BANDED 2 (JUNIOR JAM!)

Prologue and Chapter 1 (Finally!)

Prologue - Some Things From The Last Gig 

To those who started reading from this book, here’s a quick recap of the previous one (Live The Dream). The previous story is mainly set in the highly-accredited Philippine high school, BlueHillsAcademy and its surrounding village from June to early August 1994. There, Kris Rosales was a simple fourteen year old third year high school student who is very bored from the past two years of his high school life. He was the guitarist of the school choir, but felt like his life is too monotonous, and dreams to use his talents in a more worthwhile and ‘glorious’ way. His best friend, Robbie Salvador belongs to the same batch and is one of the most intelligent students of the school, while another friend, Paolo Ybañez is the geeky, class clown.

Things suddenly changed in the first week of school when Kris met Kim Sakamoto, a very pretty half-Japanese girl, in the park inside the village. He discovered, to his delight, that she possesses the exact same talents (singing and guitar) and interests he has and the fact that she would transfer to the same school by the following month. Kris fell for Kim through the whole week, when the two (later joined by Robbie) jammed and decided to form a band…

They set about planning, joining Paolo to their ranks as their ‘road manager’. But before that, they discovered something from their parents’ past… It appeared that Kris, Robbie and Kim’s parents were close friends and members of the same band in the 70s and not only that, but Kris’ dad Tony and Kim’s mom Angie were once lovers… After some drama, the three were able to reconcile the ‘baby-boomers’ and during the ‘reunion concert’, Kris, Kim and Robbie also formally announced the formation of their band, and performed live for the first time too. The reception they got was enough for the three to conclude that they’re on the right track. Kris was especially happy, for the dream is beginning to come true… not only regarding the band, but with Kim, who, to his happiness, seems to be gradually developing the same feelings he has… They were also told that they have a great sound, but they needed a drummer…

At the same time, Noy Reyes, BlueHillsAcademy’s most notorious student already started trouble in the second week of school. He had been delayed for two years, having repeated both sixth grade and second year high school. He was punished by the school principal, and only the plea of his younger sister saved him. That sister, Pinky Reyes, is Noy’s batch mate and one of the best students of the school. Noy constantly gets in trouble with his parents, but loved and respected by his siblings (Pinky and his older brother Art). During times of distress, Noy hangs out in the same park as the others do, and during his lonely musings, his true sensitive side appears. One time, after another ‘session’ with his father, Noy went to the park and unleashed his anger at one of the park’s benches, unconsciously ‘beating it up’ in perfect timing… which the others, also in the park heard…

After the first performance, the band (as it is) talked in the park and decided to name their band, BANDED… after a remark from Kim who said that they had banded together in the last weeks (instead of ‘bonded’). Also, Paolo recruited Tina Bernabe, a ditzy girl as their publicist. Tina had been a cause for irritation for the past weeks because she hangs out with the others to be close to Ernie Salcedo, another student who hangs out with the main characters. Now, Ernie is a handsome academic and musical prodigy who is the only child of a rich family. However, he is also very lonely, misunderstood and constantly bullied. He is an excellent pianist whom the others had considered recruiting but felt like Ernie’s music is too different from them.

Meanwhile, Blue Hills is preparing for the first event of the year, the election for the Student Council which would be by the end of July. Robbie decided to run for batch representative for the juniors while his classmate, Nancy Lim, the school’s best student, would run for vice president under the same party. Robbie offered the band (as it is) to help in the campaign, because Nancy’s opponent would be the campus’ most famous girl, Sam Puerto, who would surely use ‘entertainment tactics’ with the help of her rumored boyfriend, JC de Cepeda, the school’s ultimate jock. That put the pressure on Paolo and Tina to advertise for a drummer and look for a permanent rehearsal place. As June ended, Tina was able to find a permanent rehearsal place, and with Paolo as the ‘temporary’ drummer, the band started a string of rehearsals which gradually greatly improved their sound.