Chapter 13: Concert time
Two weeks passed by and Kori was beginning to get over Richard. She went to school everyday, plastering a fake smile on her face. Sure, she felt a pang of hurt whenever she saw Richard in the halls or in his classes but maybe it was for the better that she stayed away from him.
He however, didn't think that.
As of right now, Kori stood in her bedroom with Jade getting ready for JC High's annual fall concert. Since show choir was such a special class, the girls had matching dresses and the guys had matching dress clothes. Kori slipped into the red silk, thigh high dress that flared out. Then, Jade tied the straps behind her neck and Kori's long curly red hair cascaded down her back.
"Oh wow," Jade said as she fixed Kori's side swept bangs. "You look amazing."
Kori stared at her reflection in her full length mirror. She did look beautiful. "Thank you. I'm so nervous though!"
Jade waved her off and flopped down on the bed. "Don't be! You have the voice of an angel and I'll be there with Alain and your fam bam cheering you on!"
Kori laughed. "Thanks Jade. I have to admit though, despite what happened with Fang, he really has a great voice. And if I fail, at least he'll do good."
"Yeah...Fang does have a pretty good voice. I heard you two rehearsing the other day and you sounded great."
Kori smiled and picked up her jacket. "Thanks. Heh...ready?"
Jade smiled, "Sure am!"
She waited for Kori to leave the room and then took out her phone. Peering out the bedroom door, she saw Kori heading down the stairs.
"Hey, we're leaving right now...okay, okay. Yeah. See you there."
TT
"C'mon dude, get up." Roy nudged Richard on the couch. "You need to come watch Kori."
Richard flipped the channel and held a blank stare. "No. He doesn't want me there."
"Seriously dude." Roy sat down next to his best friend and sighed. "Of course she does."
Richard shook his head. For the past two weeks, he's been in a depressed mood and felt miserable. He quit eating as much, stopped his daily workouts, and even turned off his phone. Without Kori, he had a vacant spot in his heart.
"Listen bro," Roy started, "I'm your best friend and you're mine. I'm tired of watching you beat yourself up over this."
"I can't help it dude." Richard sat up and turned off the TV. "I'm not happy."
"Yeah I know! But if you just come to the concert and follow through with the plan, she'll come back."
"Or not." Richard said monotonously.
Roy had a plan for Richard to get Kori back. He'd told him to buy a dozen roses and meet her back stage so he could give them to her. Then, he'd announce his love for her in front of everyone and hopefully, she'd take him back.
Richard found the plan useless.
Which would explain why he was skipping the concert tonight. Miss Davis was going to kill him.
Roy groaned and adjusted his red tie. "Okay, if I'm going to this dumb concert so are you!"
Richard looked over at him and sighed. "No."
Apparently that was the last straw because Roy stood up thoroughly mad. "Fine. But while your sitting here moping like a little baby, I'll be at the concert singing and watching Kori perfect her solo. Geez, maybe if you'd make an effort and actually try, then something would actually happen!" He stomped off and slammed the door shut behind him.
Richard sat there in shock. Never in his life has he ever heard Roy yell at him like that. It made him feel...weak. And it made him feel like a coward.
Roy was right, he wasn't going to win Kori back if he sat at home watching sad reruns of soap operas. So he got up, headed upstairs, and got ready for the concert.
Maybe Roy's plan would work.
TT
The school's huge auditorium was packed with people. The seats were all almost full and this made Miss Davis even more excited. The band was up front below the stage, playing their instruments slowly and peacefully while the choirs were backstage getting ready.
First on stage would be freshmen choir, then girls glee, and lastly show choir. Each group had at least four songs and they were all pretty extravagant.
As Miss Davis walked out on stage, the crowd quieted down and she began to introduce the freshmen choir. While they were singing, backstage, Kori, and Gar were warming up.
"Oh god, I'm so nervous." Kori said while wringing her hands together.
"Don't be, Kor. You got this." Gar encouraged.
Just then, Kole walked by looking dazzling in her replica of Kori's dress. "Hey Kori! You're gonna do great!"
Kori smiled sweetly. "Thanks Kole."
As she walked off, the redhead looked at Gar with a panicked look. "I can't do this."
Gar looked at her as if she were crazy. "Did you not just hear Kole!?"
"I heard her...ugh, I might puke."
Gar took three steps back and pointed to a nearby trashcan. "Please do it in there."
Kori laughed and peeked out on stage. The stage she'd be singing on in about 20 minutes. Before, she wasn't nervous at all and she had so much confidence. But that was because of Richard...
'Get a grip Kori!' She thought and turned back around to Gar.
"I can do this." She said.
He smiled widely and adjusted his red tie. "That's the spirit!"
All of a sudden, a pair of hands tickled her sides and she yelped slightly. Turning around, she smiled widely when she saw Cassie.
"Cassie! What are you doing back here?"
Cassie hugged her and replied, "Miss Davis wanted me to help with hair and makeup! So, here I am! And might I say, you look amazing."
Kori shrugged and smiled. "Thank you."
"You're welcome! Oh, and don't worry, you'll do great on your solo!"
Kori smiled, thankful for the encouragement. But she couldn't stop wringing her hands together. As she said a quick goodbye to Cassie, the first song for the freshmen ended.
"Hey Kori."
