Billy Troll's Arc

Chapter 3 of 6

Billy called his niece the next afternoon to tell her they had their first rehearsal scheduled for Thursday. She said she'd let the other girls know. He hung up feeling like things were finally moving in the right direction. But when Billy arrived at the rehearsal hall Thursday evening, he found Mic's beat-up car parked outside. The building had stone walls and wooden trim, warm lights glowing through arched windows. A tattered sack sat by the front steps, spilling clothes onto the ground like someone had dumped it there in anger. Billy's stomach tightened. He pushed through the door and heard Mic's voice carrying from the practice room. "I'm offering you real money. Real studio time. All you have to do is drop the charity case and sign with The Jagged Trolls as our backing band." Billy stopped in the doorway. The four girls stood in a half-circle facing Mic, instruments in hand, and none of them looked interested. Suzie stepped forward first. "Billy's my uncle," she said. Her voice was steady, not angry, just matter-of-fact. "It's always family first. That's how it works." The other girls nodded. One of them crossed her arms. Another set her bass down and pointed at the door. Mic turned and saw Billy standing there. For a second, neither of them moved. Then Mic grabbed his jacket and walked past without a word. Billy heard the car door slam outside, then the engine cough to life and fade down the road. Billy looked at his niece. She shrugged like it was no big deal, but he could see the pride in her face. The other girls went back to setting up their equipment, adjusting mic stands and plugging in amps. No one asked if he was okay. No one treated him like he needed protecting. They'd made their choice before he even got there, and it wasn't about him. It was about what they believed in. Billy picked up his guitar and joined them. For the first time since Mic showed up at his house, he felt like he wasn't carrying this alone. He didn't have to be the only one showing up. Other people could do that too.