When the applause was dying out, Troy left stage to leave it to Hunter as it was now time for his second solo and then last would be the final group song. Hunter stood with the microphone in hand, giving himself a moment to get ready. After they performed and placed, he was kidnapping Troy away to dinner so they could talk about what happened last month. Yes, Troy screwed up by not doing what he said he would do on the 6th of May, telling his friends the truth about being bisexual and that the two of them were dating. But Hunter could see how miserable Troy was over what happened, and it was true that he never kissed Star back; she took advantage of that moment. Troy looked uncomfortable that she'd done it, and morally standing; he'd never put his hands on a woman, so forcibly pushing her off him was out of the question and if he hadn't been careful; the halls were still pretty full. Someone could have gotten hurt. These are all factors that Hunter had been thinking about since the breakup. At the time, Hunter was extremely hurt about the broken promise and what Troy had said about things being in Hunter's head due to his mourning of Jay. But Hunter could see how much Troy didn't actually mean what he said; he got scared and wanted things to come out by him, on his own terms. Hunter did back Troy into the corner, and like with animals; if they felt threatened or scared, they got defensive. Hunter missed Troy and the relationship they had, and he knew that people in love made sacrifices for each other.
Hunter did love Jay, and always would, but he loved Troy too and there was room for a great relationship; Hunter just had to calm down a bit and let it happen, see where it went. Hunter was willing to sacrifice him openness for Troy to come out on his own. Of course, all this was with Hunter actually being unaware that Troy had come out in a moment of fear about thinking Hunter was hurt, dead, or could end up either if he didn't find him during that lockdown. Regardless, Hunter wanted to talk to Troy and get back together, even if that meant they missed prom and just went out on a date or something. Hunter made his choice; he'd talk to Troy after competition. Right now, he needed to focus on his solo. Nationals were almost over. The music for Hunter's solo started up: another The Greatest Showman song. That was just the kick Hunter was on right now, he did it often with music; he'd hyper-focus on certain shows, movies, or whatever; just the music from them and listen constantly His mood had been Greatest Showman ever since they performed This Is Me at Regionals.
"I close my eyes, and I can see. A world that's waiting up for me, that I call my own. Through the dark, through the door. Through where no one's been before, but it feels like home." Hunter began gently, eyes opening to face the audience. "They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy. They can say, they can say I've lost my mind. I don't care, I don't care if they call me crazy. We can live in a world that we design…"
The music lifted a bit as a smile came to Hunter's lips. "'Cause every night I lie in bed. The brightest colors fill my head. A million dreams are keeping me awake. I think of what the world could be, a vision of the one I see…A million dreams is all it's gonna take. Oh, a million dreams for the world we're gonna make," The chorus ended, for now, as the music softened once more.
"There's a house we can build. Every room inside is filled with things from far away." Hunter started again. "Special things I compile, each one there to make you smile, on a rainy day."
"They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy. They can say, they can say we've lost our minds. See, I don't care, I don't care if they call us crazy. Run away to a world that we design!..." Hunter took a breath as the chorus was coming back in. "'Cause every night I lie in bed. The brightest colors fill my head. A million dreams are keeping me awake. I think of what the world could be. A vision of the one I see. A million dreams is all it's gonna take. Oh, a million dreams for the world we're gonna make."
Hunter caught his breath. "However big. However small. Let me be part of it all. Share your dreams with me." A slight pause. "We may be right. We may be wrong. But I wanna bring you along, to the world I see. To the world we close our eyes to see. We close our eyes to see!..." The music fell slow and gentle again.
"'Cause every night I lie in bed. The brightest colors fill my head. A million dreams are keeping me…" The music lifted again. "Awake!" Hunter raised his voice as the music continued. "I think of what the world could be. A vision of the one I see. A million dreams is all it's gonna take. A million dreams for the world we're gonna make!" The music came to a slow point. "For the world we're gonna make." Hunter finished.
Hunter fell into a light bow as people clapped and cheered for the performance. Hunter smiled gently as it was time for the last song, with them as a group. Hunter gave the motion for them to rejoin on stage together and immediately fall into formation. The music started gently with only piano as Hunter raised the mic once more.
