Rock Bottom by Hailee Steinfeld
Bree, Jay- 16
Singing with Our Best Friend
Bree fiddled with a few buttons, having some issues with the whole live stream thing, lots of people had been asking her to do a Q & A and she had finally agreed to it, under the condition of no camera. Instead, emojis of all kinds of shapes, expressions, and colors who bounce around, preserving her identity.
"Is this thing working?" She asked, looking over at the chat for people to tell her that it was in fact working. Seeing lots of yes's she grinned, "Finally! Anyway, so everyone's been wondering what my real voice is like so here it is! Start asking me questions and I'll try to answer as many of them as I can!" She blinked as the chat started jumping. Managing to catch one she laughed, "How do I sing alto when my voice is at the soprano level? I have no idea! I guess it's because my voice is already high pitched maybe? I have no clue!" Finding another one she giggled, "My age? Well, that's a bit confidential, but I am a teenager! Smack dab in the center of the older and younger teenage ages!" She grinned at another one, "How come I'm perfect? Well, I'm definitely not perfect! Being in a wheelchair just gives me another fun little flaw!" She squinted, trying to catch a few of the questions. "Tell you about myself? Well, I like to sing obviously, um… I like medical stuff, I enjoy reading, climbing trees, running over arrogant people's feet, talking to my friends and cheering people up!" Another question made her think for a moment. "Am I willing to write and perform a duet? I don't see why not, it might take a while to write and set up, but sure! Any suggestions on the guy to do the second part? Oh! And what kind of song should I write?"
Scrolling through the chat she saw a lot of 'A love and hate relationship' and 'The PerfectGrumpyTone.'
'PerfectGrumpyTone? Huh, sounds interesting.' "If you guys can convince him to sing in it I'll perform it live and record it!" Bree chirped, amber eyes twinkling, "Now more questions! Do I like jokes? Of course, I do! Jokes are the next best thing to singing and cheering people up!"
Bree let out a startled yell and nearly fell out of her chair when her laptop suddenly lit up and went off, announcing a google call. Leaning over and picking her headphones up off the floor she answered the call, putting the headphones on and adjusting the mic slightly, "Hello? CheerfulCuriousity here!" She chirped, a little annoyed by her interrupted nap.
"Hey," A curt and grumpy voice said, "It's PerfectGrumpyTone. I've been getting spammed with requests to sing a duet with you, I'll sing it."
"Really?!" Bree was wide awake now, hopeful and excited.
"Yes. Your music is pretty good and you don't seem to be really annoying."
"Awesome! Thank you, soo much! I'll send you the lyrics when I finish them and we can run through them, I'll listen to your music and try to find lyrics that'll keep you in your comfort zone!"
"That's appreciated, with the lyrics send me a recording of you singing your part so I can listen to it as I sing my part."
"Cool! I'll have the lyrics done this week! Do you play any instrument in particular?"
"I can play most instruments needed for a song."
"Ok cool! Do you want me to play the drums? Or you?"
"You can, it's your song."
"Kay, thanks again!"
"No problem, maybe I can actually get something done. Oh, please send the lyrics as a sound recording, I have issues reading things."
"Understandable! Bye!" She chirped as he hung up the call and she grinned widely, spinning around her chair and rummaging through a set of drawers for her lyric notebook. 'Where is it? I want to get started right away!'
Jay was sitting quietly in his room, sitting at his desk, listening to the lyrics that the youtube singer had sent him. He had to admit that she did a really good job, the lyrics he had to sing were right up his alley, 'You get under my skin, more than anyone's ever been, but when we lay in bed, you hold me harder till I forget. Not bad, I can work with these, the chorus is pretty catchy… She doesn't have a title yet. Maybe I can suggest the title Rock Bottom, the chorus says it quite a lot.'
He played the recording of the singer actually singing her part of the lyrics and listened to the different tones in the singer's voice which felt strangely familiar to him. Her youtube name was CheerfulCuriousity and she was actually really good. Her songs were relatively catchy and held real emotion, unlike some singers that had asked him to do a duet with him. He wouldn't mind revealing his identity for a song like this, that was for sure.
Bree finished the lyrics on Wednesday and scheduled a voice meeting with the youtube singer on Friday after the movie she was going with Cynthia and Haliah to at three. She pushed open the door to her bedroom and rolled over to her desk, picking up her headphones and adjusting the mic before answering the call. "Sorry, I'm late!" She chirped cheerfully, "Got held up with some friends!"
"It's okay, I haven't been here for long."
"Do you like the lyrics? I hope they don't take you too far out of your comfort zone!"
"They don't, in fact, they sound perfect."
"Yes! Do you want to do a recording next week? I was asked to perform this one live by the end of the month but I didn't know if you wanted to do it with me!"
"Sure, why not. I'm open on Monday around seven, and about the live concert. I don't really care, I'll show up if you'd prefer."
"Yes, please! And I'm open then too, sounds good!"
Bree pulled a face as someone tried to put stuff on her face, she rolled backward and heard a yelp and something get under her left wheel. Quickly moving forward she spun around and apologized, "Sorry!" She squeaked, "I didn't know you were there!"
"It's ok," Jay grunted and Bree's amber eyes widened to the size of dinner plates at the sight of her best friend before her brain put the pieces together and burst out laughing.
