The three of us were led backstage for a word from the director himself right after he scolded his students.

"I just want to thank you all for participating in this," he shook our hands, ignoring how he could see through Amy's hand. "... I could've sworn there were more band members."

"Thanks for having us," I explained. "And you would be right. Our bassist and guitarist are... Grabbing snacks right now. We also have our number one groupie. I swear he's not my brother."

"And you must be the front lady."

"I suppose I am. Not to be mistaken for the leader, our bassist."

"Ah, yes. Eventually, I hope you take me to your leader."

With an eye still on the fight, the two are seen mercilessly attempting to slice each other. When Rose's dagger dried up, she called Nick over so she could dip it back in the holy water without turning her back on the unpredictable May. He wanted to do more than just stand there awkwardly, so he waited for the right moment to hold the demon down. He swooped under her arms and grabbed her from behind, hooking her arms.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed. "Now what, Rose?"

"She has something I want," Rose replied.

Rose reached in May's pocket for the red golf ball, but she could not be held back for long. Her arms slipped right through Nick's hold like fog trailing through. She gave Rose a swift punch in the face, displacing her nose and shifting it to her right side. She was knocked down with her face covered by her hair and laid statically as May walked up to her.

"Oh, that's horrible!" she remarked. "Looks like they'll call you Crooked-Nose Rose from now on!"

Now on her knees looking down, Rose quivered with rage on the brink of snapping. But she stopped. Without facing May, she stood up and dusted off.

"Looks like you got me back," she admitted. "I let Nick ruin your face, so you ruined mine. I can't let people see me like this... And now the show is about to start." After turning back around, she then cleared her throat while saying something almost ineligible.

"Wha- Are you retarded?" May asked, digging in her pocket. "You're accepting your fate and now you're just gonna let everyone die like that so you don't die of embarrassment first? Some friend you are. Oh, wait. You never had any! Born unloved and dead unloved. Well, it's been good knowing you, Rose."

With her eyes fixated on Rose, May dropped what she had raised directly over the stage. She stood there waiting for a reaction, but it bounced back in her hand.

"Huh?" She looked at her right hand and found that it was not the golf ball she dropped. It was Amy's eye looking back at her. "I had three of them. Where did they go?!"

"Well, gee," Nick smirked. "They were so small. How could you not lose them?"

"You!" May growled. "... It would be a shame if you dropped them."

She went over and socked him on the right shoulder and his stomach, almost completely loosening his grip.

"Their lives are in your hands now—" she warned him right before being decapitated by Rose with her holy dagger. A clean-cut, but the body fell forward after a second of being still towards Nick while allowing the eyeball to slip free. As he caught it, he accidentally squeezed the three golf balls in his hand enough to crack one of them, emitting a violet fog through his hand.

"Crap," he whisper-shouted.

"You idiot," Rose whispered back. "Follow me."

Leaving May behind, Rose and Nick ran over to the door she came out of and approached the emergency exit on the roof of the building. While Nick moved the fog further away from his face and placed the rest in his pocket, Rose climbed the metal steps and struggled to open the door.

"It's too heavy," Rose pushed.

"I got it," Nick put her back down. "Hold your breath."

"Can I have the ones that aren't busted? I could use those."

"I think I'll hold on to them for a while."

He forced the door open with his back and threw it out, exploding on the ground. After fanning out what was in their way, he shut the door and plopped down after dangling on the handle.

"How's May doing over there?" Nick wondered.

Rose turned and saw that the catwalk was empty.

"I'd hate to assume that she won't be our problem anymore," she replied. "She probably just escaped back to Hell."

"She won't be back for a while. Good job getting rid of her."

"Good job switching the gas bombs. I knew she was a numbskull, but I didn't know she couldn't feel hands going through her pocket."

"It's actually pretty easy— Er, let's head back before the band starts."

"How am I gonna make an entrance, though?"

Amy, Sam, and I were almost done setting up after the director introduced us and called us the Tambourines. Of course, he was joking and actually called us the Tamarinz. What a guy! Most everyone applauded and we did whatever we would do to get rid of nervousness. With May's hologram already set up and showing a frozen, somewhat distorted guitarist, I wonder if anyone would notice and be concerned. I was relieved to see Rose and Nick about to walk on stage, but she hesitated.

"This is actually happening," she murmured.

"You're gonna do great," Nick guaranteed.

"Huh?" she snapped out of it. "You said that as if I was nervous or something."

With a wheelchair she borrowed from the large storage room, Rose slid across the stage standing on top of it while holding on to the back. She won the crowd's attention and made them go crazy for her. After landing by her bass stand, she put it on, pushed the chair back to Nick who ran to the other end, and walked up to the main microphone. Our self-introductions were almost exactly like how we practised, but my nervousness became glee. Right after I introduced myself, I might have looked a little silly but I saw the Gorillaz among the audience. My father and Russel waved at me as the rest gave looks of encouragement.

"Dad," I smiled, inaudible from the mic. If he and the band were to give a surprise visit, I would have cried with joy in front of everyone. That is specifically why I reminded him to come.

