My World of 1x1s discussion

Name: Jared Richards
Age: 20
Occupation: Bassist
Appearance:

Personality: Jared is a laidback and easygoing individual who's intensity shines through solely during performances. He is a gifted songwriter and composer and is the creative genius behind his band, more than happy to be the one in the background since his bandmates prefer the limelight. Jared doesn't crave front and center of the stage, but when it is given to him, he can hold his own in it. He is subtly intelligent and enjoys the company of a good book, sometimes more so than that of his growing groupies.
History: Jared didn't grow up thinking that he'd play the bass; he liked music class and when his buddies wanted to form a band in high school, he volunteered to play that instrument because no one else really wanted to. Surprisingly, he fell in love with it and couldn't imagine playing in any other role. When he moved to L.A. from Minnesota, he missed his old band and decided to look for one locally to see if there was a need for a bassist. The one he is currently with has been together for nine months and they have amassed enough of a following to finally start touring.

Name: Jocelyn "Jay" LaCasse
Age: 22
Occupation: Percussionist
Appearance:

Personality: Jay is a woman intensely focused on what she wants and she will never back down from a challenge. Her outlandish attitude often draws unwanted attention, but she has become accustomed to using the diva persona to her advantage. Under her tough girl facade lies the wounded pride of a struggling young woman in a position dominated by men. While Jay is endlessly grateful to find herself in female company professionally, her aggressive tendencies often make it hard for her to connect with other females and she spends a large portion of her time in the rougher company of men. However, that doesn't mean she can't handle them like a woman.
History: Jay was born in Austin, Texas where every street corner is dominated by an endless musical competition. She took up the sticks at an early age and never stopped hitting things, perhaps a habit inspired by her rarely sober father. Raised by a single dad, Jay never really understood the frills of feminism. When her high school sweet heart invited her to join him and his band, their soft grunge sound won the Austin crowd in heartbeat, but it was far too tame for her. After a bad break up, she left "The Hiss" to find her own way and met her match on the wilder LA scene.

Name: Damien Locke
Age: 19
Occupation: Guitarist
Appearance:

Personality: Damien is hot shit and he knows it. He works the brooding guitarist routine as effectively as a wounded puppy and can turn a crowd like a tuning knob. What may actually be on his mind is rarely seen, and while the wayward artist certainly enjoys hedonistic delights, he refuses quite adamantly to partake in the use of substances that would strip him of his state of control. He is perfectly down with polyamorous relations because - more often than not - people bore him. However, give him a beer and his band mates and he'll go days without sleep.
History: Surprisingly enough, Damien's first introduction to the world of music was the required study of classical piano. Under the wing of an old fashioned, oil money family he was tutored in the instrumental arts. However, he quickly tired of the stuffy, regimental notes and pursued jazz in order to free himself from familial pressure. Only after joining the band did he truly conform to his current style, a mix that he has yet to define, but seems to appeal enough to the fans. He turned down a one way ticket to Juilliard in order to tour with the band, a decision that continues to eat at his gut from time to time.

Name: April Hill
Age: 18
Occupation: Singer
Appearance:

Personality: Vivacious and talented, April was born to be on stage. She has that je ne sais quoi quality that many singers--even ones possessing amazing voices--lack when on stage. She has that "it" factor that even Simon Cowell would be inclined to agree makes April capture the audience with both her spirit and her gift of song (although he might disapprove of her genre). She enjoys attention and being in the limelight, and makes friends easily, although there are only a few that she would call very close friends--her bandmates now being on the top of her list. She is a huge flirt, but rarely gives more than relentless teasing, which has caused many boys frustration and anger.
History: Born in a small town on the outskirts of L.A. and raised by a single dad (her mother died of cancer when she was just a baby), April has always been treated like a princess by her father. He always told her that she could do whatever she wanted and she believed it. She joined the glee club in high school, sang for her choir and when she tried out at a few local talent shows, she received positive reviews from the crowd. This has encouraged her to pursue a career as a singer, and although there were many upstarts eager to have her, she chose the one that she is currently with for their female drummer (April was the last edition and has been with them for seven months).

