Sorry it's taken so long to update guys.
I know… I do that a lot.
I'll quit that habit…
…one of these days.
But, now that Anatomy of the Heart is done
:(
I'll be able to focus on this one.
Even though I'm working on two stories
in The Dark Knight section.
So, R&R, KK?
MUAH!
Music is the one incorporeal entrance into the higher world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend.
- Ludwig van Beethoven
"The maddest kind of love,
Is a love just for the thrill,
It doesn't have a conscious,
It only lives for the kill."
-Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, The Maddest Kind of Love
Here you go!
Will was something that the majority of the world liked to call an odd ball. He hardly slept, most nights pulling in about four hours tops before he'd wake up and center his days on nothing but music. He was like The Phantom of the Opera, except cuter looking, but more obnoxious. People who had the misfortune of growing up with the great Will Darcy were able to testify on a daily basis that he hardly thought of anything else but music. He had once said, "If I didn't need sleep, I wouldn't. Why waste time with something meaningless when I can forever do the one thing that makes me happy?"
What a deep thought.
But, because of his strict sleeping schedule, it was well known that you weren't supposed to interrupt it. Will's friends, and hell, even his enemies knew this.
"WILL!" Charlie jumped eagerly onto the mattress, landing half on the lump in the middle of the bed and half off of the bed. As he slipped on the sheets, he toppled off of the queen sized bed and there was a dull thud as his head smacked smartly against the wall. The lump in question in the middle of this bed was slowly moving to life as a very angry Will Darcy emerged from the blankets.
"What?" He snapped, shrugging off the sheets and glaring down on the floor where Charlie laid, sprawled on the carpet and still laughing.
"It's time to wake up, Will." Charlie said knowingly, a grin still etched on his face. Will glanced at his clock and his frown deepened. His throat felt like a wounded animal had crawled into it and died, and an aching throb was centering around his temples. This itself was disconcerting since he had only one drink the night before, but Will had never been known as a heavy drinker. Even a simple beer had him buzzed after two.
"What the hell is your problem?" Will snapped, falling back onto his covers and groaning loudly. "I still have ten minutes of sleep. What's the point of waking me up now?" He suddenly sneezed violently and grumbled something under his breath about allergies and Georgia. Charlie sat up from the floor, a grin still on his face.
"Hey, chill. I've come to bring tidings of friggen great joy… not. Remember when I said my sister Caroline wasn't coming because she was in Madrid, modeling?" Charlie prodded, a grin still in place. Will didn't like the way he was grinning; he could feel bad luck settling into his gut. Or maybe it was the alcohol. He couldn't be sure. Either way, he felt like he was about to throw up, and his idiotic manager sitting stupidly on his floor looked like a good target.
"Yes…" Will closed his eyes and attempted to drift off.
"Well, she finished early… well, two days ago, actually. So, she decided to book a flight and come here. She should be arriving… oh, I don't know… in ten minutes?" Charlie stopped fidgeting as he waited with an foolish grin still in place. Will suddenly shot up, shock rippling through his system as he stared back at his friend.
"What… did you say?" He asked angrily, feeling disgust set in. Behind the disgust and anger though was a slight ripple of fear that he tried in vain to suppress.
"Well… I'm saying… you better run." Charlie advised with a wicked glint in his eyes. Will flew out of his room so fast Charlie felt almost tempted to pull out a stopwatch, if he had one. Alas, that was still in his suitcase.
"Why me?" Will groaned as he ran into the large bathroom to jump into the shower. His stomach rolled around unpleasantly and threatened to blow, but he managed to stem down the desire with his panic.
He had to get out of the penthouse suit in less than ten minutes.
Caroline Bingley was Charlie's older sister who was also well known to the tabloids. With her contract to the pristine modeling agency, Elite, and her spreads in over six different teen magazines repeatedly, Caroline was well on her way to stardom. She was tall and leggy with natural tan skin and no real acne problems to speak of. She had startling blue eyes and soft, silky blond hair. With cheekbones to die for, and a shape that made more than just boys stare, she was what America would call gorgeous.
She was also a stuck up bitch.
The thing about Caroline that made Will wince was that in third grade at their private school, Caroline Bingley had it in her mind that she would marry Will if it was the last thing she did. She was yelling this to him across the playground after, unsuccessfully, trying to kiss him. Ever since then, she had followed him from city to city, country to country, hoping that one day he would turn his attention to her. As long as she wasn't in the middle of a modeling trip, she was with him. It was enough to drive him up the wall and back down from the other side. She was the type of woman he hated. Caroline thought she was better than others because she was rich.
