Mabel opened her eyes, forgetting where she was. She was in the audition hall, holding her bass; Josie and Karen in the wings, with the Young brothers across from her. Their faces were unreadable.

"Excuse me, darlin', how old are you?" Malcolm asked.

"Sixteen," Mabel said.

"Ya' know somethin', that's one hell of a talent," Angus said. Mabel flushed pink. "How long have ya' played?"

"Forever," she said. "Uh...what do I do now?" Malcolm looked at Angus before standing.

"Jus' wait right there, love, we'll talk for a minute." Malcolm and Angus walked a ways off and spoke in hushed tones. Josie and Karen crossed their fingers.

"What are ya' thinkin'?" Angus asked. Malcolm sighed and crossed his arms.

"She's good," he said. "Scary good. But what do we do, take a sixteen year old on the road for a couple months?"

"Yeah," Angus considered. "She's the best we've seen so far." Malcolm turned to look at her.

"I want her to come back," he said. "I want her playin' a couple songs with us, ya' know. Get Brian an' Chris' opinions."

"We given' anyone else a second chance?" Angus asked. Malcolm nodded.

"Yeah, we'll get a few in. Call 'em up." Angus stepped aside.

"Ya' wanna tell her?" Malcolm walked up to Mabel.

"Hey, darlin'," he said, nodding at the bass on her lap. "We want ya' to come back tomorrow. If ya' can. I wanna hear you play one of our songs with us an' test how that sounds."

"R-really?" she asked. Josie and Karen were dancing where they stood. Malcolm smiled.

"Sure. We wanna hear what ya' sound like if we were really playin'. But only if ya' can, we understand you're pretty young."

"She'll be there," Josie said before she could stop herself. Malcolm nodded, unsure.

"Whatever works," he said. "If ya' can't make it we understand."

"It was nice meeting you," Angus said. "Anythin' we can do before ya' take off?" Josie pushed her way to the front of the group, holding out her pen.

"I don't suppose a few quick autographs would hurt?"

**********

"I can't believe it, you did it!" Josie squealed as the girls neared Mabel's house. By now the sun was completely gone and the streetlights were on. Auditions would be over by now. Mabel held her beloved autographed bass while Josie and Karen boasted their swanky t shirts. "And they want you back!"

"We told you you were good," Karen said.

"Don't get too excited," Mabel said. "They probably call tons of people back."

"You get to play bass with Malcolm and Angus Young!" Josie had stars in her eyes. "What are you going to wear?"

"What I always wear," Mabel said. Josie tsked.

"You've got to let us make you over," she said. "You want to look the part, right? Rock and roll?"

"I'd really feel better just being myself," Mabel said.

"Aw, you're no fun," Josie pouted.

"What are you going to tell your mum?" Karen asked. "There's no way she'll let you audition to be in AC/DC."

"Tell her we're still working on the project," Josie said. "Good thing tomorrow is a Saturday."

Mabel wheeled up to the ramp. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said. "And....thanks for taking me to the audition. I had fun."

"We knew you would," Josie smiled. "Bye, Mabel."

"Bye!" Josie and Karen walked home while Mabel wheeled into her house.

"There you are!" her mother said, coming up to see her. She was wiping her hands on a dish towel. "I thought you'd never come home. Did you get lost on your way?"

"Of course not," Mabel said. "The project is just taking longer than we thought. And Josie and I...and Karen...are going to the library tomorrow. To work on it. Is that okay?"

"Of course it's okay," her mother smiled. "Anything to help you with your school work. I'd hate for you to miss a single class." She eyed the guitar case on her lap. "You took your bass?"

"Oh, just something to keep us focused," Mabel said. "Some music."

"Well, don't take it with you to the library," her mother said. "Rock and roll is much too loud and obnoxious to play there." Mabel pretended to laugh.

"Right..."

**********

"Careful with it, it's just been autographed!" Mabel whisper yelled as she pushed her bass guitar through her bedroom window. Josie and Karen toppled this way and that, balancing the guitar on their shoulders.

"Got it!" Josie yelled.

"Shh!"

"What are you so worried about?" Josie said. "Alright, tell your mum you're leaving, we'll meet you out front." Mabel wheeled out of her bedroom, Max greeting her happily.

"Oh! On your way to the library, Mabel?" her mother asked, knitting a scarf.

"Yeah, I'll be back before dinner," Mabel said.