April was in seventh heaven. Their show had been absolutely amazing, the energy of the crowd feeding directly into the band’s performance, which in turn fueled the foursome to execute stunningly. Their ovation had been a standing one and although they were usually very in sync, tonight, it felt like they had stepped it up a notch on that ladder yet again. Heading back towards their trailer now, April was practically skipping with joy on her massive platform and buckled boots that hugged her fishnetted legs tightly, smiling brightly as she relived the rush of adrenaline that always hit her when on stage. “Guys,” she gushed excitedly to her bandmates, “that was great! That last song!” she sighed, turning back to face them as she continued to walk backwards, her lace skirt flaring slightly with her movement as her bright red tresses pushed forward with the cool breeze that was flowing through the warm L.A. night.

“It was great,” Jared agreed, smiling as he shouldered the strap of his bass guitar, always subconscious that it might fall off. His instrument was the most expensive thing he owned and he did not want anything happening to it. Lifting his free hand, he combed his fingers through his somewhat unruly dirty blond hair and added, “You sang it beautifully, April,” before turning to view his other two bandmates, grinning at them with light, boyish charm. “We need to celebrate,” he told them all, realizing then that he was starving and could go for some pizza and beer.

Damien nodded his agreement, hooking his fingers into his front jean pockets and offering a signature grin. "I'd say a performance like that merits more than one kind of celebration," he offered. His gaze flicked back to meet the line of groupies at the edge of the scene, then the three others alongside him. He seconded Jared's compliment with an easy nod and flashed his dimples at the enthusiastic young red head in front of them. "I've never felt more wild than when I'm playing under your vocals."

Jay couldn't agree more. The beat of the song was caught in her throat as they walked, her mind lost to a reflection of their music. Where April's role in the band was hinged on hype, the drums required Jay to surrender her entire body to the beat and standing from the stage was like waking from a dream. However, April was always there to lift her from the daze. With a sardonic smile, she drew a pack of Pall Mall smokes from the rear pocket of her ripped jeans and tapped it on her thigh, sliding a pair of cigarettes from the box. "You're living in the limelight, April Showers," she said, her crimson lips marking the paper.

"Who smokes that shit anymore, Jessie?" Damien's rich voice came without warning from her other side, accompanied by an open lighter. Had she not already been accustomed to his invasive behavior, the flicker might have startled her, but she simply replied with a stern glare and leaned forward to light her cigarette. "Me and my fans, asshole." She then lit the second off of her own and offered it to Jared, returning to the topic at hand before Damien could respond. "Whadda ya have in mind?"

A faint flush dusted her alabaster cheekbones at the compliments that she received from the three people she considered to be her best friends, and grinning, April side stepped the smoke that came from Jay's cigarette before replying, "Let's get dressed up and go out!" she suggested, her silvery-grey eyes flitting over to the gathering crowd that were watching the band head towards their temporary living space. "I want to dance," the singer told her friends as she brought herself to stand by Damien's side, away from the two smokers. She had to protect her voice after all; it was going to be her money-maker.

With a silent "thank you" conveyed by a lazy grin, Jared accepted the smoke from Jay and bringing it to his lips for a long drag, he replied only after his puff, "Well, dancing could be fun," he began, "but I'm just as cool with spending the night chilling, maybe with a few of them still hanging around," he suggested, laughing lightly at the pout that formed on April's ruby red lips. "But I'm cool with whatever," he assured the other three, just as happy to bend his will and plans to those of stronger dispositions in the group.

Damien was never one to forgo a good party and he was well practiced in the art of going sleepless, so when his reply came it was one of no surprise to any party. "Save me a dance and it's a deal, April girl." One of his arms looped around her waist to tug her close as he spoke, and he took ahold of her hand to spin her out again with a masculine grace. Rather then letting her fall away from him completely, he then continued to movement to place them just a second ahead the rising cloud of smoke. It was one of many accommodations he made without thinking and in order to draw attention away from its implications, he tilted his head to peer back at the others behind a mop of loose dark locks. "What about you, Miss Pall Mall? It's been a while since I saw you in anything resembling a dress."

