Cover Charge
Mio shivered in the chill of a January evening. Even after all these years, she still hadn't gotten used to the riot of lights, colors, and sounds that made up Tokyo's night scene. Not, of course, that she ever went out at night.
She hugged herself, leaning against a wall, while anxiously eyeing the passing traffic.
"Okay, I'm just gonna stay as long as I have to," she said. "No longer than needed to be polite. Then I'm gonna go back and study some more."
She watched her breath turn to fog in the cold air, and wiped her nose.
"Where is everybody?"
She pulled out her iPhone, looking at Ritsu's text. And then she brought up the map … yes, this was the right place, and they said they'd all meet outside, before going in. Mio made sure to arrive early too.
So, where was everybody?
Mio sighed, putting her phone away.
"I wanna go home," she said. "It's cold."
"Why would you want to do that? It's fine right now."
Mio turned with a start and a squeak. It took her a moment to work through the panic and recognize the face of the blonde woman who was, now, standing behind her.
"M-Mugi!"
"Hello," Mugi replied, in English. She tilted her head to the side and smiled. "It's been a while hasn't it?"
"It has," Mio replied, feeling her cheeks warm. "I … uh … how are you, Mugi?"
"I'm doing wonderfully," Mugi replied, her smile brightening. "It feels so good to be in Japan again! And it feels even better to have a chance to see all my old friends."
"Yeah," Mio said. "So, how is Finland?"
"Finland's been very good to me," Mugi replied. "I'm headed back there in a few days."
Mio nodded, unsure of what to say next.
"So, how is Mio-chan? It's been such a long time since I've heard from you. You must have had a lot going on."
"I'm fine," Mio replied. "Just … just a lot of studying, that's all. You know … just trying to stay ahead in my classes."
Mugi's eyes held hers for a few moments.
"I totally get that," she finally said. "They keep me busy in Finland."
Mio looked around.
"Did you come here alone? I haven't seen any of the others yet."
"I'm staying at Ritsu's, while I'm here," Mugi replied. "She told me to go ahead, and she'd catch up."
Mio wrinkled her nose. She'd seen Ritsu's apartment once, so she had to wonder how someone as well-heeled as Mugi was, could possibly think staying there was a good idea.
"I … see," she said. "Hmph, typical Ritsu … she sets something up, but then she's late to it. She never changes."
"There's no need to be hard on Ricchan," Mugi replied. "We're still way early."
Mio frowned, wondering if she'd gotten the time wrong, when …
"Mio-chaaaaan!"
Mio turned, just in time to find her lips mere centimeters from those of a tanned brunette with hair-clips.
"Y-Yui! What d-do you think you're doing!"
"Mio-chan! It's just been so long since I've seen you … I couldn't contain myself," Yui replied, bouncing back a step. "Mugi-chan! You too!" This time, she did kiss Mugi … on one cheek, and then the other.
"You're looking great, Yui," Mugi replied.
"Aww thanks," Yui said. "Guess it's easy when you travel as much as I do."
God, I'm so jealous. Mio thought, her eyes tracing over Yui's body. She looked like she did in high school, except a little taller, and better filled-out. Mio didn't want to think about how she looked under her jacket. The dreaded 'Freshman Fifteen' had struck Mio with full force, and they never quite let go.
"Traveling?" Mio said, suddenly looking up at Yui.
"Totally, Mio-chan," Yui replied, flashing a 'peace' sign. "Gitah and I have been all over Europe!"
"W-wow … I guess you've taken after your parents, huh?"
"She has," Mugi said, smiling. "She's been to Helsinki three times."
"Only for Mugi-chan," Yui replied. "Finland's way too cold for me otherwise!" She then looked back at Mio, her mouth forming an 'O.'
"Mio-chan!" She said, furiously patting herself down. A moment later, she produced a gift-wrapped package the size of a CD. "I got this for you!"
Mio felt her cheeks warming.
"Uh, thank you, Yui … what is it?"
Yui grinned. "You'll find out later."
Just then, Mio heard a laugh she'd recognize anywhere.
"Oh-ho-ho, it looks like my plan worked," Ritsu said.
"Plan," Mio echoed, staring at her.
"Oh yeah," Ritsu replied. "I wanted to make sure you saw the others first," she said, smiling a sad little half-smile.
"Ricchan!" Yui said, quickly kissing Ritsu's cheeks. "I loved that video you e-mailed me … whenever it was!"
Ritsu grinned. "Glad ya liked it, Yui." Mio frowned, feeling a strange ache in her chest. An ache that disappeared a moment later, when Ritsu draped her arm around Mio's shoulder.
