A/N: Hey all. Just a little note, anything with ~ ~ around it, is a song.
OK, that's all (
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Tori had practiced the song with Adam's band. She gasped when she saw what song it was going to be.
"Uh, Adam, is it possible to sing something else?" She asked as everyone was leaving. Adam looked up from putting his guitar in the case and looked at her.
"What?" He asked.
"Is something wrong with the song?" Asked Wendy, the bass player.
"N-No. It's a good song. I mean, god, I have the CD and I listen to it all the time but-"
"Then what's the problem?" Liam, the drum player, asked.
"We-ell," Tori stopped, unsure what to say. Helen, the keyboard player and Adam's girlfriend, looked at her.
"Tori, we've practice this song for weeks. I know it's kinda bad we got you at the last minute, and trust me, your doofus of a cousin is getting heck for not getting a back up before hand, seeing as Taryn's been sick for two weeks."
"I am?" Adam asked.
"Oh yeah." Liam said. "Tori's cut, it's coming out of yours." He said, smirking. Wendy laughed.
"It is?" Adam asked, horrified. Helen laughed and went over to him, putting an arm around him.
"Aww, it's ok, I'll pay for our next date." She grinned.
"OK." Tori said. "Forget I said anything." She said, forcing a smile. "I better go pick an outfit."
"OK, I'll come pick you up around 7, OK?" Adam asked. Tori nodded and left Adam's garage.
"I wonder what that was all about." Wendy stated. Adam grinned.
"I have a feeling there's going to be someone in the audience who this song just might be meant for, and that makes my darling cousin a little squeamish." ()()()()()()()(()()()()()()()()(()()()()()()()()
Tori stood in her room, rummaging through her closet. She had to find something to wear. She groaned, frustration overcoming.
"Mom!" She yelled. Her mother came in.
"What is it?" She looked around the room. Tori's clothes were strewn all over the place. "Did a tornado pass by here?" She joked. Tori gave her a look. Her mother stopped. "OK, OK, I'm sorry." She apologized. "What's wrong?"
"I don't have anything to wear." Tori whined slightly. Her mother bit back a smile. Tori had never been too concerned about her appearance. And now she was. That only meant one thing: There was a boy involved.
"Oh?" She asked, trying to hide her amusement. Tori looked at her, as if reading her mind.
"OK, Adam's gonna be here at seven. So, let's just cut to the chase." She sighed. "Yes, there's a boy involved, no, I don't want to talk about it, and yes, he's going to be at the club tonight." She said quickly. "Now, please, do your obligatory motherly doings and help me here." Tori's mother laughed.
"Well, with a request like that, how ever can I refuse?" She said. She sat by Tori and began helping. ()()()((((((()()()()((((((((((()()()()())()()()()()()()()()()())(()()()()()( )()()()()()
"Shane, have you ever heard Tori sing?" Dustin asked. Dustin, Shane, Hunter and Blake all sat in Club Dish. Blake had suggested they get a table near the front, saying they'd get a good view of the band. Hunter had chuckled and said that Blake would have a good view of a certain someone in the band.
"No." Shane said. "You?" Dustin shook his head.
"No way. Didn't think she could." Dustin said. Hunter, Dustin and Shane looked at one another.
"Why do I have a feeling we should've brought earplugs?" Hunter asked. Blake shot him a look. "Just kidding." Hunter said, raising his hand defensivly.
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Tori stood backstage. She took a deep breath. Part of her was horrified that this song she was going to sing would let everything out in the open. But another part of her, was happy, exhilarated, about the same exact fact.
"You ok?" Adam asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. Tori nodded.
"Just having some pre-performance jitters." She said, giving him a smile. Adam smiled back at her.
"Hey, remember that time when you were in jr. high? And Grandma forced you to sing in the Christmas pageant?" Tori gave a soft laugh.
"Oh god, don't remind me."