Jay raised her cigarette to her lips once more, silently buying herself a moment of contemplation. She was certainly as rowdy as the next girl and a good night out would put the perfect end to a perfect night, but with the parties came the people and with the people came the publicity. If she wasn't carried out by a six foot bouncer, everyone would pin her up as soft and she didn't know if she had the energy for that. And then there was Jared, who would hardly even dance under duress. Finishing her long drag, she exhaled through tight lips in the fashion featured by art school cinematography and "Spooning with Beowulf" promos. "I could go for a dance," she replied, "But I'm not up for all the bullshit that comes with... If you two are about to lose your pants over the opportunity, I'll go. But no promises." It was as good a gift as she could give, seeing as the prospect of staying back would break up their the perfect four person sync. Even if she and Jared kept to the trailer, it wasn't as though anything would happen. If anything, she'd end up drunk and spilling her sorrows, which wasn't exactly the most flattering of scenarios.

Before she could reply with a harmlessly flirtatious response of her own, April was in Damien's arms, trying desperately to remember her footing as she silently relished the feeling of his hands on her. She couldn't help but let out a girlish giggle, cursing herself inwardly for acting like she was still in high school, thanking the good lord for small miracles as she effortlessly kept their rhythm with her feet and only when she was sure that she could reply without her voice shaking, she asked in response to Jay's question, "No bullshit, but I will lose my shit if you don't come!"

With the cigarette still dangling from between his fore and middle finger, Jared nudged their drummer playfully as he said to her, "In a dress? 'Cause I think that was what Damien wanted to know," with a teasing glimmer in his light brown eyes that showed more mirth than would have been expected had she not shown just how much that idea bothered her.

"Yes, in a dress!" April piped in. "You can borrow anything from me," she told her girlfriend, meeting Damien's gaze then with a conspiratorial grin. April had a lot of dresses.

"I own a few, but I sure as hell am not going to stuff all this into a tiny little thing for you to laugh at," Jay replied, crossing her arms and flicking hot ash from the bud of her cigarette to emphasize her seriousness.

The grin on Damien's lips grew wolfish at the her reply and he swung an arm over April's shoulder in order to express his agreement with her stance. "You're just not woman enough, are you?" he taunted. If a shot at her pride wouldn't get Jay moving, nothing would and they all knew her well enough to guess at where the conversation was headed. "Fuck you. I can wear whatever I want, I just don't need your skeevy eyes all over me." While she went for another drag, Damien took the opportunity to gain the upper hand. "What makes you think I'd be looking at you of all people?" he asked, arching a brow to theatric effect.

Jay wasn't about to humor any of Damien's teenage fantasies if she could help it, and she sure as hell wouldn't be caught dead showing skin in L.A. But then there was April with her imploring gaze, and the spot on her ribs where Jared had nudged her, and the hum in the pit of her stomach after a good performance. Maybe Damien needed a quick lesson in respect. The smirk she threw back at the boys was just as sharp as Damien's ever was. "You will be," she said. Then, having secured the final word, she huffed past the guitarist to take April by the hand and lead her into their trailer.

April let out a surprised yip as she was torn from Damien's embrace, made to follow Jay's much longer strides as she tried to keep up in her platform boots. "See you guys in a bit!" she waved cheerfully to the boys as she clung to her friend's hand, her long fire engine red curls bouncing slightly as she picked up her pace. "Did you see the look on their faces?" she laughed, grinning at Jay. "That was amazing, Joce, but you really will wear a dress, right?" she asked, hoping that the drummer wasn't just bluffing as she pushed open the door of their trailer and entered the back to where the two girls slept.

***

Lowering his head after watching with amusement as Jay dragged young April off in a huff, Jared shook his head as he chuckled and said to his remaining bandmate, "You're incorrigible, you know that?" Damien knew just how to get underneath their drummer's skin and what was worse: he loved doing it. Although Jared couldn't say that he was innocent--after all, he had just helped with the goading. "Serves you right if she comes outta there and you can't keep your eyes off of her," the bassist warned their talented guitarist as they followed the women at a slower, more leisurely pace towards their trailer. Taking one last puff of his smoke, Jared then flicked it onto the ground, grinding out the embers completely as he passed it with his foot.

Jay tossed her cigarette into the sink as they entered the trailer, releasing April's wrist to open the door to the girls' small personal section. "Are you kidding? Like I'd let that self absorbed little..." She trailed off as she rummaged through a nonsensical pile of laundry, only exacerbating the living situation by doing so. "Have you seen my-" Again, before the thought was finished, she stopped to cross the trailer and open a drawer, pushing aside a pile of undergarments to reveal the holy grail of untouched clothing. The neatly folded pile had clearly hadn't been touched during the tour, if ever. With a flourish, Jay removed a sleek black piece from the stack and held it up for April to see. "This is the one," she said, the grin on her face like a Cheshire cat's. Then, before any commentary could be given, she hustled out of her torn stage clothes and slipped it over her head.

