An Angel's Fix Pt. 01

Joe gave her a condescending look. "You know them. Just look for all the guys."

Ashley followed his glance, and sure enough, in the middle of a large ring of males, she could pick out her three friends' heads. Joe seemed to have a radar-like sense of where any of them are at any point of time.

She returned a nod from her bassist who walked past. "Figures. They're like magnets. I wonder why I don't get that kind of attention."

Joe smiled at her. "You're with me, and that ring keeps a lot of them away. If you were with them, the guys would be fighting for your attention and ignore the others."

She returned the smile as he reached over and removed a gob of mustard from the corner of her mouth. "I doubt that, but thanks for being sweet."

"It's true. You're hot."

Ashley made a show of getting more comfortable on the wooden bench, a smug grin on her face.

When they returned to the SUV, the rest of her band was waiting for them, instrument cases at their feet. Ashley grabbed her guitar from the back and handed it to Joe after he donned a dress shirt. She grabbed a skirt and sheer blouse and changed right there. When she saw the male members staring at her brazenness, she quipped that it was a bathing suit underneath, but inwardly she was pleased they looked. After trading her flip flops for tennis shoes, she took back her guitar and they headed to the check-in tent again.

They mingled with other performers behind the stage while waiting their turn. The amateur category had finally heated up, and the cheers were getting louder as the crowd filled in. There was an extended break between the two portions of the contest while the battered and amateur-abused drum kit was traded out for a more robust one. Once under way again, Ashley started getting in her zone, bobbing and swaying to the beats as Joe held her in his arms from behind. It was almost enough to knock down the butterflies in her stomach. Almost.

Her category featured college town night club bands from as far away as Dallas, as well as a few groups who had contracts with independent labels. Even though the contest was void of any big time names, the talent was quite good, and Ashley started to doubt her chances of winning. She alternated wringing her hands and snapping the tension out of them when the band ahead of her took the stage and left her group alone. Joe did his best to settle her nerves by whispering encouragements in her ear. It didn't work, but she appreciated it all the same. The DJ came up to them and explained what was going to happen when they got on stage, and wished them luck.

The band on stage finished their third song to a loud cheer, and Ashley complimented them as they exited past her. She was introduced, Joe and the girls wished them luck, and her band filed onto the stage amid a sizable amount of screams from local high school girls in the crowd. Ashley waved to them, grabbed a microphone and faced the DJ. He repeated the rules for Ashley's benefit, as well as the crowd's. On the stool were three remaining cards. Each one stated an artist's name and a song from the first album. The band was to perform that song. If the crowd liked them, they would get to perform the next song. If that was liked, the third round worked like a spelling bee, the lead would have to state the artist's name, the name of their first album, and name a song from that record other than the one listed on that card. Asked if she understood, Ashley answered into the microphone that she did.

The DJ picked up the first card and Ashley held her breath. Her shoulders slumped when he read off "Britney Spears, Baby One More Time."

"You don't like Britney?" he asked over the PA.

"No, she's fine and has become an exceptional artist. Her first album was cheesy, though."

The crowd laughed, the DJ wished her luck, and he walked off stage.

Only a couple of keyboard notes were played when a smattering of boos caught Ashley's attention. She missed her cue to start singing as she scanned the crowd. Something wasn't right a few feet from the right side of the stage. She put her hand up to signal the band to stop playing.

"Hey...HEY!" she yelled into the microphone. "We don't want any of that nonsense here. Take your fight off the island!"

"Fuck you, bitch!" one of the offending parties yelled back and hurled his beer bottle at her.

She ducked and it smashed to the ground a few feet in front of her friends. "Security! Take these child morons out!"

One of them lunged for the stage and Joe was in front of her in a flash. He wasn't needed, though as security and police officers wrestled the fighting pair to the ground. The crowd cheered as the drunken thugs were hauled off in hand cuffs. There was a murmur when nothing was being done on stage, and Ashley's band stared in confusion while Joe quietly asked Ashley if she was okay. Finally she nodded, he left the stage and she cued the band to start again.

