The Only Medicine

The week speeds by in a blur. Soon enough it’s Friday morning and I’m pretty sure I got a sum total of four hours’ sleep last night. I’ve got a whole day to go through but I’m nervous as hell already—I can barely eat my granola.

“I’m sorry I can’t make it tonight, mija,” Mama says, stroking my hair.

“It’s fine, seriously,” I say for what feels like the fifth time already that morning.

Mama has to work the late shift tonight, and she keeps telling me she’s sorry and that she tried to swap with one of the other surgical nurses, but I’m sure her ears will thank her for it. Imagining my mother at a concert is borderline hilarious.

A car horn sounds outside, which means Mike is here. My stomach does a twist that is a hundred percent to do with the Battle of the Bands tonight and not Mike Fuentes.

“Is that Mike?” Mama asks.

“Yeah, gotta go,” I say. I try to rinse my bowl and waste time but she takes it off me and gives me a gentle push towards the door.

“Love you, mija,” she says.

“Love you, Mama.”

Mike is in considerably good spirits today, for a change—it feels like we’ve just been tolerating each other all week. We don’t say much on the ride in to school, though.

“Is Jessica coming along tonight?” I ask offhandedly, looking out the window.

“Yeah. She’s going to meet us there.” He lights up a cigarette and winds down his window. I immediately wind mine down as well. “She’s bringing her sister along, too.”

“Oh, okay,” I say, wondering why he’s telling me this.

“Her sister’s gay,” he says, meeting my eyes.

I can’t help but smile. We’ve spent the last couple of weeks being grumpy at each other, but I recognise an olive branch when I see one. I raise an eyebrow. “Are you trying to set me up?”

He shrugs, trying to look nonchalant. “I don’t know if she’s your type or whatever.”

We’re silent for the rest of the drive, but I’m feeling considerably better about everything.


7:30PM comes sooner than I expected, and all of a sudden we’re backstage at the venue, waiting for our turn to go on. I keep pacing nervously, trying to will the knots out of my stomach. The band playing before us is really good. As were the two bands before them. I’m sure everyone’s going to be good and awesome and we’ll probably be mediocre and get kicked out in the first round.

“Are you okay?” Vic asks, grabbing my arm to stop me from pacing.

“Yes. No. I dunno. I’m so freakin’ nervous,” I admit.

“Don’t be nervous,” Vic says.

“I’m magically not now,” I joke, trying to stop my voice from wavering.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” Mike says, joining us. “We’re gonna kick ass.”

“Easy for you to say,” I say. “You’re behind the drums and no one really sees you.”

He shrugs, smirking. “And you get to be at the front of the stage, screaming in people’s faces and fucking shit up.”

“Team hug!” Vic shouts and we gather together, and then it’s time.


It’s dark and I can barely see anyone’s faces from the stage, although I try looking for Mama and Papa Fuentes or even Jane, who said she’d be here. We agreed that we’d start off with one of our fast-paced songs and my heart beats in time to the click of Mike’s drumsticks, and then we’re playing and I’m screaming in time and not fucking up the bass lines, thankfully. The crowd gets into it straight away, jumping and moshing.

“Here’s to real friends, here’s to real friends,” I scream, “you only like the way you look with me,” and then the song ends.

The crowd erupts into cheers and I look at Vic, grinning, and we launch into the next song.


Backstage again, and Mike and Vic are cheering and whooping and trying to lift me up on their shoulders, which is difficult considering how much taller Mike is than Vic.

“Fuck yeah!” Mike cheers.

“That was fucking awesome,” I breathe, wiping sweat-soaked strands of hair off my face. I find my water bottle and take a long drink.

“Do you feel better now?” Vic asks.

“Fuck yes,” I laugh, wrapping him in a hug.

“I’m gonna go find Mom and Dad,” he says, kissing me on the cheek and then disentangling himself from my arms.

I lean against the wall, unable to wipe the grin off my face.

“What are you smiling about?” Mike says, smirking.

“I just can’t believe I was nervous and we took so long to actually play our original stuff and it was absolutely amazing.” I take another swig from my water bottle. “That was just so awesome.”

“Wonder when Trigger My Nightmare is playing,” Mike says, looking around for the schedule.