(view spoiler)[Jay' dress:
(hide spoiler)]

***

Damien raked his hand through his hair, offering an emphasized shrug in response to the bassist's words. "That wouldn't be much of a punishment. And, hey. Don't act like you aren't just as curious." As the pair reached the small awning over trailer's doorway, he elbowed Jared with a conspiratorial grin. The guy could sell himself as a deep, contemplative soul, but Damien knew better than to think that the bassist was above checking out a woman. And the women they worked with were certainly worth the effort. "You want a beer?" he asked. "Public drinking isn't my thing."

April giggled softly at Jay's unfinished sentence, thinking that she could have finished it for her, the drummer's small tiffs with Damien so common, it was like background music for her and Jared. Turning to her own closet where she had elected to hang her clothes in the small living quarters, April paused by her multitude of dresses as she thought about what she'd wear. Technically, she could have gone dancing in what she was wearing, but when she wasn't on stage, she tended to tone down the goth rather than amplify it. Her fingers dusted lightly pass each dress that she mentally shook her head to, when it finally made up its mind and she plucked one out to change into. Lots of leg room to move around in a flared skirt. At Jay's last comment, April glanced over to where her friend was holding up an outfit that made her gasp with delight. "Oh, Joce, that's perfect! You will look so beautiful!" she predicted as she clasped her hands together and grinned happily.

April's dress:
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

***

"No, I'm not above it," Jared replied with a chuckle, "but she isn't gonna hold it over my head like she will for you," he predicted as he leaned himself against the trailer's metal frame, his guitar strap still securely over his shoulder although he was careful not to lean on it. "A beer sounds great," he replied with a nod of thanks as he added, "Yeah, I've noticed. Why is that anyway? Afraid to lose control?" he asked, knowing that Damien wouldn't take offense to his questioning, being as close as they were. Plus his role as the unofficial shrink of the group seemed to have caught on like wildfire and the other members told Jared things they wouldn't have necessarily tried to tell each other, which was totally cool with the bassist.

Damien opened the door to the trailer and stepped inside ahead of Jared, making his way to the fridge of their little kitchenette as they talked. "I don't need that kind of heat. Sure, losing control looks great when people like you do it, but there is no way for me to know what's going on when I'm like that, y'know?" He dove in and pulled out a pair of Bud Lights, opening his before tossing the opener and the second flippantly to the bassist. "I'm explaining this all wrong..." His frustration showed in the downward quirk of his lip, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. I'm afraid to lose control. Weird thing for a hard core musician to say, huh? You're one to talk. I don't remember ever seeing you lose your shit."

***

Jay tugged the torn black fabric down over her thighs, not uncomfortable with the hugging sensation of the dress, but not altogether enthused either. She bit her lip and paused to look down at her bare legs. "This had better be worth it," she pronounced, turning abruptly to face the small mirror on top of their dresser. Even when she did wear dresses, Jay wasn't in the habit of fawning over them, so when she saw her reflection it took a moment for her to register its identity. The woman in the mirror was certainly attractive, but when she tried to put her mind in that body, it seemed like the most ridiculous thing in the world. So she took a breath, turned to the singer, and walked across to draw a pair of strappy black shoes from the bottom of the closet. Platforms and heels she could handle. They were a daily addition to the band's edgy appearance. It was the brush of air along her legs as she put them on that concerned her. "April, I don't know why you ever bother with dresses. You'd look just as gorgeous without them," she advised with a lopsided smile.

Completely comfortable with undressing and dressing in front of each other, April didn't even give it a second thought as she began the long process of unbuckling her PVC corset, leaving herself topless before she retrieved a bra from one of her drawers to hook on. She then unzipped her lace skirt in the back, peeled off her tights after tugging off her platform boots before slipping into her black dress. Preening from the compliment that Jay bestowed upon her, April laughed and replied, "Thanks, doll, but I don't do it for others so much as I like to do it for myself, ya know?" Yes, she liked attention from the opposite sex, but she was a fashionmonger for her own girly reasons--of course, it didn't hurt to be admired. "Zip me up?" she asked sweetly as she closed the distance between them on her bare feet, presenting Jay with her back as she lifted her bright red locks up and away from her neck.

