Blown away
The next day everyone was excited for auditions. The school day had flown by. Branch had failed to talk to poppy during Larkins' class so as much he decided to try at auditions. He knew everyone would be shocked that he would be the assistant director because he made himself invisible for the last 4 years.
Biggie: I'm so excited! Best of luck everyone!
Satin: I hope we all get in
Chenille: we always do
Guy: we know the part of Christine belongs to poppy though
Bridget: not for long
Poppy: looking forward to my competion yet again
Bridget: this time...I'm gonna come out on top
Poppy: may the best win
Bridget: I plan too (flounces off)
Mrs. Harvey yells to get everyone's attention.
Mrs. Harvey: welcome everyone! I hope you all are prepared for auditions for phantom of the opera. We will have most of the school year to rehearse, so I expect hard work around here. For most of you, this is your last production, so make it count! I wanna take a minute to introduce my assistant manager/ stage manager. Please welcome Brandon Timberlake.
Poppy and her friends were shocked that branch was there! Branch?! Since when he was involved with school?!
Branch: um...hi I'm Brandon in case you don't know me, I look forward to working with all of you (he noticed people whispering to each other, which made him uncomfortable, he noticed poppy's face. His heart dropped a little. She looked very surprised but then again what did he expect?)
Mrs. Harvey: anyways like I said on the sign up sheet, I asked that each of you prepare a song from the musical. I know normally I ask to prepare a dance routine as well, but I think the singing is more important at the moment especially since a lot of people signed up. We will go in alphabetical order. The callback list will be listed in a couple days, I understand every girl wants to play Christine, but you're going to have to work for it. At the callbacks the girls and guys will sing a duet to determine who will play Christine and the phantom. I wanna see chemistry! Alright, everyone take a seat and we will call you when it is your turn.
(Deep down branch felt jealous. He knew he didn't want to play a part in this production, but he didn't want to see poppy sing with anyone else, or get close to them. Poppy's friends were shocked to see branch for the first time in years.)
Biggie: do you think...he'll be our friends again?!
Chenille: maybe sharing a class with poppy gave him a change of heart!
Poppy: I don't know, he still won't talk to me, he's so frustrating
Satin: you know what this means?! This is your chance to actually get him to come back, and he can't avoid you because he'll be here the whole school year in this auditorium
Poppy: or he wants nothing to do with us and it'll just be awkward
Biggie: I don't know poppy he was staring pretty hard at you
Poppy: he could've been looking at anyone
Suki: you're just gonna give up?
Poppy: what else can I do?! I tried but he just doesn't want to be our friend again
Guy: but he's never got involved with the school play before, maybe he did it for this exact reason!
Poppy: I don't know guys
(The conversation was interrupted by Mrs. Harper calling each person up one at a time. Poppy was ready, she had prepared "Think of me", singing always made her forget her troubles. It was too bad smidge didn't want to audition, but she knew it wasn't for everyone. She couldn't concentrate because the question that remained in her head was "why was branch here? What made him do this")
(Branch had hoped poppy couldn't see his face. It was burning red, he could get through AP calc with her because he didn't see her face most of the time and Larkin's didn't allow talking during class. His stomach hurt, what was happening to him?! Seeing her made him really nervous all of a sudden. How was he gonna talk to her?! He saw the others too, it hurt him to see them all together, because he remembered those days of all of them together. He tried to snap out of his thoughts. He tried listening to the people who were auditioning, most of them were really good. He became bored a little because every girl and guy kept singing the same song "music of the night" or "phantom of the opera". He dozed off for a minute but perked up when he heard the words to the song "Think of me" finally! A new song! He looked up and saw it was poppy singing it!)
(He was immediately blown away, she sounded...amazing, her voice had become more opera-like than the last time he ever heard her sing, which had been a long time. The way the spotlight was shining on her...it brought out the best features of her face, he could see the emotions in her while she was singing the song. She looked so beautiful. She belonged up there on that stage. He felt a couple tears come to his eyes, her performance was so moving. By the time she had finished, everyone was clapping and cheering. Branch was stuck in awe. He had imagined himself singing the guy part in his head as she sang...oh how he wanted to be the one singing with her. His feelings for her increased 10000% after that! Now he had no idea how he was gonna talk to her, he felt so tongue tied. )
(They finally made it through all the auditions after 3 hours. Most of the people who had already auditioned had left. Branch looked around and saw poppy and her friends walking out the door. His heart sunk...he missed his chance, Liam was gonna be mad but oh well. )
Mrs. Harvey: I think that went pretty well don't you think?
