"All I ever Wanted" by Kelly Clarkson"
Ages – 18 to 20 ish?
Together We Can Pull This Off
Cynthia's blue eyes snapped open and she shot up so fast that she toppled off the bed and crashed to the floor with a decently long string of cursing that was unusual for the alto youtube singer.
"What's wrong?" Leon asked his girlfriend, she had been asleep a few moments earlier while he researched the team his team was playing, trying to come up with a good strategy against them.
"I forgot about Hannah's birthday party," Cynthia groaned in reply after she jumped to her feet and raced down the stairs, "It totally slipped my mind!" The nineteen-year-old then proceeded to trip about half way down the stairs and roll down the last half, grunting and complaining as she did so.
"I hate it when this happens." Leon sighed and rushed after his scatterbrained girlfriend, running into Holly who stormed from her room looking a little ticked off.
"Why is Cindy falling down the stairs, and you two ruined my lyrics writing."
"Sorry Holly," Leon apologized to his sister as he jumped onto the banister, "She forgot that Hannah's birthday party is tomorrow!"He called back as he slid down to catch Cynthia around the waist before she could tumble down the next flight.
"Thanks, Leon," Cynthia said breathlessly before slipping out of his grip and racing down a hallway and vanishing from sight once again.
"Oh dear." Holly sighed and ran down the stairs after her brother.
"Oh dear, what?" Bree poked her head out of her room, a pencil held between her teeth muffling her words.
"Stop making noise," Jay grunted, appearing in the doorway of his room, his wireless DJ mixing pad tucked under one arm.
"Cindy forgot about the song she was supposed to write for Hannah's birthday!" Holly yelled up to them as she ran after her younger brother, her laptop held under one arm.
"Oh no!" Bree grabbed her drumsticks from her desk and shot down the stairs, bouncing in her wheelchair as she did so, by passing Holly and performing a flawless tight left turn to dart down the hallway where Cynthia had disappeared.
"For the love of Starclan," Jay groans but runs after them, knowing it was going to be a riot if Cynthia couldn't come up with a song within twenty-four hours.
"Ideas, ideas, ideas…" Cynthia said as she paced around her music studio which was a lot larger now that she actually used the money she had been getting from her music on youtube.
"Cindy," Holly attempted to calm her down, "You're going to step on your keyboard."
Cynthia screeched to a halt inches from the silver and blue musical device, "Come on guys, give me words! Just random words!" She pleaded, "I have to think of something!"
"Um… day?" Leon said, the comment more of a question than a statement.
"Photographs," Jay grunted curtly.
"Yesterday!" Bree grinned, not fazed by Cynthia's almost panic.
"Alone," Holly said, watching her friend with worried green eyes as her friend picked up and moved the expensive keyboard to its correct spot before continuing to pace.
Cynthia mumbled under her breath for a moment before shaking her head, "I need a theme." She blurted while continuing to pace, blue eyes narrowed with concentration.
"Ooh! I heard Isa saying something about Hannah's still upset about you and Leon being back together!"
"For Starclan's sake, that was two years ago," Cynthia grumbled before she mumbled a few more words under her breath, sounding like she was starting to develop a tune and lyrics.
"Hannah is still pining for my brother?" Holly looked surprised and kind of grossed out.
"Oh Starclan, I did not need to hear about that." Leon groaned, his cheeks flaming, the whole thing between him and Hannah had been a mistake, Hannah had been Leon's rebound after he pissed off Cynthia and offended her to major proportions two years ago, leading to a temporary break-up between the two love-sick, more stubborn than mules, teenagers. Hannah didn't mean anything to him and luckily she didn't try to break him and Cynthia apart, but he did not want to hear about how she had feelings for him.
Cynthia suddenly stiffened and she stopped moving, her only movements were the tapping her fingers on her arm in a steady rhythm, apparently, she had found the beat and lyrics, or some of them at least. "This is perfect." Turning around her face her friends, blue eyes determined, "I need all or you guys' help to finish this on time and perform it, will you help?"
"Of course!"
"Fine."
"Definitely."
"You're never alone Cyn." Leon grinned at her, stealing a phrase from one of his songs, "Of course we'll help you."