"Stay safe!"

Slipping out the front door and closing it quietly, Mabel wheeled down the ramp as Josie and Karen popped out of a bush with the guitar. "You ready to rock?" Josie asked.

**********

"Thank you," Malcolm said, waving the man out the door. He scratched his name off the list. "An' don't come again," he muttered. Angus lit up a cigarette and took up his cup of tea. "Hope that young lady comes by. What was her name again?"

"Think one of 'em called her Mabel," Angus said. "Or...I dunno, maybe that's one of the others."

"Ah, here she is," Malcolm said, tapping her name with the pen. It was circled in black ink.

"What do we say if we pick her?" Angus asked. "Tell her...ya' know, 'ask your mother if we can snatch ya' out of school an you can be our substitute bassist on tour'?"

"Maybe her mum is pushin' her to do this," Malcolm suggested. "Ya' know, some parents actually support their kids once in a while."

"Yeah, but..." Angus laughed. "Ya' know, we weren't exactly saints back in the day."

"What band is?" Malcolm asked. "An' we're all old an' grey now. That's all behind us." He eyed the cigarette smoke covering Angus' face. "Most of it, anyway."

"Old," Angus huffed. "I don't see you up there in the shorts." Malcolm scribbled a few things down on a sheet of paper, glancing at his watch.

"My legs would take away from your playin'," he said. "I don't play all that footie for nothin'."

"Hm," Angus muttered. The door to the audition hall opened and in wheeled Mabel, flanked by Josie and Karen. "There she is."

"Ya' made it, did ya'?" Malcolm asked, standing. "Wasn't any trouble getting here?" Mabel blanched but kept her cool.

"Nope," she smiled, unlatching her case. "No trouble at all."

"Ya' livin' with your folks?"

"My mum," she answered. Malcolm nodded.

"Ya' know if we like ya' well enough we'd have to talk to her about this," he said, noticing the way Mabel fidgeted. "I dunno if she'd feel better if she came with you to watch over you...your mum knows about this, right?"

Mabel snapped out of her worry and reassured him with a smile. "Of course she does," she lied. "She's happy for me."

"Oh. Well, good," Malcolm smiled. "Alright then, get yourself ready an' we'll play a few things, yeah?" Malcolm left to grab his guitar and Mabel dropped the fake smile.

"I'm in big trouble..." she murmured.

**********

"Don't you worry about this," Angus said as Mabel eyed the tape recorder. "This is for us to listen to later so we can make a decision. Jus' pretend it's not even there."

Mabel wasn't sure she could.

"Ya' know Cliff's parts pretty well?" Malcolm asked, tuning a bit. "Any of Mark's?"

"I know a few songs," Mabel said. "I don't know all of them...but I'm a fast learner!" She perked up.

"What do ya' know?" Angus asked. Mabel couldn't help but notice how odd it was to see the man holding a guitar without the uniform.

"I know Back in Black, obviously," she said. "The whole album, I mean."

"That's good," Angus said. "Know anything of Bon's?" Mabel thought of every song sung by Bon Scott she remembered hearing. The man had been a few years before her time.

"Live Wire," she said. "And TNT."

"Those'll be useful," Malcolm said. Josie and Karen waited anxiously off to the side. Of the three of them, Mabel listened of AC/DC the least. She preferred the likes of the Beatles and the Sweet. A bit of Motley Crue from time to time. Josie told her Motley Crue was "silver plastered arse" compared to AC/DC but Mabel said that was bunk. Oh, had only she listened!

"Tuned up?" Angus asked. Mabel nodded, swallowing her nerves. "Alright, uh...Mal, what are we startin' with?"

"Try TNT," Malcolm said. "Hey, uh, you two ladies." Karen pointed at themselves. "Either of you sing?" They both glowed like a thousand suns. "Could use a bit of help."

"What about my part?" Angus asked. Malcolm nodded.

"Fine, Ang, go off," he said. He looked around the room, sighing. "Damn, I wish Phil were here."

**********

"I'm sorry," Mabel said, the song abruptly ending for the third time. "I don't know what's wrong with me today."

"I think you're nervous," Malcolm said. "Probably the tape recorder. Happens to all of us."

"Should swing by rehearsal sometime," Angus said. "Always startin' over an' stoppin' again."

"We'll try again, no worries." Malcolm looked at Josie and Karen who were both attempting to out-sing the other one. He watched in amusement. "Ought to get Zeppelin back together."

