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Finally, they were home from that long expedition in Egypt. Not much actually came from the trip artifact-wise, but that hadn't been the point. The point was to teach the youngsters how to conduct and work on an expedition where new insights and artifacts of a long-dead culture were expected to be found. The test the class had immediately upon their return proved they at least remembered most of what they had been taught.

The combined stress of the expedition, traveling, and tests worth twenty percent of their final grade warranted a nice, little vacation for all of them. Luckily, such a vacation was just around the corner. The last day of school was fast approaching and would soon give way to summer sun and that most glorious feeling of all, freedom. However, this vacation was not particularly anticipated by two of the returning students.

More than a simple expedition, it was also a time of realization and new insights for a young couple who had just recently become an item. They looked forward to days away from each other as each of them was expected to visit with family and friends after their long absence. Neither looked forward to their impending separation, but knew they would find a way to see each other as soon as possible.

"Maybe I'll introduce you to my friends at a get-together sometime soon," Katrina told her boyfriend as they stood on the steps to the school they both attended.

"Sure, as long as we get some time alone beforehand," Jacen winked back at her.

"But of course, monsieur."

The two of them laughed and went their separate ways. For five days they didn't see each other, but they survived through cell phone calls at all hours of the day or night. Finally, Katrina managed to escape to Jacen's house for a jamming session with his friends.

Many years ago, when Jacen was in high school, he and his friends had formed a band for the sole purpose of playing songs from all eras that they found fun or interesting. The band wasn't intended to be careers for any of them and rarely played in public except at special events for friends and acquaintances. Many of Nemesis' performances were for local events in the band's hometown because their parents were all well-known and involved in everything local and volunteered their children for everything they could.

Today was nothing special. Jacen and his friend merely wanted to play some of their favorite songs and Katrina had been invited because Jacen wanted to see her and his friends wanted to meet her. Usually they didn't have an audience during jamming sessions, but the leader's first and only girlfriend was an exception. Plus, they heard she loved music as much as they did, both listening and performing, even if she didn't do the latter very much anymore. And, apparently, she could sing at least a little.

Nemesis was already playing a song by the time Katrina arrived. She could hear them from the driveway after she turned off her own stereo and got out. The sound was coming from the garage, so she skipped knocking on the front door and slid unnoticed into the garage. The members were so caught up in the end of their song that they didn't notice so the young woman could listen unobserved and surprise them with her applause once they had finished.

"WOW! That was awesome!" Katrina applauded as the final note reverberated around the room. "I didn't know you guys were this good. Cool!"

"Hey, Katrina!" Jacen laid his guitar on the ground and caught her in a hug, spinning her around before letting her feet once again find a solid surface to stand on. "It's been awhile. Missed you."

"I missed you too, Jacen," Katrina smiled.

"So this must be the girlfriend we've heard so much about," the other guitarist said, walking toward them.

"He never stops talking about you, ya know. He's such a girl," The drummer commented, stepping out from behind his drum set and following his friend over.

Jacen rolled his eyes at them good-naturedly before responding, "Oh, shut up. I'm not a girl or do you wanna check to make sure?"

Unsure if it would be appropriate for her to join in on the teasing and joking, Katrina stood nervously for a second before deciding against her better judgment to make an attempt anyway. She playfully slapped Jacen on the arm and mock whispered, "Jacen, you promised we could wait until later when the audience has all gone home."

They all turned to look at her with shock, even Jacen. Katrina was wondering if she had just made a mistake when the guitarist laughed followed by the other two. He clapped Jacen on the shoulder and said between bouts of laughter, "I like her, bro! She's hilarious! Hey, if it doesn't work out between you two, can I go out with her?"

"Sorry, Derek, not gonna happen," Jacen replied. "We're quite happy at the moment."

"Yeah, yeah," the man called Derek mumbled. Then he turned to Katrina, lifted his hand to his face with the thumb and pinky finger extended in the form of a phone, and mouthed "call me."

Jacen gave him a friendly shove and began introductions, "The jokester over there is Derek as you've probably figured out by now. He plays bass and does a few vocals." Derek winked at her. "And our drummer and third vocalist is Neo, not like the Matrix guy."

"Bummer, I was going to joke about the uncanny resemblance," Katrina said sarcastically. In fact, the blond-haired, blue-eyed man looked nothing like the movie character. The guitarist, on the other hand, looked more like the Neo from the movies with his dark hair and eyes. He was also the tallest of the three men by about two inches, but was quite slender so his height didn't serve to make him too intimidating.

"Anyway," Katrina turned to look at Jacen again. "What part do you play in the band?"

