A Winning Plan
From Welcome to Keystone Novel 12: What’s Wrong With Me?: Chapter 1, Scene 2
Two floors below the bedroom that Kaitlin had been hoping she would vacate just a little while ago, sixteen-year-old Caterina Lawrence was also feeling somewhat agitated and unhappy as she sat on the green-carpeted basement steps watching her seventeen-year-old brother, Johnny, and his friend, Maddy Yardley, fiddle with the music equipment that was perpetually set up in the middle of a round dark-yellow-and-black-checked area rug. “Today was such a waste,” she grumbled as she leaned forward, propped her elbow up on her left leg, and rested her chin in her hand. “I could’ve been at the movies with Logan Broderick, but where was I instead? Here! Doing all of the chores Kaitlin didn’t do over the last two days because she just had to go and get sick.”
“Yeah, well, at least you have someone who actually wants to go out with you once our month-long punishment for going to Cahuenga’s rave is finally over,” Johnny reminded her as he tightened the tension rods on his snare drum. “Because it doesn’t look like I’m getting another date with the person I want to be with anytime soon.”
“Wild guess,” said Maddy, who had just finished pulling the strap of his bass guitar on over the black T-shirt, which had a black and white Yin-Yang symbol printed on the front, that he was wearing pulled over baggy dark blue jeans and a white thermal long-sleeve shirt, which had black stitching and three black buttons at the collar, that were accessorized with black combat boots, as he turned to look at Johnny over his shoulder. “Delia’s still not taking you back.”
Dropping his brown eyes back to his drum, Johnny let out a depressed sigh. “Yeah,” he muttered as he moved on to the next tension rod. “She’s still going out with Darnell Baker. But I don’t know why since she knows that nothing that happened at Cahuenga’s rave is my fault now.”
“Hmm,” said Maddy, thoughtfully nodding. “Sounds like you need a plan to win her back.”
“And me and Owen just might have one for you,” announced Buzz Sharlin as he, Owen Beans, and Caterina’s best friend, Natasha Ingoria, entered the basement through the door that led out to the Lawrence garage.
“Really?” asked Johnny, his eyes widening with a slight bit of interest as he turned to look at Buzz. “Well, what is it?”
Grinning, Buzz reached into the pocket of the dark blue long-sleeve zip-up jacket, which had patch pockets and a chest pocket over the heart, that he was wearing open over baggy jeans and a dark-yellow-and-dark-blue-striped short-sleeve polo shirt that had a white collar, cuffs, and button placket, white trim at the side vents, white buttons, and a white “8” sewn over the heart. “This,” he replied as he pulled out a yellow rolled-up piece of paper and began to carry it over to Johnny, his sneakers thumping softy against the area rug as he did so.
As Buzz stopped near him, unrolled the paper, and held it up for him to see, Johnny found himself looking at a flyer for an upcoming event at the Keystone Entertainment Center. “‘Local Young Musical Talent Contest,”’ he read out loud as Natasha wandered over to the stairs and quietly plopped down beside Caterina. “‘Open to all high school and college singers and bands in the Orange County Lakes District.”’
Buzz grinned again. “Yeah,” he said. “And me and Owen are thinking that if we enter our band in this thing and win, then that just might get Delia to finally dump Baker and come back to you. Because after all. Getting first prize in a cool contest like this should make you a winner again, right?”
A smile slowly spreading across his face, Johnny tore his eyes away from the flyer and looked up at his friend. “Definitely,” he agreed. “So when is it, and how do we sign up?”
“It’s on Friday night,” replied Owen who had stepped onto the area rug and wandered over to start adjusting the microphone that he used whenever their band rehearsed together.
“Friday,” repeated Johnny. “As in this Friday? Two days from now?”
Buzz nodded. “Yup,” he confirmed as he rolled up the flyer and stuffed it back into his pocket. Shaking his head, he added, “And you don’t need to worry about signing up because Owen and me already took care of it.”
