Unexpected (MxM) (Completed)

Chapter Two- Eclipse

Chapter Two-

Moth

"You guys sounded much better today which is good because I have a surprise for you," Gwen announces as we finish up playing the last song from the packet she gave us. "Drumroll please."

Caspian twirls his drumsticks dramatically before tapping on the drums, giving some suspense to Gwen's announcement.

"I got us a gig!"

My eyes widen as a smile spreads across my face. It's such a good feeling knowing that people want to hear our music. "Really? That's amazing! Where at?"

"This little bar downtown. It's called Venice and Verona. They do live music on Saturday nights, and this Saturday is all us."

Caspian snorts as he jams his drumsticks into his pocket. "What's the catch?"

Gwen sighs and flops down on the couch between Frankie and me. "Well, they want a band that has a keyboard player which means we have to go through the submission tapes and pick someone today. If not, there's no way we'll have enough time to teach them the songs."

I make Gwen switch spots with me as Jonis groans. "We have to pick someone today?"

"That sucks. We only got  six submissions so far. We just put out the flier yesterday. What if none of them are good?" I try to keep my frown as Frankie leans on me, but I feel my lips pulling upward. I look away from him and back at Gwen. She should've known better than to sign us up for something we can't handle. She's always doing this. "If we're going to play somewhere, we have to be at our best. Not with some new person who barely knows our songs."

"Well, that's the other thing. They're only going to let us play two original songs and the rest has to be covers, which is great because the keyboardist might know the songs already."

That gets snorts, scoffs, and other noises of disapproval from everyone. I glare at her and turn toward her. "Eclipse isn't a cover band."

"Eclipse is what it needs to be to get noticed. This could get us more recognition. Look, nobody takes high school bands seriously, and they never will if we don't make them."

"So your solution is to play for a bunch of people who don't even want to hear our music?"

I hate playing covers. I'm sure the other members feel the same as me, but my music is my art. It comes from my heart and I pour myself into everything I play. Playing covers is like trying to take someone else's art and act like it's your own.

People who want to hear us play should want to hear us play our songs. Unless, of course, they don't want Eclipse. They just need some people with instruments to entertain a crowd.

She stands up and looks at all of us to argue more. "They will like our music, but not until they can make the connection between us and some of their favorite bands. Who cares if we have to play covers this time?"

I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest. "I do because this time will turn into the next time and the time after that. We put too much of ourselves into the songs we write and the music we play to throw it away just to play songs that mean nothing to us. Our music isn't as good if it isn't coming from a personal place, and I'd feel like a fraud performing someone else's songs."

"If you can't accept that playing someone else's songs on stage for real people is better than playing our songs in this basement for nobody then you don't have our best interest in mind. You aren't the whole band, Moth. We should at least take a vote."

"Fine but Frankie and Cory get to vote too because Jonis is always going to side with you."

"No, I don't!" He argues, but when Gwen glares at him, he shrugs. "Okay, maybe I do."