I missed a note in my surprise, but the other guys never lost their place. One of the mentors had picked us! Surely the other guys were freaking out as much as I was? Hector’s steady beat immediately got me back on track, but then another buzz sounded—a second mentor wanted us! Followed by the buzz of a third! I’d been scared we wouldn’t even get one, and now we had three? I couldn’t believe it.

And then it was over. With one last note, the song ended, and the crowd roared. Somehow that had been both the longest three minutes of my life and the shortest. Sweat dripped down my face—it was freaking hot under all these lights—and adrenaline raced through my veins, making my arms tremble, but I felt more alive than ever before. This is it, I thought. This is what I want to do with my life.

The audience continued to scream, and Jared raised his arms, basking in the crowd’s love and in our victory. Kyle and Hector came out from behind their instruments to stand next to us, grinning like drunken fools.

Three of the mentors had red lights in front of them: Angel Reese, the former singer of the ‘80s glam metal band Dark Embrace, still sporting bleach blonde hair and a spiked leather jacket despite her age; Dan Dorian, the long-haired bassist and singer of Loaded River, a ‘90s grunge band that had played with Nirvana and Pearl Jam; and Lance Bentley, a young pop star who personified tall, dark, and handsome. He’d won the last three years of The Sound, but rumor had it that he’d slept his way through all the women on his team. No thank you.

The only one who didn’t buzz for us was Lissa Cruz, a beautiful brunette country singer who was known for being the sweetest mentor on the show. That was okay—we needed a coach, not a cheerleader.

The host of the show, Ray Carter, joined us at the front of the stage. He was probably in his late 40s, with overly gelled black hair, skin that screamed “spray tan,” and a flashy white suit.

“That was one of the best things I’ve heard all day,” he said into his mic. “And the audience clearly loves you. Who are you and where are you from?”

“We’re Villain Complex from here in Los Angeles,” Jared said, and the crowd cheered even louder. I couldn’t believe they were making this much noise for us.

“That was killer,” Angel said. “I need you on my team! I—”

Dan cut her off. “Yeah, I loved the way you—”

“Hey, I was talking!” Angel snapped. “Wait your turn.”