It's My Life
Okay, as promised, here's Lena's side of 'For Rel' and 'Get Rel'.
Okay, there is one lyric in here but I didn't format it like I did in 'For Rel'. Still, I don't own the song 'Bop', it belongs to the artist (Dan Seals) and the publishing company who has legal rights of the lyrics.
Also, just a little note, I got confused between SVU and SUV, I'm hoping the way I have it in here is the correct way (the van spelling).
She was getting hyper and Relena never got hyper, she got in teasing or playful moods but never hyper. Yet, there she was sitting in the rented SUV with Sage and Draca, trying to keep the peace, while getting a natural sugar rush. It had been well over two hours since she last had a soda to drink but she was bouncing in the back seat, using the bass amp as an armrest while singing a remake of 'New York, New York'.
She knew why she was so hyper, it was because she was excited for they were in New York-Go figure, she thought-and 'For Rel' was about to put on the greatest performance so many representatives, national leaders, and wealthy people had ever experienced. All due to her grandfather, who she hadn't been able to see informally since her days as Queen of the World Nation.
"Relena, you okay back there?" laughed Sage, glancing at her via the rearview mirror.
"Just excited," she smiled broadly, leaning forward to crank up the volume as the track changed to 'Bop' by Dan Seals. "Put on your bobber sox, baby, roll up your old blue jeans." She was singing, yes, but she didn't care because she wanted to sing, do anything to show her enthusiasm.
Grooving in the front seat, Draca joined in with Relena's singing, "There's a band playing down at the armory that knows what rock and roll music means."
Shrugging, Sage decided to join with the singing, "I want to ride in your fifty-five T-bird, back to some old memories. I ain't after your body, baby, I just want you to dance with me."
Pulling up to the hotel where the fundraiser was taking place, Sage parked the SUV in the back, following the directions Marquise Weridge had given. Turning the car off, Sage pulled the key back a little bit more so that the radio would remain on while they unloaded.
"Hey guys, what're you listening to?" Adam called, leaning out the window of the second SUV with a goofy smile.
"I want to BOP with you baby, all night long. I want to BOP the night away. I wanna make it a night like it used to be when our hearts were young and free," Relena sang to him as she slammed shut the back door.
"I want to BOP with you baby, all night long. I wanna bebop with ya baby 'til the break of dawn. I want to BOP with you baby, all night long," Adam joined in while the other three continued to sing.
Having gotten out of the car, Lynn was already aware of what the group was singing, so she entered on the next verse. "I got an old photograph in my pocket. We were still in our teens."
Sage answered with the next line, "Lord knows I look a lot older now, but you still look the same to me. Honey you don't ever laugh like you used to and I don't want to see you blue."
Adam interjected, "If you ain't busy tonight and you think it's all right, this is what I want to do." He added a playful wink to Relena before he went to the trunk to grab the drum set.
"I want to BOP with you baby, all night long. I want to BOP the night away. I wanna make it a night like it used to be-oh-when our hearts were young and free. I want to BOP with you baby, all night long. I wanna bebop with ya baby 'til the break of dawn. I wanna make it a night like it used to be," everyone sang as they unloaded the equipment from the SUVs.
"Let's twist and shout, just like in the good old days. Baby, watch out, you know I just can't stand it when you look at me that way," Draca sang, singing the notes about an octave higher than Dan Seals had.
With half the group laughing and the other half trying not to laugh, the group finished the song with the chorus repeating itself until it faded away.
Out of the back door came a security guard who eyed the band up and down in suspicion.
"What are you doing here? Don't you know that this is a reserved event?" he informed them.
Calmly, Relena approached the guard while Sage turned off the radio and vehicle in the background. Pulling out the band's contract for the event, Relena handed it to the guard, explaining that they were there to play for the event.
Reading over the contract, the guard found it to be true, the group was contracted to play at the fundraiser, something he hadn't seen during his 35 years of being a guard.
"Okay, you're cleared, just keep it down while the orchestra is still performing and don't cause mischief," the guard warned with a stern glance at each band member, specifically the male members, before retreating back inside, away from the chilly weather.
"Alright, let's get this stuff inside, we're on in twenty minutes," stated Sage, grabbing the keyboard stand and handing it to Draca who gave him a questioning look. "It's light so I figured you could handle it."
The others grimaced as the sound of a palm hitting a cheek was heard along with the mutter, "Jerk."
"Was that really necessary!" yelled Sage, rubbing his cheek a bit. "Oh yeah, Lynn, she really likes me, she just can't keep her hands off me."
