"I see..." Malcolm and Angus exchanged looks. Arms crossed and bleary eyed, Angus took a seat on the couch. Malcolm leaned against the wall, telephone to his ear. "Can they fix it?"

"If not for the tour for his life," Angus muttered. Malcolm ignored him.

"Ya' gonna be okay?" Malcolm didn't relax until Cliff promised he'd be fine. "I don't wanna sound like a worried mum but kidney infections aren't somethin' to mess with." He was quiet a minute. "Don't worry about us, we'll find someone to fill in."

"Is he alright?" Angus asked and Malcolm nodded.

"Jus' for a bit, ya' know, just until you're a hundred percent....yeah, sure. Don't blame yourself, things jus' happen." Malcolm laughed at something Cliff said and stood up straight. "Alright, we'll talk later. Bye." He hung up the phone and Angus watched him trudge to the nearest armchair and collapse into it.

"So what's goin' on?" Angus asked. "How long's he out for?"

"Couple months at least," Malcolm said. "They gotta fix the problem an' he's gotta recover."

"But he'll be alright?" Malcolm nodded.

"Yeah, he's pretty optimistic about the whole thing," he said. "Sounded awful chipper on the phone an' I guess the doctors expect a complete recovery."

"Thank fuck," Angus said. "Can't assume Cliff's family is all that thrilled about it." Malcolm smiled.

"Yeah, his wife's worried sick. Kids seem to be okay." Malcolm ran his hands through his hair. "We'll have to find a substitute."

"I know a few people we can call," Angus said. "They're off in bands of their own but it's a start."

"Yeah, Malcolm said. "Get the word out, have auditions." He offered Angus a pitiful smile. "Jus' like old times, eh?"

**********

"Mabel!" Two girls ran toward a third, holding a flyer. The third girl, Mabel, turned her wheelchair around to see Josie and Karen. "Mabel, you'll never believe it!"

"You passed a maths test?" Mabel asked. Karen snickered behind her hand while Josie pouted.

"Very funny," she said, thrusting the flyer in Mabel's face. "Look at this!"

Mabel scanned the flyer, frowning. "They're looking for a bassist?" she said. Josie and Karen nodded, jack-o-lantern smiles on both of them. Mabel handed the flyer back. "Forget it," she said, wheeling around.

"What?" Karen exclaimed as they ran to keep up. Other kids messed around at their lockers, dropping books or finding year old sandwiches. Mabel made it to her locker and opened it. "Why not?"

"You're serious?" Mabel said. "I'm not good enough to play for them!"

"You're better than a lot of those so called professionals," Josie said. Mabel huffed and put some books on her lap. "The least you can do is try."

"They're not going to take some kid," Mabel said. "It's irresponsible. They'll pick a grown up."

"But if you blow them away, you could go on tour with AC/DC!" Karen yelled, drawing attention. Mabel looked around at all the staring faces. "Just think, all those parties!"

"All those cute guys!" Josie sighed. Mabel slammed her locker shut and wheeled away. "We're...almost eighteen."

"No way, I'll only make a fool of myself," Mabel said. "I'll get nervous and mess up, they'll tell me this isn't a playground and send me home, just-" She wiped away her frustrated tears. The bell rang. "I've got to get to class. I'll see you later."

Josie and Karen watched Mabel turn the corner where her French class was. Staring down at the flyer, Josie clenched it in her hand, the paper crumpling. "I'll get her an audition if it's the last thing I do."

**********

Plugging her bass guitar in, Mabel held the instrument in her lap and began to strum. Just a simple bass line, nothing too extravagant. But it was rich and filthy, just like a good rock song ought to be. Her bedroom walls were covered with posters of famous bassists, including Jackie Fox and Nikki Sixx. Ever since she could pluck flowers she'd wanted to pluck a guitar. Being in the spotlight was too much but maybe she could play near the back of the stage. That's where the idea of bass came in.

Losing herself in the music she hardly noticed her mother knocking on her bedroom door. "Yeah?" she called.

"Your friend Karen is on the phone!" her mother called from behind the door.

"I'm coming!" Mabel set the bass down on her bed and wheeled out of her room. The phone was sitting on the counter and Mabel picked it up. "Karen?"

