Music Masters: CD One

RETURN OF THE SPACE COWBOY: PART EIGHT

"So is this place groovy or what?

Michael's excitement could not be contained in the slightest as he opened the front door into the Sound Loft and beckoned Kim, Aeris and Calvin to follow him inside.

Inside, Rob stood by the tower windows that overlooked the city skyline. He held the rainbow Warwick bass in his hands, as his fingers strummed on its strings ever so slightly.

It has been only a week since he'd acquired it from Semi-Sound, but memories of his original chrome orange bass guitar still persisted in his mind.

The strings remained unfamiliar to him, and the neck was long and somewhat heavy. But despite it all, he knew he would have to make due.

Rob sighed as he continued to practice scales. His old bass was all but a memory now.

So focused on his new instrument, he almost didn't hear Aeris when she addressed him as the four entered the living room where he was practicing.

"Oh, you must be Mr. Kay." she said, the Texas twang strong in her voice.

The bass player looked up, tipping his cap up as he examined Michael's new friends. He'd just about forgotten they were coming today.

"Nobody else." he replied. Always one to analyze first impressions, Rob noted that this girl was clearly used to being polite to strangers, whether or not it was by choice.

Kim chose to keep silent as she sat down on the coffee-colored couch, while Calvin was already making himself comfortable, content to ignore everyone as he scrolled through his phone and propped his feet up on the loveseat.

Aeris flashed her best smile as she took a seat next to Kim. "It's very nice to finally meet you. Michael's told us a lot about you."

"That's a an understatement." Calvin began, still not looking away from his phone. "He literally won't shu-"

Kim was quick with her reaction, kicking him hard in the knee with the bottom of her combat boot. He shut up just a second later.

Of course, all of this just flew over Michael's head. He was far too excited to finally have everyone at Rob's place to pay attention to such details. He pointed ecstatically at his three guests as he introduced them in order.

"Aeris, Kim and Calvin. These are the three I've been training with for the last two months. See Rob? They're totally real." Michael exclaimed with self-assurance, only for Calvin to recover from Kim's threat and add in his two cents.

"You mean like those super real Japanese assassins that apparently you somehow beat?" the blonde boy said with a laugh.

This time, Kim went for the personal approach as opposed to the physical one.

"I distinctly recall that Afroboy here bopped you pretty hard the last time you two tangoed, so I wouldn't talk if I were you. Or better yet, just don't talk at all." she announced with a low snicker, much to Calvin's annoyance.

"Sounds like you all get along like perfect bandmates already." Rob finally interjected, taking a seat in the spare chair across from the four teens. His tone became more serious now, as he began to remember everything Michael had told him about his exploits in this past week.

"More importantly, you four really need to think about where you show off those song effects. You're lucky that you didn't hit any bystanders, let alone attract Zero Beat's attention."

Aeris replied in her most polite tone as she hoped to somewhat lighten the situation. "Well, it was Kim's suggestion. We just sort of followed along."

"I just happened to be in the neighborhood." Calvin added. "My schedule's usually very packed."