"Can…" Hunter began.
"Anybody!...Find me…Somebody to love?" The rest of Soul Harmonics joined in, their voices coming together in a perfect balance.
The music picked up more as Troy was next to Hunter, a mic in his own hands and Hunter nodded to him to take lead. "Oh! Oh-oh!" Troy sang out. "Each morning I get up, I die a little. Can barely stand on my feet,"
"Take a look in the mirror and cry. Lord, what you doing to me?" Hunter smiled.
"I spent all my years believing you, but I just can't get no relief, Lord," Troy went again.
"Somebody," Hunter sang.
"Somebody…" Soul Harmonics sounded in.
"Ooh, somebody," Troy continued.
"Somebody…" The group repeated.
"Can anybody find me, somebody to love!" Everyone sang together in the group now.
"I work hard," Troy began again.
"He works hard…" Hunter sang with the others.
"Every day of my life," Troy looked at Hunter.
"I work till I ache in my bones." Hunter and Troy sang together.
"At the end," Troy went.
"At the end of the day…" Soul Harmonics sang.
"I take home my hard earned pay all on my own," Troy voiced.
"I get down," Hunter joined in on his own.
"Down…" Soul Harmonics repeated.
"On my knees," Hunter sang.
"Knees…" The group continued.
"And I start to pray," Hunter went.
"Praise the Lord!" The group sang together.
It sounded really good. It was clear Hunter and Troy were leading and the group backed them where it was time too with repeating certain things like a choir group in church.
"Till the tears run down from my face, Lord," Hunter and Troy continued together now.
"Somebody," Troy sang.
"Somebody…" The group repeated in song.
"Ooh, somebody," Hunter smiled at Troy.
"Me," Soul Harmonics said.
"Can anybody find me, somebody to love?" Soul Harmonics sang with Hunter and Troy now.
"He works hard…" The group sang alone.
"Oh, every day," Hunter and Troy sang in unison.
"Every day," Soul Harmonics repeated.
"I try, and I try, and I try," Troy sang.
"But everybody wants to put me down, they say I'm going crazy!" Hunter went next.
"They say I got a lot of water in my brain. I got no common sense," Troy smiled now.
"He's got," Soul Harmonics joined in.
"I got nobody left to believe. No, ooh, ooh, ooh…" Troy continued, while singing that the group behind him was singing yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. "Oh, somebody," Troy started again.
"Somebody…"
"Woah, somebody!" Hunter and Troy sang again.
"Me…Can anybody find me!..."
"Somebody to love!" Hunter sang out loudly.
"Can anybody find me someone to love?" Troy with Soul Harmonics sang behind Hunter.
"Got no feel, I got no rhythm. I just keep losing my beat," Troy continued.
"You just keep losing and losing…"
"I'm okay, I'm alright," Hunter went next.
"He's alright, he's alright…"
"I ain't gonna face no defeat!" Hunter and Troy continued together now.
"Yeah, yeah…"
"I just gotta get out of this prison cell. Someday I'm gonna be free, Lord!..." Hunter and Troy went again, but had the others singing with them up until the Lord note, which Hunter and Troy held on their own.
Things fell quiet as the group now began to harmonize together, starting soft and slowly working their way up to louder for the next big part. "Find me, somebody to love. Find me somebody to love. Find me somebody to love. Find me somebody to love. Find me somebody to love. Find me somebody to love. Somebody to love, love, love…"
"Somebody." Troy said.
The group continued the harmonious singing together. "Find me somebody to love. Find me somebody to love…"
"Somebody," Troy and Hunter sang.
"Somebody…" The group repeated.
"Somebody," Hunter and Troy continued.
"Somebody…" The group went on.
"Somebody," Hunter and Troy went next.
"Somebody…" Soul Harmonics harmonized. "Can anybody find me…"
Hunter and Troy stepped up to the front, sharing one microphone now. "Somebody to…LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!" The two held the note together as the crowd was already on their feet in applause.
"Find me somebody to love," The group picked right back up while Hunter and Troy were finishing holding their part.
