AN: Hey! Love love loving the reviews, thank you all so much! So, I feel like this is a chapter that a lot of you have been begging me for;) I hope you like it!
To guest reviewer PatrickVerona: I know OC means Original Character, but I have no idea what OCC means! I've been on this sight for months and I still don't know what some things mean. Sorry!
Chapter 49
"Let's go Spencer! If I'm late Mrs. Bates will skin me alive and wear me as a jacket!" I shouted through Spencer's bedroom door, growing more irritated as the clock ticked. It was the night of my winter chorus concert, and all three choirs were given strict instructions to arrive in Mrs. Bates room at 6:50pm in time to warm up for our 7:30 performance.
"Alright alright already" Spencer flew out through to door, adjusting his sweater vest. He stopped abruptly and examined my appearance.
"Wow, y-you look so...grown up" He laughed nervously. I was in my required concert attire, which consisted of a black fit and flare floor length gown with a sweetheart neckline, complete with sheer lace sleeves, and pair of simple 3-inch black heals. I had straightened my hair (for the first time in months I might add), pinning two front pieces back. My eye makeup was a smoky hue of nudes, accompanied by the classic Marilyn Monroe top winged liner. I vetoed bottom liner, and just went with mascara. I also had applied a moderately deep red lipstick to pull the look together. It was way more than I was used to wearing, but it was a nice change.
"We don't have time for mushy talk, let's go" I rolled my eyes and headed towards the front door to leave. I was in an especially cranky mood the entire day. Between returning to school, the pressure to memorize my sheet music, Swan Lake auditions just three days away, and an empty stomach, I wasn't exactly a beaming ray of sunshine.
The car ride was quiet, well for the most part.
"Are you okay?" Spencer asked, glancing from the road to me, then to the road again.
"Just on edge" I replied through my teeth, rubbing my right temple with my index finger.
"Well have you eaten anything today?" He inquired, causing an immediate defensive wall to build up within me.
"I don't think that's any of your business really" I retorted, staring straight ahead. I could sense Spencer's narrow eyes, but didn't pay much attention to them.
"Actually, it is. If you're running on an empty stomach then that could be the source of your anger" He responded.
"Well let's add that to the list of possibilities than" I shot back, getting more irritated as Spencer pushed the subject.
"Have you eaten today?" He asked again. I could have easily lied and said yes, but instead I stayed silent.
"You know you could pass out while singing, right?" He added.
"I won't pass out Spencer, I'll be fine" I groaned. I had always preformed on stage and in concerts during a fast, and I never ran into any huge issues. Well, until I blacked out during the opening night of Les Miserables. But I dismissed that.
"You're organs are essentially eating themselves to get the nutrients your body is lacking. Eventually starving can lead to organ failure or even shut down completely-" He began to ramble, but I cut him off.
"Spencer I don't need you to try and scare me into doing something I don't want to by giving me information I already know. It's not going to change anything. Now can you just stop badgering me and leave me alone?" I fumed just as Spencer pulled into a parking spot and the car came to a screeching halt.
"What the hell has gotten into you? I'm your authority figure and you cannot speak to me like that" He snapped back, baffled at my sudden 'rebellious behavior' as he would later call it.
"Can we just drop this? I really don't need the extra stress right now" I purposed, still extensively aggravated, but wanting to end the debacle. I felt tears spark behind my eyes. I do admit I was being a tad over dramatic.
Spencer must have sensed my upset, because he said nothing and got out of the car. We walked through the school doors closest to the auditorium, and were greeted by part the team. They were a few of the only people in the lobby, mainly because the concert wasn't scheduled to start for another forty five minutes.
"Well would you look at that" Derek flashed his perfectly white teeth in my direction, turning the heads of the other two agents. I plastered on an artificial smile, trying to push the tension between Spencer and I out of my head.
"My Munchkin you are absolutely stunning!" Garcia gushed, as expected.
"Wow, you look gorgeous!" Emily joined in.
"Thanks guys" I giggled.
