[1] I Lay Myself Down To Make It So- Tom Chaplin

"You sang beautifully."

"I screwed up the words."

"Nobody could even notice..." said Tom. Monday's choir concert had just come to an end, and you had messed up the words to your solo. To you this was a VERY big deal, only because it was the first solo you'd ever had.

"I guess you're right..." you said to Tom after a brief moment of silence.

"Aw, come here." Tom said, and pulled you into a tight hug.

"No matter what you say, I thought it was awesome."

"Yes Tom, you win." You conceded, still wrapped up in Tom's arms. He let go and the two of you went to go put your robes away in the choir room.

"Hey, Tom!" called a voice behind you.

"Hey, I'll be right back." Tom said as he looked around to see who was calling.

On the way back to the choir room, people were coming up to you and commenting on how awesome your solo was. 'I guess Tom was right...' you thought, 'I'm so lucky to have him as a friend.'

By the time you reached the choir room, your mood had lightened slightly, and you were feeling better. You put your robe away in the closet. Everyone around you was chattering like crazy, still in that euphoric post-concert state. You met back up with Tom out in front of the auditorium.

"Hey Melani! I'd like you to meet my friends, Tim" he pointed to a boy who seemed to be a few years older than you and Tom. He had dark hair, and the faintest trace of a beard could be seen on his chin. He wore rectangular glasses and seemed a bit shy and soft-spoken.

"And Rich." Rich also seemed older, and also appeared to be growing a beard. He stuck out his hand to you.

"Hey Melani" he greeted. Tim waved.

"Hey."

"So what are you guys doing here? You keep avoiding the question! Tell me!" Tom asked. They looked at each other cautiously. Then, they suddenly broke out into simultaneous identical smiles.

"We moved here! Both of us!" said Rich. Tom's eyes grew wide.

"You WHAT?!?" he nearly shouted.

"Well, we figured that it would be a fun thing to do, you know, since we've graduated and everything." Rich continued. Tom still looked flabbergasted at this news.

"Plus we could continue the you know what." Tim nudged Tom, and he chuckled.

"Was that part of the reason you came?" Tom asked

"Not completely, but it's a bonus." Tim replied, not looking anybody in the eye. "You've got to admit thought, we've got potential." He added quickly, looking to Rich for reassurance.

"Yeah, we definitely have a chance at something." You were confused. A chance at what? What were they talking about?

"Uh Tom? A chance at what? What are they talking about?" Tom looked over at you and blinked.

"Oh. Well, we had this band when we all lived over in England."

"A band? Really? That's so cool!" The three boys smiled.

"Say do you guys wanna go grab a bit to eat, or some coffee or something?"

***

I'd like a ... cheeseburger... with no tomato please." you said to the waitress, whose name tag read "Mavis". She nodded grumpily and took down your order.

"Um, can I get chocolate chip pancakes please?" Tom asked, grinning.

"Well, we don't have chocolate chip pancakes," Tom's face fell slightly. "but we can put some chocolate chips on your pancakes if you want us to." Mavis told Tom, obviously annoyed that he wanted something not on the menu. Tom glanced at Tim, and chuckled.

"Yeah. Um okay."

"I want a, well I'm not that hungry, so I'll just get a malt. Let's make it a strawberry malt." She nodded at Tim and glanced over to Rich to get his order. Rich flipped through the pages of the menu, still unsure.

"I guess I'll have the nachos, but no beef or chicken please. Just the lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream."

"Alright." Mavis said as she took down the final order. She walked away from the table muttering in disgust about how she had to work tonight, even though it was her night off.

"Lovely woman." Tim said, giving her a strange look as she nearly slammed the kitchen door open.

"So what's life in America like?" Rich asked no one in particular.

"Well, it's nice. Different, but nice. I think you'll like it. The hardest, well most different, not necessarily hard, thing for me was the accents. They sound so weird."

You laughed.

"And your accents," you looked at the three boys, "sound weird to me too."