"You tried everything that you could to get out of it. But, in the end, Grandma somehow convinced you. And, I remember you shocking the heck out of everyone. Except Grandma."
"She had heard me singing to my CD player once." Tori said, remembering. "That's why she forced me to do it. She knew there'd be no way I'd do it on my own."
"Right. So, just, know that you are going to shock the heck out of everyone out there." He smiled. Tori laughed.
"Gee, thanks."
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"Taryn, hey." Shane said. A tall slender girl walked over. She had brown hair and brown eyes. She smiled and waved. She took the extra seat at their table, sitting between Shane and Hunter.
"Hey." She said hoarsely.
"Hey, sorry about you getting sick and all." Dustin said. Taryn smiled.
"Thanks man. I should be OK in a few days. I felt awful that the guys might have had to cancel the gig."
"Yeah, it's a good thing Adam got Tori." Shane said. Taryn nodded.
"Oh, by the way, this is Hunter and Blake." Dustin said. The two smiled and greeted her. Taryn smiled back at them.
Blake looked up as he saw Adam and the other band members come up to the stage that had been set up. Adam stood up to the microphone.
"Hey everybody." He said. "Well, I've got some bad news. Our lead singer, Taryn Matthews came down with some leringitus." He said. People in the audience gave some sympathedic "awws". Adam smiled. "But, the good news is, we were able to find someone to fill her shoes perfectly. Ladies and gents, I present to you, my cousin, Tori Hanson." People clapped as Tori shyly walked on stage.
Blake's breath caught in his throat. He didn't think it was possible for Tori to be more beautiful then she was, apparently he was wrong. She was dressed in a short black skirt and a blue tube top. She had obviously used makeup to cover up her bruises from before. She had on other forms of makeup on as well, with glitter on her arms, chest and face, and her hair had been curled. She looked sexy. The males in the audience instantly began giving apprieciative whistles and wolf calls.
"Dude, is that Tori?" Dustin asked wide-eyed.
"Bro, I think you just got a lovely handful of competion." Hunter remarked.
Tori stood up to her microphone. Her eyes instantly fell on the table where Blake, Hunter, Shane, Dustin and Taryn sat. She took a deep breath, shutting her eyes for a second. She opened them, smiling at the audience. She looked over at Adam, nodding at him. He nodded and looked at the others. Slowly, he began playing the intro to the song. Tori took a deep breath. Her eyes fell on Blake. She knew that after this, things would be different. She just didn't know if that was a good thing or not.
~I'm in love with you, you silly thing
Anyone can see
What is it with you, you silly thing
Just take it from me~
Blake watched her. Her body moved slowly with the music. Se seemed to be staring directly at him, which, wasn't a bad thing in Blake's eyes, seeing as he was doing the same to her. Her voice came out soft, smooth like silk. Dustin and Shane stared at her, their jaws hanging slightly. They'd known Tori for a while, and they never knew she had a voice like this.
~It was not a chance meeting
Feel my heart beating
You're the one
You could take all this, take it away
I'd still have it all
'Cause I've climbed the tree of life, and that is why
No longer scared if I fall~
Blake realized, that although the club was full of people, Tori seemed to be singing just to him. As if he was the only person in the room. The only person in the world. She was putting all of herself in this. All of her soul, her emotion, her heart, all of her being.
~When I get lost in space
I can return to this place
'Cause, you're the one~
Wendy and Helen stepped up to their microphones and joined in, singing harmony.
~Nothing fails
No more fears
Nothing fails
You washed away my tears
Nothing fails
No more fears
Nothing fails
Nothing fails
I'm not religious
But I feel so moved
Makes me want to pray
Pray you'll always be here
I'm not religious
But I feel such love
Makes me want to pray~
Tori now sang again alone.
~When I get lost in space
I can return to this place
'Cause, you're the one~
There was a small break in vocals. Blake couldn't even blink. Was she singing this to him? Or was he yet again seeing something that really wasn't there
The rest of the band joined in, singing soft harmony under Tori.
