Quickie Author Note:
Hey guys! Before you read my next chapter, I'd first like to thank all you guys who're supporting me and say thank you thank you thank you for your reviews and suggestions! Being the newbie I am, I take comfort in knowing that I'm doing something right! Special thanks to Alvittany4Ever for your suggestions and encouragement. It really uplifted me, so thank you, thank you, thank you! Btw I agree with your username 200%. ;)
So anyway, I hope you all like my next chapter. It was hell to write, honestly... It's hard to describe motion sometimes! Hope it's good and I hope it surprises you guys!
*ALSO - It just occurred to me that I haven't mentioned what year this takes place in! It's the end of 1989. I'm a dope.
**I do not own the Chipmunks, Chipettes, or the songs**
Chapter 4: Tap Tappity Tap
"C'mon, Brittany! You're on right now!"
Brittany's heart was sinking lower and lower by the second. Just a few minutes ago, she was almost too confident that she'd be able to win this competition by a landslide. But now, she doubted herself more and more with every minute passing.
"Hehe. Good luck trying to follow me, Brittany," poked Alvin, "You don't stand a chance!"
And with that last supportive comment, he sauntered off to put back his guitar. Brittany stung with resentment. Could he be any more of a egotist?
"Brittany! Let's go! They're waiting!" Urged Eleanor, pushing Brittany toward the stage.
"O-okay," stuttered Brittany, "B-but I need you and Jeanette to help me out a little bit."
Although Brittany often shied away from asking her sisters for favors, she had to swallow her pride this time and do it. She wasn't like Alvin in that sense; she doesn't just expect her siblings to assist her when she got herself into predicaments. Most of the time, she'd do it alone or at least ask her sisters first.
By using her sisters, it wouldn't actually mean that she was asking to help her win. Besides, Alvin used his brothers for his song, so why couldn't she ask her sisters to assist with hers?
"Sure, Brittany!" Agreed Eleanor, "What is it you need?"
The heat of the stage light hit Brittany's skin as she took center. The crowd reacted right away, hollering her name and applauding; the whole room was expecting another spectacular performance...and Brittany intended to bring one. Dressed in a full one-piece body suit similar to the one Madonna wore in her music video for the song "Papa Don't Preach" (But with black straps that went over her shoulders), she resembled a perfect porcelain doll. Around her waist was a leather studded belt with rhinestones around the buckle. Her strawberry blonde hair resembled the Farrah Fawcett look, cascading down her back in perfect waves that brought out the delicate round shape of her face. Her eyes were dusted with a smokey eyeshadow and black eyeliner to bring out the depth of her caribbean blue irises. Her lips were plump and applied with a chic, cherry tone giving her mouth a boldness that only Brittany herself was known for. Lastly, she covered up her bruised feet with sleek, 3-inch heeled New York runway boots that extended to the point just below her knees with taps on the soles. She was certainly a sight to see. She was Brittany Miller and she was ready to show her strength.
She looked backstage at Alvin, who had on that stupid, conceited grin on his face. Ugh! She hated that face! And that stupid grin! She glared back before she turned to address the audience.
Her eyes adjusted to the incandescence of the spotlight, blinking a few times before she cleared her throat, "Hello everyone," She began hoarsely, adjusting her wireless lavalier mic, "I just wanted to take a moment before I perform to..." She stopped briefly to comprehend what she was trying to tell them, looking back at Alvin, who stood radiating with overconfidence. His words echoed in her head: "You don't stand a chance!" She didn't just despise him because he was talented, but because she resented how often he made her feel like she was putty in his hands; like she was some talentless object that he thought he could just push around. As if she was just empty space. She felt inclined in that moment to show him how much he was wrong; how she was bigger and so much better than he thought she was. Promptly after thinking of him, she knew what she wanted to say.
"...To dedicate this song to all you girls out there who feel held down. For all of you who have doubts about yourselves because someone has told you you aren't good enough, and constantly tells you how much you how you won't get anywhere or reach a certain level of excellence because of who you are." She received a response from the audience, mostly from the female spectators, "Well I just want to say to all you ladies that what they say is false! We can achieve ANYTHING If we fight through all our adversities and never lose sight of our individuality! We can prove them all wrong!"
Following her speech was an uproarious applause.
"Wh-what is she doing?" Mumbled Theodore worriedly.
