One Little Thing Chapter 2

'So... why'd your family leave Texas?' Jane asked as they climbed the stairs to Daria's room.

'Well we would have left sooner only my Mom was waiting for the right opening. She's a lawyer and wanted to make sure she got in someplace she could make partner. My Dad is self employed so his business is portable, he's an advertising and publicity consultant.'

Jane noticed that Daria had neatly sidestepped the actual question. She looked around as they walked, everything looked brand new and of good quality. 'Must be doing well in their businesses.' She thought to herself. They stopped in the hallway, Daria looked a little nervous suddenly, she said 'Ehmm, bathroom's over there if you need it... my room is a little... odd... the previous owner kept a mentally disturbed relative in here so the walls are padded... I kept it because it makes great soundproofing, less complaints when I'm practicing.' She smiled a little sadly at Jane. 'Now's the time to bail out if the weirdness is getting to you.'

'Nah, weirdness is kinda my thing. So long as I'm not your next victim Dexter.'

Daria smiled for real this time. 'Why, are you a murderer? I love that show too, it's better than the original books which is the opposite of what you usually get.'

'You read books! Oooh, don't let that get out in Lawndale High, they'll burn you at the stake.' They had entered Daria's room as they talked. Jane looked around and said 'Whoa!'

It looked more like a boy's room than a teenage girl's. Posters of various rock bands were pinned to the walls. Mostly seventies and eighties hard rock acts. A life-sized poster of Angus Young from AC/DC in his schoolboy outfit adorned the back of her bedroom door. The wall near her wardrobe was lined with laden down bookshelves. The other end of the room...

'Wow! Morgendorffer... I mean seriously, wow! I take it you play?'

Pride of place near the bed was a black Epiphone acoustic guitar on a black metal stand. Three electric guitars were hung on the wall, one of them a bass. There was a full sized electronic drum kit and a performance grade Yamaha keyboard. Various cables connected into some piece of electronic wizardry which in turn was hooked up to a 27" Apple IMac with an auxuliary screen on each side. There was also a vocal mike set up with a spit screen in front of it. Massive (for a bedroom) Bose speakers flanked the whole assemblage. Used as Jane was to band gear this was the best set-up she'd seen outside of a recording studio.

'Ehh, yeah, I kinda do. I used to play classical guitar but since the... lately I prefer to play the electric and rock my face off.'

'My brother's in a band. He would kill and eat somebody to get his hands on gear like this... though... he doesn't think much of electric drums...'

'Neither do I actually. I have a proper kit in the garage but... every now and then I like to sit in and bash hell out of the drums... it's therapeutic... cathartic.. but my folks don't appreciate being woken up at 3 a.m. by me playing "Dance with the Devil". At least I can play these with headphones on. Pizza order?' She asked, taking an iPhone out of her pocket.

'Anything... in fact everything but anchovies.'

'Soo... banana, maple, pineapple.'

'Noooo! Anything meat, just order the carnivore special... and whatever you're having yourself.'

'Gee, thanks.'

'It'll be my treat next time, I promise' Jane smiled as she spoke, making a cross-your-heart gesture followed by a boyscout salute.

Daria phoned in the order while Jane picked around at the instruments. The iMac woke up when she touched the mouse and Pro Tools came up on the screen.

Jane swung around on the leather office chair and looked speculatively at Daria.

Daria disconnected her call and said 'Thirty minutes or less. What?'

'You're all set up to record here. Would you consider an offer to record a demo cd for my brother's band? They can't afford studio time again and they've got a lot of new material that's a big improvement on their old junk. They'll be able to pay you... ehm... something anyhow, whaddya say?'

'Sure, they don't need to pay, I'd do it for the lols and experience. I'm getting tired just doing my own stuff. Are they any good?'

'Honestly no, but they're improving... don't get me wrong here... but... are your folks really rich or something? I mean you have all this stuff and no shortage of money and...' Jane was a bit embarrassed now, she continued 'I... we... don't have much... I don't think I could keep up with you, money wise... just in case you think I'm trying to pan handle here...'

Daria was bemused. 'Hey, relax. We're not rich. That is we're comfortable... we got a big settlement from the insurance for my leg... end of my promising ballet career and all that...' She smiled to show she was joking. 'As for this stuff? They're just toys.'

Jane looked doubtful 'Some toys. I should have such toys.' She added, doing a Jackie Mason impression.

'Yeah... toys... the run off and play and don't bother us kind of toys...' Daria was looking at her boots now.

'Hey, my folks are hardly ever home... so snap... ok? My Mom's been away since June and I haven't seen Dad since last year! Let's drink a toast to benign neglect eh?'

Daria raised an imaginary glass and drank. Jane raised her own and said 'Clink.' Then after a few moments said 'So, gonna play me something, dazzle me with your talent?'

Daria seemed pleased, she said 'Do you wanna hear a recording or will I play live?'

'Live is best.'

'Shift over and let me put on a backing track.' Daria leaned into the Mac and clicked the mouse a few times. 'OK, when I give you the nod, press the space bar.' She took off her leather jacket and hung it in the wardrobe. She wore a black t-shirt with a different picture of Angus Young depicted as a saint with a halo on it. She took one of the guitars off the wall and plugged in the lead. Jane recognized it as a Fender John Mayer Stratocaster. Daria checked the tuning and volume level (LOUD) then got herself set in front of the mike and nodded to Jane. Jane pressed the space bar on the iMac keyboard. A long drawn out gong heralded a heavy 4/4 bass drum beat. After eight beats Daria played two chords, after four more beats, three more chords, after four more beats she launched into an intricate blues rock riff backed up by a rhythm guitar and a bass guitar on the backing track. Thirty seconds later the music reduced down to the bass drum beat and she leaned into the microphone. In a growly blues voice she sang 'Whoa, oh, Black Betty (chord) Bam a Lam (chord) Whoa, oh Black... what?' She stopped playing and reached past Jane to tap the space bar, stopping the playback. Jane's eyes and mouth were open so wide she looked like a bowling ball.

'What's wrong, Jane? Too loud?'

'What? Yeah, no, what?... Daria!... That was freakin' awesome! Where'd you learn to play like that?... and you can sing! What? Are you in a band?'

Daria, obviously pleased, said 'You liked it? I've never played in front of anybody before... I wasn't sure... I mean I hoped...'

Just then the doorbell rang.

'Pizza!' They yelled together. Daria unslung her guitar and they headed out the door. On the landing Jane asked 'You've a couple of spare bedrooms I see.'

'Hmm, that's the 'rents' room and that one... that would have been Quinn's.'

'Quinn?'

'My sister... was my sister... she died... we don't talk about it.'

Jane mouthed an "Okay" as she followed Daria down the stairs. She noticed a framed collection of photographs on the wall. Daria was featured in some as well as two people who were obviously her parents. Pride of place though was given to the large central picture of an extremely cute red-haired girl, smiling archly at the camera. She had a similar bone structure to Daria but seemed to have none of her slightly dour disposition. Jane had to ask, before Daria opened the door. 'Was it in the same accident? I have to know.' Daria just nodded and took out her wallet to pay for the pizza.