The song went horribly. In the scuffle, the wire feeding the loudspeaker facing Ashley got pulled, and she couldn't hear herself sing. Once in a while she caught an echo, and knew she was singing flat. She wanted to dance while performing, but her body was so full of adrenaline that everything she did was off, and she gave up moving half way through. Sheer grit allowed her to finish singing. She walked off immediately after the last note was sung, fully expecting silence or boos. Instead, Ashley was amazed at the cheer that rose up when she grabbed the bottle of water Joe held out for her. The DJ came back out and applauded her determination, which is what the crowd seemed to appreciate. Kim, Jasmine, and Jill surrounded her, making sure she was okay. The DJ asked her to come back out.

Joe looked her in the eye and said, "Knock them dead, tiger."

Something clicked inside her, and the ripples in her bottle subsided as her hand stopped trembling. She handed it back to Joe, snapped a turn and strode back onto the stage. Her band mates led a resounding ovation. The DJ mouthed to ask if she was okay and she nodded.

"Okay, you deserve another song." He picked up a card and read, "No Doubt, Don't Speak."

She smiled as she was handed an instrument. "What's this, Mike? What? They can't hear you." Ashley referred to the crowd.

Mike picked up a microphone and said, "It's a guitar, Ash."

She did her best airhead giggle. "Is that what they call this?"

"Yeah, we need another one for this piece."

"Well, when have you ever seen me play an electric guitar?"

The crowd laughed. It might have been an act, but playful Ashley was back.

"Here, I'll trade you," she said holding it out by the neck.

"You sure? There's a solo in this song."

"I can handle it," she answered while slinging her acoustical instrument over shoulder to the delight of the crowd.

While the banter was going on, Joe spotted the trouble with her speaker and ran up to plug it back in.

"Thanks sweetie," she said into her microphone. "That's my fiance, y'all. Pick?"

While the cheering went on for her lover, Mike flicked a spare pick from between his fingers, which she caught mid-air. She nodded the tempo she wanted and Mike started the alternating chords of the intro. Ashley sang the first few bars and joined with her guitar right on cue from the drummer. Being able to hear herself now, she sang with confidence and heart. When the running acoustical solo approached, she played it masterfully, tongue sticking out to one side in concentration. A small cheer went up as she returned to playing chords and singing. A smile came to her face as she sang out the final refrain, knowing that they nailed the song.

A wild ovation ensued, and she stared open-mouthed in awe of the response. Mike nudged her to acknowledge them, and she blew a couple of kisses toward the crowd. The DJ reappeared and gave them a 'well done.'

"So, do you want to take the final challenge, or keep your current score, whatever it may be? Remember, we've had four bands disqualified because they did not answer correctly."

"I gotta make up for that first song, and I'm starting to have fun so let's keep going," Ashley answered brightly.

He picked up the card and read, "Nine Inch Nails. You have 20 seconds to answer."

She gasped and put her hands on her head in frustration. "Can I change first?"

The crowd chuckled.

"15 seconds."

Ashley ran over to Joe, stepping out of her shoes and carefully avoiding the glass. "Give me your shirt," she demanded.

"What?" he asked.

Unslinging her guitar and handing it to Jill, she pulled at the buttons of her blouse. "Quick, I want your shirt!" she insisted.

She stepped out of her skirt as Joe finished undoing his shirt. She snatched it from him and put it on her shoulders, ignoring the whoops and hollers from the crowd. The yells from the crowd were now a mix of counting down from 10 and names of songs to help her out. Most of the suggestions were wrong, she knew. She spun back and buttoned only the bottom two clasps on the shirt while she walked back to the center of the stage. Her hand grasped the microphone on the one count.

"Nine Inch Nails. First album is Pretty Hate Machine," she said with a confident smile to a flood of cheers.

"That is correct!"

Her band mates breathed a sigh of relief, since they had no clue what the answer was. Right or wrong now, they were in the hands of Ashley.

The DJ continued, "Now, the song on the card is..."

Ashley interrupted him. "Let me guess. Head Like A Hole?"