"She's rallying the audience," Replied Simon, who was actually impressed at Brittany's skillful tactic, "Which is a pretty clever strategy!"
"What?!" barked Alvin, "But that's cheating! You can't get a crowd on your side that way!"
"Well actually, Alvin," protested Simon, "Nothing really says she can't...You never really set any ground rules before you began the competition, so whatever Brittany says or does is fair gain. And knowing Brittany, she's probably got a few tricks up her sleeves..."
Alvin huffed, pulling his cap down over his eyes. Stupid Brittany and her shenanigans.
Now all Brittany needed to do was concentrate; she needed to bring out her true streak of brilliance. Posing still in the center of the stage, she slowly turned around, her back to the audience as the lights dimmed on stage. She gestured her fingers to her sisters who were backstage and they came on and stood in the background with their instruments: Jeanette with her keyboard and Eleanor with an electric guitar.
No one stirred. The ambience of the room was calm and thick with suspense as Brittany loosened all her muscles. Counting down from three, Eleanor and Jeanette played gently at first, adding to the serenity of the room, the stage lights turning a cyclorama of blues. Jeanette played some beginning chords of the song as Eleanor prepared to play the bass chords on the low E string of her guitar.
"We are young," spoke Brittany, her head bowed as the lights danced above her, "Heartache to heartache we stand. No promises, no demands."
Upon hearing the first verses to the song being spoken, the audience burst into acclamation. Jeanette and Eleanor gradually began to speed up the pace, diving into the beginning of the song and adding the rock n roll beat to it.
"Love is a Battlefield."
With her back still toward the audience, she was tapping her right heel to the beat, allowing her head to move as well. She closed her eyes and thought about the memories in which she felt powerless; times when she felt unappreciated by her best friend. By Alvin. She remembered all the times a while back when he stood her up on dates to hang out with friends after promising her he'd be there. Then she remembered the loneliness it gave her the days after those when she'd come to school and see him flirting with other girls, or when he wouldn't listen to her when she'd talk about how much it hurt her feelings. Though the two of them were best friends, something deep down in her felt something else for the boy. Yes, they were in constant competition with each other a lot, but when all that went away, she'd still hang around him even when he didn't ask her to. She'd listen to him if he had anything on his mind or if there was something bothering him. When he was mad at one of his brothers or felt like he was underappreciated, she was there. But how many times had he been there for her? Where was the consideration? He didn't he have enough decency to take off those shoes so her feet wouldn't get crushed under them! Now he had the audacity to tell her she didn't have a chance?
Standing amidst the colors of the spotlight, she began to feel the hurt all over again: in her battered feet and in her heart...and that fueled her even more to win.
Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoaaaa!
WE ARE STRONG!
She sang powerfully from the pit of her stomach
No one can tell us we're wrong!
Searchin' our hearts for so lo-o-ong!
Both of us knowing...
She turned around and lifted her head to the audience slowly.
...Love is a battlefield.
Eleanor and Jeanette filled in the instrumentals part before the next set of lyrics. Meanwhile, Brittany looked off stage to Alvin, her eyes a merciless, piercing blue. This was no longer a look of disdain or disgust, but a look of pure vengefulness. She had cancelled out the roaring sound of the crowd as soon as the music began to play and now all of her attention was focused in the center of her body and on no one but Alvin.
Alvin was always one for a challenge, but this time he wasn't sure what she was thinking as she stared him down. If her eyes shot daggers, she'd probably have killed him by now.
As she began singing again, she also began to move her body, slow movements with the rhythm at first, then bigger as her vocals got more passionate.
You're beggin' me to go, then make me stay
She looked at him, her memories of him playing back in her head.
Why do you hurt me so bad?
It would help me to know, do I stand in your way?
Or am I the best thing you've had?
Believe me, believe me I can't tell you why,
but I'm trapped by your love and I'm chained to your...side.
Her movement slowed for one moment, then as soon as the beat picked up again, she used every muscle in her body. She turned pointed to the audience.
WE ARE YOUNG!
Heartache to heartache we stand
No promises, no demands!
Love is a Battlefield
Suddenly, Brittany reached her hands to the sides, and immediately the key changed. Jeanette halted from her playing on the keyboard and Eleanor gave her a nod, immediately traditioning into a different melody; it transitioned from pop-rock to flat-out rock n roll. On stage, the lights switched from a sky blue to a deep purple as Brittany returned to the center of the stage. She was changing songs! As her sisters adjusted to the new tune, Jeanette added the harder percussions of this next song and Eleanor strummed harder on the guitar. Brittany began to bang her head to the rhythm and with a deep breath, she belted strongly from her diaphragm:
I want you to come on! Come on! Come on! Come on!
and
TAKE IT!
