Somewhere in America in a small anonymous town called Peaceville there is a garage. This garage houses the hopes and dreams of rock band Grojband and on this particular Friday night, like all other Friday nights they were hard at work practicing.
"You were totally right Kin, Kon CAN eat the most cheese in one sitting!" Burped Corey Riffin, 15 year old rock go,d from his slouching 'I'm-so-full' position.
"I know right?! It's like his secret power or something. Man am I full!" Said Kin Kujira from a similar position.
"Cheese is good" Kon Kujira murmured from his sideways position.
Laney Penn was sitting on the edge of the band platform marveling at the idiocy of her band mates "Now that we have that important issue settled can we please start working on lyrics? We have a gig tomorrow and we don't even have a chorus yet and-"
"Relax Lanes, everything will work out like it always does, no problemo. Trina's invited to the wedding too. We can just get her to diary out again and-"
"Core, your sister is going to college across the country in 6 weeks! We can't keep depending on her for lyrics-" Laney pointed out.
"I know Lanes. And I'll work on it, I promise," Corey began his usual patronizing BS
"COREY!" Laney glared at him
Corey looked at her seriously "We can work on them tonight Lane." He then continued his usual energy level "But first lets work on the cover songs the wedding party asked for. Where's that list?"
Kin walked over to one of the amps "It's right here. It's pretty straightforward. First one's Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls."
Corey pffed "Easy peasy lemon squeezy. We know that one fairly well, lets just run through it a couple times." He said as he picked up his guitar.
"We're not finished with this discussion Core" Laney picked up her bass and plugged in.
Corey grabbed the mic and winked at her "I know Lanes, I know."
Laney stumbled for a witty comeback but her heart was beating way to fast for her to think.
"I'm Corey, this is Laney on bass, Kin rockin' the keyboards, and my man Kon on the drums. We are Grojband and we'd like to congratulate the lucky couple. This Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls."
And I'd give up forever to touch you
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't wanna go home right now
And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
When sooner or later it's over
I just don't wanna miss you tonight
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything feels like the movies
Yeah, you bleed just to know you're alive
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
Meanwhile, In Trina's room
Trina and Mina were painting Trina's nails bubblegum pink and Trina was ranting about Nick Mallory as per usual when they heard Corey and Laney yelling at each other.
"MINA! What's that obnoxious loudness coming from my disgusting brother and his slimy friends?" Trina yelled at her much-abused best friend.
Mina shrugged "It sounds like they're arguing but-"
"MINA! Go find out now" Trina barked with a finger snap.
So Mina slithered along the walls to the door of the garage. She listened to them and heard them talking about writing a song for the wedding they were playing the next day.
"I think that's the same wedding Trina is going to with Nick. I better go tell her."
Trina was not pleased at the latest turn of events. " Hunky Nick Mallory asked me to go with him to this like totally huge family event and junk so he could have his like totally pretty girlfriend there with him. I have to make a good impression on his family so they will like me when we like get married and become like prince and princess and junk. Disgusting Corey and his band of rodents will not ruin in this for me. MINA, plan now!"
Mina thought for a moment "Well if Grojband's instruments didn't work…"
Trina suddenly had a brilliant one of a kind plan "Lets water down Grojband and their instruments. MINA evil laugh"
Back in the garage
"I think that was a really good run I like how we sounded. We crushed it!" Corey said enthusiastically "What did you guys think?"
The band all agreed with Corey more or less.
"I still think we have a slight lyric problem for that original song Core" Laney said crossing her arms across her bass strap.
"I know Lanes and we'll work on it. What s next on the list Kin?" Corey said brushing Laney off.
And the rehearsal in a similar fashion, until halfway through the second to last song. Laney was pounding away at her bass completely in her rock zone, when suddenly large and pink fell from the balcony above. And continued to descend until it hit Laney and splattered. Suddenly everything was pink or at least everything around Laney was.
"WHAT THE HELL!" Laney was engulfed in a flame of rage.
Corey looked around at the now paint covered platform. Laney was drenched in paint and her bass had narrowly avoided destruction. Everything else was covered in splotches of pink paint.
"This reeks of Trina." Said a furious Corey.
Sure enough, in struts Trina.
"Listen up fromage-band. Take this as a sample of what will happen if you maggots show up and ruin my time with hunky Nick Mallory at his family wedding. Don't play that gig."
Corey laughed "What ever"
"DO NOT PLAY THAT GIG! And by the way that paint is permanent, so if you ever want you normal hair color back you might want to like move it or like lose it. Hahaha hash tag sabotage! Mina lets roll"
Laney fumed "Corey your sister is a bitch!" She grabbed a handful of hair "Ugggh. So pink! Core, I'm using your shower!" She shouted as she stomped up the stairs.
"I'll drop some clothes and a towel outside the bathroom door" Corey called after her.
Kin came up behind Corey "We're still playing the gig right?"
Corey Stuck his horns in the air and gave a energized shout "Hell yeah! We're not gonna let my bitchy sister intimidate us. Now lets start wiping the pink off stuff."
15 minutes later Kon's phone went off and 3 minutes later Kin's phone went off.
"I hate to make a bad situation worse Corey," Kin began
"But our mom is kinda flipping out, so we have to go" Kon finished.
"See you guys tomorrow then. I better go get Lanes a towel and stuff." Corey walked them out and then shut the garage door behind his buds.
