Guitar Girl and Piano Man
Chapter 1
The spotlight was pouring on her all-black, shimmering dress. Her back was slender and she was already leaning into the curved wood on her lap. She stopped to remove her watch and gently set it on the floor. Her small heels were silently tapping to the melody about to pour from the confines of the stage. A light smile was tucked in between her lips. She was ready.
She adjusted the smooth golden guitar and plucked her favorite string, a ritual she has kept after seeing a role model of hers do the same before their solos. She gave a small nod in the direction of the audience she couldn't see and struck the first E-minor chord to start the song off. The melodic vibrato lingered throughout the auditorium and she could hear a pin drop, just like she wanted. A jazz-ridden rift later and she was off.
The applause was her cue to exit stage right. She quickly headed to a room that was set up for each of the contestants and set her prized possession in its opened case.
She paced around the small room and rubbed her hands up and down her bare forearms. Her hand was shaking and she loosened her watch to incessantly turn it around her wrist.
She was once again close to the door when a knock sounded. She slightly jumped as she slid down the brittle wood.
"Callie, Callie," was chirped in a light voice on the other side. She didn't want to look her in the face. She couldn't stand the look of disappointment that she would hold. She was always so close and she has literally been dreaming about a moment like this.
"Come on, Cal-baby, open up the door for mama." A couple more light knocks followed the verbal intrusion.
Callie still sat with her back against the door. She noticed that she had already taken off her heels when she reached for the inexistent straps. Her hands were lightly shaking and her breaths were beginning to calm as she imagined the soothing face attached to the voice across the doorway.
She raised and slowly reached for the knob before opening it.
A body was quick to scramble her up and put their hands on her shoulders. Callie's face was full of emotion, yet she had no tears to give. Colleen's face was light and subconsciously made Callie want to laugh at their juxtaposition. Her face was probably a mess while her mother stood before her as beautiful and perfectly put-together as usual.
"What's the problem?" Callie lightly shook her head and huffed at the useless statement.
"What do you mean what's the problem? I just completely bombed this entire opportunity. Dad missed work and Jude got from school early, just to come watch me tank this; something I've been working for since—since…"
"Since the first time you heard me play for you." Callie deflated at her mother's statement. She thought she was so prepared yet, here she goes crying in the middle of a performance and letting her hand slip because of it. "Baby, that was not failure, that was emotion, and I know you did a wonderful job, I was there if you remember correctly." They both walk over to the loveseat in the far corner of the room and sit. Colleen turns Callie's body towards hers and bumps her arm when she doesn't respond.
"Oh, I'm sure you were there. You're probably the only one who was boo-hoo-ing more than me." Callie bumps her back.
"Well, Miss Smarty, I happen to know that I had just listened to a beautiful performance that was easily one of the best today. I have the right to cry over gorgeous music, don't I?"
Callie tries her best to fight off her mother's advances to try to resolve her bad mood, but fails once she says her last statement. Her frown unravels and she smirks at her mother.
Music is a sacred culture in their household, something that connects the mother-daughter duo, since their fellow housemates lack this gene for musicality. While Callie was in the womb, Colleen would forcefully try to teach her husband how to play a few essential chords to put together a few songs so that Callie would sleep, therefore allowing Colleen to do the same. Callie refused to sleep without some sort of music, good or bad in her fetal state. She is the same way now, tossing and turning until a melody floods her headphones.
Callie shook her head at her mother and said, "Why do you always do this to me?"
Colleen tipped up Callie's chin and said. "It's because I love you and you, my fellow artista, are my daughter and the only one who can pick up an instrument without panicking in this family, so you're my only hope for music to live on around us Jacobs." Colleen's falsified dramatic tone made Callie burst out laughing and forget her previous mood.
"But, what about Dad? I thought he could play a little?"
"That poor man, sweetheart, is lucky that he's pretty. How was I supposed to stay with a man that couldn't harmonize or put a chord together or something! It took him a good five minutes to learn which strings were the high and low-'E's." They giggle at her antics and hold their ribs from their gut-busting laughter.
Callie sat back against the loveseat and took some deep breaths. All this laughter truly lightened her mood and put a smile back on her face. Her mother could easily be considered her best-friend. They shared secrets and stayed up late talking and picking out outfits. Their age gap was not as large as most, but they had fun together and had a better relationship than most mothers and daughters.
They both turned their head and quieted when they heard a series of knocks on the door. Colleen rose and went into Mama-mode, as it was called in their house when she went all in and protective over her children. Her unadulterated sense of urgency whenever one of the kids were in trouble was almost alarming, but they eventually got used to it and made it a Father-Daughter-and Son inside joke.
