Page 1 of Fame & Rhythm

Chapter One

Annie

Age 13

“Annie and Ella, come here,” Dad calls out.

“Daaad,” I groan, already knowing what he wants—another bloody photo. I swear he should have been paparazzi.

“C’mon, just one more before you start practice,” Dad says, and Ella and I exchange a look before heading over to him and Mum.

“Okay, fine, but this is the last one. You’re killing our rock and roll vibe, Dad,” Ella grumbles, making me laugh.

“I am rock and roll, girls. Don’t forget where you learned it,” Dad replies, pulling us in front of him and Mum. He pulls out his phone and lines up the shot as we settle into place.

“Whatever, Dad, you’re so lame,” Ella mutters, flipping her blonde curls over her shoulder.

“All right, are my girls ready?” he asks.

“Yes, hurry up,” I say, flashing a peace sign and sticking out my tongue. The camera snaps, and Ella and I immediately step back.

“Just one more,” Dad says.

We both laugh. He’s obsessed with capturing every moment—something about ‘never knowing when it might be the last.’ He says it so often it’s lost all meaning.

“Oh my God,” Ella and I drone in unison, already impatient to get started.

We lean back in beside Mum and Dad, smiling this time. Just as the camera flashes, Mum leans in and kisses Dad.

Ella rolls her blue eyes, and I groan.

“Great, they’re making out again!” she whines.

Across the room, Anna and Johnny laugh. They’re my parents’ best friends and the parents of my best friend, Aston, who’s already strapping on his bass like we should have been doing five minutes ago.

“Okay, sorry, off you go,” Dad chimes in, wrapping an arm around Mum.

For all their public displays of affection, they’re perfect together. It’s hard to hate that.

We head back to our instruments, strapping on our guitars while Johnny helps Aston tune his bass. I adjust my mic and catch Dingo talking to Chad behind the kit.

“Remember to hit the crash cymbal this time,” Dingo instructs.

“Shut up, Dad, I got this,” Chad fires back.

I smirk. He’s a hothead… just like me.

“Yeah, you do,” Dingo says, clearly proud as he hands his son the sticks.

“Chad, don’t talk to your father like that. And Dingo, don’t let him,” Sia cuts in. She’s Chad’s mum and the manager of Dad’s band, 12GAUGE-Slayed, which basically makes her the boss of everyone.

“All right, you guys ready?” Caleb asks, adjusting his mic.

“Yep. What song first?” Ella asks as she sets up her music stand.

Love her, but she still needs sheet music. The rest of us feel it out or ad-lib, as they say in the industry, but she’ll get there.

“How about the new one?” Caleb says in that performance voice that always makes me want to laugh.