Title: United
Summary: It all started with that pink slip, now they tour the world, together. As a band. They are United. AU.
Rating: T
Point of View: 3rd Person
Disclaimer: I do not own HOA.
A/N: I know another new story, but I do have my other chapters lined out for my other stories. This one is based off of the Disney Channel Movie Lemonade Mouth. Check out my page for links! Without further ado I present... United.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The hands on the clock moved ever so slowly. The very diverse group of five sat in detention watching time waist away. You had Eddie Miller, keyboard. Jerome Clark, drum god. Joy Mercer, bass. Patricia Williamson guitar, and Nina Martin, future front man for Lemonade Mouth.
It's funny how it all started. Allow me to go back.
Earlier That Day
"C'mon Patricia! You will love your new school." Exclaimed Mrs. Williamson, who sat in the front of the car.
Patricia, who sat in the back, argued, "No I won't. The only reason I'm here is because you and dad decided to move us halfway across the country."
Her mother sighed and continued driving. Her phone rang and she reached over to pick it up as they pulled into the parking lot of Vista High. Patricia grabbed her bag and trudged out the car. While Patricia walked ten feet ahead of her mom, who was too busy notice a group of students laughing at her and her punk rock style.
"Ha! Look at the new girl." One called.
Patricia just glared at them continued walking.
Jerome Clark's parents turned around as they parked in front of the school. They watched for a moment as Jerome had his drumsticks out was beating across the car. His father cleared his throat. "Jerome. Are you ready for today?" He asked.
Jerome gave them a puzzled look.
A light bulb went off in his head as his mother pressed further, "Soccer tryouts are today!" She exclaimed, she dug around in front of her and picked up a dirty ball. "We brought you Tommy's soccer ball. The one where he scored-"
"The winning goal at the state champion ships. Why are you acting like this? Tommy isn't dead, he's just away at college." Jerome cut in.
His mother just shooed him away as she tried to stop herself from crying.
Jerome got out of the car and started walking towards the building when he saw the girl he's had a crush on for a while now, Joy Mercer. He was so mesmerized that he fell over a speed bump, causing cars to honk at him.
"Now remember Joy, you must sign up for that extra AP class so that you get the credits for college." Her father lectured.
"I know Dad. I'll see later." She started for the car door, but was cut off by her father.
"Wait. Is that lipstick you're wearing cause your too young for that sort of thing."
She started to wipe off the lipstick as she said, "Of course not Dad. I'll see you later!"
She quickly got out the car as her dad yelled out. "Remember Joy extra credit!"
Joy got out the car and noticed her boyfriend Fabian standing not to far away from her with his friends. Her outfit was covered up with this ugly jacket, so she was hoping that he wouldn't see her. Luckily, he didn't.
In a white truck Eddie Miller sat with his father in front of Ridgeview University. "Don't you think its weird that you're girlfriend is still in college? You know when men go through a mid-life crisis they buy a sports car. C'mon dad let's trade in the old truck for a sports car! I would totally support that." Eddie preached.
"Edison she's just taking a design course, besides she's only 28." Eric stated.
Eddie looked out the window and sighed. "Yeah, and you're like 50."
Eric laughed lightly. "Try 35 Edison."
Eddie rolled his eyes. "Its Eddie dad. You know what I'm going to be late for school. Can we get going?"
Nina Martin was running late for school. She woke up late, she practically tripped over everything in her room, and she didn't eat breakfast. She quickly rode her bike to school and when she put it in the rack Eddie ran in and accidentally tripped her, causing all of her things to drop to the floor. "Great." she muttered under her breath.
Patricia and her mother sat in Principal Roddenmar's office as he went over the rules of Vista High. "Therefore, I run a tight ship," he finished. He glanced over at Patricia and his eyes caught sight of her shirt. "That," he pointed at her shirt. "It is not allowed in my school."
She looked down at her shirt. "What? Do you have a dress code here or something?" she questioned.
"No, Ms. Williamson, but there is an imaginary line, and that shirt crosses it."
