Chapter 2: Unexpected Visit
It was a wonderful Friday morning. Dewey's apartment was the busiest place ever. The whole band and crew was there. Gordon was working on a new flash presentation for the band. Eleni and Michelle were making band posters and flyers. Unfortunately, Katie was not yet there and the band had no choice but to start without her.
"What's wrong with Katie? She's been late for 2 days in a row! Doesn't she realize how important this is? Summer Battle of the Bands in not just some crap school project!" Dewey said furiously as he kept walking around the room back and forth.
"Relax, Dewey." Summer said calmly. "I bet she's a bit preoccupied with other stuff but in Katie's nature, she always puts band practice on top of everything else. You know that. And besides, it just eliminations."
"What do you mean just eliminations, Summer?" Dewey said annoyingly. "Elimination round is important. We have to get in this."
"She's preoccupied with other stuff?" Freddy said wanting to laugh. "Or maybe preoccupied with someone."
"Who?" Zack asked.
"That jerk Michael. The guy she's crushing on. They see each other everyday."
"How'd you know they are seeing each other?" Summer asked skeptically.
Freddy remained silent. He didn't want to tell everyone that he was kind of "spying" on Katie. Ever since the day Michael bumped into Katie, she started coming over the grocery store everyday after band practice. Freddy would secretly follow her to see if she was meeting with Michael and as he expected she was. Freddy likes Katie. But he surely doesn't have a good way of showing it (In maddening her the least). . .and he's really jealous.
Soon Katie arrives with a nervous look on her face.
"I am so sorry!" Katie said as she walked rapidly towards her usual band practice position, which was beside the window. She quickly tuned up her bass avoiding everyone's, especially Dewey's, eyes.
"Katie, I don't know what you have been up to lately but it's really annoying the sack out of me especially now that in two days in a row, you've been LATE!" Dewey said angrily.
"I'm so sorry, Dewey. I had to meet someone 'cause he was borrowing something from me and I didn't realize the time so . . ." Katie finished knowing that Dewey and the others were not convinced.
"Oh Michael? That guy?" Zack asked.
"Wait how did you ---"
"Katie, you're a great bassist and I'm glad you've been part of this kick- ass rock band. Just please, please try to concentrate more about Summer Battle of the Bands for now OK? No more dating. You're still young." Dewey said calming down a bit.
"Dating? I'm not dating anyone!" Katie said in surprise.
"Well this Michael guy ---"Alicia was cut mid sentence.
"Michael is a good friend. Is it such a crime to be making friends with other people?"
"Freddy told us---"
"Freddy?" Katie gave Freddy an exasperated look.
"Fine, fine . . . enough of this shit. Let's practice." Dewey said quickly before Katie and Freddy starts arguing again.
---------------------------------------------- They practiced the whole day. Since the theme of the competition's elimination round was about Punk/Rock Covers, they decided to do their own version of "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC. They also rehearsed some of their original songs. There were a lot written by Zack and Dewey. Freddy tried to write his own song but couldn't finish it. There are times when his mind would just go blank and eventually he had to find the right time to continue writing.
It was already lunchtime and everyone had a break. Dewey bought pizza and burgers for take-out from the nearest fast food chain he could see. Katie ate her burger silently. She was so annoyed by the fact that Freddy told everyone about Michael before she could. "This is my life why does he always want to be involved?" she told herself as she drank her coke.
Suddenly, Summer excitedly sat beside her. "So. . . how's Michael?" Summer said taking a sip from her coke.
"What are you talking about?"
"C'mon, Katie. You haven't told us much about him." Eleni joined in the conversation. Freddy who was silently eating his burger tried to eavesdrop.
"Does he like rock?" Michelle asked.
"Yeah. . . he's into old school punk. Ramones, The Clash, Sex Pistols. . ."
"Does he play an instrument?"
"What is this some question-and-answer game?" Katie said a bit annoyed.
"Just answer!" Alicia said.
"Yeah. . . he does. He plays the drums."
That struck Freddy. It was great coincidence that this guy he was jealous of was into his kind of music and also plays the drums. Freddy rolled his eyes in disbelief.
"He also plays bass guitar. He's pretty good at it actually." Katie said turning pink.
"You've heard him play?" Alicia asked.
"Of course she has." Freddy interrupted. "They see each other everyday . . ." he added as he walked towards the other side of the room where they rehearsed and started practicing his drum solos. A way to express his aggravation. Katie stared at him with flaming eyes.
