"Okay you guys, what song should we practice first?" asked Odd, hooking a mic up to a stand in the center of the stage.
"Oh, I wanna do 'May I,'" said Aelita from where she was sitting at her drums.
"Nah, no sad sappy songs," said Odd. "Oh, let's do 'Hall of Fame!'"
"No. No rapping," said Jeremie. "Do 'Memory,'"
"What do you think Yumi?" asked Aelita. She turned her head to see her friend tuning her guitar. It was a shiny midnight black with blue stars on the corners. "What song should we do?"
"Hmm… either 'Who I Am Hates Who I've Been' or 'The World Is Black,'"
"Okay and Ulrich? Your options?" The brunette was sitting at a table and re-customizing his guitar since Kiwi had scratched off all the paint and decals just a few days earlier.
"Mmm… I dunno. Choose for me,"
"Oh, how 'bout 'Dear Agony?'" asked Odd.
"No,"
"'Blow Me Away?'"
"Nah,"
"'Girl Next Door?'" asked Aelita.
"Mmm… sure,"
"Okay, all in favor?" Aelita raised her hand, along with Yumi and Odd. "Alright, we'll do that one then. Ulrich, is your guitar ready?"
"Yeah, just finished," The brunette stood up and crumpled a plastic sheet he had been holding and tossed it into a nearby trash bucket.
"Oh, oh, oh! Can we see?!" asked Odd. Ulrich laughed and held up his guitar so that everyone could see. A few days earlier, it had been an olive green with red hash marks on the corners, but thanks to Kiwi's teeth and claws, it has gotten ruined. Ulrich had just about lost it when he saw that his guitar had almost been reduced to nothing but a pile of sawdust. But thanks to his instrumental skills, he had remade it. He sanded it down, making it look smoother and freshly made. It was now painted a bright neon green with black tiger stripes and glowing amber eyes on the top two corners. On the bottom in a blocky, ragged sort of font read Sirius. "Awesome!"
"Glad you like it," goaded Ulrich. "Now are we going to sing or what?" His friends nodded and took their places on the stage. Aelita sat near the back of the stage on a black stool behind her maroon-colored drum set, Odd stood near the far right of the stage with his plain purple guitar, Yumi stood near the far left of the stage with her midnight black electric guitar, and Ulrich took his place in-between the two, right in the center of the stage. Jeremie took a seat at the table and propped his feet up on an empty box. Ulrich began to sing as Odd and Yumi began to strike cords on their guitars.
All the pinups and magazines
Movie stars on the silver screen
They'll do anything for me
Can't you see?
Odd grinned, coming in next.
Odd:
What see is what you get
No more maybe it's may believe
She can give you everything you need
What you need
Ulrich:
She's the girl next door
Nice but not in a heart that's pure
She's the girl next door
Just for me
Odd:
You can take her home to mom
She's got that small town charm
That comes anytime you want and more
And you know she's your biggest fan
She'll cancel all her plans
Give you everything she can 'till the end
'Till the end
Ulrich smiled as Yumi joined in with him.
Ulrich & Yumi:
She's the girl next door
Nice but not in a heart that's pure
She's the next door
Ulrich:
Just for me
Ulrich & Yumi:
She's the girl next door
Nice but not in a heart that's pure
She's the girl next door
Ulrich:
Just for me
Think I'll take a walk on down her road she's on
Maybe now I think I'll call her phone
Or am I better off alone?
Ulrich glanced over at Yumi to see her shake her head slightly at the line before she joined in with him again.
Ulrich & Yumi:
She's the girl next door
Nice but not in a heart that's pure
She's the girl next door
Ulrich:
Just for me
She's the girl next door
Odd & Yumi:
(The girl next door)
Ulrich & Yumi:
Nice but not in a heart that's pure
She's the girl next door
Ulrich:
Just for me
Just for me
Odd & Yumi:
(Girl next door)
Ulrich:
Just for me
Odd & Yumi:
(Girl next door)
Ulrich:
Just for me
Odd & Yumi:
(Girl next door)
They played out the instrumental before letting the music fade. As soon as they gym went totally quiet Odd let out a loud whoop.