He flashed the card to the camera and the video boards showed that she was right again.

"Well, the rules state that you have to identify a second song from that record and perform it."

She cocked her head a bit and pulled her hair out of the ponytail. While she tripled up the scrunchy and put it on her wrist, she answered, "I'm not sure what I should pick. Sin, The Only Time, Sanctified, Terrible Lie...Get Down, Make Love might be fun. Or maybe," she held up her jeweled hand "Ringfinger." The crowd cheered at her string of right answers. "But I think I'll go with what tonight's prize is for me...Something I Can Never Have."

After a chuckle from the crowd, the DJ wished them luck and backed off the stage. Ashley stood with her hair down over her face to prepare for the song, her attire looking like she just got up after a long night with a lover. Whistles persisted from the crowd.

Looking up, she said with a grin, "It's a bathing suit, get over it."

Many laughed, and many more females gave cheers of encouragement. Ashley put her head down and waited for the notes that didn't come. She looked back and her band stared blankly at her.

"Don't tell me you don't know this!"

She received four head shakes. "Oh crap. Guess I should have asked first."

Ashley jogged over to Reena at the keyboard. She played five notes. "Just do that over and over and over to the end."

Looking at Mike wasn't encouraging. She went over and stood close behind him. Reaching around, she plucked out a seven note sequence.

"Okay?" Still blank looks, even as Mike repeated the string a couple of times.

"Still nothing? You'll figure it out once I start singing. When you do, dress it up a bit, but don't go overboard. If not, well, I'll just manage if you keep playing like that."

She let a few measures pass as an intro. Then she began a slow seductive cat walk toward the front of the stage, twisting her hips to make sure they lead into each step and ran a hand through her hair to pull half of it over in front of her shoulder.

"I still recall the taste of your tears, echoing your voice just like the ringing in my ears."

As she sang the first verse, Mike's hesitant single-note chord picked up confidence. Jim started a light cymbal play when she reached the last two words. He added in a couple of beats to the snare during the bridge to the refrain, and Ashley felt a special moment coming on. She threw her head forward, and the band began playing in earnest. The perfect visual of her hair flying in front of her timed with the hard-hitting chord sent a roaring cheer from the audience. She knew that the band recognized the song now, and she poured her heart into the performance. Her sweet voice became soulful and mixed with the passionate rocking behind her to create a unique sound. She moved her body to the emotions, her actions and 'costume' gave her audience an interpretation of a girl who had recently lost a loved one. Ashley fell to her knees during the last refrain, belting out a heart-rending "something I can never have" and repeated the line twice for a finale.

The audience jumped, cheered, and screamed in the loudest ovation of the evening. Her friends were jumping beans at the side of the stage, while Joe just kept repeating "holy shit" in complete awe. Ashley got up, bowed, blew a kiss, then turned and gave each member of her band a hug and kiss. They left the stage and Joe picked her up, swinging her around while the cheering continued.

"That was awesome!" he shouted to her before giving her a huge kiss.

Several minutes later, the bands were called to the stage for the awards presentation. First, the amateur winners were announced, and then the professional category. Ashley's head dropped when her name was not called. Groans of disappointment percolated from the crowd.

The DJ held up an envelope for the final award. "Now, for best overall performance and $10,000. The winner is..."

He drew out a long pause for effect, and sporadic yells of Ashley's name could be heard, mostly from her classmates in the crowd. She smiled weakly at them, just knowing it was improbable. The DJ opened the envelope and pulled out the card.

"The winner is...ASHLEY!"

A spark tingled her body, and her hands flew up to cover her mouth in total shock. Her bandmates surrounded her in a group hug while the crowd went nuts. Several members of the other bands congratulated her and urged her toward the front. Her legs found their will to move and she ended up beside the DJ, her folded hands still covering her mouth. He leaned over and said in her ear that she performed the best two covers he'd ever seen, and then handed her an acrylic trophy that was worth more in symbolism than weight. Not knowing what else to do, she thrust it high above her head and waved to the crowd before heading off stage. The DJ announced a break before Ashley would return for the concert tonight.