Branch: huh? Oh yeah...very well
Mrs. Harvey: something on your mind?
Branch: poppy...sang great
Mrs. Harvey: she's always been great (smiles) I think she'll make a great Christine, I'll make the call back list tonight and you can help me make choices if needed
Branch: sound sgood, um Mrs. Harvey would you mind if I stayed in here for awhile?
Mrs. Harvey: of course Brandon! Just make sure you lock the door when you leave
(As Mrs. Harvey left, branch wanted to kick himself. He knew he had awhile to talk to her, but now her singing was gonna be stuck in his head!
As poppy and her friends were about to leave, Bridget approached them. )
Bridget: well well you might've gotten some of the students to clap for you, but I know Mrs. Harvey was interested in my performance
Poppy: and you sang the same song as everyone else, so that made you equally as good, why didn't you sing a song you were trained to this summer?
Bridget: I didn't want to break any glass in the room
Poppy: (rolls her eyes) guess we'll see in callbacks
Bridget: might as well get my fitting for Christine now, see you losers later (flounces off)
Suki: I can't believe we were ever friends with her
Poppy: she erks me in so many ways
Guy: don't let her get to you, she's just trying to get in your head
Biggie: yeah! You're the best singer here
Poppy: thanks guys, but I'm not too worried, oh no I don't have my book bag I must've left it in there. I don't know how I didn't notice, I hope the door isn't locked
Chenille: I don't think it is, do you want us to wait for you?
Poppy: no you guys go ahead, I'll see you tomorrow
All: bye poppy
(As poppy headed back towards the auditorium she heard someone in there. She was relieved to know it wasn't locked, but was curious to know who was in there. As she opened the door, what she saw shocked her. Branch was sitting on the end of the stage with a guitar in hand, singing.)
Branch: (playing and singing) you with the sad eyes, don't be discouraged. Oh I realize, it's hard to take courage in a world full of people. You can lose sight of it all and the darkness inside you can make you feel so small.
(Poppy sat in the back and watched him. She had no idea he could do this...she was admired by the song, she never heard it before, she wondered if he wrote it. She didn't know what she would do when he finished, she didn't know if she should sneak out or say something afterwards. )
Branch: (sings) my poppy, show me a smile then, don't be unhappy, can't remember when I last saw you laughing, you make me feel crazy and when you've taken all you can bare just call me up and I will always be there.
Poppy's ears shot up as soon as she heard her name! She wasn't sure if she misheard him or not, was this song about her?! No way it couldn't be!
Branch: and I see your true colors shining through and my dear poppy that's why I...(he stopped for a second, and wrote something in his notes as he had an idea what to write next and started to sing again) your true colors...your true colors are beautiful (he wrote more ideas down and stopped playing. He decided to leave since it was getting late, he decided he'd finish the song later in privacy. He got immediately startled when he saw someone sitting in the back!)
Poppy: I'm sorry I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you..I just...I heard you play and...
Branch: poppy? Is that you?
Poppy: yeah (comes a little closer towards him) hey branch
(Branch's stomach dropped! She heard him singing! This wasn't how he wanted to encounter her! He felt a little embarrassed, he was so glad he didn't sing out that one line. He felt tongue tied seeing poppy right in front of him. This felt so weird. They were finally face to face. His mind kept shouting "say something you idiot!" But his mouth couldn't get any words. )
Poppy: um...im sorry..I didn't mean to, I'll just go (looks for her book bag and turns to leave)
Branch: poppy wait!
Poppy and Branch got the surprise of their life! What will branch say next?! And we have the ionic song True colors, I decided to make it a song branch wrote himself, a couple word changes in there! And I think we all knew that one line branch was writing down ;) stay tuned!
~Ash