"Rossi, Hotch, and JJ went to go grab us seats. It's filling up in there pretty fast" Derek informed me. I nodded my head in response.
"I'd love to stay and chat, but I really need to get warmed up. I'll see you guys later" I announced and scurried off. I heard a round of 'goodbye's' and 'break a leg's' on my way to the choir room, where I was sucked into the crowd of dressed up teenagers. The three choirs were separated to different parts of the room, and then each voice section split up as well. I stood next to Ari, as usual, and we all warmed up our voices with a series of vocal exercises.
The three choirs were as followed:
Choral Ensemble- Freshman girls only.
Concert Choir- Sophomore, Junior, senior girls, and freshman, sophomore, junior, senior boys.
Camerata- Sophomore, Junior and senior boys and girls. It was by audition only, and only the best of the best got in.
Ari and I were in Camerata, as well as Matthew. However, Matthew also took on Concert Choir, just because he could. It wasn't uncommon for students to be in more than one chorus class, but it was a hell of a lot of work. The thereof us barely got the chance to mingle before we were sent into the auditorium.
Choral Ensemble preformed a lovely mix of 5 songs while the rest of the choirs and audience watched from our reserved seats.
As they exited the risers, I stepped up with the rest of Camerata and took my designated spot next to Ari. We sang our first 5 songs, ranging from a piece in Latin, to one in Swahili, to an old Jazz-style, to "And so it Goes" by Billy Joel, and an original piece written by a fellow music student. It then came time for out sixth and final song, our rendition of "Shambala" by Three Dog Night.
"Wash away my troubles, wash away my pain, with the rain in Shambala. Wash away my sorrow, wash away my shame, with the rain in Shambala" The first soloist sang, a cappella. She walked back to her spot as the crowd applauded, and the piano and drums started up. The entire chorus repeated the lines, a bounce in our step. We sang a sting of ah's and oh's and yeah's in four party harmony.
"Everyone is helpful, everyone is kind on the road to Shambala. Everyone is lucky, everyone is so kind on the road to Shambala..." We continued. While another round of ah's and such commenced, I stepped down off the top row and to the microphone just in front of the first line of seats. The team was exactly three ranks back, grinning from ear to ear. Before I knew it, it was my cue.
"How does your light shine in the halls of Shambala!"
" How does your light shine in the halls of Shambala!" I belted in a gospel sort of tone, the music pumping adrenaline through my body. Usually, belting was a no no in the eyes of Mrs. Bates, but she gave me her blessing.
I hurried back to my section while the crowd erupted. The song went on, verse after verse sung by the entire choir. We finished with a bang, then exited back to our seats. We received a round of applause, and then Concert Choir took the reins. I felt as though my crankiness had been lifted off of my shoulders, performing had a tendency to relieve any pending negative emotion I had at the time. I felt as though I could breathe again.
Concert Choir preformed four songs, as Matthew had already informed me on, but I was puzzled when they remained standing after their last song ended. Then I saw Matthew step down from the crowd and sit down at the piano. A microphone was adjusted to reach his mouth, which confused me even more.
"Hi everyone. Many of you may think this is out of the ordinary from our usual concert, and you're right, it is" He said, rolling up his sleeves.
"this song is dedicated to Jenna Reid" He tacked on, and suddenly dozens of head whipped around and stared at me, including the team. My eyes widened and my face blushed.
"What...?" I accidently said out loud. My stomach dropped to the floor.
His fingers danced on the keys, a tune I was sure I had heard before. Once his smooth voice began to sing, I recognized the song for what it was.
"She's got a way about her, I don't know what it is, but I know that I can't live without her..."
I almost had to pinch myself, I couldn't believe it.
"She's got a way of pleasin', I don't know what it is, but there doesn't have to be a reason anyway"
Hold on. Was I actually being serenaded in front of five hundred people with a Billy Joel song? The answer is yes, yes I was.
"She's got a smile that heals me, I don't know why it is, but I have to laugh when she reveals me..."
