This story happens after A PRESENTation For Practice, where only Triplet, Forte and Fortissimo are in the band. Fortissimo has left to get some food from the band from the shop after losing an all important game of Rock Paper Scissors. That leaves Forte and Triplet hanging out at the Garage waiting for her to come back.
Triplet: Seems strange it's just us. Normally it's me going out and you two stay back.
Forte: Look me and Fortissimo have been playing Rock Paper Scissors since birth together for chores. We know each other too well. You cant really blame yourself for losing it so often haha!
Triplet: That's true. Speaking of. You two... you know pretty much everything about me. I told you to get you to trust me at the start. I don't really ever hear much about your past.
Forte: There's not a lot to tell, but also a lot to tell at the same time if that makes any sense at all. It's one of those things. We know you'll understand so it'll be a quick story, but if you didn't we'd be here all day.
Triplet: If you think we could relate on it, I'm confused as to why you wouldn't have told me.
Forte: sighs yeah. Its just strange to talk about with someone who isn't a family member you know. It's just been me and Fortissimo for a while.
Triplet: I get it. I hope you can open up to me though.
Forte: I was getting to that. When HARM was first starting out, they did a ton of raids on music arenas. Some regular cop saw the HARM agents and followed them in. He saw people guns pulled and people going down. He didn't realise it was rubber bullets. He wasn't told. He thought it was shoot to kill. Mum and Dad on stage. They were the ones that got hit. The rest of their band tried to help us when we were young but they were always like distant. They probably didn't want the responsibility of being parents, or maybe we were too alike our parents or something. There was a rumour that Mum and Dad breaking the "no dating in the band" rule annoyed them and that they were planning to split off and become just a duo. And sure they made acoustic covers of the bands songs and were planning to retire to take care of us but they put everything into that band. I don't think they were going to leave with malice. Either way, we couldn't take it with our parents band members anymore, and I think they had it with us too. It's just been me and Fortissimo since then. I think Fortissimo is happy to be at the front, she used to be upset about people focusing on the main singer rather than our parents as the Rhythm Guitar and Bass Guitar in the back. I'm kinda the same. I'm glad to be the lead guitar, up front. Into the limelight speaking our truth instead of out of it. We know they had the same ideals as us. They were more... just reserved about it. We don't want to be that. We want people to know what we think.
Triplet: Yeah. I think those bandmates probably had like a perception of something that was never happening just because of an unwritten rule or superstition or whatever. Seems stupid to me.
Forte: (smiles) See this is why I like you Triplet. You didn't apologise for something you're not involved with. No "sorry that happened" like I need to be coddled. You trust in my strength. And you never change your opinions for anyone. You believe it, you say it, even though that might be wrong. Thats true honesty. No masking your feelings to save others from being hurt. You're just true to you.
Triplet seems embarrassed and turns away from Forte. She composes herself and gets back to the conversation.
Forte: What about you though? Something I find interesting is that a lot of your songs are about love. Like sure, some of your songs are about loss and losing your dad to cancer and stuff too. But there are way more lyrics about love. Its strange I guess. I didn't expect you to be the type.
Triplet: I mean I'm 22. I've been burned before you know. And it's not just like, romantic love. It's sometimes about crushes, losing someone you didn't even have in the first place, general relationships - like being kicked out of a group of people you thought were your friends. Sometimes it's about sharing pain. I thought I had that with mum when we lost dad. We didn't. I'm glad you had Fortissimo with you to help share yours. Some of my ideas are from stories friends have told me, some from how mum and dad used to act and some just as my own experience. Love and loss kinda go hand in hand. Sometimes I start writing a song about loss, it ends up being about love. Just unintended. It's not complicated. Yeah sure I use some metaphors to maybe spice it up a bit or try and explain the feeling of something. But most of the time I mean what I say. And what I want to say now is, you're an awesome person Forte. I'm really glad to have you around.
Forte: I'm happy I'm someone you can share your pain with. I never thought about that before. But yeah, having Fortissimo there. She is my rock, I don't know what I would do without her. You are always welcome to share your pain with us too, we're here for you.
Triplet: Thank you.
At this point Fortissimo, comes back. She senses some kind of dynamic has changed. Triplet and Forte are smiling at each other. Fortissimo squints her eyes at them as if trying to figure something out.
Fortissimo: Did something happen between you two?
Triplet: Huh? Nah. Just chatting.
Forte recounts the conversation to Fortissimo who seems pleased.
Fortissimo: Well, he was bound to open up eventually. If we were going to tell anyone, I'm glad it was you though Triplet. You seem to get it.
Triplet: Thanks. I'm happy you can talk to you guys too. I normally only ever put my emotions into my songs.
Fortissimo: Speaking of... Want to work on something new?
Fortissimo winks at Triplet as she goes to grab her guitar. Forte catches it but doesn't seem to understand what it means. Triplet seems embarrassed and turns away, and buries her face in her notebook, pretending to work on something.