High School Days Ch 29 Scene 8: Alan's Night Out

High School Days Ch 29 Scene 8: Alan's Night Out

Scene for October, 2017

Universe: High School Days

Tags: Rat, Hyena, Raccoon, Fox

1,747 words

High School Days Ch 29 Scene 8: Alan's Night Out

Illustration by Kaput

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ARRRRGH fuck it... fuck it! Okay I'm just gonna post this scene, even though its not done! I can't delay any longer. Sorry for the long gap guys...

This happens to me sometimes. I wrote something, and I kind of like it, buuut I also feel its wrong, and I keep editing and re-editing it until I'm behind and indecision just keeps me from posting. Blargh! Anyways, more to come before the end of the month. Probably some images of characetrs and such.

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As Shane sang the lyrics for the third song, Alan let himself fall into the music, something he'd been afraid to do before during the first two songs. When he’d first taken the stage, the rat had been terrified. Performing those two songs had been like surfing a wave, a frantic effort to be constantly aware of the notes he was playing, making sure he was in time with the other three, that he was in the right key, that he was emoting with his face and body to show how much the music meant, how connected he was to the rest if the band even though he barely knew them, a hundred little worries he had to focus on in order to make sure he wouldn't screw up this all important first impression.

Singing thay duet had been the hardest part, and he was happy to let Shane the rest. Hell, he assumed that the raccoon was going to be the lead singer. Sure, that sort of made the raccoon leader of the band, but whatever. This was going to be Alan's band, no matter who was singing the songs, Alan was going to be writing them.

Playing the base was different,he didn't have to think so hard about just playing. The rat had spent so many years practicing his music to cover up the noise of his parents fighting at night that Alan could play practically anything by instinct now.

So Alan he let himself sink into that state of mind for the next song, and it was like dunking his head beneath the ocean’s waves. Alan could sense his band playing around him, but it was all a buzz, noise that was moving him, surrounding him, but also blocking everything out for him. The rat knew he was hitting the marks, knew he was keeping time with the others even though he was no longer consciously focused on it, but flowing with the song. He let himself move and play more naturally, putting everything he had into the music. He moved with the beat, interacting with Shane, JD, and even Sarah as they played the hard and fast rock songs together.

The rat played two more songs in that headspace, living the songs, and when the short set was over cheering and clapping replaced the music as the small crowd whooped and hollered for the band. Alan grinned, blinking as he lifted his head up, his breath coming in quick gasps as he staggered back from the edge of the stage. Shane grabbed his paw and pulled him into a half hug. "Nice work, I knew you'd fit," The raccoon said fiercely as the rat grinned and clapped him on the back.

Alan forced himself to focus on Shane as his heart pounded in his chest, a jolt of fear racing down his spine as the raccoon hugged him. He desperately wanted to look out at the audience, at the diamond dogs who were judging them, and see how they reacted to the hug, but he didn’t want to pull away from Shane. Their songs had been… well, pretty gay. He hadn’t even thought about it while they were playing, he was so focused on the music, but now that Shane’s arm was around him and the raccoon’s rainbow ringed tail was swishing about, well… how were the Diamond Dogs, hardcore rappers, going to react to that?

Still, Alan didn’t jerk back though because that would only hurt the raccoon’s feelings and ruin the magic of the moment. At least it was a manly side hug, not chest to chest. The moment lingered a beat too long though, and Shane’s eyes got a quizzical, worried look.

The rat forced himself to reply, his heart still pounding as he hugged back, “Oh, so you’re finally agreeing to join my band then?”

Shane’s eyes brightened as he laughed, pushing the rat away and swishing his tail as he turned to talk to the club’s manager and the next couple artists who were going to audition. The rat staggered a bit, heart still pounding as JD shot him a thumbs up. Alan returned the gesture, but didn’t approach the big hyena. He was suddenly hyper aware of how gay he’d been acting lately, and how the hyena’s grin made him feel, so he turned to where Sarah was sitting behind the drums. Talking to her couldn’t be seen as gay. Right? She was the biggest player in school, if you believed the rumors half the school had bedded her.

The fox was untangling herself from the microphone cables and drum set. She caught Alan’s gaze as she flipped her hair back and tied it off in a ponytail. “Hey there, Goth rat. You got a set of pipes on you there.” The vixen grinned, her voice a little too loud, but Alan ignored it. She’d been the one sitting closest to the speakers; of course she was a little deafened.

