Chapter 14:
Jason, being four months into his senior year and spending most of his time in the music room decides to put on another show for his two friends. While he is jamming on an electric guitar some passing kids could hear cheering and music coming from the room.
"Hey do you hear that Desoto?" a cheeta asks, stopping dead in his tracks.
"Yeah I do hear it Rosco" a leapord replies, as him and Desoto walk towards the music room and twist the handle on the door. Once the two boys are in Jason stops playing as him Anna and Jules just stare at the two boys.
"Dude you sure know how to jam, Whats your name bud?" Desoto asks.
"Names Jason, Jason Bembenek" Jason replies sticking out his hand.
"Desoto, Desoto Sykes, and this is my best friend and band mate Rosco" Desoto replies shaking Jason's hand. As Jason, Desoto, Rosco, Anna, and Jules make their way to the lunch room, Desoto begins to make small talk with Jason. Once they get to the lunch room and sit down at a table Rosco speaks up.
"So Jason how long you been, playing instruments?"
"Honestly he says this is his first time playing anything, which I think is an absolute lie," Jules replies.
"It's the truth, back in the ummm, orphanage we really didnt have much things to do so i would grab two sticks or what ever and begin to hit what ever was around" Jason whispers.
"Dude you was in a home? man that musta been hard, anyways me and Desoto have a little band, and there is a battle of the bands coming up in October for the Highschool Halloween Party" Rosco says.
"And we was wondering if you would be wanting to join us? Since you are a prodigy when it comes to music," Desoto replies.
"REALLY...SURE I WOULD LOVE THAT!" Jason exclaims a little loud.
"Alright band practice at my place in the garage, twice a week would that work for you?" Rosco asks.
"Sure, but would it be ok if Anna and Jules come along? They were the first friends I made here"
"Sure, they can provide feedback and who knows they may have some hidden talent as well." Rosco says.
Over at the elementary school Nate's teacher is at the front front of the class stating that in August they will be having a little science fair and that the student's would be paired with a partner and must think of something for the fair, the winning pair will get a 50$ game card for the local arcade.
As the students begin to rush about the classroom, Nate just sits at his desk with his head looking down at the ground until he feels a tap on his shoulder. He looks up to see a small bear cub smiling at him braces on his teeth.
"Hi my name ish Koda, I was wondering ith you have a partner yet?" Koda asks.
"Not yet, and my name is Nate, short for Nathaniel" Nate says
"Can I call you N for short since i will probably mesh up shaying Nate" Koda says eyes wide.
Nate just chuckles and smiles wide, "I think you will manage."
So Nate and Koda are paired up and begin to talk about what they should make,
"Maybe we can make a volcano," Koda says, Nate with his paw under his chin,"Well you see, that may be the easiest thing to make and probably the most simple so im sure alot of kids would be making it, how about we make slime" Nate replies.
"That shounds fun, lesh do it" Koda replies as him and Nate high-five each other.
At the end of the day Koda's mom picks him up, Koda looks back and waves at Nate before hopping into the car and taking off with his mom, ten minutes later Haida arrives to pick up Nate.
"Hey kiddo, how was school?" Haida asks, Nate drops his bag off on the seat next to him and begins to ramble all happily."It was awesome dad, we have a science fair coming up in August and we needed to work in pairs and I was kind of embarrassed to ask anyone to be my partner so I just sat at my desk and then this bear cub name Koda came up and asked to be my partner. He has braces so he has a hard time saying words with S in it, its kinda funny when he tries but in a good friendly way" Nate says.
"I'm so glad kiddo, lets go home, we are gonna have dinner over at Henry and Tadano's place tonight, its Taco Tuesday" Haida says.
"I LOVE TACO TUESDAY," Nate says loudly with excitement." Hey um, dad?" Nate asks shyly.
"Yeah what is it bud?" Haida replies looking into the rearview mirror.
"Umm, I was wondering and feel free to say no but i was wondering if one day I can have Koda over to hang out and play?"
