Jason's Network

by Aiden Vaughan

  “Even with all of what you are planning, the message needs to get out more,” Joe Connor said. “There is no way that all of the schools in this area can be scheduled into four days of assemblies. Maybe you have some ideas about that, Ruth.”

  “I think it would be good to get some local news coverage of the assemblies,” Ruth Fiorre began. “Local news stations are always looking for good human interest features. Since we are talking about an organization called Jason’s Network, the whole networking concept should be in play. Encourage participation in online activities, and get kids to tell their friends about the network. Maybe there could be some prizes as an incentive, self-promoting things like tee shirts or baseball caps. It would be a good idea to submit articles and information about Jason’s Network to local and free neighborhood newspapers. That would be a good way to get more parents informed about it.

  “We also may be able to get some local corporate support, especially since we are not asking for money, but rather networking resources. That whole concept was developed here in the Silicon Valley, so we would definitely want to take advantage of those resources to keep building the program.”

  “Those are excellent suggestions, Ruth,” Jill Baines replied. “I especially like ideas that don’t cost a lot of money!”

  “Another facet to the network should be some sort of neighborhood watch program,” Peter Williams said, entering the conversation. “The neighborhood watch is a familiar concept for parents and their kids, one that encourages them to be constantly on the lookout for predators or circumstances where a kid may in an abusive situation. Another facet of this would be setting up safe houses in these neighborhoods, so kids would have a place to go in an emergency.”

  “Great idea, Peter!” Jason exclaimed. Then he asked Henry: “Can you develop some plans that integrate our website or the website for this network with other social sites or corporate public service programs, especially on line ones?”

  “Yes, I can, but this would be a large undertaking,” Henry answered, “so I would want to set it up so that it can continue to build and grow. That will take some thinking and working out of the details, but it can be done.”

  “I will be anxious to see what you can do with this idea. I know that the website I do for Daniel’s band has benefited from your suggestions,” Jason said.

  “Yeah, thank you for that,” Daniel added. “Jason has been doing a really nice job with our site. And that would be another place to mention Jason’s Network and the upcoming assemblies, when they get scheduled.”

  With everyone at the meeting on board and enthusiastic about creating Jason’s Network, it was agreed to move forward with the project and each person there reviewed what their specific role or duties would be over the next few weeks.

  Doris Matthews was excused, and after she left, the remaining participants went on to discuss other business. The next scheduled meeting had to do with financial and legal matters. Randall Lloyd, the foundation’s certified public accountant would be going over their budget and books in some detail, and the master plan for the foundation would receive its annual tweaking.

  The meeting was completed on time just before five o’clock. “Thank you all for coming,” Jason said to end the meeting. “I appreciate the efforts that all of you put in for The Whatever Foundation.”

  Chapter 3

  The Second Chance All Stars

  (Wednesday)

  The members of Daniel’s band, The Second Chance All Stars, were all over at Tim’s house to rehearse in the studio on the lower level that Tim’s father had built. It was a great place to work and record their music. Due to some compensation money that Eric and Daniel received, the band was able to outfit the studio with quality recording equipment, music stands, software, a synthesizer keyboard, and a baby grand piano. The band had the tools to succeed. Now they needed to produce some results in the form of a demo CD that contained their own original music.

  In the long run, they realized that this was the direction they had to pursue to make it as a group. Just playing covers of the music from other bands and recording artists was okay on a casual gig but not for their own recordings. They were working to develop the eight to ten original songs that would define the band as they started to receive recognition from their fans and record companies.

  The first original recording the band made was when Nick’s Requiem for the Lost Children was performed last November along with the Merriam High School Advanced Choir, Band, and Orchestra. A DVD was made of the sold out performance, which received a lot of favorable coverage in the local media and was quite an emotional experience for the band. The music, although powerful and moving, was not what was needed for a band demo recording. Ever since then, the band had been working on developing original compositions and lyrics for the demo.

  The Requiem performance, which ended up at a major performance venue due to the overwhelming demand for tickets, resulted in The Second Chance All Stars being scouted by some local agents. Then in March, the band was offered its first major break, a contract to perform as the opening act for a six-performance concert tour with the Biloxi Brothers on the west coast. The tour was set for the end of June. With this chance to get out in front of the public eye, Daniel and the others realized that they had to modify their act to appeal to the mostly tween crowd that would be at each concert.

  At the same time, they wanted to continue developing their sound, which was quite sophisticated at times. Reconciling both of those goals was on their minds lately. The band had some amazing assets already. On the top of that list were their technical abilities as musicians, especially Nick who already had the skills of a concert pianist. Another strong feature was their ability to solo with Jonathan’s reed playing leading the way, followed by Daniel and Nick. Daniel’s vocals and singing ability was another strength. His years of experience performing with school choirs were paying off. Every time the band played together, his vocal work continued to improve. Daniel had a fine tenor voice, especially suited for folk songs and ballads. Somehow that needed to be exploited in the show, while at the same time they needed to show that they could rock out like the Biloxi Brothers and other popular bands.