"Oh my star clan, how did I not notice this before?" She laughed, nearly howling in her laughter.
"Notice what?" Jay grunted, swatting at the person trying to get in his face. "Go away Charlie, you're more clingy than a squid." He pushed him away and took the ear piece microphone from another person, putting it in before taking the sunglasses off his head to put over his eyes.
"That it's you, Jay! You're The PerfectGrumpyTone!" She laughed, the laughter dying down to giggles as she looked at her best friend, a microphone like Jay's already in one ear, brown hair up in a messy bun, her bangs free and swept to one side behind her ear, a couple pencils keeping the bun in place, amber eyes twinkling with happiness.
"Wait, Bree?!" Jay asked, surprise lighting his features and he held one arm out in front of him at Bree's level, "You're CheerfulCuriousity?!"
"Yup!" Bree grinned, rolling forwards towards him so his palm was against her forehead and bridge of her nose, her eyelashes tickling his skin. "It's me, Jay! Who knew we both like to sing?"
"Breanna, there's only a minute left before the show starts." A lady told Bree, "Are you ready to go up there?"
"Of course! I'm always ready!" Bree grinned, spinning around to be facing the lady, "I love singing for people!"
"Of course you would." Jay snorts, rolling his blind blue eyes and putting his arms at his sides.
"Then you should probably get up there." The lady said patiently.
"Thanks, Casi!" Bree smiled, pushing herself up the ramp and onto the stage, blinking a few times at the change in light. "Hey, everyone! I am CheerfulCuriousity! And I love to sing! We have a guest today! His name is The Perfect GrumpyTone, or in my case, my best friend Jay!"
Jay strode up onto the stage, black and gray speckled hair brushed forward so the front near his face was spiked up. He was wearing black denim jeans, a collared light blue long sleeve rolled up at the elbows, black converse, and a unzipped black leather vest, his hands in the pockets. "Hey everyone, I am indeed The PerfectGrumpyTone." He said grumpily and part of the audience laughed at his grumpiness.
"Believe it or not, I actually know Jay away from YouTube!" Bree grinned widely, "We've been friends for years! Right Jay?!"
"That's right Bree." He grunted.
"Anyway! Here's the duet everyone's been asking for! It's called rock bottom!" Bree smiled. She was in her wheelchair, refusing to use the crutches, wearing black denim jeans, a white collared short-sleeve shirt under a light blue hoodie with the words, 'CheerfulCuriousity' on the front and back, with black ankle boots, and a silver bracelet on one wrist.
Together she and Jay waited for their cues, Bree starting a few seconds into the music with the spotlight directly on her, "What are we fighting for?
Seems like we do it just for fun
In this, this stupid war
We play hard with our plastic guns
Breathe deep, bottle it up
So deep until it's all we got
Don't speak, just use your touch
Don't speak before we say too much." Bree sang, her voice lowering to be more alto than her usual half alto half higher pitched soprano.
"You hate me now and I feel the same way!
You love me now and I feel the same way!
Scream and we shout
And make up the same day, same day!
Oh! we're on the right side of rock bottom
And I hope that we keep falling!
We're on the good side of bad karma
'Cause we keep on coming back for more!
We're on the right side of rock bottom
And to you, I just keep crawling
You're the best kind of bad something
'Cause we keep on coming back for more!" She finished temporarily, giving the spotlight to Jay who got his cue a half a second later and started his part of the lyrics, his voice a mellow tenor, not as high as his brother's, instead, his singing voice was relatively low.
"You get under my skin
More than anyone's ever been
But when we lay in bed
You hold me harder till I forget" Jay sang before he was joined with Bree a hair softer than him, making it so his deeper voice was the easier voice to hear.
"You hate me now and I feel the same way
You love me now and I feel the same way
Scream and we shout
And make up the same day, same day
Oh! we're on the right side of rock bottom
And I hope that we keep falling
We're on the good side of bad karma
'Cause we keep on coming back for more!
We're on the right side of rock bottom
And to you I just keep crawling
You're the best kind of bad something
'Cause we keep on coming back for more!
Keep on coming back for more!
'Cause we keep on coming back for more!" They sang together, their voices working together to create the song that Bree was written.
"What are we fighting for?" Bree sang alone, taking the first line.
"Seems like we do it just for fun," Jay took over, as they switched again, switching off lines.
"In this, this stupid war" Bree switched him again, before they both sung together, starting the chorus once again.
"We play hard with our plastic guns
Oh, we're on the right side of rock bottom
And I hope that we keep falling
We're on the good side of bad karma
'Cause we keep on coming back for more!
We're on the right side of rock bottom
And to you I just keep crawling
You're the best kind of bad something
'Cause we keep on coming back for more!
Keep on coming back for more!
'Cause we keep on coming back for more!
Keep on coming back for more!
'Cause we keep on coming back for more!"
They finished, smiling happily at each other, glad that it was their best friend that they were each singing with.
Character Emails (all are gmail accounts)
Caylee and any other side character – youngcrazyteenageauthor
Cynthia – athleticsapphiresinger
Leon – athleticgoldenboy
Bree – cheerfulcuriosity
Jay – perfectgrumpytone
Holly – emeraldintelligencequeen
Fini – gingerandwhiteteenager
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