Students reuniting with their families and friends after the scary school shooting was nothing short of tearful. Everyone was directed out into the bus loading and unloading area between the middle and high schools, and it went group by group to ensure no trampling, shoving, and people getting hurt. After the last two hours, all anyone wanted to do was get out of the school and hopefully forget about the incident. There were police, ambulances, and firetrucks. A burning question on everyone's mind was if anyone got hurt by the shots that had been fired, but it didn't appear so. No one on stretchers, no one covered up; it was something to be thankful for. The people in Soul Harmonics knew that Hunter, and Troy had escaped becoming victims by the skin on their teeth since they were out in the hall for brief moments. Hunter and Troy had walked together, standing at the back of the line and their hands linked. Yes, they were broken up but the feelings were still there and strong as ever even if Troy didn't know Hunter loved him back. Troy opened admitted to Soul Harmonics, which included his seven friends from Baseball then the twelve from cheerleading who hadn't originally known, that he loved and cared about Hunter. In that was a full confession that he was gay and proud of it, also that he and Hunter had dated.
No other details were given because Troy was rushing to get to Hunter, and then Devon and Ethan told the others to be quiet. More information would come with time, assumingly, but all anyone wanted after the shooting lockdown was to get out of the school and home. When Hunter reunited with his parents, it was also with his little siblings who had been in lockdown at the middle school, Gregory and Zayden. Hunter never cried, but he was grateful to be locked in a full embrace with his parents and siblings, then his godfather and unofficial uncle. Hunter did learn that Hollie, Nate, and Melissa were in lockdown, but there was no shooter in their building. Thank the Gods. Shane and Addilyn also reunited with their parents, Shawn and Fiona Jorgenson. Troy reunited with his dad first, since he was standing at the place where they exited and then Troy went on to get to his mother and siblings. Obviously, Dominic had been in the high school with them but another class, but Elliot, Abigail, and Cooper, who were already with Rebecca Raseri. All anyone hoped was they never had go through it again. The seniors, likely now, but anyone who was returning next year might.
Hunter left with his family after saying goodbye to the others and everyone agreeing they would still return the next day for exams and then practice. Troy told the group after Hunter left that they'd talk about what was said at a later date, but not to say a word to Hunter about was had been revealed before Troy went to find him. Of course, this was said quietly so that Troy's family didn't know he left his lockdown room to find Hunter, who was not in a safe place. The friends agreed to what Troy said, and then he bid them a goodbye to wait for when his father could leave with them. Nothing was discussed on Wednesday because it was their last two exams, then practice. The same went for Thursday, only that was really ensuring everything was turned in and then practicing as much as they could since Tuesday had been a bust with the lockdown. Today was Friday, and it was about 6:15 pm. Today was nationals competition and they were ready, or at least as ready as they could be. It was decided they would do five group songs, two solos, and one duet and when asked since they were the first group to check in; they took the last spot among the only four groups that would perform.
Everyone got ready behind stage and thankfully this time, there was no need to sit and decide what would be put in as a replacement because their songs weren't taken.
"Alright, so the order is two group, solo one, two groups, solo, duet, then last group. Everyone understand?" Hunter asked the group.
"Got it," The others nodded.
"And everyone knows the order of the group songs?" Madison inquired. Again, the others nodded that they did.
"Let's kill this and no matter where we place…I'm just glad we made it here and I'm proud of everyone's hard work." Hunter informed.
"Couldn't have done it without you," Troy admitted. "You brought the groups together."
"And you made us a better team," Madison smiled.
"I think we can all agree that despite where we started…We all have a better understanding of each other and this has brought us together as more than just Soul Harmonics. It made us friends." Blake told the others.
"Agreed," The others replied. It was true, they'd started as different groups and basically enemies but had all become more than just a team now.
"Soul Harmonics, you're up in five," The stage manager enlightened.
"We're ready," Hunter and Madison replied to the man, who gave a thumbs up and walked off.
Hunter saw Troy trying to fix his tie, so Hunter smiled and went over to fix it for him. "Thanks…"
"You're welcome," Hunter replied lightly.