"What about a different song?" Angus suggested. "Which song are you most comfortable with?" Mabel tapped her bass with one finger, running her other hand across the neck.

"Hell's Bells, I guess," she said. Angus nodded.

"Alright, we can try that one."

"Uh...ladies?" Malcolm said. Josie and Karen stood at attention, cutting the competition short, raising their arms in mock salute.

"Yes, sir!" Josie shouted while Karen followed along in a fit of giggles.

"Ya' know Hell's Bells?" he asked.

"It's only one of our favorites!" Josie squealed.

**********

"I'm doomed," Mabel said, locking her bass away. "I was rubbish out there and now Mum's going to find out where I was."

"If they pick you to go on tour you'll have to tell her anyway," Karen said. "Can't use a school project excuse for that."

"Won't have to worry about that," Mabel said. She wheeled her chair around and stared at Malcolm and Angus who were fiddling with the tape recorder, listening to the shit show Mabel couldn't call a jam session. Missing cues, losing rhythm without a drummer, Josie and Karen's high pitched "singing" coming through loud and clear. "They won't pick me."

"Don't say that, think positive," Josie said.

"I'm positive they won't pick me," Mabel said, giving her friends a slippery grin.

"But Malcolm said you were just nervous."

"If I can't play bass in this tiny little room with you lot watching, how the hell can I play in front of thousands of people every night?" Mabel almost yelled, holding it together just enough so Malcolm and Angus wouldn't hear. She could feel the tears sting. "Let's just go. Our fun is over."

"Mabel-"

"Headin' out?" Malcolm asked, following her to the door. "Thought you'd want to hear the playback."

"No, I-" Mabel looked at her friends who stood off to the side looking dejectedly at the floor. "My mum didn't want me out too late, that's all."

"Huh, I see," Malcolm said. "Well, look, we gotta get this to the others an' see what they think. Maybe fix it up in the studio an' hear your playin' better."

"Oh," Mabel said. "Okay."

"If they like it an' think you'd be a good fit, we might ask ya' to join." Mabel's hopes brightened a little. "As long as your mum is okay with it."

Her hopes depleted. Her mother thought rock and roll was a waste of time, she'd never let her tour with four adult men.

"Yeah. Right."

"Here, we'll need a number we can get back to ya' with." Mabel followed him back to the desk and wrote her number on a sheet of stationary. "Thanks, love. Might be a few days before ya' hear from us...got a couple others we're workin' through."

"I understand," Mabel said. She knew deep down this was all too good to be true. The rest of the band would listen to the tapes and pick someone professional, someone who kept calm during auditions and didn't screw up every song. Someone who could perform in front of a crowd without breaking down. Someone who knew every song backwards.

Malcolm patted her on the shoulder. "We'll call ya', alright?" he said. "Fun playin' with ya', kid."

Right. Kid. Just a teenager with dreams too big to hang on to.

**********

"Jesus," Brian grimaced. "You're not replacin' me with that, are ya'?" Josie and Karen sang over the tape. Malcolm smiled like an affectionate parent.

"Nah, those are her friends," he explained. "We needed a singer an' they were happy to do it."

"Sure sounds like it," Brian said.

"Ang an' I were thinkin' we'd get the tapes cleaned up in the studio," Malcolm said. "Ya' know, get her bass alone or with our guitars an' see what you think."

"That's fair," Brian said. He snickered as the singing grew louder and more shrill. "Let's get to work as soon as possible."

**********

Mabel couldn't take her eyes off the clock. Concentrating on geometry just wasn't going to happen. Days had passed since the second audition and still no phone call. She'd hovered over the telephone in case her mother might get to it first. Maybe she'd written the number down incorrectly. Maybe they didn't want to tell her the bad news and procrastinated calling her. Or they were calling right now and she couldn't answer because she was at school. Eugh, who needed school at a time like this?

Bell ringing, Mabel grabbed her books off her desk and piled them on her lap, wheeling out of the classroom. Lunch was next; surely all the other kids would be gossiping about who the next bass player for AC/DC was going to be. Like Mabel needed to surround herself with that. One stop at her locker and she was going to hide in the library. Problem with that was-

"Mabel!" Mabel groaned when she saw Abby running her direction, her long blonde hair flowing behind her. Abby was a nice girl; she just always managed to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. "Heard you auditioned to be AC/DC's new bass player," she said, catching up. Mabel whirled her head around to look at her.

