Chapter Two
Unloading Maiden's Kiss' equipment from the van, Piper Sorenson glanced at what she could see of the town. Sunnydale seemed pleasant enough. This club, the Bronze, was rumoured to be a good starting or promotion point for bands. Maiden's Kiss could definitely use some exposure. She pushed her dark hair out of her eyes and picked up one of the guitars. Carrying it under her arm, Piper walked in the back door of the Bronze. Bryn Lewis was setting up his drum kit, their logo of a fairy like girl blowing a kiss emblazoned on the front.
"Pretty good venue," he said approvingly. "Looks like it can hold a few."
"That's if it gets full," Piper replied, leaning the guitar against the amp carefully. Rhett would kill her if anything happened to his precious instrument. Covered in fiery designs and black glitter, he had spent an age customising it.
"It's the only club in town. I don't think we have an empty dance floor to worry about."
"Where's my bass?" questioned Everett Jhones, looking around the stage.
"Still in the van," answered Piper, gesturing towards outside.
Muttering, Everett went to retrieve his guitar. They were already running late due to Rhett being far too confident in his driving abilities whilst also having a poor sense of direction. After going almost twenty miles the wrong way, they had finally arrived in the small town. If they set up quickly, it would still leave them less than an hour for a sound check and run through of tonight's repertoire. He wasn't sure why they were even bothering with this one Starbucks place, but Piper had insisted they visit here whilst on the road. The deep red bass was propped up against one of the front seats in the van. Two amps and a few stray leads still inhabited the back but at least most of the stuff had been shifted. He grabbed his bass and went back inside.
Rhett had emerged from the depths of backstage and sat on tuning up his guitar, a plectrum in his teeth.
"There's still some stuff in the van," said Everett.
"Then go get it," responded Rhett, not looking up from the guitar.
Everett sneered and made a crude gesture behind the other guy's head. Piper rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Just behave guys, alright? Come on, let's fetch the rest."
As they went back to the van, Everett murmured,
"That guy has such an attitude."
"Just ignore him. You know what he's like. He's worried about this place."
"Why? What's so bad about Sunnydale?"
"So who's playing tonight?" asked Xander. The Scoobies were assembled in the Bronze, sitting at one of the tables closest to the stage.
"Maiden's Kiss," Oz told them. "I've heard a bit of their stuff, they're pretty good."
"After such a rave review, consider me physched, " said Buffy, making a small joke at Oz's trademark laid back demeanour.
"When are Dingoes playing again?" asked Willow. She loved to see her boyfriend perform and they hadn't graced the Bronze for a while.
"Tomorrow, maybe. Or next Wednesday. Devon's trying to write a new song and he doesn't want to play until it's done. So we could be here a while."
The lights on the stage rose to reveal three guys and a girl. The girl stood right at the front of the stage, two guitarists either side of her with the drummer languishing in the back. She looked up at the audience and smiled. A lot of dark hair hung around her face and silver eyes glowed underneath.
"Hi," she said quietly into the microphone. "We're Maiden's Kiss and this is 'Flowers.'"
A sultry riff and bassline began with subtle drumbeats. Then the girl began to sing in a high, delicate voice.
"I'm so tired, tired of this melee we play."
Oz watched warmly, a small smile on his face. Willow looked at the band, then gave Buffy an eyebrows raised look, a mixture of slight concern and unimpressed. Buffy shook her head at her.
"Nah, there's no way. It's just band stuff," she said quietly to her friend.
Willow nodded. "I'm being silly."
She smiled. "So is Angel going to show tonight?"
"I don't know. I'm hoping that if I don't expect to see him, I will."
They could barely hear each other over the music. When the chorus kicked in, it became futile to try and continue the conversation. The girl's voice, though still delicate, had become forceful and it was hard not to listen. The lead guitar soared.
"I like to feel the magic around me, the magic comes from bleeding my heart. I want to feel you surround me, so tell me when you're ready to start," chanted the girl.
When it settled back into the more mellow verses, Oz turned back to them, taking his eyes off the band for the first time.
