Hannah Montana – What I Go To School For, And What I Don't
Chapter 21 – Stupid Snow
----------------
Katie and Nick, surprisingly, didn't win the Homecoming election. At the last minute, Ashley and Johnny Collins got a storm of votes.
"We'll let them have the glory." Katie had said.
And the friends now found themselves at the Homecoming Dance. They would wake up early the next morning to drive to Salt Lake (minus Oliver, who had to stay at home), so they had passes to leave the dance early.
"I need to go home after this and listen to good music. Like The Fray and Rob Thomas." Joe complained.
"Oh, come on, you can't dance to The Fray or Rob Thomas." Miley said.
"Yeah you can. If desperate." Joe replied.
"Streetcorner Symphony is danceable." Lily pointed out.
"Come on over, down to the corner, my sisters and my brothers of every every color, don't you hear that sunshine telling you to hold tight, things will be alright, trying to get a little light." Oliver and Katie immediately started singing.
"You guys have problems when it comes to that song." Lily said. "Eep! The Great Escape!" Lily squealed as the song changed. She grabbed Joe's hand and pulled him into the middle of the dancers.
"Throw it away, forget yesterday, we'll make the great escape…" Katie and Nick sang along with the rest of the people in the room and danced. "Watch it burn, let it die, cause we are finally free today…"
As the song ended, Katie spotted two people in the crowd that she really didn't want to see. Nick didn't see them, and told her he was thirsty and would be right back.
Katie didn't even have to look to see that they were coming her way.
"Got a B on the book report. I know you can do better." Vanessa said snobbily.
"I'm in three AP classes! What do you want from me?" Katie cried.
"We want your fame." Vanessa said.
"What?" Katie asked.
"We want your record deal. Your boyfriend. Your popularity. Everything." Brittany said.
"I can't give you that." Katie said.
"You're awfully daring for a shorty freshman." Vanessa said.
Katie suddenly had a rush of bravery. "You're awfully mean for a whimp." She said defiantly.
Her face turned red with anger. Katie stepped back in fear. Just when she though Vanessa would snap, Nick came to her rescue.
"Come on, Katie. Let's go find Joe and Lily." He stressed Joe's name. He was a football player. Although Nick and Katie knew he would never fight girls, Vanessa and Brittany didn't. Katie followed him.
"They said I was popular. Me and popular in the same sentence just isn't a possibility." Katie said disbelievingly.
"That's not true." Nick said.
Katie raised her eyebrows.
"Hey, you got a whole crowd screaming." He pointed out.
----------------------
"On our way to Salt Lake!" Joe sang happily. The group (except Oliver and Amber) was in one of the two tour buses.
"Uh-huh." Miley said sleepily.
"Why is everyone so TIRED?" Joe asked.
"Because it's five in the morning and you won't let us sleep." Kevin replied.
"But aren't you EXCITED?" Joe cried.
"I will be later. Now, I want you to be quiet so we can sleep." Nick said.
Katie and Lily were already asleep again, after trudging over to the Jonases' house half an hour ago. Lily had pulled a blanket over her head, as if to block out the conversation. Katie's head rested on Nick's shoulder. Joe and Kevin walked over to the bunks, as Kevin said "You gotta remind me to straighten my hair later." His hair was curly and ruffled every which way.
----------------
"Have you seen my guitar?" Nick asked Katie. He frantically turned to Lily. "Have you seen my guitar?"
"Chill, Nick, it's already on stage. I'd go get it for you, but…the crowd might be misled." Joe said.
"Face it, you wouldn't get it anyways." Nick replied.
"Sure I would!" Joe insisted, then turned to Lily and whispered "I wouldn't."
She giggled.
"I'll go get it." Katie said.
"Thank you." Nick smiled.
She walked out on stage and the crowd went wild. Katie just assumed they couldn't see her and thought she was a Jonas. She saw Nick's guitar and walked over to it.
"Katie! Hi!" A girl in the front row cried.
Katie had never seen her before in her life. "Hi?" She waved feebly.
"Your voice is amazing!" She cried.
So that was why they were screaming. Without her knowing it, she'd become famous, for just a small town New Jersey girl, at least.
