Désobéissance - Palaye Royale

Chapter 5

V

DÉSOBÉISSANCE

We quickly stop by to Ellie boyfriend's apartment to collect the keys to the rehearsal room. The latter is not there. His computer is on and Ellie can't help but glance at it. I try to reason her with it by pulling her by the arm, but seing her resistance, I look at the page too. This is a travel company site for booking a one-way flights to Los Angeles.

"I didn't know he planned to join us!"

Ellie looks just as surprised as I do.

"Well, frankly, me either... We haven't talked about it too much for a while because it has become a fight subject."

"Do you think he wants to surprise you ?"

"I don't know maybe..."

She smiles toothily.

"I'll make him tell me tomorrow. Now let's go!"

It's true that Matt hadn't originally planned to follow us to the United States. Even if nothing in particular kept him in France, apart from his parents, his band and his friends, he had taken Ellie's decision very badly to come and study with me at the New York Film Academy. I hadn't really known his jealous and possessive side before that. And it was out of the question for him to follow us there because the trip would cost him way too much. But he obviously changed his plans. Or he thinks about it seriously.

We arrive at the local a little before the time of the appointment that we communicate to the bass player. She's not here yet. We did some shopping in anticipation. What to drink, and some snack. We take this opportunity to carry out a little more storage. The group that rents the room has probably been rehearsing lately.

"They're so messy!"

6 pm sharp, someone knocks on the door. I'm going to open the door for her.

"Right on time! Maxine is that right?"

"Yes ! Nice to meet you!"

A small, thin and smiling black hair girl stands before me. She wears a bass that looks huge on her back. She has a very cute face, raised by incredible brown eyes which she subtly highlighted with a very sophisticate make up. At first glance, she makes a good impression on me. Ellie joins us and greets her in turn.

"It's not a common name Maxine!"

"Yeah my parents like non common things. At first I hated that name because it's close to Maxime which is a boy name, but now I like it."

She already looks very comfortable. We let her settle. She takes out of her flight case a magnificent black Fender Precision. The fact that she has a bass like this already shows us that she's here to impress.

"How did you hear about our research?"

"My brother gave me your number, he insisted that I should be in a band for a while, so I thought to myself : why not? He's a friend of Hugo, whom, I believe, auditioned for you."

"Ah..."

Ellie and I share an embarrassed look.

"Well, don't worry, I don't know my brother's friends more than that!"

"OK so much the better !"

She introduce her little more at our request. She's 24 like us, working as a waitress in a gourmet restaurant in the region. The bass, she has been playing it since she's 12. It was her father, a musician, who introduce her to it.

"What do you want me to start with?"

"Play what you want, as long as it shows the extent of what you can do."

She then start to play a medley of Alice's Cooper songs. Her speed and dexterity impresses us. She's obviously very gifted. And the least we can say is that she's full of energy! Scenically speaking, she surely send a lot of energy to the audience. Once finished, she blows a lock of hair in front of her eyes and looks at us. Ellie speaks first.

"Wow look at you! You had us amazed!"

"It's crazy that energy you give off! And you're so great!"

"Uh thank you girls..."

Our compliments towards her make her blush slightly and her contagious smile never leaves her. We then end up asking her if her brother told her about the fact that our band was ephemeral and the purpose of the project. She didn't seem to know, but it seemed to suit her. But at the announcement of the audition organized by Palaye Royale, her face, which until then had been radiant, suddenly darkened. She looks at us with large round eyes and doesn't say a word.

"Uh... Are you ok Maxine?"

She reacts a few seconds later.

"Oh yeah, ok I understood... Benoît it's a stupid joke!"

She then begins to look for this Benoît guy everywhere in the room. Ellie and I don't really understand this strange reaction. We conclude that Benoît must be her brother, and that she believes that he pranks her. I stop her in her tracks.

"No, I assure you that this is not a joke, and we don't know your brother Ellie and I."

"And that's what it's like not having internet for ten days, we don't know anything!"

"You didn't know about the Palaye's tour?"

"Absolutely not..."

"And we conclude that you appreciate their music...?"

"And how! Sebastian is a God to me!"

"Oh ok we see!"

The three of us start to giggle. She seems to appreciate them just as much as we do. This only reinforces the idea that she will stick perfectly to the band. With a simple glance at my best friend, we agree to tell her that she's now our official bass player. As we have a little time before Carole arrives, we decide to play a few songs together. And the alchemy between us is awesome.

The clock is ticking, and at 8 pm, Carole enters the room while we're in a trance with our instruments. We interrupt our song to greet her. We make the presentations between the two girls.

We spend the rest of the evening fixing the details of the next few days, while having a drink together. We'll have to work hard for the next fifteen days, while balancing our free time with our work, and Carole's summer job. But all of that doesn't scare us. As the conversation progresses, we decide to agree on a band name. And unanimously, it's DÉSOBÉISSANCE who suits us the most, straight inspired by the world of our favorite bands who were apart from their music, also very known to disobey and did whatever they wanted.

And like that, the band was born. Even if for the moment, it doesn't aim to last over time, the idea of ​​creating new compositions, new riffs, excites me at the highest point. I just have to tell my boss and my parents about it... But that's another story.

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