Golden Girl by Mari Mancusi Page B

the arcade games collection, jokingly saying he needed some kind of ego boost after losing to me on Mario Kart for the hundredth time. But I’d never seen any of them in their original big-box packaging. I flashed Logan a grin. How cool was this?
    â€œLexi!”
    I suddenly found myself surrounded and smothered by two familiar faces. Scarlet and Lulu descended upon me, hugging me enthusiastically as they chattered about last night’s adventure. As Logan had predicted, the two girls seemed to have no inkling as to my involvement in the whole ski patrol thing, thank goodness.
    â€œAnd Logan! Poor, poor Logan!” cooed Scarlet, releasing me. “Banned from the mountain, once more with feeling. Whatever will he do now, with all his spare time?”
    â€œWhy, he’ll start hanging out with us, of course!” Lulu chimed in, tossing a blue-streaked braid over one shoulder. “I mean, sure, at first he’ll pretend he’s only coming here for the video games and strawberry smoothies. But in time, he’ll have to admit the truth. He’s become a Manic Pixie superfan and he’s helpless to resist us!” She crowed loudly, making a huge flourish with her hands, then bowed low.
    Logan rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah. Cause that’ll happen.”
    â€œManic Pixie?” I repeated curiously, remembering them talking the night before. “That’s the name of your band?”
    â€œYup. Check it.” Scarlet pointed a chipped, neon-green-painted fingernail to the other end of the coffee bar, where, sure enough, there was a drum set, amps, guitars, and other such band-type equipment haphazardly sprawled across a small stage. “Bill’s my uncle, and he said we could practice here after my mom got sick of us using her garage,” the redhead explained. “As long as we promise not to scare off any customers.”
    â€œAs if Bill has any customers besides us,” Lulu added, throwing an affectionate look at the older man behind the coffee bar. I realized he was wearing an eye patch over his left eye and kind of looked like a pirate. “We keep him in business with our chili cheese fry orders alone.”
    â€œSo it’s just the two of you?”
    â€œAnd my brother Roland, who you met last night,” Scarlet added. “I play the drums and Lulu is our bassist. Roland’s on guitar—and right now he sings, too. Ever since Carla quit the band.” She made a face. “But while Roland is admittedly the most amazing guitar player ever, let’s just say he . . .”
    â€œSounds like a sick cow when he sings?” Logan suggested helpfully.
    The girls groaned in unison.
    â€œSeriously, the whole situation totally blows,” Lulu moaned. “There’s this big battle of the bands thing at school in a few months. We signed up ages ago. The prize is like a thousand dollars. And maybe even a chance at a recording deal.”
    â€œBut we won’t have a prayer with Roland on the mic.”
    â€œHey, I heard that!” Roland cried, coming out from the men’s room. He swiped at his shaggy hair, giving the girls a playful grin, telling them he didn’t really mind their complaints. Which made me think he really must be as bad as they claimed.
    The two girls looked at one another and then turned to me. “You sure you couldn’t come sing for us?” Scarlet asked suddenly. “After all, you were amazing last night. We could really use someone like you.”
    I stared at her, startled by the offer. When they’d said it last night, I’d assumed they were joking around. But now she’d asked again, and this time she looked serious. I had to admit the idea was pretty tempting. Leave all the stuff I was dealing with up on the mountain and do something completely fun and frivolous for once in my life.
    But as alluring as the idea was, I knew there was no way I could say yes. Even in a good year I