She sat up a little straighter. "What about freedom of expression? Do you have that here? Because-"
Her mother cut her off. "She'll cover up the shirt for today." She spoke up. She took off her jacket and put it around her daughter. "Its just for today Patricia. Just keep it on and I'll see you later."
Unlike any other school day they had an assembly in the gym. Principal Roddenmar made his usual speech, but one part caught a certain red heads attention. "Here at Vista High we will allow students to express themselves."
Patricia smirked and thought. "You want students that express themselves, here you go."
She stood up on the bleacher and raised her voice. "My shirt, my decision! Don't let your school take away your rights! Speak your mind! Be heard! Use your voice! We deserve to be heard!" She threw off her jacket as students began to cheer. "Here is your expression Roddenmar!"
The first detention slip was given out at that moment.
Eddie was in first period history waiting to give his oral report on US History. "Eddie Miller, you're up." his teacher said. Eddie picked up his red folder and began to look through it for his report. Problem was he only saw pictures. Emily's pictures. His dad's girlfriend's pictures. He started to panic. "I'm sorry sir. Just let me find that report."
He sat down in his seat, head in hands. "This can't be happening." he thought.
"Excuse me." A voice said. Eddie turned around to see Emily. "Sorry to interrupt," she apologized. "Eddie, I have your folder." she said.
"Whoa. Look at Eddie's mommy!" a student called out.
"Edison," The teacher began. "Would you like to introduce your mother."
Eddie was in disbelief. "Are you kidding? That's not my mom! Look at her! Are you stupid?" he yelled.
He just realized what he said, and to his teacher.
The second detention slip was given out.
During that time Joy was exiting the bathroom after taking off that ugly coat. She reapplied her lipstick and straightened out her outfit. She was wearing an alluring round neck sleeveless spliced hollow out dress. She held her violin in one hand. She walked down a row of lockers.
Then, someone tapped her shoulder. She jumped slightly and saw her boyfriend Fabian. "Fabian!" she exclaimed. "You scared me"
"Sorry Joy, its just that the rest of the guys in the band want to sneak off campus to go rehearse for the Halloween bash. I was wondering if you wanted to come with?"
She hesitated. "I don't know Fabian. What if Roddenmar catches us?"
He scoffed. "Please, last I heard he was dealing with the new girl."
"Okay, I'm in."
"This is an institute of learning Ms. Williamson not a place for you to cause a riot. Here we have model students, exemplary students."
Patricia laughed. "Like them?"
His eyes darted towards the monitors where Fabian and Joy were attempting to sneak out of school.
"Is this your first in fraction of any kind Ms. Mercer?" asked Victor.
Joy sat nervously in front of Principal Roddenmar. "Yes sir."
"Alright, I won't call your father, seeing that you're on honor roll. You have a detention and don't let me see you skipping class again," he warned.
Joy shook her head. "You won't." she promised.
She briskly walked out of his office and met Fabian in the hallway. She held up her slip. "Detention. At least we'll be together there." Fabian's eyes darted away from hers. "Right?"
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Since I'm on the soccer team, he let me off with a warning, but I'll see you later. Yeah?"
During sixth period Nina was in the janitor's closet reading, hiding away from the rest of the world. "Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow." she read aloud.
She also had an apple in one hand and took a bite from it. In the process she managed to knock down a bunch of brooms. As she tried to pick them up she made a lot of noise. Then, a slither of light entered from the hallway, along with a detention slip from your favorite Principal.
Victor walked down the halls with Jason Winkler trailing him. "Victor!" he called out. "I just don't understand why you would move my classroom down to the basement. The arts are just as important as the sports teams here. Just because you get some stupid sponsors you cut my budget!"
Victor came to a halt and turned around so that he was facing Jason. "Sponsors bring money and money makes my school run."
He turned and continued to walk down the hall. "Your school?" Jason questioned.
Now we enter eighth period where Jerome in all his glory is trying to make his parents proud by making the soccer team. So far, he wasn't making them proud. More off embarrassing them. He'd rather be beating drums, not kicking some stupid ball.
"Look at Clark trying to kick a ball!" taunted Mick.
