Chapter 9: Champaign High

            “Scott, you’re the coolest guy in the world for offering to take us in your car. No wonder I love you so much,” Chance said from the passenger’s seat of Scott’s SUV.

            “You’re little Vet was way too small for all of us to fit. Now if you had a Navigator, like me, you wouldn’t have this kind of problem, would you?” Scott replied, looking over at Chance and smiling.

            “If I wanted a Navigator, I would have gotten on. But I don’t like big cars. I like to have something small enough to fit me and someone else, so I won’t have to be giving out rides like you graciously do,” she answered. Her hand moved over to his on the steering wheel.

            Darren sat in the back and looked on as if he were a bystander. Every time Chance was with Scott, she seemed to forget that anyone was even there. That was probably the only fault that Darren could find with her. Besides, what could he do about them, they were young and in love. He could remember himself at that age. He used to be the same way, ignoring everyone and everything when he was with his girl. He completely understood, even though he didn’t like it.

            “Don’t forget, we have to pick Dan up from the hotel,” Darren finally piped up from the back.

            “That’s where we’re going next,” Chance reassured him then went back to her conversation with Scott.

            ‘God, this is annoying,’ Darren thought to himself. ‘Why did she have to bring him along? Oh, yeah, they can never really be together because of Brad.’ He rolled his eyes at the thought. ‘Way too Shakespeare.’

            After putting up with them for another half hour, Darren could finally see the lights of New York City in the distance. ‘Finally, someone to talk to.’ He thought.

            Scott turned on the radio to some rock station that was playing “Outside” by Fred Durst and Aaron Lewis. Darren began to feel as if the song completely fit what was going on between him and Chance. He could see deep down into her where no one else was allowed except for him. Not even Scott had been to the places she had taken him.

            Chance suddenly flipped the station before the song was over to something more to her liking, pop music. “Oh! Leanne Rhymes! I love this song,” she voiced. “You can try to resist, try to hide from my kiss, but you know, but you know you that you can’t fight the moonlight. Deep in the dark, you’ll surrender you heart, but you know, but you know, you can’t fight the moonlight. No, you can’t fight it. It’s gonna get to your heart,” Chance sang aloud just as the song was ending.

            There were no more words spoken up until they reached the hotel. Darren got out and said, “I’ll go get Dan.” As he walked outside, her let out a sigh of relief. He walked up the steps of the Plaza Hotel. The doorman let him and he looked out into the foyer for Dan. Darren spotted him sitting on a chair near a potted tree.

            He walked over to him and said, “I’m so glad to see you.”

            Dan looked up at him and replied; “I’ve never seen you so happy to see me in the longest time. What’s gotten into you?”

            “You’ll see when you get into the car,” Darren answered.

            “Hey, what happened to your arm?” Dan asked when he saw Darren in a sling.

            “I got the shit scared out of me and fell onto a wood table. I can see the damage I did to you a few days ago. Your right eye is purple.”

            “Yeah, it hurt like hell when you hit me, but it hasn’t bothered me all day.”

            The two of them walked out of the hotel and went to the car. Darren returned to his spot behind Chance, and Dan sat next to him behind Scott.

            “Hey, oh, man, your eye looks bad,” were the first words out of Chance’s mouth. “Is that what Darren did to you?”

            “Yes,” Dan replied.

            “Ouch, must of hurt.”

            “What do you expect?”

            “By the way, Dan, this is my boyfriend, Scott Holland. Scott, this is Daniel Jones,” Chance introduced.

            “Nice to meet you,” Dan said.

            “Here’s the plan,” Chance began to explain. “We’re going to a little restaurant, then we’re going to Rockefeller Center for some ice skating and shopping.”

            “I can’t wait,” he barely expressed, but she didn’t seem to notice. She just turned her attention to Scott.

            “See what I mean?” Darren immediately asked. “At least now I have someone to talk to. It was just horrible the last hour with those two in the front only talking to each other, forgetting that I even existed.”

            Dan laughed. “You can be so difficult sometimes,” he said.

            “So can you,” Darren retaliated.

            “Name one time,” Dan dared.

            “Will you two stop bickering, or do I have to come back there and separate you?” Chance said from the front seat.

            Dan and Darren burst out laughing. “I swear, you two can be so childish,” she added, then started laughing herself.

            “And what about you, miss perfect. You’re the one who caused me to nearly break my arm,” Darren replied.

            “That was a pure accident. I didn’t think you would hit the table. I already said I was sorry,” Chance announced. “The only funny part about that was the way you looked as you jumped back about three feet in absolute horror. It was so funny to see your face. Too bad I didn’t have a camera. That would have made a great photo.”

            “You scared him shitless?” Dan asked Chance.

            “Oh, yeah! Darren turned white as a ghost. It was so funny.”

