would lead outdoors - there was a liquor store a few block away they could easily walk to.

"You're all coming. The store owner is a friend of mine and I'd like to show off our newest additions..." He let the rest of the band pass through first, eventually matching pace with Candy as she brought up the rear, the guys chatting away as he lowered his voice a bit.

"How do you think you did tonight?" he asked softly, awaiting her response.

"There's always something to improve on. The important thing is that you'll do whatever it takes for the band to succeed - not only during performances." Travis sighed, attempting to convey the impression of someone with a heavy burden. "Managing the group's morale can be trying at times, too...sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who gives a crap about the other members."

 

[WildCherry19]

"I think we need to let our new singer know what we expect of her." He edged over to Candy, who was sitting on a nearby amp. "It's important to maintain band chemistry at all times. So I want you to promise that you'll treat us all equally at all times when we're in the band together - you can't do anything for one member that you wouldn't do for all of us." Travis looked at her seriously. "It's very important that you make that commitment if you want to become a member."

Candy wasn't sure why Travis would think this kind of a promise would make a difference--did he think she was going to pick sides or something? Not understanding why the question would even be an issue, Candy said, "Yes, I promise. I'll treat everyone in the band exactly as equals, and won't do anything for one of you that I won't do for the rest of you." She answered the question in the same serious tone Travis had used, although she was still clueless about why the question mattered. She could tell from looking at Shawn and the others that she wasn't the only one clueless about it.

"Let's all drink to that!" Travis said, and Candy took a deep drink of the cold beer. She had almost finished the first one off already, so she went ahead and twisted the cap off of the second. Feeling really thirsty, she had finished both of them before Travis had even finished one.

"Well, since some idiot drank the beers I had planned to use to celebrate our new member..." Will gave him the finger as he continued. "...we're going to go get some more, and he'll pay for it."

"Alright!" Candy said, kicking her feet and leaning her head to the side. She didn't drink very often, but she liked to occasionally have a few beers, or something harder if it was around. She was a lightweight, though, so she had to pay attention to how much she had if she didn't want to end the night passed out.

"You're all coming," Travis continued. "The store owner is a friend of mine and I'd like to show off our newest additions..."

Candy smiled, hopping off of the amp and walking toward the door. She felt a little buzzed, but not enough to impact her walking or her thinking. As she walked past Travis, he fell in line beside her and she smiled at him, tucking some hair behind her ear.

"How do you think you did tonight?" Travis said softly. She felt a blush creeping into her cheeks; during the performance, she'd felt like she did amazing. But as she thought back, she couldn't remember Travis or anyone complimenting her performance. Did she just feel like she did well? She hoped she hadn't looked too slutty, or like she didn't know what she was doing. . . after all, she wasn't all that good at acting like a hot girl, since it's not how she thought about herself.

"Umm, I think I did pretty good," she said nervously, afraid it would be worse to do a bad job and then say she did wonderful. "I felt like for the second practice it was decent, but there's definitely still room for improvement. I'm still not in as good of shape as I want to be when we do our first show."

"There's always something to improve on. The important thing is that you'll do whatever it takes for the band to succeed - not only during performances." Travis let out a stressed out sounding sigh. "Managing the group's morale can be trying at times, too...sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who gives a crap about the other members."

Candy looked down at her boots as they walked. "I think everybody cares about the band, and we all want to make it work. It seems like it could be really stressful, though, if you're doing more work than anybody else. Do you think it would help if we were all better friends outside of practices?"

After Travis answered, Candy looked over at him, a concerned look in her eyes. "I want to help you, if you think there's anything I can do to make the band's morale better."