Senior Year ICCA's
"I can't believe you guys are still the Toners! You told me one competition season!"
Laughing, I look over at Aubrey who looks like she's either about to explode, or burst into tears, "It's not your graduation Aubrey! Why are you so upset?"
"I don't know, Beca? Maybe it's the fact that I really need to tell you something, but I wanted to wait until after the show. And I'm really bad at waiting, and I'm engaged!"
I widen my eyes as she covers her mouth and the rest of our group turns to face her with smiles on their faces.
I put my arms around her and squeeze her as hard as I can. Aubrey and I had become closer because we finally realized we didn't even know why we still hated each other. Now hearing of one of my best friend's engagement, I'm beyond excited.
"Oh my God, Aubrey! Unicycle proposed? I wish I could've been there! Oh, wait. That may have been awkward."
I can feel her laugh as I hear The Toners being called to the stage.
Looking her sternly in the eyes, I say, "I'll talk to you later."
"Go kick Taylor's a**!"
I smile and walk out to the stage, standing in my place next to Jesse. I blow the pitch pipe and count.
"1, 2, 3..."
Jesse starts to sing next to me. We tried to go with sadder songs in the beginning to symbolize our last year as seniors, so he starts the beginning of Kiss It Better by He Is We.
"He sits in his cell,
And he lays on his bed.
Covers his head and closes his eyes."
The rest of the guys join him, "He sees a smoking gun,
And the coward he ran.
And in his arms is the bleeding
Love of his life."
Jenny starts to sing the chorus, with the rest of the girls, including myself, slowly circling in.
"And she cried,
Kiss it all better,
I'm not ready to go.
It's not your fault, love,
You didn't know, you didn't know."
One of the other guys starts singing, "Her hands are so cold,
And he kisses her face
And says, Everything will be all right.
He noticed the gun,
And his rage grew inside.
He said, I'll avenge my lover tonight."
As we repeat the chorus in quietly, the former Trebles start to sing the words, "I am titanium," over and over through it to the tune of the song.
"(I am titanium.)
Stay with me until I fall asleep,
Stay with me.
(I am titanium.)
Stay with me until i fall asleep,
Stay with me.
(I am titanium.)
Stay with me until I fall asleep,
Stay with me.
(I am titanium.)
Stay with me until I fall asleep,
Stay with me."
For the last line, everyone sings, "I am titanium," fading out slowly.
For a few moments, we stay silent, but in the very back, I start softly singing the opening of Ain't It Fun by Paramore, after saying to the crowd an introduction, which is very rarely done.
"As a lot of us, including myself, are graduating this year, we'd like to dedicate the last part of our set to all of the frat students, and our ex's, who think they rule the world."
Smirking over at Taylor, I start the song.
"I don't mind letting you down easy
But just give it time
If it don't hurt now then just wait, just wait a while
You're not the big fish in the pond no more
You are what they're feeding on
So what are you gonna do when the world don't orbit around you?
So what are you gonna do when the world don't orbit around you?"
The rest of the group harmonizes as I walk over to Jesse, and he joins me, walking over to Jenny, who joins him, until half of our group is singing.
"Ain't it fun living in the real world
Ain't it good being all alone
Where you're from
You might be the one who's running things
Well you can ring anybody's bell to get what you want
See it's easy to ignore trouble
When you're living in a bubble
So what are you gonna do when the world don't orbit around you?
So what are you gonna do when nobody wants to fool with you?
Ain't it fun living in the real world
Ain't it good being all alone
Ain't it good to be on your own
Ain't it fun you can't count on no one
Ain't it good to be on your own
Ain't it fun you can't count on no one
Ain't it fun living in the real world."
Everyone face forward and shouts out the lyrics, "Don't go crying to your mama cause you're on your own in the real world
Don't go crying to your mama cause you're on your own in the real world
Don't go crying to your mama cause you're on your own in the real world
Don't go crying to your mama cause you're on your own in the real world
Ain't it fun
Ain't it fun
Baby, now you're one of us
Ain't it fun
Ain't it fun
Ain't it fun
Ain't it fun living in the real world
Ain't it good, ain't it good being all alone
Ain't it fun living in the real world
Ain't it good, ain't it good being all alone?"
We fade out and stay silent as everyone in the stadium stands up clapping, and shouting.
We exit the stage, but Jesse stays for a moment, talking to one of the announcers.
I give him a weird look as he takes the microphone from him, and the man walks over to the edge of the stage, smiling. Everyone in the stadium goes quiet as he starts to talk.
"Hey. You might know me, as I was the captain of The Treblemakers, and now a co-captain of The Toners. If you hadn't known, I have been dating the captain, Beca Mitchell for three years, and they've been the best three years of my life," he laughs as I give him a dirty look.
"She's giving me a dirty look right now, but Beca, can you come up here for a moment?"
I look around to everyone who's smiling with knowing looks on their faces as they push me toward the stage I walk up the steps, and move to my boyfriend who's holding another microphone out to me.
"What are you doing, nerd?" I laugh into it.
He just smiles and I can hear music coming out of the speakers, immediately recognizing the song as All About Us by He Is We.
"Uhm, Jess. What is this?"
Instead of answering, he starts to sing.
"Take my hand, I'll teach you to dance
I'll spin you around won't let you fall down
Would you let me lead? You can step on my feet
Give it a try, it'll be alright
The room's hush hush and now's our moment.
Take it in, feel it all and hold it
Eyes on you, eyes on me.
We're doing this right."
"Join me," he whispers.
Bringing back the microphone to his face, he tightens his grip on my hand, and I join him.
"Cause lovers dance when they're feeling in love
Spotlight's shining it's all about us
It's oh, oh, all
About uh, uh, us
And every heart in the room will melt
This is a feeling I've never felt
But it's all about us."
I smile and start to sing the next verse alone, "Suddenly I'm feeling brave
Don't know what's got into me
Why I feel this way
Can we dance, real slow?
Can I hold you, real close?
The room's hush hush and now's our moment
Take it in, feel it all and hold it
Eyes on you, eyes on me we're doing this right."
We sing the chorus as everyone cheers. The music fades out into the actual singers and plays quietly in the background.
I look to my boyfriend who holds my hand, and gets down on one knee.
I gasp and drop my microphone, letting out a high pitched sound through the stadium as everyone laughs.
I look back at Jesse as he pulls out a beautiful diamond ring, and tears start brimming in my eyes. He looks into my eyes, and starts talking into the microphone.
"Beca Mitchell, I love you more than I ever thought was possible. I dedicated a year to you when I didn't even know you, as you constantly pushed me away. At the end of our first ICCA competition, you finally let me in, and I have loved you ever since. I think what I'm trying to say is, would you let me break down your walls for the rest of my life? Will you be my bride and marry me?"
I bring my hands up to my face in an attempt of wiping the tears from my face. Nodding yes, I let him slip the ring on my finger, and help him up.
I jump into his arms, and he catches me, kissing me. I can hear the cheers of the crowd, our families, and our friends, but that doesn't matter as I slip my arms around my fiance's neck.
It doesn't matter if we win tonight because I've already won the greatest prize of all.
In the end, there can only be one. There can only be one person to fully break down my walls, and I'm engaged to him. And I couldn't be happier.