Now that he was in front of her, Alan froze up. He’d avoided actually thinking about who Sarah was while playing, he’d needed to concentrate on not fucking up, but there was no avoiding it now. How the hell did a preppy socialite like her, one if the big high flying social butterflies at Hadenview who had ever dude wrapped around her finger little, learn how to play drums like that?

The vixen pulled a pair of earplugs out and flipped her hair back dramatically, flashing him a grin. "Well, well, well if it isn't Hadenview’s angriest rat. At least this explains the new look, everybody's been talking about that new haircut and coat you're rocking."

“What the hell are you doing here?” Alan said, slinging his base guitar over one shoulder to carry it more easily. “Don’t you have some football game to go marching in?”

Alan had to hand one thing to her; Sarah sure as hell knew how to roll her eyes. “That’s Friday, at the game? Duh. So I thought I’d come and show some of these pussies how a real woman handles a stick.” She casually twirled the drumsticks between her fingers as she said it, and then laughed. “I didn’t realize it was going to be your band I was trying out for. I’d have worn all black and a corset so I fit in with the goths.”

From behind Alan, there was a playful laugh. “Don’t do that, we ain’t starting a boy band here.” Shane said with a laugh, “This is gonna be punk rock all the way.”

“Well,” Alan said in a dubious way as he looked the vixen up and down. “You can at least rock out.”

“Oooh, high praise coming from you,” the vixen said with a smirk.

"Yah well," Alan replied with a flick if his ears, suppressing the urge to brush his own hair back after the fox had done so in such a dramatic fashion. “How’d you find out about this anyways? I didn't even know you could play drums."

"These are open tryouts, duh. I thought you'd know how these work, given how much you go on and on about having a band." The vixen's dismissively flippant tone dropped away as she gave him a grin, and pointing with her drumstick at his guitar. "You lived up to all the hype. You can seriously rock that thing."

"I wrote most the songs too," Alan grumbled, tail flicking in annoyance at the compliment.

"Well shit, then this band thing might actually work. Two song writers, singers, and guitarists? Long as you can get along with rainbow boy this'll be a smash."

"I get along with Shane great," Alan said sharply, brushing is hair back out of his eyes, the draped hair bothering him too much to ignore anymore. "How the hell do you know him anyways?"

Sarah gave an exaggerated shrug and swished her long luxurious tail back and forth, and Alan recognized that she probably expected the motion to send any normal male into braindeath, given what her sports bra did.

Alan also realized later that having no reaction at all when a hot girl's boobs were waved in his face probably said more about him than it did about her.

But for the moment he just glared at her, their eyes level, because they were both so short. Sarah's eyes rolled when she realized it wasn't gonna work. "I ‘d know Shane. Or, DJ was it? I'm here cause Styx wanted me to try out. He knows my cousin."

"Your cousin knows Styx. One of the Diamond Dogs." Alan said dubiously, shifting his guitar on his shoulder, regretting he’d put it up there now. Well, at least it made him look cool and intimidating. “And the hyena’s name is JD.”

"Yah, duh I know a Diamond Dog go, so do you, or you wouldn't be here. Styx's the one who taught me drums, by the way, so we can stop comparing dicks if you don’t mind." Alan held back the shock that Styx had taught her drums only barely as the vixen's voice turned teasing. "I’m sure you’ll win that game. And you've never heard me play because percusion, in marching band is an all boys club, especially the drums. I twirl cause I don't want to play the flute."

"Not that flute anyways," Alan muttered in a nasty way.

Only after the words had left his muzzle did the rat realize what he'd done. He always mutter sarcastic comments, he just... Didn't do so where the target could here him, and he had to fold his ears back to hide the sudden blush.

He didn't need too, because Sarah laughed.

She laugh heartily and cheerfully, "Oh, keep that up rat boy, you'll be fun." She struck a pose, hips to one side, ears up, and looked him up and down, making a show of judging him. Alan had to hide another blush when he realized her fingers casually making a rather lewd gesture with the drumsticks. "Alright, I'm in. Let's see if we can make this little band you keep going on about big." She turned to saunter away, and the vixen did a full on sultry saunter that had to be intentional. "You better bring me your songs by Friday, you hear? I wanna practice them so I don't have to use the stupid recording headphones to play." With a wave of the sticks, she left the stage.