Mick was Fabian's friend and band mate. He usually taunts Jerome and makes fun of him. While Fabian doesn't make fun of him he doesn't intervene either. Anyone could see that Jerome was getting agitated. "You know what, I don't need you bagging on me!" he yelled. He picked up his brother's ball, "And I certainly don't need my brother's ball!"
He threw the ball at Mick, but he ducked and it ended up hitting the coach. "I think he did that on purpose," said Mick.
The final detention slip was given out that day.
Patricia held the pink slip in her hand and looked around for detention. A girl with blonde hair and fair skin noticed her looking lost. "Need help?" She asked. Patricia just showed her the slip. "Ah, detention. I'll show you. I'm Amber by the way. You must be new."
"How would you know?" Patricia questioned.
"You don't know where anything is, besides word travels fast around her, and people are saying that you are the new girl." Amber inquired.
"Yeah, well you're right." They stopped in front of the elevator. "So, detention is down there?"
Amber nodded her head. "Yep. Anything that isn't a sport goes down here. Basically, if you're not wearing a cheer skirt or a Letterman jacket you're practically invisible." The elevator doors opened and the pair stepped inside. It was a quiet ride down, but when the doors opened they were met with what would seem like a jungle of the arts.
"We call this place the Underground. Over there," she pointed towards a small office like place, "Is the school newspaper. Hey Mara!" She waved towards a girl with black hair and tanned skin. "And this is my stop. AV club, they're helping me film my fashion assignment. Detention is down the hall and to the left. Good Luck."
Like that Patricia was alone again. She walked down the hall and was met with a bright yellow machine. Jasper's Lemonade it read. She bought one and drank it. It had a sour taste, but soon came the sweetness. Every member of that rag tag group of five got a drink from that machine, not knowing what that first move would do.
Now where were we?
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The hands on the clock moved ever so slowly. The very diverse group of five sat in detention watching time waist away. You had Eddie Miller, keyboard. Jerome Clark, drum god. Joy Mercer, bass. Patricia Williamson guitar, and Nina Martin, future front man for United.
Mr. Winkler entered the room. "I have decided instead of letting you guys sit here and twiddle your thumbs for the next hour, you will be put to work. Now, we are going to turn this ugly room into a music room!" he exclaimed.
Patricia leaned towards the other four and asked "He can't really make us work. Can he?" As Mr. Winkler left the room to go talk to Principal Roddenmar.
Joy rolled her eyes and got up. "Look, I don't know any of you and I don't want to be here another day. So can you guys just do what Mr. Winkler says?"
She walked towards a bunch of instruments in the back and started dusting. The rest followed except for Jerome he just sat and started drumming his fingers on the desk. He slowly started to make a beat. Eddie noticed this and took his keys and threw them from hand to hand.
Joy had a spray bottle and started spraying to the beat. Then, Patricia started clapping a rhythm. Jerome took out his drum sticks and started beating against them as he walked towards the rest of the group. Nina looked around at what was going on as Joy picked up the large bass and started strumming.
Eddie walked over to the xylophone and started playing to Joy's strumming. At the same time Jerome started on the drums, and Patricia on the guitar and Eddie on the keyboard. Then, Nina made the courageous decision to start singing. "Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na. Take a look around, who would have thought we'd all be here." She sang.
She got up and continued cleaning. "So let's mess around, cause the future is all clear." She spun a globe and dusted it off. "We've got nothing better to do just trying to get through." She reached up to clean something else, but instead knocked over a train of what she hoped weren't instrument cases filled with actual instruments.
"Can you hear me? Can you hear me? Yeah!" She laughed lightly as Patricia pulled her away from the mess. She started grooving with her as she sang, "Let the music groove you. Let the melody move you. Feel the beat and just let go. Get the rhythm into your soul!"
She ran over to an empty chair behind Joy and sat down. "Let the music take you! Anywhere it wants to!" She exclaimed as she put on some old lady glasses. Patricia threw a random item at her as Nina set those glasses onto the bridge of her nose, in an effort to act like a snooty teacher. "When you're stuck and can't get free," She wrote detention on the chalk board.