Troy still needed to tell Hunter that he inadvertently told the others in a fit of worry over him two days ago, but now wasn't the time. Seemed to be the new reason for holding off.
"You're up," Stage manager told them as they got into places to walk out when announced.
"And now, your very own Berkian Soul Harmonics!" The announcer called.
The group walked out and got right into where they pre-positioned, since Hunter had the layout memorized and was able to set them where they needed to be ahead of time. Right now, they started with their backs to everyone and Hunter looked towards the people in charge of their music, they nodded and got started. On certain beats, the group was stomping their feet and turning them side to side. Finally, they all spun around, Hunter and Troy in the center.
"Yeah, you may think that I'm a zero. But hey, everyone you wanna be…Probably started off like me. You may say that I'm a freak show," Hunter started.
"I don't care," The others said softly.
"But hey, give it just a little time. I bet you're gonna change your mind…" Hunter continued with a smile.
Now, everyone was moving together where they stood. "All of the dirt you've been throwing my way, it ain't so hard to take," Hunter went on.
"That's right." The rest sang.
"Cause I know one day, you'll be screaming my name. And I'll just look away," Hunter continued.
"That's right," The rest of the group got closer together.
Now, the music kicked up and they were dancing around as they'd practiced. "Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth," Hunter and only the girls sang.
"So everyone can hear," Troy and the boys went next.
"Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down," Hunter and the girls started to mesh with the boys.
"Baby, I don't care." Troy led the others.
"Keep it up and soon enough, you'll figure out…You wanna be, you wanna be…A loser like me. A loser like me," The Soul Harmonics sang together.
"Push me up against the locker. And hey, all I do is shake it off. I'll get you back when I'm your boss. I'm not thinking about you haters. Cause hey, I could be a superstar. I'll see you when I wash my car," Troy sang on his own. Everyone just kept following the dance, doing the movements.
"All of the dirt you've been throwing my way. It ain't so hard to take," Now, Troy took over leading.
"That's right," Hunter led the rest.
"Cause I know one day, you'll be screaming my name. And I'll just look away," Troy continued.
"That's right." The others sang.
"Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth," Troy led the boys now.
"So everyone can hear…" Hunter went on with only the girls.
"Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down," Troy and the boys sang together.
"Baby I don't care…" The girls and Hunter grouped up with the boys again.
"Keep it up and soon enough, you'll figure out. You wanna be, you wanna be…A loser like me. A loser like me. A loser like me…" The group sang and got ready into their next part.
There was a change in the music as the others grouped together. "Hey, you, over there. Keep the L up cause I don't care." They all set their fingers up to their foreheads in the shape of an L. "You can throw your sticks. And you can throw your stones. Like a rocket, just watch me go. Yeah, L-O-S-E-R…" They had worked together to conform their bodies into spelling the word, Loser, then jumping back up to continue. "I can only be who I are!"
"YEAH!" Hunter and Troy yelled out. "Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth,"
"So everyone can hear," The group sang after them.
"Hit me with the worst you go and knock me down," Troy and Hunter sang again.
"Baby, I don't care," The rest met up with them to finish the song.
"Keep it up and soon enough, you'll figure out. You wanna be, you wanna be. A loser like me." They sang together. "Just go ahead and hate on me, and run your mouth. So everyone can hear. Hit me with the worst you go and knock me down. Baby, I don't care. Keep it up and soon enough, you'll figure out. You wanna be, you wanna be. A loser like me. A loser like me. A loser like me. A loser like me. A loser like me!" The group finished, throwing their fists into the air then making the L with their fingers again. (Song was Loser Like Me from Glee.)
The next group song they performed was a lovely rendition of Love Shack, Troy and Hunter leading the rest. That's usually how it went, the others would follow their lead. As expected, the older generation really enjoyed it. Next was a solo from Hunter, so the others cleared off to the side to give him the stage. The music began as Hunter relaxed himself to perform.