"C'mon guys, let's get birthday girl here inside."
"B-but you said Sachi and her friends would be here too," Mio said, trying to shrug off Ritsu.
"Eh, they're gonna be late," Ritsu replied, shrugging. "What can you do, right? Let's get inside … I'm thirsty!"
Mio huddled into the corner of the booth. Somehow, they'd found a booth, and for that she was glad, because the bar was packed. People swarmed in the smoky darkness, their individual words lost in a sea of noise. There was the odd flash of light as someone took someone else's picture, or else, a selfie.
She sipped her water, trying to get some moisture into her dry mouth. As far as she knew, Ritsu was at the bar with Mugi, and Yui vanished into the crowd somewere.
"Hey birthday girl! Looking good!"
Mio looked up with a start, and into a grinning blonde face.
"Ayame!" She said, as recognition hit her.
"In the flesh," Ayame replied, still grinning. "Can you believe how packed it is in here tonight?"
"Nuh uh," Mio replied, shaking her head vigorously. "Where are the others?"
"Just got here," Ayame replied. "I'm gonna go tell Sachi and Akira you're over here now. You seen Ricchan?"
"I … think she's at the bar."
"Oh, that fireball," Ayame replied. "Well, catch ya in a bit!"
A few moments later, Ritsu appeared, carrying a bottle in one hand, and a deep red drink with a cherry on top in the other.
"Happy birthday, Mio," she said, setting the drink in front of Mio.
"I don't drink alcohol," Mio replied. "You know this."
"I know that, you old maid," Ritsu replied, grinning. "It's a Roy Rogers."
"Roy … Rogers," Mio said.
"Yep," Ritsu replied. "Cola and syrup with a cherry on top. Just the sort of drink for someone who looks like her mind's back in her dorm."
"Is it that obvious?"
"Oh yeah," Ritsu replied. "C'mon, Mio, lighten up! You're the birthday girl tonight. It's all you!"
"This place scares me, R-Ritsu," Mio replied. "I can't remember seeing so many p-people in such a … small … space!"
Ritsu slapped her free hand to her forehead. "Has everything I taught you been for naught?"
"It was less teaching and more traumatizing!"
"Well, they say you always tease the ones you like," Ritsu replied.
"Hmph," Mio said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't much like you tonight, Ritsu."
"You'll be fine," Ritsu replied. "C'mon, you should check out the dance floor with us."
"There's a d-dance floor here?"
"Oh yeah, totally," Ritsu replied. "It's in front of the stage and everything!"
"Stage?"
Ritsu smiled and sighed. "Did you pay attention to anything when we came in here?"
"No," Mio replied, looking down into her drink. "I-I just saw all these people and…"
She felt Ritsu's hand on hers a moment later.
"Heh," Ritsu said. "Sorry about that. Believe me when I tell you I had no idea it'd be this bad tonight. Guess that band Yui's going on about's hotter than I thought."
"Band," Mio echoed, swallowing.
"Yep," Ritsu replied. "C'mon, let's go have a look at the dance floor."
It was less crowded on the dance floor, and Mio found herself breathing easier.
"Is that the stage," Yui said, turning to Ritsu.
"Yep, sure is," Ritsu replied.
"Wow, it's smaller than I thought," Yui said, leaning forward. She then leaned back. "But, I've totally seen smaller!"
Something was tickling the back of Mio's brain, so she looked up at Yui.
"Hey, Yui … so whats up with this band you were telling Ritsu about?"
Yui smiled, rubbing the back of her head.
"Ehheh, that's a secret, Mio-chan," she replied. "You'll find out, though."
"Yui, I don't like surprises," Mio said, shaking her head.
"They're real good," Yui replied. "Don't you worry, Mio-chan."
"I'm not worried about that!" Mio said. "I j-just wanted to know more, that's all."
"You'll see, Mio-chan," Yui replied. "You'll see."
"You … shook me all night long!"
"Yeah you shook me …"
"When you took me …"
The dance floor was half-full of people now. Mio stood, nodding her head, watching Ritsu, Ayame, and Sachi headbanging as some lanky young man in a schoolboy's uniform started hammering out a solo.
"This is like … like Natsu Fest, isn't it, Mio-chan," Mugi yelled.
"Yeah," Mio replied. God, that was a long time ago, wasn't it? As it turned out, there were several bands. This one was an AC/DC cover band who was … okay as far as she could tell.
They were all okay, but if she were to be honest, none of them struck her as being very good.
"The Natsu Fest acts were way better though," she said.
"What was that, Mio?"