"Hey, I was thinking I might hang around for a while after their set. Catch up with them. Is that ok?"
Giving him a little smile, Willow said, "Sure."
He went back to watching them, bobbing his head in time with the music.
"Do you think she's pretty?" Willow asked Buffy.
"It's just band stuff," she replied. "Anyway, she's just some girl with messy hair and those eyes have got to be contacts."
"I'm being all jealous girlfriend, aren't I?"
"So he looks at some band chick, he loves you. And if she tries anything, we'll assume she's some kind of evil being and stake her."
The set had gone well. The response had been great. Piper smiled and perched on one of the amps.
"See? It was worth it. "
Yeah, it ended up pretty good," agreed Rhett. "Now we've just got to find some cheap dive of a motel."
Sitting humming the tune to 'Flowers', Piper noticed that a boy was getting onto the stage. He came over to her.
"Hi, I was watching you play tonight. You were really good," he said.
"Thanks," she said and smiled. She was sure he looked vaguely familiar. Resting her elbow on her knee, she pointed to him lazily.
"Dingoes Ate My Baby, right?"
"Yeah. How did you know?"
"We caught you guys in L.A. I was sure I recognised you from somewhere."
She extended her hand and Oz shook it.
"My name's Piper. They're Rhett, Bryn and Everett."
"Oz."
"So you're from around here?"
"Yeah, this is pretty much the Dingoes stomping ground."
"I hope you play while we're in town. It'd be cool to see you guys again."
"How long are you in town for?" he asked.
"Depends really. Till our money runs out, I guess."
"Hey Piper," Rhett called. "You going to help move this stuff or what?"
She got up off the amp.
"I'd better go."
She noticed two girls and another boy hanging around, obviously waiting for Oz.
"And it looks like your friends are ready to make a move. It was nice meeting you."
"You too."
She unplugged the amp and picked it up. She watched him leave with his friends. The red headed girl gave her a curious look. Piper gave her a little wave. The red head said whispered something to the blonde. Piper shook her head then took the amp back to the van.
Unloading Maiden's Kiss' equipment from the van, Piper Sorenson glanced at what she could see of the town. Sunnydale seemed pleasant enough. This club, the Bronze, was rumoured to be a good starting or promotion point for bands. Maiden's Kiss could definitely use some exposure. She pushed her dark hair out of her eyes and picked up one of the guitars. Carrying it under her arm, Piper walked in the back door of the Bronze. Bryn Lewis was setting up his drum kit, their logo of a fairy like girl blowing a kiss emblazoned on the front.
"Pretty good venue," he said approvingly. "Looks like it can hold a few."
"That's if it gets full," Piper replied, leaning the guitar against the amp carefully. Rhett would kill her if anything happened to his precious instrument. Covered in fiery designs and black glitter, he had spent an age customising it.
"It's the only club in town. I don't think we have an empty dance floor to worry about."
"Where's my bass?" questioned Everett Jhones, looking around the stage.
"Still in the van," answered Piper, gesturing towards outside.
Muttering, Everett went to retrieve his guitar. They were already running late due to Rhett being far too confident in his driving abilities whilst also having a poor sense of direction. After going almost twenty miles the wrong way, they had finally arrived in the small town. If they set up quickly, it would still leave them less than an hour for a sound check and run through of tonight's repertoire. He wasn't sure why they were even bothering with this one Starbucks place, but Piper had insisted they visit here whilst on the road. The deep red bass was propped up against one of the front seats in the van. Two amps and a few stray leads still inhabited the back but at least most of the stuff had been shifted. He grabbed his bass and went back inside.
Rhett had emerged from the depths of backstage and sat on tuning up his guitar, a plectrum in his teeth.
"There's still some stuff in the van," said Everett.
"Then go get it," responded Rhett, not looking up from the guitar.
Everett sneered and made a crude gesture behind the other guy's head. Piper rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Just behave guys, alright? Come on, let's fetch the rest."
As they went back to the van, Everett murmured,
"That guy has such an attitude."