"Mabel, hi!" Karen tried to hide the nerves creeping up. "Josie and I thought it would be fun to watch the auditions downtown," Mabel raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" she asked. Pots and pans clattered from her mother's cooking.

"Y-yeah," Karen coughed. Mabel could hear some whispering over the phone. "Josie says if you won't play for them, maybe you can get an autograph instead."

"I don't know..." Mabel said. Max, their toy poodle, started barking at the neighbors out the window. "I've got a lot of homework."

"You've got the rest of your life to do homework!" Karen said. "This is the biggest band in the world right now, you won't at least try to see them?" Mabel knew she was right. Meeting a famous band would be stupid to turn up. And if they could autograph her bass, it would be even better.

"Do you guys even know where they are?" Mabel asked. Josie took the phone from Karen.

"They're on 9th street, just up a couple blocks," she said. "They're auditioning until eight so we've got to get there before then."

"They're gonna be so busy," Mabel said. "They won't take time out of their busy day to sign things for a couple of kids."

"Well, see..." Karen said. "Josie and I were sort of thinking..."

"We were thinking you could bring your bass and we could wait in the audition queue," Josie said, snatching the phone again. "Once it's our turn, we just ask for autographs instead."

"That will never work!"

"Sure it will," Josie insisted. "Unless you know a way to sneak in..." Mabel glanced over at her mother who was busy chopping onions. "Tell your mum you're staying over at my house for dinner tonight."

Mabel put her hand over the phone. "Mum, can I go to Josie's for dinner?" She paled. "We've got a big project to work on."

**********

Angus grinned at his brother who sat next to him, head in his hands. He nudged him. "Go on, Mal, tell me how ya' really feel."

"That," Malcolm spat. "was the worst playin' I've ever heard." Angus laughed. "A rock could do better."

"I uh...won't disagree," Angus said, tapping his fingers against the desk. Malcolm stood up.

"I need a drink," he muttered. He lit a cigarette instead. "Don't worry, I won't have one."

"To be fair I need one too," Angus said. "Been a long day an' there's still a lot more out there."

"At least they can't get any worse than that," Malcolm said. Angus pulled the clipboard closer to look it over. "Anyone we like? Anyone stand out?"

"The Marty fellow wasn't bad," Angus said. "Could use a better grip an' I'm not sure he plays the sound we're lookin' for."

"At this point I'm about to call up one of our old contacts," Malcolm said. "We've gone through plenty bass players back in the day. Could get Mark back."

"Dave too?" Angus smiled and Malcolm sighed.

"I'm not that desperate..."

**********

Mabel tapped her guitar case. "What if they say no?" she asked.

"Why would they say no?" Josie asked, stuffing her face with popcorn.

"Because we're kids who are barging in to waste their time?" Karen said and Josie swatted her.

"She's right," Mabel moped. "Maybe we really should go back to Josie's house."

"What'd you tell your mum anyway?" Karen asked. Josie threw more popcorn into her mouth.

"I said I was going to the movies," she shrugged. The line moved up an inch. Lots of people, men and women, waited patiently, cases in their hands. Mabel couldn't help but notice she was the only high schooler. "You're lucky you get to sit down, Mabel."

"Yeah, real lucky," Mabel smiled. "Pass the popcorn, please, I'm starving."

**********

"Don't call us, we'll call you," Malcolm mumbled, furiously scribbling out a name. Angus found some playing cards and busied himself with building a tower.

"In pain, Mal?"

"Ya' ever hear a song on the radio...some new band or singer, ya' know? An' they're lousy?" Angus nodded. "An' it physically hurts to listen to?"

"Sure have," Angus said. His tower collapsed and he threw the rest of the deck on the table. "You're normally not this...agitated."

"Jus'..." Malcolm set his pen down. "Tired, ya' know. Hopin' Cliff isn't hurting too much. Hungry."

"Wanna call a break?" Angus asked. "Get somethin' to eat?" Staring intently at a paperweight he nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah, sure."

**********

"Man, I've gotta go," Karen said, pacing back and forth. "Why did you let us convince you to come?"

"So run and find a dunny, we'll wait," Josie said. Mabel raised a hand.

"I've got to go too," she admitted shyly. "Here, you hold my bass and we'll be right back." Karen wrenched the bass from Mabel and shoved Josie down with it. Grabbing the handles to Mabel's wheelchair, Karen sped off to find the nearest toilet.