If there was one thing that would condemn a woman in Will's eyes forever, it was pride.
Drying off quickly, he rushed back into his room with a towel, irked that Charlie was sprawled across his bed, staring aimlessly up at the ceiling.
"What are you doing?" He snapped, grabbing his clothes and dressing quickly. Since he didn't have anywhere special to be until four that afternoon, he would stick with a simple Canali pinstripe suit.
"There's no point in trying to hide." Charlie mused from his place on the bed. "She'll find you anyway." Pulling his shirt on, Will grunted something that sounded awfully close to, "useless prick" before grabbing his coat jacket and tearing out of the room.
"Where are you going?" Charlie yelled as he heard Will curse from the kitchen as he tried to find his wallet and sunglasses.
"Why would you care?" Will shouted back as he struggled to make sure he had everything he'd need. Glancing down at his i-phone, Will realized that he only had three minutes left. It was a good thing Caroline believed in being fashionably late. Turning around, Will tore back down the hallway, annoyance kicking in. If Charlie could keep his sister in check, Will would have been able to wake up on time, and focus on his music easier. Now, he was reduced to running around in an immature manner in an effort to get away from a gold digging whore.
"I'm your manager, I have to care!" Charlie exclaimed, laughing. He nearly fell off of the bed again when Will suddenly appeared in the doorway to his room, glaring daggers out of his green eyes.
"And who's to say that my manager, who takes care of me so well might I add, isn't just going to tell little miss Caroline where I've headed off to, hm?" He retorted darkly. Charlie only laughed and shrugged.
"You've got a good point." He admitted as Will turned and stalked down the hallway to the door. "AT LEAST TAKE A BODYGUARD!" He shouted when the idea suddenly hit him. Will had just preformed his concert, meaning people from all around would be looking for him now. No need to cause a problem from something trivial like Will refusing an autograph. Again.
"No promises." Will grumbled to himself as he grabbed his favorite guitar and slammed the door to the penthouse closed.
Two Hours Before
Lizzie was in pain before she even woke up. Her entire shoulder ached, and threatened to tear itself open. When she took in a choked breath of surprise at how horrible she felt, the bruises across her mid-drift pulled; reminding her of everywhere she had gotten damaged. Her head screamed at her for being so stupid and forgetting to take the pain killers that her sister had given her, and in response she moaned something unintelligible and promptly rolled off of her bed.
"Jane…" She yelled into the floor of her bedroom, her voice muffled considerably as she didn't move from her less than stellar face plant.
"Did you ca- oh Lizzie, what happened?" Jane ran into the room, all concern, but as Lizzie peered up at her sister from the corner of her eye, she could tell that Jane was stifling laughter. Pulling herself up, Lizzie hissed breath out between her teeth as her shoulder twinged uncomfortably.
"I fell off of my bed, what does it look like?" She replied heavily as she stood up slowly, testing out her legs. Thankfully, she hadn't slammed her knee into the dashboard like the wreck before that, so the only thing she really had to worry about was her shoulder, chest, and stomach. Goody.
"I mean, why did you fall out of bed?" Jane laughed and turned around to leave the room, calling back to her sister, "Is there some new fad I've not been introduced to yet?" Lizzie rolled her eyes at her sister's needless laughter.
"It's so nice to know my sister is concerned about how I feel after my wreck." Lizzie muttered to herself as she stumbled into the bathroom to see just how bad it was.
They had gotten back so late from club Europe that she hadn't bothered to take her makeup off, and the smudged circles around her eyes testified to her gross appearance. Her curly hair was twisted into a loose messy bun on top of her head, and her skin was oily looking.
"Ugh." Lizzie grumbled when she saw the shallow cuts on the side of her face, courtesy of the glass shattering. It looked like a cat randomly attacked her face, leaving short, bright red slices. This was not going to help with appearances at work. Lizzie was probing them with thick fingers when Jane walked into the bathroom bearing pain killers and alcohol pads.
"Oh, Lizzie." Jane admonished lightly as she pulled her sister's hand away and searched the cuts herself. Dabbing at them with an alcohol pad, Jane ignored Lizzie's over-exaggerated looks of pain as the solution stung her skin.
"How'd we escape me being carted off to the hospital?" Lizzie asked curiously as she tried to focus on anything but the pain that was lancing up her stomach and across her shoulder. It was a strong ache like she had been thrown from a jet ski and slammed against the surface of the water.
