Out of Rhythm (Face the Music Book 1) (3 page)

‘I was eleven. Of course I loved it.’ Their parents had not liked the vet bill, but Muffin had survived eating Ed’s school shoe.

‘Good thing and Dan and Gem do most of the lyric writing now.’ He paused and looked up at her. ‘I think Lisa blamed Gem for the breakup.’

Lisa had never liked a girl being in the band. She’d always frozen Gemma out at social gatherings. ‘Gemma’s never dated any of you.’

‘I know. She’s like one of the guys. I forget sometimes that she isn’t.’ He gave her a half smile. ‘But she and Dan are close.’

Kirsten leaned against the doorframe. Gemma and Dan weren’t that close. Did Lisa think men and women couldn’t be friends, so was automatically suspicious? ‘What’s really been going on? None of you seem happy.’

He looked down and shook his head. ‘Just tired, K.’

She wanted to ask more about the tour and Gemma, but held her tongue. Ed thought everything was fine between them. ‘I missed you.’

‘Sure you did. You would’ve had the ground floor to yourself.’

She smiled. That was true. ‘That’s kind of why I’m here.’

‘Ah, I knew you had an ulterior motive.’ He plucked a sinister tune. ‘Music for your dastardly plan which you know I’ll agree to. Are we toilet-papering Lisa’s house?’

‘Please, I’m not fifteen.’ They hadn’t done any stunts like that in a long time. Probably since their father had threatened Ed with joining the military. They still weren’t sure if he’d been joking.

‘Damn, I’d have been in for that, and so would the guys.’

‘You know Gemma’s parents don’t approve.’

Ed stopped playing. ‘You want her to stay here.’

‘I want to put the offer out. They didn’t come to the barbeque and neither did her brothers. They never wanted her to sign the contract and they’ve been pulling her back the whole time.’

‘I know. I heard them berating her on the phone. There are no secrets on the road.’ He gave her a pointed look. ‘But she’s always stood up to them.’

Kirsten looked away and studied the socks and sneakers on the floor. Gemma didn’t seem to have any fight left in her. ‘She shouldn’t have to, Ed. What if she stops fighting and she gives in? How is she supposed to work when they’re sabotaging her?’

‘She’s sleeping there, not living there. Her stuff’s at Mike’s because she was worried that one of her brothers would take her guitars and hock them, again.’

When she was seventeen, Gemma had saved up to buy a new guitar, and one brother had taken it. Her parents had done nothing, as it couldn’t be proven. Had even gone so far as to suggest that perhaps she should look after her things better. After that Gemma had left all her valuables here or with Mike. Her parents would do anything to get her to give up the band. They’d refused to drive her, so Gemma had caught the bus or taxis. They’d threatened kicking her out of home, but had soon changed their mind when they’d realised they would have zero control over her if she moved out.

‘I don’t know why they want to see her fail. The band fail.’ Ed frowned.

The few times Kirsten had been over there she’d always been made to feel unwelcome, and while the boys had done whatever they’d wanted, Gemma had been expected to do a pile of chores. Her father had sat on the sofa doing nothing while her mother had buzzed around him as though he was the centre of her universe.

‘I don’t think it’s failure, they want her to knuckle under and get a real job.’ And if things weren’t going well with the band, perhaps this time she would. While there was still a gap between her and Gemma, that didn’t mean that she was going to stand by and let Gemma’s father and brothers wear her down.

‘I’m pretty sure all of our parents would like that. You think that isn’t something we’ve all talked about? I’m twenty five and between the four of us we’ve got four crappy cars and one dodgy apartment.’

‘And thousands of dollars of equipment.’ That was where the money went. She knew how much some of the amps and guitars cost.

‘You’ll be moving out of home before I will.’ Annoyance flashed in his eyes and his lips pressed into a thin determined line.

Ed had always been ambitious, now he was worried he wasn’t getting there fast enough.

‘It’s not a race…besides, you’ll make a million before I will. Hairdressers don’t get rich and we don’t travel and schmooze with celebrities.’

‘Who are as neurotic as I am. Tell Gemma the spare room is hers if she wants it — Mum and Dad are cool?’

