Chapter 11
After our little performance yesterday at the Café, I was pretty happy to say that we got a few offers for gigs that we're happening pretty much all over the country, but sadly we couldn't just accept especially since school was supposed to be starting in a few months but we told then we'd do are best to attend. If anything it was most likely going to happen.
Now today was all about the Summer Kick off festival, to celebrate the start of summer and a few other things I could never remember. Hey school gets boring and you can't blame me for tuning everything out and getting in trouble for petty things. Since we still had a few hours before we had to be at the park a few miles from my house, we all decided to hang around my house till it was time to go.
"So we've got the songs we're going to sing picked out?" I called over to Yoru and Andrew who were sitting on the couch going over one of our songs together.
"Yea it's all planned out," Andrew replied rather slowly while reading something and correcting it.
"Pretty much, hey isn't PUNKaLICIOUS also supposed to be playing?" Yoru asked while shaking his head and motioning Amu over to help prove his point on something.
"That's what I heard but who knows, probably." I said around a yawn and making my over to see what they we're all talking about or more like over.
"Amu tell Andrew that the Electric guitar was a overpowering the other instruments in this song!" Amu took an earpiece for Yoru and listening, nodding her head every now and then and drumming the beat on the back of the couch with her hands.
"Actually If anything I think it sounds good with the electric guitar overpowering the other instruments for once, and its not by much you can still here you, Ikuto, and Erik perfectly fine, you should leave it how it is." Amu concluded before continuing to drum the beat she was just listening too.
"I told you" Andrew replied calmly while nodding his approval at Amu. Was all that really worth all that…?
"Hey Guys!" Erik said rather excitedly while taking the steps three at a time and skidding to a halt at the back of the couch next to Amu, "Sorry I'm here so late, I was looking for my lucky guitar pick."
"I'm surprised you've still managed to keep that for so long," Yoru commented while stretching and standing up to go find his bass guitar, which was somewhere down here.
"Yea I was pretty sure you lost the thing a few months ago." Andrew added in like he was sure of it. Before this could get anymore random and off topic, not that there was one going at the moment, Utau came flying down the stairs and glomped my arm tightly while complaining loudly about something.
"It always happens like this!" Utau began to say crossly while clinging to my arm even tighter, "And I made sure we didn't have any plans today so we could make it!"
"Speak English Utau," Yoru said to her while picking up his bass guitar and making his way back to the couch, Amu reaching forward and plucking one of his cords and smiling in fascination. Utau noticed how I was watching Amu with a smile on my face and tugged on my arm to reclaim my attention.
"What are you talking about Utau?" I asked. I wasn't sure I really wanted to know but since it was bugging her so much, I thought I should ask to make her feel better and see what I could do about it.
"Apparently, you're band took PUNKKaLICIOUS' spot at the Summer Festival! And I gave up a lot to attend that!" Utau said after taking a deep breath. Well I definitely wasn't expecting that…
"I have an Idea…" Amu said thoughtfully while smiling, "And I think it'll help both of our popularity."
After making it to the park before the audience and the other people attending could, we talked to the supervisor of the event and Amu explained what she'd came up with back at my house to fix the problem. It didn't surprise any of us, except Utau, that he agreed so readily without having to be begged or bribed. Yea Amu was pretty good at problem solving also.
"Since we're going to do this, why don't we make things interesting," Temari, the new drummer for PUNKaLICIOUS, proposed to Amu. That got Amu to smile mischievously and nod like she knew where this is going, when of course the rest of us didn't.
"You want to do a battle of the bands don't you?" Amu commented.
"No actually, I wanna challenge you to a drum off, I want to see if you're as good as everybody thinks." Temari replied while smiling so widely that it had to hurt. Amu looked slightly surprised but soon she was smiling widely.
"Alright with me, but when you get beaten by me, I have the right to say I told you so, plus you have to do a song on the stage in front of everyone."
"Same to you" Before the rest of us could have a say in this they shook hands and parted quickly, Amu smiling and Temari looking slightly nervous. There was a tense moment before everyone started laughing.
"Well now that that's over we've decided on the song we're singing right?" I asked Utah and nodding.
"Yea, we'll be even better then the first time we preformed," She replied while smiling.
"Alright you guys are on in five!" That was our cue to start setting up the stage and trying to figure out how this was going to play out. Before long the stage was set up, in a rather unique way. The mic's for me and Utau in the front the stage, mine on the left hers on the right and behind those we're the ones for our back up's Andrew and Ran. Then it was our second guitarist, bass guitarist and last but not least are our drummers.
