The Night and the Fury

by NightFuryNinja1999

Modern AU. Hagan Kingsley Haddock (otherwise known as Hiccup) is fifteen and lives in Glasgow with his single father. He's bullied at school for his prosthetic leg and he's in love with his next door neighbor. The only thing he's good at is music. So when he makes friends with the new boy at school and they happen to have music in common, they start a band. Rated T cos I'm paranoid

7. 6-The Music Project

Chapter 6 – The Music Project

Hey again people! I received 2 song suggestions since the last chapter. 2! Come on, I'm sure you can do better than that! I'll set a target; at least 8 song suggestions between now and the next chapter? :-)

Also, I'm pretty sure the music project is nothing like you would normally get in schools, but oh well!

The first song was suggested by Reader103, thank you so much! Hope you enjoy!

---

My life has got significantly better since that first band practice. I've begun to learn the 5 Seconds of Summer songs that Lloyd had given me; Don't Stop, Heartbreak Girl, Social Casualty, Amnesia, Kiss Me Kiss Me and Voodoo Doll. My weekend was the best it had ever been.

Yesterday (Monday) wasn't too bad, I felt that I knew what I was doing in lessons and I had people to talk to. Even Astrid came over to us at lunch in the playground and started talking to me. We've progressed to friends! We talked about our shared love of rock music, and I could see her friends Madelyn and Karina stood over on the other side of the playground staring. Astrid noticed this and told me to ignore them, they were just jealous.

---

Then today came. My first two lessons, English and Media Studies, went pretty well. Media's great because it's more laid back, and I find it super easy! And Lloyd's in my class. Our teacher, Miss Caldwell, is hilarious so she makes the lessons easier to cope with. Then after break, we had our first real music lesson. The other two back on the first day were to get us back used to it. That was good for me, because I could just sit and play whatever songs I wanted.

Anyway, we filed into the music room, and we all sat at our rows. Miss O'Brien was stood at the front and she was holding a pile of paper in her hand. She walked around the class, handing out said paper. It was a summary of our first year 11 project. As she finished handing them out she said, "Right, guys, this is your first real lesson. The project in front of you is worth 30% of your final grade. If you could read it as I do, please." And she read through the criteria. The project was about a personal experience. So we had to do a project on a song that was personal to at least one person in the group. We had to research the meaning of the song, then prepare a performance of it. Working in groups of at least 3. But we had time to plan the covers so they were perfect and unique. Then we had to write an essay explaining our choices. I instantly glanced at Lloyd, Lucas and Dylan, who all nodded.

When Miss had finished explaining, we got into our little group of four, and headed outside into the corridor, where there was a large space outside the music room. Miss had allowed us to use our phones to find our songs, so we sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, and I got my phone out (a blue Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini) and plugged the headphones in. I unlocked my phone, clicked onto my music player, and scrolled through my list of 185 songs, looking for a particular song. The guys just watched me, perplexed. I finally found the song I was looking for and pressed play. I turned the volume right up so they could all hear it through the headphones. The chorus goes something like this:

I wish that I could be like the cool kids
Cos all the cool kids they seem to fit in
I wish that I could be like the cool kids, like the cool kids

Me and the guys exchanged glances and they all nodded. "This fits you so well. I can't think of a better song." Lloyd stated and the other two nodded.

"That was quick." I said and laughed. We headed back into the classroom to pitch our idea to Miss and she said that it was a good song choice, and that we could have the studio to practice in. I took the key from her and we headed to the back of the music room, walking past other groups who were still deliberating which song to do. I unlocked the studio door and we walked inside.

---

The studio was a medium space with white walls and a wooden floor, with every musical instrument you can possibly imagine leaning against the walls. I walked over to the right hand wall and indicated two Yamaha electric guitars (Yamaha's are pretty good, I used to have one before I got my Fender). One was black with a white pickguard and the other vice versa. "Lloyd and I will take these in the final thing, what do you guys play?" I asked Lucas and Dylan.

"Well Dylan's a keen drummer, and I'll play the acoustic, but can we listen to the song through again?" Lucas replied to my question with another.

