On with the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The food arrived and everyone delved into their meals as singers came and went on the stage. Cassandra squealed with delight when her name was announced and then sunk back in her chair.
"Holy Hannah I don't think I can go on now"
Janet shot Sam who was grinning, a scowl at the fact the young girl had picked up the Carter family's expression. Sam shrugged her shoulders in a 'Well at least it ain't for crying out loud' kind of gesture and leaned over to Cassie.
"Oh come one Cassie, you heard the other people up there. I have heard you sing your good. Now go before they call the next person"
Cassie took a deep breath, with a push from her mother stood from her chair, and started toward the stage. The others turned in their seats, settled back and watched the young woman who they could tell was nervous but was as stubborn as any of them at letting a small thing as a nerves hold her back. Cassandra took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage to the microphone as the organisers sorted out the song for her. They waited for the music to start, in all the noise they had not caught the song and were still in wonderment as to what she was going to sing.
Cassandra wrapped her fingers round the stem of the microphone and took a deep breath. She eyed the screen in front of her not that she need too but it kept her eyes from looking over the swelling crowd of people. She loved to sing and had settled well into the drama class at school. She still hadn't told the others she had earned a singing part in the school play. This gave her good practice. She managed to lift her eyes from the blue screen to her 'family' and smiled as all eyes were on her, their food forgotten. A man signalled to her the music was about to begin and she gulped the breath she had been holding, closed her eyes for a moment, re opened them and looked at the screen as the lyrics started to scroll up. The music started to play its first beats. With her heart practically jumping to her throat, her ears drowning all the sound but the music from her mind, she opened her mouth and made the words flow.
//I'm coming up so you better get this party started // I'm coming up so you better get this party started// get this party started on a Saturday night/ Everybody's waiting for me to arrive/sending out the message to all of my friends / We'll be looking flashy in my Mercedes Benz/ I got lots of style check my gold diamond rings / I can go for miles if you know what I mean//
"Wow, Cassie's amazing," said Sam in delight, looking over at the girl's mother who had a broad beam on her face. Janet nodded in agreement and then slightly shook her head.
"I might have known she would do a 'Pink' song. She's had the album on non stop most days!"
Janet glanced at the men of the table and frowned. Sam followed her gazed and raised her eyebrows in question to Jack, who was looking slightly 'Tense'. Janet was doing the same to Daniel who was slowly fingering the end of his fork, his eyes on the crowd. Tealc was looking his usual self.
"What's up with you guys don't you think Cassie is doing a great job?" asked Sam as Cassie flowed into the second chorus of the song.
Jack managed to shift his stiff gaze from the crowd to Sam.
"Sure Cassandra is doing a great job. The crowd obviously thinks so too"
Sam sat back a little and frowned, after processing the air in the way he said it, his, and Daniel's obvious distraction with the crowd, she started to laugh. Janet managed to drag her questioning gaze from Daniel, actually it was more of a stare at his gorgeous profile but she would never let on, to look at her now laughing best friend. Sam managed to gulp back a laugh too explain to her friend.
"Um I don't think Jack and Daniel appreciate all the appreciation your daughter is getting for her singing"
Janet looked lost for a moment trying to understand what Sam was talking about. It dawned on her, of course. She listened to the crowd as her daughter was going into the last lyrics of the song. Wolf whistles were definitely being thrown; a few young jocks had neared the stage egging her on. In other words, the younger men of the crowd were showing an interest in the young girl and the males at their table were in full protective mode. She figured that maybe it wasn't time to tell them Cassie had a healthy interest in a certain young man of seventeen who lived next door.
Jack digged Sam in the ribs as she laughed and Daniel blushed slightly but didn't look at all embarrassed at being a little 'concerned' at the attention the young woman was getting. Sam tried to stop giggling but couldn't, but did manage to grab Jack's arm before he stood from the table. Cassie had finished her song and was getting a well-earned applause from the crowd and three young men had surrounded her as she came down from the stage. Jack stayed put but didn't take his eyes from the young woman until she sat down, the young men following part way until they found themselves at the end of two steely stares from the men at the table.
Cassie, who was flushed from the excitement and obvious appreciation of the crowd, sat down not noticing Daniel or Jack's demeanour. Janet grabbed her hands and held them for a moment a proud look in her eyes. Sam clapped her hands together as Cassie grinned from ear to ear.