"Thanks, guys!" Cynthia grinned before getting into her music mode, determined and focused. "Okay, Jay, I need your help with the mixer, Leon you're on guitar with me, Holly you've got synthesizing and keyboard, Bree, you're got drums and backup vocals. Let's pull off the impossible eh?"
"Oh my Starclan," Holly groaned, "I'm going to fall asleep over this keyboard." She was sitting at Cynthia's keyboard, looking dead tired, green eyes slightly dull and tired.
"I agree," Jay grunted, his head on Cynthia's desk, cheek squished beneath him as his blind blue eyes closed.
"I can't wait!" Bree squealed with a yawn, looking just a tad sleepy, not at all exhausted like the other two.
"You have limitless energy," Jay grunted and Bree grinned at him from her position behind the drums, one of her wheels balanced on the base pedal with the special attachment attached to the other wheel so she could use the high-hat.
"Is it finished?" Leon mumbled from his position slumped in one of the beanbags, golden blonde hair a wreck from both running his hands through it when he was stressed out and falling asleep a few times.
"Yes, it's finished!" Cynthia grins, walking into the room from the recording studio, holding up a small disc for later and a folder with both the sheet music and lyrics to her, Bree, and Holly's parts.
Cynthia grumbled as she was nearly flocked with the other seniors trying to get her attention, "It's Hannah's party! Leave me be!" She snapped, uneasy with the large crowd. She felt someone slip their arm around her waist and she quickly looked over to see it was only Leon, with sunglasses and a baseball cap on, hiding his still messy golden blonde hair and amber eyes, his key features.
Slipping something into her across body bag Leon leaned closer to murmured in her ear, "I figured you'd forget again."
"Thank Starclan that you're here with me," Cynthia laughed, "what would I do without you?" She pulled out the sunglasses and put them on, darkening her vision but decreasing the chance of being recognized. Pulling the hat out of her bag she inwardly laughed, it was one of Leon's baseball caps, a black and dark blue one. Pulling her hair up into a ponytail she then put the hat on and they made their way towards the birthday girl herself. "Hey Hannah," Cynthia smiled, having gotten over her annoyance at the light brunette a while ago.
"Hi?" Hannah asked with a bit of confusion, then it dawned on her as Cynthia pulled down the sunglasses to look at her with amusement. "Hi! You came!" She then proceeded to hug Cynthia and Leon, keeping the second hug short and friendly.
"Wouldn't miss it." Cynthia grinned, "I couldn't pass up the opportunity to sing for one of my friends, not to mention I managed to convince a few other people to perform as well."
"I can't wait!" Hannah squealed, hugging her again, "You're music is amazing!"
"I'm glad you like it," Cynthia chuckled, "It's fun to write… most of the time."
"I bet it is, come on, you have to meet Sage!" Hannah grasped Cynthia's wrist and dragged the taller girl with her to her friend Sage.
"Hey everyone!" Cynthia smiled as she stood on the stage with Leon, Bree, Holly, and Jay in the back behind the curtains working a few things. "So I heard that Hannah was going to miss out on the concert supposed to be happening her that a canceled so I agreed to come and I brought a few people along with me! Here we have me, MysterySinger, we also have CheerfulCuriousity singing back up and playing the drums," She walked over to Bree where the other singer was fiddling with her drum set and her mic, checking everything was working, "IntelligentLeaf also singing backup and playing on the keyboard," Cynthia said walking up to the front and gesturing to Holly who was also doing some last checks, "PerfectGrumpyTone is behind the stage helping out in the technology department, and we also have FireAthlete lending me his assistance on the guitar! Most of you don't know FireAthlete but he is the creator of a few of the songs on my channel with a male voice, that's usually him. You guys all know him as FireAthlete from the Thunderbolts professional basketball team, right?" Cheering answered her words. Looking back at everyone she mouthed, "Everything ready?" She received nods from the other four and grinned facing forward, "So this song was created for the birthday girl Hannah herself, so enjoy!" Looking at Leon she discreetly counted out the beat, waiting for him to start. A moment later he did, starting the song with his guitar
"Tear up the photographs," Cynthia sang when she reached her cue.
