We Won't Back Down

Chapter Two

Athena Elwell

Craig royally pissed me off this morning. He's always making fun of me and no matter what I do, it seems like its never good enough for him. I've tried being nice. Where does that get me? Absolutely fucking nowhere! After our little interaction this morning, I fled when the bell rang for AP literature. I couldn't get far enough away from him. The sad part? This was the daily routine. I walked into ap lit a bit unnerved. I slammed my stack of books on my desktop.
"Something the matter?" Dahlia questioned me immediatley.
"Craig piss in your cherrios again?" Sheila used her famous analogy.
"When doesn't he?" I answered her gritting my teeth upon seeing that bastard enter. The horrible thing was that he had to choose a seat directly behind my ass. Loathing coursed through every fiber of my being as he claimed his precious throne. I didn't even realize I had been glaring at him until he sat down without speaking a word and the expression on his face had turnned almost paranoid.
"Hot damn, it's gonna be an interesting hour!" Robert exclaimed with enthusiasm. I noticed that Sheila was staring down Monte like she was about to jump him for something, then my phone vibrated and I saw why!
Max had my sister pressed up against a wall, his body pressed against her, his mouth against her ear as if he was whispering something into her ear. His hand was making its way up her side. And he wasn't dead? I watched as he came in with a smirk on his face and sat in his seat in front of her and remained completely oblivious to her, until she grabbed him by the collar, tie and all pulled him back out of his seat. God she looked so pissed off. Guess we were in the same boat.
"Miss. Sheila Elwell, stop killing Mr. Green." our teacher Mrs. Lemie said as she came up to the board and started writing. I listened to her go on and on about a story we were going to be starting and droned it out.
I started thinking about work, a little music shop that has been in our family since forever and this Battle of the Bands that we were holding in a months time. My sisters had started a band, Raising Babylon is it's name, and had been practicing like no other for this. We wanted to win the ultimate prize: Getting signed to Epitaph Records was first and the second was going on tour, (just like the first place winners were).
"Hey I need to talk to you." Sheila whispered, sitting in front of me.
"Got done murdering Maxwell?" I laughed a bit to myself, seeing him turn around and flip me off. I flipped him back off and Sheila started snapping at me to pay attention.
"So, we need to start printing off posters for the contest" she said, trying to keep it quiet, but her trying to be quiet is like a rhino trying to sneak through a china shop. She wasn't bringing this up here...Please don't let Crai...
"Contest? What contest?" Craig asked and I groaned, glaring at Sheila a bit.
Fuck my life.
"Contest? what contest? There's no contest." Sheila responded with shifty eyes.
"Nah man, you gotta tell me, what kind of contest?" Craig pressed on.
"Are you deaf dude, she said there is no contest." I snapped at him. He flipped me off. Why the hell was everyone giving me the effin bird?!
"No one was talking to you Athena." he replied.
"umm... actually, I was." Sheila slowly rose her hand.
"Anyway... so the contest?" Max turned around and egged it on.
"Oh for crying out loud you guys, they're not gonna give it up. Just tell them." Dahlia voiced her opinion.
"Fine." Sheila grumbled. "There's going to be a battle of the bands contest at the little music shop next month. The winner gets signed by Epitaph Records and the second place winners gets to go on tour with the first place winners and some big time bands. There you go, that's it, you happy?" she explained.
"Wow...that's...that's amazing." Ronnie Radke said from behind our sister Dahlia. He used to be in the band with Max and them, but shit happened. All apart of the Rock N Roll Anthem: Sex, Drugs, and Rock N Roll. Drugs played a major part, but last I heard, he was off of them for the time being. He and Max had been into some hardcore drugs, but Ronnie's had taken him a bit far.
Dahlia giggled and turned around, talking to him about it. She has always had a slight crush on him, maybe it'll blossum into something more.
"So, say we were to enter...who is the competition?" Robert asks as they guys had crowded around Sheila and I. I shrug and Sheila smirks.
"Not sure yet, but one band has confirmed it." I glanced at her, oh no...her ego was kicking in. "An all girl band."
The guys eyes light up with a certain type of mischevious cockiness and their mouths formed a smirk.
"Oh really?" Craig asks and I glare at him. "Probably not any good."
We both scoffed at him, "Are you kidding? They are epic!" I exclaim getting pissed at how sexist he could be at times. He believed that any band of all girls could NEVER make it to the big leagues. It was time to prove him wrong. No man was going to hold Raising Babylon back, we would make sure of that and I WOULD make Craig Edward Mabbit eat his words.
"What do they look like?" Monte asked, still smirking and looking me up and down. "Anyone we know?"
Sheila rolls her eyes, scoffing. "Hell if we know, they have masks and stage names. Much like a Hollywood Undead, with music like Avenged Sevenfold, and the image of Sixx: A.M. and Motley Crue!"
The guys looked at her shocked. "Well shit, I can't wait to see them then!" Robert exclaims hugging her. "Sounds like they'd be a bunch of hotties!"
"I don't care what they look or sound like, they aren't going to win" Craig says, causing us to look at him.
"Fine, lets make a deal." I growl, glaring at him. "If they win, you have to make a announcement at the end of the contest saying how sorry you were for doubting their talent and being a dick to me...and if they lose..." I look from Dahlia to Sheila and then back at him. "you can take me out on a date."
I swear you could have heard a pin drop and Craig was seriously pondering this deal to a great length, putting me on edge. I looked down and jump feeling him put a hand on my shoulder.
"Deal." he whispered in my ear, so close and low that it made my whole body shudder under his touch and then it was gone. Only thing left was that burning sensation in my cheeks and the stupid butterflies that I despised in my stomach.
What have I gotten myself into?