After reminding her brother to be more diligent about the phone and that she’ll be home later that evening, Polly heads off to meet with her bandmates. She decided to go by bus, which is her usual method of transportation. It’s faster, more reliable, and cheaper than a taxi considering it was free. Plus Polly always hated the awkward feeling of being in a cab alone with a man she’s never met. She would much prefer a crowd of whispers than to be solicited with some stranger driving her. Polly would also rather drive her way over to Jamie’s house, where the band usually meets, however her parents restricted her driving while they were gone. They even went as far as to hide the keys from her, which infuriated Polly to no end.

The bus drove off, carrying her among other strange folk, which included a scrawny old man with a gray and fuzzy beard with aviator sunglasses, a well-fed man with an obnoxious big yellow neon shirt on, and a woman who looks to be in her late forties trying to rekindle her youth by wearing scanty urban clothes that do not compliment her age. The occasional bump on the road jogged Polly’s mind a bit.

She began to think about her band, the fond memories she’s garnered by being with them. However, as their big debut is creeping in closer, she’s beginning to formulate a new outlook on her life and her bandmates. The reason she was happy was, more often than not, due to the fact that she had a band to perform with in the first place, rather than being happy with the band. Polly has respect for her bandmates, but when she thought long and hard about it, she couldn’t really say that she liked any of them, save for Jamie who’s been with her since day one. They were all just too childish for her, and are often irresponsible and daft.

“Maybe I’m just too stiff.” she thought “I’m sure the guys are just as nervous as I am. I know they just want to have fun but...now’s just not the time to be screwing around.” Polly clenched onto her courier bag tightly. The uneasiness she had been feeling this past week has made her into a much more chronic smoker than before, but not even cigarettes could quell her mind. The ride over to Jamie’s place gave her a moment to reflect on what has happened up until this point.

Polly’s Band, Friday Night Gryphons, was formed alongside Jamie, the bass player. The name came from Jamie’s hobby of playing a weekly game of Dungeons and Dragons with his cousins. The band started off during their junior year in high school, and while they weren’t all too experienced with how exactly a band functions, they could never deny that it was fun and something they both wanted to pursue in the future. It was passion that sparked life into their band, and it was passion that had it evolve and move forward. The only consistent band members were Polly and Jamie.

Their old bandmates were from high school, and while they shared a bit of the passion, they had their minds mostly set on their own goals. Aside from that, they didn’t like how Polly was being too strict and wasn’t so forgiving. The fact of the matter was that Polly was a perfectionist when it came to her career, and not many people could tolerate her uptight behavior.

As the years went by, Jamie and Polly continued moving forward, even when the others would leave them. Eventually they met up with the three other members of the band that helped make them successful. These three are Marco Rogers, Sammy Olsen, and Kevin Smith. Marco is

a rather impatient man who has a short fuse, and often explodes during practice. Sam, or Sammy, is usually late to each session, but is a very gifted drummer. However, what sets him back is the fact that he’s an alcoholic, a sexist, has the mouth of a sailor. He’s always picking fights, and is currently riding on the band in order to fulfill his personal lust for money and women, or whatever little he can get. Kevin is considered the oddball, a down to earth man who gets along with the band relatively well, and is very close friends with Sam, have a very brotherly love for one another. Kevin’s just known as the "nice one".

Despite the differences and the occasional clash and fights among them, their work is finally paying off. A famous band is rolling into town, and they’ve heard of Friday Night Gryphons’ songs and have invited them to play as their opening act. This is their big break, this is the shot that Polly and the others have been aiming for. Yet while they should all be thrilled about this, Polly is the one who is more anxious than she is excited. The thought of being in front of a thunderous crowd made up of half the town was more frightening than exciting to her.

Polly’s parents was much more interested in her going into a community college than to pursue her passion. Polly, at one point, agreed. Even she wasn’t sure if the band would stay together long enough to be worth anything. It could have taken years before the band had seen the light of fame any time soon, but luckily for them their digital sales have proven to be enough to make some sort of living. With the moderate success they had gain, Polly went ahead and dropped out of college to focus more on the band, much to her parents dismay.

The bus soon arrives where Polly wanted to be dropped off. Being so deep in thought, she almost missed it, but was able to stop the bus in time. It came to halt, and Polly thanked the driver and headed off the bus. As it drove away, she stared down the sidewalk to the house where Jamie lived in with his parents. He’s the only one with a dedicated recording room, so the band would take advantage of this fully.

The two of them, Jamie and Polly, had been friends since Polly first moved to Alexandre. While shy at first, Polly soon opened up to her new home slowly and made friends soon after. Once she met Jamie, the two grew inseparable. Always hanging around each other, always making plans, and always sure of their future.

Standing by the door, Polly felt herself smiling at the thoughts she’s had. While there is a bit of anxiety weighing heavily in her heart, she was happy to see her efforts come to fruition. Although she’ll never admit it, she knew just how lucky she was to have her bandmates be with her, despite all the negative history that has occurred.

Polly went on ahead and pushed the doorbell. Almost immediately after doing so, she hears a window open right above her. She looks up to see the shaggy haired young man she’s familiar with, Jamie, peaking his head out the window. As soon as his eyes meet hers, he smiles.

"It’s open! Come on in!" he shouts to her. She smiles back at him and opens the door, hoping for a good day of hard work.

Next Chapter: Chapter 3