Bette squeezed Dana’s hand, touched at her concern. "No, no. She was completely wonderful. And I don’t think it was ever going to be a long term thing. She’s only 18. In fact, I’d like to be friends with her. I know what a good friend she’s been to Shane. If you ever meet her, you’ll see what I mean about falling in love with her. It’s very easy to do."

Dana finished her beer just as Shane returned with fresh ones for them. Dana nodded thanks and Shane said over the din of the opening act, "Roger says they’re coming on in a few minutes, we should move up front."
—————————————————————————————————————————————

Dana sat her beer down on a high, wobbly table near the fron of the club. The stage was about ten feet to their right and in front of it was a teeming mass of people. Not quite like a mosh pit, but certainly the closest thing to a mosh pit that Dana had ever encountered. She watched them worriedly,wondering what she’d have to do if they rioted.

Shane saw the tension in Dana and said soothingly, "Come on, Dana. Some of those girls are wearing Prada. They’re not gonna start thrashing around and getting blood all over the floor, okay?"

Bette agreed, "I come here all the time, Dana, I promise it’s usually a well-behaved group."

Dana nodded skeptically and took another swig from her beer.

After a few moments the house lights dimmed and after the requisite introductions, the A-Okays were on stage. Dana could feel the energy of the crowd begin to change. She heard the guitar tuning and the drummer warming up his kit more than she saw them because the lights were flickering quickly, making it impossible to distinguish human forms on the stage.

She heard the raucous opening riff of a familiar, but unfamiliar song and then the lights flashed once and the band was in motion. Dana’s eyes swept over the stage quickly as an ear-splitting roar deafened her. The audience was freaking out and Dana saw Shane bobbing her head to the beat enthusiastically.

Four people were onstage, moving around with an energy she’d hardly seen off the tennis court. A tall man with shaggy blond hair, a sweater that looked three sizes too small, and red cat-eye glasses held a bass and was singing. A drummer with a black beard and a beanie covering long, grungy hair was pounding out a rhythm. A skinny, small guy with red hair that flopped over one eye was strumming a guitar. Finally, her eyes stopped on the only female on the stage. She was about Dana’s height, black glasses framing dark eyes. Dark hair hung to her shoulders and sideswept bangs were tucked casually behind her ear. She was riffing on a guitar and strutting around like she owned the place. She was getting the loudest screams of all and Dana decided that she probably knew it. Still, there didn’t seem to be an arrogant bone in her body. She smiled genuinely at the fans and when she fell onto her knees near the audience to rock a solo that even Dana recognized as being prodigiously awesome, she didn’t even seem to mind that an overzealous fan leapt past security and onto the stage. Alice kept on playing and when security tried to pull the girl away Alice walked over and finished the solo right in front of her.