Samantha Devereaux stood on our doorstep like Katie’s personal genie.
“I was in the neighborhood and thought Katie might want to come to Slim’s with me for an ice cream,” Samantha said. Sam was Sean’s girlfriend. Sometimes she still spent time with my family even though he was away at school.
“Can we?” Katie asked. She was six years old, and obsessed with Samantha.
“Of course, you’re invited too, Jessica,” Samantha added. We didn’t get along that well, but I had to give Sam credit: she tried.
“Great,” I said. I almost meant it.
Sam had the top down on her red VW convertible, and the wind in my hair cheered me up. Things always looked better when you were in a convertible.
Slim’s was an old-fashioned diner with red leather booths, a jukebox, and shiny stainless steel counters. It was also where Flo, my snarky virago trainer, worked as an indifferent server. Her brother owned the place, which probably meant he couldn’t fire her. Even if he wanted to.
We grabbed a table and I waved to Flo, who was perched on her usual stool at the counter. Her T-shirt read HI, I’M AN EVIL GENIUS AND I’LL BE YOUR SERVER TODAY.
We ordered three shakes. “Jessica, can I have some money for the jukebox?” Katie asked.
I slid some quarters across the table at her. “Have fun.”
Sam and I watched Katie skip to the jukebox. There were dark circles under Samantha’s eyes.
“How’s college life?” Sam attended UC Nightshade, which meant she was right here in town.
She smiled. “Surprisingly, I love it. I miss Sean, though.”
My attention wandered when Dominic and his sister Raven walked in.
“Jessica!” Raven didn’t wait for her brother before she slid into the booth next to us. “What are you doing here?”
“The same thing we are, Raven,” Dominic said dryly. He fixed his blue eyes on me. “Hello, Jessica. Find anything you liked at the estate sale?”
“Not really,” I said stiffly. Then I realized that I hadn’t introduced everyone, so I did. Samantha didn’t even pretend she wasn’t curious about Dominic.
“Are you guys new to Nightshade?” she asked.
“Dominic is the new lead singer in Side Effects May Vary,” I said. “Haven’t you been to the Black Opal lately?” Sam and Sean used to frequent the all-ages club when they were in high school.
She shook her head. “I’ve been busy with school.”
Flo walked up with a bunch of to-go bags. “Here’s your order.” She handed the food to Dominic.
Raven was chatty for a change, but I wondered if it was to make up for her brother’s silence. Dominic hardly said a word the entire time, and once, when our knees bumped accidentally, he looked appalled. It was clear he couldn’t wait to get away from me.
I needed to talk to Flo anyway. “Excuse me,” I said, squeezing out of the booth. Samantha gave me an odd look, but thankfully didn’t comment.
I approached Flo, who was back at her perch at the counter. “What’s up, Jessica?” she asked. She lowered her voice. “Is this virago business?”
I nodded and filled her in on what had happened at the estate sale.
She frowned. "My tattoo didn't tingle either, so it could have just been a plain old robbery," she said. "But we'll stay alert for any new developments. Thanks, Jessica."
I returned to the table, where Raven was still rambling on.
“Raven,” I said, interrupting her in mid-chat, “your food’s getting cold.”
Dominic stood up abruptly. “We’d better go before Aunt Katrina’s meal is ruined.”
“She ordered a salad,” Raven protested, but Dominic was already halfway out the door. “See you tomorrow, Jessica. Nice to meet you, Sam.” Raven gave me an apologetic look and followed her brother out the door.
“Guy problems?” Sam asked.
“Is it that obvious?” I replied. My brother’s girlfriend could be a pain in the butt and it killed me to ask her for advice, but I was desperate.
“To an expert like me? Yes,” she told me. “How long have you guys been going out?”
“That’s the problem,” I said. “We’re not.”
“Bad breakup, huh?”
“I wish,” I said.
She laughed. “You wish you had a bad breakup? That’s different.”