"Okay people listen up!" Dewey said casually. "Freddy, come over here for a sec."
Freddy left his drums and quickly went to join the others.
"There will be 12 bands competing for eliminations. They will be picking out 6/12 and those 6 bands would have the chance to enter the Finals."
As Dewey expected, everyone noised about it. He cleared this throat, signaling the others to keep quiet, and then he continued.
"We will be performing last."
"Last? Again?" Summer said in an incredulous tone.
"Well Summer, have you ever heard of the saying 'Save the best for last'? 'Cause that's who we are. We're the best! And I want you to think that way every time. Win or lose. Got it?"
Everyone nodded in approval.
"That's the spirit! Now, we come right after the band called 'Smoke' "
"Smoke? How lame." Freddy said airily. Zack smirked devilishly in approval.
Just then they heard a knock on the door.
Dewey went to answer the door. He was surprised to see a twelve-year-old kid standing outside.
"Are you lost?" Dewey asked looking a bit puzzled. The kid happens to be Michael.
"Er. . .is this where the band School of Rock rehearses?" Michael asked coolly.
"Yeah."
"Great! Um. . . can I speak to Katie?"
"Why? We're practicing . . ."
"Can I come in?" Michael answered ignoring Dewey's question.
Dewey stared at Michael with great skepticism. Then he turned his back from him and called for Katie.
"Katie! Someone's looking for you!"
Katie never got any visitors in Dewey's apartment aside from her parents. She approached the door and was surprised to see Michael grinning broadly at her. Dewey went back inside, still having a look of skepticism on his face.
"What are you doing here?" Katie asked Michael. "How'd you know this is where the band rehearsed?"
"I see you come in this building every morning. I asked a few people downstairs about which room you guys hang out and they led me here."
"Oh. . . but this isn't really the perfect time to be visiting." Katie said.
"I'm sorry. Can I come back anytime?"
"Sure."
"Alright. I'll see ya." Katie closed the door and joined the others.
Michael stood in front of the door now with his cellphone pressed on his ear.
"Dude, I found it." He said softly to someone on the other line.
Michael put his phone down with a malicious grin on his face and walked his way out of the building, seeming to be excited about 'something' coming up.
End of Chapter 2
- Er. . . What do you think? Please review. Chapter 3 is coming soon.
It was a wonderful Friday morning. Dewey's apartment was the busiest place ever. The whole band and crew was there. Gordon was working on a new flash presentation for the band. Eleni and Michelle were making band posters and flyers. Unfortunately, Katie was not yet there and the band had no choice but to start without her.
"What's wrong with Katie? She's been late for 2 days in a row! Doesn't she realize how important this is? Summer Battle of the Bands in not just some crap school project!" Dewey said furiously as he kept walking around the room back and forth.
"Relax, Dewey." Summer said calmly. "I bet she's a bit preoccupied with other stuff but in Katie's nature, she always puts band practice on top of everything else. You know that. And besides, it just eliminations."
"What do you mean just eliminations, Summer?" Dewey said annoyingly. "Elimination round is important. We have to get in this."
"She's preoccupied with other stuff?" Freddy said wanting to laugh. "Or maybe preoccupied with someone."
"Who?" Zack asked.
"That jerk Michael. The guy she's crushing on. They see each other everyday."
"How'd you know they are seeing each other?" Summer asked skeptically.
Freddy remained silent. He didn't want to tell everyone that he was kind of "spying" on Katie. Ever since the day Michael bumped into Katie, she started coming over the grocery store everyday after band practice. Freddy would secretly follow her to see if she was meeting with Michael and as he expected she was. Freddy likes Katie. But he surely doesn't have a good way of showing it (In maddening her the least). . .and he's really jealous.
Soon Katie arrives with a nervous look on her face.
"I am so sorry!" Katie said as she walked rapidly towards her usual band practice position, which was beside the window. She quickly tuned up her bass avoiding everyone's, especially Dewey's, eyes.
"Katie, I don't know what you have been up to lately but it's really annoying the sack out of me especially now that in two days in a row, you've been LATE!" Dewey said angrily.
"I'm so sorry, Dewey. I had to meet someone 'cause he was borrowing something from me and I didn't realize the time so . . ." Katie finished knowing that Dewey and the others were not convinced.
"Oh Michael? That guy?" Zack asked.
"Wait how did you ---"
"Katie, you're a great bassist and I'm glad you've been part of this kick- ass rock band. Just please, please try to concentrate more about Summer Battle of the Bands for now OK? No more dating. You're still young." Dewey said calming down a bit.
