Rhythm: Chapter 3

Zanes POV:
The drive to the studio was very short. In the end, I arrived early. I opened the trunk of my car and got out my bass.

"Hello there!" Rhodes yelled to me, jogging out to meet me.  A black shirt covered his torso and a pair of acid wash jeans hung low on his hips. Seeing Rhodes made the dream resurface in my head, causing me to blush.  'This is ridiculous, Zane, you barely know him!'

"Come on, let's go!"  Taking a deep breath in, I followed Rhodes into the studio.

The studio was spacious and homey, despite its rugged outward appearance.  The brick walls of the lobby were covered in graffiti along with signatures from famous bands. The hardwood floors creaked under our feet as we made our way up the stairs. There were many rooms, most of which were vacant. Rhodes walked up to the first door, labeled 'Studio 02', and walked in without hesitation. The door slammed with a soft thud. I looked around the room to see three people staring at me out of the corner of my eye.

A man with a bright red Mohawk stood up to greet me. He reached out his arm and put my smaller hand into his large one.

"My names Strike, I play drums." The man greeted with a smirk.

Next, a very small and petite girl stood up. Her ebony colored hair swayed at her waist as she stood.  Dark makeup rimmed her green eyes and red lipstick decorated her lips.

"And my names Luna. I'm lead guitar", the girl stated, "Strike and I are related, but you'd never be able to tell by how different him and I are." She rolled her eyes at Strike.

Strike shot Luna an annoyed yet amused look.

"I can't believe this girl used to be my adorable little cousin." Strike mumbled.

Luna peered over at him, "I'm still cuter than you!" She stated, sticking out her tongue, making both Strike and Rhodes chuckle.

A man with pitch black hair and warm brown eyes stood up.

"I'm Adam, and I'm the band manager. It's a pleasure to meet you, Rhodes wouldn't shut up about your bass playing."  Adam smiled kindly, making me feel more at ease.

"And finally, I'm Rhodes. I play Rhythm guitar but I'm also lead vocals." Rhodes smiled again.

"Well, I'm Zane" I said, mimicking the bands members. "I play bass, and have some experience with vocals. It's nice to meet you all." I could feel a smile appear on my face. I lowered the brim of my hat lower over my face, failing at hiding my expression.
"Now, come on, lets set up!" Rhodes stated, quickly clapping his hands while Strike and Luna stood up lazily. I watched as they grabbed their instruments. Adam made his way to stand next to me.

"I think they have a very good sound," Adam said aloud, almost as if he was speaking his thoughts, "The big problem was their last bassist quit on them right before a large performance, setting them back a little bit."

Rhodes looked over to the two men, "Yeah, but that's old news. Zane, can you read tabs?"
Zane nodded his head, confident in his abilities.

"Then grab your bass and set up! You're joining us. Start in on measure 12." Rhodes said, handing Zane a couple pieces of slightly crumpled paper.

"Got it!" I said, exited to pull out my bass. Glancing down at the tabs, I saw a very difficult bass part. 'Looks like this will be a challenge!' A smirk decorated my face.
"Alright, lets go! 5, 6, 7, 8!" Strike yelled, smacking his two drumsticks together before leading into a drum solo. Soon Luna started in, playing a difficult series of notes.

Then Rhodes started singing. His voice was rough, yet smooth. You could hear the care he put into his voice. Then the bass line started. A flurry of notes flew out of the 30 volt amp that my bass was connected to. Then the whole band went silent as a bass solo started.

I felt a smirk on my face as the notes left the guitar in a flurry. Slowly, the other members started joining in again.  Then the song came to an end.

Rhodes looked over to Luna and Strike, surprise and excitement coloring both of their faces.  Rhodes turned to me with a smile.

"Well, I think that was fantastic. What do you say? Want to join us?"  I set down my bass hesitantly before looking at the other people in the room.

"I don't think I can."

Shock crossed Rhodes face for a moment, but he quickly recovered. Rhodes grabbed Zane by the arm and started navigating him into the hallway.

"Why can't you?" Rhodes said as he leaned against the brick wall of the hall, concern evident in his tone.

"I have my reasons. Most of which I probably shouldn't be telling a stranger." I stated.  I turned my head away from Rhodes, trying to avoid contact with his eyes that held disappointment.

"Aw, come on! Please? I promise you'll have fun!"

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose with distaste before looking back up at Rhodes and nodding my head softly.

"Fine, I'll try it." A smile lit up Rhodes face.

"Alright, awesome!"  Rhodes pulled me into a quick hug before releasing me and heading back into the studio. I followed close behind.

"He's in!" Rhodes said. Luna smiled while Strike gave off an expression that said "I knew he was gonna join from the start". Adam just leaned against the wall and smiled, pleased.

I smiled, but soon sighed to myself.

What did I get myself into?