Colleen slowly opened the door and was quickly pulled closer to the stranger that Callie couldn't identify, hidden by the door. She jumped up at her mother's squeal and found her father, Robert, hugging her and trying to kiss her mother.
"Robert Jacob, what are you doing?" Callie's impersonation of her paternal grandmother was spot on since Robert immediately dropped his hands that were readily approaching Colleen's lower back and behind.
"I don't know where you got that from, but you have got to teach me," Colleen whispered. She gave her daughter a high-five after her award-worthy performance. Callie smirked and Colleen moved to back into the room, to let her work.
"Oh dear father of mine, why do you treat me like so?" Colleen couldn't help but think, 'Oh god, she's pulling this card again. But, it always works. I need to try that some time.' Callie's Aussie-English accent was the real kicker in this situation, despite her hand across her chest.
"Sweet maiden, I had no measly intent to scorn myself in your graces. I will be forever indebted for my haughty offense." He smoothly came back with a replica of an English accent. He bowed on one knee and Colleen shook her head in the background.
Robert had a past in theatre all the way from elementary until college. He would even do community performances that were surprisingly appreciated by locals. Everyone always asks him why he never pursued it as a career and his response was always stability for his wife and soon-to-arrive baby girl. Married right after college, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
"Okay, okay that's enough. You guys are crazy, straight up ridiculous. I can't put up with this any longer." Colleen came up and pulled his arm to get him off the floor, while Callie steps around them and goes back into the room.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You are just jealous of our undying connection." Robert goes over and kisses Callie's hand.
"Don't even go there with me Mr. Two-Left Hands, and you're already left-handed! I will never understand how it is so hard for you to play a single instrument, yet still claim yourself as the one who hung the moon to impress your daughter and try to show up the love of your life." Colleen pulled the same gesticulation that Callie had a minute ago, yet lacked the thrill behind the statement to appeal to Robert's dramatic side.
Robert and Callie looked at each other and shook their heads at her pitiful performance.
"You know what, I tried," Colleen huffed and turned back to Robert saying, "Where is Jude, at least he will come to his mother's defense."
"Oh, I left him in the audience during the intermission. He got caught up with some girl sitting next to us, so I just let it go."
"Some girl, what do you—"
"Mom, why don't you just go out there? You're probably about to explode just standing here now."
Colleen contemplated Callie's words and headed out to the auditorium in search of her little boy.
After she left as brief silence hung in the air, Callie was looking for her phone, while her father closed the door behind his overprotective wife.
"That was a good one Cals. You're just full of surprises today. Playing an all-star solo, then acting out with your old man," he laughed. He was always do proud of his children and whatever dream or passion they wished to pursue. He wished he had that when he was growing up.
"It wasn't even that great. I can't believe I started crying in the middle of the performance. I didn't even notice until I went to pick up my watch, but still...I just can't believe I probably lost that giant scholarship over a few tears." Callie huffs and suppresses the burning behind her eyes.
Robert comes closer and hugs her until her tense stature loosens and she wraps her arms around his back. The height difference is almost comical, but reminds Robert of when Callie would hang onto him as a toddler, never wanting to watch him leave for work. She became his shadow until she got caught up in the music with her mom. He is always proud to say that his baby girl wanted to know about hammers instead of blank-faced Barbie dolls and that she had snuck a hammer from his tool collection in the garage and pounded the heads off the dolls. Robert will never forget her coming up to him, when he came home from work, showing off the bodiless Barbies hanging from their hair in her tiny hands. He always knew she would be one of a kind.
"Hey now, you did amazing today. Everyone thought your emotional show on stage was raw and honest and completely other-worldly. You inspired a lot of artists through your love for the craft. The other kids here were likely just worried about the scholarship, but you came out and played like nobody was watching; and that's the only way to do it." He spoke from the heart and experience.
"I know it wasn't terrible, but I want to be able to go to school for what I love, you know. I want to spend my life healing the masses through music; that is my dream. And all of that could be a stake, not because I was crying, but because I slipped because of it."
"I barely recognized whenever you messed up. I'm sure even the judges remember what it is like to admire your craft in the way that you do." They both laughed at this and separated from their embrace.
"Well, I guess we might as well watch the rest of the competition. Knowing I beat out a couple of people should lift my spirits." Callie said sarcastically, while going to gather her purse and guitar case.
