Disclamer: I am in no way responsible for the ownership of said Moon, or any of her friends. I am a starving college student, so even if you wanted to sue me, you wouldn't get jack!
Italics: Thoughts
Chapter 10: "The Calm Before the Storm"
The next morning, Darien and Jonathan woke up around 7 to jog. They thought that their chances of seeing the girls would be best around 7:55 a.m., so they took their time with breakfast. When the meal was finished, Darien suggested that they take their song sheets to review all of the numbers. The previous two nights, Jonathan wrote down all of the music for the girls. He planned on giving them out today, so the girls could practice. He was fully confident in their skills.
They brought a briefcase to jog with them. This produced some strange looks from the early pedestrians, but the two of them continued jogging and carrying on their conversation, until they neared the Juuban school district. They heard the unmistakable wail of Serena two blocks before they saw her.
"I'M LATE! ALL THAT STUDYING KEPT ME UP TOO LATE! CRAAAAAPP!" The intensity of the sound increased until it came to an immediate stop. When Serena collided with Jonathan, the briefcase that he carried came open and its contents exploded in every direction. Darien couldn't hold back his loud laughing. When Serena and Jonathan didn't immediately get up, he stopped laughing and checked to see if everything was ok. Serena was stunned, but Jonathan was out cold. She knocked the wind out of him, and she ended up on top of him. He broke her fall, but later he would say that he broke more than that.
Darien helped his girlfriend up off of his friend and tried to wake Jonathan up.
"Hey! Are you okay man? She hit you pretty hard." Darien was rewarded by a moan from the incapacitated man on the ground.
"Ughhh," Jonathan managed. He was definitely feeling worse for ware. His mind was reeling and he was very confused. When he came too, he could only mumble incoherently.
"Mucus! Running out of my nose! Spilling over my face! Mucus!" He sang loud and long. Serena couldn't follow him, cause he was speaking in English, but Darien heard all that he needed to. He burst out into uncontrollable laughter and doubled over clutching his stomach.
During all of this, Serena managed to gather up all of the contents of the briefcase and help Darien collect the semi-conscious Jonathan before she continued on her way to school. Darien offered no explanation on Jonathan's rant, and she left the issue to be brought up later. Leaving with the briefcase as planned, she had detention to worry about.
Darien took Jonathan back to the apartment to let him rest before he went to work. There was sure enough excitement for this particular college student. He could already imagine the intensity the Cherry Hill temple would be receiving tonight.
Jonathan awoke on Darien's couch around 12:30 p.m. that day. It took him a while to orient himself, but when he did, he decided to head over to the temple to get ready for the practice tonight. He picked himself up off the green couch and headed out the door. On his way to the temple, he started thinking.
I wonder how all of this stuff started happening? I mean, one minute, I am standing next to the fountain, and the next I am living my wildest dream! Wait? Is it just a dream? One that I can't wake from? Or am I really doing this? I really hope that it's not just a dream. But what about your life back home? Oh, that again. I just get so caught up in the thought that I might actually have a chance with… Come on. Stick with what you know. There is some serious weirdness going on here as usual, and I somehow have to deal with it along with the girls. OH CRAP! I remember what happens every time something bad happens here. All of them get hurt. I couldn't bear to see Mina get hurt. Not while I'm here to protect her. I promise, Mina, that whatever this new threat to you and the girls is, I will not stand for anything that could hurt you.
Having set his mind at ease, he continued on to the temple. When he reached the endlessly steep stairs, his thoughts began to focus on the coming performance.
"Where am I going to find instruments and players?" He mused. He hadn't thought that far ahead, and he almost hit himself for the oversight.
Someone beat him too it. Before Jonathan could execute his self beating, a loud yell echoed through the trees surrounding the temple, and two figures flew out toward him. He had just enough time to dive out of the way as a very short aging man and a youthful shaggy-haired one landed gracefully in front of Jonathan. He looked up into the face of Grandpa Hino and Chad, who were looking at him with an appraising gaze.
Nice to meet you, Grandpa and Chad. Sizing me up already?
The two of them were obviously trying to discover how he missed being royally squashed by the flying duo.
Grandpa spoke up, "Young man, I don't know who you are, but no one has ever avoided the 'flying mantis' before. What is your secret? Why have you graced my temple?"
Jonathan sighed and stood, towering over the pintsized owner, and slightly topping the rock star.
"I came to prepare for the concert at Darien Chiba's apartment on Friday. My name is Jonathan Fowler, and I am a friend of Rei's."
When Jonathan finished his introductions, he could see Chad's red face fuming at him.
Whoa, I better crush this uprising before it begins. He took a deep breath, and then turned to Chad.
"Hey! Nice to finally meet you! Rei seems to be very fond of you!" Immediately, Chad went from a jealous boyfriend, to a bumbling, love struck idiot.
"Oh, Really! I mean, she is something really special." When he finished, he broke into a fit of laughter and Grandpa hit him over the head with a broom that seemed to come out of nowhere. The two were quite a pair, standing at odd, completely opposite heights, but complementing each other with their personalities. The light green towel capes seemed to add just the right amount of insanity to make the whole image perfect.
Jonathan couldn't help what he said next, "I've been waiting to see this for so long! It's even funnier than I imagined!"
Jonathan received some pretty weird looks from the old man and his future grandson-in-law, so he tried to explain, "Rei has just told me so much about you too."
"Oh, well in that case, welcome to the Hiawaka Shrine. If there is anything you need, just ask me or Chad here, and we will try to help you as best as we can."
Jonathan thanked the two for their services, and then turned to Chad.