"Dating? I'm not dating anyone!" Katie said in surprise.
"Well this Michael guy ---"Alicia was cut mid sentence.
"Michael is a good friend. Is it such a crime to be making friends with other people?"
"Freddy told us---"
"Freddy?" Katie gave Freddy an exasperated look.
"Fine, fine . . . enough of this shit. Let's practice." Dewey said quickly before Katie and Freddy starts arguing again.
---------------------------------------------- They practiced the whole day. Since the theme of the competition's elimination round was about Punk/Rock Covers, they decided to do their own version of "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC. They also rehearsed some of their original songs. There were a lot written by Zack and Dewey. Freddy tried to write his own song but couldn't finish it. There are times when his mind would just go blank and eventually he had to find the right time to continue writing.
It was already lunchtime and everyone had a break. Dewey bought pizza and burgers for take-out from the nearest fast food chain he could see. Katie ate her burger silently. She was so annoyed by the fact that Freddy told everyone about Michael before she could. "This is my life why does he always want to be involved?" she told herself as she drank her coke.
Suddenly, Summer excitedly sat beside her. "So. . . how's Michael?" Summer said taking a sip from her coke.
"What are you talking about?"
"C'mon, Katie. You haven't told us much about him." Eleni joined in the conversation. Freddy who was silently eating his burger tried to eavesdrop.
"Does he like rock?" Michelle asked.
"Yeah. . . he's into old school punk. Ramones, The Clash, Sex Pistols. . ."
"Does he play an instrument?"
"What is this some question-and-answer game?" Katie said a bit annoyed.
"Just answer!" Alicia said.
"Yeah. . . he does. He plays the drums."
That struck Freddy. It was great coincidence that this guy he was jealous of was into his kind of music and also plays the drums. Freddy rolled his eyes in disbelief.
"He also plays bass guitar. He's pretty good at it actually." Katie said turning pink.
"You've heard him play?" Alicia asked.
"Of course she has." Freddy interrupted. "They see each other everyday . . ." he added as he walked towards the other side of the room where they rehearsed and started practicing his drum solos. A way to express his aggravation. Katie stared at him with flaming eyes.
"Okay people listen up!" Dewey said casually. "Freddy, come over here for a sec."
Freddy left his drums and quickly went to join the others.
"There will be 12 bands competing for eliminations. They will be picking out 6/12 and those 6 bands would have the chance to enter the Finals."
As Dewey expected, everyone noised about it. He cleared this throat, signaling the others to keep quiet, and then he continued.
"We will be performing last."
"Last? Again?" Summer said in an incredulous tone.
"Well Summer, have you ever heard of the saying 'Save the best for last'? 'Cause that's who we are. We're the best! And I want you to think that way every time. Win or lose. Got it?"
Everyone nodded in approval.
"That's the spirit! Now, we come right after the band called 'Smoke' "
"Smoke? How lame." Freddy said airily. Zack smirked devilishly in approval.
Just then they heard a knock on the door.
Dewey went to answer the door. He was surprised to see a twelve-year-old kid standing outside.
"Are you lost?" Dewey asked looking a bit puzzled. The kid happens to be Michael.
"Er. . .is this where the band School of Rock rehearses?" Michael asked coolly.
"Yeah."
"Great! Um. . . can I speak to Katie?"
"Why? We're practicing . . ."
"Can I come in?" Michael answered ignoring Dewey's question.
Dewey stared at Michael with great skepticism. Then he turned his back from him and called for Katie.
"Katie! Someone's looking for you!"
Katie never got any visitors in Dewey's apartment aside from her parents. She approached the door and was surprised to see Michael grinning broadly at her. Dewey went back inside, still having a look of skepticism on his face.
"What are you doing here?" Katie asked Michael. "How'd you know this is where the band rehearsed?"
"I see you come in this building every morning. I asked a few people downstairs about which room you guys hang out and they led me here."
"Oh. . . but this isn't really the perfect time to be visiting." Katie said.
"I'm sorry. Can I come back anytime?"
"Sure."
"Alright. I'll see ya." Katie closed the door and joined the others.
Michael stood in front of the door now with his cellphone pressed on his ear.
"Dude, I found it." He said softly to someone on the other line.
Michael put his phone down with a malicious grin on his face and walked his way out of the building, seeming to be excited about 'something' coming up.
End of Chapter 2
- Er. . . What do you think? Please review. Chapter 3 is coming soon.