“I’m pretty sure they’re one of the last bands,” I reply.

Vic comes back with Mama and Papa Fuentes, who immediately envelope Mike in a big hug. I stand back to let them have their moment, but they grab me and pull me into the hug as well, so it’s a big family hug.

“We’re so proud of you,” Mama Fuentes says, kissing the side of my head, then leaning up to kiss Mike’s cheek.

“We don’t even know how we went yet,” Mike insists, pulling away, though I can tell he loves it.


Trigger My Nightmare end up playing last to a completely ecstatic crowd. Wow. They’re actually really good. I’m sure I’d seen them play before at Joe’s but didn’t remember their music, but wow—I’ll definitely remember this time. Tony even does a little trick with his guitar, flicking it around his body by the strap and catching it again, which elicits more cheers from the crowd. I’m pretty sure he already has his own set of fangirls.

Vic and I go to congratulate them backstage after their set. Jaime is wringing wet, wiping his face with a towel, when we arrive.

“Oh, hey, you guys!” he shouts, attempting to wrap us in a sweaty hug.

I hold a hand up to keep him away. “You played well, but you’re sweaty and gross.”

He swings his spiky hair around, flicking me with little droplets of sweat. I give him a push.

“Eww!”

“The ladies love me,” he insists, grinning broadly.

Tony smiles when he sees us. “Hey, we saw you guys play earlier. You were awesome! I can’t believe that’s your first time playing original music.”

“Thanks,” Vic says. He wraps an arm around me and pulls me to him. “Mia here was nervous as hell beforehand, but now she wants to tour the world, like, tomorrow.”

I giggle.

“Anyway, we’d better go find Mike and wait for the announcements,” he says, shaking Jaime and Tony’s hands. “We just wanted to say how awesome you were, and good luck!”

They bid us good luck as well and we head back out to find Mike. He’d said something about going to find Jessica in the crowd, so, naturally, I wasn’t interested. We scan the sea of faces for Mama and Papa Fuentes, or Mike, or anyone. Vic spots them over by the bar.

“Are you nervous?” Papa Fuentes asks while we wait for the announcements.

I nod. “I thought I was nervous before the show, but I think I’m more nervous now.”

He claps Vic and me on the shoulders. “I’m sure you’ll do well, but at least you know you played with your heart and soul.”

I smile back at him. “Thanks, Papa Roach. Have you seen Mike?”

“Last I saw, he was looking for Jessica.”

The MC is already back on the stage, getting everyone’s attention, so we don’t have time to go find him. I survey the crowd again, trying to spot his face. He’s a giant—he shouldn’t be this hard to find. I don’t want to hear the rankings without Mike, but it’s too late.

“Thanks everyone for coming out and showing your support,” the MC says, then rattles on about the local talent and how great everyone is.

I suddenly spot Mike over near the fire exit, smoking. Jessica doesn’t seem to be near him; who knows where she is. I wave but he’s not looking our way.

“The bands going into the semi-final, in order, are …” he pauses for effect. “Calamity, After Yesterday …”

Vic screams in my ear and I don’t hear the rest of the bands being announced. He grabs me and swings me around.

“WE DID IT, WE DID IT!” Vic cheers, squeezing me hard enough to pop a rib.

Mama and Papa Fuentes join in as well, whooping and enfolding us both into another family cuddle. I peek out from between their arms and see Mike heading over, spotting us at last. He leaps into the hug, accidentally elbowing his mother in the head, but no one cares, because we’re in the semi-final.

“So proud of you!” Mama Fuentes sobs, pulling Mike into another hug.

The crowd begins dispersing, and Mama and Papa Fuentes say they’ll meet us at home. Papa Fuentes proudly says that he’ll have beers waiting for us to celebrate.

Vic tugs my arm to follow him, but I don’t hear what he’s saying and he’s disappeared into the swarm of people before I get a chance to ask him. I presume he’s going to see someone he knows—perhaps Jaime and Tony again. Mike turns to me, his face absolutely glowing.

“We did it,” he repeats, grabbing my shoulders and giving them a little shake.

I grin back up at him, and then he leans down and kisses me on the mouth. I stare up at him in surprise. He lets go and steps back.

“Oh, shit,” he murmurs, realising what he’s done.

Notes