Singing in the Rain
It was pretty bad outside, Abby thought. The 14-year-old sighed and stared out the window, watching the rain fall down hard and listening to the thunder crack. She hated days like this; there was nothing to do.
Well, almost nothing. There WERE options.
Option 1: Go bother Nigel. She shook her head. She valued her skin too much.
Option2: Play videogames with Wally. Again, no. He was too competitive and would probably throw a hissy fit if he was beat by a girl.
Option 3: Play with Kuki….. HELL to the no.
That only left one more option.
Watch Hoagie fix things. It was better than the other options. Hoagie liked listening to his music on loud when working on something, and he would probably let her help. She got up and walked through the base to Numbuh 2's area, which was by far the largest, what with the aircrafts he created from scratch. Before she even made it to the door, she heard the heavy thumping of the bass of his music turned on loud. He wouldn't hear her knock, so she let herself in.
The classic rock music hit her like a ton of bricks; he put his music on even louder than she did hers! Resisting the urge to plug her ears, Abby walked around, trying to find Hoagie. It wasn't long until she found him standing on a platform under an aircraft, a wrench in one hand and the other holding something in place. His goggles were settled on his forehead, and she could see him lip-syncing to the music.
"Here I am! Rock you like a hurricane!
"Here I am! Rock you like a hurricane!"
Abby watched as Hoagie finished tightening something on the craft and then began singing into his wrench like a microphone.
"The night is calling, I have to go! The wolf is hungry, he runs this show!
"He's licking his lips, he's ready to win! On the hunt tonight for love at first sting!"
"Here I am! Rock you like a hurricane! Are you ready ready ready!?"
"Here I am! Rock you like a hurricane! Come on come on come on come on!
"Here I am! Rock you like a hurrica-ane! Rock you like a hurricane!"
She couldn't seem to pull her eyes away from the half-humorous, half-spectacular image before her. Hoagie was dancing on top of the platform, rocking out like a rock star. Then, out of nowhere while probably stuck in his own imagination land, he whipped off his flight cap and mussed up his hair.
"Here I am! Rock you like a hurrica~ane!" Abby swore she heard his own voice hit that high pitch outside of the actual singing.
"Here I am! Rock you like a hurricane! Come on come on come on come on come on!
"Here I am! Rock you like a hurricane!
"Here I am!"
The music faded out, and Abby couldn't help but clap. She almost regretted doing so when Hoagie yelped and almost lost his footing off of the platform. He managed to grab a bar from the craft and hoist himself back up.
"Abby!" he said, blushing up a storm and replacing his goggles over his eyes. "What're you doing here!?" Abby laughed and climbed up the ladder.
"Numbuh Five just wanted to know if you have anything to do around here on a day like this," she replied. Hoagie ran a hand through his hair, straightening it back up.
"Um…not really," he shrugged. "I just finished fixing this big boy." He rapped his knuckles to the underside of the aircraft.
"And playin' rock star," Abby joked. Hoagie blushed again and rubbed the back of his neck.
"…I…didn't think there'd be an audience to see that," he muttered. He pocketed his wrench and sat down. Abby sat down next to him.
"Numbuh Five was impressed," she said, smiling. "She didn't know Numbuh Two could dance like that." Hoagie mumbled something and fumbled his fingers together. "What?" she asked.
"…I said…I like dancing," he said a little louder. "…And singing." Abby sat up straight.
"Numbuh Two can sing?" she asked skeptically. "You're pullin' Numbuh Five's leg." Hoagie shrugged a little. "…You can really sing?"
Hoagie paused before nodding a little. "…Yeah," he replied. "Since my voice started changing when I was eleven. Before that, I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket."
Abby had to agree wholeheartedly. Before the age of eleven, Hoagie couldn't even sing "Happy Birthday" or the "ABCs" on key. She looked at him. "…Will you sing a song for Abby?"
Hoagie shot his head up and Abby saw his eyes widen behind the goggles. Abby put on her 'Pretty Please' face that only Hoagie fell for. "Pleeeease?" Hoagie sighed and ran a hand through his hair again.
"Alright," he sighed. "But don't laugh. I can sing, just not THAT good." With that, he slid down the ladder and walked over to his stereo to turn it off, then pressed a button to open a door. Abby watched him pull out an electric piano out of the storage closet.
"…Where the heck didja get THAT?" she asked, having never seen it before. Hoagie shifted a little as he set it up on the desk.
"Mom bought it for me when she found out I could play," he replied, fiddling with some buttons.
"…'When she found out you could play'?" Abby repeated. Hoagie nodded.
"Yeah," he said. "I was at my grandma's house, and played on her piano. Turns out I can play by ear. Cool, huh?"
"…Yeah, cool," Abby replied, sitting back on the platform and waiting for Hoagie to finish setting up. Finally, he sat down in front of the piano and sighed.
"Don't laugh, okay?" he asked. Abby nodded and Hoagie cracked his knuckles before playing the piano. The song sounded familiar, and Abby knew that she'd heard it before when he began wordless, high-pitched vocals to the beginning of the song.
"Everybody knows…everybody knows…that you cradle the sun
"Start your life again, living in remorse….sky is over…
"Don't you want to hold me baby? Disappointed, going crazy—
"Even though we cant afford, the sky is over, even though we cant afford, the sky is over, I don't wanna see you go, the sky is over, even though we cant afford, the sky is over!"
"Behind closed eyes lie the mines ready to awaken you!"
"Are you at war with land and all of its creatures?"
"You not-so-gentle persuasion has been known to wreck economies, of countries, of empires, the sky is over!"
"Don't you want to hold me, baby? Disappointed, going crazy!"
As Hoagie broke into the piano solo, Abby was staring at her best friend in total and complete shock. Though his voice wasn't on complete par with Serj Tankian's, Hoagie was totally on key to the song.
"Not even from the sun~!
"Not even from the sun~!
"Not even from the su~un, don't you want me to run?
"Even though we cant afford, the sky is over, even though we cant afford, the sky is over, I don't wanna see you go, the sky is over, even though we cant afford, the sky is over!
"I don't wanna see you go, the sky is over, even though we cant afford, the sky is over, I don't wanna see you go, the sky is over, even though we cant afford the sk~y is over,
"Sk~y is o-ver us."
As he struck the last key on the piano, Abby could only sit there in total shock. He had the voice of an angel…to say the least, anyway. Hoagie looked up at her, his goggles shielding his expression from her. "…Don't laugh, you promised."
Abby stood up and jumped from the platform and walked up to Hoagie, a bright smile on her face. "Hoagie…Abby's never heard such a handsome voice," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You were wonderful." Hoagie squirmed a little, nibbling his lip.
"…You really think so?" Abby sat down on his lap, ignoring his embarrassed sputtering, and put her arms around his neck.
"Play Abby somethin' else, Numbuh Two."