AN: Sorry if this is a boring chapter…

The next day, Maria woke up to the sound of her Rolling Stone wind up alarm clock & quickly shut it off.

Today's the first real band rehearsal for this band. I can't believe I've never really heard their material…

After a quick shower & breakfast, she grabbed her guitar & took a bus downtown to the address Matt gave her the day before. When she arrived, she looked up from the slip of paper she had in her hand saw that the address led to an old abandoned theatre.

This is the place where I saw Peter Pan as a school field trip that Sister Mary took us to…

Everything seems to be closing down now; first the orphanage, now this?

She adjusted her guitar case & went inside. When she arrived, she saw two figures, one behind a keyboard & the other sitting down.

Murph & Elwood…

She smiled as she approached & greeted them "Hello, my fellow band mates."

They guys looked up from their instruments & greeted her.

"Morning."

"hey"

"Am I the only one besides you two who arrived on time?" she asked as she set down her case.

"Yeah" Murph replied "Jake's always late & the guys I think are stuck in traffic."

"Does anyone have the song set list?"

"Jake does" replied Elwood. "It's always his job to come up with the set list. He told me this morning that he got a hold of some song requests the bride & groom made to dance to, for the guests, etc.. "

"and he's not here." Maria interrupted as she rolled her eyes "So what do we do now? Just tune up our instruments or what?" she asked impatiently.

"Yeah I guess so…" replied Murph

The three musicians were silent as they tuned their instruments. The only noises on stage were the chime of the keyboard piano, the occasional strum of a guitar string and a few single notes from the harmonica. Maria heard Elwood play a C major on his blues harp & Murph play a small piece on his keyboard simultaneously & she smiled a bit. The duet they were performing reminded her of a song she heard on the radio a few years ago…

"Hey do you guys know Piano Man?" she asked them.

"I know another piano man besides myself!" Murph told her with a smile. "his names Derek…"

"No, the song Piano Man."

"Uh, yeah." Murph then replied embarrassed by his answer.

"Elwood, play me a C major; Murph, you know what to do."

Elwood wondered where she was going with this but he played that C Major as she conducted him, and Murph played along.

It's a pretty good croud for a Saturday. And the manager gives me a smile, cuz he knows that its its me they've been coming to see. To forget about life for a while.

Little did she know that as she sang, Jake & the rest of the guys were there already arriving & they walked onstage inconspicuously. The guys seemed surprised & Jake snickered at her singing

Shes quite the songbird isn't she?

And the piano sounds like a carnival! And the microphone smells like beer! And they sit at the bar & put bread in my jar and say 'Man what are you doing here?"

Ohhh la lala de de daaaa. la la dee duh da da daaa.

Sing us a song; you're the piano man. Sing us a song tonight. We're all in the mood for a melody and you got us feeling alright!

The guys cheered once she finished & she abruptly turned around to face them.

"Did you hear everything?"

"No, but we heard enough." Jake replied

"Don't worry Maria, I think you sing good." Elwood told her nicely

God, he's so sweet!

She smiled a bit at him

"Ok enough chit chat, lets get down to business!" Jake cried out with a clap of his hands.

"Good, did you get the set list?" Maria asked him

"Yes I did!" he replied as he got the paper from his jacket pocket.

He opened it & read it aloud "Ok our songs: Soul Man, She Caught the Katy, Almost, Hey Bartender, & B- Movie. I also thought of some covers."

"like what?" Mr. Fabulous asked

"I like the song 'Viva Las Vegas' since its gonna be appropriate for us. I also thought of 'Pride & Joy' by Stevie Ray Vaughan."

Elwood & Maria bit their bottom lips to prevent themselves from laughing aloud, as they recalled that particular night in which that song was performed.

"That's a good song." Commented Matt "but I don't know the solo."

"I do" Maria responded with a small hand raise.

"Good" Jake replied "soooo..yeah…that's it I guess. Matt I think you should teach Maria some songs."

"Ill teach her 'Cant turn me loose' first." Matt told him as he faced Maria.

He played her a continuing riff that seemed easy to play. She looked closely at his fingers & copied the riff on her guitar.

"This is easy" she commented as she continued the riff.

"and this is all you do until the end of the song." Matt told her.

"Wow."

The borthers walked offstage to the wings.

"What are they doing?" she asked Matt

"Theyre preparing for their 'grand entrance' I guess you can say." He replied

"Ok ready?" Jake called out to the ready band members.

"Yeah." Tom called out.

"1.2. 1234"

Willie & Don played their instruments as Maria & matt quickly joined & then the horns section. The brothers walked onstage & Elwood held out his handcuffed wrist for Jake to unlock. Jake unlocked the cuffs & Elwood got out his harmonica from the case as he dropped off the case next to Maria & a nearby speaker. Once the brothers were done with their act, the music finished.

Jake then clapped his hands "Alright that was good! I think we should continue to practice more until Maria gets the hang of it. But if no one has any questions…then I guess you guys are free to go."

"So we drove through traffic for nothing?" Mr fabulous complained.

Maria rolled her eyes at him until she noticed Matt writing some chords on paper.

"Here, here's the chords to the songs & I drew some Tabs on the solos ok?" He told her

"Ok" she replied as she took the paper "thanks Matt."

"If you have any questions, just ask me ok?" he cried out as he walked to a different cornoer so he could practice.

"alright"

She sat away from the dudes, to her own personal space as she focused on the chords, their progressions & the times she had to play them.

About 2 hours later, the rest of the guys left & it was only Maria, Jake & Elwood left in the theatre. Now was Marias chance to tell Jake what she & Elwood went through with Sister Mary.

"Hey Jake, Elwood & I have something to tell you…" Maria began but Jake interrupted

"Youre Pregnant aren't you? Look, just as long as you name it after me…"

"No you idiot. Its about the orphanage" Maria replied as she rolled her eyes "we have a month to get the tax money"

"so right after the gig, we need to fly back here & drop off the money." Elwood added

"Ok good ;I'm glad. Now we don't have anything to be worried about." Jake replied with a relived look on his face.

"but we gotta tell you this" Elwood continued "The Penguin knows about Maria & me."

"so?"

"She started calling you guys crooks & she basically condemned Elwood." Maria told him. She decided to leave out the whole 'hickey' incident, knowing Jake he'll come up with some retort about her & elwood.

"What?" he asked her angrily. "That old…BITCH!"

Elwood & Maria abruptly truned their heads towards Jake, double taking what he had just called her.

"A guy calling a nun a bitch?" asked Elwood

"Dude that's too much." Replied Maria as they walked out of the theatre. "If she caught you saying that, she'll beat you until she breaks at least 5 rulers!"

AN: Sorry if it sucked. The next ones gonna be better I assure you! R&R please