A/N - Aaaah! This is my most popular story ever! Oh My Coulter, this is such a huge deal to me! I LOVE YOU ALL. Also a few quick messages to people I have otherwise been unable to reply to:
weslippedaway - I've been considering including her since I started writing, I'm just trying to find a good place to put her.
Ticklemedoughface15 - Alison, I'm glad you think so much of the world I've put us all in. =) Really.
Julia - Wow. I canNOT believe that you actually said that. *big hug* HEY LOOK YOU'RE IN THE CHAPTER!
Sausageeggsandapplesauce - If you draw art based on this I might die a little bit of happiness/excitement.
Open Mic Night
The next day, the boys were allowed to talk to us again. Dwight was mobbed by girls the moment he left his room. Julian had quite the crowd around him, too, although both managed to send notes to anyone they'd had plans with in the previous days requesting to reschedule. Gracey was in Han's room pretty early on in the day – they have a lot in common, apparently.
I was sitting in one of several music rooms, working on a song for an upcoming event (some singing thing – I don't remember the official title). Bailey Tipton wandered into the room while I was singing. Actually, when he found me I wasn't singing the song I'm planning to sing for that event I mentioned. I was singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow while staring out the window at a rainbow I had noticed while working on Sami by Darren Criss – which is what I was supposed to be practicing.
"You're not that bad," he commented when I finished singing.
I turned around from the window. "Uh, thanks?"
"Are you singing that for Open Mic Night?" asked Bailey.
"No," I replied. "I'm just easily distracted." I pointed out the window.
"Well are you planning to sing?" Bailey said.
"Yup! I'm singing a Darren Criss song – Sami," I answered.
Just then, Sydney and Dwight walked by the room. "Dwight! COME ON YOU'RE SO GOOD!"
"I WILL NOT. NEVER AGAIN! NEVER!"
"But DWIGHT –"
"I will not sing at the open mic night!"
"Please! If you'll sing, I'll sing."
"But I won't sing, so I guess that saves you the embarrassment of singing as well."
I stuck my head out the door. "Hey, Knight!"
Dwight turned around. "What?"
"You're a pretty good singer, Knight," I said. "Maybe you should consider listening to S-"
"NO!" shouted Dwight.
I laughed and walked back into the music room. Bailey offered to play guitar for me while I sang – an offer that I happily accepted.
We spent hours working on the song. Over the course of the day, a lot of people ran past the door (including Danny and Darcy, who were apparently following Reed around all day and talking to him about Shane and that KISS, and obviously Reed [who they were following around]), usually talking loudly.
"I think you're ready for Friday," Bailey informed me.
"I'd be slightly worried if I wasn't, after all this work," I replied. "Will you play for me on Friday? I like the way you play the song better than the instrumental track I have."
"Of course," he answered.
That Friday came really quickly. Before too long, I was sitting on the floor in the great hall with Gracey, Katherine, Danny, Darcy and the others, watching people sing. Nearby, I could see Cassidy and her friend Lucy (she's new here). In all honesty, I was a little nervous – this is a really big group of people and I'm singing in front of people who are way better singers than me.
And then it was my turn. I stood up and walked to the small stage in the front of the room. Bailey, who was already waiting onstage for me, smiled reassuringly. When I reached the mic, he started to play and I started to sing.
I've seen her face, I've heard her name
I've lost my place and she's to blame.
And I can't stand it when I'm staring in her eyes,
And she's not looking back
It ain't a big surprise
I couldn't look up. I was staring at the one spot on the floor that wasn't occupied by members of the Coult.
I've heard music, I've heard noise
I wish that she could hear her voice
The way that I do, when I go to sleep at night
And dream my life away
But she's gone when I awake
Sami
Sami
Why can't you see
What you're doing to me
That was when I finally made eye contact with my audience. Alison and Julia, two girls I had just met earlier that week, waved to me.
The way her hair falls in her eyes, makes me wonder if
She'll ever see through my disguise, I'm under her spell
Everything is fallin', I don't know where to land
Everyone knows who she is
But she don't know who I am
Sami
Sami
Why can't you see
What you're doing to me
This time I looked over at Gracey and the others. They waved and I smiled at them.
I've seen you singin' on that stage,
Looking like an angel and all I do is pray (that maybe)
One day you'll hear my song and understand that all along
There's something more that I'm trying to say, when I say
Sami
Sami
Why can't you see
What you're doing to me (what you're doing to me)
Sami
Ooh when I say
Sami
When I say
Why can't you see
What you're doing to me
What you're doing to me
When I finished, I thanked Bailey and left the stage quickly. As I walked to my friends, I passed Alison and Julia, who were sitting with Logan Wright and talking about something quietly. Another small group of people (Alex, Kitty and Jess) were talking to Reed and Julian, but stopped talking, smiled and waved at me when I walked by. I reached Gracey and the others and Gracey grabbed my arm and pulled me to the ground next to her and she hugged me tightly.
"'Dee… I can't breathe," I said.
Gracey released me. "It was so cute, Finn! You should sing that to her someday."
"How about no," I replied.
Suddenly there was a person between Gracey and I, and someone on my other side as well.
"You were very good, little singing flower," one of the Brightman boys told me.
I started to say, "Am I really that little?" But I was interrupted by his twin.
"Yes. So why'd you pick that song?"
"Someone special in mind?"
I nodded slowly.
"Well that's cute," both boys said simultaneously.
The first one – Ethan, I think – said, "Do we know her?"
I shook my head.
The other – I'm assuming Evan – said, "You should invite her here sometime."
"We're sure everyone would like to meet her."
"Because that was a Logan –"
" or Blaine-worthy amount of emotion."
"You were practically crying."
"You've still got tears in your eyes."
I wiped the tears away before saying, "Oh, leave me alone, won't you?" I said. "Go make out with Jen and Jamie or something!"
"Okay," they said in unison. Then they hugged me and walked away.
Gracey chuckled. "I will never get tired of that."
I rolled my eyes and punched her shoulder lightly. "Shut up, Gracey."
A/N - I sound like I'm complimenting my own singing in this chapter, don't I? I was going off of things I've heard from other people before, really! I'm not trying to sound self-centered or anything! (Some of you follow me on Tumblr. Look there for a recording of me singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow, as well as one of me singing Sami [although that one's a little more buried, I'm posting Somewhere Over the Rainbow today].)
Also- FUN WITH THE TWEEDLES! =)
At this point, you know the drill: review if you want to be a part of the story and I'll gladly include you.