Lifting out the keyboard amp, Sage rolled it inside before anyone could say anything to him. He wasn't looking for any words of comfort, yet no one in the group was willing to let their evening be ruined by foul feelings.
"I'll go talk to him," offered Relena, taking the two bags of cymbals. The bags were heavier than they looked but not too heavy that Relena couldn't carry them inside until she set them down.
Inside, Relena was a bit taken back at how crowded it was with chairs and folded tables, not to mention supplies for the kitchen staff and all the other instrument cases for the orchestra. Shaking herself out of her amazement, Relena headed over to the area Sage was dropping off the amp and where Draca was stomping away from.
Passing Draca easily, Relena stopped Sage with a bag of cymbals before he had a chance to slip past her.
"We need to talk," she told him firmly, leaving no room for protests.
"Oh okay," Sage sighed, following Relena back to the amp. "Sorry that I lost it out there Relena, it won't happen again, promise."
Setting down the bag of cymbals, the girl gave her friend a dubious look. "I don't really care that you were a bit taken back by her slapping you, but you must understand Sage, that when we tell you that Draca does like you we're not lying."
Now it was Sage's turn to give the dubious look. "Oh really, how is slapping someone a sign that they 'like you'?" he demanded.
Chuckling a bit, Relena shook her head before giving Sage a comforting hug. "My poor, misguided friend, Draca didn't slap you because she likes-maybe she did-but it was rather that you had indirectly insulted her by giving her the keyboard stand and telling her that since it was light you thought she could carry it. The slap had nothing to do with her not liking you but instead with you being a jerk," explained Relena.
Over Relena's shoulder, Sage brought up his hand and slapped his forehead. "Idiot!" he muttered.
"Not quite, as I said earlier, 'misguided'," corrected Relena. "Which, trust me, is much better than an idiot."
Laughing in an ironic way, Sage shook his head, "Whatever would we do without you, Lena? You just know what to say and how to say things that just make everything seem alright."
"Hey, you two going to help us, or just stand there in each others' arms?" teased Lynn as she carried her guitar case with Adam behind her lugging the keyboard case.
"Group hug!" he cried.
Smiling into Sage's shoulder for a second, Relena let go of her friend and spun around to her other friends. "If you two want a hug too, all you have to do is ask, as always," she grinned.
"Hurry up you two, we still have several a lot more percussion stuff to get out of here, two more amps, another guitar, and four microphone stands," listed Adam, setting down the keyboard off to the side so that no one would trip over it.
"Well, what are we waiting for, let's go," smiled Relena.
"Hey Lena, do you have any suggestions on how I could perhaps get back into Draca's 'good graces'?" Sage inquired, following Relena out of the back area.
"Yeah, apologize in your own, unique way," Relena suggested, returning to the cold to grab the other amp Adam had taken out of the trunk.
Wheeling it inside, Relena found Marquise Welitz waiting to speak to them.
"Ah you're here," he stated, sizing up Relena, or rather her alter ego Salimar.
"Yes sir, we're just unloading the last of our equipment. Whenever the orchestra is done playing we'll start setting up out in the ballroom," Relena assured him with her charming smile. Her smile alone, she was told, could melt any cold heart and ease any uneasiness. Although Relena didn't quite believe that to be true, she smiled anyway.
The stressed features on Marquise Welitz's face softened as he sighed in relief. "It's good to know that you can take care of all of this by yourselves and have everything under control," he commented as Draca came in with the snare drum case and a tom case slung over her shoulders, followed by Lynn rolling in the last amp.
"We do have everything under control, however I would like to cover a checklist of items we were promised that would be provided for us," Relena told the host and could see the tension returning to his features.
"Very well," he nodded, pulling out a slip of paper with a list of items. "We have your five microphones, I hope you have the stands."
"We do," she reassured him.
Nodding, Marquise Welitz continued to read off the list. "The three ear piece microphones are in this box. Please do be careful with them, they're on loan specifically for this occasion alone and I really don't want to have to pay for damages," he warned 'Salimar', handing her the box that contained the special microphones.
Opening up the box to find the three ear pieces well intact, Relena quickly assured the host that no damage was going to be done to them and the piece would only be out for at least one song, perhaps more.
"I have arranged for one of the trumpet players to play with you and two of the percussionists from the orchestra to assist you. The piano in the ballroom is a magnificent one and recently tuned," the Marquise finished.
"Perfect, then everything is in place," Relena glanced over her shoulder to find that everything was inside and the others were starting to get the instruments out of their cases. "We'll be ready shortly, once we get all of Sage's cymbals set up."