“You have to go out with someone on a regular basis before you can break up with him,” I replied. “We never got that far.”
I found myself telling Sam all about what had happened with Dominic in the fall—everything except me being a virago, of course.
“He’s afraid,” she finally said, when I ran out of breath.
“Maybe,” I admitted. “Lately, it seems like he can barely stand to be in the same room with me.”
“So something about you has him scared,” she said. “What could that be, I wonder?”
“I have no idea,” I said, but it didn’t sound convincing.
“Drink your shake,” she said. “Things always look better after one of Slim’s shakes.”
As I slurped my chocolate deliciousness, I wondered if Sam was right. Dominic’s mother was a virago too, and she’d basically left them in Nightshade with their Aunt Katrina. No wonder he was leery of dating a virago.
“What if I know what he’s afraid of and it’s something I can’t change?” I asked Sam.
“Then you have two choices,” she said. “You can accept that it’s never going to happen and move on, or you can fight for him.”
Being a virago was something I couldn’t change and it was the one thing I knew Dominic had a hard time with. It looked as though Dominic and I didn’t stand a chance.
There were plenty of nice guys out there. I told myself I’d find someone else, eventually, but I wasn’t sure I believed it.
Katie came back, her face gleaming with the effort it took to contain her glee. Sam and I exchanged an amused glance.
“What’s up, Katie?” I asked.
The “Happy Birthday” song, the one they always sang on her favorite television show, came on.
“Happy birthday, Jessica,” Katie said.
“I didn’t know it was your birthday today,” Sam said. She grinned at Katie as she danced around the table to the music.
“It’s not,” I whispered. “It’s a week away.” I hesitated and then added, “I don’t suppose you want to come to my birthday party next weekend? It’s just cake and ice cream at the house.”
“I’d love to,” she said. She gave me a smile that made me realize why Samantha had been the most popular girl in high school. Her smile could charm anyone into liking her. Even me.
Sam’s dad was in jail and her mom was a permanent no-show. I realized that Sam was probably lonely. It wouldn’t kill me to be a little nicer to her.
Chapter Three
Monday at school, I saw Connor in the hallway before first period, talking to Selena and Harmony. A couple of freshman girls watched him from the safety of their lockers.
There was something different about Connor, but it wasn’t until chorus after school that I realized what it was.
He was dressed differently. Gone were his serviceable T-shirts and generic blue jeans. Instead, he wore a pair of tight stovepipe jeans and a stylish shirt that clung to his suddenly muscular arms.
I wasn’t the only one who had noticed. The girls in chorus were definitely checking Connor out too. His usual smile was absent, but that didn’t stop the flirty glances being sent his way.
I looked away and caught Dominic staring at me. I pretended to be fascinated by my shoes, which seemed like the safest thing to do at the moment.
I went to find a place to sit and noticed my favorite librarian, Ms. Johns, sitting in the back of the room with my guitar teacher, Ms. Minerva. I waved to them.
“I wonder what they’re doing here,” I said to Eva.
“Let’s get started,” Ms. Clare said. She was our choir director. She always wore a frown and her hair in a
tight bun. “I am auditioning today for the closing solo for our spring performance. Who would like to try out?”
Dominic, Harmony, and Connor all raised their hands.
Connor went first.
“I didn’t know he could sing,” Eva whispered as he walked up to the microphone.
“He is in chorus,” I pointed out.
“Anybody can sing well enough to get through chorus,” she replied. “Look at you.”
I raised my eyebrow. “Thanks a lot.”
She nudged me. “You know what I mean.”
I raised a finger to my lips. “Shh, he’s starting.”
That was the last thing I said. Connor’s voice was amazing—deep and strong with a little bit of a husky Tom Waits thing about it.
Dominic went next. He looked and sounded as gorgeous as ever, and I had to force myself not to melt into his smile when our eyes met. But it was his stage smile, the one he gave everybody, so I pretended to be fascinated with the wall behind him until his gaze landed on someone else.