Katie waved goodbye to the girl and took Nick's guitar to him.
He smiled knowingly as he took the guitar from her.
"You heard?" She asked.
"Yep." He replied, and put his arm around her.
----------------
Every time Joe's back was turned, Kevin would look around the people backstage.
"Who ya looking for?" Miley teased.
"I'm not looking for anybody." Kevin crossed his arms.
"Uh-huh. But I did see Ashley Tisdale by the water fountain." Miley grinned.
"I'm thirsty, I'm gonna go get a drink of water." Kevin walked away.
"Where is he going?" Lily came up to Miley.
"To flirt with Ashley." Miley smiled.
"Am not." Kevin yelled over his shoulder.
----------------
"We're gonna take a break and turn the stage over to Ashley Tisdale!" Joe said into his microphone, and the three brothers ran off stage.
"Break a leg, Ashley. Well, not literally, that would be bad. I guess what I'm trying to say is-" Kevin said as they passed her.
"You're babbling." Joe whispered to Kevin, who shut his mouth immediately.
Nick rolled his eyes and walked over to Katie, Lily, and Miley. Lily and Miley had their Lola and Hannah costumes on.
"It's really cloudy. I hope it doesn't rain…" Nick said.
"Really cloudy? It's practically night-dark! And it's four thirty." Miley pointed out.
"It's cold too." Lily shivered.
"Salt Lake in December…do the math." Kevin said, making them all jump.
Lily glared at him. "Let's remember I've lived in Malibu my whole life."
"Yeah, she's lived in Malibu her whole life!" Joe said defendantly, putting his arm around Lily. "It better not rain, after all I went through to get here."
"Yeah, and my guitar is out there with nothing to cover it!" Kevin said.
Nick smacked him.
"What? It's my good one." Kevin crossed his arms.
"So, Katie, do you want to perform tonight?" Joe asked.
"You mean…I get…a choice?" Katie faked surprise.
It was Joe's turn to glare.
"I guess…it wouldn't hurt." Katie said, remembering the screaming crowd.
----------------
"Gonna stay in bed today
Cause I can't stand the light
Don't know why I get so down
I won't be much fun tonight
And I can't believe
You still want to hang around me" Katie sang. Nick smiled at her and began to clap above his head. The crowd did the same.
"It's not so pretty all the time
You don't mind
To you it's alright
As I am
Is how you take me
Never try to push or make me different
When I talk you listen to me
As I am
Is how you want me
And I know I found the pieces missing
I'm looking at him" Katie looked at Nick and smiled back.
----------------
A while later, Nick, Joe, and Kevin took another break and Ashley went out again.
Katie realized something wet was falling onto her face.
"No! It's RAINING!" Joe cried.
"It's not raining, it's snowing!" Lily said excitedly.
"You've never seen snow, have you?" Joe said.
"No!" Lily replied, and stuck her tongue out to catch the snowflakes. Everybody laughed.
The snow was coming down faster now.
"My guitar!" Kevin cried, remembering that the stage wasn't covered.
"My guitar!" Nick cried.
"My tambourine!" Joe pointed to it on the ground next to the drums.
Nick looked at him funnily. "Tambourines are easy to replace. Gibson guitars? Not so much!" He cried.
"What if it was a Gibson tambourine?" Joe said. That earned him another funny look, from Kevin this time.
Ashley finished her song and came backstage. "I'm afraid of slipping!" She said. Sure enough, the stage was wet with snow.
Kevin let out a strangled noise, staring at his guitar.
Katie rolled her eyes. "I'll go get it." She walked out on stage, grabbed Nick and Kevin's guitars, and ran backstage before she dropped them. "These are heavier than they look!"
Kevin snatched his away from her. "Don't drop it!" He hugged the guitar.
"Ya act like it's a person." Miley said.
Robbie Ray came up to the group. "Sorry kids, but we have to stop the concert. It's snowing too hard."
Nick shook snow out of his hair.
"Stupid snow." Joe mumbled.
----------------
A/N: I'm gonna post the New Years chapter as soon as I finish it! (which is soon)
-CaliforniaRockin'101