Hello again! Not quite as long as before, but I will try to be faster! I would've written sooner, but I was finishing up an anime that I was really into and couldn't write until I was done. This is Bri, and actually I will continue to be the writer for this story. Kim is super busy, but she is my editor and right-hand, so she is still a big help in making this! I want to thank everyone again for reviewing. They make me smile so much! Enjoy! :D
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Bwrrring!
The bell signaling the end of the school day finally sounded, and Gwen wasn't sure if she was relieved or if it increased her nerves tenfold. Probably the latter. The last period had gone by agonizingly slow, and because of the butterflies in her stomach, she hadn't been able to concentrate on reading. Sometimes it really sucked having two study halls at the end of the day. Most days she was grateful since it allowed her to finish her assignments and gave her reading time, but today was painful. Not only had she finished everything halfway through seventh hour, but each time she tried to pick up her book, 'Home' echoed throughout her head. I should be used to this by now, she tried to tell herself but she knew it was in vain. This happens to every performer. No matter how many times a performer auditions, the jitters will always be present. And she knew this time was different anyways. She wasn't just auditioning her voice for a choir, where her face would end up in a sea of many. They were going to be judging her persona; the way she acted, moved, and used her face while she was singing, and would be testing her on whether or not she could capture the essence of Belle, all in the span of one minute. It was a lot of pressure to put on one person. How did Morgana talk me into this?
Collecting her things and slinging her bag over her shoulder, she joined the masses and made her way to her locker. She set the lemon water-filled bottle on the shelf and began unloading her bag. A gentle tap on her arm alerted her to Merlin's presence by her side.
"Hey, how's our newbie doing? Second week better than the first?"
"Is any week really better than another? Except for the last one, of course." Gwen giggled, and he added, "But yes, it's a lot smoother than last week. And it's nice to actually know who some people are and what's going on. Like the auditions. Morgana said you were going?"
"I am, but my slot isn't until 3:45, so I still have some time."
"You don't seem too happy about that."
"I'm not. I like going at the beginning to get it over with, though I suppose going later has its advantages."
"Like what?"
"You're easier to remember since they saw you more recently. But right now, I think I still want to just get it over with."
"You're that nervous?"
"It's hard to explain Merlin. It's not exactly like trying out for a sport. For that, it's purely based on skill and whether or not you're good enough for the team. That's more like a choir audition. This, however, takes more than just skill. You can have the best voice and be a great actor but still not get anything because you weren't what they were picturing. But the problem is you have no idea what the directors are picturing exactly. It's a guessing game right up until they post the cast list so you're stuck worrying beforehand on whether or not you will perform to their standards, and afterwards you're left thinking about what you did right, but mostly what you did wrong and-"
Her ramblings had almost turned to a shout, but Merlin continued standing there with an incredulous look on his face. Sighing, she shut her locker and they walked towards the auditorium.
"I'm sorry. I just really nervous."
"I can tell." She nudged his shoulder, causing him to side step a few paces before falling back beside her. "Okay, okay. Would it be easier to practice a little bit now? I could help, or at least try to? Pretend I'm the director."
"Oh Merlin…"
"Oh come on!"
"I don't know."
"Please?"
"Not out in the open."
Merlin gave her a smile and spun around to find somewhere for her to sing. He pulled her around a corner into a smaller hallway that was only used by janitors to get to the supply closet or the boiler room.
"Will this do?"
"I guess." Clearing her throat, she hummed a scale quickly and took a breath. "Is this ho-Merlin, I can't do this."
"Yes you can Gwen! I don't know the song, but that already sounded really good!"
"I let out two words."
"Yeah, well, they sounded great and I am very anxious to hear more."
Gwen stared at her friend. She was really glad he was here, and would be for the year. He was a very different friend that she was used to. She had known him for a week, and already he was convincing her to sing. And not only that, but she felt comfortable singing for him, which was a strange phenomenon in itself. It took her years to find the confidence to sing in front of Morgana, and loads more to audition for choir. He kept smiling and gave her an encouraging nod. Her confidence returned, she sang through the section she was using, keeping tabs on any passerby's in the hallway.
"That was brilliant. I don't know what they'd be thinking if they didn't cast you."
"You're just saying that."
"Well, I might be saying it to help encourage you but that doesn't mean that it's not true."