"How did you know?"

"Everybody knows," Abby shrugged. Mabel wheeled to her locker and forced it open. Inside was some lunch money tucked in an envelope and a collection of notes she and her friends passed in class. Mabel shoved her books inside and grabbed the envelope. "Wouldn't it be amazing to get out of school and travel the world with a famous band?"

"Sure would," Mabel said, counting out some notes. Maybe she could get a snack from the vending machine and sneak it into the library.

"Too bad you can't though," Abby said.

"Who says I can't?"

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it? They won't let a kid go on tour with them," Abby said. "Too much alcohol, too many drugs."

"I'm not stupid," Mabel said. "I know to stay away from that stuff."

"Yeah," Abby said, rolling her eyes. "All that 'just say no' rubbish. Besides, their tour buses probably aren't wheelchair accessible."

"We could work something out," Mabel said.

"It's really a shame," Abby continued. "More things ought to be wheelchair accessible. Don't you think?"

"Yeah," Mabel muttered. "Of course I do."

"Well, bye!" Abby flounced away while Mabel slammed her locker shut.

"Uh oh." Mabel turned around to see Josie and Karen. "Abby strikes again, huh?"

"Says I can't be the new bassist," she muttered. "And she's right."

"What?" Josie shouted.

"Why?" Karen crossed her arms, demanding an explanation.

"I'm just a kid," Mabel sighed. "And I'm disabled. Who wants to bother with a girl in a wheelchair?"

"Oh, bullshit!" Karen yelled. The other two looked at her in shock. Karen had never been one to swear like that. "Don't listen to her, don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't do."

"Karen's right," Josie said. "They like you for your talent. If that means accommodating to your needs then they should own up to that. You do your part, they do theirs."

"Or they'll hire me because they feel bad for me," Mabel sulked. "No one wants to tell the disabled girl no."

"Did you not just hear me?" Josie asked. Mabel wheeled her way to the library as her friends followed. "You have talent. It's got nothing to do with your wheelchair."

"You getting lunch?" Karen asked. "We were going to stop by the shake bar if you wanted to come."

"I don't know..." Mabel knew a milkshake would be way better than whatever rubbish the vending machines in the school had.

"Come on, you know you want your favorite," Josie sang. "Chocolate strawberry? And it will get your mind off that phone call." Mabel couldn't resist.

"Alright," she said. "Let's go."

**********

Max barked happily as Mabel's mother came into the house. "Of all days to leave my paperwork," she muttered, searching around the house. "Boss is going to love this." After finding her paperwork scattered across the kitchen table, she collected it right as the telephone rang. "Who could that be?" Max followed her, wagging his tail. She picked up the phone and held it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Afternoon," a man said. "Uh...would Mabel McIntosh happen to be home?"

"No, I'm afraid she's in school at the moment," her mother said. "Who is this?"

"My name is Malcolm Young. I'm callin' to let Mabel know she passed her audition," the man said. "Who might this be?"

"I'm her mother."

"Oh, good, we'll need to talk to you about the tour an' schedules an' all that." Mabel's mother shook her head.

"Excuse me, what audition? What tour?"

"We've picked her to be our new bassist," Malcolm said. "Just for a couple months, our usual guy is out for the moment." Mabel's mother attempted to piece things together while Max sniffed her shoes.

"I'm sorry, you're saying my daughter auditioned to be a bass player?" she asked. "For which band?"

"AC/DC," Malcolm said. "She said you knew all about it."

"There must be a mistake," her mother said. "You know Mabel is only sixteen?"

"Yes, ma'am, we're aware. That's why we needed your permission first."

"You understand it's the middle of the academic year? She can't drop her studies to play bass in some rock band." Malcolm sighed over the other end, knowing this wasn't going how he expected it to go when he made the call. "I didn't know anything about this! Mabel has been working on a project for school for days now!"

"I'm sorry, she must have told ya' that to come see us," Malcolm guessed. "Should I call back later when Mabel gets home from school?"

"There won't be any need for that," she said. "My daughter is not running away with your band, she is underage and still in school. Look, I'm sorry she wasted your time but I cannot allow her to play in your band. Goodbye."

"But-" Her mother slammed the phone down. Grabbing her paperwork, she marched to the front door and shut it after her, leaving behind a very confused and startled Max. Mabel had some serious explaining to do...