But the shocker was Harmony. After a brief nervous glance at Selena, Harmony stepped up to the microphone like she owned it. A voice of raw talent came out of her mouth. She sounded like a young Etta James.
“She’s hitting the notes!” Eva said. “All the notes.”
“She sounds amazing,” I said. “What a difference.” Harmony, despite her name, had never been able to sing on key before.
Ms. Clare gave us a ten-minute break, and Connor and Dominic were both surrounded by admirers.
“When did Connor become so spicy hot?” Eva asked.
I snapped my fingers. “Snap out of it, Eva,” I said. “Remember what happened the last time you got a crush on a guy?”
“Being a zombie wasn’t so bad.”
“You weren’t a zombie,” I reminded her. “Just zombielike.”
“Close enough,” she said cheerfully. “But you’re right. Besides, I’ve already got my own spicy hot boyfriend.” She gave Evan a little wave and he came over immediately.
Evan and Eva held hands and talked horror flicks while I watched Connor being swarmed by chorus girls.
Ms. Clare clapped her hands. “Break’s over, people. Before we get started again, I would like to introduce my co-chairs for Nightshade’s first Battle of the Bands. Please welcome Ms. Johns and Ms. Minerva.”
Ms. Minerva went first. “The Battle of the Bands is a month-long event, sponsored by a major music label, as well as Nightshade merchants and the library. Competitors will compete in an initial round. If they do not meet the minimum score requirement, they will be eliminated from the competition. The judges will pick three finalists and then whittle the field down to one grand-prize winner.”
She spent more time going over specifics and then Ms. Johns took over. “We want you guys to have fun,” she said. “I will be passing around guidelines and a sign- up sheet. We are also looking for volunteers to help with the event. Now I would be happy to answer any questions.”
A bunch of hands went up, including mine. “What’s the prize?” Connor asked.
“Nightshade merchants are donating various prizes,” Ms. Johns said. “But the grand-prize winner will get a cash award and a recording contract with Cranky Kitten Records.”
When they’d finished speaking, we clapped politely. As soon as they left, everyone began to talk at once. People were commenting on Connor’s new look as much as they were about the Battle of the Bands. It wasn’t just the new clothes. His arms were bigger, his voice was deeper, but his smile was noticeably absent. Despite all the attention he was getting, he didn’t look happy. Something had changed in Connor, inside and out, and I wanted to know what it was.
Chapter Four
Eva had begged me to train with her. I assumed she wanted to stay in shape now that soccer season was over. I decided to start her out with an early-morning run before school on Wednesday.
I ran to her house to pick her up. I knocked on her window, but there was no answer. Finally, I dialed her cell.
Her sleepy voice answered on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Weren’t we supposed to be running this morning?” I asked. “I’m outside.”
“Come to the front door, but do not ring the doorbell,” she said through a yawn. “Bethany would freak if you woke her up this early.”
“I can take a rain check,” I offered.
“No! I can be ready in ten minutes,” she said.
She met me at her door and we tiptoed past her sister Bethany’s room to Eva’s bedroom.
“Nevermore,” Poe squawked. He tried to take a bite out of me through his cage.
“That bird doesn’t like me,” I said.
“He doesn’t like anyone,” she told me. “Except me.” Eva had adopted the bird after we’d solved a mystery involving Poe’s owner. She said he was the perfect pet for a future horror film director.
While Eva got ready, I amused myself by dressing her stuffed teddy bear, Ted Vicious, in his punk rock outfits.
Her ten minutes was more like half an hour, but we finally made it out the door.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked her as we stretched.
“What? You don’t think I can keep up with you?” As we talked, she flipped over on her back and stretched her toes all the way over her head.
“I didn’t know you could do that,” I said.
“You don’t know everything about me,” she replied. I stared at her. “Okay, you do. I’ll admit it, I’ve been practicing.”
“Practicing? Why?”