Ashley grabbed the DJ by the arm when she saw him leave the stage. "Wait. What concert?"

He asked if she actually read the prize rules. She didn't think she'd get above third place, so the answer was a no. Apparently, the winner wins the 10 grand, plus a lot of local exposure in the form of a concert tonight, and one after the six category winners tomorrow. After he wished her luck, she looked at Jim and asked if he brought his drums.

It only took a few minutes to set the stage up for their liking. Darkness had fallen, and her band assembled backstage to figure out what to play. Jasmine and Kim ran to get food and came back with a couple of re-purposed boxes filled with styro containers of hotdogs and chips. In the dim light of the scaffolding, Ashley sat on the steps leading up to the stage, while her bandmates perched themselves on hard-side moving containers, each of them gobbling through the food from their lap.

"The contest theme was first records," Ashley said between bites. "So, should we just do a mostly cover job?"

The band liked that idea, and a debate ensued as to whether they should do a cover for one artist, or a selection of different ones. Pros and cons to each position were hammered out, and Ashley tossed a couple out there, as well. Finally nothing more could be said, and all eyes turned to the lead singer who was bouncing her knees so much in front of her that it was surprising the chips stayed inside the rim of the container.

She looked around and her knees settled. "What?"

"Nervous?" asked Reena.

Ashley shrugged. "Nah...this is going to be for fun. No pressure now. Why?" Her knees started doing it again.

Joe snatched the chip-rattling container off her lap. "She does that when she sits too long. Her body starts getting bored."

She grinned at him. "Sorry. Okay, so...let's cover one artist. Which one?"

Joe offered that they turned their luck around with No Doubt, and sealed the win with their adaptation of Nine Inch Nails. Ashley said that the third song was way too draining for her to keep up during an entire concert. Jim noted that No Doubt had released two albums previous to the song they were assigned. Ashley said that in the rules, it was 'first album to have clinched a chart position,' therefore songs from Tragic Kingdom were allowed. Mike suggested that they just do a set of popular No Doubt singles, since they were fun and offered enough variety to keep the audience listening.

Everyone agreed and they spent a few minutes to arrange a play list. Once that was done, Joe took Ashley to the car so she could change back into her shorts and t-shirt, while Jill texted Cindy about the victory, as she was on vacation since when she got Joe and Ashley to pick out the cakes.

"I'm so proud of you," Joe said while putting on his shirt after retrieving it from Ashley.

Ashley pulled her knee to her chin to tie the laces on her shoe. "Thanks. I still can't believe we won."

"I can, but you still surprised me."

She switched feet. "How so?"

"Pulling that last piece together the way you did."

Ashley hopped out of the front passenger seat and worked her hair into a pony tail using the scrunchy that still adorned her wrist. "I had to do something to come back from that awful start."

"It wasn't that bad. Well, after those guys were removed...your singing wasn't that bad."

"It wasn't good, either." She closed the truck door. "Ready to go back?"

"Not really. Ashley, listen to me please."

"I am." She cocked her head in confusion.

"No you aren't. I'm trying to tell you that I think you're amazing. Beyond that rockin' body of yours, you're talented as a rocker as well."

She smiled and gave him a peck. "We'll see. I haven't heard the sales numbers yet. Either way, it's been fun, and I'm glad you're with me to share it." Ashley started walking back across the parking lot, swaying her hips for his benefit. Looking over her shoulder she said, "And thanks for the compliment!" To punctuate, she gave her own butt a playful slap.

The concert went well, and it was easy to tell the pressure was off Ashley. She had fun with her band, sometimes singing to them, sometimes playfully ruffling either Mike or Jim's hair as they worked their instruments. She was rewarded with a nice rise from the audience when she grabbed her guitar and played Don't Speak as an acoustical solo. Their finale was her own Ashley's Song, the accidental You Tube and radio favorite.

*** Author's Note: Please don't crucify me for the cliche soap opera fix to Jasmine's departure. :) I had considered rewriting the last part of Angels and Guardians, but figured it was already out of the bag. I hope you found this to be a good start to the sequel.

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