"Since Charlie is Will's manager and Will is well, you know who he is, it was instantly assumed that you were going with him to have specialized tests on everything needed by more expensive doctors. Because we didn't, and I stupidly assumed you were alright, I didn't take you in. Oh Lizzie, I'm so sorry!" Jane exclaimed, surveying the bruising on her shoulder and collarbone. Lizzie shied away from the scrutiny, hating that her sister felt bad.
"It's fine, really. I just need to take work easy today." Lizzie stood up and smiled past her gritted teeth.
"What!" Jane snapped in shock. "You're going to work?! You were just in an accident!" She exclaimed, and for a second Lizzie felt fear. Her sister (when trying to play a motherly role) was a scary force to behold.
"I know." She replied steadily. "I've got a big gig to go to tonight in Athens. They're letting me play at the 40 Watt Club. I'm not giving that up just because of a car crash!"
"Lizzie, it's just a gig." Jane grumbled, following her sister as Lizzie stomped into her bedroom to grab her clothes for her other job, helping one of her best friends, DJ Biggz, make mixes for his club.
"No." She froze and turned back to her sister, raising an eyebrow calmly, despite the protests her muscles gave. "Jane… it could be the gig. It might not be, hell, it most likely won't be. But, why risk it just because I'm a little sore? I'm going tonight." Lizzie could feel a slight fight between her sister and her, though it would be more her arguing and Jane trying to persuade. Jane rarely fought, and it took hours of provocation before she snapped.
"Ugh, Lizzie, at least let me come and see to make sure you're ok?" Jane asked with a pouty lip. Lizzie laughed and shrugged.
"Sure, why not? I won't stop you from watching me. You could even invite Charlie if you wanted to." Lizzie walked back into the bathroom and slammed the door smartly, but winced and fell back against the door when her shoulder burst into flaming tendrils of pain.
"Son of a biscuit eater." Lizzie groaned as she grabbed her shoulder in pain.
"I heard that." Jane called out with a laugh.
"Hey, Charlie?"
"Hey babe, what's up?"
"I was wondering… what are you doing around eight tonight? If you're busy, it's ok, but you know, I just wanted to know…"
"Well, I was going to show my sister a night in Atlanta, but do you have anything planned?"
"I wanted to take you to see my sister singing, but if you're busy-"
"Jane, it's an excellent idea! Can a bring Caroline too? She'd love you."
"Sure! You could even bring Will… I mean, if he's up for it."
"I'll prod him into it. After his comment last night, I'll make him eat his heart out."
"What comment?"
"Oh, uh… don't worry about it babe, he'll love to come."
"Oh… um, ok. Thanks Charlie!"
"Anytime babe."
Will stepped out onto the campus of UGA with a curl of disgust to his lip. He hated the way people ran past screaming at the top of their lungs after the people merely a few feet away from them, and he almost choked on his spit when he saw a couple making out on the bus ramp as they waited for the bus to show.
"Are you ok, sir?" His bodyguard, Steven, stepped to his side and scanned the perimeter of the campus, his keen eyes catching every movement. Steven had been hired for his way of getting operations done; swift, fast, and deadly was his motto. Appearances were everything to Steven, and Will had hired him almost immediately.
"Just peachy." Will grumbled as he grabbed his guitar case and began walking up a few steps to the well manicured lawn. Gazing around at the many trees lining the sides and walkways, Will spotted a secluded alcove and began walking towards it slowly, trying not to draw too much attention to himself. Steven followed closely behind him, but at a casual pace to make it seem like he was a friend, not a bodyguard.
"Sir, if I may say why did you come to UGA of all places?" Steven asked as Will reached the large tree. Slipping around to the back side of it, he promptly sat down after clearing away a few leaves and setting the inner part of his jacket on the ground.
"They look my age, and most of them would be partying in their frat houses instead of going to a Will Darcy concert, meaning not a lot of people at UGA would expect me to be here, of all places." Will replied simply. Steven nodded slowly and settled himself in such a way that he could see all comings and goings from around their initial area.
Will sighed slowly as he pulled his guitar out. The moment he set the polished wood on his lap, he could almost feel the morning's tension fading away. Who cared about Caroline Bingley?
He let his fingers slide over the steel strings and smiled softly when a light, crooning noise echoed from the belly of the instrument. Letting his head fall back against the rough bark of the tree, Will began playing random chords, smiling to himself as they fit together.
Closing his eyes, Will let the emotions take over on their own accord, and wasn't surprised when a confused muddle of notes erupted from his fingertips. But what was confusing him the most?
"Elizabeth Bennett." Will muttered and a high pitched melody came, unbidden. Opening his eyes, he noticed Steven was giving him half of an ear as he stared around, on constant alert.