"Thank you."
"I'm happy to help!"
"Good luck Gwen!" Elyan shot by. They moved around the corner to see him juggling a backpack and a duffle bag, and he was in the process of switching his shoes on the run.
"Thanks Elyan! Are you late?"
"Obviously! And it's not even a long practice today so the whole time counts! Catch you later! You too, Merlin!"
"Bye!"
"He's my brother, if you didn't know."
"Actually, no I didn't. But wait, you're both seniors…"
"My mom got pregnant with me shortly after she had him, so I'm on the baby side of the seniors, while he's one of the oldest."
"Fair enough. We're in English together."
"Ah, with Kilgharrah, right? That man is one of the strangest people I've met."
"Agreed. "
"There you are!"
Morgana skipped up behind them, Lancelot trailing behind. "We looked for you near the auditorium, but obviously didn't find you. Oh! By the way, Merlin this is Lance. Lance, Merlin." They shook hands, exchanging the usual formalities. "What were you doing down here?"
"Merlin wanted to hear me sing, so we had to find somewhere no one would hear."
"Aren't you auditioning for the lead?" Lance asked, smiling.
"Yes, but it's different auditioning and just singing when someone asks you to."
"I know, I'm just teasing. I'm the same way."
"Still," Morgana joined in, "I still think it's very impressive that you got her to sing for you, Merlin. It took me forever to get her to sing for me."
"Why, thank you. Don't feel bad though. I have magical abilities in the power of persuasion."
"Do you now?"
"Maybe. But I wouldn't want to reveal my secrets."
"I'm sure."
"So Merlin, think you'll be auditioning today?" Lance questioned.
"Nope. I'm not the singing type. Though, I might give tech crew a go. My mom's been encouraging all the art classes to help with the sets, but I think working with the lights could be cool. But as for now, I'm off."
"Are you helping paint today?"
"Not yet, no. My mom's down there now working with the tech director on what they're going to have to build and eventually paint. I'm going back to the Honors Commons and reading on the couches. I want to have this play finished by Thursday."
They said their farewells, and while Merlin walked away, Lance led them down near the auditorium, but instead of going straight into the double doors, they turned and walked to the practice rooms. Lance turned to Gwen.
"I figured it'd be a good idea to warm up a bit in here before we go on. Would you want to?"
"Oh, uhm, sure. What time is your audition?"
"4:10. We've got plenty of time. You're at 3:45, right?"
Gwen nodded, and Lance played the first chord for scales. Halfway through warm-ups, Morgana excused herself from the room, promising to be back before the auditions. The two continued to their upper registers, and Gwen was thoroughly impressed at how high Lance was able to sing. It was also really nice to have someone playing the piano for her warm-ups. When she warmed up alone, it normally took twice as long because she had difficulties finding the correct notes for each step up or down. She figured he must have been playing for awhile as she noted how deftly his fingers moved from one key to the next. The movements complimented his arms rather nicely.
"Wanna give your song a go?"
Gwen blinked. "Sure, but I don't have the music with me."
"It's no problem. I think I know most of it."
He began a few measures before, giving her just enough time to take a breath. She finished with no hiccups, cracks, or stutters and found him smiling at her.
"That was really, really, good! If I get Beast, I'd love to sing opposite of you."
"Thank you! So you're going for Beast, then? Which song did you chose? Oo! Let me guess: If I Can't Love Her?"
"Is there really any other option?" He grinned once more. "I haven't gotten a lead yet either, so maybe this year we'll both get our lucky breaks."
"Will it be hard doing the play and football at the same time?"
"It'll make me really busy, but I think I can handle it. I've done both the last two years, and was always able to make arrangements. I made sure to write it on my audition sheet, and Arthur knows too, so I should be fine."
"I'm surprised Arthur doesn't have you sign something saying you'll exclusively give your time to the team."
"Naw, he's a tough captain, but he understands. He's a nice guy deep-down, but sometimes it's hard to see."
Laughing, Gwen asked him to sing his audition song. Maybe auditioning wasn't such a bad idea after all. She wouldn't mind hanging out with Lancelot, or working opposite of him if they both got the leads. She'll have to thank Morgana later for persuading her to actually step out of her comfort zone and audition.
