Band Practise

I don't think its humanly possible to hate doing something more than I was going to hate rehearsing in front of Ben. Ok, I had sung in front of him once before, but that didn't count. This was personal. It was like showing someone your pants draw in your bedroom. Its something that's never meant to happen. This was never meant to happen! How the hell did I end up having to share my holiday with Ben! What have I done to deserve this!

"Do you always stare out the window, or is that just a bad habit?" Ben's voice brought me plummeting down from wherever I had been in Lily-Land to the present. I was looking out the window pane that was above the front door.
"Helps me think." I concluded. Why should I have to explain myself to him? "Looking comfy with Scorpius weren't you?" He said, he meant it as more of a statement than a fact, I think, but in honest truth there was no fact about it. It was a friendly hug but what's more, he was spying.
"Are you spying on me?" I spat. That's low, even for him.
"No, and stop avoiding the question. Do you have feelings for him or something?" I laughed in his face, I can't believe anyone would think that, I mean, we have been friends for 5 years, but that's it.
"Of course not, anyway he likes someone else." He raised his eyebrows at me. He was standing with folded arms leaning on the stairs hand rail.
"If you were spying on me then I take it you understood our conversation then?" "Yes." Was all he said. Does this guy want me to spell it out?
"Then will you be nice to him, I'm not asking you two to be best mates, can you at least be civil to him? Please?"
"What's he ever done to me?" Asked Ben. "Nothing, that's why you should be nice to him, he's never done anything to you when you jinx him everyday at school." I said. Ben looked as though he was in mid thought. "And never once has he said anything ever bad about you behind your back. You owe it to him." I finished. Ben paused again thinking.
"Ok," he said. I always knew I could be a barrister. I always know when to stop. "But only for you." He added.
"Thank you." I said. And then it happened. It felt so amazing. So electric. Something I had been waiting for, for god know how long. I hugged Ben. Sorry if you got your hopes up for something more exciting but that's as exciting as it gets... or so I thought... I was hugging Ben when the doorbell rang. Now, of all the bloody times it could have rung, it chose the one moment in my life that was meant to be undisturbed. I broke apart from Ben, walking over to the door and opened it. "Rosa! What the hell are you doing here? Oh my god! Tristan! Why aren't you in Corfu?" I screamed! Oh my god! I hadn't seen either of them since last Christmas.
"We thought we'd pop by, say Hi to everyone, you know." Rosa said. She had a blonde bob, with a red-purple side fringe and sea blue eyes; all the guys like her. Tristan has brown hair but now with blonde tips from the Corfu-ian sun or whatever you call it.
"Oh guys, this is Ben, Ben this is Tristan and Rosa." I said.
"Hey." They said.

We all went upstairs, when we got to the door Rosa screamed.
"What!" I yelled.
"Oh My God! You kept them!" She yelled walking towards the door. What the hell-? Oh! The pictures! One year ago we were bored so we each got a piece of paper and cut up magazines and stuff, made little mood board sort of things. Mine had my name in electric pink, with a black background and pictures of Avril Lavingne and all my favourite singers and cool guitars.
"Rosa, Tristan, come to hear lil Lil sing?" Teased Nathaniel, I picked up a pillow and launched it at him. I really don't need him making it worse.
"Come on Lil," said Mackenzie handing me my guitar. Ben was looking around the room. It had three different school banners on the wall. Gryffindor for me, Ben, Mackenzie, Linden and Scorphius; Durmstrang, for Calvin, Tristan, Nathaniel and Aiden's school; and Boaxbatons for Rosa, Christiana and Kestrel. The walls were all black, making it seem dark, only it had so many posters and pictures up everywhere, so it wasn't really that dark. In one corner there were some sofa's and bean-bags, a couple of tables -the usual- against another wall there we guitars, amps, speakers, all our equipment. Then there was a bit clear, where it was partially raised and had plain wooden planks laid out, we used this part to actually play; the drum kit was left out ready for Linden.

My guitar (at the moment) is black with electric pink stars of all sizes everywhere. I picked up my pic and plugged myself into the amp.
"What do you want to play?" I asked. We usually did Hilary Duff, Avril Lavingne, My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Muse, whatever we felt like.
"Why Not... Paramore ?" Replied Linden taking the drum covers off of the drum. I took a deep breath. It's an easy song. The cords are OK, the words are OK, but together, NO WAY! I always muck up on the chorus. OK, just do it Lily, get it over and done with.