But why was she confusing? Because she didn't begin apologizing profusely for crashing into him? Was it that she didn't seem to care that he had insulted her? Was it because her eyes seemed to see every little thing about him and tell him that what she had found didn't matter?
"The stars in the sky were caught plagiarizing your eyes." He sang softly picking that melody again, but froze. What was wrong with him? Her eyes weren't that pretty. Well, maybe they were. But it didn't mean he needed to sing about it. Like she deserved for him to sing about it.
"But don't blame the stars, who wouldn't be jealous?" He added, and then laughed. He could think of many who would be prettier than Elizabeth Bennett. Half of his acquaintances were far better looking, and the other half had better class as well.
"I'm sure if they could do better they would." Another strum and he finally decided to cave. It was obviously on his mind, what better way to get rid of it than by playing?
"And why not copy perfection?" Will inwardly balked. As if.
"Why are you so angry with the way they shine?" At least that was the truth. Will noticed Steven was listening intently. Even his bodyguard couldn't resist his music.
"It's no their fault your beautiful." What the hell was his problem? He was not attracted in the least to Elizabeth Bennett! That in itself was simple.
"Forgive them, they only mean to show you how you glow." He strummed lightly and sighed.
"So that when I see the stars I'll think of you."
Lizzie walked into the apartment with a smile. She was feeling a little high on life after she had taken her pain killers, and to top it off she had devoured way too much Taco Bell.
"Biggz?" She called out as she set her bag down and followed the noise of a bass speaker humming in the sound room. As she walked to the back a large rottweiler came around the corner and, seeing her, began barking and going crazy as he bounded over and began licking her with gusto.
"Trigger, get off!" Lizzie laughed but winced as his overly large paw connected with her stomach, thus bowling her over. Barking in excitement, Trigger began licking her face, and she was sure she was done for.
"Eh, Trigger, get off. Que onda, chica? Why're you letting dogs jump all over you?" A very large Hispanic man pulled Trigger off of her, giving Lizzie room to breathe. Laughing vaguely, she stood up and gave her friend a hug.
Lizzie was what a lot of people liked to call a music guru. She loved any type of music, and for that she was able to fling herself into the night life of any genre, and her friends were somewhat similar. That's how she met DJ Biggz in a small club around Alphareda Georgia called Los Maguey's. The moment she dared to tell him his beat had been off for 1/8 of a second when he switched songs and began scratching to cover it up (she had to admit he had covered it up well) was their memorable meeting. After a few words being thrown between them, a fast friendship had been made. According to others, it was a rarity that Biggz opened up to her. He had a hard time leaving his comfort zone. Now, Lizzie went up to his apartment and they worked together to make mixes for cover albums. It was considered her "job", and she loved it.
"It's a new past time." She laughed as she followed him to the back room where all of his equipment was. Stepping into the room, she smiled and waved as Luis, Lupe, Tony, Clara, Jose, Adon, Ricky, Matteo, and Mike began calling out greetings and waving their drinks around. Pit Bull was playing in a stereo as they picked their way past the group, Lizzie stopping to give hugs.
"Not a good past time, hermanita. Te comería for breakfast if you weren't so pretty." Adon, her ex- boyfriend joked. shouted something Lizzie didn't catch, much to the group's amusement, and Lizzie rolled her eyes.
"What are we doing today?" She asked as she reached the other side. A large sound booth held dual decks, speakers, a kaoss pad for mixing, and a scratching system. It was a smaller version of what Biggz had for the actual club.
"Today is a relaxed day. Tu hermana called." Biggz folded his arms and smirked, making Lizzie blush, much to everyone's amusement.
"Biggz! It wasn't serious!" She exclaimed, but Clara laughed.
"I call… bull shit." She said, pointing her cigarette in Lizzie's general direction. Lizzie rolled her eyes
"Come on guys, I'm fine! Jose, surely you believe me!" Lizzie stared at the suddenly on the spot MC. He grinned weakly at everyone's stares.
"Mírame Lizzie, sorry, but I'm staying out of it." He raised his hands in mock surrender.
"You crashed into that white boy, Darcy, es verdad?" Clara asked with raised eyebrows. That set everyone else off with laughter. Lizzie turned red and glared at her friend.
Clara was the type of girl who was one of the guys, but was also one that the guys wanted. She was laid back, pretty, and her dry humor made everyone laugh. She was tall and curvy with curly dark hair and a Puerto Rican color that Lizzie secretly envied. Her dark brown eyes were always laughing.
