Dance or Die: a Fanfiction

Chapter 14 - The Musical Aspect

Solomon stood in the basement of the Kary house where his friends and him lived, contemplating picking up an odd-shaped item. It seemed heavier at the bottom than at the narrow top. He almost could recall the name of it, having had an overview of Earth culture when he landed here with Josh, Jake, and Nathan. Pairs of footsteps came down the stairs across the basement, but Solomon paid no heed, although he noticed the sound.

"You doing alright?" the voice of Brian Kary asked, coming to stand by the black haired man as Shianne, holding a book, went to sit on a chair, enveloped in her literature. "Ohh... That's my favorite guitar."

"Guitar?" Solomon said, "That's what it's called?"

"Yeah, of-- nevermind," Brian said, adjusting his glasses, "Kinda forgot you're not from here, Soli."

"It's okay," he chuckled, "Just wanted to know what it was called."

"Do you know what it does?"

"Yeah, it makes music. Nil isn't completely primitive. It's pretty advanced, actually, including musical instruments with all the other crap we've got over there. Or at least that's Arroth, Muscato... The big city-states."

"Ah. You wanna learn how to play it?" Brian said. Solomon met his eyes, grinning and nodding. He and Brian sat on the couch, Solomon giddily holding the instrument in his lap.

"Hey, we had instruments like this back home! I think I can--" Solomon said, positioning his fingers unsteadily on the neck of the guitar. He looked back up at Brian. "Little help? Do you use your fingers or..?"

"You can use your fingers or a pick, a little triangle-shaped thing that strums the strings."

"Can I try it with my fingers?"

"Go for it, Soli."

The young man put his other hand over the hole of the guitar, thinking if he was right or not. He eventually lightly brought his fingers over the strings, making a slightly dissonant chord. He looked at Brian again, seeking approval.

"That didn't sound right," Soli said, chuckling.

"Yeah, you gotta move your index finger onto the next string, and a little lower on the-- Perfect! Now try."

A simple chord resonated in the basement, making Soli smile ridiculously big. Brian joined in smiling, and Shianne peered over her book to see the happiness exuding from the two men, and she caught the grin as well.

---

Dora was watching television when a loud metallic crash came from the basement. Concerned, she went to go see if anything had happened. The moment she looked across the basement and saw Shianne laying on the couch, a guitar-wielding Derek, and Jake standing next to a fallen snare drum and cymbals on stands, she knew immediately who had caused it.

"Jacob!" she shouted, making the man jump in fear, "Do NOT break my boyfriend's drums!"

"It wasn't my fault Dora!" he yelled back frantically as the angered woman made her way towards the two.

"Of course it was!" she said, putting one hand on a hip, "You're a natural klutz!"

"Dora--" Derek said.

"You think I am, but I'm actually quite graceful!" Jake interrupted. Dora laughed.

"As if you are!"

"Guys!" Derek said, splitting them apart, "I knocked over the drums, it was an accident. Kinda rocked out too hard," he chuckled. Dora's fury seemed to subside after who did it admitted it.

"Alright, I forgive you," she said with a smile at Derek. Giving a final bitter glance at Jake, she exited the basement. The men sighed in relief.

"Thanks for that cover, Derek, I would've been dead!" Jake said, setting the stands back up.

"I really hope she doesn't find out we lied to save your skin," Derek said. Shianne giggled at their exchange, and kept her lips zipped.

---

"Hey Shi, you wanna hear this song?" Solomon burst into her room with enthusiasm. She stared at him, confused, until she agreed to head to the basement. All five guys were there, Jake behind the drum set, Derek with a guitar slung over his shoulder, and Nate at the keyboard Shianne bought for herself, but let him borrow for the sake of music.

"What's Josh gonna play?" she asked.

"He's thinking he's gonna play bass, but we don't have one," Soli said, "but that's not the point of why you're here. This is a fun song we all wrote, and the guys and I have learned a lot from Colin and Brian."

The four musicians took their places, and Soli picked up a microphone.

---

"That first song is the moment I became a fan of their music, really. Very upbeat and fun, though in their own language at first," Shianne said, shyly looking off to the right. "I got to see them progress when they moved out, and I just-- I'm sorry, I have a special connection with them."

"Very well," Dr. Max said, organizing his things back into his bag.

"Is that all?" Shianne said.

"Yes, it was, thank you," the doctor said, standing up and Shianne following suit, "I just needed to know about their experience in the 'real world.'"

"Well then..." she said, "Glad to have helped."

They shook hands and said their formal goodbyes. When the doctor finally left, Shianne felt compelled to find one of Family Force 5's CDs so she could listen to that one song they performed for her on that day four years ago. Only four years.