Take another little piece of my heart now baby!
Break another little piece of my heart now, darling yeah!
Hey! Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, yeah.
You know you got it if it makes you feel good,
Oh yes indeed.
Her movements were bold as she moved around the stage to the defined beat of the percussion. Her body had changed rhythms and fluidity and she was actually still adjusting to the song change, but she showed no signs of hesitance. In short, she was rocking out! Her eyes glowed with determination. The sound of her voice was raspy and controlled to give it that 'Janis Joplin' sound. The rough edge that Janis Joplin always had in her music. The audience was as loud as they were exciting, jumping up and down and pumping their fists in the air to the sound of the percussion
You're out on the streets looking good, and baby,
Deep down in your heart I guess you know that it ain't right,
Never never never never never never never hear me when I cry at night.
Baby, I cry all the time!
And each time I tell myself that I, well I can't stand the pain,
But when you hold me in your arms, I'll sing it once again.
Now that she officially had the audience's attention, she looked over to Alvin to see if he knew that the lyrics she sang were directed toward him. She wanted the force of her voice to affect Alvin without singing it directly to him. She wanted to see the acknowledgement in his eyes when he realized the anger he was making her feel.
Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on!
and
TAKE IT!
Take another little piece of my heart now baby!
Break another little piece of my heart now, darling yeah!
Hey! Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, yeah.
You know you got it if it makes you feel good,
Oh yes indeed.
But when she looked, what she saw wasn't what she wanted: there he stood in the shadows, a familiar wide, obnoxious grin plastered on his face. This made her growl. She then turned her back to him, facing the other side of the stage.
"You wanna play games?" she mumbled under her breath, "Fine. We'll play."
Her arms shot up to the ceiling, giving her sisters a signal to change the song again. They shot each other worried expressions before they reluctantly obliged, Eleanor pulling the neck of the guitar closer to herself as she played an F chord. Jeanette counted the beats in her head as they changed from ¾ to 4/4. They were used to Brittany wanting to change songs and melodies, but it was a little more challenging to get used to the beats when they changed frequency. The girls smoothly transitioned into the next song, something Brittany used to play over and over when they were younger. It was much more upbeat in rhythm than the two previous songs. Though they had no jazz instruments, they seemed to do a perfectly catchy rock rendition to go along with the two previous rock songs, also providing vocal backup for Brittany. As soon as the room recognized the tune, they went wild, excited by the classic familiarity of the melody and the rock spin that they gave it.
(Ooh) What you want, (ooh) baby I got it
(ooh) What you need, (ooh) you know I got it!
(ooh) All I'm asking is for a little RESPECT when ya come home!
(just a little bit) Hey baby, (Just a little bit) when ya get home, mister!
She looked for a moment back at Alvin, then did something that none of them have ever done before: She left the stage! From where she was on the stage, she jumped off and headed up through the stands of the concert hall and up the stands where the audience sat, still singing loudly and proudly. Nobody could believe what she was doing! None of them had ever done that before! No one had the courage during a major concert to leave the safety of the stage and trek into the audience! Eleanor and Jeanette gave eachother confident glances. This was the real, true Brittany. The secret to her excellence was unmatched self-esteem.
(ooh) I ain't gonna do ya wrong! (ooh) while you're gone.
(ooh) Ain't gonna do ya wrong (ooh) cause I don't wanna
All I'm askin', is for a little RESPECT when you get home!
(re-re-re-re-re-re-re-respect! Just a little bit! Just a little bit)
She made her way up the middle section seating, audience members clapping their hands to the beat and egging her on, chanting her name. At one point, she even sat on a male audience member's lap and sang to her as if he was Alvin.
I'm about to give ya... all my money
She walked her fingers up the audience member's chest, then proceeded to play with and ruffle his hair as his face turned a deep magenta color. A little rockstar was sitting on his lap. His friends would NEVER believe this if he told them...
A ring of laughter in response to her actions resonated through the air as she got up and danced through the aisles, singing to different audience members. She was romancing the crowd; something she'd always had a knack for.
And all I'm asking, in return honey
Is to give me my profits when ya come home!