"Hey Chad, listen. Do you have any left over instruments form the old rock days? Like a drum set or something?"
Chad thought about it for a second, then said, "Yeah! I seemed to remember the band leaving a set here for me. I was about to junk it, but if you need it, I'll get it for you."
Jonathan immediately started to plan the evenings activities. "Oh, is there a large room where six of us could practice and lots of power outlets?"
"Yeah, we've got a room for a large gathering that you could use."
"Thanks man. I'll help you get the set. If you want, we could jam a little before the girls get home?"
"Sounds like a plan!" and Jonathan and Chad started to talk about music and their lives.
Later...
"One, two, three, four," CRASH! Jonathan started a song that he knew on the drums. Chad brought out his old electric guitar and started playing along to the fast intense beat that Jonathan laid out. For some odd reason, Chad new exactly what Jonathan wanted him to play. After only a few quick words of what the chords were, Chad and Jonathan started playing again. The song was so much fun, that they didn't notice Rei, Ami and Lita enter the room. The song finished with a loud crescendo, and the girls all stood with mouths and eyes agape.
"Wow Chad! I never knew you had it in you!" Rei said after she caught her breath.
Chad turned a bright red, and Jonathan, Ami, and Lita started a soft countdown, "Three, two, one," and Chad once again turned from the rocker to the baby, babbling about nothing and everything at the same time.
"That song was so cool, what was it?" asked Lita. She was eyeing the drum set hungrily. Jonathan laughed and thought, It suits her. She gets to make music and beat the crap out of something at the same time. I guess that's why I like it, too.
He answered, "That is Serena's song for Friday. I just remembered it, and I think that it will be better for her than the original song I had her doing. By the way, where… oh yeah. Detention. So, with all this time to kill, let me see, can any of you play an instrument?" He looked around the room with a hopeful expression.
Rei piped up, "Well, I play the keyboard."
"Perfect! Who else?"
"Well," Ami said, "I've been know to handle a synthesizer or two in my younger days. Wait, that was last summer, in between studying and figh… I mean, having fun."
Well, at least I'm not the only one who has trouble keeping a secret.
"What about you, Lita?" Jonathan asked the brunette.
"I've always wanted to play the drums. I think that they are so cool!"
Jonathan laughed, "Well, you might just get your chance. There will be some songs that I need you to fill in for me, cause I'll be playing the guitar. Okay, so. Did Serena give you all your music?"
There were affirmatives from around the room, and Chad started to leave.
"Whoa, there mister. Where do you think you're going? I thought it might be fun if you played with us. If that's okay with Rei and the other girls. Is it?" He asked to Rei.
She looked a little embarrassed, but then nodded her head. "Yeah, it would be nice."
Jonathan clapped at the news, "Great! We needed another guitar player."
The girls asked, "Who's the other one?"
Right on cue, the two blonde "twins" walked in from detention. The both carried guitar cases, and the both looked a little timid. Jonathan walked over to Mina and whispered in her ear, "Missed you this morning. You would have seen me get caught in hurricane Serena! Don't be nervous, we're all friends here." He finished his little pep-talk with another kiss on the cheek, which thankfully went unnoticed by the rest of the crowd. They were all too busy talking to Serena about her playing.
"When did this happen?" asked Lita.
"Yeah, when did you get enough coordination to walk and chew gum at the same time, let alone play a guitar?" Rei scolded.
Serena looked hurt, "Well, I still can't walk and chew gum, but I took up playing the bass when I started middle school. It gave me something to do during the long afternoons."
Jonathan caught wind of the word, "bass", and immediately whirled around to see who could fill his last position. When he saw Serena with the guitar, he silently thanked God that all of his new friends were so unique and surprising.
"Perfect! That seems to be my new catch phrase for this group. Anyways, lets get started. Do you all have your music?"
Nods from around the room greeted the impromptu teacher. "Great! I need to change one song though. Instead of Serena doing "The Warrior', I remembered a song that is more recent and powerful. I think that you guys will have a blast playing it. Chad and I did. To let you get an idea of what I want in this song, we'll play it for you. If you feel like you might have it, jump in. The chords are…"
With the cords established and the girls all ready, Jonathan signaled Chad to start. When the melodious strains of the guitar stared, Jonathan lightly played on the rim of the snare drum. After about six bars, the song picked up, and Jonathan came in full force.
After the chorus, Serena came in on the bass, filling a void that the song needed.
The bridge interrupted anyone else from coming in, and Jonathan filled in the appropriate lyrics for the space.
"Without the mask, where will you hide? Can't find yourself, lost in your mind."
When the bridge finished, Rei, and Mina joined and they all finished the song.
"That was GREAT guys! Friday, we're going to have all of Tokyo talking!"
Jonathan couldn't contain his excitement. The rest of the rehearsal went as planned and by 8 p.m., they had all of their songs performed through. Jonathan was amazed at how fast the girls learned. They decided to meet every night that week to practice and jam.
During the week, Mina would steal glances at Jonathan when he wasn't looking, and Jonathan would do the same. All the other girls saw this and did their best to try and make the two of them embarrassed.
Jonathan bought a journal Monday night after their fist meeting. He started to write in it every night since. He felt around in his jacket pocket until he found his cell phone. It still didn't work. He turned it of again and laid it beside his bed and picked up his journal.
This is so much fun! I really hope that this all works out and tomorrow, I get to tell them who I am. We've been so busy lately, and the songs sound great. Tomorrow is the big day! I let the girls stop early, cause they looked like they were tired. I hope Ser and Mina don't study too hard. They need sleep too.
Jonathan closed the journal he was writing in and laid back, falling asleep with Mina's face guiding him to the dream world.