Jacen stared at her as if she should have already known the answer. "What? You mean being the founder isn't enough? I actually have to take part in band activities?"

"Lazy jerk!" Derek called teasingly from his position behind a microphone where he was busy practicing something on his guitar.

"Incompetent leech!" Jacen called back with a smile before answering Katrina. "I play lead guitar and some vocals."

Katrina blinked, "If you all play an instrument and sing, who gets lead vocals? That must get difficult and confusing sometimes."

"Me and Derek take turns with lead vocals depending on who the band thinks is better with a particular song. Why? Did you want to take the position?"

"Um... Aren't most of the songs you guys perform written for a man from the male perspective?" Katrina asked.

"Sure," Jacen replied. "So what?"

"Don't you think that would be a bit odd for a woman to sing a song like that? I'm not particularly into women myself."

Derek spoke up again, "Really? That's a pity. I was hoping for some entertainment later."

"Sorry, dear," Katrina responded, taking on the tone of voice her friend Molly used a lot when teasing someone. "I'm already booked for tonight."

"Jacen, you lucky dog!"

"The one and only," Jacen replied, then he returned to the previous line of conversation. "Sometimes you can change the words so they fit you better. Or, you could dress up so it seems less awkward to an audience, I know how much you enjoy cosplay, but we really don't perform that much. It's usually just the three of us and you if you want."

"It sounds like fun," Katrina mused. "If you guys don't mind I'm willing to give it a shot."

"That sounds good," Neo put in, speaking up after a long silence. "I think we should let her audition for a spot."

"Audition to be a singer?" Katrina asked nervously, then her eyes narrowed in mock annoyance. "Maybe you should teach me your job and I could do that while you sing lead. I did play clarinet in school for four years and everyone knows they pull the woodwinds to play percussion because you guys need our help." Just to make sure he knew she was teasing, she stuck her tongue out at him for good measure too.

"It's not that bad, Kat," Derek jumped in. "Jacen mentioned you knew this cool new song we've been practicing for a while. Why don't you give that one a go?"

"You sound like you're in Harry Potter, but I like the nickname," Katrina commented.

Jacen was curious about something else, though, "Which song was that?"

"Dude! You don't remember?" Derek teased and continue when Jacen shook his head 'no'. "'I Like to Dance' by Hot Chelle Rae. Remember now?"

"Oh, yeah! You do know the words, right, Katrina?" Jacen asked, finally releasing the young woman and stepping back to look at her.

Katrina shrugged, "Sure, I do. But that's one of those songs written for a man to sing. Might be a tad awkward."

"It's just us. What's to worry about?" Derek prodded.

"Come on. Sing with us. It's not like we bite or anything," Neo added.

"No," Katrina admitted, "but you sure do bark loud."

Jacen laughed, "That's my girl! She'll give you a run for your money any day."

"So we've heard," Derek griped. "How 'bout it, Kat? Are you gonna sing with us? Jacen and I will sing back up for you if you do." He batted his eyes at her and stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. "Please..."

"Okay," Katrina relented.

"Great!" He and Jacen plugged their guitars back into their respective amps while Neo readied himself behind the drum set after moving his microphone out front for Katrina's use. The young woman herself made her way over to it and positioned herself between and slightly in front of the two guitarists.

"This is making me kinda nervous," she said.

"Just relax," Jacen was quick to reassure her. "If you mess up we'll only tease you for a day or two. Promise."

"Great," came the sarcastic reply. Katrina released a sigh. "Alright. Let's do this!"

The band began to play and as the song continued to build up to the start of the lyrics, Katrina closed her eyes and tried to think back to all those hours singing this song in her room. Thank God for youtube! All too soon it was time for her to sing. Her eyes flashed open and she began to sing as best she could.

"Click clack shimmer 'n' shine
Everybody's in a line now
Dressed up to the nines now, baby"

At first she stood stiffly with her hands gently gripping the microphone. The butterflies in her stomach seemed to be on overdrive just like the music she was singing to.

"Silver, shiny, sexy, it's love and
The music's playing so loud
Disco balls and big crowds, baby

Her eyes, they tell me what I need to know
Your touch tells me where I need to go
My lead will make you wanna get so close"

The song was slowly, but surely, loosening her up. As she continued to sing the words without messing something up, she grew more confident. They were right. This was kinda fun. She came to the chorus, the most familiar part of the song, and began to dance. Her movements were small and slow, but she was definitely dancing. Behind her, the boys grinned as both guitarists joined her for the chorus.