~x~
Morgana wandered aimlessly through the school, passing the time before Gwen's audition. She was about to complete her second circle when she heard Merlin call her. Spinning around, she spied him near the wall, stretched out on one of the small purple couches.
"How's the play going?" She asked as she strolled over and sat down.
"Eh. Claudio's freaking out because he thinks Hero cheated on him, so they're both upset. Then Beatrice is trying to get Benedick to kill Claudio for her, and it's all a bit of a mess."
"It get's better."
"Oh I know, I've read it before. I just think I'd enjoy it more if it wasn't for school."
"Right, that project with Arthur."
"Yup."
"You're coming over this weekend, right?"
"You know everything, don't you?"
"I try."
They both fell silent, listening to the whirr of the air conditioning. Morgana thought of ways to break the silence, but she didn't believe she needed to. It was a comfortable silence, like the ones that happen with close friends. She stole a glance at him and he appeared to be deep in thought.
"What're you thinking about?"
"Did the auditions finish early?"
"No, they're still going on."
"Then why are you here?" Taken aback by this question, and perhaps a bit offended, Morgana went to stand up as Merlin stumbled to clarify his words. "No, no, what I meant was why are you here and not at the auditions with Gwen? I thought you were the one to convince her to do it and figured you'd want to see her. I have no problem with your company." He smiled up at her, and she couldn't help but smile back.
"Good, because I was beginning to enjoy yours, too. And she and Lance are warming up and I figured there's nothing I can do to help with that, so I got out of their hair until it's time."
"I really hope she does well. She seemed a bit terrified when I was talking with her."
"She always gets like this before auditions. Normally I'm the one calming her down, but I know Lance is more than capable, and probably more reassuring in this case. I'll make an appearance before she goes on."
"I see. Is there anything she tries to get you to do?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well you convinced her to do the musical, and I'm guessing some of the other auditions too. Does it work the other way around?"
Morgana paused. She was a pretty independent person, and it took a lot to convince her to do something, especially if she was hesitant in the first place. "Generally no. She did get me to take a few dance classes with her in junior high, but that's about it."
"I thought you said you didn't dance?"
"I don't. I was decent in the class, but there were too many rules about posture and not enough freedom to just dance how I wanted to, so I stopped."
"But you still like dancing?"
"I do. Remember I told you I was going to teach you?"
"You did. We'll have to find a ti-"
"MERLIN!"
Merlin and Morgana turned to look at the newcomer, and Morgana stiffened. A pretty girl dressed in spandex shorts and a tank top
came bouncing over. She poked Merlin in the side, causing them both to giggle, and made Morgana want to find the nearest trashcan.
"Who's your friend?" she asked, plastering a smile on her face.
"I'm Freya!" the girl told her excitedly. "Merlin and I are in Foods together with Ms. Lamia. She's so lame. What's your name?"
"Morgana. Merlin and I are in a few more together."
"Cool! Are you a senior too?"
"Yes."
"I'm a sophomore. I don't think I could be a senior yet. I'm not ready for college. I'm having too much fun here!"
"I don't think any of us are really ready for college either," Merlin added.
Morgana had to agree with that. She wasn't sure what it was about this girl, but she was not a fan. She was fawning all over Merlin for a start. Even if it was any other guy, she didn't understand why girls had to act a certain way around boys. Gwen called it the dating game, and according to her, Morgana didn't play well. Then again, she had never been interested in anyone before besides Lance- not that she was interested in Merlin now.
"Well it was really nice meeting you, but I have to get back to practice! They'll wonder where I've gone! Bye Merlin!" She waved, twinkling her fingers, and was off.
"They do always find the pretty ones for cheerleading."
"Poms, actually."
"Oh. That too I suppose."
"I'm really glad she's in my class though. I don't think I could make it through without her. It's bad. Have you ever taken it?'
"Fortunately no. But that's good. She seems nice."
"She's pretty good at cooking too. Which is wonderful because I suck at it."
"You can't be that bad."
"Two days ago, I burnt the pasta we were going to use for mac-n-cheese."
"How did you-"
"I don't even know."
Morgana giggled. "Well, so cooking isn't your thing. I'll tell you what is. Chemistry. I have no idea how you figured that lab out all by yourself. Gwen and I couldn't get through half of it. Next time, I'm claiming you as my partner. And Gwen can tag along too if he let's us have a group of three."