Callie was standing behind the curtain, alongside behind the panicky contestants who had yet to perform. Her dad was standing a bit further from her on his phone. He was the best supporter ever, refusing to even pay attention to the competition; though Callie knew he was probably reassuring Colleen about her baby boy's pseudo-innocence.
There were only few who were left to perform and Callie was eager to hear the results so she could either celebrate, or pity herself into a music-induced migraine. A cellist had just exited the opposite side of the stage when she was disturbed from her reverie by the loud applause and a tall guy going onto the stage empty-handed. 'Must be a singer then.'
She stepped farther to the right to watch the tall guy go and sit at a baby grand. She quickly despised him, never being able to grasp the basics to keyboarding. Piano was actually her first choice over guitar, until she tried and failed for a couple months. Her mother, nor her private teacher could understand her difficulty picking up the instrument when she was already well-versed in the ins and outs of the guitar.
"Think of the keyboard as the fret board on your guitar," Ms. Tannenbaum would say. "But, instead of moving your hand up and down the fret board, you have keys that you press. The hardest part for most beginners is getting the tactile multi-tasking, but you're pretty good at guitar, so there shouldn't be any problems." There were problems, and enough that even the teacher relinquished and told Callie, "Maybe the guitar is selfish and wants you to itself. Don't fight it anymore sweetheart."
Callie took a deep breath as she watched the tall-guy-pianist set his foot on the pedals and adjust his suit jacket. He was gorgeous. He lifted his face and stared at the shining black music-maker like it owned him money and he wasn't taking no for an answer. He began his piece.
His fingers were fierce while his face was relaxed and pleasant. He was thoroughly enjoying himself and Callie already wanted to know everything about this guy. He worked in tandem with the instrument; they were one. The spiking melody and climax of the song was approaching and Callie found herself gripping her necklace, with her lip under her teeth. She didn't know what was happening, and she didn't care about her surroundings, or her father ten feet from her, awkwardly leaning on her classical guitar case, which thankfully is only used for her formal performances and still has some dexterity to it.
Callie was still taken with this guy's composition and his aura. She felt parts of her gravitating towards him. Her attraction was interrupted by thunderous applause and the complaints of the next, and last performer in the competition. She silently agreed with their statement; she wouldn't want to go after his performance at all. His piece was almost perfect. He was perfect.
He came off stage the way he came, despite the deliberate instructions given to the contestants and the event managers motioning him to the other side. He walked away with a confident stride that quickly fell, although he was unaware of his few on-lookers. He was panicky like Callie was post-performance and she timidly admired him murmuring his insecurities. He paced back and forth and didn't stop until he heard the next piece begin, causing him to trip over an astray foldable stand.
Callie was stuck in place as Robert heard the racket and set down the guitar case to go help the young man. Her eyes were popping out of their sockets and her hands were sweating. She didn't know how to function normally and the guy was just ten feet away.
"Hey there, you okay?" Robert offered his hand and the suit-clad boy accepted.
"Sorry." Callie shuddered at the sound of his smooth voice, "I just got off stage and am a little out of my head."
"No shame in that, you did well."
"Thank you, I appreciate it. I just randomly applied to come here and compete without even thinking about that fact that I can't accept any award I might get if I can't walk out there and get it myself, I mean—" Brandon rambled until Robert cut him.
"Hey, son, it's okay. We all get nervous when the stakes are high. My daughter had an identical reaction after she got off stage."
"Oh, I'm sorry then, for interrupting and taking up your time. You should probably get back to her."
Robert shook his head. "Actually, we were coming out to watch the rest of the competition. And my daughter is just over here, maybe she could try to help you cool down after the performance." Robert motioned Callie over. She had already been observing their exchange and was now about to face the uber-talented tall-guy pianist. She was going to pass out.
She maintained her balance for a few more seconds and smiled lightly as she approached the guys.
"Hey, Dad."
"Hey, Cals, I just wanted you to see if you could held this poor kid right here. He's kind of jumping of the walls after his performance." Robert took a step back and stood behind Callie, his hands on her shoulders. "I'll be over here texting you mother. I don't know why you sent her out there with Jude, she's driving me crazy."
Callie snickered at him. "You love her for it." Robert smirked and nodded before leaving the two alone.
A silence hung in the air as they stared back at each other, without any words. Callie had never expected to be around this gorgeous guy so soon. Brandon felt like an angel had been dropped in front of him. They were both star struck and smitten.
"Hi, I'm Brandon," he said slowly.
She gave a slight wave and said, "I'm Callie. Congratulations on your performance. You were…amazing."
"Ditto." They both held small smiles.
"So, um…my dad said you were freaking out after your performance, right?"
