Final

Jeanne yawned as she looked over her math review in preparation for it's final on the following Thursday. She had already finished her Women's Choir final, an easy paragraph about a moment in which she was proud of the entire group, and she wasn't allowed to leave the classroom for another hour because it was against school policy for finals testing. Her next final would be in Biology and even if she did want to get it out of the way right then, she had to wait. After using another hour and thirty minutes to do her
Biology final, Jeanne would go out through the rest of her day as normal.

Jeanne leaned back on the carpet covered stair case that make up the 'risers' for the classroom, so that her back was against some of the chairs piled on top of one another, and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the choir room. In one part she could hear girls finishing up their finals, in another, Jeanne could hear Jennifer yell at Kathy for a perverted moment in time. In a different area, near the stereo system, Jeanne could hear Anna gossip to her clique of five girls, and near the piano Jeanne could here Jane and Tammy singing softly, trying to practice 'For Good'.

Jeanne smiled as she felt a feint presence form beside her. So, one of her imaginary friends wanted to join her, she wouldn't protest that. She opened her eyes and looked to her left, only to see Merlin observing the classroom. She watched as the young magician's eyes twitching this way and that as he looked at all the different things, including the forms of Jane and Tammy leaving to go to the sound booth to get some music. Jeanne smiled at Merlin as his eyes finally settled on her form.

"Hello Merlin," Jeanne said, happiness leaking into her voice.

"Hello Jeanne," Merlin started, "Will I be able to see this grand performance that Gaius is always raving about?"

"Stick around for another five minutes, and you will. We're going to perform it for the substitute teacher because she really wants to see it," Jeanne said, bitterness filling her voice as Merlin saw her face turn into a mask of frustration.

"You didn't want to perform it again did you?" Merlin asked.

"No I didn't but I'm going to do it anyway," Jeanne said as she got into position to start performing 'Leading Ladies'1 the song and dance Women's Choir was told to do by the choir teacher.

Jane put it in the DVD player2 Jeanne sung as best as she could manage with a sore throat, and danced to the best of her ability, feeling like it was a horrible experience to be relived. Alto lines were hard to sing it the music could didn't help by giving any starting pitches. Jeanne personally thought it was the group's worst performance of the piece yet, but apparently the substitute loved it.

"You did well," Merlin said as he gave her a one armed hug.

"I disagree, but thank you Merlin," Jeanne whispered as she sat down again with a copy of 'For Good'.

Jane switched discs in the DVD player so that for good would start playing. It was annoying listening to most of the girls sing parts that were reserved for the seniors in the all of the choirs, Jane and Tammy from Women's Choir, but Jeanne just dealt with it. Merlin had a look of pleasure on his face as her heard Jeanne sing the harmony for the song.

"You've the voice of an angel," Merlin stated as the song finished.

"I hate my singing voice, but thank you," Jeanne said as she got up to put the music away, Merlin tailing behind her. Jeanne then went to the side of the staircase to put her math stuff along with her pencil and eraser back into her backpack. The bell to go to the next class rang just as she finished packing up.

"I'll see you later Jeanne, I'm going to tell Arthur he's missed hearing an angle sing today," Merlin told Jeanne as he slowly faded again. With that, Jeanne left the theater, and made her way to Biology for her next final of the day.

1 Arranged by M. Huff and consists of 'The Sound of Music,' 'Popular,' 'Adelaide's Lament,' 'Don't cry for me Argentina,' and 'Don't rain on my Parade'.

2 We do have a stereo system, it's just that both sides of it are broken right now so only the DVD player works.