"That was amazing!" Ulrich chuckled, shaking his head.
"Yeah, it sure was,"
"Let's do another!"
"Okay, mmm… Yumes you pick," Ulrich said turning to his left. She smiled at him.
"'The World Is Black,'" He nodded and gave a silent signal to Aelita, giving her the warning so that she wouldn't miss her cue. She nodded and adjusted herself before settling down more comfortably in her stool. Ulrich began to sing again as the music started up.
Turn on channel seven at a quarter to eight
You see the same damn thing it's just a different day
And no one really knows why it's happening
But it's happening
And everywhere you go it's just a different place
You get the same dark feeling
See the same sad faces
No really cares that this happening
We come into this world
And we are all the same
In that moment there's no one to blame
Ulrich & Yumi:
But the world is black
And hearts are cold
And there's no hope
That's what we're told
Ulrich:
And we can't go back
It won't be the same
Forever changed
By the things we say, say
Living in this place it's always been this way
There's no one doing nothing so there's nothing changed
And I can't live when this world just keeps dying
It's dying
Ulrich & Odd:
People always tell me that this part of the plan
That God's got everybody in his hands
But I can only pray that God is listening
Is he listening?
Ulrich:
We're living in this world
Growing colder everyday
Nothing can stay perfect now I see
But the world is black
And hearts are cold
And there's no hope
That's what we're told
It won't be the same
Forever changed
By the things we've seen, seen, seen
Ulrich & Yumi:
We come into this world
And we're all the same
And in that moment there's no one to blame
But we're living in this world
Growing colder everyday
Nothing can stay perfect now I see
All:
The world is black
And hearts are cold
There's no hope
That's what we're told
Odd:
And we can't go back
(We can't go back)
Aelita:
It won't be the same
(It won't be the same)
Yumi:
Forever changed
(What will ever change)
Ulrich:
By the things we've seen, seen, seen
Aelita:
Turn on channel seven at a quarter to eight
Odd:
You see the same damn thing it's just a different day
Ulrich & Yumi:
And no one really knows why this is happening
Jeremie clapped.
"Great job guys!"
"Why thank you Einstein!" said Odd. "Yeah, this band wouldn't be so awesome if it weren't for my good looks and talent.
"Uh-huh… keep tellin' yourself that scrawny," said Ulrich as he jumped down from the stage, Yumi at his side as they leaned their guitars against the side of the stage.
"I'm not scrawny! I'm svelte!"
"Odd do me favor?" said Yumi
"Yes?"
"Shut up," Aelita and Ulrich began to crack up at the blonde's pout. Ulrich ended up laughing so hard that he ended falling onto floor, thudding loudly onto his back. Aelita almost fell out of her seat as she climbed down from her stool but ended up plopping down heavily on the edge of the stage, giggling hysterically while Yumi and Jeremie were using up all their self control just to keep straight faces. Finally Yumi couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing, plopping down next to Ulrich on the floor, hands wrapped tightly over her stomach as Jeremie too began to crack up, almost falling out of his chair in the process. Odd's pout turned even deeper, making them laugh even harder. Finally after what seemed like hours, they all finally settled down.
"Oh my god," sighed Aelita. "That was funny,"
"So funny," agreed Yumi. She and Ulrich were sitting up now and leaning back to back, their chests heaving. Jeremie sat up in his chair and swallowed the rest of his giggles.
"About time," muttered Odd.
"Sorry," said Jeremie. "So what should we do now?"
"Hmm… let's go outside!" suggested Aelita. "It's so pretty,"
"Alright, I'm fine with that," said Jeremie. "How about you guys?" Odd placed his guitar against the side of the stage before jumping down.
"Sure,"
"Alright, sounds good,"
"Fine with me,"