            “Hey, we’re here,” Scott said as he parked the car. Everyone got out and walked into the little café on the corner of the street. It was a cozy little place called Restivo Ristorante with the tables far apart from each other and plenty of room to accommodate everyone. Darren already liked it. This was the perfect place to go if you didn’t want people listening to your conversation, or even recognizing who you were.

            “Who chose this place?” Dan asked.

            “I did,” Chance proudly responded.

            “Nice choice,” he added.

            “Thanks.” A waiter sat the group at a boot in the front of the restaurant by the windows.

            Later that evening after the drinks and the meal, a light conversation had begun between Chance and Dan. She leaned against Scott as they talked about her music. Dan was particularly interested in the fact that she could play guitar.

            “So, how long have you been playing?” he asked.

            “About six years now. I started way back in grade school during a course in music at my junior high school. It was really easy for me to pick it up and learn the basics. I moved quickly to the hard stuff and stayed after school everyday to learn as much as I could. I soon started writing my own music, which is also when I discovered I could sing. My parents let me take voice lessons to improve my gift, and that’s how I got to where I am today,” Chance explained. She took a sip of her Coke and put it back down on the table.

            “That is truly amazing. We should get together and jam some time, you on guitar and me on piano. I wonder what we could come up with,” Dan replied.

            “That sounds like fun. We could go into the studio and record a few tracks while we’re at it. I told you my parents owned a studio, right?” she asked.

            “Yeah, I overheard you and Darren talking about it at MTV a few days ago. That sounds like fun though. I’d like to see what we could come up with.”

            “We should go now. I have a need to express myself,” Chance said as she sat up from Scott’s shoulder. “Baby, let’s go to the studio for a little while. I wanna lay down a few tracks with Dan.”

            “But I thought we were going to go ice skating over at Rockefeller Center,” Scott whined.

            “We’ll go later. I just have this urge to write a song. Wouldn’t you like to hear me sing to you?” Chance said, her hand creeping over his chest.

            “Okay, we’ll go,” he finally gave in. Darren could see that they both had each other on short leashes. He rolled his eyes at the site and turned his head to watch the people walk past the window.

            The waiter came and they paid for what then had ordered then left the little place for the studio. It was a relatively short drive, and when they arrived, Darren hopped out first to check the place out. He immediately recognized it as Unique Recording, the one place that he had dreamed of working at.

            “Your parents owned this studio?” he turned to Chance and asked.

            “Yeah,” she said.

            “You parents owned the biggest studio name in New York? Oh, my God. You know how long I’ve been on the waiting list for this place?” Darren replied.

            “You were on the waiting list?” Chance questioned. “No way! I can’t believe it. Why didn’t my dad tell me that you had applied to record here? I could have gotten you in the day you asked.”

            “Holy shit! I can’t believe that your parents owned this place. It’s just too much for me to actually be here. I don’t know if I should just thank you or get down on my knees and kiss your feet,” he praised. He hugged Chance and went inside.

            “When he finds a toy that he likes, he gets this way,” Dan said as he came up alongside her.

            Chance laughed and walked into the studio.

            “Is it true that Metallica recorded here?” Dan asked.

            “Yeah,” Chance said. “Are you gonna freak out like Darren?”

            “No, I’m not that nuts,” he answered. Then he added, “Holy shit!”

            “What the fuck?”

            “Sorry, I had to do that. It’s just one of those weird things.”

            “Oh…”

            Chance walked into Studio A to see that Darren was already pestering one of the techs working on equipment. She couldn’t help but smile at his curiosity. “Darren,” she called. “Leave the poor guy alone. He’s got work to do.”

            “This is the coolest studio I’ve ever been too. I’m like a kid in a candy shop. It’s incredible, all this equipment is the best there is,” he nearly began to squeak.

            “This isn’t the best we have to offer. Follow me,” Chance said as he led the group down the hall to Studio C. “This was my father’s pride and joy. It’s mine now, and only the best is recorded here,” she informed him.

            Chance stepped into the booth and picked up her guitar. “Hey Dan, get in here and lets jam. We’re not here to just look,” she called to him.

            Dan stepped into the booth behind the piano and hit the keys a few times getting a feel for them and the sound they produced. More than satisfied with the quality of the music, he began to play things off the top of his head.

            “Darren, you know how to work the console, right?” Chance asked before she started to play.

            “Yeah, but I’m gong to need some help. My arm’s in a sling and I can’t handle everything by myself,” Darren answered.

            “Scott, could you help Darren?” she said.

            “Sure,” Scott replied and sat down in one the chairs at the console.

            “You know how to work this?” Darren asked him.

            “Yeah. I’ve worked here for months now. I know everything about this place, especially the boards. It’s like second nature to me,” Scott said turning his attention to Chance and Dan. He turned on all the necessary equipment and closed the door to the booth. Scott closed the door to the studio and turned on the “In Use” light outside.

            Darren was impressed. ‘I didn’t know a jock could be so smart,’ he thought.

