Haven't written for Princess Diaries, yet, so I have written a fanfic that combines two of my favorite things, Meg Cabot and Lennon/McCartney. Crossover with Across the Universe. Spoilers for ATU and Princess Diaries.
Every single day I look back to see what an idiot I was. I mean, seriously, I gave up my boyfriend, my vegetarianism, my feminist rights, and my best friend in the whole world… again. I think about what came over me, making me act like that… Messing everything up and then forgetting everything over a musical.
A stupid musical. Maybe if it weren't for musicals, I would have made up with Michael and called Lily back to apologize. Maybe this would have all worked out…
Even though I know that's probably not true, and that it was my entire fault in the first place, but I like to blame it on musicals. I went from being in love with anything that sings to feeling sick to my stomach every time I heard a jingle out on the street. So you can imagine my despair when Grandmere announced;
"We are holding another musical!"
I looked up at her like she was insane. I thought she was joking, because I had explained to her my irrational fear of musicals. However, it seemed she was dead serious.
"Grandmere, what are you talking about?? I told you that I don't like musicals."
"Nonsense, you will love this one. It is a new movie, and I just saw it yesterday. As soon as I saw it, I thought immediately, 'This is going to bring my Amelia into the limelight! Finally she will be recognized by those handsome princes!'"
"You think a high school musical is going to attract princes, Grandmere? Because I don't. Especially because I won't be in it." I rolled over on the couch I was sitting on and shoved my face into a pillow.
"Don't be ridiculous. And sit up straight, I don't want to see the crap you wear on your eyelids all over my pillows."
I sat up straight, slightly embarrassed on what she called my eye shadow. I had seen it in Teen Vogue; it couldn't have been that bad! Tina said it looked cute.
"Grandmere, please…"
"Do not protest what has been done. I am holding auditions at your school."
"If you already know who is going to be who, then why bother holding auditions?"
"Because I want everyone to think they got a fair chance. I have respect for your classmates."
I looked at the ground, knowing that she had no respect for anyone whatsoever; she was always looking down at them.
"What makes you think that the school is going to let you hold a musical?"
"I have already spoken to your principal, and because of the marvelous success that Braid had, she allowed me to hold another musical. Even though this one won't be as good, because it isn't written about your ancestors…"
"I beg you, Grandmere, don't do this."
"What is done is done." She snapped, giving me a glare that made me shut up.
Across The Universe
I walked down the hallway with Tina when she gasped at the poster on the gym doors. "Oh my gosh, Mia, look at this!" She pointed at the poster, overflowing with happiness.
I looked at it, and my stomach sank. "Across The Universe…" I groaned.
"What? Aren't you excited? You were amazing in the last play."
"Grandmere is just doing this so I can get a new boyfriend! It's horrible... she's treating me like an object."
"Don't overexagerate… even if some princes are attracted to you, you don't actually have to…date them."
"Whatever, Tina, I really don't want to do it anyways. It sounds kind of stupid."
"It sounds romantic! An artist falling in love with a revolutionary…" She read off the poster. "Strung together with popular Beatles songs! It sounds so cool!"
I walked up to my locker and quickly opened the lock. "I don't think so, Tina."
"Well, will you at least come to the audition with me, please? I want to try out. Please?"
I look at her and then grab my lunch out of the locker. "Fine." I say reluctantly, giving in to her puppy-dog eyes.
"Yes! Thanks Mia, you're a real friend." She ran into the gym and I followed behind her, my brown bagged gym in my hands.
Across The Universe
"Welcome to the audition for the musical 'Across the Universe!'" Grandmere exclaimed, and I tried to be subtle. I tiptoed through the door, but forgot to press it shut, and it slammed loudly.
Everyone in the gym turned over to look at me, and then Grandmere lit up. "Amelia!! Sit."
I walked over, a bit nervous, and sat beside a guy that kind of looked like Kurt Cobain.
Grandmere was blabbing about the play, and how marvelous it was going to be, but I tuned her out and stared at the guy who looked like Kurt Cobain. There was such a strong resemblance, I would have thought that he would be his son, or something…
"Amelia! Are you listening?"
I look up as soon as Kurt Jr turned around to look at me.
This isn't class, Grandmere, this is a play. I can be selective on what I hear. I think, but instead take another bite out of my cold cheeseburger.
I bet that its musicals fault that I'm addicted to hamburgers. Why do they even call them hamburgers, anyways? It's not like its ham. Its cows. Cow intestines, and… other, parts…
"The main characters are as so, Jude, Lucy, and Max." She drawled on. "Jude is the devishly handsome artist, Lucy is the goody-goody revolutionist, and Max is her lazy, playboy brother."
We all sat there listening to her drawl on, and on, until she finally said, "Okay, now, because it is a musical, I need to hear you sing. Girls are singing 'Hold Me Tight' and boys are singing 'Something.' There are two instructors that I have hired especially to help you learn these songs, and excel at them. Get to work!"
I stand up with Tina and follow her as she practically runs over to the piano where the girl instructor is standing. I watch Kurt Jr. walk over to the other piano. He shoved his hands in his pockets and listened to the guy explain the song and hand out sheet music.
I snapped back to attention when our instructor started talking. "Okay, this is a duet, understand? Lucy and the band sing this together; however, you will sing the parts separately today, okay?"
We all nod, and she hands out the sheets of paper.
"Okay, this is how it goes." She sits down at the port-a-piano she has in front of her and plays the song. "It feels so right now, hold, me tight…"
We all learn the song, even though my speed is way off. How are we supposed to learn a song right away? And does it matter if I learn it today, if I already know I'm going to be Lucy?
I think about messing up, really badly, and then maybe she won't make me do this. But I know that nothing will change Grandmeres mind when it's set.
The boys have to sing first, so I watch as JP stumbles up in front of everybody and looks at the paper, frustrated. As the piano starts, he starts singing, and its one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.
Something in the way she moves…
Attracts me like no other lover.
Something in the way she woos me…
I don't want to leave her now,
You know I believe and how.
"Thank you." Grandmere says as nicely as she can, and then some other people sing. Some of them are okay, but none of them are as good as JP.
Kurt Jr goes up, and I find out his name is Joe (AN, sorry, couldn't resist). He looks at the paper, and then sings
What would you do, if I sang out of tune?
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Grandmere stops him immediately. "What about something? What are you doing?"
He shrugged.
"That song is at the beginning. If I wanted you to sing that, then I would have asked you. Sit down."
He sat down again, obviously not caring.
After everyone, including me and Tina, are finished singing, Grandmere taps her clipboard.
"Thank you." She says finally, and the bell rings. Everyone leaves.