"1,2,3,4" I said and began strumming the first bar to get into it. I have never been this scared of playing in front of my mates ever...
I've hoped for change and it gets better everyday
I've hoped for change but still I feel the same
There's something wrong 'cause everybody knows
That we can do this on our own

Well that's the first verse done -now the chorus and the rest of the song!

And we've got everybody singing
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
We've got everybody singing
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa

Once I finished the song I gave a sigh of relief. I looked around and everyone was staring at me. Had I been really bad, I thought I had been OK.
"What, was I really that bad?" I asked, I was slightly nervous because of the looks on there faces.
"No, you were amazing!" Said Linden. "But you didn't make any mistakes. Your voice was in perfect key, you kept up, and you got all the right cords at the right time." She said shocked. Well there's no need to sound so surprised I thought. But no mistakes, that was good, I always muck this song up.
"Oh, did you hear?" Rosa suddenly exclaimed. Suddenly everyone was staring at her, as if she was about to tell a secret. "I'm transferring to Hogwarts!" She yelled. Everyone looked relieved and congratulated her, but for some reason, I felt as though that wasn't the 100% truth.
"Do you lot fancy going to the park?" asked Lin. Everyone nodded, but I didn't feel like it.
"You guys go, I want to stay and do some stuff, plus, incase you guys have forgotten, there's the ball tonight." I said.
"Oh yeah. I forgot, oh well. You've got a tux haven't you Ben?" Asked Christiana. "Yeah, and I think I might stay too, to keep Lily company." He said winking at me. I rolled my eyes, he is so pathetic. This caused Calvin to wolf whistle. I raised my eye brows and looked in Linden's direction and he instantly blushed and stopped.

"Back in a minute, going to the bathroom." Said Ben once everyone had left. I was planning on rehearsing some of the duets I have. Not that anyone sings them with me. I did one with Calvin once, he has a good voice but prefers to do the sound and tech stuff. Some of the duets in High School Musical are ok, call me childish, a 15 year old watching it, but I like it. I picked Gotta Go My Own Way with mainly Vanessa singing, a little bit of Zac -I just leave out that bit.

I gotta say what's in my mind Something about us doesn't seem right these days life keeps getting in the way
Whenever we try, somehow the plan is always rearranged
It's so hard to say
But I've gotta do what's best for me
You'll be OK..

I've go to move on and be who I am
I just don't belong here I hope you understand
We might find our place in this world someday
But at least for now I gotta go my own away…

I was sitting down on one of the bean bag chairs. I was oblivious to Ben coming back in the room.

I've got to move on and be who I am I just don't belong here I hope you understand
We might find our place in this world someday
But at least for now I gotta go my own away

Then suddenly a voice came from behind me. It was Ben. He was by my shoulder reading the page. I never knew he could sing.

What about us? What about everything we've been through?

We continued through the song. In all fairness we sounded good together. Lily, what are you saying! Get a grip on yourself.

I'm trying to understand We might find our place in this world someday but at least for now
I gotta go my own away,
I gotta go my own away,
I gotta go my own away

I finished and turned to look at him. I realized that I had stood up and how close I actually was to him. Yet, for some reason I didn't move away.
"I didn't know you could sing." I practically whispered.
"There's a lot you don't know about me." He whispered back. Was he always this cheesy? As he spoke his breath tickled my check. I tilted my head, he did to. Our lips just brushed as the door opened. We jumped apart.

"Not interrupting anything are we?" Asked Nathaniel in his cheeky voice. YES YOU WERE!
"No." I replied. "I'm going to get ready for the ball. Coming girls?" I said making my way to the door.

I opened my wardrobe, trying to find something to do; busy myself and avoid questions. I had just had a shower and was wearing my black bath robe and my hair was wrapped up in a towel.
"What was all that with you and Ben back there?" Asked Roxy trying to find her shoes in her trunk.
"Yeah, you looked close," said Kestrel, a sly grin playing on her lips.
"Nothing." I replied. I could feel my checks reddening instantly at the thought of him.
"But what about-?" Christiana began but I cut her off.
"Can you just leave it please?" I said trying to sound calm, but my voice quavering, I pulled out a dress and went into the bathroom.