"Lloyd, can you play this song?" I turned to him.

"Yeah, course. We'll have to have an audio of the drums in the background though." Lloyd said and we set up. I took an acoustic and sat on a chair, Lloyd stood next to me with the white and black electric (both tuned), with a mic in front of me. We got the guys to turn up the audio of the drums on a laptop, and then we played the song. (I sang the whole thing on my own.)

She sees them walking in a straight line, that's not really her style.
And they all got the same heartbeat, but hers is falling behind.
Nothing in this world could ever bring them down.
Yeah, they're invincible, and she's just in the background.
And she says,

"I wish that I could be like the cool kids,
'Cause all the cool kids, they seem to fit in.
I wish that I could be like the cool kids, like the cool kids."

He sees them talking with a big smile, but they haven't got a clue.
Yeah, they're living the good life, can't see what he is going through.
They're driving fast cars, but they don't know where they're going.
In the fast lane, living life without knowing.
And he says,

"I wish that I could be like the cool kids,
'Cause all the cool kids, they seem to fit in.
I wish that I could be like the cool kids, like the cool kids.
I wish that I could be like the cool kids,
'Cause all the cool kids, they seem to get it.
I wish that I could be like the cool kids, like the cool kids."

[Instrumental]

"I wish that I could be like the cool kids,
'Cause all the cool kids, they seem to fit in.
I wish that I could be like the cool kids, like the cool kids.
I wish that I could be like the cool kids,
'Cause all the cool kids, they seem to fit in.
I wish that I could be like the cool kids, like the cool kids.
I wish that I could be like the cool kids,
'Cause all the cool kids, they seem to get it.
I wish that I could be like the cool kids, like the cool kids."

Like the cool kids

When we finished we high-fived and the guys stared at us in disbelief. We also noticed that the whole music class was crowded around the window in the door staring and then after a few dumbfounded seconds they started applauding and cheering. Miss O'Brien walked in and said, "Boys, that was brilliant. You just need these two" she indicated Lucas and Dylan, "to play on the record and I reckon that will be an A grade cover."

"Thanks Miss." Lloyd and I said simultaneously and she said, "Right, another group needs a turn in here, so if you could clear out?"

"Sure." Lloyd said and we all filed out of the room, and as we did the rest of the class clapped us on the back and said things like, "I love that song!" and "You're awesome, where did you learn to play like that?" and to that I answered for both Lloyd and myself. "Practice."

We headed back to our seats, leaving everyone staring after us. "I reckon we could learn that song, right Dylan?" Lucas looked at his mate.

"Yeah, I reckon so." Dylan said with a smile, and for the rest of the lesson we discussed who would sing and play which parts, and chilled out.

---

Lunchtime was interesting, to say the least. The guys and I grabbed lunch, which was meatballs and pasta with cheese, and we ate our lunch without anyone bothering us. But then when we headed outside into the main playground, talking about the music lesson we'd just had, we were met with Snotlout and his mates stood there waiting for us.

"Heard you singing today, Fishbone." Snotlout stated (he does Drama, and the drama room is next to the music room).

"Oh yeah?" I said.

"Yeah. I don't know why you think you're so good." Snotlout sneered, his mates stayed quiet, they knew better than to speak when Snotlout was.

"Ignore him, Hiccup." Lloyd said in a warning tone. But I'd had enough of Snotlout. I'd endured him beating me up and calling me names for four years, and had I stood up for myself? No. So I did something I thought I'd never have the guts to do. I sang.

Everybody's always talking at me,
Everybody's trying to get in my head
I wanna listen to my own heart talking
I need to count on myself instead

Although the song is from High School Musical 2, the guys knew it and sang in the background. Snotlout smirked. "High School Musical? Really, Fishbone?" I ignored him and we carried on.

[Did you ever] Lose yourself to get what you want?
[Did you ever] Get on a ride then wanna get off?
[Did you ever] Push away the ones you shoulda held close,
Did you ever let go, did you ever not know,

I pushed past Snotlout and his mates and walked away backwards as I faced my increasing dumbstruck audience. The guys followed me by the side.

