I'm super tired but wanted to get this up before I went to sleep. So i'm not going to write personal messages to reviewers this chapter. But thank you guys, I promise I will write back for next chapter. It really means a lot when you review :)
The Reason That I'm Singing: Chapter 11
The next Saturday, Caitlyn and I were picked up by one of Connect 3's drivers, in a small yet flashy car. I mentally cursed Shane but didn't say anything.
We were dropped out front of the apartment building and the driver, whose name was Carl, got out to open our door.
"Thank you." Caitlyn and I chorused, grabbing our bags.
There were only a few photographers out front; they began snapping their cameras instantly at us. Right up until we were inside the foyer and then the elevator.
"That is so weird." Caitlyn said.
"I know, people taking our photos, when we are not with the guys. We aren't even famous."
"I don't know, Mitchie," she said as if she were contemplating, "You did perform with the guys in front of thousands. You performed your own song; the audience seemed to like it."
"Like you said, I performed with the guys, at their concert." I reasoned with her.
"I bet you everyone in that arena agrees with me...except for those girls who are pissed at you because you're with Shane." She giggled.
The elevator dinged and we stepped out together, "I'm sure there was a bunch of girls jealous of you going out with Nate."
Caitlyn knocked on the door, "It's strange we see them as normal guys, not superstars."
At this, the door opened to reveal Jason, wearing his t-shirt backwards and his hair half straight and half in his tight curls.
"You were saying normal?" I asked.
"Hey Jason." Caitlyn said, trying not to laugh, giving him a hug.
Jason then hugged me and we went inside.
"Sorry guys, the doorman buzzed up saying you were here and I was in the middle of straightening my hair and I just threw a shirt on." He explained.
"Where are Shane and Nate?" Caitlyn questioned him, plopping down on the couch.
"They went to get some lunch. Shane called to go get it and then Nate did too. I was too late, so I had to stay behind in case they weren't back in time."
I went over and sat next to Caitlyn, "Jason, you do realize your shirt is still backwards right?"
"It is!" He exclaimed as if it was new news, "I'll go fix it and finish my hair. You girls just watch television."
Caitlyn and me laughed at him rushing off to his room, and turned on the television.
Caitlyn began channel surfing, "I wonder when lunch will be here." She said.
"Yeah, I'm kind of hungry actually. When is Peggy coming?"
"I think we are going to meet her in an hour or so at the record label, Nate said she flew in last night and will be flying home again tonight." She answered me.
"I guess we are going to be able to see her again when she comes back to record." We both hadn't seen her since the last day of camp.
"Yeah, it will be the song she sung at Final Jam, turned into a duet."
"We're home!"
The door opened to reveal Shane and Nate, holding bags of what I presumed was lunch.
They came over and Shane kissed me on the head as Nate kissed Caitlyn lightly on the lips.
"We have food." Shane announced placing the bags he was holding on the table, causing Caitlyn and I to spring to our feet.
...
"Peggy!" Caitlyn and I squealed as we walked into a big huge office at the record label.
"Oh my god! Caitlyn! Mitchie!" She yelled running over and hugging us both.
"How have you been?" I asked.
"Good but it has just got better, I can't believe that I'm going to be recording a duet in like a few weeks. I come back to record as long as this all goes smoothly."
We congratulated her and she introduced us too her mom.
"Hey girls." Dave said coming into the room, "It's great to see you again."
"You too." We replied at the same time, making us laugh.
A man in a black suit, in his early thirties walked in, "That's Greg Adams, the record producer of our band." Shane whispered in my ear.
He was the one who was only now letting Connect 3 sing their original sound, with permission from the owner of course.
"Peggy," he said going over to her and shaking her and her mom's hand, "We meet in the flesh."
A few other people in suits walked in and sat down around the big circular table that was situated in the very center of the room.
"Okay, let's get things underway." Greg announced, glancing over at me curiously.
"Not to be mean, girls. But you can't sit in on this meeting." Nate said quietly.
"Of course." Caitlyn said and we went to leave the room, before closing the door behind us I looked at Greg again.
He was smiling at me now; I smiled back politely before leaving.
...
Caitlyn and I sat outside on the couch for the next half an hour waiting.
"I wish I could record here one day, record in any studio actually." I admitted.
"Mitchie you are a talented singer. We just may have to win Final Jam next year for you to have your chance to record."
"We? So we will work together again?" I asked.
"Of course." She smiled at me.
The door of the meeting room opened; Greg, Peggy and her mom walked out, followed by the guys.
"Glad that you agreed to these new terms, I know it wasn't exactly what was set out in Final Jam."
"No, I'm still completely happy." Peggy smiled.
"We'll see you in three weeks to record." He said shaking her hand.
Greg, Dave and the executives all left, leaving us teenagers and Peggy's mom.
"Well, I wish we could stay longer, but we have to go see your brother." Peggy's mom said to her.
"My brother is studying at NYU. We'll see each other longer, next time." She said hugging us all.
We watched as they left in silence, "Whose up for dinner tonight?" Shane asked, grabbing my hand.
"I am." Jason said raising his hand.
"Isn't it your sister's birthday?" Nate questioned him.
"Oh yeah. I have to go pick her up soon and go to our parents. We better go back home guys." He said frantically ushering us to the door.
...
When we got back, Jason quickly got changed and left.
