✏️ Under One Roof

35. Five Members

"Hi guys," Tracer gave a smile, coming to stand beside Tegan and Reuben's seat. "Looks like we got the whole band on the same train for once."

"You can sit down if you want," Maia said, moving over to make space on the seat beside her. "And it'll be nice all arriving at the same time, so we're not wondering if somebody's going to make it or not."

"Actually," Tegan said, "I was meaning to check with you guys. Guess I kept putting it off. But I met another guy who might be interested in joining us. For a couple of tracks, anyway. Guy called Pete, a friend of Theo's flatmate's friend's brother. Don't know if he'll be able to make it today, but I should probably ask you in advance anyway."

"Oh. Not in our class?"

"No. Music's a hobby for him. Thought we could use him for Kriegheimer's part in Melancholy and Ivory Towers, it just doesn't sound right on harmonica."

"Plays bagpipes?" Tracer said, like he expected a similar joking response. But when Tegan gave a half nod, his eyes widened. "Like, for real? And he's okay with this kind of alternative... You know what I mean. So what's Maia's part now?"

"It's okay," Maia said with a shrug. "I've been trying to learn the theremin again, and I think it would work well shadowing the backing vocals on that one."

"He's a metal head of some variety," Tegan explained, figuring that Maia would probably come up with something good. They could address the composition once they knew if the new piper would get on with the rest of the band. "He's been asking every local band he knows about if they could use a piper, but hasn't been lucky yet. I figure it's got to be worth giving him a shot. And he might be able to sing too, which is always good."

"Yeah, good to have some variety. And I hope he can do it justice. It's the one track that I don't think it works, changing the instrument. But we–"

"Hey, Tegan!" A voice surprised her, and Tracer had already stopped talking as she turned to see who was there.

"Speak of the devil," she said with a chuckle, and then waved. "Guys, this is Pete. Pete, meet the band. We're going to my place to practise, if you want to join us."

"Sounds great," Singer answered. "I listened to that album, and I really think I could do that. I've never heard bagpipes sound like that; that guy really knows how to use them to the best effect. You all willing to accept a stranger into your inner circle?"

"Probably," Reuben said with a shrug. "You don't look like you're going to trash the studio or anything. It'll be good to have somebody else on the team. You can tell us we suck, if you want. I mean, we're classmates and we've kind of been picking up the track together, so a fresh pair of ears could be what we need to spot any weak parts we're not noticing."

"I might not be able to offer critique," Pete said, and leaned against the back of Tegan's seat as the train set off. "I don't know that much about music analysis and stuff, my skill is just in playing. But I hope we'll be good friends."

Everyone else's nods told him that they were thinking the same. And then conversation drifted away from the band for a while; talking about the latest episode of Redux, which it turned out that Reuben and Singer were both avid fans of, or speculation about competing gossip magazines arguing about whether Emlyn Beaker was gay. Tegan couldn't follow half of the conversation, but she felt like the group were bonding more, and that had to be a good thing. She was among people she really felt she would be happy spending a good portion of her life with, if the band took off, and somehow that was the most important thing.

It wasn't long before they got back to her house, and found Logan cooking outside today. The weird curved wall in the back garden turned out to be some kind of fire pit, or at least that's how he was using it, with a lattice of sticks placed across the top and bacon and sausages sizzling audibly.