'I can't believe Trina really did that' Corey thought as he walked up the stairs "that was low even for her' He walked into his bedroom and grabbed an old GB shirt and a pair of shorts that were a little small for him from the dresser drawers. "I promised to protect her and I can't even protect her from Trina. I'm such a loser. I just want to keep her safe.' Once he had gotten a towel from the linen closet he walked back to the bathroom where Laney had left the door slightly ajar. He walked into to the bathroom just like he had on those other nights except thankfully tonight the only thing she was washing off was paint.
He hated seeing her on those nights, when she came to him beaten and bloody. He hated knowing that she had gotten hurt and he hadn't done a thing to stop it. The only thing he could was be there for her. And that was one thing he would always be, no matter what happened. He loved being her rock and a part of him took joy in the fact that she always came to him and that only he knew. He remembered the day he found out.
They were twelve years old and the four of them had just started Grojband. Laney only lived three blocks from his house and would ride her skateboard to practice. Lane left per usual on her skateboard, but then two hours later she showed up in the garage saying she had fallen on her way home. At 12 years old he rode enough skateboards to know that you couldn't get injuries like that from a skateboard and he said as much to her. It took a little coaxing he finally got Laney to spill her guts. As she told her very depressing life story Corey sat her down in the bathroom floor and cleaned up her wounds like his mom used to do for him when he was little.
Her home life was really gruesome. At 12 years old Corey couldn't imagine a parent treating their child like that. Sure his parents weren't home that often and he was frequently left under the care of his sister Trina, but they still fed him and loved him. They would never dream of hitting him no matter how obnoxious he got and he got very obnoxious. Laney's life was very different than his was. Instead of cleaning up cuts they were giving scars. The part that killed him was that she was alone with all of this. No one else knew her secret and she couldn't talk about this with anyone. She had to deal with everything by herself. But not anymore. He looked into his friend's eyes past all the pain and all the fear.
"Lanes, you're not alone anymore. I'm always going to be here for you, no matter what. I promise." He said putting his hand over his heart as he said it.
Laney looked at him for a moment, her eyes filled with tears. The she wrapped her arms around her friend and said through massive sobs. "Thanks Core." They stayed like that for a little while as she cried. He held her through the pain. Later he realized this was the moment he fell in love with Laney but in the moment he just wanted his friend to be okay.
Finally when it seemed like Laney was all cried out he said "So fella wanna watch some TV?" It got a tiny smile out of an emotionally distraught Laney. At first it was a nickname of affection, now it was just a way to control his feelings for her. She was anything but a "fella". Corey was madly in love with her and it killed him everyday knowing he wasn't good enough for her.
Corey put the clothes and towel on the counter realizing that he had been standing in the bathroom doorway far too long and that if Laney figured out he was there, she'd flip. He was just about to head down stairs when he heard singing.
I'm in the business of misery,
Let's take it from the top.
She's got a body like an hourglass, it's ticking like a clock.
It's a matter of time before we all run out,
When I thought he was mine she caught him by the mouth.
I waited eight long months,
She finally set him free.
I told him I couldn't lie he was the only one for me.
Two weeks we caught on fire,
She's got it out for me,
But I wear the biggest smile.
Whoa, I never meant to brag.
But I got him where I want him now.
Whoa, it was never my intention to brag
To steal it all away from you now.
But God does it feel so good,
'Cause I got him where I want him now.
And if you could then you know you would.
'Cause God it just feels so...
It just feels so good.
Second chances they don't ever matter, people never change.
Once a whore you're nothing more, I'm sorry, that'll never change.
And about forgiveness, we're both supposed to have exchanged.
I'm sorry honey, but I passed it up, now look this way.
Well there's a million other girls who do it just like you.
Looking as innocent as possible to get to who,
They want and what they like, it's easy if you do it right.
Well I refuse, I refuse, I refuse!
Whoa, I never meant to brag
But I got him where I want him now.
Whoa, it was never my intention to brag
To steal it all away from you now.
But God does it feel so good,
'Cause I got him where I want him right now.
And if you could then you know you would.
'Cause God it just feels so...
It just feels so good.
I watched his wildest dreams come true
Not one of them involving you
Just watch my wildest dreams come true
Not one of them involving...
Whoa, I never meant to brag
But I got him where I want him now.
Whoa, I never meant to brag
But I got him where I want him now.
Whoa, it was never my intention to brag
To steal it all away from you now.
But God does it feel so good,
'Cause I got him where I want him now.
And if you could then you know you would.
'Cause God it just feels so...
It just feels so good.
Corey stopped dead in his tracks. "Trina's out and Mina's with her. Which means..' "Laney can sing?! HOLY CRUD?!" He said out loud. The gears above Corey's head started turning, "I have a plan that just might work!" He shouted leaping into the air and punching it.
A/N
Hi! I'm Rose! This is my first fanfic! (I've read tons. I've just never written one before). Grojband is my new favorite cartoon! I've been bingeing on cartoon network in between marathons of kingdom hearts and animal crossing. Anyway I love Corey and Laney together so maybe this will go along those lines who knows. The songs I used are Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls and Misery Business by Paramore. Thank you all for reading and please, please review. I love constructive criticism!
PS. I hope the characters aren't too OOC. I tried my best but the had to have some deeper emotion.
Author's note 4/27/14
When I look at my story stats I see that often people don't continue reading after this point. Please bear with these first few chapters. They were written almost a year ago and might not be some of my best work. My writing style has changed a lot over the past year and I urge you to give the rest of the story a chance.