Free Rock 'n' Roll Rebel by Ginger Rue

face and Robbie would still want her singing lead,” Kyra said.
    â€œClaire doesn’t strike me as the face-spitting type,” Tig replied.
    â€œMe neither. She really does seem sweet.”
    â€œKyra, do me a favor. Keep this under your hat.”
    â€œI won’t say a word!”
    â€œI mean it this time,” Tig said. “Just because we haven’t heard from Regan’s crew yet about the incident with Haley doesn’t mean we won’t. In fact, it worries me more that it’s taking them so long to strike. Like they’re cooking up something really big.”
    â€œMaybe they’re not going to do anything at all,” said Kyra. When Tig rolled her eyes, Kyra said, “I know. Wishful thinking.”
    â€œRegan won’t let a challenge to the order go unpunished,” Tig said. “Girls like her don’t get to the top and stay there by letting girls like us defy them. No, something’s coming. The best thing we can do right now is to be ready and make sure they don’t have any new information to use against us. Got it?”
    Kyra promised to be discreet.
    Tig would work on wooing Claire. And on getting “Plush” figured out.
    And in the meantime, she’d watch her back.

Chapter Nineteen
    C laire joined Tig and the other girls at the lunch table the next day.
    Tig had already instructed the other members of the band not to pounce. “Get to know her,” Tig had told them. “Just be cool.”
    â€œSo tell us about yourself,” Tig said to Claire. “Where’d you come from?”
    â€œYeah, Mars or Jupiter?” Robbie said. Claire laughed quietly.
    â€œThat did sound weird,” Tig said. “What I meant was, where did you live before you moved here?”
    â€œEngland,” Claire said.
    â€œThat’s so cool!” Olivia said.
    â€œWe were kinda wondering about the accent,” Tig said. “It’s awesome.”
    â€œThat’s one nice benefit of living in the States,” Claire said. “Americans are easily charmed by any rubbish that comes out of my mouth, it seems.” She smiled.
    â€œHave you ever been to Wimbledon?” Olivia asked.
    â€œI’m afraid not.”
    â€œI plan on playing there one day!” Olivia said.
    â€œOh, wouldn’t that be lovely?” Claire replied.
    â€œLovely!” Olivia said with a big smile. “That sounds so . . . British! You have such a cool accent! I bet you could talk your way out of anything around here!”
    â€œHow’d you end up in Alabama, of all places, from England?” Will asked.
    â€œMy dad accepted a position at the university. He’s heading up one of the English department’s programs on Shakespeare.”
    Kyra asked, “Do you miss England? Do you ever get to go back to visit?”
    â€œOur plan is to go home about once a year,” Claire replied. “Over the holidays to visit family.”
    â€œEngland and Alabama,” Tig said. “That’s an interesting combination.”
    â€œYeah,” Claire said. “Should make for an odd blending of accents. Dad’s already teasing me about picking up a Southern drawl. I’m probably the only person in town who says mum in one breath and y’all in the next!”
    Tig loved the idea of having a new friend who was British. It seemed so exotic.
    â€œWhat’s your favorite part about England?” Kyra asked.
    â€œDefinitely the shopping,” Claire said. “Not to say that the old beautiful castles and such aren’t wonderful to visit, but really, some of the shops back home are to die for!”
    As Claire and the other girls chatted about shopping in England, Tig felt someone staring at her. She looked up to see Haley, Regan, and Sofia watching from their table. When they saw Tig look at them, they looked away and began what looked to Tig like plotting. Tig told herself to ignore them . . . at least