"Natsu Fest was better," Mio had to scream as the solo reached its climax. Her stomach rumbled … too much sugar and too much crappy finger-foods. She was hoping, praying even, that Yui's favored band was coming up soon.
Mercifully, the song ended, and the people around Mio cheered. A fat man with a neck-beard bounded up on stage, holding a microphone.
"Ladies and germs that was Alternating Current!"
"Isn't this great?" Ritsu said, crossing her arms behind her head.
"It … it's okay," Mio had to admit. Sure, the bands weren't very good, but they were just good enough to make her forget the time.
"Jus' okay," Ritsu said. "Think you need 'nother Roy Roger, ya ol' maid," she added. For some reason, she and Mugi downed a bunch of jello shots in a row earlier, and now Ritsu sounded drunk.
"Ugh, no thank you," Mio said. "I'm all sugared out."
"Then how 'bout a rum 'n coke instead?" Ritsu said, leaning up against Mio.
Mio pushed her away. "I don't drink alcohol! I-I don't wanna end up like you."
Ritsu giggled. "Good thing you're my best friend, Mio-chan … ow!"
"Well you're not mine. Stupid Ritsu," Mio replied. Her foot hurt, and her fist was clenched. She forced herself to breathe and extracted her phone.
"T-ten … thirty?" She said, and then she moaned. "Oh my God, I-I didn't think I'd be here this late!"
She looked up at the stage, and to her despair, she saw that there were young men setting up. Already, there was part of a drum kit on stage, with the twin bass drums featuring a cartoon of a skeleton riding a couch smashing into a brick wall.
It was then, that she noticed there was a pair of guitars on stage as well. One was a blacktop Fender Jaguar whose nickel humbuckers gleamed in the light, but the other looked like a candy-apple red Fender Mustang.
"Holy crap, that looks vintage," Akira said, having turned up without Mio noticing.
Didn't Azusa have a guitar like that? Mio thought.
Azusa … now there was a name Mio hadn't thought about in years. Azusa never ended up going to Japan Women's University with them. She never even tried.
"Wonder how she's doing now," Mio said, softly.
"Did you say something, Mio," Mugi asked.
"Nuh uh," Mio replied, shaking her head.
The dance floor was packed now, and Mio found herself near the back. The stage was dark, but she could see movement, and she could hear notes being played as the musicians tuned their instruments.
"Aren't you excited, Mio-chan," Yui said. "I know I am!"
"Is this the band?"
"Oh yeah!" Yui replied. "They'll be starting any minute now!"
"Gonna be awesome," Ritsu said. At least, that's what Mio thought she said. She'd taken to leaning against Mugi, who merely looked back at Mio, smiled, and shrugged.
"Ladies and germs, the band you all have been waiting for. Club Gohan is proud to present The Couch Crashers!"
The stage lights came on, and the fat man bounded off the stage. At the same time, Mio's jaw dropped.
The band had five people in it. A blonde girl behind the drum kit, a tall slender boy with brown hair on bass, another boy with long hair and a goatee standing behind the microphone, and a short-haired girl off to one side with a Gretsch Electromatic Double Jet.
"Is ... is that ... Azusa?" Mio said, her jaw slack. The band had a second guitarist ... a short girl with her long hair tied into twin tails. A short girl wearing flannel and jeans, with the Fender Mustang.
"Sumire!" Mugi screamed, just as the band launched into their first song.
Mio closed her eyes, her heart racing as she listened to a fiery, sharp, cutting guitar solo weaving through the thundering gallop of a metal rhythm guitar being spurred on by crisp drumming that loped into staccato double-kicked bass.
That lead guitar took her back to a day, many years ago, when a certain twin-tailed girl blew them all away for the very first time.
"That ... that is Azusa!" Mio said, opening her eyes.
"Azu-nyaaaaaaaan!" Yui screamed.
"Azusa!" Mio screamed, her eyes transfixed on their former kouhai. Azusa's fingers danced up and down the fretboard of her Mustang, as the song raced to its conclusion.
"Go Sumire!" Mugi said. Mio glanced at her, briefly wondering who Mugi was yelling at. And then she looked at the drummer again, who looked much younger than the rest of the band, and that was enough to tickle a vague memory.
Movement out of the corner of her eye pulled her back to Azusa, who'd already shed her Mustang for the Jaguar. They launched into their next song with all the subtlety of a cavalry charge. The vocalist was incomprehensible, with his screaming, guttural growls, but Mio didn't care. The crowd was jumping up and down, and screaming, but Mio didn't care. Her eyes were on Azusa, as she traded licks with the band's other guitarist, her expression one of focused concentration.
The second song was over, seemingly almost as quickly as the first.
