Chapter 20: Fixing the Mood
Disclaimer: The song used in this chapter IS NOT OURS! Disney owns it and the movie it's from-High School Musical. So Don't sue us...we're so broke, we can't even pay attention!
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Alli looked at V and her friends, both old and new, and shrugged her shoulders. She had toned down since slapping Xander silly for his lame attempt at increasing the romantic ambience with his violin playing that sounded like a tomcat being neutered without the aid of anesthesia. Now it was on her shoulders to provide music for the group and he had to do some thinking for this.
"V's the DJ in the group, not me." She thought to herself. "Um, I don't think I have any songs written for such an occasion; but I might have a song in my CD collection that could fit the mood...or FIX it in this case."
When she said those last words, every person there glared at the green Aussie making him cringe and back away. He was just trying to help; so what if he never played the violin before. They should be thankful it wasn't the concertina like they play in Italian restaurants like in Lady and the Tramp.
"Oh, come on, guys! I said I was sorry! What do I have to do to apologize?" The Minotaur ranger asked with hands up in surrender.
Chip sighed and finally spoke up. What he said caused a few to raise their eyebrows.
"I have an idea, but I can't say it right now. There are ladies present."
Xander shuddered as the group laughed. Z even gave the lightning ranger a pat on the back for his snappy comeback. Feeling defeated, Xander put the violin back in its case and muttered to himself under his breath...
"Music haters."
Alli, meanwhile, went into Root Core and searched through her vast music collection; it wasn't nearly as big as V's music stash, but it got the job done in her opinion. She kept looking through jewel cases one by one until she found the perfect romantic song. She then walked back out with her boom box and two micrphones in one hand and a jewel case with the CD in the other. The song she picked out was perfect...nice music, perfect lyrics, and great for couples to dance to...there was just one itty bitty teensy-weensy little catch...
"Guys, I found a cool song, but it's actually a duet between a guy and a girl. Do any of you guys sing?" She asked holding out one of the microphones.
She never noticed that one of the male rangers she asked was missing from the group. The others all shook their heads in denial. Bridge was the first to answer.
"Sorry, Alli. I just write music; I can't sing."
"I'm not that good, either, Alli." Nick replied as he shrugged his shoulders.
Alli's other teammates expressed their inability to sing by shaking their heads. Seeing this, Maddie chimed in.
"I guess it's a good thing Toby wasn't looking for singing workers. Otherwise we'd be fired before we were even hired." She let out a soft laugh. The dulcet tones made a certain red ranger smile. When her laughter died down, she turned to face Jack. "How about you? Can you sing, Jack?"
Jack's hands went up in a 'now hold on, there' position when she asked that and chuckled.
"Don't look at me. I can't carry a tune in a bucket."
Alli sighed to herself. "Not one guy with a decent singing voice in the group...wonderful." She thought in annoyance as she rolled her eyes. "Oh, well. I guess this duet's been cut down into a solo."
Alli had no idea just how wrong she was. She failed to notice that one person never spoke up about singing with Alli...Sky. He kept his singing skills a secret, even from his closest friends. But tonight, he was going to surprise everybody, namely a certain mystic ranger. Jazz saw her best friend's disdain and piped up with some much needed encouragement.
"Who cares about that? Alli, you have an awesome voice. You can pull off a trio by yourself!" She encouraged with a smile.
The other wholeheartedly agreed with the SPD redhead and cheered Alli on. In the midst of the cheering, Maddie cut in with another question.
"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot to ask. What song did you find?"
"It's called The Start of Something New. Sounds about right, doesn't it?" Ahe asked grinning. "I thought it would work well with the situation."
Syd gasped as she heard the title. There was only one thing she loved more than romance itself...songs written about the subject.
"That's one of my favorite old love songs! And you're right; it is perfect!" She said giggling.
Wacthing Syd act like a kid on Christmas made her chuckle to herself.
"Leave it to Syd to like the oldies."