The chorus commenced in singing a round of back up 'ooo's and 'ahhh's, adding to the overall beauty of the song itself, and even more to what was going on.
"She's got a way of talkin', I don't know why it is, but it lifts me up when we are walkin' anywhere"
I was still ultimately frazzled. I couldn't refrain the muscles in my mouth from turning upwards.
"She comes to me when I'm feelin' down, Inspires me without a sound she touches me and I get turned around"
"She's got a way of showin' how I make her feel and I find the strength to keep on goin'. She's got a light around her and ev'rywhere she goes a million dreams of love surround her ev'rywhere"
My chest was pounding hard enough to raise concern. I took a moment to peel my eyes off of Matthew to glance over at the team in the section next to me, and I couldn't help but laugh. Garcia had her hand to her chest with tear sin her eyes, Derek was grinning and winked in my direction, Hotch was whispering to Rossi, Emily was smiling ear to ear, and Spencer was dumbfounded. Typical reactions.
"She comes to me when I'm feelin' down, Inspires me without a sound she touches me and I get turned around ohhh"
The piano slowed.
"She's got a smile that heals me. I don't know why it is, but I have to laugh when she reveals me. She's got a way about her, I don't know what it is, but I know that I can't live without her anyway" He sang his final note, and the audience applauded. He looked me straight in the eye from the bench that was at least fifteen feet away, and the two of us smiled. I could feel my eyes moisten, but in the good way.
The lights blacked out, and everyone stood up from their seats and began exiting the auditorium. I tried to find Matthew in the frenzy of people, but had no such luck until we were shooed to the choir room.
He was standing in the center of the room when I walked in.
I stopped, we locked eyes, and I picked up pace towards him. I halted when we came face to face, and then punched him in the shoulder.
"You really just did that?" I said after we both giggled. He shook his head yes. He placed his hand on the small of my back and pulled me in so there was virtually no space between our torsos. We examined each other's faces just inches apart. I could feel his breath warm my skin, and I knew what was coming next.
"I'm wearing lipstick" I spoke, adding a small comedic tone to the romantic one at hand.
Suddenlyhis lips met mine with just enough tenderness to make our surroundings disappear. I brought my hand to his cheek, feeling the freshly shaved surface.
"Ow ow!" a voice broke through from the crowd. Matthew and I couldn't help but laugh mid kiss, which ended up pulling us apart.
Our hands intertwined, and we proceeded to walk out of the choir room and towards the lobby.
"Um, as much as I'd love for you to walk me out, I don't think you want to be caught in the clutches of the team" I assumed, earning a chuckle out of him.
"If you say so" he replied.
"I'll see you tomorrow" he promised, and he kissed the top of my scalp. Butterflies went wild inside of my stomach.
"If you're lucky" I smirked as he exited through the side door of the music hall. I stood still for a moment to get a better feel for the ground, since I was still expecting it all to be a dream. I then headed into the horde of parents and relatives, taking a few minutes to locate the team.
"Jenna!" I heard Emily's voice peak through, and her hand wave me over.
"Well, that was one hell of a show" Rossi stated. I nodded my head in agreement and grinned.
"That was so disgustingly romantic I feel like I just read a Nicholas Sparks novel" Garcia gushed.
"And I thought chivalry was dead" Emily threw in.
"that makes two of us" JJ joined.
"Does this kid have any idea what he's getting himself into?" Derek questioned, referring to Matthew not only throwing himself into my world, but also to a team of FBI profilers.
"I'm going to need to have a sit down with him. I'd like to issue a background check and I expect full cooperation from the both of you" Spencer informed me, being his overprotective-self.
I couldn't do more than giggle and smile. Eventually, after everyone had made it obvious that they would want to meet him pronto so they could 'approve', Spencer and I headed to the car. We were silent for the most part, but no tension or strain.
When we got home, we simply retreated to our bedrooms without words, but I didn't mind. We both had to process the night, and I was more than happy to do so.