“It’s obvious. If you’re going to be a kick-butt virago, I’ll be your sidekick,” she said. “And I need to be in shape. I don’t want a chupacabra to take a bite out of me.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry! I know that’s a touchy subject.”
“Not for me,” I reassured her. “It’s only Dominic that got all freaked out about it.”
Right before Halloween, Flo had to take me to the emergency room for stitches after I tangled with a chupacabra and lost.
“Is that why he’s been avoiding you?” Eva asked.
“Probably,” I admitted. I gave her my hand to help her up. “Let’s go.”
We ran around the park twice before Eva said anything else. “What’s with all the people here?”
I glanced around. She was right. There were people everywhere, many more than there usually were in the park at this hour. A bunch of them wore T-shirts that read HAMLIN across the back.
Eva stopped running. I jogged in place beside her.
“What’s Hamlin?” Eva asked.
A guy playing with a crocheted Hacky Sack heard her. “Only the best band there is,” he said. “They’re playing the Battle of the Bands in Nightshade all month, so here we are.”
“You mean you follow the band wherever they go?” I asked.
He nodded. “I’ve traveled with them for the last six months.”
“Where do you stay?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Wherever,” he said. “Sometimes we sleep in my van. Sometimes we camp out. They play, we follow.”
A thin blonde with a daisy chain in her hair came up and handed us a flier. It read: Hamlin. You’ll follow them anywhere. There was a sketch of a guy playing a guitar and a long line of people dancing to his tune.
Eva stuffed it in her hoodie and we continued with our run.
We passed several more Hamlin fans. There was one guy playing a recorder and another who played an acoustic guitar. Badly.
“That reminds me, have they caught the person who stole Mr. Lindquist’s flute?” Eva asked.
“I haven’t heard anything,” I replied.
“Let’s take a break,” Eva said. She pointed to a bench. As we collapsed on the wooden seat, there was a rustling in the tall decorative grass behind us. Someone let out a low moan.
“Stay here,” I ordered, and ran in the direction of the sound. Eva ignored me and followed right behind me.
Scotty Turntable, who p
layed in a local band called Drew Barrymore’s Boyfriends, wandered out of the brush, a dreamy expression on his face. “That song,” he said. “Yes, yes.”
Eva and I exchanged puzzled glances, but then my cell buzzed.
A text from Dominic. Last night, I sang a Naked Eyes song while @ band practice. I think it might be prophetic. Promises, Promises? Make sense to you?
Maybe, I sent back. Thanks.
“Who was that from?” Eva asked curiously.
“Dominic,” I replied.
“Oh, so now it’s back on?” she said.
I shook my head. “He had one of those episodes where he broke into a random song.” Dominic was a seer, who often provided clues through song. Unfortunately, it often interfered with his real singing career.
I looked around the park. It couldn’t be a coincidence that a flute supposedly belonging to the Pied Piper was stolen and then a band called Hamlin showed up. I couldn’t figure out what it all meant, though.
Chapter Five
Flo called me after school on Friday and ordered me to help clean out the Mason house, where we often had virago practice. The place belonged to Natalie Mason, who was engaged to Flo’s brother, Slim.
“Vinnie’s got his band pitching in, and I expect the other viragos to help too,” she said. “A bunch of people who are in town for the Battle have no place to stay. They were at the Wilder estate, but the pipes burst, so they’re moving to the Mason house.”
“Nobody’s lived there since Mrs. Mason died,” I said. Natalie’s grandmother had owned the house. She’d been an old witch. Literally. “There’s probably tons of work to do.”
“There is,” Flo said. “Only one of the rooms is ready right now. My friend will be staying in that one.”
“Is she a virago?” I asked.
“He is a guy I went to high school with,” Flo replied. “Not everyone I know is a virago.”
I’d actually never seen Flo with anyone besides her boyfriend Vinnie. And the other viragos, of course. I wondered what she was like when she was in high school.
I agreed to meet her at the Mason house and ran downstairs to tell Mom.
“That’s very nice, dear,” Mom said. “Take your sisters.”