All twelve of the estranged band members squeezed into three tables in the center of a local restaurant. Darren and Chester were continually chatting about nothing in particular, relationships and their love lives. All the rest generally mingled, picking up whatever line of conversation that was thrown out. Dub sat at the far end of the group, playing with the food on his plate more than eating it. More than anyone, he was the odd one out, the one that didn't even belong on tour with these people.
"Dub, you okay mate?"
Ben looked worried, his brows knitted at his friend's silence. Dub shook his head, dropping the fork down on the plate. Ben sighed deeply, trying to think of something to say.
"You didn't want to come, did you..."
"No, Ben, I didn't...but I always get hauled into these things. I shouldn't be here...I don't deserve to be here."
"Look, just because you got dropped from production doesn't mean the end of the world!"
Dub slammed his fist into the table, everyone going silent and staring at him.
"Damn you Ben...The whole fucking world doesn't have to know about it, okay?! I'll be in the bus..."
He slammed a $10 bill on the table as he stormed out the door and back out to the parking lots. Ben pressed his lips tightly, tapping his fork lightly. He felt eyes playing over him, daring him to say something, anything to clue them in.
"What the hell was that?"
Joe broke the silence in his usual way. He looked around the room, no eyes from the Savage side meeting him.
"Hello? Anyone? I'd like to know what is going on..."
Chester turned to Darren, nudging him until he glanced up at him.
"Darren? Wanna fill us in?"
He swallowed hard, taking a breath.
"We made him loose his job...That's the reason he's out with us is because he has no money left, and no one wants to hire him..."
"What did he do?"
"Worked in a studio, mixing and producing and stuff. But we got him in trouble, and the label dropped him, told him he'd never work again..."
Darren dropped his eyes again, Daniel rubbing a hand across his back.
"It was stupid...We shouldn't have been messing with his equipment anyway...Ruined three months of his work, and the album was almost dropped totally because of us, and it was all blamed on him. We'll never be able to pay him back for it..."
Again, the party went quiet, Joe finally standing, pushing the chair back under the table.
"I don't know about you people, but you should all be ashamed...Letting him go like that when you should be begging for fucking forgiveness...Maybe another DJ can help him out."
