Chapter 2: Musical Bonding
A\N: Thanks for the reviews guys. :)
"What?" Tommy asked, a little shocked.
"They want us to practice with them. He gave us their address." Dil said, producing a piece of paper with the address on it.
The two sat in the cafeteria of Haysi High School. The rest of the gang was in line getting their lunch.
"Dil, why did you go and make a promise like that without consulting us first." Tommy asked. He wasn't mad, just shocked at Dil's irresponsibly.
"I didn't think you would mind."
"Well I do! You just can't go and do that. You've never even seen these guys!"
Dil was silent. Tommy put his head in his hands.
"Look, I'll talk to the guys and see if we can't do this Saturday, alright?"
"Thanks T. " and Dil left.
Phil, Chuckie, Lil, and Kimi took seats around Tommy. Talk was small until Tommy broke the news.
"Guys, Dil found us another band to practice with."
"That's great! Who are they?" Kimi asked.
Tommy shrugged, "Dil says they're seniors, but he doesn't know who they are."
Everyone sighed. Dil had just screwed up again.
"I know guys. But he did get an address. Should we go and jam?"
The group was silent.
"I say yes." Kimi announced.
"Sure." Phil said. Sadly enough, he could play anything.
"Why not?" Lil said, though she wasn't really part of the band. Her luck to be a piano player.
The drummer reminded silent for a moment. "I guess."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday came quickly. Tommy, Dil and Kimi took their guitars (yes, bass is a guitar) and Chuckie took his throne, sticks, and pedals. Phil and Lil decided to tag along. After 20 minutes on a bicycle, they got there. The garage door was open, and they could see 5 guys inside. One was behind a huge drum kit, two playing guitar, one playing a six string bass, and the last one at what looked like a keyboard.
The group walked up, and the band stopped.
"Heh. Fresh meat." The tallest of the crew said, putting down his ESP Explorer.
"Come on in. We don't bite…often." The other guitarist said.
The Rugrats walked in, and set their gear down.
The tall guy introduced himself, "I'm Jake, front man for The Metal Militia. This is my brother, Tom." He pointed to the other guitarist. "He's rhythm, I'm lead. Bass man, my cuz Ray. Drummer, Chris. And our recording tech, Al."
The Rugrats introduced themselves, then began to get their equipment ready.
Jake walked over to Tommy and took a look at his Peavey.
"May I?" he asked.
"Sure."
Jake held it up, then set it on his knee and played a bass lick.
"A Peavey Raptor was my first guitar. You got yours set to Drop D tuning, right?"
"Yeah."
"Linkin Park?" he asked, rising a eyebrow/
"Yeah, so?"
Jake shook his head. "None of us listen to much Linkin Park."
"Why?"
"They suck." Jake patted Tommy on the back and walked off.
Tommy's band played for about 30 minutes then stopped.
"Pretty good, what'd think Jake?" Tom asked.
Jake looked up. "Lot of talent. Too bad it's wasted."
"C'mon man, LP ain't that bad." Dil said.
"Their ok, I just can't stand rock mixed with rap. I'll tell you what you learn some shit we like, and we'll learn some shit you like. Sound good?"
"I'll say yes. What about you guys?" Tommy announced, looking around.
The Rugrats all gave a yes.
---------------------------------
After a break, The Metal Militia preformed for the Rugrats. They played 'For Whom The Bell Tolls', 'Symphony of Destruction', and 'Dream On' before stopping and changing guitars.
"You've probably never heard of this band, but their called Dream Theater. HTF boys."
Chris kicked in with that infamous drum intro, then the band blasted full speed.
They play half of the song, then quit.
"It'd sound better if we had a keyboard player." Tom said.
"Lil plays the piano." Phil shouted.
Lil blushed. She didn't exactly want to play piano in front of these talented musicians, but…
Jake reached into a manila envelope and produced sheet music for keyboard and piano. He thumbed through, and reached the sheet to Lil.
Lil glanced at it. The title was 'Wait For Sleep', Dream Theater. Seemed easy.
"There's a keyboard over there." Jake pointed to a long oblong with tarp over it.
Lil went over, plugged it up and played the piece while Jake did vocals.
"Standing by the window
Eyes upon the moon
Hoping that the memory will leave her spirit soon
She shuts the doors and lights
And lays her body on the bed
Where images and words are running deep
She has too much pride to pull the sheets above her head
So quietly she lays and waits for sleep
She stares at the ceiling
And tries not to think
And pictures the chain
She's been trying to link again
But the feeling is gone
And water can't cover her memory
And ashes can't answer her pain
God give me the power to take breath from a breeze
And call life from a cold metal frame
In with the ashes
Or up with the smoke from the fire
With wings up in heaven
Or here, lying in bed
Palm of her hand to my head
Now and forever curled in my heart
And the heart of the world"
"That was great Lil." Kimi said clapping.
"Damn fine." Jake added.
-----------------------------------
Jake's Point of View
-----------------------------------
I waved goodbye to Tommy and them one more time. I leaned against the doorframe.
"A new alliance has formed. One between musicians, but of different styles. A new alliance has formed, but another will suffer and fall apart."
A\N: I stared on Chapter three during Chapter two, so I rushed through the rest of Ch 2 so I can move on. ^-^ R\R. Peace and Joy.