"Sure thing kid but I gotta talk with his parents first ok," Haida replies smiling.
"OMG THANK YOU DAD, YOU'RE THE BEST DAD IN THE WHOLE WORLD, YOU AND DADDY JOJO" Nate says bouncing in his seat.
Once the whole family was at Tadano's home, everyone is sitting at the table with things to make tacos infront of them. The whole family is chattering and making small talk when Jason speaks up.
"Oh dads, guess what I got invited to join a band with two boys named Desoto, and Rosco" Jason says smiling with pride.
"That's awesome son we are so glad that you are making friends so quickly" both Haida and Jojo reply together.
After dinner Haida them were about to walk over to their place when it started to rain really hard, Tadano turned on his TV and changed it to the news. The reporter a flamingo was standing outside in the downpour.
"Hey guys this is Francine coming to you live with the Animal News, if you look behind me you can see that the rain is coming down hard, 80% chance of flooding, so we recommend that you use what ever you can to block your homes from the incoming rain, that is all."
Two days later once the storm had passed Jason went over to Rosco's to practice, once he got to the garage, he sees Rosco with his head in his hands and Desoto as well as Anna and Jules with their hands on his shoulder.
"What's wrong, is everything ok?" Jason asks
"NO NOTHING IS OK ALL MY EQUIPMENT IS RUINED THANKS TO THIS FUCKING RAIN" Rosco shouts causing Jason to jump back. "Im sorry dude I shouldn't have snapped like that its just, I saved my birthday and Christmas money for years just so I could get equipment to start a band and now its ruined" Rosco says his voice breaking. Jason getting an idea grabs his phone and calls his Dad.
"Hey dad, I was wondering can you pick me and Desoto them from Rosco's garage...Yeah I can give you his address, and can you ask if possible T if we can use his equipment for practice, just for the time being...Really?! your awesome dad I appreciate this very much, and dad...I love you" Jason says before hanging up the phone. As him and his friends are waiting to be picked up, little did Jason know that Tadano was coming to pick him and his friends up.
Once Tadano arrived at the garage, Jason smiles as all his friends jaws drop.
"Dude I didn't know you knew Tadano man, that is hella fucking epic" Rosco says nudging Jason on his side. Tadano rolls down the window and smiles waving the kids over.
"Hey Jason, sorry but Haida had to go in to do some paperwork for Mr. Ton and asked me if I could pick you guys up as well as me letting you guys use my equipment so I said sure and here I am."
"Dude is your dad, friends with Mr. Tadano?!" Desoto asks still shocked to see who is sitting in a van infront of him.
"More like family, and well its hard for me to say this but my dads are like family to Mr. Tadano" Jason says. As all the kids jump into the van and Tadano begins to Drive them back to his place. After a thirty minute drive they arrive infront of Tadano's house.
"Alright here we are home sweet home" Tadano says parking the van and letting the kids out,"Let me show you where the studio is." Tadano says as he leads the kids to a seperate room, unlocking the door and opening it all the kids go wide eyed, in front of them were the most expensive and most professional looking instruments that any of them have ever seen.
"Welp here is the studio, feel free to use what you want just make sure to put them back in their rightful place and if you can wipe them down when you are done, I will make you guys some snacks and bring some soda for you guys while you practice. Oh and Jason" Tadano says.
"Yes Mr. Tadano?" Jason asks
"Haha you don't have to call me Mr. Tadano in front of your friends, and neither do they, Tadano is alright with me, and what I was going to say was that you and you're friends can practice here anytime you guys, want just make sure to let me or one of your dads know so that we wont be suprised." Tadano says waving at the kids before heading out.
Rosco, Desoto, Anna, and Jules all begin talking at once asking questions. Once Jason lets his new friends in on everything about how him and his brother were orphans at a home and how Jojo and Haida who are now his dads adopted him and his brother, and that he didn't know that his dads were such good friends with Tadano and how they were all like family. As Tadano and Henry begin to head back towards the studio Tadano was about to knock when he could hear Rosco from inside talk.