But yesterday won't let go,
Every day, every day, every minute,
Here comes the emptiness
Just can't leave lonely alone.
Every day, every day... hey hey
This second chancin's really getting me down
You givin' takin' everything I dreamed about.
It's time you let me know, let me know just let go..." Bree joined in as Cynthia started the chorus.
"All I ever wanted!
All I ever wanted,
Was a simple way to get over you!
All I ever wanted!
All I ever wanted,
Was an in-between to escape this desperate scene!
Where every lie reveals the truth,
Baby 'cause all I ever wanted!
All I ever wanted was you!" Cynthia poked Leon in the chest and the boy rolled his eyes as he kept playing his guitar, amber eyes warm and amused,
Bree went silent, playing on the drums as Cynthia sang the next verse.
"I'd rather walk alone
Don't wanna chase you around,
Every day, every day, every minute." Cynthia rolled her eyes as she sang the line.
I'd fall a thousand times
'fore I let you drag me down.
Every day, every day... hey hey
Your new beginning was a perfect ending,
But I keep feeling we've already been here before
It's time you let me know let me know just let go…!"
Bree joined in again, amber eyes bright and cheerful, "All I ever wanted!
"All I ever wanted,
Was a simple way to get over you!
All I ever wanted!
All I ever wanted,
Was an in-between to escape this desperate scene!
Where every lie reveals the truth,
Baby 'cause all I ever wanted,
All I ever wanted was you…" Cynthia sang.
"Was you," Holly sang her part very softly, green eyes gleaming with confidence.
"Tell me with so many out there why I always turn to you." Cynthia continued singing.
"To you, to you," Holly's voice was heard once again for the echoed line.
"Your goodbyes tear me down every time
And it's so easy to see
That the blame is on me!" Cynthia sang, standing beside Leon.
Holly joined Bree and Cynthia in the chorus, "All I ever wanted!
All I ever wanted.
Was a simple way-"
"Simple way!"
"- get over you!
All I ever wanted!
All I ever wanted,
"Was an in-between to escape this desperate scene!" Cynthia sang and Bree joined in about half way through the line as Holly dropped out.
All I ever wanted! All I ever wanted-
"All, I ever wanted!" Bree echoed.
"-Was a simple way to get over you!" Cynthia sang.
All I ever wanted-!" Bree echoed again
"All I ever wanted was you!" Cynthia sang with a smile, looking at Hannah who was looking surprised and shocked.
"-All I ever wanted,
Was an in-between to escape this desperate scene!
Where every lie reveals the truth,
Baby 'cause I all ever wanted, all I ever wanted was you..." Cynthia trailed off, the song ending a few heartbeats later.
"That was amazing!"
"I'm still surprised Bree could get those high notes without murdering her voice." Jay grumbled, "Her singing voice is quite a bit lower usually."
"Well, my normal voice is that high!" Bree chirped happily, "Plus Holly couldn't reach them for the life of her!"
"Don't remind me," Holly groaned, "I did not enjoy going hoarse for those three hours." She looked around, "Where's Leon and Cindy?"
Bree peered around the darker backstage, and giggled when she spotted them, "No wonder Leon's hair is so much of a spiky wreck!" She giggled, "Come on! They'll find us later!"
"Ugh, gross Bree, I did not need that mental image," Jay grunted, following the amber-eyed brunette.
"Relax," Bree laughed, "They're just being Cindy and Leon!"
"That's what I'm worried about," Jay grunted and Holly spun on her heel, following the other two and leaving the other two to their choice of activity.
"Lighten up Jay! Come on! Let's go find something to eat! I can hear your stomach rumbling!"
"What?!" Jay asked indignantly, "My stomach is not rumbling you cheeky girl."
"It totally is!"
Holly sighed as she listened to their playful banter, rolling her eyes at the situation she had gotten herself stuck in.
"Hey Holly, want to escape your brother?" A playful voice spoke behind her and Holly whirled around to see it was her boyfriend Finli who had been away in a different country for an exchange student thing.
"Finli!" She exclaimed, hugging him tightly.
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
WHSS Art
Deviantart: tigercryrocks | Instagram: tigercry
WHSS Audiobooks
*Coming Soon*