𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚊𝚗𝚍//𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚞

𝙿𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚎

"1!! 2!! 1, 2, 3, 4!!"

With a tap of his drum sticks, Stan initiated the first song. It started with a soft beat and a low bass, followed by an on-tempo guitar tune. The beat got more intense as it repeated a second time. After the song softened, Eddie started the first verse.

"I can't believe how much I hate
Pressures of a new place roll my way
Jumpsuit, Jumpsuit, cover me
Jumpsuit, Jumpsuit, cover me"

Mike on bass guitar, he tapped his foot to the beat to stay on tempo.

Richie bopped up and down as he shredded the guitar. Stan's drumsticks pounded on the top of the drums, and his foot handled the bass drum, carrying the tempo.

Eddie's voice heightened in the microphone and echoed throughout the band room, singing the lyrics that Bill had wrote to the best of his abilities.

Together, they sounded amazing. The energy they brought to their music, it was like all of their pent up aggression and aggravation was vented onto it, coming together in a symphony of sounds.  It was beautiful. But.. loud. Very, very loud.

The final chords were struck, and the song came to an end. Richie and Mike cheered  and high fived each other. Eddie took a seat in one of the blue plastic chairs and tried to catch his breath, a proud smile on his face.

"We sounded awesome, as usual." Richie sat next to Eddie, followed by Mike and Stan.

Bill put up the instruments and walked over to Eddie, but he didn't sit down, indeed he stood in front of him.

"Hey Eddie. Um, c-can you take a look at the lyrics again?" He passed him the lyrics on a piece of paper.

"Why, did he sing a verse wrong?" Richie asked.

"Well, n-not exactly. See, the last chorus was a f-f-fortissimo. And y-you didn't yell it." He explained.

"Bill, you know I don't have the lung capacity to yell. I have asthma, you know that, right?" Eddie countered, speaking rather quickly.

"Yeah, and, imagine how weird it would sound coming from his baby voice", Mike added.

"Ok, unnecessary." Eddie said, rolling his eyes.

Bill took the lyric page. "I don't think we should s-stick to softer genres j-j-just because Eddie can't scream. Maybe somebody else can t-take his place."

"Woah, what?" Richie stood up.

Bill backed up. "I-I meant- to-to do the louder vocals. Not to replace him."

"He does have a point." Stan defended Bill. "We're never gonna win if our lead singer can't hit certain things. Other bands are all about that stuff."

Eddie stood up with Richie. "Yes I can, and first of all, the fact that we don't rely on loud factor pretty much makes us better than any other band. Our sound shouldn't surround the general volume." He talked a mile a minute.

"I g-guess so." Bill finally put the lyrics away.

Mike picked up his bass. "I'm taking it home today. I think I could use the extra practice."

"No way, man, practice without the band is boring." Richie said, making his way towards the door.

Eddie followed. "You mean you don't practice outside of the band room? What do you even do with your time?"

"Besides fuckin your mom?"

"Oh- shut up! Asshole!"

"Jeez..." Stan rolled his eyes at the two.
Bill held the door open as they all left the band room.