"Oh my god that was so, so exhilarating. Al those people shouting for me Mom. Sam your gonna love it up there. At first, I thought I would not make any noise but then the words just started streaming out. And there was such a cute guy eyeing me up, did you see him mom. He was following me over with his friends but I don't know where they've gone. I'll look for them later.."
Janet smiled as her daughter jabbered on excitedly. Sam also listened, placing a hand on Jack's thigh firmly as Cassie mentioned the young man who had been interested in her. Jack managed to smile between the gritted teeth, and started to eat his food, nodding and grinning at Cassie as she relayed how excited, and nervous it was to be on stage. Daniel managed to semble a few words of praise for the young girl..
"You did really well Cassie"
"Thanks Daniel. You guys have to get your names put down." She replied grabbing the file, her food forgotten. "Tealc are you going to sing anything?"
"I am afraid my singing is not as good as your own Cassandra. However I have thought of a song I have heard which I would like to sing"
Cassandra grinned past her mother to the jaffa and bent down her head to the file, looking for more songs. Without lifting her head from the file, she addressed the group.
"Maybe we could all get up and sing together"
"Aren't you afraid we may embarrass you?" jibbed Sam and she delved in her burger and salad, wondering when her name would be called out. "Cass if you choose a song quick I can take it over when I get called up. That goes for the rest of you. Daniel aren't you going to put your name down yet?"
"Yeah Danny, I thought you had a few songs up your sleeve"
Daniel raised his eyes to Jack, smiled and picked up a form from the middle of the table. He wrote down the song tittle and artist and folded it in half handing it to Sam. Cassie also filled out a form and handed it over, Sam looked inquisitively from Janet to Jack.
"Oh come on you two. At least look at the lists and get an idea of what you wanna sing"
"I think maybe I need another drink" replied Jack gesturing to a server who was walking past and ordering a beer for himself. Daniel smiled at the obvious change of subject.
"What's the matter Jack. Don't think you can woo the crowd? Afraid Tealc, Sam and myself will do better?"
Jack looked over at the younger man who was trying to keep a serious face. He knew a challenge when he heard one and that was exactly what Daniel was doing. Jack O'Neill was not a man to be out done by space monkeys.
"Pass me a form"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The food arrived and everyone delved into their meals as singers came and went on the stage. Cassandra squealed with delight when her name was announced and then sunk back in her chair.
"Holy Hannah I don't think I can go on now"
Janet shot Sam who was grinning, a scowl at the fact the young girl had picked up the Carter family's expression. Sam shrugged her shoulders in a 'Well at least it ain't for crying out loud' kind of gesture and leaned over to Cassie.
"Oh come one Cassie, you heard the other people up there. I have heard you sing your good. Now go before they call the next person"
Cassie took a deep breath, with a push from her mother stood from her chair, and started toward the stage. The others turned in their seats, settled back and watched the young woman who they could tell was nervous but was as stubborn as any of them at letting a small thing as a nerves hold her back. Cassandra took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage to the microphone as the organisers sorted out the song for her. They waited for the music to start, in all the noise they had not caught the song and were still in wonderment as to what she was going to sing.
Cassandra wrapped her fingers round the stem of the microphone and took a deep breath. She eyed the screen in front of her not that she need too but it kept her eyes from looking over the swelling crowd of people. She loved to sing and had settled well into the drama class at school. She still hadn't told the others she had earned a singing part in the school play. This gave her good practice. She managed to lift her eyes from the blue screen to her 'family' and smiled as all eyes were on her, their food forgotten. A man signalled to her the music was about to begin and she gulped the breath she had been holding, closed her eyes for a moment, re opened them and looked at the screen as the lyrics started to scroll up. The music started to play its first beats. With her heart practically jumping to her throat, her ears drowning all the sound but the music from her mind, she opened her mouth and made the words flow.
//I'm coming up so you better get this party started // I'm coming up so you better get this party started// get this party started on a Saturday night/ Everybody's waiting for me to arrive/sending out the message to all of my friends / We'll be looking flashy in my Mercedes Benz/ I got lots of style check my gold diamond rings / I can go for miles if you know what I mean//
"Wow, Cassie's amazing," said Sam in delight, looking over at the girl's mother who had a broad beam on her face. Janet nodded in agreement and then slightly shook her head.
"I might have known she would do a 'Pink' song. She's had the album on non stop most days!"