After the next view short verses, she pounced on top of a giant loudspeaker and held up a hand as she sang the climactic verse of the song, standing firmly, her hands curled into fists at her sides:
R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
Find out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
Give some to Brit-tan-y!
Following that last first she threw her head back and her hands up and belted the high note of the song an octave above the note Aretha Franklin originally sang it and held for eight beats, her face into the spotlight. If it was any higher, she could've broken glass!
The Chipmunks and the remaining Chipettes couldn't believe what they were hearing! Brittany had never sang anything like it! The frequency was so incredibly high and was so strong, it was nothing they could've ever expected from her in a million years! It was perfect. Simon and Theodore's mouths dropped open; was that note really coming from her?! Her sister looked at each other, dumbfounded. Alvin couldn't watch. It wasn't up until now did he feel pangs of doubt; did she actually have a chance of beating him? Impossible!
After she finished the note, the audience was about to go crazy... until there was a loud sound:
BANG!
Absolute Silence.
Brittany leapt off of the loudspeaker and landed in the center of the stage, her head down and spotlight lighting every part of her body. There was no light anywhere else in the entire building.
What was she up to now? She panted for a few seconds, then looked up at the eyes of her spectators and fans.
"Now for something a little...different..." Said Britney mischievously to the crowd.
Then, without warning, Brittany broke out into dance...tap dance!
She started out slowly, the clear and short taps of her shoes being the only sound in the entire hall: tap tap tap tappity tap tap tappity tappity tap tap tappity tap tap...
Brittany breathed evenly in and out, trying ignore the excruciating pain she was in from her previous dancing and from the bruises underneath her boots and layers of gauze wrap. The truth was, she had never actually tap-danced in front of crowd before. However, her experience was the last thing on her mind at the moment. She paid all her focus to the center of her body and her legs. Her speed began to propel and she used her upper body in her dance, her arms away from her sides and moving rhythmically as her feet moved faster and faster:
Tap tap tappity tappity tappity taptaptaptap tappitytappity taptap tappity tap tap...
She now began to use her hands to clap and used the stomping dynamics in her steps, her eyes watering from the pain she felt in her toes and tops of her feet. Her dance grew extremely complex and full of passion. She turned back to the audience and her dancing become more skilled; they were mesmerized with her movement as each set of eyes followed her as she travelled around the lit platform.
Tappity tappity tap click taptap click taptap clickity CLAP STOMP tappity taptappitytapclick CLAP tap tappity STOMP clickclickity tappity STOMP clickity tap CLAP tappityclick STOMP taptap tappity tap tappitytap taptappity tap tap clickity STOMP Clickity click CLAP tappity tap tappity taptappitytaptap...
Alvin's eye widened as he began to get a bit hypnotized by the rhythmic tapping and clicking of her shoes. She began to twirl and circles as her stomping grew louder and faster, her making her look like she was dancing on air. She kept her head up and allowed her hair to get in her face as she danced, power seeping through every part of her body. Yes, sweat would probably ruin her makeup and it probably had already... but it was worth it. She was a fireball on the stage, bending her knees, swinging her hips, using the tip-taps of her shoes, dancing on the sides of her feet and bouncing at the beginning of every new set of taps. Her adrenaline was at it's highest flow in her bloodstream, surging her feet into a whole new meaning of speed. She danced as if there were hot coals under her feet.
Tappitytaptaptappitytappityt apSTOMPtapSTOMPtappitytappit ytappityCLAPtaptappityclickc lickityclickityclicktappityt appityclickclickclickSTOMPcl ickityclickitytappitytappity tappitytaptapCLAPtapCLAPtapt appitytappityCLAPclickclicki tytapSTOMPclickclack...
The crowd was on edge, completely astonished by the rapid tapping. Nobody moved. The only thing moving in the entire concert hall was the eldest chipette basking in the spotlight.
As she danced, she'd forgotten all about Alvin. She thought about what was important to her: Ms. Miller, her memories, her sisters, her dreams, her career...She thought about how far she's come from being a little girl who liked to sing to a girl who hungered for the stage. She recalled the memories she had of when he was a baby in the orphanage in Australia with her sisters and Olivia, the little girl who used to take care of them. She thought about Jeanette and Eleanor and how proud she was of them. About how many nights they'd stay awake talking about what they wanted their lives to be like. Whenever she'd tell her sisters about her dreams to be a star, they wouldn't laugh at her or tell her she couldn't, they'd encourage her and built her up while she nurtured those talents. And when she'd face rejection, they'd both be there for her to be her shoulders to cry on.