"Well I like to dance
So if you do just get on the floor
Forget the romance
This is what music was created for
So find someone hot
And if you're not it doesn't matter
Baby take what you got and
Just go dancing you'll feel better"

Again singing solo, Katrina's movements became more pronounced. She was starting to openly dance to the music, moving confidently with the beat. She used the microphone and its stand as a dance partner, leaning forward at times and acting as if she were performing for a live audience. This only made the boys behind her grin broader as she grew bolder and showed off her talent.

"I like to dance
I like to dance dance dance dance

Lovesick electric sex thoughts
Are flying all around me
He said, she said 'let's leave' baby"

Katrina no longer really realized that she was singing in the presence of other people and lost herself in the music. Her dance grew smoother and more in tune with the thoughts behind the song. Some might say her movements could be construed as slightly provocative. The band members noticed Jacen eying her and almost drop his guitar.

"Fashion lives alive in her dress
And her eyes'll never leave her
The song creates a fever baby

Her eyes, they tell me what I need to know
Your touch tells me where I need to go
My lead will make you wanna get so close"

Jacen decided it was time for him to join in on the dancing and moved up to share her microphone for the chorus. Obligingly, Katrina turned to face him as they both leaned into the microphone. She didn't seem the slightest bit embarrassed at the realization that three other people, men no less, were in the room with her, watching her perform. In fact, when Jacen smiled at her she smiled back.

"Well I like to dance
So if you do just get on the floor
Forget the romance
This is what music was created for
So find someone hot
And if you're not it doesn't matter
Baby take what you got and
Just go dancing you'll feel better"

Jacen backed off from the microphone, but stayed next to Katrina and showing off his guitar playing skills. She faced forward again, reclaiming the microphone for herself.

"Lovesick, lovesick, ELECTRIC
Lovesick, lovesick, ELECTRIC
Lovesick, lovesick, ELECTRIC"

She pumped her fist in the air and stomped her foot to the rhythm of the word "electric" each time she sang it and leaned forward into the microphone while Jacen and Derek exaggerated their guitar playing and nodded their heads to the rhythm in the background.

"LOVESICK, LOVESICK, ELECTRIC"

The last line was almost a scream with the added entertainment of the fist pump and foot stomping from the previous lines before Katrina moved to the breathier tones needed in the next part of the song. It allowed her to catch up on breathing while the band played some instrumentals sprinkled with a line from her every couple measures.

"I like to dance
I like to dance
I like to dance
I like to dance"

For the final part of the song, Jacen rejoined his girlfriend at the front of the imaginary stage to dance with her. By now she was moving more freely with him, even dancing with him as if they were in a club on TV. He had to admit he liked that she could be this wild when she wanted. It was fun. Together they danced and sang the rest of the song with abandon.

"Well I like to dance
So if you do just get on the floor
Forget the romance
This is what music was created for
So find someone hot and
If you're not it doesn't matter
Baby take what you got and
Just go dancing you'll feel better

Well I like to dance
So if you do just get on the floor
Forget the romance
This is what music was created for
So find someone hot and
If you're not it doesn't matter
Baby take what you got and
Just go dancing you'll feel better"

Again, Jacen backed, reluctantly this time, so Katrina could finish the song's final line. She practically screamed it to the imaginary audience's cheap seats, but she made it sound good.

"Lovesick, lovesick, ELECTRIC!"

The final chord reverberated throughout the garage. Everyone stood still, breathing hard but grinning the entire time. They all thoroughly enjoyed the song, especially the new girl's performance, and would have laughed if they weren't so out of breath from the adrenaline rush.

Derek recovered first. "That was awesome, Kat!" He shouted, grinning at her.

"Thanks," she panted in response, still not quite back to normal, and blushed a bright pink.

Neo nodded his agreement of his friend's assessment and added, "We should play another one."

"You were great, Katrina," Jacen whispered in her ear and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "It sounds like the band agrees. What do you say to another song? And maybe you could become a permanent part of the band?" He added hopefully with a gentle squeeze.

Katrina looked around at the other two members of Nemesis then craned her neck to look at Jacen. They all watched her in anticipation, Derek nodding his head violently for her to accept the position.

"Well, sure. It sounds like fun," she smiled at all of them.

Derek started making whooping sounds and shaking Neo, who happened to be the one closest to him, in his excitement. Under cover of Derek's shouts of joy Jacen kissed Katrina on the cheek and whispered, "Now you have an excuse to hang out here more often."

"That'll make things much easier," she whispered back.

They both smiled as Nemesis and its newest member began the decision-making process for their next song which turned out to be one Jacen had written himself. It was good that they got in the practice because the band would end up performing that song for an event which Katrina's friends attended. That also happened to be the same time they met Jacen, the boyfriend, and found out about Katrina's membership in a band. A shocker for sure, but that is a story for another time.