  Key to the band’s professional development was the relationship that Nick and Eric had developed since Nick had joined the band. One of the main reasons that Nick wanted to join the band was to express himself through original music. He felt that his ideas needed to be carefully tailored to the skills and abilities of the other players in the band, and because Eric was the bass player, Nick believed that a lot of the dynamic action of the band had to start with the bass lines.

  Nick’s method was to write down an idea that he came up with, present it to Eric, maybe jam with him a few minutes on it, and then let Eric spend some time with it on his own, seeing if he could master it or improve on it. The next time they got together, either for rehearsal or on their own, they would try the musical idea again. If things came out good, they would try to incorporate the musical idea into one of the band’s original songs.

  Eric really liked this method of working on music because he felt he was involved in the creation of the music, rather than just adding the bass to an existing arrangement. It helped him improve his creative skills and technical understanding of the bass, because he could modify things if they were awkward or too technically difficult to play. It also helped him to develop a closer friendship with Nick, who Eric realized possessed incredible creativity and musical knowledge. The fact that Nick was willing to share his abilities with Eric made Eric feel special.

  Nick had a unique relationship with the band already. Not only had Daniel and Jason watched out for his back when he was under attack by predators, but Jason had risked his life to save him from certain torture and death at the hands of his estranged half-brothers. (The complete story of Nick’s ordeal is contained in the fourth Hunter & Holmes novel, Family Matters.) The other members of the band, Tim, Jonathan, and Eric, had also gone through abusive ex
periences where Jason and Daniel had intervened and saved the day. That’s why Jason named them the Second Chance All Stars.

  One of Nick’s main goals in life was to make this band a success, not only musically, but personally, because he felt such a deep connection to his band mates. From a very early age, Nick had always been a lone creator of music, a child prodigy on the way to becoming a concert pianist. Now he was very much involved in and enjoying the group dynamic that belonging to the band provided. Sure he was sharing his talent, but so were the others. Together they were a powerful sound, a musical presence that was hard to ignore. Nick really enjoyed that part of the band experience.

  Jonathan and Tim had known each other the longest before the band was formed. While they weren’t always the tightest of friends initially, over the past couple of years they had become best friends. When Tim’s life was spiraling out of control in the year before he was sent off to the Camp Chinquapin boot camp, he had alienated most of his regular friends. Jonathan was one of the few who stuck by him, because his parents were also going through a messy divorce. Even though Tim wasn’t always the best company in those days, Jonathan somehow was able to see through the turmoil in Tim’s life and remember that underneath all of the anger was someone with a lot of talent.

  After Tim was rescued from the abusive prison he had been placed in at the boot camp, he started to put his life back together, and he remembered Jonathan’s loyalty to him. He got back into contact with Jonathan, and soon they were best friends. Tim recommended to Eric and Daniel that they should audition Jonathan for the band, because he was a skilled player of woodwind instruments.

  Jonathan played a fabulous audition and was accepted into the band. But like Tim, Jonathan had issues in his home life that needed working out. Jonathan had been hiding these issues from the rest of the world, while his home life was spiraling out of control, due to his mother’s addiction to methamphetamines, and reliance on low life drug dealers to feed her habit. When one of the dealers moved into Jonathan’s house, the situation soon became abusive. Luckily Jason and Daniel were around to help when the meth dealer decided to kidnap Jonathan and make him into a meth addict so that he wouldn’t report the dealer to the authorities. (Jonathan’s complete story is contained in the fifth Hunter & Holmes novel Eyewitness News.)

  Because Jonathan had already earned a place in Jason and Daniel’s scene, they made Jonathan one of their special projects. After rescuing Jonathan from the dealer, and getting Jonathan’s mother to go into drug rehabilitation, they kept him away from the foster care system by having Tim’s father get temporary custody of him. While Jonathan was living at Tim’s house, Tim’s father, a talented contractor, was doing a remodel of the home where Jonathan and his mother lived, courtesy of the Whatever Foundation. After Jeff Wilkinson finished the remodel, the house was stocked with food, new furniture, and new clothing for Jonathan. He was also given a set of three quality saxophones to expand his musical horizons with the band. Jason worked with the foundation attorney to locate Jonathan’s father and arrange for him to pay past due child support that he had refused to send while Madeline, Jonathan’s mother, was an addict.

  When Madeline was released from the clinic, and the two were brought to their completely redone house, both were totally amazed at the generosity and thoughtfulness of Jonathan’s friends. Now Jonathan was flying high, successful as a musician, no longer living in poverty or fear of what would happen to him or his mother, back in contact with his father, and happy to be part of his new circle of friends who had already done so much for him.

  These days you could hear Jonathan’s success in his music. His solos would take you on fabulous musical journeys, and his technical abilities and sound continued to improve. Jonathan’s commitment to the band was rock solid, and he was looking forward to their upcoming tour in June.