I went and got changed into my normal brown-fringed boots with some skinny-leg jeans and a green sweater.
As I came out, Shane was on his phone, "Yeah, I'm going there soon. Okay, later Dave."
"Going where soon?" I asked suspiciously.
"Taking you out. Dave wanted to know what we were all doing."
"We are going to stay in tonight." Nate said about indicating himself and Caitlyn, "We'll order something and watch a movie."
"A Walk To Remember." Caitlyn stated, rather than asked.
"Fine." Nate groaned, going over and sitting down next to her.
"Well we are going to go, we will be back later. Have fun." Shane said.
I waved as we left and we hoped in the elevator and Shane pushed the button for the garage.
"Where are we going?"
"You will see."He grinned at me.
The elevator binged and we stepped out and went to his car.
I climbed in and quickly changed the radio station until I found a song I liked.
"Any clues as to where we are going?"
"Nope."
"Fine." I said and I began to sing-a-long to the radio.
We drove for around ten minutes and we pulled into a parking lot besides a big building.
"Come on, we are going in the front." He informed me as we got out.
He came around and grabbed my hand, after locking his car, and we walked round the front of the building.
It shocked me when I figured out where we were.
"The New York State Theater! What are we seeing?" I asked, excited.
"Well there isn't a show for another six hours so in the meantime; you and I are the show."
"Okay what?"
"We can do what you and I do best, play our music." He told me as we went inside.
There was a security guard at the front door who let us right through.
We walked through the foyer up to one set of main doors; Shane opened them to reveal the humungous theater with the enormous stage.
"This is amazing, Shane!" I yelled and practically flew down the aisle, which we were in, to the stage.
Shane came after me smiling and he made a signal with his hands up where I presumed the lighting people were. All the lights in the theater went off, except for a spotlight at a big grand piano located in the very center of the stage.
We both got up on the stage and went over to the piano; it was black and must have been extremely expensive. A microphone was set up right next to it.
I sat down the piano but didn't play; Shane adjusted the microphone stand so the microphone was positioned right in front of me.
Shane leant against the side of the piano right next to me, "Play something." He urged me.
"Can I play you a song I've been working on?"
"Of course." He replied looking up above me briefly before meeting my eyes.
I began to play, the melody had come to me a couple weeks ago and I had only completely finished the song three days beforehand.
"I'm losing myself
Trying to compete
With everyone else
Instead of just being me
Don't know where to turn
I've been stuck in this routine
I need to change my ways
Instead of always being weak
I don't wanna be afraid
I wanna wake up feeling beautiful today
And know that I'm okay
'Cause everyone's perfect in unusual ways
You see, I just wanna believe in me"
Shane was smiling at me, reassuringly. I had no problem sharing my songs with him, especially if they were finished.
"La la la la
La la la la
The mirror can lie
It doesn't show you what's inside
And it, it can tell you
You're full of life
It's amazing what you can hide
Just by putting on a smile
I don't wanna be afraid
I wanna wake up feeling beautiful today
And know that I'm okay
'Cause everyone's perfect in unusual ways
You see, I just wanna believe in me
I'm quickly finding out
I'm not about to break down
Not today
I guess I always knew
That I had all the strength
To make it through
Not gonna be afraid
I'm gonna wake up feeling beautiful today
And know that I'm okay
'Cause everyone's perfect in unusual ways
You see, now
Now I believe in me
Now I believe in me"
Shane began clapping, "That was unbelievable, Mitchie."
"It sounds so weird to hear yourself singing over the sound system like this, I mean there was no screaming like last week at your concert."
"Your voice is beautiful, Mitch. " He said sitting down next to me in front of the piano, "And you are too." He added, making my cheeks go slightly red. "You have it in you to sing our song?"
"Always," I chuckled, "Slow or fast?"
"Why not slow, for a change?"
I nodded and began to play once more.
"I've always been the kind of girl, that hid my face,
So afraid to tell the world what I've got to say.
But I have this dream right inside of me,
I'm gonna let it show, it's time to let you know, to let you know.
This is real, this is me,
I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now,
Gonna let the light shine on me.
Now I've found who I am, there's no way to hold it in,
No more hiding who I wanna be, this is me.
Do you know what it's like to feel so in the dark?
To dream about a life, where you're the shining star,
Even though it seems, like it's too far away
I have to believe in myself, it's the only way.
This is real, this is me,
I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now,
Gonna let the light, shine on me.
Now I've found who I am, there's no way to hold it in.
No more hiding who I wanna be, this is me."
Shane began to sing now as I played. I was focusing on him, my hands knew what to do.
"You're the voice I hear inside my head, the reason that I'm singing,
I need to find you, I gotta find you.
You're the missing piece I need, this song inside of me,
I need to find you, I gotta find you."
I joined in and we sand the chorus together one last time.
"This is real, this is me,
I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now,
Gonna let the light shine on me.
Now I found, who I am, there's no way to hold it in,
No more hiding who I wanna be.
This is me.
This is me."
Shane stopped singing and I finished the end.
"Now I've found who I am, there's no way to hold it in,
No more hiding who I wanna be, this is me."
A whole lot of clapping came from somewhere in the theater.
I turned around, I could just make out in the dark.
It was coming from people who were sitting up in one of the balconies, looking down on the stage.
Ya know the drill :)