Kori turned around to see Fang. He looked tidy on his black dress shirt and red tie. "Hi Fang."
Fang looked down at her hands and laughed. "Stop being so nervous Anders."
She glared at him. "I can't help it."
Gar evil eyes Fang the whole time and not too far away was Vic and Roy keeping an eye on them too.
"Look, despite our past...situations," Kori looked away as he said this. "I know how well you sing. Miss Davis picked you for a reason."
Kori stared at him, a little surprised. Then she smiled a half smile and nodded. "Thanks...uhh, you too?"
He chuckled and walked off. This night just kept getting weirder.
As the freshmen finished, the girls glee went on. And by then, Kori was growing more and more nervous. With the help of Gar though, she settled down a little.
Kori looked out at the crowd and spotted her family in the third row. Behind them was Jade, Alain, and Conner. She smiled when she saw her friends. She knew she could do this. So why was she psyching herself out?
She knew why. It was because she'd yet to see Richard. And he was her anchor.
She figured he'd skip out on this night. Maybe he thought he was too cool.
Ten more minutes passed and finally, it was their turn. Her solo song was first and she mentally cursed Miss Davis for doing this to her. Why couldn't the song be last!
Fang walked up to her and said, "Don't worry. You'll do great. I'll be on the other side. Good luck, Anders."
She smiled and nodded. The plan was, she would come out on one side singing and then Fang would meet her on the other side. They'd rehearsed this so many times, she could do it in her sleep.
As Fang walked away Kori quickly said, "Fang!" He turned around. "Thanks." She said and he waited. Then he nodded and walked around to the other side.
The show choir group took their stance on the risers and Kori gripped the microphone so tightly, she swore her knuckles were turning white.
Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she whispered, "Go to your happy place." And she did.
The music from the piano started to play and she smiled. She was ready for this.
"Right from the start
You were a thief
You stole my heart
And I your willing victim," Kori stepped out onto the stage and her voice, as usual,sounded amazing.
"I let you see the parts of me
That weren't all that pretty
And with every touch you fixed them." As she sang, the jitters began to leave her body and she felt much better.
"Now you've been talking in your sleep, oh, oh
Things you never say to me, oh, oh
Tell me that you've had enough
Of our love, our love" She smiled and got a little into it. She prepared herself for the chorus.
"Just give me a reason
Just a little bit's enough
Just a second we're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
It's in the stars
It's been written in the scars on our hearts
We're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again." Kori was on fire.
"I'm sorry I don't understand
Where all of this is coming from
I thought that we were fine." Fang began to sing his part. But it wasn't Fang who walked out on stage. It was Richard.
"Oh, we had everything." Kori sang even though she was in a state of shock. Whispers and gasps began to fill the auditorium. Richard's friends smiled through their shock and was thoroughly excited that their friend had showed up.
"Your head is running wild again
My dear we still have everythin'
And it's all in your mind." He sounded amazing and his expression was kept on Kori.
"Yeah, but this is happenin'" She kept singing.
"You've been havin' real bad dreams, oh, oh,
You used to lie so close to me, oh, oh, There's nothing more than empty sheets
Between our love, our love Oh, our love, our love."
Together they sang the chorus.
"Just give me a reason
Just a little bit's enough
Just a second we're not broken just bent and we can learn to love again"
Kori and Richard slowly began to walk towards each other as the choir behind them sang the chorus as well.
"I never stopped you're still written in the scars on my heart you're not broken just bent and we can learn to love again!"
This time, it was just Kori and Richard singing again.
"Oh, tear ducts and rust!" she sang
"I'll fix it for us!" He sang.
"We're collecting dust but our love's enough!" By this point, Kori had light tears streaming down her cheeks.
"You're holding it in!"
"You're pouring a drink!"
"No nothing is as bad as it seems..."
"We'll come clean!" Kori nailed her high note as the audience cheered.
Together they sang again, but surprisingly, the choir left the last part for them, much to everyone's surprise.
"Just give me a reason
Just a little bit's enough
Just a second we're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
It's in the stars
It's been written in the scars on our hearts
That we're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again" Now, Richard and Kori were facing each other holding the hands that weren't occupied.
"Just give me a reason
Just a little bit's enough
Just a second we're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
It's in the stars
It's been written in the scars on our hearts
That we're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
Oh, we can learn to love again
Oh, we can learn to love again"
As they finished the song, they'd stared into each other's eyes with bliss and joy. Kori's glossy eyes met Richard's and he caressed her cheek.
"Oh, oh, that were not broken just bent and we can learn to love again..." The piano played its last notes, wrapping up the song.
Silence.
Then, the audience went wild and did a standing ovation. Kori and Richard turned to the crowd and bowed and smiled. They faced each other yet again and Richard brushed back her hair ever so slightly. She grabbed his hand and clutched it, enjoying the warmth on her cheek. She smiled and closed her eyes, a few more tears escaping her eyes.
The crowd just kept cheering and by now, Kori knew she was right where she belonged.
"I'm sorry." She said to him over the loudness.
Frankly, he heard it and his reply was locking her lips with his.
Behind them, their friends were cheering with happiness, clapping and some were blowing kisses. Jade, Alain, and everyone else was also cheering.
Once the couple pulled apart, Richard said, "I love you."
Kori smiled so widely, it hurt. She nuzzled her head into his chest and said, "I love you too."
This was her happy place.