So I was watching The Thing You Do! on Encore and I immediately thought of the episode of Jonas. You know. That Ding You Do? And I was like “Wow. That’s so cool.” So as I was watching the movie, I became more and more interested and totally in love with the plot. Then I thought Hey. Why don’t I write an AU JONAS fanfiction like this?And to any of you who have seen the movie, you know that it’s totally just like JONAS. Kind of. You know, minus…well, you get it pretty much.

This is dedicated to: Irrevocablyamanduh who is like one of my best friends on here (Along with thiscoffeeshop, faerietaleredux, suburbs, Sunset Clouds, and MyJonasSensesAreTingling3). She spent like all night texting me while I was trying to come up with the idea. And she is totally the prettiest most gorgeous and awesomest girl ever. No homo, because that totally sounded gay right thar. Mandy, you’re so awesome! Thanks for staying up all night with me and helping me with being inspired by a movie that is sooo different from the JONAS that we know and love.

Oh, and this might be a little strange. You’ll find out why later. Or, for those of you who know the movie, you’ll already know now. It’s AU. Just repeating. Author’s notes are so win!

That Thing You Do

Chapter One

Irreplaceable

. . . . . . . . . .

My older brothers and I have an agreement. I get to hang backstage with their band (it’s not really even a band, they’ve just been playing at fairs and local places, but I like being with my brothers) so long as I don’t try to tell them how to play. Usually, I would adhere to that simple rule, but today I have a suggestion that is pretty much eating away at my very soul. You see, yesterday my brother’s band’s drummer, Carl, broke his arm. Now my brother’s are freaking out because it’s ten minutes to curtain and they don’t have anyone to play the drums. Here’s where my suggestion comes in. I’ve been playing the drums since I was practically born and it would seem that they have forgotten that.

“Hey, Joey?” I finally pipe up. He’s yelling at Carl, asking him how he could possibly be stupid enough to fall off of a hayride and break his arm when he knewhe would be performing today. In front of him, Carl looks like he’s about to piss his pants. Joey can be scary at times. Well, actually he’s scary all the time, but that’s just who he is.

“I’m sorry!” Carl says, his eyes pleading with Joey to stop yelling. I sigh.

“Joey?” I ask again, a little louder. Joey stops yelling at Carl and whirls around, crazed brown eyes landing on me. I swallow hard.

“What?” He asks harshly, crossing his arms across his chest. I know at this point it’s now or never. I’m kind of wishing I had never opened my mouth. Looks like I’ll be sleeping with one eye open tonight, lest he and Kevin toss my bed in the lake.

“I was just thinking…” I began, and Joey grinds his teeth together. I can practically see a vein protruding from his neck. Yeah, definitely sleeping with one eye open, “That maybe…” I trailed off again and I can tell Joey is getting impatient.

“What?” Joey practically screamed, dropping his arms in a questioning manner, his face distorted in anger and annoyance, “You were thinking what?” I try not to let him intimidate me. He’s usually not this mean. I mean, he’s scary all the time, but usually he doesn’t yell this much.

“Maybe I could play the drums today?” I asked, wincing and biting my bottom lip. I expected more yelling, but instead Joey surprised me. He turned and looked at our oldest brother, Kevin, who was sitting in the corner strumming on his guitar.

“Hey, Kenny,” Joey said, Kenny was his nickname for Kevin, it didn’t make sense to me, but I went with it, “What d’you think?” Kevin looked up at us.

“Thank about what?” He asked, looking confused. Kevin was like that, he zoned out a lot when Joey started yelling like that. I watched as Joey rolled his eyes.

“About Nick here being our drummer,” Joey said, motioning to me when he said my name. Kevin stared at us for a long moment, seemingly thinking it out.

“This means he can make suggestions now, then,” He responded. Kevin was like that too, he never really gave a straight yes or a straight no. Joey turned back to me and flashed me a smile.

“You’re in, little bro,” Joey said, “Now show me what you got.” I got up and walked over to the drum set where a terrified looking Carl stood, holding them drumstick tight in his left hand. The one he hadn’t broken. I held my hand out and Carl looked at me for a long moment.

“Carl!” Joey shouted when he still had yet to hand me the sticks, we both jumped. My brother sure does know how to interrupt a musician stare-down. A second later, Carl handed me the sticks and made his way to the other side of the tent quickly. All the while, ignoring the glare Joey was shooting in his general direction.