Slipping my guitar over my head and arranging it on my shoulder comfortably I took a seat on the stool place by my Mic. It was time to get the Summer Kick off started and we were the entertainment for the day, talk about exciting and tiring.
"Welcome to this years Summer Kick off!" Rhythm announced into the Mic and smiled when he had everyone's attention. "This year, we're trying something different; instead of one band we're having a collaboration between the bands Gone-a-Stray and PUNKaLICIOUS, let's cheer them on as they sing one of the most unique pieces this band has shared, Angels Never Fly!" The crowd cheered in excitement. Amu and Temari counted us off and we begin like we did the day we played with them at there concert.
(Ikuto && Utau)
They always said that the Sky was a breeding ground
(Breeding Ground for…)
The things that weren't supposed to be
(Weren't supposed to be)
But we just realized that they lied,
Because Angels Never Fly
(Angels Never Fly...)
(Ikuto)
I lie here, staring at nothing in focus
(Nothing's in focus)
If Angels Never Fly,
Then maybe my Angels right here with me
(Right here with me)
With hair as blond as sunshine
And a smile as reckless as
(As reckless as)
Wild flowers…
(Utau)
Tell me it's not true
(it's not true)
That Angels Never Fly…!
Tell me that my Angel
(My angel with)
Hair as dark as midnight,
And eyes as warm as Moonlight
Doesn't Dream of a flight
(A flight away from me…)
(Utau and Ikuto)
They always said that the sky was a breading ground
(Breeding ground for…)
The things that weren't supposed to be
(Weren't supposed to be)
But we just realized that they lied,
Because Angels Never Fly
(Angels Never Fly…)
(Utau)
Maybe its better this way,
This way with Flightless Wings,
(Ikuto)
But maybe it's not better this way,
This way with flightless Wings,
(Both)
A hundred things go through my head,
And I can't say I'm proud of them
(Cant say I'm proud)
But If Angels Never Fly,
Then you'll be here with me
(Here with me…)
With those flightless wings,
And my voice to comfort your longing
(Angels Never Fly…)
(Angels Never Fly….)
When Utau and I stepped away from the Mic we were greeted by the loudest cheers any of us could have guessed. That got us both to smile, and everyone on in both bands stood up and cleared off the stage besides Amu and Temari, who moved there drum sets in the middle and took up a seat looking at each other calmly.
"Give another round of applause to those two very talented bands!" Rhythm said and waited patiently till the applause and screams stopped before continuing, "Now we have something special happening now, Temari, the new Drummer of PUNKaLICIOUS, has challenged the former drummer Amu to a competition to see who the better drummer is." He continued while pointing to each of the girls in turn. "And the loser gets to perform a song for you all with a dance."
That got the crowd excited and you could tell that everyone was already making bets and they were leaning in Amu's favor, but hey the underdog could be just as good.
"So who are you cheering for Ikuto…?" Utau asked while peering around the corner and smiling at Temari. As if she had to ask.
"Amu of course, I'm sorry Utau, but your poor Temari, is going to get a lesson in ass kicking, and how to deal with failure!" I commented then smiled when Utau looked at me in surprise.
"We'll just see about that." She replied rather quietly when the two started to play, Temari starting off with a beat that I couldn't exactly tell at first till I started to get it. An improvised drum solo of the song Weekend Warriors. Not bad but I don't think its good enough. Amu started play her signature first beats, Misfits mixed with some other band solo and of course twirling her drums.
After a few more times of going back and fourth, Rhythm Picked five people from the crowd and asked who they preferred.
"Amu's got talent, no lie about that, so of course I head in her direction."
"I like Amu, but this time I'm going for Temari…"
"Sorry Amu but Temari's caught my attention!"
"Amu you're still number one in my book!"
"well I guess this one depends on me…sorry Temari but Amu's still the best." I didn't find that a shocker, but Temari came pretty close to be as good as Amu.
"Well I guess I saw that coming," Temari said while holding out her hand to Amu, "you really are as good as everyone thinks, thanks for the amazing opportunity!"
"Anytime and how about we perform that song and dance together?" Amu said while shaking her hand then yelling, "CARAMELLDANSEN!" Before I could even process what Amu had shouted the happy upbeat sound of the caramelldansen was blasting through the speakers and Temari and Amu we're dancing around the stage with there hands near the heads and wiggling there hips giggling like crazy.
I couldn't help but laugh, it was cute, so pulling out my phone I zoomed in on Amu, and hit the record video and recorded her dancing, snickering to myself every now and then. "This will be such a good blackmail video," I whispered to myself and laughed even harder when I noticed almost everyone in the audience was taking pictures or recording it also.
"Well she wasn't lying when she said our popularity would sky rocket…"