"Oldies? Hang on! How is this song an oldie when it just came out..."
He stopped in mid sentence when he realized that to them, the songs made in his year would be old to the SPD rangers. To punctuate this, he slapped himself in the forehead reminiscent of Homer Simpson.
"Oh, yeah...future. My bad." He chuckled.
Everyone laughed at the male carrot top as Alli popped the CD into her boom box. She plugged in one of the microphones, not noticing one was missing, and turned the music on. When her back was turned and everyone was getting ready to listen, Sky plugged in the second microphone. He put a finger to his lips and motioned for everyone to keep quiet and they all complied, albeit confused.
"What is he doing?" She whispered in question to Jack.
"My guess is...he wants to get slapped, too." He whispered back.
Everyone nodded to the rhythm as the beginnings of the song started. Alli moved with the music as she got ready to sing; what she didn't know was that she would have a partner singing with her; one that just might make her go speechless...even more then when she first met him. Alli opened her mouth to sing the first lyrics of the song, but someone beat her to it...
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
(Sky)
Living in my own world
Didn't understand
That anything can happen
When you take a chance
Alli's eyed widened to a size that was thought inhumanly possible, as did everyone elses on the SPD team. He heard his voice singing the lyrics and it blew the black mystic ranger's mind. His voice...it would make angels turn green with envy. She quickly regained her composure in time to sing her part.
(Alli)
I never believed in
What I couldn't see
I never opened my heart
To all the possibilities
(Both)
I know that something has changed
Never felt this way
And right here tonight
This could be the start
Of something new
It feels so right
To be here with you
And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart
The start of something new
Everyone settled in as the two rangers belted out the tune. They sounded great together. Of course they knew Alli had an amazing voice, but hearing Sky...that was the shocker of the night. Sky was a little more open than Jazz was, but not enough for anyone to know this little detail about the tall blue ranger.
(Sky)
Now who'd of ever thought that
(Both)
We'd both be here tonight
(Alli)
And the world looks so much brighter
(Both) (Sky)
With you by my side
I know that something has changed
Never felt this way
(Alli)
I know it for real
(Both)
This could be the start
Of something new
It feels so right
To be here with you
And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart
The start of something new
They looked the part of the enamored couple...even though they were anything but. They were just barely friends. When Alli looked up into his piercing blue eyes, feelings stirred within her that betrayed her initial feelings of him...that he was an arrogant, egotistical jerk. And, she had to be honest with herself. Even though they called a truce, she still felt that way a little...or she did.
(Sky)
I never knew that it could happen
Till it happened to me
(Alli)
I didn't know it before
But now it's easy to see
By now, both were really getting in to the song and its emotion as they sung the last part together.
It's a start
Of something new
It feels so right
To be here with you
And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart
(Both)
That it's the start
Of something new
It feels so right
To be here with you
And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart
The start of something new
Start of something new
After the song ended, everyone rose to give the singers a rousing standing ovation. What they heard was nothing short of incredible. Jazz was the first to speak.
"Sky, I never knew you could sing like that!" She commented with a smile.
Bridge, who was the most impressed added to the sentiment.
"None of us did!" He chuckled. "You've been holding out on me! I have been asking you for years if you could sing one of my songs and you always say no! Why? You sound awesome!"
"He's right; you and Alli sound great together!" Vida added.
Sky grinned to himself. He was glad he let everyone in on his secret...especially Alli. Looking at her still stunned expression, he smiled and asked...
"So, what do you think, Alli?"
Alli's mouth was moving, but the words just couldn't come out...no matter how hard she tried. Her brain, amazingly enough, was working fine.
"Gorgeous and a great voice? This guy is making it really hard for me to stay mad at him!" She thought to herself.
END OF CHAPTER 20
Not a bad surprise, huh? Yes, there will be monsters in this fic. Hold your horses! :P But not quite yet. R&R and I'll post more when I get off work...HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND EVERYONE!! SAVE ME SOME BARBECUE! YUM!!