"Alright, next one." I said, smiling, getting ready.

Patton was bouncing slightly, in anticipation.

Roman and Anx glared at each other, but then turned their focus to the CD player.

"(Help!) I need somebody
(Help!) Not just anybody
(Help!) You know I need someone
(Help!)

When I was younger so much younger than today
I never needed anybody's help in any way
But now these days are gone, I'm not so self assured
Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors"

"Oh, it's Help, from the Beetles." I said, and Roman groaned, annoyed.

"Do you know every song?!" He shouted, annoyed.

"No, I don't... I just know a lot of them." I defended, as I looked at Roman, who seemed unconvinced.

He stood up, annoyed, about to yell at me more, and Anx flinched.

"Here, I'll even take a step back from this one." I offered quickly, as Roman huffed, as he crossed his arms, slowly sitting back down in his beanbag.

"Somebody once told me the world was going to roll me, I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed."

Patton all but screeched as he smiled. "All Star by Smash Mouth! All Star by Smash Mouth!" He shouted, making Roman cry out in utter frustration.

"Of for the love of Aphrodite, this is rediculous!" He cried, as he looked very annoyed.

Patton stopped shouting and looked down, a bit dejected. "Sorry Roman." He said, a but sadly.

"What for, my bubbly bouncy friend?" Roman asked, his gaze shifting from annoyed to confused.

"I took your win." He said, feeling bad.

"Aww, my kind soul, do not feel bad, for I, Roman, will get the next one!" He announced, like he was a royal prince, declaring he'd slay the dragon witch.

Logan chuckled, as he skipped two and played the next one.

"Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where's the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and I turn
And I dream of what I need."

"Oh, I know this one. NO ONE SAY IT!" Roman screeched, as he cleared his throat.

"Holding out for a hero, by Bonnie Tyler." Roman announced, as he looked relieved.

"Good job, Roman. You have one point." Logan said, and got the next song ready.

"Hey Roman, this song reminds me of someone." Patton said, as he gave a smile.

"Who, my fine fellowed friend?" Roman asked, flamboyantly.

"Anx, Cause your my hero." Patton said, cutely, looking at Anx, who was hiding in his hood, a faint blush shining on his nose.

"Aww!" I said, as I smiled at the two.

"We. get. it. Your. ador. able." Logan said, as he clapped his hands to his syllables, proving a point.

Roman cleared his throat, causing the cute moment to be disrupted.

"How many does Thomas have?" Roman asked.

"So far, three." Mr. J said, as he looked down at the scores.

"That many, already?" Ronan asked, as he was a bit shocked that Thomas didn't have more.

"Only three." Logan said. "You, Anx, and Patton all have one." Logan said.

"Alright, that's doable. Onward with this game!" He announced.

Anx was oddly silent, as he looked down at his hoodie sleeve, his nose bright red.

"Is everything alright, Anx? Did Patton's comment upset you?" Logan asked, pausing.

"Y-yea, everything's fine. And n-no, it didn't. I've...uh...just never been called a hero before. It's nothing." Anx said, startled, as he shifted his gaze from his sleeve to the group and then back down to his sleeve.

"Are you positive?" Logan asked, slightly unconvinced. "You have been unusually quiet, even for you." He countered.

"Yea, I'm just thinking." Anx said, honestly.

"Thinking of what, Anx?" Patton asked, as he looked at Anx with big concerned eyes.

"Um... about all of this. Logan, why did you pick this activity? The real reason." Anx asked, as he looked Logan in the eyes.

Logan, adverting his gaze and clearing his throat, sighed.

"I made this composition of music so that Patton, our possible songwriter, could know what music we like so that he can compose music and make accompanying words for all of our individual tastes." Logan explained.

Patton looked shocked. "You want me to be the songwriter?" He asked, his eyes widening.

"What an excellent idea, tin man!" Roman said, enthusiastically.

"You'd be a perfect songwriter!" I commented, giving Patton a pat on the knee.

".....you do write good." Anx said, quietly, as Patton looked at him, his smile widening when Anx said that.

"You really think so, guys?" He asked, as he couldn't stop smiling at that point.

"Indubitably." Roman exclaimed.

"I mean, I'm so gosh darned pleased you all think so, but..." Patton started, looking unsure of how to word this.

"But...?" I asked, as I gestered for him to continue.

"But I cant read music, let alone write any. And everyone of us can write lyrics, not just me. You all know yourself better than I ever could. This is our band, so everyone should write music. So let's write music together!" Patton said, smiling, shocking everyone.

Normally, the person writting the music was the only one who wrote the music, but Patton didn't seem to want to do that. He wanted to let everyone write music. He wanted to do it together.

"So profound." Mr. J mumbled, as he looked back down at the scores.

"Patton..." I started, unable to say anything else.

"That was very selfless of you. Are you confident in your answer?" Logan asked.