I sat down at the drum set and played a simple beat. One after another until I built myself up enough to play a little number I like to call-

“Thank you, Nick,” Joey said just as I had started to play my favorite beat, “that’s enough. You’ll do just fine.” I stopped playing and looked at him. I wish he had let me finish. But I knew Joey was impatient like that.

“What song are we doing?” I asked, dropping the sticks in my lap. Joey looked at me like I had grown another head.

“What other song would we be doing?” Joey asked, picking up his guitar and plugging it in. I don’t know why I even bothered asking. I knew they’d be doing the same song they always did. It was called That Thing You Do and it was, in my opinion, too slow.

“Oh,” I responded, staring down at the drum set for a few minutes before looking back up at Joey, “Actually, I have a suggestion about that song that I’d like to run by you.” Joey looked up from tuning his guitar and gave me a questioning look.

“You just now joined the band and you’re already suggesting things?” He asked. I sighed.

“I know, I know,” I said, “But it’s been bugging me since you wrote the damn thing.” Kevin and Joey exchanged glances.

“Go on then,” Joey said, resting his hand against the strings of his guitar.

“Well,” I began, “the beat you were having Carl play was kind of slow, it would really improve the song if we went for a faster tempo, a more complex beat.”

“Show me,” Joey responded, walking closer to where I was at the drum set. I picked up the sticks and laid the beat out for him. He listened intently to my changes, tapping his foot.

“That’s good,” Kevin said when I had finished. Joey looked over at him and nodded in agreement.

“I like it,” he responded. I set the sticks back in my lap and felt a smile play on my lips. I held it back.

“So we’ll play it like that?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Joey responded and I felt the excitement I felt fade, “We should probably play it the same as-” I cut him off, “But my version is better,” I argued. Joey narrowed his eyes at me. I could tell he was already against my idea. I wish he would just trust me, after all, I’m the only one in my family that can play the drums. I know what I’m talking about.

“Do you want me to regret putting you in this band?” Joey asked and I swallowed. I wanted to stand up for my opinion, but Joey was making it hard.

“No,” I said, waving good-bye to my dignity. This was going to be a very long performance.

“Hey guys,” someone said, pulling back the opening of the tent and stepping in. My heart fluttered when I noticed that it was Stella Malone, Joey’s girlfriend. She crossed the room, walking towards Joey and I took a sharp breath through my nose as my eyes drank her in. She was wearing these shorts that made her legs look amazing and, not to mention, long. Her hair hung down her back in loose curls and probably smelled amazing…

“Hi, Stella,” I said with a goofy smile on my face. I hoped I didn’t look like a total idiot, but I’m certain I did. Stella flashed me a nervous smile and placed her palm on Joey’s chest, opening her mouth to say something, but stopped, turning to me again.

“Why is Nick at the drum set?” Stella asked, a little confused, “Where’s Carl?” She looked around the room.

“Here!” Carl called from the couch on the far side of the tent. Stella’s forehead crinkled in confusion and then her eyes settled on his hand.

“Oh,” Stella said, turning back towards me. I felt butterflies erupt in my chest and I swallowed, attempting to smile. She turned from me back to Joey, “So Nick is playing today?”

“Until we can find someone else,” Joey responded. I felt fear, anger and resentment rise up in my stomach. Until they sounds someone else?

“Wait a sec-” I tried, but was interrupted when the stage manager entered the tent.

“You guys are on in three,” he told us and everything I was trying to say got lost in the hustle and bustle of making it to the stage. I glared at Joey the whole way there, watching in disdain when his fingers laced with Stella’s and she smiled up at him.

I’d show him that I was irreplaceable. They’d never find as better drummer than me.

. . . . . . . . . . .

I hope you guys like it! I know everyone is a little OOC, but that’s kind of the point. I’m meshing their personalities with the personalities of the people from That Thing You Do. And if you haven’t guessed it yet, Carl is the drummer before Guy. Nick is Guy. Joe is Jimmy (Note that they call him Joey in this, I was trying to go for a whole…Jimmy thing). Kevin is Lenny (Note the Kenny nickname Joe has for him). And Stella is Faye. I was going to make Macy, Faye at first (Thanks to My JonasSensesAreTingling3’s suggestion), but…when I was writing it…I realized that she sounded more like Stella than she did Macy.

But don’t worry! Macy will come in later! Stay tuned for the next chapter: The Hit.

R&R!