Chapter 3

"What's happening every-peoples?" Hal succeeded in making several people jump as he entered the bar.

"You're late." A dark-furred alsatian called, jumping down from the stage where he, and two other people were tuning their instruments.

"Chill Ethan. My bass is tuned, my head is clear. All I need is the playlist."

Ethan growled. "You can get seriously annoying. If you have nothing else to do, then go and fit the pyrotechnics and lighting."

"You like explosions, don't you?"

Ethan nodded. "Get the timing right, and they add to the emphasis of the song. Get the timing wrong and you're screwed. You freak out everyone, and they don't stay to listen to an explanation." He laughed. "It's a good thing we've got you, Hal."

"I can't do it right now. I need some coffee."

Ethan rolled his eyes.

Hal's dad was still drunk from the night before. No-one could deny it, he had a problem. He was sprawled over the counter with several empty bottles around him.

"Coffee with whipped cream please." Hal said to the bartender. He got free drinks, because his band brought in more customers. Lorna pulled up a seat next to him.

"Ethan's mad at you."

Hal licked some cream off his top lip. "Do you think I don't know that?" He shrugged "I probably deserve it. It won't take that long to fit the lights, but I might as well get it over with." He swallowed the contents of his cup in one gulp, with Lorna looking on in amazement.

"Wasn't that hot?"

He chuckled. "Extremely."

That night, the bar was crowded, the lights were down and the "Indigo-go's" were on stage. The drum roll started. Ethan sung the first note. Hal struck a chord. The keyboard played. The crowd was cheering. And the explosives went off.

Early.

Panic erupted in the bar. People screamed. The sprinklers went off.

"Hal! What the heck went wrong?!" Ethan yelled over the top of the commotion.

"I don't know! I tested it several times. It worked fine!"

"Well hurry up and turn these sprinklers off! I'm getting soaked!"

Hal frowned. But he wasn't one to question Ethan. Especially since Ethan could rip someone's head off if he wanted to.

The bar was almost flooded by the end of it. And, apart from the bartender, Hal's dad and the Indigo-go's, it was empty. Hal wiped the water off his chain. If it rusted, it would be painful. A tortoise came up to him.

"You messed up, Hal. Big time."

"It wasn't my fault. Daryl, do you really think that I would just forget how to plant explosives?"

"I think I speak for all of us when I say that we don't need you any more."

"I second that." Ethan glared at him. "We'll do better without you."

"You can't have a band with just a lead guitar, vocalist, keyboardist and drummer." A meerkat said, hopping down from the stage, where she was busy drying off all the instruments.

"It's been done before." Ethan snarled.

"Emma has a point, Ethan. We need a bass player. Maybe we could just get a new stage manager?"

"Shut up, Daryl. This was your idea in the first place."

"Hal writes most of your music." Lorna said, defensively. "Who are you going to get new songs from if you don't have him."

"It's okay, Lorna. I can see I'm not wanted." He slung his bass over his shoulder and made for the door.

"Chicken." Shouted Ethan.

"Don't say that." Called the Barkeep "It's insulting to both of us."

Hal was about to leave, when total rage overcame him. He spun around and threw out his chain. It embedded itself in Ethan's shoulder. He cried out in pain.

Hal yanked it back, and Ethan flew forward. Into a wall. His nose started bleeding. Hal pulled the spearhead out of his shoulder, creating a deep gash.

It was dark outside. The moon didn't shine. No stars were out. Hal's head hurt. He needed to go somewhere.