“That’s right,” Owen agreed as he finished pulling the microphone up so that it was on level with his mouth. “See, that’s why we’re late. Because we stopped by the Keystone Entertainment Center to fill out all the forms first.”
“Well, cool then,” said Johnny. “It looks like we’re all set.”
Across the room, Caterina, who had been quietly conversing with Natasha about the date that her friend had gone on that afternoon, turned to her brother and gave him a skeptical look. “Um, Johnny,” she said. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“What?” asked Johnny as he turned to face his sister.
“You’re grounded,” Caterina reminded him as she reached up to tighten her short blond high ponytail. “And that means that you’re not allowed to go to any fun stuff until about two weeks from now.”
“Shoot!” cursed Johnny, his gaze immediately dropping down to the baggy jeans that he was wearing with sneakers and a white hooded long-sleeve sweatshirt that had a pouch pocket, dark blue and white trim at the cuffs and bottom hem, and the word “Champion” printed across the front in dark blue letters. “I forgot again.”
Dropping her hands onto the jeans that she was wearing with black boots and a black three-quarter-sleeve open tie-back sweater, which had bright pink trim at the collar, cuffs, and bottom hem and bright pink flowers with black centers and yellow-green leaves printed on the front, that was tied over a bright pink spaghetti-strap tank top that had a scoopneck collar, Caterina sighed. “I know,” she said. “I forget every time someone asks me to do something fun too.” She agitatedly shook her head. “And it totally stinks because it keeps screwing things up for us. But Mom and Dad still aren’t changing their minds and letting us off early, so…”
“Are you sure they wouldn’t let you off for something like this?” asked Natasha who was sitting with her hands resting on the silver low-rise flare pants, which had front welt pockets, that she was wearing with black heeled boots and a shiny bright pink three-quarter-sleeve tie-closure cardigan, which had double ruffle trim, that was tied over a bright-pink-and-silver-striped three-quarter-sleeve top that had a silver V-neck collar.
Turning to her best friend, Caterina frowned. “What do you mean?” she asked.
“Just that,” began Natasha as she reached up and tucked her loose wavy black hair behind her ears, “this isn’t something that’s still going to be there when you’re finally done being grounded. You know, like the chance to go on a date or go to the beach will be.”
“That’s right!” Maddy enthusiastically agreed. “This is a now-or-never thing!” He shrugged. “Well, until maybe next year when the Keystone Entertainment Center might do it again anyway.”
Johnny adamantly shook his head. “Well, I’m definitely not waiting until next year to prove to D.D. that I’m a winner, and she should take me back,” he announced as he rose from the little black leather stool that stood behind his drum set. “So come on, Cat. Let’s go.”
As her brother stepped out from behind the drum set and began to make his way over to the stairs, Caterina stood up and frowned. “Where are we going?” she asked, a confused expression forming on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“To do what Natasha said and convince Mom and Dad that they need to let us go to this because it’s going to be over by the time we’re not grounded anymore,” replied Johnny as he stopped at the foot of the stairs, stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets, and looked up at his sister.
“Wait,” ordered Maddy. “Don’t you guys need a plan first?”
Turning around to face his friend, Johnny frowned. “What are you talking about?” he asked. “We have a plan.”
“Yeah, but it’s pretty much the same one that you and Cat have used every other time you’ve wanted to get out of your punishment early,” Buzz reminded him. “So don’t you think you should find ways to make your argument stronger before you go up there? You know, come up with five good reasons instead of just one or something.”
Letting out a defeated sigh, Johnny nodded. “I guess you guys are right,” he admitted. “If we’re really going to get them to let us out for the night, then we’re going to need more than just the reason Natasha said. So does anyone have any other ones that we can use?”
As Johnny began to hopefully look around at him, Maddy, and Buzz, Owen shook his head. “Not yet,” he replied. “But maybe we’ll think of some while we’re rehearsing. So what do you say that we get down to it, guys?”
“Sounds good to me,” Buzz agreed, shrugging off his jacket as he turned and began to walk over to his keyboard. “Because if we’re really going to win this thing, then we need all the practice that we can get over the next few days.”
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