"Thank you!" The vocalist said. "We're the goddamned Couch Crashers! I'm Susumu, on vocals! That's Atsushi on bass. On our twin-guitar assault are Azusa and Eri! And ... introducing our new drummer ... she's so young, we had to fuckin' sneak her in tonight ... Sumire!"
The crowd went wild, and the band roared into their next song.
"This is freakin' awesome!" Ritsu yelled beside her. "I'm gonna go mosh!" She announced, charging head-first into the unruly crowd.
"I told you," Yui said, grabbing Mio's sleeve.
Mio nodded, and then she nodded some more. And then the energy of the crowd overtook her, and her nodding became body-shaking headbanging.
It was some time later that Mio found herself standing outside in the cold, next to Ritsu.
"Goddamn, they know how to rock, don't they?" Ritsu said.
"Azusa's band?"
"Yeah," Ritsu replied. "I mean, I'd looked 'em up on Nico Nico when Yui told me 'bout 'em, but damn ... wasn't ready for that!"
Mio nodded, deep in thought. They never got any closer to Azusa. There were too many people, and too much noise. And, when the set was over, they'd disappeared almost as quickly as they'd appeared.
"Hey Mio," Ritsu said, grabbing Mio's shoulder.
"What is it?"
"Did ya have fun tonight?"
"Yeah," Mio admitted. "Yeah, I did."
Ritsu was silent for several long moments.
"You think ... we could rock a place like that?"
Mio frowned, looking down at Ritsu.
"What ... what are you talking about?"
"I ... jus' remember how we used to rock," Ritsu replied. She leaned on Mio. "Goddamn, this pisses me off. I could be as good as that damned Sum ... i ... ree chick easy!"
Mio wrinkled her nose. "You've had too much to drink, Ritsu."
"Shaddup," Ritsu replied. "Why ain't we a band no more?"
Mio grit her teeth, pushing Ritsu off her.
"You dropped out, remember," she said, biting out the words.
"Yeah ... sure ... blame it all on me," Ritsu replied, clutching her belly in her hands. "If you didn't have yer nose buried in books all the time, you'd've noticed ... ugh, think I'm gonna be sick."
"What would I have noticed, Ritsu?" Mio said.
"Fughedit," Ritsu replied. "Jus' for ... oh screw me!"
With that, Ritsu vomited on the sidewalk.
"Ritsu!" Mio said, reaching for Ritsu, except Ritsu was already waving her off. She clutched her knees in her hands, and then vomited again.
"Ugh," Ritsu said, wiping her lips. "Ain't gonna try to out-drink Mugi 'gain, that's fer sure," she added, groaning.
"Ritsu, are you okay?" Mio said, biting her lip, putting her hand on Ritsu's back.
"I'll be fine," Ritsu replied. "Jus' fine. Gimme a minute."
"Okay," Mio said, pursing her lips. What would I have noticed, Ritsu?
"Hey Mio-chan," Ritsu said, after a while.
"What is it?" Mio replied, wrinkling her nose at the honorific.
"Wouldn't it be jus' freakin' awesome ... if we could get the ol' band back together again?"
"I sure think so," Ritsu repeated, a moment later, as Mio stared at her in silence.
Author's Notes:
- This is the end of the second chapter of Bandmates! Now featuring 600% more cast than the first chapter!
- Mio strikes me as the sort of person who would totally own an iPhone.
- A Roy Rogers is actually a thing, if you don't know your cocktails. Its ingredients are cola, grenadine syrup, and a cherry. Like a Shirley Temple, but darker.
- Alternating Current would make an awesome band name.
- You don't know how long it took for me to come up with "The Couch Crashers" as a band name. They play melodic metal, even though their name is, frankly, better suited to a ska band.
- Why that name? I wanted to come up with a callback to "The Pillows," but "The Ottomans" and "The Chairs" were already taken (seriously.)
- The choice of a second guitar for Azusa was also a difficult one. She likes the Mustang for its short scale, but I felt she needed a guitar with humbuckers for more fat, given the style of music The Couch Crashers play. Ergo, a Blacktop HH Jaguar.
- Yes, Kurt Cobain played a Mustang, but his was rather … modified.
- The High School series suggests that Sumire might make for a good technical drummer. There is a scene where Nao has composed a piece of music featuring an especially difficult drum part (it's also a piece of music that would've required Ui to grow a sixth finger for her guitar parts.)
- Yes, that Atsushi is the same Atsushi Suzuki who is Jun's brother.
- Sorry for the drunk, vomiting, Ritsu.
- Thanks for reading ... see you next chapter! Leave reviews!