Exactly like how we rehearsed, we commenced with the first song, but my heart felt so light. I sang with more passion than ever before and it showed. The crowd was more engaged than we expected, but I was even more glad to know that my loved ones were supporting me through and through. The audience immediately applauded when we ended that tune. The great feedback made us just as thrilled to play the next song as we were for the first. Phones were out, but they were on us! Supporting a local band. How sweet! We finished the show with an otherworldly response. I was a bit carried away with what seemed to be a slow-motion capture of victory and I bet the others were, too. We bowed and grabbed our instruments on our way to backstage, but Rose had a small reminder for the audience.

"We're the Tamarinz," she clarified. "Just FYI. We take autographs. You should also follow us on social media..."

"What did I tell you, No-Eyes?" Sam smiled as we walked away. "You did amazing!"

"It was all thanks to you letting us use your songs," I added.

"Great first show, ladies," Amy chimed in. "I better get the instruments out of the way."

She lifted the drumset and carried it back to the SUV likewise to how she brought them in, and then did the same to the rest. Nick, Sam, and I emerged from the backstage entrance, noticing the audience members that prepared for converse and reunions. I walked away from the two and found the Gorillaz coming up to me with a fluffy white teddy bear with its arms wrapped around a bouquet of roses.

"Here you go," Murdoc grinned. "A fire-starter for you. It was my idea."

"Thanks," I took the gift from my father. "Too bad we don't have a fireplace."

"We do have a haunted mansion to burn down," 2-D hinted.

"You mean it?!" I gasped. "You're finally getting out of there?"

"Yep," Russel replied. "With all due respect, we only stayed there for two reasons: your high school and our surplus."

"We're heading back to America," Noodle smiled.

"That's great! I hope you enjoy it back there. I'll miss you guys even more."

I joined them in a group selfie before saying my goodbyes and running back to the band to tell them a plan that soon came to mind. Meanwhile, Rose was standing against the wall by the auditorium entrance by herself as she watched everyone mingle. After the director shook the audience's hands as they walked out, he left the doorway and confronted Rose.

"There you are!" the director cheered. "What a fine show you put on, Miss Rose. Thank you so much for coming. You and your band have a bright future ahead."

"Why, thank you," Rose blushed, expecting him to comment on her nose. "I picked a good bunch, didn't I?"

"And thoughtful, too. I'll leave you all alone and get back to yelling at my students now."

He pointed to us coming up to her with a surprise. Thankfully, I remembered what I promised myself. And it was an easy sacrifice since I already have Now.

"No one said anything about bringing gifts," her eyes widened.

"Oh, it's just a token of our gratitude for you creating the band," I waved it in her face.

"Quit spoiling me. I'll take it since you already bought it. Now scram. Reunite with your families."

"You're welcome, Rosie!"

"Here I am," Amy sped back to us. "Let's go, Sammy."

Rose was waiting for us to look away so we could not see her smile. Sam and Amy walked to where they could be alone together so she would not get caught being ghostly. She and I bid farewell as Amy retreated to the necklace and Sam's purple eyes returned. She walked back out and spotted her step-parents approaching her. Being her bashful self, Sam smiled at them with their excitement overpowering her own as they ran to hug her.

"What did you think of the show?" she asked them in their arms.

"Great spin on the play, greater interlude," her stepmother replied.

"Yeah," her stepfather agreed. "The bassist worries me a bit, but I like your sound and I think I'll let you stay in that band. I recorded all of you and was thinking of sending it to everyone in the family—"

"Er, maybe send it to me first," Sam nervously laughed. "Looks like the band is heading out now. Be right back!"

"When you're ready to come home, we'll go and take ya out to eat!" her stepmother cheered.

Nick, Rose, and I were about to walk out the door before bidding farewell to Sam, who came up to us to explain why she would not be joining us back to the apartment.

"Going out with the fam sounds fun," Nick commented. "But I think I'll just go home and get some rest. Just watching all of that action was a workout."

"Same here," I added. "Wait, why is there purple smoke outside-?"

Our first show could not have been better, and as the school year continued, we also had the pleasure of playing for school dances, parades, festivals, and anywhere else that offered the chance. The Class of 2040 was lucky to have a virtual football field concert and see a huge hologram recording of us performing a graduation song written two decades ago with Sam and me in our caps and gowns. Even Rose, who hid her cap and gown from me and admitted to graduating on time with whatever class from whatever school. Buying physical DVDs or anything of the sort is obsolete now, so the place that Sam has been working in, Big Rick Black's Record Shack, is now a cafe that only plays music from vinyl to set it apart from the rest but possibly be against the will of Big Rick. There is even a stage for open mics, something we take advantage of. You might also be pleased to know that Sam and I are now coworkers there! She brews while I take orders from the counter.

But before we graduated, it was my 20th birthday on October 10th when we visited and destroyed the Gorillaz mansion as promised for a music video before they went right back to America. They had money to burn since I secretly purchased lottery tickets for them and won. Not to brag, but I saved them from debt. The originals had finally met the predecessors in person, or what was left of them since Rose was arrested for DUI at the time and May vanished, never given the chance to perform live with the band and will be replaced when filming the music videos for our first album. I am glad we had a guitarist nonetheless. It has been quite a school year, and with this musical head start, I am curious as to how our opportunities will expand with this freedom without dwelling too much into it.