A\N: Thanks for the reviews guys. :)
"What?" Tommy asked, a little shocked.
"They want us to practice with them. He gave us their address." Dil said, producing a piece of paper with the address on it.
The two sat in the cafeteria of Haysi High School. The rest of the gang was in line getting their lunch.
"Dil, why did you go and make a promise like that without consulting us first." Tommy asked. He wasn't mad, just shocked at Dil's irresponsibly.
"I didn't think you would mind."
"Well I do! You just can't go and do that. You've never even seen these guys!"
Dil was silent. Tommy put his head in his hands.
"Look, I'll talk to the guys and see if we can't do this Saturday, alright?"
"Thanks T. " and Dil left.
Phil, Chuckie, Lil, and Kimi took seats around Tommy. Talk was small until Tommy broke the news.
"Guys, Dil found us another band to practice with."
"That's great! Who are they?" Kimi asked.
Tommy shrugged, "Dil says they're seniors, but he doesn't know who they are."
Everyone sighed. Dil had just screwed up again.
"I know guys. But he did get an address. Should we go and jam?"
The group was silent.
"I say yes." Kimi announced.
"Sure." Phil said. Sadly enough, he could play anything.
"Why not?" Lil said, though she wasn't really part of the band. Her luck to be a piano player.
The drummer reminded silent for a moment. "I guess."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday came quickly. Tommy, Dil and Kimi took their guitars (yes, bass is a guitar) and Chuckie took his throne, sticks, and pedals. Phil and Lil decided to tag along. After 20 minutes on a bicycle, they got there. The garage door was open, and they could see 5 guys inside. One was behind a huge drum kit, two playing guitar, one playing a six string bass, and the last one at what looked like a keyboard.
The group walked up, and the band stopped.
"Heh. Fresh meat." The tallest of the crew said, putting down his ESP Explorer.
"Come on in. We don't bite…often." The other guitarist said.
The Rugrats walked in, and set their gear down.
The tall guy introduced himself, "I'm Jake, front man for The Metal Militia. This is my brother, Tom." He pointed to the other guitarist. "He's rhythm, I'm lead. Bass man, my cuz Ray. Drummer, Chris. And our recording tech, Al."
The Rugrats introduced themselves, then began to get their equipment ready.
Jake walked over to Tommy and took a look at his Peavey.
"May I?" he asked.
"Sure."
Jake held it up, then set it on his knee and played a bass lick.
"A Peavey Raptor was my first guitar. You got yours set to Drop D tuning, right?"
"Yeah."
"Linkin Park?" he asked, rising a eyebrow/
"Yeah, so?"
Jake shook his head. "None of us listen to much Linkin Park."
"Why?"
"They suck." Jake patted Tommy on the back and walked off.
Tommy's band played for about 30 minutes then stopped.
"Pretty good, what'd think Jake?" Tom asked.
Jake looked up. "Lot of talent. Too bad it's wasted."
"C'mon man, LP ain't that bad." Dil said.
"Their ok, I just can't stand rock mixed with rap. I'll tell you what you learn some shit we like, and we'll learn some shit you like. Sound good?"
"I'll say yes. What about you guys?" Tommy announced, looking around.
The Rugrats all gave a yes.
---------------------------------
After a break, The Metal Militia preformed for the Rugrats. They played 'For Whom The Bell Tolls', 'Symphony of Destruction', and 'Dream On' before stopping and changing guitars.
"You've probably never heard of this band, but their called Dream Theater. HTF boys."
Chris kicked in with that infamous drum intro, then the band blasted full speed.
They play half of the song, then quit.
"It'd sound better if we had a keyboard player." Tom said.
"Lil plays the piano." Phil shouted.
Lil blushed. She didn't exactly want to play piano in front of these talented musicians, but…
Jake reached into a manila envelope and produced sheet music for keyboard and piano. He thumbed through, and reached the sheet to Lil.
Lil glanced at it. The title was 'Wait For Sleep', Dream Theater. Seemed easy.
"There's a keyboard over there." Jake pointed to a long oblong with tarp over it.
Lil went over, plugged it up and played the piece while Jake did vocals.
"Standing by the window
Eyes upon the moon
Hoping that the memory will leave her spirit soon
She shuts the doors and lights
And lays her body on the bed
Where images and words are running deep
She has too much pride to pull the sheets above her head
So quietly she lays and waits for sleep
She stares at the ceiling
And tries not to think
And pictures the chain
She's been trying to link again
But the feeling is gone
And water can't cover her memory
And ashes can't answer her pain
God give me the power to take breath from a breeze
And call life from a cold metal frame
In with the ashes
Or up with the smoke from the fire
With wings up in heaven
Or here, lying in bed
Palm of her hand to my head
Now and forever curled in my heart
And the heart of the world"
"That was great Lil." Kimi said clapping.
"Damn fine." Jake added.
-----------------------------------
Jake's Point of View
-----------------------------------
I waved goodbye to Tommy and them one more time. I leaned against the doorframe.
"A new alliance has formed. One between musicians, but of different styles. A new alliance has formed, but another will suffer and fall apart."
A\N: I stared on Chapter three during Chapter two, so I rushed through the rest of Ch 2 so I can move on. ^-^ R\R. Peace and Joy.