"Have fun," Josie called, dusting herself off.

**********

The sun was going down by the time the three girls made it inside the building. People sat on the floor with their guitars, some of them playing to pass the time. "Maybe we should just forget this," Mabel said. "Mum's waiting for me at home, no school project takes this long to complete. She'll be calling your mum any minute, Josie."

Karen and Josie looked at each other before attempting to persuade Mabel to stay. "But we've come so far!" Josie said.

"Other people have done way more to meet their idols," Karen said. "You know I've heard of people selling their livers to buy concert tickets?"

"I heard that too," Josie said. Mabel looked between them with disgust.

"That never happened!" she said. The other waiting patrons gave the girls weird looks. "You guys made that up."

"Did not!" Karen said. "Besides, Josie and I want out autographs too."

"What are you having them sign?" Mabel asked. Karen and Josie smiled, putting their hands on their hips, pushing their chests out. "Okay, you guys are way too young for that."

"Not that," Josie said. "Our t shirts. Even brought our own pens."

"Oh," Mabel said, slumping. "I didn't."

"You can borrow mine," Karen said. "We're moving up."

**********

"I can't believe we're finally next!" Josie squealed. Knowing they were about to get their autographs and go home, Mabel relaxed. Still, she couldn't help but feel like she was wasting their time. Maybe since they were kids they'd go easy on them.

"You think the whole band is in there?" Karen asked. Josie lowered her voice so Mabel couldn't hear.

"Hope not. You think she can play with all of them staring?"

"Well, we know the bassist isn't there," Karen said. "I wonder where he is..."

**********

"Alright, Mr. Williams, your room is right in here- oh!" The doctor closed the door after opening it, revealing a man in the middle of a prostate exam. He pushed Cliff's wheelchair further down the hall. "Sorry, wrong room."

**********

"Do I look okay?" Josie said, fluffing her curly red hair and pouting.

"You look fine, now let's go." Karen ushered both girls into the room where Angus and Malcolm sat, their desk now covered in used napkins and takeaway boxes.

"Evenin'," Malcolm said. He narrowed his eyes. "Are all three of ya' playin'?"

"No, we're just-"

"Only her," Josie interrupted, pointing at Mabel. Mabel's mouth opened slack, staring horrified at her friends.

"You tricked me!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the room. "You lied to me, you said we were only getting autographs!" Malcolm raised a hand.

"Uh, listen, ladies-"

"Please, sir, our friend is a really good bass player and we wanted her to try," Josie said.

"Some friends you are!" Mabel yelled, wheeling her way out.

"Mabel, wait!" Karen yelled.

"I know we're young but you've got to give her a chance, please?" Josie pleaded. "We've waited all day-"

"Look darlin'," Malcolm said, in a much better mood after eating. "Everyone gets a fair shot. But if your friend here doesn't want to, there's no use forcin' her."

Josie and Karen blocked Mabel's way. One arm clutched her case on her lap while her other arm worked hard to move her chair. She needed a good workout if she was going to teach these two a lesson later. "Move," she demanded.

"One song is all we ask," Josie said. "Just play one song and we'll take you home."

"You lied to me!"

"Only for your own good!" Josie lowered her voice. "We knew you'd regret passing up this chance and as your friends it's our responsibility to prevent that from happening."

"As my friends it's your job to be honest!" Mabel hissed.

"We're sorry," Karen said, looking guilty. "We understand if you hate us."

"I don't." Karen elbowed Josie. "Just one song, please? He said everybody gets a fair chance."

Mabel looked shyly at Malcolm and Angus who seemed to look at the group with concern. Surely coming all this way for nothing was a bigger waste of time than playing one little song. And hell, she'd have a story to tell her kids someday.

"Just one quick song."

Josie squealed and hugged Mabel while Karen wheeled her back to the center of the room. She smiled shyly at the men.

"Don't be nervous, love," Malcolm said. "We don't bite."

"Well, I don't," Angus said. "Take your time. Whenever you're ready."

Mabel pulled her bass out and Karen took it, plugging it in the amp for her. Tuning it quickly, Mabel looked at her friends who offered her a thumbs up. Taking a deep breath, she began to play....