~I'm not religious
But I feel so moved, mmm
I'm not religious
Makes me wanna pray
I'm not religious [I'm not religious]
But I feel so moved
Makes me want to pray [But I feel so moved, mmm]
Pray you'll always be here
I'm not religious [I'm not religious]
But I feel such love
Makes me want to pray [Makes me wanna pray]
[I'm not religious] I'm not religious, but it makes me wanna pray
[But I feel so moved, mmm] Makes me wanna pray
[I'm not religious] I'm not religious, but it makes me wanna pray
[Makes me wanna pray] Makes me wanna pray
[I'm not religious]
[But I feel so moved, mmm] Makes me wanna pray
[I'm not religious]
[Makes me wanna pray] Makes me wanna~
The music began to get soft, as Tori delivered the last few lines of the song, which came out more beautiful, emotional, and powerful then ever.
~Nothing fails
No more fears
Nothing fails
You washed away my tears
Nothing fails
No more fears
Nothing fails~
Tori slowly let go of the microphone as the band played the last few chords of the song. The crowd erupted in a mass of clapping and whooping. Tori gave out a small laugh of relif. Adam smiled at her.
Taryn clapped wildly. Shane and Dustin, once getting over their shock of Tori's singing, did so as well. Hunter looked over at Blake, who seemed to just be sitting there, in a dazed trance, staring at Tori. Hunter could see the look in his brother's eyes. It was love. And he had seen how Tori kept her eyes on Blake throughout the entire song, as if wanting to etch each word in Blake's head. She had been singing to Blake.
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Tori looked at Blake. He was just sitting there, not moving, just staring at her. Her heart filled with dread as she realized that she had made a total fool of herself. Blake didn't like her, and now, she had just totally freaked him out. She bit her lip and left the stage, tears filling her eyes. ()))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))) )))))
AN: The song Tori sings is "Nothing Fails" by Madonna.
Tori had practiced the song with Adam's band. She gasped when she saw what song it was going to be.
"Uh, Adam, is it possible to sing something else?" She asked as everyone was leaving. Adam looked up from putting his guitar in the case and looked at her.
"What?" He asked.
"Is something wrong with the song?" Asked Wendy, the bass player.
"N-No. It's a good song. I mean, god, I have the CD and I listen to it all the time but-"
"Then what's the problem?" Liam, the drum player, asked.
"We-ell," Tori stopped, unsure what to say. Helen, the keyboard player and Adam's girlfriend, looked at her.
"Tori, we've practice this song for weeks. I know it's kinda bad we got you at the last minute, and trust me, your doofus of a cousin is getting heck for not getting a back up before hand, seeing as Taryn's been sick for two weeks."
"I am?" Adam asked.
"Oh yeah." Liam said. "Tori's cut, it's coming out of yours." He said, smirking. Wendy laughed.
"It is?" Adam asked, horrified. Helen laughed and went over to him, putting an arm around him.
"Aww, it's ok, I'll pay for our next date." She grinned.
"OK." Tori said. "Forget I said anything." She said, forcing a smile. "I better go pick an outfit."
"OK, I'll come pick you up around 7, OK?" Adam asked. Tori nodded and left Adam's garage.
"I wonder what that was all about." Wendy stated. Adam grinned.
"I have a feeling there's going to be someone in the audience who this song just might be meant for, and that makes my darling cousin a little squeamish." ()()()()()()()(()()()()()()()()(()()()()()()()()
Tori stood in her room, rummaging through her closet. She had to find something to wear. She groaned, frustration overcoming.
"Mom!" She yelled. Her mother came in.
"What is it?" She looked around the room. Tori's clothes were strewn all over the place. "Did a tornado pass by here?" She joked. Tori gave her a look. Her mother stopped. "OK, OK, I'm sorry." She apologized. "What's wrong?"
