Coco Junior Novel by Disney Book Group

Author:Disney Book Group
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Published: 2017-10-19T04:00:00+00:00

A little while later, Héctor and Miguel were hanging off the back of a moving trolley. Héctor fiddled on the guitar idly as they rode through the city.

“You told me you hated musicians. You never said you were one,” Miguel said.

“How do you think I knew your great-great-grandpa? We used to play music together. Taught him everything he knows.” Héctor played a fancy riff but botched the last note.

“No manches! You played with Ernesto de la Cruz, the greatest musician of all time?”

“Ha, ha! You’re funny!” Héctor laughed. “Greatest eyebrows of all time, maybe, but his music? Eh, not so much.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Miguel said.

The trolley reached their stop. “Welcome to Plaza de la Cruz!” Héctor announced. In the center of the bustling plaza was a giant statue of Ernesto de la Cruz. “Showtime, chamaco!” Héctor pushed the guitar into Miguel’s arms.

Miguel looked around the plaza. It glowed and hummed with the shouts of vendors selling a variety of crafts and treats to passersby.

“Llevelo! T-shirts!” called a vendor selling Ernesto de la Cruz souvenirs. “Bobbleheads!”

Miguel gazed past the vendor and saw a large stadium stage, where an emcee was greeting her audience.

“Bienvenidos a todos!” she cried. “Who’s ready for some música?” The audience whooped and hollered. “It’s a battle of the bands, folks. The winner gets to play for the maestro himself, Ernesto de la Cruz, at his fiesta tonight!” The audience cheered some more. “Let the competition begin!” exclaimed the emcee.

The stage filled with acts performing one after the other. The performers were like none Miguel had ever seen. There was a tuba and violin act, a hardcore metal band, a marimba player on the back of a giant iguana spirit guide, a dog orchestra, and nuns playing accordions.

Miguel and Héctor signed up for the contest and headed backstage into a crowd of other performers.

“So what’s the plan? What are you gonna play?” Héctor asked Miguel.

“Definitely ‘Remember Me,’” Miguel answered. He plucked out the beginning notes of the song. Héctor clamped his hand over the guitar’s fretboard.

“No, not that one. No,” Héctor said seriously.

“C’mon, it’s his most popular song!”

“Eh, it’s too popular,” Héctor replied. They gazed around the backstage area and noticed that many other acts were rehearsing their own versions of “Remember Me.” One man even played water glasses to the famous tune.

“That song has been butchered enough for a lifetime,” Héctor said with disgust.

“What about…” Miguel thought hard. “‘Poco Loco’?”

“Okay! Now you’re talking!”

A stagehand approached Miguel. “De la Cruzcito?” he asked. Miguel nodded at his stage name. “You’re on standby!” Then the stagehand gestured to another band. “Los Chachalacos, you’re up next!”

As Los Chachalacos stepped onto the stage, the crowd roared. The band burst into a mighty intro and the audience went wild.

Backstage, Miguel peeked out at the frenzied audience. Los Chachalacos were unbeatable. He suddenly felt ill. He paced.

“You always this nervous before a performance?” Héctor asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve never performed before.”

“What? You said you were a musician!”

“I am!” Miguel answered. “I mean, I will be.

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