***

The bassist placed his instrument down in another room before joining his bandmate, ever careful not to leave it in harm's way. "There isn't much for me to lose control of," Jared revealed as he sat himself down, catching both items that Damien hurled his way even though he didn't need the bottle opener. He popped the top off with his bare hands and raised his bottle to his friend before taking a much appreciative sip. He processed the guitarist's words in a brief moment of silence before offering, "No, it's not weird. You have an image to uphold," he told Damien as he took another sip. "But I'm not sure what you mean by 'when people like me' do it?" he added, raising his brows in inquisition as he waited for his friend to take a seat opposite him at the small built-in table for four. There was no accusation in his tone; simply curiosity.

"Oh, come on man. The cool, collected bassist finally lets loose. Fans will eat up all the emotion they can get from you," Damien scoffed, pulling out a chair to sit across from his friend. He looked down into his drink for a moment, his brows knitting together as he contemplated the prospect of losing himself. "They think they know all there is to know about me. And even if it weren't for the fans, I'm not all that hyped about waking up one morning with selective amnesia. " In a decisive motion, he lifted the bottle to his lips. "Besides, it's not like we can afford any of the good stuff. I know we don't talk much about life before..." He made an expansive gesture, "this. But honestly, the alcohol we keep around here is shit."

***

Jay reached out to pull the black fabric together over April's ivory skin, zipping the back closed effortlessly. "I think I kind of get it. Only when I do shit for myself, it isn't fashion. It's smoking that god awful brand, or even bitching at Damien. I've got this hardcore image, but I really just do what I want." The thought made her chuckle nervously. She wasn't as comfortable under the limelight as April, but as long as she presented herself honestly, that was all that would ever be expected of her. She just didn't trust herself not to seriously fuck up someday soon. "Come on. Grab some shoes before the boys get too drunk to go out and this dress is totally wasted," she said. Then she walked around April to stand by the door and get a good look at her from the front. The singer was as adorable as ever, but Jay decided that her ego had already been fluffed enough for one evening.

April smiled in response to Jay's comment, and nodded her head when she realized that the drummer couldn't see her expression as she replied, "Fans and haters are always gonna make judgments about people like us, and like my dad says, 'so long as you know who the real you is, who cares what others think?'" It was a kind of mantra she had to repeat to herself daily, because the more famous they became, the harder it was to google stuff about herself and find negativity where she didn't think it was called for. "Coming," she replied as she selected a pair of golden strappy heels to slide onto her dainty feet, and as she passed Jay, she leaned forward and gave her a sisterly peck on the cheek before whispering, "Don't worry: your secret is safe with me," giggling at the surprised expression on her bandmate's face as she skipped out of their room ahead of her.

***

Jared laughed with amusement at Damien's statement and quipped, "Is that how you perceive me? A Lord Byron just waiting to burst forth?" he asked before he took another swig of his beer. The fact that he came off as mysterious was surprising even to the bassist who really viewed himself as an open book. "If anything, I'd say that's your persona," he teased good naturedly before grimacing. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It'll come," he promised concerning their flow of cash. "What with our talent? It's bound to happen," he reasoned.

The sound of heels down the hall of their trailer shifted Jared's attention and when the two girls walked in, he smiled at them and said, "You two are far too lovely to be our groupies. You must have the wrong trailer," he teased, lacing his compliment with humor to see if he could make them blush. Scooting in, Jared patted the spot that he had just vacated for one of the girls to sit down in. "We're having pre-beer," he told them. "Grab one."

It took Damien a moment to recognize Jay's dress as she exited in the wake of their singer, but when he took in the length of her legs, he thanked the good lord his lips were closed around the beer bottle. She humored Jared's compliment with little quirk of a smile and arched a brow at Damien as she slipped through the small space to grab a pair of beverages. "I still don't get the point of drinking before we even leave the place," she said, taking her place next to Jared in the recently vacated seat. "It's a waste of alcohol and does nothing but get you drunk quicker." She popped open the pair of drinks and slid one across the small table to April.