"No matter what we'll still be singing! C'mon! C'mon! Turn up the music! Its all we got we're gonna use it! C'mon! C'mon! Turn up the music! Yeah!"
"All we have is now," She took off the glasses and posed. "Let's make the most of this," Nina found a purple boa and put it around Joy, "C'mon break it out!" She found a viking hat and put it on Jerome, "So everyone can hear it!"
"They don't have to understand," she sang. "But we'll make em if we can. Did you hear me?" She pointed towards a cowboy hat in front of Eddie and he put it on. "Are you with me? Yeah." She snuck a pair of light pink flower shaped sunglasses and danced towards Patricia.
"Let the music groove you. Let the melody move you." She placed them on her face. She ran over towards a skeleton decked out in a king's crown and pink and blue boa. She began to dance with him. "Feel the beat and just let go. Get the rhythm into your soul. "
She spun the skeleton around in a circle. "Let the music take you, anywhere it wants to." She tried to turn under the skeleton's arm and instead just ended up taking it off. "When you're stuck and can't get free. No matter what we'll still be singing."
She held on to the skeleton's arm and continued, "C'mon! C'mon! Turn up the music! Its all we got we're gonna use it! C'mon! C'mon! Turn up the music! It's all we got we're gonna use it. Feel the beat and just let go."
She started dancing on the boxes with the arm. She kicked a box and Styrofoam peanuts fell everywhere. "Get the music into your soul!" Everyone was rocking out so much, that they didn't notice Mr. Winkler come back into the room. "Let the music take you. Anywhere it wants to!"
Nina still stood on top those boxes and sang while acting like a conductor, "C'mon! C'mon! Turn up the music! Yeah!"
The final cords of the song rang out and they all let out chorus' of "That was so cool!" or "Awesome!"
Mr. Winkler looked around at the rag tag group of five. They finally seemed to notice him when they stopped cheering. They were all frozen for a moment before they started a chorus of apologies. "Shush," Mr. Winkler demanded. "I need to think." Joy quickly rushed to her seat. "You." He pointed towards Nina.
She looked taken aback. "Yeah, I'll just go sit down." She ran to her seat.
Jason followed her to her desk and set his hands on top of it. "You have a beautiful voice. Your band!" He exclaimed. "It's a gift."
By now, they were all seated once more. "We're not a band," Patricia said.
"Yeah we barely know each other," Joy cleared.
"But you guys could become a real band!" Exclaimed Mr. Winkler. "You could show everyone that the arts matter! That will show Roddenmar," he thought aloud. A light bulb popped in his head. "That will show Roddenmar!" he exclaimed. He thought for a moment before a gasp escaped his lips, "Rising Star!" he shouted.
"Rising what?" asked Patricia.
Joy jumped in, "Rising Star. Its a competition. Winner gets a record deal."
"Yeah," Eddie began, "They have a catchy jingle too." Jerome began to beep box as Eddie sang the jingle. "The making of tomorrow's stars today. The making, the making-"
"Whatever. What I'm saying is that you guys should form a band and join!" exclaimed Mr. Winkler.
"Pass," stated Patricia. "It sounds ridiculous."
Mr. Winkler looked over at Joy. "No, between my AP classes and violin lessons, I wouldn't have time."
He looked at Nina next. "Of course not!" she exclaimed. "The last time I performed in front of a crowd was in my first grade recital, and during Mary Had A Little Lamb I threw up all over Alfie Lewis' back."
Eddie laughed. "Yeah, I remember that. It was hilarious."
Nina blushed, "No it wasn't it was embarrassing."
"I'm not doing this band thing either, its dumb," stated Jerome.
Eddie clapped his hands together, "So I guess that means I'm out too. Unless you wanna do a one man band thing, or solo career. I'd fully support that."
Jason backed up from the group. "Okay, but you said it yourself Patricia. You deserve to be heard."
The five shared a look, and picked up their bags, ready to leave detention.
A/N: I hope you guys liked this please check out my page for links! Read and Review!