Page 31 of Verses

You keep circlingme like a wolf on the prowl.

I am not that girl.

I bare my teeth, let out a long howl.

Walk away while you can.

I just wantto do my own thing.

I just want you to go away.

What mustI say

to shine a light?

I want no part of

Your cat fight.

Then Wolf launchedinto the last solo of the night—and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his quickly moving fingers. I’d always been impressed by both Liam and Kyle—and guitarists in general—because of how fast they could move those digits, with both their picking and fretting hands.

Wolf had said earlier he was rusty, but I agreed with Pedro. If this was Wolf at his worst, I couldn’t wait to see him at his best. All those visions of stardom—recording an album, hittingthe charts, playing to fans in sold-out arenas—filled my head like they had when we’d first started.

I almost missed my cue as he wound up that damn solo—because I’d been rapt, just as if I’d been a fangirl hanging on the edge of the stage.

In my heart, IwasWolf’s fangirl.

Bringing the mike to my lips, I started again, this time singing to Crazy Stu and Marv, the only people left in the bar.

You’re not givingup so I make fists like men.

I guess I am that girl.

I’ll tear you apart, limb from fucking limb.

You did this to yourself.

I just wantto do my own thing

But you wouldn’t go away.

What mustI say

to shine a light?

You’re now the prey in

My cat fight.

My cat fight.

My cat fight.

You’re now my prey…

My cat fight!

As I finishedwith a long scream on the last word, I heard the strings winding up the tune and the drums beating hard before the last three notes of the song. If I’d ever felt like I’d run through a finish line to take first place, this was it.

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