"What have I done? I wish I could run away from this ship going under. Just trying to help, hurt everyone else. Now, I feel the weight of the world is on my shoulders…" Hunter began calmly, his eyes looking out to the crowd. The spotlight was on him, so beyond to the audience was only a few wall lights, and those on the floor to guide the way to exits. "What can you do when your good isn't good enough, and all that you touch tumbles down? 'Cause my best intentions keep making a mess of things. I just wanna fix it somehow. But how many times will it take? Well, how many times will it take for me…To get it right? To get it right?…"
"This is an original…" Steven mentioned.
"Can I start again, with my faith shaken? 'Cause I can't go back and undo this. I just have to stay, and face my mistakes. But if I get stronger and wiser, I'll get through this…" Hunter continued, the music gradually rising for what appeared to reaching something bigger. "What can you do when your good isn't good enough, and all that you touch tumbles down? "Cause my best intentions keep making a mess of things. I just wanna fix it somehow. Bu how many times will it take? Well, how many times will it take for me…To get it right?…"
The rise of music lifted as Hunter ended up looking over at Troy with almost sad eyes, or longing. Showing how much he missed him, if anyone had to take a wild guess. Hunter pulled the microphone from the stand, stepping forward and looking back towards the audience. "So I throw my fists, throw a punch in the air an accept the truth that sometimes life isn't fair. Yeah, I'll send out a wish. Yeah, I'll send out a prayer. Then finally, someone will see, how much I care!" No one expected the note to be so high, or long, but Hunter held it the entire time.
The meaning of the song seemed to be about Hunter making mistakes, but wanting to fix them but also feeling like whatever he did, intentions-wise, just wasn't good enough. So maybe Hunter felt he shouldn't have gotten so upset with Troy, or compromised more. There had been ways to make it work. Hunter obvious mistake, in this context, was breaking up with Troy and wanting to fix things between them.
After Hunter held the note, it went back into singing the chorus again. "What can you do when your good isn't good enough, and all that you touch tumbles down? My best intentions keep making a mess of things. I just wanna fix it somehow! But how many times will it take? Oh, how many times will it take…To get it right? To get it right…" Hunter finished bringing an arm around his stomach to bow with a smile as the crowd erupted into applause.
Hunter returned to standing up as he then motioned for the others to return to center stage for the next group song. It was time for their first mashup song, which Hunter and the rest of Valhalla Harmonics confirmed were big hits when they did them in competition. The music started up as the group jumped into action. The mashup song was Any Way You Want It and Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'. It was basically boys for Any Way You Want It and girls for Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'. But in the middle they'd mix for the choruses. It sounded great, and Hunter with Troy, sang for both sides of the song. As expected, a mashup was a huge hit and everyone was glad they learned how to do them, and were now getting to perform it. The audience seemed to love things as it was a song everyone basically knew. Next up would be another group song, then the duet, Hunter's second solo, and finally, one more group performance. As the mashup ended, the Soul Harmonics repositioned themselves in a new formation, but Hunter stood center with Star, Becka, Satomi, and Serena on either side of him. The rest of the group was standing behind, hands behind their backs to start.
The song that began to play was Fired Up from Disney's Zombies. The idea was simple, follow the leaders. It was an entire cheer routine, and between the moving and singing; they killed it. The song ended with the Soul Harmonics grouped up to doing different poses, some guys had girls on their shoulders, or two guys holding up one girl. The front was Hunter in a full split; Satomi and Serena on Hunter's left, then Star and Becka on his right. All of them had their knees up and one fist in the air. The audience erupted into applause as the group held their positions until it quieted down and then everyone worked together to get the others that were in the air down safely and rushing off to the side to make way for Hunter and Troy's duet. Things began with Troy and Hunter standing apart while Hunter was holding a rope in his hands. The music kicked on as Troy was facing Hunter's back.
