Thomas Hardy strode confidently down the halls of Glendale High, his black and orange Les Paul strapped to his back in its case. His look was pure rock 'n' roll, from the ripped jeans to the leather vest, and even down to the fingerless batting gloves that he wore. He looked like Don Dokken, and hoped to be as famous as him, too. However, more than that, he wanted to be as good as Dokken's legendary guitarist, George Lynch. Amongst guitar aficionados, it was hard to say who was the more talented '80s guitarist: Eddie Van Halen or George Lynch? As it was, Tom just wanted an inkling of their talent.

However, Tom was an excellent guitarist in his own right. He had been playing since childhood, and had mastered the guitar notes of many hit songs, including "Jump" by Van Halen and "Breaking the Chains" by Dokken. So, he was not to be taken lightly. The last bell for school had rung ten minutes ago, and he had stowed his bag in his Dodge Challenger, painted black with white racing stripes. It was a '71 model his dad had owned, but he souped it up to be a true '80s muscle car. Tom loved that car almost as much as he loved his guitar.

Tom went into the band room, where Promise usually practiced during lunch hours and after school. They used it so much that the band teacher, Mr. Devaney, just gave them the key to the room. It was against school policy, but Mr. Devaney was one of the cool teachers, and knew when it was smart to buck school policy. Tom went in and sat down in a chair. After unzipping the bag, he tuned it briefly, then fished into his pocket. Inside his pocket was a small, but powerful portable amp.

Tom liked to tinker with machinery sometimes, and had created this little baby in his garage. He did it to avoid being constrained by an amp cord. He wanted to be able to move at his leisure, and wow the crowds with his performance. He plugged the amp into the guitar and stuck it in his pocket. After turning the amp up to 6, he pulled a black and orange pick out of his pocket. Tom then began to play some notes, just a random series that happened to sound really good.

People stared as Mandi walked down the halls carrying the bag she kept her school things in that was made entirely of black and red duct tape, and her portable keyboard. She didn't mind, Mandi was a visionary, all she saw was what was right out of her grasp, but she was going to work as hard as possible to grab it. It was true, she was different, but not in a bad way. Mandi stood out, she would be the one laughing at a funeral, or the one yelling in a quiet room. She wasn't afraid to stand out, but others were. So, she was an outcast, trying to make a difference, trying to be heard.
That was exactly the reason she joined Promise. To be heard, to be known. That was all she really wanted, was to be heard. In fact, tonight she was going to a rally. As she approached the music room, Mandi heard the sound of guitar music. Smiling, she stepped into the room to see Thomas, strumming on his guitar.
"Ah, music to my ears." She said, pulling her keyboard out from under her arm and turning it on. She, then began to play along with what he was playing, and it sounded awesome. "This band is going to be a total success." Mandi smiled at him, still playing on her red and black striped keyboard.