‘I wanted to ask you first, in case you were sick of the sight of her.’ The four of them had been living in each other’s pockets for months. At some point enough had to be enough.

He shrugged. ‘Like she isn’t going to be coming around anyway.’

Kirsten hoped that she would.

‘K, if she starts listening to her parents you give her a shake, okay? You remind her that she’s got talent.’

‘The Vincents said hi,’ Gemma lied as she walked in to the lounge room. Everyone knew her parents had never supported her. It had been fine when it had been a hobby. Joining a band had been frowned on, playing in pubs had caused arguments — she’d been underage for their first few gigs — the record deal had been the start of an all-out war on Gemma’s dreams.

Her father had rallied her brothers to the cause. While she’d been away her bedroom had become her brothers’ junk room. As a kid she’d always had a room to herself because she was the only girl. Her three brothers had shared. She had no doubt that one of them had also been sleeping in her bed. That she didn’t care about, but it was pretty clear they’d also gone through her drawers and her wardrobe. What they were looking for she didn’t know, but there was nothing here. She’d made sure of that a long time ago.

Her father grunted but didn’t look up from the TV. ‘You spend more time with them than you do your own family. It’s embarrassing.’

Everything she did was embarrassing. But her brothers could do whatever the hell they liked. Her father would have an aneurism if he knew what else she got up to. It made her almost tempted to tell him she was a lesbian.

He turned his head. ‘Now you’re back you need to get a real job. We aren’t going to keep supporting you. You’re twenty one. You’ve had some fun, now do what’s right.’

Gemma stopped. It had been fun, now... It was hard work with no guarantee. They could push for another five years and get nowhere. Or they could break out big. They were all winging it without a backup plan. Mostly. Ed and Dan had both finished arts degrees. Mike was a qualified electrician whose grandmother had left him some money.

She had the first year of a music degree, but had dropped out when the band took off. The trouble with being younger was that they’d had the chance to make a safety net. She didn’t even have family to fall back on.

For a moment she envisioned herself living at home when she was thirty and her father still carrying on about how it was time she quit the band and get a real job. As long as she was living at home she could never have a girlfriend stay over.

She didn’t like having friends over.

Something had to change and it wouldn’t be her father. Her mother never stood up to him. She gave that tight smile and wrung her hands. No doubt he’d made her life hell because she’d dared give him a daughter first, instead of a son.

‘You mean right by you?’

‘Don’t you get insolent with me. You aren’t too big for my belt.’

Gemma looked at him, her fingers curled ready to make a fist in case he decided he’d strike. ‘When did you realise that you hate me? Was it when I was born?’

He frowned. Her heart pounded a hard uneven tempo. Before he could answer she walked away. She didn’t want to say something to set him off. Not tonight, her mother would be the one to pay.

She’d sleep on the floor at Mike’s place. Anywhere was better than here. She pushed open her bedroom door — there was too much junk on the floor to get it open the whole way. Then she closed it and shoved the bed against the door, a precaution she’d learned after her brothers had had friends stay over who were far too friendly.

She shouldn’t have to live like this.

Why couldn’t her parents be more like the Vincents? Even Dan and Mike’s parents were better than hers.

She glanced around the room that had once been her sanctuary in the mad house ruled by a tyrant and his tyrants-in-training. One day her brothers would make shitty husbands with miserable wives.

But she didn’t have to be around to wait for it to happen.

Kirsten wasn’t sure if Gemma was actually going to show up at the salon — her mother’s salon — after hours. After hearing about the tour her life was beginning to feel very beige. Gemma probably had more important things to do than hang out with her and get her hair done.

‘You’ll lock up after you’ve done Gemma’s hair?’ Her mother gathered up her handbag and phone.

‘Yes, I’m fine.’ And her mother had been fine with Kirsten staying back and doing Gemma’s hair, and had insisted that Gemma didn’t need to pay. After all, she never had before and this was much better than messing up the bathroom at home. She’d been tempted to say something to her mother about Gemma staying over, but it hadn’t seemed like the right time. There’d been something in her mother’s voice and that look in her eye again.