"Well, I don't…know. I feel perfect right now."
Callie's cheeks immediately flooded and she looked at her feet. She pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Umm, I'm not sure what to say then. You seem fixed to me." They both laughed at her awkward comeback.
"Well, how about you stand in the wings with me and make sure I don't pass out." They smile.
"Only if you do the same." He came up and walked the few feet alongside her.
The last performer made many mistakes in the few seconds that they both noticed and tried their best not to announce, so they whispered it under their breaths for every missed note in the chord progressions.
"Oh God, is this almost over?" Brandon whipped his head towards Callie after her comment. So he wasn't the only one ready to pull a van Gogh and cut his ears off.
"Do you know what's happening? I feel like this guy is playing in a new key every couple of measures."
"Exactly. No string instrument should make so many out-of-place sounds that it sounds like its crying, or just completely out of tune."
"That poor violin didn't know it was going to be the blame for this downright painful solo this morning."
They stare at each other for a second and contain their amusement. As the solo ends, one more horrid note is played; Brandon and Callie simultaneously say, "Ooh, F-sharp."
The minute applause quickly ends and everyone feels the anxiety in the room rise. The judges go into a quick discussion as to who will be named as the top performers of the day.
After a brief intermission and tense moments, an announcer comes center stage with a microphone.
"Please give all of our contenders for the Carpe Diem Scholarship a hand for their hard work and tremendous performances throughout the afternoon." Boisterous applause follows. She continues, "The Carpe Diem Scholarship is awarded to only twenty high-school students across the nation, who are aspiring to be musicians for a total of up to $20,000 over their undergraduate years in college." This signals another round of applause from the parents and students alike. "It is a tremendous opportunity to be accepted for this historical scholarship package and I understand the anxiety for the results, so I will get right to it.
"Would all the contestants for the scholarship prize please come on stage and file into a line facing the audience behind me." After a few minutes, the well-dressed students are aligned and fidgeting.
"I will begin with our fourth place winner, who will receive a total of $2,500 for their undergraduate studies expenses. The fourth place winner is Glen Chang for his cello solo, please retrieve your prize and give him a round of applause." Glen smiles and solemnly receives his certificate, before stepping back into the line.
"Next, our third place winner and scholarship recipient of $5,000…Marianne Linette for her trumpet solo. Please give her a hand." Marianne jumps for joy and accepts her certificate after hugging the announcer.
"Now for our second place winner…" the announcer is interrupted as an event manager comes and whispers in her ear, handing her a new announcement card to follow.
"Okay everyone, it seems that we have two outstanding musicians behind me that have historically made the judges recount their decision. This is high achievement for both musicians, given the strategic minds of our judges, so I would treasure this opportunity for more than the cash prize. Let's find out who the lucky winners are." The announcer quickly opens the folded envelope with the winning names on it. She smiles in approval.
"The 2013 Carpe Diem first place Scholarship for a total of $20,000 for each winner will go to…Callie Jacobs for her emotional guitar solo and Brandon Foster with his composed masterpiece and piano performance."
Brandon and Callie gasps as they look at each other and the large crowd in front of them. Both are stuck in place until Brandon is quickened by the applause, so he grabs Callie's hand and leads them both up to the announcer who hands each of them a golden certificate and takes a picture with them for the records.
Brandon and Callie are asked to stand on stage as the other contestants leave silently or in tears. They have their pictures taken together so many times that it begins to feel like a photo shoot.
Callie's family finally makes it up to her and gathers her in hugs. Callie and Robert introduce Brandon to Colleen and Jude and they all congratulate Brandon and Callie on their monumental accomplishment.
"Brandon where is your family, we would love to meet them if that's okay with you," Colleen offers.
Brandon immediately shuts down at the mention of his family and his face drops as well.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Callie asks. He brushes off her concern and tells the Jacobs that he 'has to go.' He rushes off stage and out of the auditorium.
"That was weird," Jude says. He could already tell by all the touching and closeness that Callie was taken with this boy, so he was not going to pump up his inexistent ego anymore, despite the lack of his presence.
They all agree with his comment. But seconds later, Callie's eyes meet Brandon's as he turns one last time before running out of the auditorium.
AN: I'm baack. It's Winter Break and I'll hopefully be updating more of my other stories. I was actually working on You're Worth It, when this popped into my head and I ran with it. This has all been written in one day. Eight pages, three thousand nine-hundred and thirty-seven words, please enjoy this splendid AU.
P.S. There has been a definite lack of Brallie fics and I can't deal with that so this is the result.