Tabby looked at Lyra with genuine interest, and tilted her head at the exlanation about the house.
"That's so strange..." she mused, before hastily adding, "...not the town or the house I mean! It's just that it's kind of the same back in my town. There's a community where a load of teens live with this sort of patriarch and his wife. I don't know a lot about it, they keep to themselves mostly. My friend Becky is one of the girls who lives there, but even she doesn't say much. I suppose maybe most towns have something like it then..."
She beamed widely and entered the building through the door Lyra held open.
Tai waved at the two of them as they entered. The younger students were already running through the first piece of music on piano and ukulele respectively, Tai strumming her guitar.
"Looks like an electric?" Tai called down from the stage, "There's a small combo amp just up here on stage Tabby. Feel free to plug in."
Excitedly, Tabby obliged, opening the case and producing her
guitar, climbing onto stage and plugging it into the amp. Nimbly her fingers ran up the fretboard playing an effortless arpeggio at remarkable speed. Tai smiled to herself.
"You're not a beginner then." she said wryly.
"My mom made me go to this talent camp every month," Tabby replied, blushing slightly, "so I've been learning and performing since...since as long ago as I can remember!"
"Interesting," Tai said, looking over at Lyra, "why don't we try something then. We'll do this song and I'll play the rhythm with Paul and Kim, and why don't you two girls alternate improvising around the melody. I know it's kinda jumping in at the deep end, but you think you can do it?"
Tabby nodded unassumingly, smiling over at Lyra also. "I'll do my best."