Chapter 1: Life As I Know It

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"You know, a wise man once said too much study wearies the body." Lucas said as he plopped down beside me on the rooftop lounge of our school, Winchester Prep. It's the only co-ed school in the exclusive world of Upper East Side private schools and has a very small student body, mainly populate by students whose parents are liberal and want their kids to go to an 'ordinary school'. Yeah, like ordinary schools cost eight grand a year in tuition.

"We can't cut class." I told him. It's scary how well I know him at times.

"Ah, Lane…" he wrapped his arms around me and propped his head on my shoulder.

"No. We have a test next class. We have to go to biology." I protested and pushed him away.

"We're both pulling A's. What's the harm in a break, it's last period on a Friday. Who's gonna miss us?"

"What did Sonny get in?" I ask. Sonny is the aging hippie who runs the only decent music store in town, Son's, on Bleecker Street. He's the only person Lucas listens to when it comes to music. He won't even listen to my Dad, and Rolling Stone declared him the premier expert of his generation.

"First edition of Born to Run on vinyl. He's only holding it for me until two, then he's gonna put it out."

"Don't you remember what happened the last time we got busted for skipping class?" I asked him.

"Volunteer work in the park's not that bad."

"Squirrels Lucas. Lots of squirrels." I reminded him.

He shuddered slightly. "We won't get caught I promise. If we do, I'll do your hours and mine. Please?" he clasped his hands together in front of my face and dropped to his knees on the ground in front of my table.

"Fine, but if we get caught I am so hitting you."

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"Sonny, my man, how's it hanging?" Lucas yelled as we the bell jingled over our heads.

A few patrons looked up at us, probably wondering why we were wearing uniforms and not in school, but said nothing. Like this crowd never skipped class.

"Lucas." I hissed. He thinks he's cool, but he's seriously gonna get smacked one day for talking like that.

He shrugged at me in a 'what?' move and turned back to the owner. "Still got it?"

"Yep." Sonny reached under the counter and extracted a large wrapped package. They began to talk in earnest about it, and I began riffling through the new arrivals. When I noticed some creepy guy with a 'Fight the System' tattoo on his shaved head staring at me, I put the earphones of my I-pod in and turned it on.

"I drift away to a place

Another kind of life,

Take away the pain

I create my paradise"

Okay, not mine. I pulled it out and hit off. There was something odd going on, I'd never heard this song. I turned the I-pod over and knew the problem. It was my Dad's. Ours are identical, but he has a 'Death to Boy Bands' sticker on the back. I must have picked it up by mistake. Curious, I put the earphones back in and began to listen. My Dad has great taste. If he's playing this chick, there's gotta be a reason.

"Oh

He's under my skin

Just give me something to get rid of him

I got a reason now to bury this alive

Another little white lie"

"Hey, Sonny." I called and headed over, breaking the conversation between him and Lucas up.

"Lane, we were just debating the commercialism of…"

I held up my hand to silence him. "Listen, I took my Dad's I-pod by mistake. Could you tell me if you've ever heard this song? It's incredible."

Sonny placed an earphone in his ear and I hit play. After a few seconds he looked up at me curiously. "You don't know it?"

I shook my head. "Kinda why I asked you."

"Her name was Jude Harrison. She won Instant Star up in Canada about twenty-five years ago. Had a real chance to be great."

"What happened to her?" Lucas asked.

Sonny looked between the two of us like we were crazy but pressed on. "She died." He said simply.

I looked down at the device in my hand. Age old tale of rock. Mega talent, quick fade out.

"You know, I think my parents have some of her CD's." Lucas piped up.

I was busy scanning through the menu. My Dad had at least twenty of her songs stored. He must have really liked her music. But I didn't recognize any of the titles. If he was so crazy about her, why didn't he play her in the house the way he did Dylan and Greenday?

"Lane honey," Sonny interrupted my thoughts, "don't you know…"

He never got to finish his question because my cell phone went off. I looked at the name display-my Dad. He never calls before three.

Unless…

"We are so busted."

"Later man." Lucas said and we trudged off to get our sentencing.

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"It was all I could do to keep you from getting suspended."

"I said I was sorry."

"Sorry?" My Dad said. "You missed your third class this week to go to that record store and you're sorry?"

"For the record, Monday we went for pancakes. And that was only gym."

He sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Buy me a pony?" I suggested.

"Lane…" he warned. I promptly shut up. If it weren't so hard to make my Dad angry I would have gone on. But the fact that I was actually being yelled at showed me how upset he really was. "At least I know the Marshall's will keep a good eye on you this weekend."

Huh?

"Dad, the Marshall's are going out of town this weekend. Lucas is staying with us, remember?"

"No. I'm going to Halifax this weekend. You're staying with them." He said.

I got out my phone and called Lucas. "He said they're about to leave and he's heading over."

"This is not good." He said and began pacing. Without warning, he turned and headed out the door. I hate when he does that.

Lucas walked through a few seconds later. "Your dad looks like he's about to loose it."

"Schedule conflicts. What are you gonna do?"

"Change of plans." My Dad announced a few moments later. "I'm gonna drop you guys off with Sally as soon as you get your stuff together."

"Sally? Your secretary?" She's nice, but she's sixty and lives with nine cats in a studio apartment above a dry cleaner.

"Yes. Get a move on."

"Why can't we go with you?" I swear I amaze myself sometimes at my brilliance.

My Dad's face darkened. "Lane, we've been through this. Music festivals are not something I want you going to. Especially in Halifax."

"But Dad, I'm fifteen. We have a four day weekend from school. And Lucas we'll be there. I'll be fine."

I pouted my lip at him and I could almost see him cave. "Fine. I'll go order the tickets. But I'll only do this on one condition-you two stay by my side the entire time. Understood?"

"Absolutely." I threw my arms around his neck and dashed off to pack. After all this time, I was finally going to see what my father's world was really like. I couldn't wait.

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A/N: In the next chapter Jamie runs into an old friend-sort of. Who is it? And why is he trying to keep Lane away out of Halifax?