Glancing out into the ballroom to see how far the orchestra had progressed, Marquise Welitz inquired, "How long will that take you?"
"A few moments," Sage answered, finishing assembling his ride cymbal.
"Now, if you will excuse me, I must get my cords and keyboard out to be set up. Is there an outlet near by so that we may plug our amps and keyboard in?" Relena questioned, kneeling down in her black skirt, provided by Lynn, to unzip her case.
"Yes, there is one directly behind you, easily accessed if you have an extension cord…"
"We have several," Lynn spoke up, holding up the long blue cord for the Marquise to see.
"Fantastic!" Clapping his hands in decisiveness, Marquise Welitz glanced out at the orchestra and noted how the orchestra were standing up to take their bow. "Show time."
Cursing under her breath for lack of time, Relena grabbed her cords and extension cord in one hand; she was more than capable of setting up her keyboard connections.
Stepping aside, Relena let the members of the orchestra begin to take the equipment out into the ballroom for set up. There were four members who were helping out: the trumpet player, two percussionists, and an extra clarinet.
Standing in the back, the group waited for Marquise Welitz to introduce them to the audience.
"Now, I would like to have everyone's attention," he announced, "I would like to introduce a small collection of talented musicians who have the honor of performing for all of you tonight. They are from Verona, Italy and are here in New York for this one night; the band 'For Rel' with Draca Ison, Sage Cole, Lynn Voc, Adam Cole, and Salimar Reigns."
The band entered the ballroom in the order they were introduced, as to not confuse anyone. Ignoring the crowd for the time being, Relena found the outlet and immediately plugged in the extension cord and a multi-outlet device.
With that taken care of she made her way to the piano, saying 'thank you' to the orchestra members who set everything up.
"No problem," one of them assured before they went in back to retrieve their music.
Relena stopped at the grand piano which stood off to the side. It had been a long time since she had touch a real piano, but Relena required it on one of the songs for the distinctive sound only a real piano can generate.
Hesitantly placing her fingers on the ivory keys, Relena took a deep breath before playing the C Major Blues scale. It truly did sound magnificent. It was such a rich sound and the bass sounded superb with its low voices.
Satisfied, Relena went to the keyboard and plugged in her pedal. Then connected her keyboard and amp to the outlet device, and plugged her last cord between the amp and keyboard. Turning on the keyboard and amp, she made certain that everything was in order and that the volume was adequate for the space they were in.
Done with her tuning, Relena glanced around and found everyone else ready to begin, even the trumpet and extra percussionists.
Picking up the microphone that was left for her on the amp, Relena slide it into her stand and turned it on. Tapping it a few times, she knew that it was working, and turned it off again.
Turning to Lynn and Adam, Relena indicated to her keyboard for them to tune and both shook their heads. Since Adam was the closest, he came up to her and whispered, "We had tuned while you were talking with the Marquise guy."
"Oh…smart move," Relena nodded, suddenly awoken by the magnified sound of Draca's voice.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the entire 'For Rel' band we would like to express our thank yous to Marquis Weridge for persuading Marquis Welitz to have us perform for you tonight. Thank you, gentlemen," Draca announced. "Normally we would sing all of our original songs but for tonight we shall be like a live jukebox for your entertainment."
Snorting a bit at the analogy, Relena covered her mouth with her hand and to shake her head. When she stopped shaking her head, Relena got her first look at the crowd.
It was a rather huge group, no bigger than the ones she was in when she had to go to fundraisers, but now she was performing for them instead of enjoying with them. What a change it was for her.
Scanning the room Relena's caught sight of a young man with an unusual hair style where his bangs hung in front of his face.
Trowa! she realized as a sense of panic began to take over her. That means Quatre's here and if Quatre's here then Sylvia and Heero are here as well. Oh no…
"Let's start off with some major classics!" stated Lynn as she signaled the band to start up.
Let's just go home, Relena suggested silently, as her eyes fell upon the person she dreaded meeting ever again, Heero Yuy.
Thank you to: Liz (who succeeded in making me blush, quite the accomplishment since I rarely ever blush), Lynn-Minmay, Ulitheal, Morrighan of Crimson and Sable, and DogDemonK9 (sorry that I made you hungry for pizza and pop. Drat! Now you've made me hungry for pizza-I already have the pop.)
Thanks a lot you guys, you all are great and well…to put it quite bluntly, made me feel very good about my works despite my horrible grammar and spelling problems. Plus, I live to please and I seem to be succeeding. Thanks. Catch you guys next time.