"Just ignore him. You know what he's like. He's worried about this place."
"Why? What's so bad about Sunnydale?"
"So who's playing tonight?" asked Xander. The Scoobies were assembled in the Bronze, sitting at one of the tables closest to the stage.
"Maiden's Kiss," Oz told them. "I've heard a bit of their stuff, they're pretty good."
"After such a rave review, consider me physched, " said Buffy, making a small joke at Oz's trademark laid back demeanour.
"When are Dingoes playing again?" asked Willow. She loved to see her boyfriend perform and they hadn't graced the Bronze for a while.
"Tomorrow, maybe. Or next Wednesday. Devon's trying to write a new song and he doesn't want to play until it's done. So we could be here a while."
The lights on the stage rose to reveal three guys and a girl. The girl stood right at the front of the stage, two guitarists either side of her with the drummer languishing in the back. She looked up at the audience and smiled. A lot of dark hair hung around her face and silver eyes glowed underneath.
"Hi," she said quietly into the microphone. "We're Maiden's Kiss and this is 'Flowers.'"
A sultry riff and bassline began with subtle drumbeats. Then the girl began to sing in a high, delicate voice.
"I'm so tired, tired of this melee we play."
Oz watched warmly, a small smile on his face. Willow looked at the band, then gave Buffy an eyebrows raised look, a mixture of slight concern and unimpressed. Buffy shook her head at her.
"Nah, there's no way. It's just band stuff," she said quietly to her friend.
Willow nodded. "I'm being silly."
She smiled. "So is Angel going to show tonight?"
"I don't know. I'm hoping that if I don't expect to see him, I will."
They could barely hear each other over the music. When the chorus kicked in, it became futile to try and continue the conversation. The girl's voice, though still delicate, had become forceful and it was hard not to listen. The lead guitar soared.
"I like to feel the magic around me, the magic comes from bleeding my heart. I want to feel you surround me, so tell me when you're ready to start," chanted the girl.
When it settled back into the more mellow verses, Oz turned back to them, taking his eyes off the band for the first time.
"Hey, I was thinking I might hang around for a while after their set. Catch up with them. Is that ok?"
Giving him a little smile, Willow said, "Sure."
He went back to watching them, bobbing his head in time with the music.
"Do you think she's pretty?" Willow asked Buffy.
"It's just band stuff," she replied. "Anyway, she's just some girl with messy hair and those eyes have got to be contacts."
"I'm being all jealous girlfriend, aren't I?"
"So he looks at some band chick, he loves you. And if she tries anything, we'll assume she's some kind of evil being and stake her."
The set had gone well. The response had been great. Piper smiled and perched on one of the amps.
"See? It was worth it. "
Yeah, it ended up pretty good," agreed Rhett. "Now we've just got to find some cheap dive of a motel."
Sitting humming the tune to 'Flowers', Piper noticed that a boy was getting onto the stage. He came over to her.
"Hi, I was watching you play tonight. You were really good," he said.
"Thanks," she said and smiled. She was sure he looked vaguely familiar. Resting her elbow on her knee, she pointed to him lazily.
"Dingoes Ate My Baby, right?"
"Yeah. How did you know?"
"We caught you guys in L.A. I was sure I recognised you from somewhere."
She extended her hand and Oz shook it.
"My name's Piper. They're Rhett, Bryn and Everett."
"Oz."
"So you're from around here?"
"Yeah, this is pretty much the Dingoes stomping ground."
"I hope you play while we're in town. It'd be cool to see you guys again."
"How long are you in town for?" he asked.
"Depends really. Till our money runs out, I guess."
"Hey Piper," Rhett called. "You going to help move this stuff or what?"
She got up off the amp.
"I'd better go."
She noticed two girls and another boy hanging around, obviously waiting for Oz.
"And it looks like your friends are ready to make a move. It was nice meeting you."
"You too."
She unplugged the amp and picked it up. She watched him leave with his friends. The red headed girl gave her a curious look. Piper gave her a little wave. The red head said whispered something to the blonde. Piper shook her head then took the amp back to the van.