Tori POV
The sound of Cat's scream is something that I think will haunt me forever, along with the sight of her dislodged shoulder. But I think the tears of pain from her while breaking down into Jade's arms were by far the worst. Considering the consequences, I'm surprised it took her this long to react. Since leaving Nozu's she's gotten into a shoot out, fight, been kidnapped, and tortured to the point of her shoulder being dislocated. Robbie and I have gone through less than this and we've already both cried, makes me feel kind of weak.
On the other hand, Cat's been 'trained' all her life for this. She started telling us stories over how her father and uncle taught her ways to defend herself, make weapons out of everything and get out of all sorts of constrictions. Which is how she got those stupid zip-ties, ropes and gags off of me. Finally being able to talk properly was a relief, but the use of my limbs was the most important thing. Cat promised that in the morning she'd try to teach us anything that would come in helpful. That's if we're still alive by morning. Cat says we should be, as 'hostages are only worth anything alive'. I'm not sure if that's comforting or not. For the sake of my sanity I'm pretending it is.
Currently, I'm trying to sleep on the floor of this cold, isolated prison, but there's way too much on my mind. There is something disturbing about this concrete box I'm in. It's almost like it has been engineered with absolute precision. The corners are sharp and straight, the walls of a solid drab grey. Apparently taking our freedom in't enough, keeping us from those we love isn't enough. This place is designed to take so much more than that. This room is designed for someone to go insane. There is nothing in here besides us, a rusted toilet and an empty wooden bed frame that could barely be regarded as 'bedding'. The thin blanket which once laid atop it has been allocated to Cat, as she is using her hoodie as a make-shift sling, rather than covering herself in it like the rest of us are with our own.
"Robbie?" I heard Jade whisper-speak from across the room to the curly-haired. "Stop breathing so loud."
"There's dust." He snapped back angrily. "And unless you have an inhaler-"
"Oh shut it, I'm trying to sleep." Andre cut in, we were all getting pretty bitter because of the situation.
"Are we all awake?" Beck added, sitting upright.
"I don't know about Vega and Cat." Jade replied, sitting up also.
"I'm up." I replied, mid yawn.
"Me too." Cat replied through clenched teeth, the pain from her arm still throbbing through her.
"Clearly none of us are gonna sleep anytime soon." Jade pointed out.
"Wanna sing?" Andre offered. We all looked at him quizzically for a moment, before our expressions softened, music was our sanctuary and what got us through hardships. It's the rhythm of my soul. It flows through your veins and swirls in your head. It makes your fingers drum and your feet tap. It transcends the everyday monotony to make each fresh morning a new journey of sounds.
My voice is my instrument and I can't live a single day without singing. To me music is life and life is music. It's in everything I see. It's in the air I breathe. It's in my DNA. And I know it's the same for the others. "What song?" I asked.
"Nothing too happy." Cat spoke up. "I mean I'm all for optimism, but right now a happy song wouldn't really fit."
"Agreed." Jade spoke up. "I've got an idea. Anyone hear the song 'Head Above Water?'"
"By Avril Lavigne?" Cat asked. Momentarily, I was shocked she knew of such a sad song, before quickly remembering that Cat wasn't the same Cat I've always known.
"Yeah." Jade nodded.
It turned out, only the girls knew the song, so we decided to pass the time with a sing-off kinda thing. Boys Vs Girls. We'd sing a song, and then the boys would sing. The battle was on.
(A/N To really get into this, I'd advice listening to the songs and following along the lyrics while reading.)
(Song: Head Above Water, by Avril Lavigne.)
Jade started off the song, her ability to match any genre and tone completely setting the dark mood of the song, as if the drab room wasn't already enough atmosphere.
Jade: "I've gotta keep the calm before the storm
I don't want less, I don't want more
Must bar the windows and the doors
To keep me safe, to keep me warm
Tori and Jade: Yeah, my life is what I'm fighting for
Can't part the sea, can't reach the shore
And my voice becomes the driving force
I won't let this pull me overboard
All Girls: God, keep my head above water."
Jade and I continued to pelt out at the regular pitch level, while Cat used her higher range to harmonise above us, something the boys definitely wouldn't be able to do when it came to their song. Our voices blended so perfectly, apparently the room was good for one thing, it had pretty good acoustics.