"Hey, you who wanted the pancakes." Mavis had returned. "The cook wants to know if you want the chocolate chips in your pancakes rather than on them." You giggled.

"Um, yeah, that would be good." Tom said, giving a strange look to Tim.

"Right then, okay." She walked away and almost knocked the door off its hinges as she disapeared back into the kitchen. You snorted with laughter.

"Oh my God, that was priceless!"

"What an idiot." Tim nodded.

"How the hell did she get this job anyway? Ad why hasn't she been fired?" said Tom, "Of course I wanted the chocolate chips IN my pancakes. That's what I originally ordered, isn't it?" He rolled his eyes and took a sip of his water. "Mental woman" he said as he set his glass down.

"ANyway, excellent concert tonight guys," said Rich, "it sounded awesome."

"Hah, thanks. Only one more concert to go this year...it's kinda sad..." you said.

"Oh, spring concert? Yeah, can't wait."

Spring concert. The final concert. The seniors would be moving on to bigger things, but all you juniors would have to be among them, watching their tears (it was an emotional event every year) and even crying with them.

"And great job on your solos, both of you." said Tim. Made me want to start up the band again, even more than I had already wanted to." Tom smiled, but then suddenly his face fell.

"Say guys...where's Dom? Tim and Rich glanced nervously at each other.

"He..."

"Left."

"He WHAT?!" Tom almost yelled, eyes wide.

"Yeah, he left." Tom looked shocked.

"What...why?"

"We almost convinced him to stay, but right after you left for America, he just snapped...and left. Wanted nothing to do with the band."

"I can't believe it. What are we going to do?"

"We'll just have to figure out a new sound, mate."

"Okay." Mavis returned from the depths of the kitchen, food in hand. "You had the nachos," she placed Rich's nachos in front of Tim.

"And you..." she glared at Tom, "had the pancakes." she placed the pile in front of him.

"The cheeseburger went to you..." she handed your burger to Tim.

"And the malt was for you." she hand you Tim's malt. The four of you smiled and thanked Mavis for her...service... She turned away and bustled off, back to the kitchen.

"Right then." said Tim as he handed Rich the nachos.

"Is it that hard to give people their correct order?" you shook your head, laughing.

"Apparently, yeah."

"I don't know what you guys are talking about. I got my order." said Tom, grinning.

"Well yeah, cause you had the whole chocolate chip thing." said Tim.

The four of you ate in silence for nearly the whole meal.

"What do you say we all go camping next weekend, you know, before it gets too cold or whatever." Tom broke the silence. He glanced between Tim and Rich with a hopeful expression.

"Yeah, I'm in. I've got nothing better to do." shrugged Rich.

"Yeah, ok. Sounds god." said Tim. Tom looked over at you.

"You're welcome to come with if you want."

"Excellent. I have to ask my mom first though. I don't know how she'll feel about me going camping with a bunch of boys."

Tom laughed.

"Your mom likes me, I'm sure she'll be fine with it eventually."

I hope you're right."

***

"Please mom? You said yourself that I need to get out more and be with friends."

"Going camping with a group of boys is not what I had in mind."

"But it's Tom, you know him, you know it's not like that between us. You know he wouldn't try anything."

"And his two friends?"

"Are just like him. Kind, considerate..." you trailed off. You didn't know them as well, but they definitely seemed like good, trustworthy people.

"And they wouldn't...you know"

"No mom."

"And there won't be...?"

"No, mom."

"For how long?"

"Just friday and saturday night. We'd come back sunday morning."

"Where?"

"Just the little camping ground about ten miles away from here. Not far at all."

Your mom sighed.

"How much does it cost?"

"Not that much. We're going to split everything between the four of us. My allowance from the past few months or some of my money from work should cover it just fine."

"And you promise there won't be any..."

"No, mom"

"or..."

"No, mom. I already told you, none of that stuff."

"Well then...I guess you can go. Make sure you're packed Thursday night, so you don't have to do it after school on Friday.