"You know I want you. It's not a secret I try to hide. I know you want me, so don't keep saying our hands are tied." Troy started towards Hunter while he was unknotting the rope. "You claim it's not in the cards, and fate is pulling you miles away, out of reach from me. But you're here in my heart, so who can stop me if I decide that you're my destiny…" Troy moved in front of Hunter as he looked up a moment, then pulled the rope while turning to head to the center of the stage. "What if we rewrite the stars? Say that you're made to be mine. Nothing could keep us apart. You'd be the one I was meant to find." Troy kept trying to cut Hunter off from walking away, trying to pull the rope to get Hunter closer to him.
"It's up to you and it's up to me. No one can say what we get to be. So why don't we rewrite the stars? Maybe the world could be ours tonight." Troy cupped Hunter's cheek, both of them close against one another and smiling. However, the rope went tight and Hunter adjusted his hand as it yanked up upwards and Troy was left standing on the stage alone.
"You think it's easy," Hunter came down slowly on metal circle, holding on with only his arms as it lowered and his shoes touched the stage gently. "You think I don't want to run to you? But there are mountains, and there are doors that we can't walk through. I know you're wondering why because we're able to be just you and me within these walls. But when we go outside, you're gonna wake up and see that it was hopeless after all…" While singing this, Hunter had stood before Troy, handling the circle around him and laying inside it with the most perfect balance, then adjusting to be inside of it and going upside down and holding on as it lifted and Troy held the bottom. After a certain height, Troy let go and dropped onto his feet in a small crouch, then stood up to look around for Hunter.
"No one can rewrite the stars. How can you say you'll be mine?" Hunter sang and swung by him and Troy seemingly appeared to struggled to keep track of him. "Everything keeps us apart and I'm not the one you were meant to find." Hunter came in slower as Troy caught him and they landed on the stage rough, rolling so that Hunter was straddling his hips. Hunter pulled the rope as it went loose, then Hunter grabbed it as it went tight again, pulling Hunter up. Troy used the last end bit to get himself up on the ground. "It's not up to you. It's not up to me, when everyone tells us what we can be. How can we rewrite the stars? Say that the world can be ours tonight." Up in the air, Hunter flipped around a few times to set the rope then he let himself come down safely falling right into Troy's arms and then Troy grabbed the rope next.
"All I want is to fly with you. All I want is to fall with you. So just give me all of you!" The two sang together and when the rope had pulled upwards, Troy grabbed Hunter and they set themselves to be linked so Hunter wouldn't fall off since he wasn't holding a rope now. It only lasted a moment before the rope lowered them both and Hunter was down first, pulling Troy so he could set his feet down.
"It feels impossible," Hunter sang
"It's not impossible…" Troy replied
"Is it possible?" Hunter hoped as there were now two ropes and they were both holding one side. They got in the air and swung away from one another first and then came in and linked to swing in a fast circle, their voices holding the next part the whole time.
"Say that it's possible!" They sang together, swinging in a circle.
"How do we rewrite the stars?" Troy landed and Hunter swing off, the two still singing together. "Say you were made to be mine. Nothing can keep us apart, 'cause you are the one I was meant to find." Troy let go of his rope, left in dangling as he rushed to the side of the stage to climb up a ladder and get on a higher lever as Hunter was coming closer. "It's up to you and it's up to me. No one can say what we get to be." Troy jumped off the place he was and caught the rope when Hunter came by, holding on to one another now. "Why don't we rewrite the stars? Changing the world to be ours…" The rope slowed as both stepped to the stage and faced one another while the music calmed.
"You know I want you…It's not a secret I try to hide. But I can't have you…We're bound to break and my hands are tied," Hunter finished softly, letting go of Troy's hands and walking off stage. The lights came down, leaving Troy to fade into darkness. Of course, when the applause hit, Hunter had returned to Troy's side when the lights came back on to show them. The two were holding hands, smiling and giving a bow to the crowd. Hunter and Troy looked at one another afterward, and both of them had the same thought; wanting to share a kiss. But it wouldn't be appropriate, and maybe after all this; they could talk.
The night was almost over. It was Hunter's solo next, and then the final group song. Beyond that was the announcing of who won First, Second, and Third. Everyone was excited to see how they did, but based on the level of applause they got for their performances, it was looking really good.