AN So my friend TempusSimia is visiting me today, from 3,000 miles away. Yeah, awesome hehe. But I almost forgot to post my next chapter! -gasp- I'm sorry don't kill me plz!
See you at the bottom guys!
Chapter
10: Connect Three
"I'm really sorry Jason," Nate said,
staring at his guitar shamefully. "I know we've gotten along
okay, but I still need to say it. I guess I was just a little jealous
of how good you were, and I don't take competition really well. I
know that doesn't make up for all of the things I said to you, but
I hope we can start over, and try to be friends."
Shane glanced to Jason, whose expression was, as usual, blissfully blank. But then a smile graced his lips, and he pulled Nate into a tight hug. "Of course we can be friends Nate!" he said happily, and Nate, trying to reconcile their relationship, put up with the embrace.
After a moment, he pulled out of his newly made friend's arms and said, "Now, how about we get this Final Jam going on, yeah?"
"Let's go for it!" Shane called, and the three of them headed out from the cabin. They should have been at Final Jam an hour ago, but Shane was so stressed about the second guitar part that he was tempted to not even go.
"I hope we're not late," Nate huffed as they made their way to the hall with their instruments in tow.
Jason informed them, panting, "I have never been in such a hurry to get to dinner in my life, guys." Nate and Shane laughed breathily as they burst into the back hall, shocking the other campers inside. Kara threw her arms around Nate's neck and kissed his cheek.
Jason, however, ran over to Anna before she could move. "So we missed dinner huh?" he asked in disappointment. She laughed and hugged him. "And I wanted to see you sing, sorry." She shook her head.
"I'll give you a private concert later," she promised. Jason smiled at her and nodded.
Ness waved her hand impatiently. "Hey! You guys better get out there before Brown ends Final Jam without you even performing!" She got behind her brother, Shane, and Jason and pushed them out to the stage.
Brown was standing with his microphone, worriedly looking around for his nephew. Shane called to his uncle, "Uncle Brown! We're here, we're here. We want to play." He grinned and nodded.
"I was hoping you three would show up eventually, Seth and I had a long talk earlier about lying, and he's not allowed to play in Final Jam because of it. I'll tell you what the prize is after you're done."
He walked out on stage and called, "Now, for our final entrants, Shane Gray, Nathan White, and Jason Black!" There was hollering, and Shane could hear his mom shouting above the din of the campers, the parents and friends, and the record company representatives. At the judging table sat three such people from different labels.
They ran out onto the stage, where Brown had already set up three microphone stands for them. Shane turned to Nate and Jason, giving them a smile. "Let's make this the best performance of our lives." The lights went out and everyone grew quiet, three soft spotlights illuminating each of them.
Shane began to sing,
There's the song that I've been singing
Waiting for you to hear
Trying to get your attention
So you know I'm here
The two guitarists began to back him up with power chords as his voice gained momentum against the silence. They seemed as though they were born for this, born to work together in front of a crowd. Jason sang in the background as Nate took the next verse,
I'm not afraid to speak my mind
You'll know what I wanna say
I'm going to be here to stay, now
Never fade away
Finally, prerecorded drumbeats came in as Nate and Shane shared the chorus, Jason doing a spin with his guitar as the music gained a faster beat than before.
The music's mine to take
Mine to sing and mine to play
The music's mine to make
That's the way it's gonna stay
Who else knows it like I do?
Who else knows how to make it groove?
I'm going to have my time
And make this music mine
The beating of the snare and bass drum changed as Jason plucked at his guitar strings in the same rhythm as he had been playing the chords, giving the song a different feel. Shane picked up the verse as Nate followed Jason.
There's a beat that I've been drumming
A different sort of song
Making it something I can use
I know it's not wrong
It's nothing you've ever heard of
That you have yet to see
Something that we will create here
When we connect three
Nate did a herkey on the last loud beat as the lights went wild, flashing around them as sparklers on the stage fired up, letting off bright colors of sparkles. Jason gave Nate an appreciative smile at his incredible ability to choreograph a light show and he shrugged his thanks.
The music's mine to take
Mine to sing and mine to play
The music's mine to make
That's the way it's gonna stay
Who else knows it like I do?
Who else knows how to make it groove?
I'm going to have my time
And make this music mine
Shane's amazing voice went through the audience as he sang his heart out, the background music growing softer until it decrescendoed into nothing. As his voice reached all ends of the theater, and the spotlight focused on him as everything else vanished into the darkness.
Do you know what it's like
To be in front of a crowd?
To play until your fingers hurt
And sing every note loud?
That no other feeling
Can ever hope to compare
The exhilaration you get
When you're standing there
That's why I say
This music's mine to play
He let out a rock star yell as the light exploded into a frenzy of color and movement
Yeah!
The music's mine to take
Mine to sing and mine to play
The music's mine to make
That's the way it's gonna stay
Who else knows it like I do?
Who else knows how to make it groove?
I'm going to have my time
And make this music mine
It's now my time
And the music's mine
It's now, it's now my time
And now, and now
The music's mine
The lights went out as instantly as the sound of their voices and guitars. The crowd, for one moment stunned, rose to their feet in a chaotic round of applause and screaming. Shane, Jason and Nate ran off the stage, hardly able to hold in any elation that coursed through their bodies. When they got to the wings, Jason turned around and caught both of them in a surprise hug.
"This deserves a group hug; it was that awesome," he sang happily.
Shane and Nate pulled themselves from their oldest friend with smiles. The latter scratched the back of his head and glanced sheepishly from Shane and Jason. "I guess it was, wasn't it?" he asked quietly. Shane's smile faded slightly as he watched the curly haired youth debate something in his mind. Finally, Nate questioned, "I think… we should make a band, guys. I really think we could do it. I mean… we're incredible."
Jason asked, "Do what?"
For a moment Shane was silent, as Jason repeated his question when nobody cared to answer him. "I think we could do it too, Nate."
Before Jason could get pouty, Brown stepped up on stage and announced, "Now! I think our judges have chosen which band has shown the most musical promise to win our Final Jam!" The three of them locked eyes, their hearts in their throats as they awaited the verdict. "And… the winner is… drum roll please." Someone gave it to them as their hearts followed the beat of the snare, waiting, waiting…
"The winners are," he corrected, "Shane Gray, Nathan White, and Jason Black! Come on out boys!"
"WE WON!" Jason exclaimed running out first as Shane and Nate followed behind, a tad bit more mature in hiding their happiness. Their guitarist hugged Brown and took the trophy from him, holding it above his head. "We did it, we did it!" he sang excitedly, as Brown shook hands with the other two members of their nameless band.
Brown quieted the shouting audience as he began to speak again, "The band members received their trophy and the other prize of—"
"Other prize?" they chorused, confused. From the bemused expressions donning all of their faces, it was obvious none of them knew about it.
"—being signed to Malibu Record Company in California." A record executive stepped up to the stage and smiled at the band, who were all shocked into silence.
"We're glad to have you," the man said.
AN Yay! How awesome is this? But that means... there's only two more chapters left! Oh, snap! But you know, I hope you guys like it, and who knows, maybe I'll write other little things using these characters, because I'm so attached to them. And if you're worried about Seth, just wait.
He's coming up in the next chapter.