"Well the battle of the bands is in two months and I don't know what I am gonna do about instruments and anything like that, all my stuff got destroyed in the storm like you guys know, and I don't know how I'm going to make or save enough money to get new equipment" Rosco says in a defeated voice. Jason and the rest do their best to cheer him up and begin to practice.
Two months later it is now time for the Highschool Halloween Party, as two bands before Jason them go on stage and perform. Rosco can be seen pacing back and forth.
"Fuck, I don't know what we are going to do for instruments, I am so sorry guys, im sorry for letting the band down." Rosco says sobbing softly. Just then Tadano, Henry, Jojo, Hadai, and Anai arrive backstage with equipment, Anai pushing the cart with the drum set lagging behind them stopping to catch his breath from time to time.
"Dads, Uncle Tadano, Uncle Henry, and Uncle Anai, what are you guys doing here?!" Jason asks in excitement and confusion.
"Well Tadano overheard Rosco saying how his equipment got destroyed and well he wanted to thank you for being friends with his nephew and bought you guys some new equipment." Haida says handing Rosco the guitar.
"These look hella expensive, I don't know how or when I would be able to pay it back" Rosco says holding the guitar a glimmer in his eyes.
"You don't have to pay it back its a gift from me and my husband to thank you for being kind and real to our nephew, and thats not all, I made a quick phone call and had some good friends of mine to join you guys for your performance" Tadano says giving Rosco a hug and patting him on his shoulder.
Once Jason and the band get to the stage Rosco speaks into the microphone.
"Hey my name is Rosco, and this is a band I created with both old friends and new ones," he says with pride in his voice looking over at Jason, Anna, and Jules."The song we want to perform is a song that my new friend Jason wrote for his dads, I hope you like it sirs." Rosco says as he begins to strum his guitar in a slow pace at first followed by Desoto on base and Jason on drums.
I never thought I would see a brighter day
I never thought good things would come my way (come my way)
But then one fateful day I had the worlds greatest dads come into my life
My struggles were tough all hope was gone
Always thought all I did was a waste and wrong
But then you showed me what it means to be loved
You gave me the strength to conquer it all
Jason begins to drum faster as well as Rosco and Desoto begin to play faster, and while they were playing the curtain behind them gets pulled open as 3 much older lions step up with their instruments in hand and begin to play. The crowd goes nuts as everyone can be heard chanting "Pridelands...Pridelands"
Desoto them all look at the lions wide eyed not missing a beat, their favorite band, that they listend to for years were also friends with Tadano. The lions begin to headbang their manes flying back and forth as the rest of the crowd joins in. The band narrows their eyes smiles on their faces take a deep breath and begin to sing louder.
I was weak but you made me strong
Now i never walk alone
New friends and old friends always by my side
Walk with me in the sun and comfort me at night
My soul cries out as I reach for the light
My fathers my saviors my friends I have
Through the dusk and the coming of day
burns all my fears and shadows away
Now I got everything I wanted
smile through the pain no reason to be sad
Because I have the world's greatest dads"
The band begins to finish hard before finally ending the song, Two highschool guys in the front row was complimenting the guitars that Rosco and Desoto had, they were saying how their guitars got ruined in the storm as well. Desoto and Rosco look at each other then over at Tadano who smiles and nods. Desoto and Rosco take the guitars off around their necks and hands it two the two guys in the front row who look at each other and gasp before giving each other a high-five. Just then one of the lion's moves to the microphone.
"Hey guys, it was awesome to be here and to play for you guys with these guys behind me, and I see that these two dudes beside me no longer have guitars, and do any of you know a band without guitars?" the lion asks as the crowd cheers no.
"Well then Josh what do you think should we do it?"
"You know it Greg lets bless them like they blessed those two dudes in the front row" Josh says, as him and Greg take off their guitars and sign them before giving them to Desoto and Rosco. It was a Halloween Party to remember for the band and everyone attending.