Finally, she thought about what it meant to her to be a performer. She thought of the countless hours she'd spent singing with a hairbrush or her days spent sitting by her record player listening to Billie Holiday, Pat Benatar, Whitney Houston, Stevie Nicks, Madonna, and all the other women in music she had aspired to be like.
On the stage, she performed for what was truly hers. She danced and sang to prove to herself that she was still the marvel she's always been. She didn't need Alvin to make her feel like she was something special. She WAS special!
She was Brittany Miller...and she always has been and always will be an incredible performer.
Alvin decided after tearing his gaze away from her feet that he couldn't watch anymore. Yes, Alvin's performance was amazing, but Brittany...Brittany was making him dizzy with doubt. He'd showed the audience that he could break his own boundaries as a performer, yes, but what Brittany had done was something far greater: not only had she'd broken her boundaries as a fantastic singer, but she'd also broken the boundaries of the 4th wall between the audience and stage...and what she was doing with her feet on the stage...that just wasn't human!
He stepped away from the backstage curtain, his hands in his pockets. It disgusted him to know that he had a possibility of losing.
Heading backstage to the dressing rooms, his mind was buried in thought; so much so that he wasn't watching where he was going. Without his knowledge, his 'fabulous new shoes' had snagged a wire to the onstage lighting. He felt a tug. "Stupid...wire!" He grunted, pulling on the wire and forcing it to release his foot. The wire snapped and released his shoe, but he suddenly heard the sound of crashing metal, causing him to jolt backwards. What was that?!
Back on the stage, Brittany neared the end of her dance. Closing to the finale, she did several swift spins on her heel and did a split high-kick with her right leg, then brought her right leg behind her and did a clean split, shooting her fist straight into the air and her face to the sky. As she did that, sparks unexpectedly rained down from the ceiling upstage several feet behind her, giving her finale a spectacular feel to it.
The crowd completely lost it.
The wire Alvin's shoe had gotten caught on was responsible for a string of anchored stage lights in the rafters. By tugging it, he had unhinged a line of stage lights and caused them to crash into the metal scaffolding supporting the ceiling, hence the shower of sparks on the stage. In other words, Alvin just made Brittany's performance look a whole lot cooler... Not to mention, he probably just caused thousands of dollars of damage to the set lighting and stage panelling. It was official: Dave was going to have his head.
The people in the audience were overwhelmed by Brittany's extraordinary act, and some of her biggest fans were even moved to tears! Brittany sat on the stage, completely exhausted and unable to move her legs. She looked over at her sisters and motioned them to come over to assist her with whatever energy she had left. As they picked her off of the ground, her head was pounding and her legs were in so much pain, she could barely feel them. Her lungs were sore from her rapid breathing and her hair was drenched in sweat, making her look opposite of how she looked when she walked on stage. Her makeup was completely ruined much to her embarrassment, but it was worth it! Never in her life had she felt like this: like she'd just unleashed power she didn't even know she had. Several minutes after she exited the stage, the crowd was still cheering deafeningly, chanting her name. Brittany didn't even care about the competition anymore... she just wanted to sit down for a minute; she was having a hard time even seeing straight!
"Wow, Brittany!" Cheered Theodore, "You were phenomenal!"
"Marvelous! Absolutely astounding!" praised Simon. Both of them ran up to her and gave her a hug. She fell over into them, almost paralyzed with exhaustion and they held her up and carried her over to a chair, setting her down carefully.
"Gee, Brittany... you sure look beat," said Eleanor worriedly, "You sure you want to perform for the rest of tonight?"
"Do you even wanna stand up again tonight?" Asked Jeanette, concerned.
Brittany simply nodded, "I'll stand..." she panted, "just...one more time. I want to see...who won!"
The rest of them nodded.
Theodore realized someone was missing from the bunch: the eldest chipmunk.
"W-where's Alvin?"
Alrighty friend-os! Hopefully this chappy was good...I know it's long! Sorry about that! Tell me what you think! Who's going to win?
What'll Alvin say?
Oh, and the songs I used are:
"Love is a Battlefield" by Pat Benetar
"Piece of my Heart" by Janis Joplin
and "Respect" by Aretha Franklin