            “Ready in there?” Scott asked Dan and Chance.

            Chance gave a thumb up and he began to record everything that happened in the room. Chance started to strum the guitar as Dan played the piano. They didn’t sound in sync, but after a few minutes, they were playing great melodies together. Chance started to hum a tune that she had been working in for a while.

            “I remember a long time ago, you and I were just friends. Now that bond has grown stronger and I don’t want us to end. Everything seems so out of place. I can’t hold on, but I can’t erase all those feelings I have when I see your face,” Chance sang out her latest song. “All I can give you is my heart and my soul. All I can give you is my love, my counsel. All I can give you is all that I have. And in return I want you back.

            “When I’m in your arms I feel so secure. Your gentle kiss is so simple, so pure. I wanna be with you all the time, but I can’t do that, I’d be out of line. Instead I hope and pray that we could be together someday.” The more that Chance played, the more passionate she became with the song. It was her only release from the daily havoc of life.

            “All I can give you is my heart and my soul. All I can give you is my love, my counsel. All I can give you is all that I have. And in return I want you back,” she sang the chorus again.

            “Don’t hold back. Don’t stop now. Tell me that you love me and I’ll know somehow you’ll be mine and I’ll be yours. When that happens I’ll be forever your girl.”

            Chance sang the chorus one more before finishing the song. She looked up to see Darren sitting amazed in his chair at the console, Scott had a smile on his face, and Dan was looking at her in a strange way.

            “Great cut!” Scott said over the speaker. “I got it all on tape. You sounded great.”

            Chance smiled and breath in deeply trying to keep herself from falling over after such a performance. She looked over to Dan and said, “Your turn.”

            “How about a song we both know?” he suggested.

            “Which one?”

            “’To The Moon & Back,’” Dan answered.

            “Hell yeah!” Chance exclaimed, slapping him a high five. “I’m gonna change the lyrics a little so that I can sing it, okay?” Dan nodded his head to say yes. She loved the guitar solos in the song, which made it her favorite to play. The vocals were pretty good, but in the back of her mind she always thought that they could be better. She switched the acoustic for the electric then said, “We’re ready,” into her mic.

            Scott immediately began to record the next track as Chance began to strum the fist few cords into her guitar. “I'm taking my time making up the reasons to justify all the hurt inside. I think I know from the smiles and the look in their eyes everyone's got a theory 'bout the bitter one. They're saying, ‘Mamma never loved her much,’ and, ‘Daddy never keeps in touch. That's why she shies away from human affection.’ But somewhere in a private place I pack my bags for outer space and now I'm waiting for the right kind of pilot to come. And I'll say to him…

            “I would fly to the moon & back if you'll be... if you'll my baby. Got a ticket to a world where we belong. So would you be my baby?”

            Chance could feel the blood in her veins pump harder as she became completely engrossed in the song.  Her face was turning red, but she didn’t care. Her heart, her soul, was going into that song. She sang the rest of it with her eyes closed, not wanting to see the reaction on everyone’s face during her performance. Chance liked seeing that after she was done. As she finished off the last of the song, she held her head up and saw the same look on each face.

            “Great Chance,” Scott commented. “Take a break, you look exhausted.”

            “It’s because I am,” she said sitting down on the piano chair next to Dan. “Hey, Scott, could you get me some water? I feel dizzy and ready to faint.”

            Scott stood up and rushed out the door to get a bottle of water from the vending machine in the lounge. Chance watched as Dan played a few melodies on the piano. Every touch of a key was so gentle to him. She had never seen such careful work in her life. He looked up at her and smiled.

            “Would you like to join me?” Dan asked, scooting over for her to have a little room to play.

            “I don’t have much experience with a piano, I’ve only played it maybe three times in my whole life,” she replied.

            “Just watch me and do as I do,” he instructed. Dan began to play the music to “I Don’t Know You Anymore.” Chance watched with an eye for detail. She memorized every key he hit and soon was able to join him. They hit the chorus together and Chance began to sing. “I don't know you anymore. I don't recognize this place. The picture frames have changed and so has your name. We don't talk much anymore. We keep running from the pain. But what I wouldn't give to see your face again.”

            Dan stopped playing and just stared at Chance. “I thought you said you never played piano.”

            “I didn’t. You just taught me how to play,” she answered.

            “You’re amazing. You can learn a piece of music by just watching someone play it. That’s unbelievable. I just don’t understand how an orchestra didn’t pick you up. You’re a musical prodigy,” he commented.

            “Well, what would I do in an orchestra? I can’t sing. I can’t play guitar. I can’t do the things I love. This is my calling, not that,” Chance said.

            “Let me be the first to tell you that you’re going to make a fine musician,” Dan replied.

"Forever Your Girl" ©2004 Dmmuzicfan@aol.com. All rights reserved.

Chapter 10: It's Not Easy Tonight

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