Prologue

It was Saturday, a warm, typical day in the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. This day is free day for almost all people, some resting, some going to the mall to shop; some hanging out with their friends. It was early in the morning, the dewy drops of moisture still present on the grass lining the path walk, and a twelve year old boy carrying an electric guitar and a small amplifier slowly tiptoes this grassy path walk to his best friend's house.

I might get caught. Father will be angry again, he thought. His parents bought him the guitar as a gift for they are well aware of his passion for music, but they greatly disapprove of him leaving his studies to pursue musical career someday. His parents want him to take up creative writing in college. But for him, music is his life. He plays guitar and he also sings, while his best friend hits the drums. His best friend also adores music. His best friend, eh?

Well, he is a year older than his best friend, who is a drummer. The time he received his guitar, his best friend was also given a drum set. They both wished for their instruments to finally make their rock music passion come true. They're still young but they know that music helps them to think a little mature, having wide perspective over things. As for now, they have a duo-band, and they named themselves as "Pet Salamanders", doing covers of Blink-182, their favorite rock band. They dream of the day that when they get older, they will tour many places, rocking out with their band hero, Blink-182.

He became excited as the morning sun shone brightly and rays reaching up to his brown-black hair, to his adorable handsome face, to his warm-looking eyes, to his sharp nose and to his pink lips curving into a boyish smile, finally seeing the front porch of his best friend's house. He also braced himself for his best friend's grandmother calling him a "cute little one". Huh, what the hell, he's older than his best friend right? Why call him "cute little one"? It sounds.. ugh. He thought to himself. After his best friend's grandmother (he calls her granny too) call him weird cute nicknames like that, she will give him oatmeal raisin and snicker-doodle cookies – well, his favorites. Even if she calls him like that, he's still happy for the free delicious oven-baked cookies after the exhausting hours they played music in the living room of his best friend's house.

He then silently pushed the fence gate to allow himself inside the house. Finally, I'm here! He glanced at his reflection on the puddle of water on the garden. He really does look like younger than his age. Believe me; I'm older than my best friend! He sighed, dismissing the funny thought. He sighed and grinned as he pressed the button of the doorbell.

An eleven year-old boy opened the white wooden door for him. The boy, who is handsome-looking too, with deep-set, kind eyes, sharp nose and thin lips that grinned very widely, said in a loud voice: "Ryan!" Ryan grinned at the eleven-year old boy, well his best friend.

"Yo, Spencer! Ready to rock?"

"Hell yeah!"

Ryan grinned as he remembered the days when he and Spencer became best friends. He used to throw golf balls at neighbors' yards when he was six, he then realized that he has Spencer at his side, which back then a five-year old, throwing golf balls too. Since then, they became best friends. Partners in crime, eh? That's Ryan and Spencer for you! He smiled as Spencer helped him to carry his light amplifier towards the living room where Spencer's drum set is situated.

"Hi there cute little one!" someone greeted Ryan.

He lifted his face and saw Spencer's grandmother. "H-hi Granny Smith!" He weakly smiled. He's in the fringe of being a little annoyed (for calling him "cute") and being happy (playing music and free cookies!). "Today's having a nice weather, isn't it, granny?" He ran out of things to say.

"Yes it is dear, now go play music with my dear grandson." Granny Smith flashed a kind smile then went to the kitchen to bake the cookies Ryan and Spencer was dying to taste every week.

"Granny wants another grandson, you know." Spencer told Ryan as he effortlessly twirled his drumsticks in his fingers. "And I wish it was you, so you wouldn't have to sneak out every Saturday to get here." He grabbed the chair he'll be sitting on later while playing and positioned it in front of his drum set.

Ryan smiled. Spencer is like a little brother to him too. "Yeah, I wish I was part of your family too." He seriously said as he plugged the jack to his guitar and amplifier. "Because mine is.." He stopped in midsentence as his mood fell, remembering his family. Pity can be seen in Spencer's face too, for he knew what had gone in Ryan's family.

Ryan's mother left after her divorce with Ryan's father. He's just three years old when that happened. Since then, his father is not that always happy, always drunk, and became very alcoholic. Days are only countable in fingers when his father is okay, and one of those days is when he asked for a guitar. His father contacted her mother, for old time's sake, to give a guitar to their son as a birthday present. Luckily, both parties agreed. He was happy to have a guitar, but inside him is still the longing to have a happy and complete family, have a mother and father who love one another, and have little brothers and sisters that he can laugh with.

"There, there, Ryan" Spencer interrupted Ryan's train of thought. "I'm sure you don't want to spoil our jamming right?" He thoughtfully asked Ryan, who was still staring at the jack of his guitar.

Ryan shrugged his head, as if it would make him forget all the bad memories, then looked at Spencer. "Of course not, I don't want to spoil this day!"

"That's it!" Spencer grinned. "Well, you're always welcome here."

Ryan sighed in both comfort and relief. "Thanks Spencer. You really rock."

"I know." Spencer laughed as he sat on the stool facing his drum set, then again, sleekly done his favorite move – twirling the drumsticks effortlessly in his fingers. "Ready?"

"Yeah." Ryan laughed too and nodded as Spencer tapped his drumsticks to "1, 2, 3!"

They started their jamming session with the beat of Blink-182's What's My Age Again, Spencer flawlessly hitting the drums, Ryan impeccably doing the guitar riffs, notes and beats perfectly fitting each other together with a new hope, stronger friendship, and well.. with the smell of freshly baked oatmeal raisin and snicker-doodle cookies.


So there ya go :D Hope you like it.. Will update if comments appear haha :DD peace out, rock on \m/ :3