chapter 2

"I know why no one's here," he said. "It's pouring rain."

"Fuck," Sam said. Scott blinked at him and then glared. But it wasn't as if anyone in the club was actually listening to them yet, and Joaquin was sitting way in the back with a big basket of fried plantains, so he couldn't hear them either. He sat back there so he could watch the crowd, not listen to the musicians. "Sorry. I don't have an umbrella. I hate waiting for the bus in the rain."

"Dori's coming to pick me up afterwards. She'll give you a ride home." Dori was Scott's girlfriend. She didn't take shit from Scott, but they'd been together almost three years already, so she was used to him. She wouldn't mind giving Sam a ride home, and in fact if Scott hadn't volunteered her Sam would have asked.

"Ok, boys, it's time," Teddy said, taking his seat behind his drums and twirling one of the drumsticks in his fingers. Now Scott glared at him; Scott seemed to think that his position as manager and time keeper meant he got to get them started at gigs and practices. Teddy just grinned and twirled his drumsticks some more.

"Two minutes, something simple," Sam told them. He swung his saxophone up and played a third-second run of notes, more to get everyone's attention (the people sitting out in the club as well as Scott and Teddy). The other two boys got the hint and they swung into their first song.

( cut for actual playing by actual musicians )