Gemma had stayed over plenty of times before but it felt as though she was asking if Gemma could move in, and while she knew it was the right thing to do, she wasn’t sure if she and Gemma could do that. She knew she wasn’t ready to answer any more of her mother’s questions about why they’d fought in the first place. That had been bad enough the first time around. So she’d said nothing. For the moment.

Gemma could always stay over for a few nights without anyone blinking, then they could cross that bridge. Kirsten knew that was the coward’s route but she preferred to think of it as moving quietly to create very few ripples. Plus she didn’t want Gemma to feel that she’d discussed it with everyone except Gemma. When it came to family, Gemma could be very prickly.

While Kirsten waited in the empty salon she flipped through the latest magazines, the styling books and colours that were hot for summer, trying to think what would look good on Gemma. Medium brown hair, when it was natural, and fair skin that tanned golden in summer. She’d look great wearing anything, including the jeans and tight singlet she got about in most days…and on stage too. The one time Kirsten had tried to convince Gemma to grow her nails or get false ones she’d laughed, and refused. Her hair was the one thing that had changed over the years.

There was a knock on the glass door and Kirsten looked up. Gemma was there in black jeans and a pink singlet. Fitter and leaner than she’d been before the tour. Kirsten’s heart gave a little flutter. It had done that before, in those few seconds when she’d first seen Gemma at the party, but she’d written it off as excitement to see her friend. But now she wondered. Was it something more? Had Gemma’s kiss woken something in her?

Her breath caught and she couldn’t move.

What was going on with her? She liked guys…didn’t she? She’d certainly dated plenty. So had had Gemma. She frowned. But not recently. She tried to remember the last guy Gemma had been with but it had been years since she’d had a boyfriend.

She put the magazines aside and let Gemma in. Neither of them seemed really relaxed, despite the promises that they had moved on. She knew why she was tense. She had a few questions for Gemma. Things that she once wouldn’t have hesitated to talk about with her. They’d discussed everything from boyfriends to first kisses and first times. Nothing was sacred; now it felt as though a wall had been put around some things…well, all things relating to that kiss and them.

Who’d have thought one kiss could cause so much trouble.

‘Hey. Thanks for waiting.’

‘It’s fine. This way we have the place to ourselves.’ Kirsten locked the door and pulled the blind so no one walking past would gawk in.

‘So…what are you going to do to my hair this time?’

‘How do you feel about black and slashes of colour? Then I’ll trim up the rest. Did you want to keep the fringe or are you growing it out?’ She never usually asked, she just did. Now it felt like she had to ask and explain what she was going to do.

‘I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.’ Gemma shrugged one shoulder. ‘You decide. You’ve never let me down before.’

That wasn’t entirely true, but if they were only talking about hair, Kirsten had a great track record — except for the time she’d tried to do Gemma’s hair blonde. Some people weren’t meant to be blonde, and Gemma was one of them. It had been an epic disaster that Kirsten’s mother had needed to fix.

Kirsten smiled. ‘Trust me, you can pull it off.’

Gemma had the face and attitude. Although today she seemed subdued. Tired. She sat in a chair while Kirsten mixed up the dyes. It was strangely silent between them. Had they run out of things to talk about or was neither of them was sure what to say anymore? Now she had Gemma alone there were things that she wanted to ask.

She glanced at Gemma in the mirror, but Gemma had her eyes closed. Was she enjoying the quiet?

Waiting for the colours to take had always been a time to talk. With the foils done and sticking out all over Gemma’s head, Kirsten decided to break the silence.

As she started putting the colour in around the foils she screwed up her courage, something she’d never had to do before with Gemma and she hated it. ‘Can I ask you a question?’

‘Sure.’ Gemma opened her eyes and met Kirsten’s gaze in the mirror. ‘You look kind of serious.’

‘It’s kind of personal.’

Gemma sighed. ‘I haven’t slept with Ed...or any of them.’

Kirsten smiled. No, Gemma had never been interested in Ed like that, which was probably why he’d been happy to let her join the band. That and Gemma could play and write and sing. ‘More personal than that.’

‘Okay, but I may not answer.’ The wall was back up.

Yeah, she probably deserved that response, but she couldn’t back away now. ‘Was I the first girl you kissed?’

There was a long pause, but Gemma didn’t look away and Kirsten’s hands kept working as though nothing was wrong.