"Yeppers!" Patton said, as I chuckled at the quick transition.

How can someone go from saying something so profound to then ending it with yeppers?

"In any case, Patton, we will find you a role." Logan said, as he looked back to the CD player.

"Want to patricipate in another round?" He asked.

"Nah, I'm done for the day." I said, as I got up, streaching slightly.

"Ok, since I'm the winner, my idea for the band name is...." I exclaimed, before I smiled, scribbling the title up on the board.

Sourmouths

"Why that title? It dosen't have my name in it at all? What does it even mean?!" Roman asked, unhappy, questioning it extensively.

"If you can come up with a better one, be my guest, Roman." I challenge.

"Of course I can! Watch me." Roman said, as he got up abruptly and stormed over to the board.

He rudely erased my title and wrote his instead, in long winding curved.

Devil in the hallway

"I certainly like it. Nice metaphor." Anx said, as he smirked.

"Then it can't be any good if you like it!" Roman said, erasing it.

"Why is it that because I like it, it's automatically a bad thing?" Anx said, standing up and grabbing the chalk.

Roman scoffed, as he looked at the emo worth a hint of distain.

"How about this?" Anx asked.

Existential darkness

"I don't think anything could get more emo than that." Roman said, as he looked at the board, in disgust.

"Well, someone's picky." Anx said, a bit upset. He was always the bad guy with Roman, huh?

Logan scowled. "Stop bickering, you two." Logan said, annoyed.

I sighed, noticing Patton sitting out of the squabble, just staring. He was probably thinking, so I left him alone.

"Alright, enough. How about, since Thomas is the leader, let's do this!" Mr. J shouted, fed up.

He stormed over to Anx, who dropped the chalk quickly, covering his head in his hood, nervous.

"Anx." Patton whispered, seeing Anx curl into himself.

Thomas and the Sander sides

"There, happy?" Mr. J asked, as he relaxed into his chair.

"It's ordinary, but it'll do." Roman said, as he flipped his hair.

"It's adequate." Logan said, as he sighed.

"I love it! It's great." Patton said, as he smiled.

"Alright, we have a band name?" I asked, as I looked around. "Guys, we can always change it." I said, as I looked at them.

They nodded, as they looked relieved.

"How about tomorrow, we come back and you guys tell me your ideal band names. I'll pick from the best, as your leader?" I asked, gently.

"Sure thing!" Patton said, smiling.

"Agreeable." Logan said, as he grabbed his books.

"Sounds like an excellent idea, Thomas the leader." Roman said, as he put the crown back on.

"Whatever." Anx said, but he gave me a shy smile, as I grabbed my headphones.

"Alright, see you guys tomorrow! Oh, and have some songs we can sing." I said, smiling, as they left, Patton waving to me as he left with the group. I smiled as they were talking and Roman started laughing.

Once they were up the stairs, I turned to look at Mr. J.

*Thomas's POV*

"What was that?" I asked him, confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked, nonchalantly and seeming unaware of what he did.

"Why did you write that band name up on the board. I don't want to be an imposing leader?" I asked, really confused and a bit worried. "What's gotten into you today? You were really quiet, but you snapped at the group."

"It's nothing, I promise Thomas. I just have a lot going on. And there is a very good reason for me doing what I did. What if, because of your desire to go to the surface with the band, they get in trouble. Logan would lose his perfect academic record and Roman would lose his ability to preform in the theater down here. Mrs. Vetal would shut down everything down here. That's why I put Thomas and the Sander sides as a possible title. It's a safety net." Mr. J explained, as he rubbed his temples gently.

"Well, I wouldn't want to cause Logan and Roman or any of the others to suffer. I'd rather it to be my fault. If we get in trouble for taking this to the surface, then no one can pin the blame on them, right?" I asked, as Mr. J nodded.

"Exactly, Thomas." He said, as he yawned. "Now get on home. I got some things to file and instruments to tune." He said, smiling kindly.

"Alrighty, Mr. J! Thank you!" I said, as he gathered his stuff and left the room.

"See you tomorrow!" I called, waving back, before running up the stairs.

I put on his head phones, smiling at the song that started playing on his walk home.

"I'll be over at ten", you told me time and again
But you're late, I wait around and then (bah-dah-dah)
I went to the door, I can't take any more
It's not you, you let me down again

baby, baby, try to find
(Hey, hey, hey!) a little time and I'll make you mine
(Hey, hey, hey!) I'll be home
I'll be beside the phone waiting for you
Ooo-oo-ooo, ooo-oo-ooo"

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Greetings!

Sorry this chapter took me so long to write, Christmas is right around the corner.

I'll post more soon, just you wait.

Also, if you guys wouldn't mind, give me some good band nanes ideas.
I'm desperately looking for some, but I can't seem to find any.

Anyway.
Bye!
Love, duck.