"Yeah, but his driver wasn't watching for me either!" Lizzie tried to defend herself. Lupe pulled her down into a chair next to his. She fell back into the chair and pushed Lupe away with a good natured grumble. Lupe was known as a ladies man with a good heart, but commitment issues.
"Escúchame Lizzie. Twist your story around, and take all of the money that guy has." He joked, causing more laughter. Biggz had taken his post at the sound booth, messing around with a new song from Daddy Yankee.
"You wouldn't." Matteo asked, faking surprise. Lizzie smiled.
"I would." Jose confirmed as he nodded, causing everyone to being stating their opinion of what they would do in rapid-fire spanish.
"Was he hot?" Clara asked bluntly.
"Yeah, but he was a complete jerk!" Lizzie rolled her eyes at everyone's laughter. Biggz removed the earphones from his ears.
"No cajones." Biggz agreed with her and laughed. "I want to meet him." Lizzie's eyes widened.
"You'd tear him apart." She said in horror. Clara laughed.
"That's the point, chica. Haven't you been listening?"
Will slid into the seat with the cheap linoleum top with as much dignity as he could muster. There wasn't much, considering where he was. The 40 Watt club was not a high scale club, and if Will didn't know any better, it was covered in S.T.D's. It was both to his horror and embarrassment when he was sarcastically reassured.
"Don't worry Darcy; you won't catch a disease just from breathing the air crack addicts have." Lizzie informed him dryly as she walked past him towards a door in the back. Will turned back to reply, but she was already gone, the only reminder that she had been there being the smell of vanilla. He couldn't help but wipe at the table idly with a napkin.
"Oh my gawd, what are we doing here?" A smooth but disgusted voice snapped behind Will, and turning around he saw both his saviors and his grim reaper. His lawyer Jack Wickam was flanked by Jane, Charlie, Charlotte, and his personal hell in designer clothing; Caroline. Everyone settled into the chairs around him, save Charlotte, who with a brief greeting slipped into the back room to see Lizzie before she went on.
"We're here to see Lizzie perform." Charlie said brightly, giving Caroline a pointed look. Caroline glanced at him with a look of venom before turning her attention to Will.
"Why, Will, it's good to see you." She purred softly in his ear as she linked her arm with his. Will blinked and looked at her strangely, debating whether he could get away with the hangover excuse for vomiting on her. Probably not.
"It's good to see you to." He managed to bite out. Caroline smiled blithely and leaned in.
"I suppose we're going to have to brave the common world. Alone. Just you and me against the rest of this so called high society." She whispered with a grin in his ear. Will detangled himself slowly, wincing inwardly at the mention of them being… alone.
"I suppose." He gave in, glancing around the room. People were filling in slowly; their eyes alight with excitement as they chattered brightly. A few men dressed in pinstripe suits were bringing a few instruments on stage, and their calm, collected faces made Will smirk to himself. They were trying to portray jazz singers? One man's eyes sparkled too might with nerves to be considered laid back, and the other guy's hands twitched, like he was going through a withdrawal. It wouldn't surprise him if the man was hooked on heroine.
"What kind of concert is this?" Caroline asked after a few moments of awkward silence. Charlie smiled brightly and leaned over to his sister, causing her to withdraw towards Will, who threw a pointed glare in Charlie's direction. He looked to his other side to see Jack turned away from them completely as he checked out every woman who walked past.
"It's a jazz performance." Jack informed them blandly as he looked unwillingly back in their direction. Charlie closed his mouth mid-word and nodded brightly.
"Yeah, and Lizzie's the main act!" Charlie gushed, making Jane smile slightly.
"Who's Lizzie?" Caroline asked immediately after, leaning into Will for answers.
"She's Jane's sister." Will muttered as he locked gazes solemnly with the menu on the table. It said he could pay 20 for cheap booze for the entire table or pay 5 per drink for himself.
"Is she pretty?" Caroline demanded. Will winced.
"Are you kidding?" Jack gushed brightly. "She's hot! Isn't that right, Will?" Will shrugged and kept eye contact with the menu. He could get sex on the beach for 8.
"I suppose." He replied slowly. "If you like that sort of thing."
"Do you like that sort of thing?" Caroline asked impatiently.
"… No."
"Lizzie, you look hot." Charlotte gushed as she looked her friend up and down. Lizzie blushed slightly but shrugged. She was used to Charlotte always going on about her looks, and she had learned early not to argue. Charlotte was law when it came to appearances. Biting back a grin she dry swallowed her pain medicine.