I'm not gonna stop, that's who I am,
I'll give it all I got, that is my plan,
Will I find what I lost, you know you can
Bet on it, bet on it, bet on it, bet on it,
[Bet on me]
I wanna make it right, that is the way,
To turn my life around, today is the day,
Am I the type of guy who means what I say?
Bet on it, bet on it, bet on it, bet on it.

For my next bit I got onto the wall that runs along the outside of the playground separating it from the main building and started walking across it, although I'd probably get detention for it (I didn't, no teachers saw it. They were all either in the staff room or supervising chill out rooms inside. Or so I thought.) I saw Astrid and her friends stood staring among the increasing crowd.

How will I know if there's a path worth taking?
Should I question every move I make?
The thought I've lost, my heart is breaking,
I don't wanna make the same mistake.

The guys appeared by the side of the wall and walked alongside it as they sang in the background again. I looked right at my audience as I sang.

[Did you ever] Doubt your dream will ever come true?
[Did you ever] Blame the world but never blame you?
[I will never] Try to live a lie again
I don't wanna win this game if I can't play it my way.

I jumped off the wall and walked back towards the crowd with a rhythm, taking inspiration from Troy Bolton/Zac Efron himself. (Before you laugh, I had to watch HSM 2 with my younger cousin about a thousand times.)

I'm not gonna stop, that's who I am, [Who I am]
I'll give it all I got, that is my plan, [That's my plan]
Will I find what I lost, you know you can [You know you can]
Bet on it, bet on it, bet on it, bet on it, [Bet on me]
I wanna make it right, that is the way,
To turn my life around, today is the day,
Am I the type of guy who means what I say?
Bet on it, bet on it, bet on it, bet on it,

I stopped for the next bit and looked at the floor, all dramatic.

Oh, hold up
Give me room to think
Bring it on down
Gotta work on my swing (As I said this I took someone's hockey stick they had put on the floor and swung it through the air before tossing it lightly back to the ground.)
Gotta do my own thing
Hold up

Then I walked over to where Astrid was and with my new found confidence put my hand on her face and gazed into her gorgeous blue eyes as I sang,

It's no good at all,
To see yourself, and not recognize your face.

She stared as I then walked away from her, into a space and looked up to the heavens, before looking back at my audience.

Out on my own,
It's such a scary place,
The answers are all inside of me,
All I gotta do,
Is believe.

As my singing sped up, I continued to channel Troy Bolton/Zac Efron.

I'm not gonna stop,
Not gonna stop till I get my shot,
That's who I am, that is my plan,
Will I end up on top you can
Bet on it, bet on it, bet on it, bet on it
You can bet on it, bet on it, bet on it, bet on it
[Bet on me]
I wanna make it right, that is the way,
To turn my life around, today is the day,
Am I the type of guy who means what I say?
Bet on it, bet on it, bet on it, bet on it,

You can bet on me.

Right on cue the bell went and I put my arm into the air, clicked my fingers once, picked up my bag from the floor and walked away to lesson, the guys following me. I left Snotlout, his mates, Astrid, her friends and half the school staring after me.

"That's one way to deal with Snotlout. And all your other haters." Lloyd said and I laughed as we walked back over to music.

---

When we got back to music Miss O'Brien looked at me. "Nice singing, Hiccup." With a smile.

I blushed and the guys laughed. "You saw?"

She smiled and nodded. "The whole thing. From my window." She indicated the window looking out onto the now empty playground that had just been my stage. "The wall thing was a bit dangerous, but I didn't want to ruin your performance." she continued. Then she turned to the guys. "You three make good backing singers."

"Thanks Miss." they said at the same time and she walked away to start the lesson.

---

Hope you guys enjoyed that, I was watching a video on YouTube by Last Frostie (it's literally called Hiccup – Bet On It. It's totally his song!) when I got the inspiration for the Bet On It sequence. You should check it out.

Songs used: Cool Kids by Echosmith (suggested by Reader103), and Bet On It from High School Musical 2 by Zac Efron. I do not own either song.

Please review and an update will be along as soon as poss!