Janet glanced at the men of the table and frowned. Sam followed her gazed and raised her eyebrows in question to Jack, who was looking slightly 'Tense'. Janet was doing the same to Daniel who was slowly fingering the end of his fork, his eyes on the crowd. Tealc was looking his usual self.
"What's up with you guys don't you think Cassie is doing a great job?" asked Sam as Cassie flowed into the second chorus of the song.
Jack managed to shift his stiff gaze from the crowd to Sam.
"Sure Cassandra is doing a great job. The crowd obviously thinks so too"
Sam sat back a little and frowned, after processing the air in the way he said it, his, and Daniel's obvious distraction with the crowd, she started to laugh. Janet managed to drag her questioning gaze from Daniel, actually it was more of a stare at his gorgeous profile but she would never let on, to look at her now laughing best friend. Sam managed to gulp back a laugh too explain to her friend.
"Um I don't think Jack and Daniel appreciate all the appreciation your daughter is getting for her singing"
Janet looked lost for a moment trying to understand what Sam was talking about. It dawned on her, of course. She listened to the crowd as her daughter was going into the last lyrics of the song. Wolf whistles were definitely being thrown; a few young jocks had neared the stage egging her on. In other words, the younger men of the crowd were showing an interest in the young girl and the males at their table were in full protective mode. She figured that maybe it wasn't time to tell them Cassie had a healthy interest in a certain young man of seventeen who lived next door.
Jack digged Sam in the ribs as she laughed and Daniel blushed slightly but didn't look at all embarrassed at being a little 'concerned' at the attention the young woman was getting. Sam tried to stop giggling but couldn't, but did manage to grab Jack's arm before he stood from the table. Cassie had finished her song and was getting a well-earned applause from the crowd and three young men had surrounded her as she came down from the stage. Jack stayed put but didn't take his eyes from the young woman until she sat down, the young men following part way until they found themselves at the end of two steely stares from the men at the table.
Cassie, who was flushed from the excitement and obvious appreciation of the crowd, sat down not noticing Daniel or Jack's demeanour. Janet grabbed her hands and held them for a moment a proud look in her eyes. Sam clapped her hands together as Cassie grinned from ear to ear.
"Oh my god that was so, so exhilarating. Al those people shouting for me Mom. Sam your gonna love it up there. At first, I thought I would not make any noise but then the words just started streaming out. And there was such a cute guy eyeing me up, did you see him mom. He was following me over with his friends but I don't know where they've gone. I'll look for them later.."
Janet smiled as her daughter jabbered on excitedly. Sam also listened, placing a hand on Jack's thigh firmly as Cassie mentioned the young man who had been interested in her. Jack managed to smile between the gritted teeth, and started to eat his food, nodding and grinning at Cassie as she relayed how excited, and nervous it was to be on stage. Daniel managed to semble a few words of praise for the young girl..
"You did really well Cassie"
"Thanks Daniel. You guys have to get your names put down." She replied grabbing the file, her food forgotten. "Tealc are you going to sing anything?"
"I am afraid my singing is not as good as your own Cassandra. However I have thought of a song I have heard which I would like to sing"
Cassandra grinned past her mother to the jaffa and bent down her head to the file, looking for more songs. Without lifting her head from the file, she addressed the group.
"Maybe we could all get up and sing together"
"Aren't you afraid we may embarrass you?" jibbed Sam and she delved in her burger and salad, wondering when her name would be called out. "Cass if you choose a song quick I can take it over when I get called up. That goes for the rest of you. Daniel aren't you going to put your name down yet?"
"Yeah Danny, I thought you had a few songs up your sleeve"
Daniel raised his eyes to Jack, smiled and picked up a form from the middle of the table. He wrote down the song tittle and artist and folded it in half handing it to Sam. Cassie also filled out a form and handed it over, Sam looked inquisitively from Janet to Jack.
"Oh come on you two. At least look at the lists and get an idea of what you wanna sing"
"I think maybe I need another drink" replied Jack gesturing to a server who was walking past and ordering a beer for himself. Daniel smiled at the obvious change of subject.
"What's the matter Jack. Don't think you can woo the crowd? Afraid Tealc, Sam and myself will do better?"
Jack looked over at the younger man who was trying to keep a serious face. He knew a challenge when he heard one and that was exactly what Daniel was doing. Jack O'Neill was not a man to be out done by space monkeys.
"Pass me a form"