"Thanks Lottie." She smiled a little bit wider and turned back to her mirror to stare at her hair. Fixing it with a few tucked strands, she reapplied her makeup to darken it for the stage lights. Grabbing baby powder, she rubbed her hands into it and then spread the powder along her legs, blending it into her skin. Charlotte was talking about something or other, but Lizzie had to confess she wasn't entirely listening. Her mind was focusing on her performance.
"… And I've got him right in your line of vision to where he has no where to look but at you." She gushed, and Lizzie felt her stomach shift uncomfortably. Looking up, she glared at Charlotte as she realized what her friend was talking about.
"Are you trying to ruin my gig?" She asked, dangerously quiet. Charlotte grinned complacently.
"No… I'm ruining his. Just do your performance Lizzie, that's all you have to worry about. But I've got him taken care of, don't fret. He'll regret ever crossing you." Charlotte smiled and hugged her friend, careful not to get anything mussed up. Stepping back, she winked before leaving the dressing room.
Lizzie took a deep breath as she turned back to the mirror. Her outfit was ready, but she wasn't. She was exhausted, and now Charlotte was going to make more trouble by messing with the stuck up prick, Darcy.
"Well…" She mused, and a smile played across her lips. Anything to get back at that self absorbed "gentleman" would be amusing. Besides, what better way than to beat him at his own game?
And Lizzie was always up for a clean, fun prank.
"Liz, you're up." The stage manager, Rick, smiled briefly before disappearing behind the door. Standing up, Lizzie followed through the small, straight hallway before she found herself right behind stage. Taking deep breaths, she peered behind the curtain and saw a full house of people ranging from 18- 30 years of age. The knots loosened when she saw the amount of people she would sing to. Lizzie loved to play for a crowd.
"Go on." Rick, the manager whispered with a thumbs up sign, and Lizzie stepped onto the stage right as the lights went out. The entire crowd began cheering as Rick grabbed a mike and began speaking to the crowd in an all male alluring tone.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my utmost pleasure to bring to you tonight, the temptress of mankind, Miss Elizabeth, the Johara herself!" The entire crowd went wild, and a strange feeling took over her. She walked up slowly, another persona entirely taking over as her slender hands wrapped around the microphone calmly. She glanced down as she sensed rather than heard her band members taking their spots. As the lights flashed on, she flickered her gaze up, momentarily blinded by the stage lights. She let her eyes slide over the crowd smoothly, caressing everyone with her gaze even though she could hardly see them. When her gaze locked with what she thought was Jane, she let a cool, confidant smile take over her face before she let herself lock gazes with the pompous bastard himself, Will. It was easy to tell it was him from his stiff posture. Next to him sat a bimbo, and on the other side where the glare of the lights slackened sat Charlotte and Jack. Charlotte was smiling smugly.
As the intro to the song began softly, Lizzie let her grin slide into a cool, calm smile before she opened her lips to form the notes she knew so well.
And then, she sang.
Will was transfixed the moment the light shone on her. She was dressed in something that could only be described as classy and smooth. The fire engine red dress complimented her figure and contrasted greatly with her ivory skin tone. Her thick and curly brown hair was pinned up and away from her face, but there was obviously a few purposely stray strands framing her face nicely. Her ice blue eyes met everyone's stare confidently, and when their gazes met, he felt his insides turn to fire on their own accord. She was holding the old fashioned microphone idly, like it didn't matter, but the moment she began to sing, all hope was lost.
"Never know how much I love you,
Never know how much I care,
When you put your arms around me,
I get a fever that's so hard to bear."
Her voice was soft like velvet, but cool like ice. As her gaze lifted up to the crowd, she gripped the microphone like she was trying to contain herself. Her frosty stare suddenly fell on Will, and he felt locked into his seat as she stared right at him. She lifted a dainty leg and wrapped it around the stand, sliding down slowly, pulling the mic with her.
"You give me fever
When you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight
Fever
In the morning
Fever all through the night."
Everything was disappearing around him. He could only hear her and the soft, mellow jazz instruments in the background as she stared dead on at him, a smirk hinting at the corners of her full lips. Silky tones caressed he ears as she breathed softly the first verse.
"Sun lights up the daytime
Moon lights up the night
I light up when you call my name
And you know I'm gonna treat you right."
Charlotte grinned smugly as she stared at the helpless Will Darcy. He was slack jawed as he stared up at the temptress on stage. Charlotte always knew Lizzie could enchant the pants off of a missionary when she sang, but this took the cake. The plastic bimbo next to him was whispering in his ear, but it was obvious he wasn't listening. His green eyes were trained on Lizzie as she pulled the microphone off of the stand and began walking slowly, letting the crimson dress trail after her.