Damien replied to her remark with a sarcastic grin, his hackles raised by her entrance. She knew all too well that he'd seen that dress before. "Some of us prefer to maintain our sanity with sobriety. The art of the pre-beer lies in the absence of the post-beer." With a dramatic flair, he raised his bottle in a mock toast. Then, under the influence of Jared's previous advice, he openly turned his attentions away from the drummer and to the rest of the table. "Tonight was just like Seattle. I'm thinking we could be looking at big money if we keep hitting this sort of hype. Not to mention that woman in the back..." Jay rolled her eyes and tilted her head back for a drawn out drink as Damien returned again once again to the subject of women, but before she could commence protest he flashed her a sardonic glance. "Her suit was Ferragamo. How many businesswomen do we typically draw in concert?" he asked pointedly.

Seating herself down with the group after smoothing the flared skirt over her derriere in a ladylike fashion, April accepted the beer that Jay opened for her with a happy smile and before she brought it to her lips for a drink, she clinked the neck of the bottle against her ruby red lips for a much appreciated sip. Nothing like a cold beer after a long afternoon of work. "That's a really good point, Damien," the singer concurred with a nod of her bright red head. "The problem with most bands is that their music only appeals to certain groups of people, whereas if our thing is that we can make ourselves popular with all types, we've got another thing going!"

"Or it's possible she was only there because she won free tickets to the event," Jared pointed out sardonically, ever the voice of reason. He quickly added, "Though the fact that she stayed for the entire show--now, that's 'cause of us," he declared. "She did stay for the whole thing, Damien?" the bassist asked; clearly his bandmate had had his eye on the woman. Jared, himself, hadn't really been paying attention, having lost himself in the music.

"She was taking notes in this little black book," Damien offered, leaning back in his seat. "It may be my ego talking, but I wouldn't be surprised if we get a very persuasive call in the near future." The band had never set out with a goal in their sights; they had never expected to become famous, but the the closer they grew to stardom and the more they bathed in the limelight, the more Damien found himself hungry for it. If they were about to get a record deal, their careers could skyrocket. He had considered keeping quiet about the prospect, fearing that he might be wrong, but decided it was something worth noting either way.

Jay lifted her bottle to her lips once more and finished the drink, eager to get out of the rickety trailer they called home. "Hold your horses, Damien. It's more likely that woman was a white collar journalist who came to dig up the dirt on the latest musical offense to the Christian faith." The drummer was certainly familiar with social backlash, and was more inclined to assume that others were applying negative judgement. That way, the only surprises she ever received were of the pleasant variety.

"I wish there was a way for us to contact her," April sighed somewhat wistfully as she took a small sip of her beer, having never been a fast drinker. "I mean, it's great to sit here and make assumptions, but unless we speak to her, we'll never know what she wanted."

Glancing down at his now empty bottle, Jared spun it with his skilled fingers, the glass rotating lightly on the table. "If it was meant to be, it will be," he said simply. "We won't chase because we won't sell out, but that doesn't mean that if we can catch a deal we won't take it." He was used to being the voice of reason among them, balancing out April and Damien's eager optimism with Jay's experienced pessimism, but sometimes his realism came off as unmotivated even to his own ears. He hoped that that by now the band knew him well enough to understand that he only wanted what was best for everyone.

Damien gave a slight nod in response to the bassist's words. Worrying after the white collared woman wouldn't do anything for them now, especially while there was fun to be had. "Well then. I think I'm about ready to hit the road," he declared, tossing his his bottle across the room to the small rubbish bin by their sink. He then brushed off his already stainless shirt with a practiced bravado stood to pull out April's chair for her. The action seemed rather out of place in their four room trailer, but he enjoyed the irony of courtship among clutter.

Jay stood as well, taking the three remaining bottles from the table with her to the trash. "Let's get this over with then." They produced a hollow clinking sound as she tossed them, not an unfamiliar clamor. Turning, she scoffed lightly to see Damien offer an arm to April and when he glanced back as though to offer her the other, she slid past the others to wait at the door. "Do I look like I need an escort tonight?" she asked.

April, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying the attention from their very hot guitarist, and after an exaggerated courtesy followed by a happy grin, the singer placed her hand on Damien's arm, allowing him to lead the way as she grimaced inwardly at Jay's reaction, hoping that she hadn't overstepped any bounds that she was unaware of. Jay would have told her in confidence if she had a thing for Damien, right? She was under the impression they were very close to BFFs and she hoped that the drummer felt the same.

Chuckling lightly at the slight mellow drama that had just occurred, ever amused by the temperamental moods that swirled around their foursome, Jared slipped his hands comfortably into his pockets and quickened his stride to catch up to Jay, leaving Damien and April to lock up. "Walk any faster and you're gonna give us a very nice rear view," he teased as he fell into step beside the drummer, grinning, eyes alight with mirth as he waited to be scolded by their huffing bandmate.

"Then why don't you get back to where the show is and leave me alone," Jay quipped in reply. Although her words were harsh, her tone had lightened substantially as her distance from Damien increased. She was an explosive sort of girl - she always had been - and nothing got under her skin like a little bit of competition. However, it wasn't her temper that bothered people so much as her refusal to apologize. Jay's head held no room for regrets. Her lips longed desperately for another drag, but she calmed herself with the assurance that soon enough she would be too tipsy to care and matched her strides to Jared's.

After leading April out of the trailer, Damien locked the door behind them and then spun the keys once around his finger before slipping them into his ragged jean pocket. He held a certain measure of pride in keeping them on his person; their presence granted him an authority that none of his band mates would ever have willingly conceded. Offering April his signature lopsided grin, the guitarist started after the pair ahead of them. "Do you think she even knows where she's going?" he asked. They had been in the area for a while and there were plenty of clubs and bars nearby, but Jay was notoriously poor with directions. As they turned out onto the Main Street, he hoped that their bassist would keep them on the right track.

Had he been anyone else, he may have been offended by Jay's snarky comeback; since he was Jared though, he was more than capable of figuring out that she was more bark than bite. "Because if I left you alone, you'd be even more pissed," he countered calmly, knowing it would make her even more annoyed that he could see through her facade. "I tease, Jay," he added after a heartbeat, knowing she'd never back down--plus it made him happy to make others happy and winning made their drummer ecstatic. "First round's on me," he said to her as a peace offering as they walked.

"I'm not sure," April shrugged lightly as she then proceeded to yell out, "Hey! Jay! Where are you going?" laughing lightly as she ran her friend's possible answers through her head. Turning back to the guitarist, she flashed him a charming smile and a quick flip of her hair flirtatiously as if to say, You're welcome.

Jay bumped playfully into the bassist as they walked, feigning annoyance in response to his candid remarks. She had been about to blurt out a snarky reply when she was interrupted by April. Although she assumed that the vocalist was making fun of her, there was little she cared to do about it at the time. "Pick a bar," she called back to the pair behind her. "You can't throw a stick in this city without hitting somewhere with alcohol." And true enough, as they made their way down the main street the neon signs of bars and clubs had already begun to light up the night.

A low chuckle rumbled up from Damien's throat as the girls shouted back and forth. It seemed that the women in his life were never soft spoken and, at this point in time, he wouldn't have it any other way. "Was there anywhere you had in mind, April Showers?" he inquired. Even though Damien had left behind a moneyed life to tour with his band, he had retained some minimal standards. Unlike Jay, he wouldn't settle for just any place in the middle of the street. There was a certain sort of flash required to spark his interest.

Tapping her chin playfully with a brightly painted red nail, April pursed her lips as she feigned thought before replying, "Why don't you decide, Damian? You know way more about how to have fun than any of us." She knew that the guitarist had way more experience than she did and besides, asking for his advise would cater to his ego. April may have been young, but she knew the ins and outs of getting men to like her, and she wasn't so foolish as to ignore her charming disposition. "I just want to let go and have fun tonight," she sighed, her step taking a small hop as she smiled. And by "fun", she meant "drunk."

Sighing inwardly, Jared realized they probably wouldn't be going anywhere low-key if April or Damian picked. He knew that dancing and lots of shots and screaming girls were now going to be involved. But that was okay, he told himself. As long as he was with his friends, he'd be happy with going anywhere. "You realize what you've just done?" he chuckled lightly to Jay, sure that she had heard April's reply to Damian as well. Damian was surely going to choose a place that was officially not to Jay's liking.