"Don't let me drown, it gets harder
I'll meet you there at the altar
As I fall down to my knees."
Our voices rolled over the hills in sorrowful waves. Swells of power rose up in our throats. I couldn't even tell if it was words that came from us or the haunting feeling of knowing that our voices brought out the rage and pain of our situation.
Jade: "Don't let me drown, Cat and Tori: drown, drown
Jade: Don't let me, Cat and Tori: don't let me, don't let me drown
Jade: So pull me up from down below
'Cause I'm underneath the undertow
Jade and Tori: Come dry me off and hold me close
I need you now, I need you most
All Girls: God, keep my head above water
Don't let me drown, it gets harder
I'll meet you there at the altar
As I fall down to my knees
Jade: Don't let me drown, Cat and Tori: drown, drown
Jade: Don't let me, Cat and Tori: don't let me, don't let me drown
Jade: Don't let me drown, Cat and Tori: drown, drown
Cat and Tori: Keep my head above water, above water
Jade: And I can't see in the stormy weather
Jade and Tori: I can't seem to keep it all together
All Girls: And I, I can't swim the ocean like this forever
Jade: And I can't breathe
Cat: God, keep my head above water
All Girls:I lose my breath Cat: at the bottom
All Girls:Come rescue me, Cat: I'll be waiting
Jade: I'm too young to fall asleep
God, keep my head above water
Don't let me drown, it gets harder
I'll meet you there at the altar
As I fall down to my knees
Cat: Don't let me drown
Cat: Don't let me drown Jade and Tori:(don't let me, don't let me, don't let me drown)
Cat: Don't let me drown Jade and Tori: (don't let me, don't let me, don't let me drown)
Cat: Keep my head above water, above water."
Cat's hand went to her heart and her head rose as she belted out the final notes, pulling it out for much longer than the original song.
"Well played girls." Andre applauded. "I think we can beat that." He smirked, nodding to the boys.
"A...are you sure?" Robbie asked nervously.
"Of course." Andre replied cockily. "Every heard of Waves By Dean Lewis?"
"I think so." Beck spoke up.
(Song: Waves, by Dean Lewis.)
Andre:"There is a swelling storm
And I'm caught up in the middle of it all
And it takes control
Of the person that I thought I was
The boy I used to know"
His voice was smooth and clear and quiet yet powerful. Soothing, in a way. I know you don't really call a guy's voice beautiful, but his was. It was the promise of tomorrow. It was beautiful, and I wished that he would never stop.
Robbie: "But there, is a light
In the dark, and I feel its warmth
In my hands, and my heart
Beck and Robbie: Why can't I hold on?
Beck: It comes and goes in waves
It always does, it always does"
Neither Beck nor Robbie are quite as good at singing as Andre, but like anyone could keep up with such a musical prodigy. Either way they were still pretty decent, only a little rough.
Andre:We watch as our young hearts fade
Into the flood, into the flood
All Boys: The freedom, of falling
A feeling I thought was set in stone
It slips through, my fingers
I'm trying hard to let go
It comes and goes in waves
It comes and goes in waves
Andre: And carries us away
Robbie: Through the wind
Down to the place we used to lay when we were kids
Beck: Memories, of a stolen place
Caught in the silence
An echo lost in space
All Boys: It comes and goes in waves
It always does, it always does
We watch as our young hearts fade
Into the flood, Andre: into the flood
All Boys: The freedom, of falling
A feeling I thought was set in stone
It slips through, my fingers
I'm trying hard to let go
It comes and goes in waves
It comes and goes in waves
And carries us away
Beck and Robbie: I watched my wild youth
Disappear in front of my eyes
Moments of magic and wonder
It seems so hard to find
All Boys: Is it ever coming back again?
Is it ever coming back again?
Take me back to the feeling when
Everything was left to find
Andre: It comes and goes in waves
It always does, oh it always does
All Boys: The freedom, of falling
A feeling I thought was set in stone
It slips through, my fingers
I'm trying hard to let go
It comes and goes in waves
It comes and goes in waves
Andre: And carries us away."