"He'll fall soon." She whispered to herself with a smirk.
"You give me fever
When you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight,"
She passed the man at the piano, and with a smile she slid an arm around him and sidled in next to him, pulling him close and winking before she took his fedora hat and placed it on her head with a tilt to it. Will had never seen something so alluring from a woman before. It was a simple motion, but it promised so much more, but in a classy way that left one to question whether she was innocent or not.
"Fever
In the morning
Fever all through the night."
Lizzie had to congratulate herself as she watched the ever confidant Will staring after her like an idiot. She almost wished she had a camera to capture it. Talentless hick? Right. Says the man drooling after her like a starving mutt after a raw steak.
"Everybody's got the fever
That is something you all know
Fever isn't such a new thing
Fever started long ago."
Will could feel someone prodding him, but he couldn't look away. Her voice was smooth and deep with mellow undertones as she caressed the words between her lips, letting them fan out and capture every man's attention. Some part of him was telling him to get a grip of himself as he watched her slide the microphone back and tilt her hat as she cocked a hip, but he couldn't. He was caught under some sort of spell, and she wasn't going to let go. Not with a voice like that.
"Romeo loved Juliet
Juliet she felt the same
When he put his arms around her,
He said Julie, baby, you're my flame."
"So Darcy, what'd you think?" Lizzie asked brightly as they slid into a booth for tacos. After her performance, Lizzie had made sure they left almost immediately to escape the after party. It would be too wild for Jane to handle, she had boasted. It was then decided, rather loudly, that they would celebrate her performance at Taco Bell nearby.
"It was interesting." He replied after a moment of silence. Charlotte dug her arm into Lizzie's side, causing silent laughter between the two. Will surveyed them with suspicious eyes.
"Thou givest fever
When we kisseth
Fever with thy flaming youth
Fever, I'm a fire
Fever, yay, I burn forsooth."
"I think it was rather loose of you to perform that way." Caroline stated as she stayed close to Jack and Will. "I mean, do you know how many men were staring at you like some piece of meat?" She asked, wrinkling her nose.
"Probably about as many that ogle your bare bum in your playboy spreads." Lizzie shrugged, but her eyes lit up when she saw Charlie and Jane come back with trays of food. Will covered his smile with a quick pass over of his hand, but Jack burst into laughter as he leaned over the table to give her a high five. Caroline rolled her eyes.
"At least I'm obvious about my intentions." She snapped, failing to realize how whorish her statement sounded. Lizzie bit back a grin.
"I think it was hot." Jack said with a wink. Will had enough sense to not verbally agree. Though her singing was better than he imagined, the moment he realized that an entire tray of food was all hers, any good feelings he had for a fellow singer vanished. Someone who really cared about performing would care about looks, and weight was a big issue among singers.
"Much obliged." Lizzie replied cheerfully, grabbing a taquito with gusto. Glancing up, she felt slightly self conscious to see Caroline, Jack, and Darcy all staring at her with mixed looks. The prominent look being disgust, she swallowed a bite and held it out to Caroline.
"Want some?" She asked brightly, a wicked glint in her eye. Caroline practically flinched away.
"No, I'm watching my weight." She sniffed, turning towards Will to give him a pointed look. Will shrugged, but he silently agreed with Caroline's point. She shouldn't be throwing away her perfectly fine body because of a cheesy restaurant named Taco Bell.
"So am I, but I'm not going to pass up food like this. There's-"
"Nothing better than cheap, fake Hispanic food served by angry Mexicans!" Charlotte and Lizzie chorused together, smacking high fives with one another.
"Captain Smith and Pocahontas
Had a very mad affair
When her daddy tried to kill him,
She said daddy, no, don't you dare,"
"Seeya Charlie… Darcy." Lizzie raised an eyebrow and stuck her hand out. Will shook it slowly, his dark eyes surveying her. He couldn't believe a voice like the one she had could be so misused by the woman who had it. It was like she was purposely abusing her talent. He wouldn't put it past a redneck from the south. Her southern twang was kicking in over time as the night wore on, signaling that she was probably either doing it on purpose, or getting too tired to cover it up.
"We'll see each other soon, Lizzie." Charlie promised brightly before turning and saying a more private goodbye to his girlfriend. Will stared down at Lizzie as she returned his gaze angrily, her height putting her at an extreme disadvantage. Still, she stared back angrily, daring him to say something else about her.
"He gives me fever,
With his kisses, fever when he holds me tight
Fever I'm his Mrs.
Daddy, won' t you treat him right."
"It would appear, Miss Bennett, that I've been proven wrong. Please excuse my mistake." He whispered softly as her words echoed around his head. Lizzie raised an eyebrow.