"Sounds good to me. I'm not a huge fan of doing labs alone."
"Perfect." She glanced up at the clock across the room. It read 3:35. "Oh! It's almost time. I should head back."
"Ok, see you tomorrow! Wish her luck for me." He extended a fist.
"Will do." Morgana said as she pounded it and headed off to go find Gwen.
~x~
Gwen was counting down the minutes. Her heart wasn't nearly racing as much as it had been a half an hour ago. Her and Lance had sung through most of the songs in the practice room. She was really looking forward to this show now and was determined to get Belle. Just as she was about to walk through the door, Morgana sped around the corner and enveloped her in a big hug.
"Break a leg!" she squeezed. "Merlin wishes you luck too!"
"Oh you went to see Merlin, did you?"
"Shut up. How was Lance?" Morgana playfully nudged Gwen's arm.
"Lovely. Now shoo, I have to audition."
"I'll be watching from the audience!" She gave Gwen another hug and ran off to the main entrance.
She smiled as she watched her friend go. Morgana may be incredibly pushy at times, but she knew Gwen well enough to push her in the right direction. Every time Gwen had given in, she would discover Morgana had been right and Gwen found herself in something new that she loved. This time was no different. She'll need to find a way to pay Morgana back. She smiled mischievously as she thought of their new friend. The door in front of her opened and a senior tech crewmember ushered her in. This was it.
~x~
Arthur had snuck in the auditorium behind Morgana, determined to scare her for once. However, Morgana had already climbed the steps on one side of the seats and figuring she'd see him if he tried to follow, he went up on the other side of the auditorium. He felt sticky from practice and wanted to get home but his sister insisted on staying until Gwen auditioned. Waiting a few more minutes couldn't hurt, he supposed. Maybe he could try to figure out why this was such a big deal. He spied Gwen enter from the side door and glide up onto the stage. The lighting was very flattering on her from up here. He could see the dust hovering in the air above her chocolate hair. She introduced herself and the music director began to play.
He was not expecting the voice that sounded from her mouth. So this was why Morgana was so excited. Gwen's voice was enchanting, and he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He had never been one for concerts or theatre, but he would pay to see the show if he could listen to her sing for a few hours. Maybe he'll have to accompany Morgana to the next choral concert. It was over as soon as it began, and the directors began scribbling in their notes. Gwen bowed and walked off, a newfound hop in her step. Her confidence had definitely been boosted, and he'd be lying if he said it wasn't attractive. He scrabbled down the seats as he noticed Morgana leaving, and chased after her. Outside, she was already chatting with Gwen.
"You were so wonderful, you really were! I told you it was a good idea!"
"I know, thank you. I'm really happy I did it. But now we wait."
Arthur stepped in. "I was in there actually, and I thought you sounded amazing."
To her credit, Gwen blushed. "Thank you. I just hope it was good enough."
"They'd be ridiculous not to cast you," Morgana squeezed her arm. "We'll talk later though. This one needs to go home and shower."
"I don't smell that bad."
Both girls rolled their eyes, and Morgana dragged Arthur away. The ride home was pleasant and Arthur was relieved to shower the sweat off. After his shower, he headed to the kitchen to scoop up some granola before dinner. It was easier to eat from a cup anyways.
"Are you humming 'Home'?"
Startled, he jumped back, nearly dropping his snack on the floor. "Morgana! Jesus, can you stop? You're gonna give me a heart attack by the time I leave high school."
"You really hate me doing that?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now what were you humming?"
"I don't know. Can't a man hum without being disturbed?"
"Not with a sister like me."
"Apparently. How unfortunate for me."
"But you were humming 'Home'."
"I don't even know what that is."
"Gwen's audition song."
"Oh." Had he really been humming it? Well, how could he be blamed if it was a catchy song? "Well, it was the last song we heard."
"Right. Well, I can't blame you anyways. She did great. I really hope she gets in."
Arthur turned to the sink to grab a glass of water as Morgana walked off. I hope so too.
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Well that's all for now lovelies! I believe I am finally done with all the exposition, so the future chapters will definitely be adding more side characters as well as looking at our mains in more depth, and we'll start getting into the thick of things! Homecoming is also on the horizon! Please review and let me know your thoughts! I love to hear from all of you! :D
