Page 66 of Hard Rock Heat

"Are you here to scout us?" One of the older looking and tallest boy with thick rimmed black glasses tilted his head at Damon, questioning. He seemed to be the most level headed one, not reacting the way the othershad.

"Sorry, kid, I'm not looking to sign any bands." Damon walked further into the room, examining each of them with a grin. As his eyes fell on each, they returned his grin, aside from Anya who refused to look up. "My friend Morris told me about you guys. He sounded pretty impressed with the lot ofyou."

"These two would like to listen to you guys play a bit," Jessieexplained.

"No pressure," Damon added. "Can you guys just show me what yougot?"

I frowned at Damon, wondering why he hadn't told them why he was really here — that he was thinking of getting them to open for hisconcert.

Their mouths all dropped open, eyes wide as they stared at each other. Damon saw me staring and shook his headsubtly.

I understood now. If the kids thought they were being judged for real, if they thought they might have a chance at playing a real concert, they might have gotten more nervous than they already were and mademistakes.

Not to mention, if the kids really did suck, it would be a blow to their egos to have Damon go on to tell them thanks but nothanks.

"You want to hear a cover, or one of our originals?" the boy with glasses asked. He seemed to have taken the lead, as the others had been shockedspeechless.

"You've gotten that far?" Jessie asked,surprised.

He nodded. "We're better at covers, but we've been working on some original songs for the last fewmonths."

"Let's hear it," Damonsaid.

I wasn't sure what to expect. They were just kids, after all. But if the drummer of Feral Silence had told Damon about them, then at the very least they couldn't beawful.

Anya gripped her microphone tight in both hands and nodded to the drummer, who nodded back. Kaylee hit her sticks in a one-two-three beat and they started toplay.

I thought it was pretty good, if my opinion counted for anything. I didn't know much about rock music, but it was catchy enough and didn't make my ears bleed. At the very least, the kids could play their instruments and the singer could hit all the rightnotes.

When they finished, Damon whistled outloud.

"Damn guys," he said appreciatively. "Morris wasn't lying. You kids have got sometalent."

"We're not kids," the guitarist, Zain, insisted stubbornly. "I'm almostsixteen."

All three adults in the room shared a knowingsmile.

"How many original songs have you guys got?" Damonasked.

"Only two," the bassist said,shamefaced.

"Two's enough," Damon said,nodding.

"Enough for what?" Anya asked, finally looking at Damon. He winked at her. She immediately ducked her headagain.

"How would you guys like to open for my band one night?" heasked.

If the kids had been shocked speechless before, it was nothing compared to the stunned silence that followed hisquestion.

"Damon and Faith are holding a fundraising event," Jessie explained. "They're putting on a mini concert with some of their friends in other bands. We thought it might be fun if you played a song or two. You'd also get to party in a rock star tour bus for thenight."

"Are you serious…?" The even-tempered keyboardist was no longer so even tempered. He sounded close totears.

"Sure am," Damonsaid.

Chaos. That was the only way to describe their reaction. The drummer shrieked and threw her drumsticks in the air as she jumped up and down. Anya tried to sink down into a nearby chair, looking faint, and missed, both her and the chair crashing to the ground. The two guitarists were shouting and cheering at each other, swinging their guitarsaround.

"Kaylee, calm down," Jessie admonished, rushing to stop the drummer from knocking over the drum set in herexuberance.