"I don't have anything to wear." Tori whined slightly. Her mother bit back a smile. Tori had never been too concerned about her appearance. And now she was. That only meant one thing: There was a boy involved.
"Oh?" She asked, trying to hide her amusement. Tori looked at her, as if reading her mind.
"OK, Adam's gonna be here at seven. So, let's just cut to the chase." She sighed. "Yes, there's a boy involved, no, I don't want to talk about it, and yes, he's going to be at the club tonight." She said quickly. "Now, please, do your obligatory motherly doings and help me here." Tori's mother laughed.
"Well, with a request like that, how ever can I refuse?" She said. She sat by Tori and began helping. ()()()((((((()()()()((((((((((()()()()())()()()()()()()()()()())(()()()()()( )()()()()()
"Shane, have you ever heard Tori sing?" Dustin asked. Dustin, Shane, Hunter and Blake all sat in Club Dish. Blake had suggested they get a table near the front, saying they'd get a good view of the band. Hunter had chuckled and said that Blake would have a good view of a certain someone in the band.
"No." Shane said. "You?" Dustin shook his head.
"No way. Didn't think she could." Dustin said. Hunter, Dustin and Shane looked at one another.
"Why do I have a feeling we should've brought earplugs?" Hunter asked. Blake shot him a look. "Just kidding." Hunter said, raising his hand defensivly.
()))))))))))()()(((((()(((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))(((()))))
Tori stood backstage. She took a deep breath. Part of her was horrified that this song she was going to sing would let everything out in the open. But another part of her, was happy, exhilarated, about the same exact fact.
"You ok?" Adam asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. Tori nodded.
"Just having some pre-performance jitters." She said, giving him a smile. Adam smiled back at her.
"Hey, remember that time when you were in jr. high? And Grandma forced you to sing in the Christmas pageant?" Tori gave a soft laugh.
"Oh god, don't remind me."
"You tried everything that you could to get out of it. But, in the end, Grandma somehow convinced you. And, I remember you shocking the heck out of everyone. Except Grandma."
"She had heard me singing to my CD player once." Tori said, remembering. "That's why she forced me to do it. She knew there'd be no way I'd do it on my own."
"Right. So, just, know that you are going to shock the heck out of everyone out there." He smiled. Tori laughed.
"Gee, thanks."
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"Taryn, hey." Shane said. A tall slender girl walked over. She had brown hair and brown eyes. She smiled and waved. She took the extra seat at their table, sitting between Shane and Hunter.
"Hey." She said hoarsely.
"Hey, sorry about you getting sick and all." Dustin said. Taryn smiled.
"Thanks man. I should be OK in a few days. I felt awful that the guys might have had to cancel the gig."
"Yeah, it's a good thing Adam got Tori." Shane said. Taryn nodded.
"Oh, by the way, this is Hunter and Blake." Dustin said. The two smiled and greeted her. Taryn smiled back at them.
Blake looked up as he saw Adam and the other band members come up to the stage that had been set up. Adam stood up to the microphone.
"Hey everybody." He said. "Well, I've got some bad news. Our lead singer, Taryn Matthews came down with some leringitus." He said. People in the audience gave some sympathedic "awws". Adam smiled. "But, the good news is, we were able to find someone to fill her shoes perfectly. Ladies and gents, I present to you, my cousin, Tori Hanson." People clapped as Tori shyly walked on stage.
Blake's breath caught in his throat. He didn't think it was possible for Tori to be more beautiful then she was, apparently he was wrong. She was dressed in a short black skirt and a blue tube top. She had obviously used makeup to cover up her bruises from before. She had on other forms of makeup on as well, with glitter on her arms, chest and face, and her hair had been curled. She looked sexy. The males in the audience instantly began giving apprieciative whistles and wolf calls.
"Dude, is that Tori?" Dustin asked wide-eyed.
"Bro, I think you just got a lovely handful of competion." Hunter remarked.