"And what mistake is that?" She asked with a hand placed on her hip. Will took a deep breath and let himself fall into her sardonic, glacial stare.
"You sing wonderfully." He informed her softly before nodding his head respectfully and turning away to the car. Something was mentally berating himself for letting her know that fact. It wasn't like she deserved the compliment.
"Right back at you." She replied before turning around and walking off with Charlotte, the auburn girl turning and giving an almost imperceptible smirk before following her enigma of a friend.
"I can't believe that she would eat that much! What a cow!" Caroline raged as she flung herself into the limousine with a huff. Charlie rolled his eyes, but Darcy remained silent as he bleakly followed into the vehicle. Settling down, he reached into the mini fridge and pulled out a mineral water.
"She's not a cow, Caroline, she's just not eating rabbit food." Charlie snapped irritably as he snatched the mineral water from Will and took a long gulp of it. Snapping his head back in the universal sign for, "yuck," he passed it back and then proceeded to rummage through the mini fridge.
"She should! Did you see the size of her thighs, Will? She's going to let herself go soon if she eats much more of that trash." She glared pointedly at Will, who merely shrugged.
"Anyone who eats that is verging unhealthy, but I didn't notice anything about her thighs." He sighed and mumbled, "I was looking more at her eyes, actually." The entire limo went silent as Charlie and Caroline turned to stare outright at Will. Will froze as he realized that he had said that statement out loud, and he could feel himself turning slightly red.
"I mean," He stammered, "What I meant to say, was, uh-"
"Oh, you like her eyes?" Caroline asked with a savage smile.
"Now you've listened to my story,
Here's the point that I have made,"
"They're an interesting color is all." He mumbled under his breath. Charlie smothered a grin before he grabbed his cell phone to begin texting Jane the unusual phenomenon.
"Charlie, if you send that text, I'll ruin you financially forever." Will warned in under tones as he popped his knuckles threateningly. Charlie laughed.
"Will, not everyone is as concerned with their finances like you are." Will rolled his eyes, but turned to the window to brood on his slip of the tongue.
"Chicks were born to give you fever
Be it farenheit or centigrade,"
So what if her eyes were pretty? So what if she could sing well? It was made perfectly clear after her show that she had no real class. She easily pushed away any attempts at reason for her health, which was preposterous. The fact that she would sing to tempt men into thinking things that could never be showed Will exactly what kind of woman she could be.
"They give you fever
When you kiss them,"
They soon reached the hotel using the empty carpool lane the entire way, and as they reached the top of the hotel, Will was struck with weariness. He could hear Caroline's incessant chatter, but he wasn't really listening. Letting his suit jacket drop from his shoulders, he let it fall onto a chair in the hallway before he let his feet drag past the living room and into a special room prepared only for him.
"Will?" Caroline called, and he winced. Turning around, he saw her staring at him, hip cocked out, looking beautiful, but unwanted. She raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"I'm going to play music." He replied dully before walking into the room and slamming the door on Caroline's shocked face.
"Fever if you live, you learn
Fever, till you sizzle,"
He let his fingers run across the ivory masterpiece before him before he settled on the bench and pressed against the keys, letting the bits strike against the steel strings in the core of the piano. The sound was hushed and foreboding. He chuckled softly and rolled his eyes. Why was he so unsettled by this? It wasn't completely unnatural, it has happened before.
"What a lovely way to burn,"
He let himself go, watching his fingers find the right keys as he began playing the song she had sung earlier. So what if she was interesting? So what if she didn't care about him? So what if she could sing? It didn't mean he should be worried that he was unsettled by her. She was only a random redneck girl with an unnaturally nice voice. Sure, it was strange that she didn't seem to care about his opinion, but who cared? The curiosity would pass soon. It's not like he was in danger of actually liking her.
"What a lovely way to burn,"
He laughed softly, picturing her eyes as they both froze him and burned him. She seemed to be two completely different people when she looked at him. It was like a paradox across her face. It was strange that her eyes could hold so many emotions like that. He was sure he had never seen something so different before.
"What a lovely way to burn,"
He fiddled with the bridge to the end, adding a slight C sharp rise before he let it glide down to an E flat. Sighing, he leaned against the piano, resigning himself to the fact that she would be a puzzle to him for a very, very long time.
"What a lovely way to burn."
So, fourteen pages?!
Awesome.
Sorry it's taken so long to update,
I'm pretty busy with school
And I'm trying to get on base with this story again.
I promised I'd keep it going,
So,
Here I am!