  The members of Daniel’s band all had amazing life stories to tell, but when it came to taking care of business, they all depended on Daniel to lead the way. Although Daniel wasn’t pushy or mean in the way he led the band, it was clear that he was in charge. Daniel did have the resolve to deal with any disputes that might come up in their rehearsals or performances, or if someone from the outside tried to take advantage of the band. Daniel’s adventures with Jason had made him aware of the outside world, and the dangers out there.

  Jason, who was normally the leader in their detective work, understood Daniel’s musical leadership capabilities, even though he didn’t know a lot about music. One of the nicest compliments Jason ever paid to Daniel was: “I believe that you have the talent and leadership to speak to our generation through your music.”

  Daniel had shown these characteristics throughout the past year, since the band was formed. He had a good sense of detail, planning out their rehearsals, sets, and often working with Eric to make sure that the two of them were prepared for auditions or recording sessions. Another component was Daniel’s leadership during band rehearsals, where he made sure they worked out every detail of their song arrangements. The most intangible asset of Daniel’s leadership was his charisma during performances. While every member of the band had this to some degree, (especially Nick who had incredible stage presence), people still always looked to the lead guitarist and vocalist to get the music happening. Daniel did not disappoint his audiences in this regard.

  Now it was time for the rehearsal to begin. Daniel got everyone’s attention and asked: “Are you guys ready to rehearse now?” When the answer was an enthusiastic ‘yes’, Daniel quickly explained what charts to get out for rehearsal, and what he planned to do during the next two hours. Jason was right. Daniel was a true leader for the band. Their music continued to improve every time they got together and played.

  Chapter 4

  Jason and Nick

  (Thursday and Beyond)

  The lunch bell had just rung at Merriam High School. Jason was hurrying over to the music building where he knew that Daniel and the other members of his band had just finished their jazz band class. Laura had a committee meeting today at lunch, so Jason wanted to spend the time with his other friends. By the time he arrived, his friends were already gone, except for Nick Feraducci.

  “Hey, Nick! How’s it going?” Jason exclaimed in greeting.

  Nick smiled his big smile back when he saw who was calling his name. “Jason! What brings you over here today?”

  “Laura has a prom committee meeting at lunch today, so I thought I would come over here and see if there was anyone to hang out with at lunch.”

  “Well I’m free today. Let’s do lunch!” Nick replied enthusiastically.

  The two friends hurried over to the cafeteria and negotiated their way through the lunch line. When they had purchased their food, they found some free space at a table and sat down. After they had eaten some of their food, they got caught up on each other’s activities.

  “Where is everyone else?” Jason asked. Usually several of the Second Chance All Star band members would be gathered together with their girlfriends at lunchtime.

  “Daniel and Diana wanted to put in some extra study time together for a social studies test, Eric went to a swim team meeting and then will see Rebecca, and Tim and Teresa usually are off somewhere by themselves,” Nick explained.

  “And where are the ladies of the Nick Feraducci fan club today?” Jason followed up.

  “I guess they are not meeting today,” Nick said with a little shrug of his shoulders. “So I am all alone and am glad you stopped by, Jason.”

  “Me too,” Jason responded. “We never have a lot of time to just hang out and socialize, even though we live in the same neighborhood.”

  “Spring is always a busy time at school, and this year we also have to prepare for the concert tour in June. I am actually grateful for some time alone, so I can practice and concentrate on my music. But even that might be put on hold because of Mom’s business trip coming up.”

  “What do you mean?” Jason asked.

  “Mom j
ust got named to the executive board of the California Realtor’s Association. So she will be gone for a couple of days next week. I’m not sure what she plans to do about me. Maybe she will take me along, although I don’t want to miss school and of course any band rehearsals.”

  “Why don’t you come and stay at my house,” Jason offered. “You know we have that guest room where you stayed before. I can promise you no predators will be after you this time!”

  “What a great idea!” Nick replied with a smile. “But I don’t want to impose on you or your parents.”

  “Are you kidding?” Jason said, slightly raising his voice. “Mom dotes on you, and both Mom and Dad really like your music. Just have your mom call mine, and set everything up. I’ll mention the possibility to her tonight. But I’m sure it will be okay.”

  “The best part is that we get some of that hang together time like when we first met,” Nick said enthusiastically. “And not having to worry about my personal safety makes it even better. You know there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t remember what you did for me, Jason. I still shudder inside when I think how close to death I came in that underground cave.”

  “Somehow our meeting and becoming friends was meant to be, Nick, in spite of the heavy handed way that we were introduced.”

  “I still am embarrassed about that,” Nick said with a sheepish grin. “You and Daniel sure paid a price for Grandfather’s panini.”

  “That’s all water under the bridge now,” Jason said reassuringly. “Both Daniel and I think of you as one of our best friends. Every time I hear you play the piano it reminds me how important it was to help you out in your time of need.”

  The two friends went on to talk about school and band activities until the bell rang for their next class.

  Caterina, Nick’s mother, was grateful for Jason’s offer to have Nick stay at their house while she was out of town. Quickly things were arranged with Edith Hunter, and a few days later, Nick was at the Hunter’s front door with an overnight bag.