Tori stood up to her microphone. Her eyes instantly fell on the table where Blake, Hunter, Shane, Dustin and Taryn sat. She took a deep breath, shutting her eyes for a second. She opened them, smiling at the audience. She looked over at Adam, nodding at him. He nodded and looked at the others. Slowly, he began playing the intro to the song. Tori took a deep breath. Her eyes fell on Blake. She knew that after this, things would be different. She just didn't know if that was a good thing or not.
~I'm in love with you, you silly thing
Anyone can see
What is it with you, you silly thing
Just take it from me~
Blake watched her. Her body moved slowly with the music. Se seemed to be staring directly at him, which, wasn't a bad thing in Blake's eyes, seeing as he was doing the same to her. Her voice came out soft, smooth like silk. Dustin and Shane stared at her, their jaws hanging slightly. They'd known Tori for a while, and they never knew she had a voice like this.
~It was not a chance meeting
Feel my heart beating
You're the one
You could take all this, take it away
I'd still have it all
'Cause I've climbed the tree of life, and that is why
No longer scared if I fall~
Blake realized, that although the club was full of people, Tori seemed to be singing just to him. As if he was the only person in the room. The only person in the world. She was putting all of herself in this. All of her soul, her emotion, her heart, all of her being.
~When I get lost in space
I can return to this place
'Cause, you're the one~
Wendy and Helen stepped up to their microphones and joined in, singing harmony.
~Nothing fails
No more fears
Nothing fails
You washed away my tears
Nothing fails
No more fears
Nothing fails
Nothing fails
I'm not religious
But I feel so moved
Makes me want to pray
Pray you'll always be here
I'm not religious
But I feel such love
Makes me want to pray~
Tori now sang again alone.
~When I get lost in space
I can return to this place
'Cause, you're the one~
There was a small break in vocals. Blake couldn't even blink. Was she singing this to him? Or was he yet again seeing something that really wasn't there
The rest of the band joined in, singing soft harmony under Tori.
~I'm not religious
But I feel so moved, mmm
I'm not religious
Makes me wanna pray
I'm not religious [I'm not religious]
But I feel so moved
Makes me want to pray [But I feel so moved, mmm]
Pray you'll always be here
I'm not religious [I'm not religious]
But I feel such love
Makes me want to pray [Makes me wanna pray]
[I'm not religious] I'm not religious, but it makes me wanna pray
[But I feel so moved, mmm] Makes me wanna pray
[I'm not religious] I'm not religious, but it makes me wanna pray
[Makes me wanna pray] Makes me wanna pray
[I'm not religious]
[But I feel so moved, mmm] Makes me wanna pray
[I'm not religious]
[Makes me wanna pray] Makes me wanna~
The music began to get soft, as Tori delivered the last few lines of the song, which came out more beautiful, emotional, and powerful then ever.
~Nothing fails
No more fears
Nothing fails
You washed away my tears
Nothing fails
No more fears
Nothing fails~
Tori slowly let go of the microphone as the band played the last few chords of the song. The crowd erupted in a mass of clapping and whooping. Tori gave out a small laugh of relif. Adam smiled at her.
Taryn clapped wildly. Shane and Dustin, once getting over their shock of Tori's singing, did so as well. Hunter looked over at Blake, who seemed to just be sitting there, in a dazed trance, staring at Tori. Hunter could see the look in his brother's eyes. It was love. And he had seen how Tori kept her eyes on Blake throughout the entire song, as if wanting to etch each word in Blake's head. She had been singing to Blake.
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Tori looked at Blake. He was just sitting there, not moving, just staring at her. Her heart filled with dread as she realized that she had made a total fool of herself. Blake didn't like her, and now, she had just totally freaked him out. She bit her lip and left the stage, tears filling her eyes. ()))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))) )))))
AN: The song Tori sings is "Nothing Fails" by Madonna.