"Somebody find me, find me…" Hunter and Troy continued after catching their breath.
"Find me," Soul Harmonics went on.
"Somebody find me," Hunter and Troy sang.
"Somebody to love…Find me somebody to love…" The group was behind them.
"Somebody to love. Somebody, somebody," Troy looked at Hunter.
"Find me…" Hunter sang with Soul Harmonics.
"Somebody, somebody to love," Hunter and Troy sang together.
"Somebody to love…Find me somebody to love…" Soul Harmonics repeated.
"Somebody to love, somebody to love," Hunter looked at Troy.
"Somebody to love…" Troy continued looking at Hunter.
"Find me," Hunter and Troy sang softly.
"Find me…" The group repeated.
"Somebody to love. Somebody to love…" The song ended and the crowd was still raving from when that long, high note was hit by Troy and Hunter. (Song was Somebody To Love from Glee.)
The group all stepped up together, holding hands and giving a group bow to the left, right, and center groups of people. Everyone let go of each other's hands and they walked off stage in sections. Hunter and Troy were last to leave after putting their microphones back in place on the holder before re-linking hands and walking off stage together, smiles plastered on their faces. The host came out and told everyone there would be a twenty-minute intermission for judges to go over everything and return for the placement announcements. This was giving everyone a chance to stretch their legs, grab a drink or snack, and move about and chat until they returned.
Soul Harmonics had been on their feet a while, so like the other groups relaxing, they all took a seat and Gregory was handing out waters with help from Myra, Timothy, Devon, and Ethan.
"Good work, kids," Gregory told them.
"The mashup threw everyone for a loop," Myra exclaimed.
"We figured it would." Madison smiled. "I'm nervous about how we did overall,"
"Don't be…We killed it." Hunter reassured. He and Troy let go of each other's hands by now, but it was still on Hunter's mind to talk to Troy. Hunter would wait until competition was over, it wasn't a conversation to be had now because they wouldn't be left alone if they vanished the next fifteen minutes to chat.
. . .
It was time to announce the final three winners of the competition. There had been four groups, but only three would place and only one would get first. Everyone was filing back into the theatre room as the host came on stage with three envelopes in hand. Two white and one red. The red was first place, no doubt. Everyone was anxious and had gone back to holding hands to hope for the best. The first group was third place, and they went up to get their trophy and stay up there to wait for second and first place to be announced. The next group got second and stood up to wait with their achievement. Now, it was down to first place, either Soul Harmonics was in the red card or they were out and didn't place at all. Holding their breaths, the man pulled out the red card, then smiled.
"I wish I could say I'm surprised, but after that amazing performance…All the judges agreed with top marks. First place goes to…SOUL HARMONICS!" The man shouted.
It's not like they assumed they wouldn't be in the top three, but they placed first and had been called out as having an amazing performance, and scoring top marks from all the judges! Everyone was cheering and screaming with excitement, but Soul Harmonics was too. They got up from their seats, everyone hugging or high-fiving. Hunter shook Troy's hand at first, then they pulled together for a tight hug. Everyone moved together to walk up the stairs on the right side of the stage and get in place, there were the usual handshakes and being handed the trophy, which Madison and Hunter held together in front of them and then up higher as the cameras were going off and more applauding. It was amazing and everyone was beyond thrilled to do as good as they did.
Eventually, they all got off stage while closing comments were made and the bidding everyone a good night and safe journey to their homes.
"Well done!" Gregory cheered as they got back to normal level while people were leaving.
"That trophy will serve as the reminder to all how good you did. It's going right in the achievements case at school for everyone who walks through those doors to see," Mr. Bludvist informed as he came over, congratulating the group and giving his daughter, Becka, a hug.
"We're proud," Salvatore nodded as Valerie agreed.
"Good job," Zayden congratulated. Hollie, Nate, and Melissa were all hugging Hunter and admiring the trophy.
"You kids did so amazing, and I know Jay might not be here in person to have taken part…But I'm certain he was here in spirit and he's every bit of proud as we are…" Joshua informed.
"Thanks…" Everyone replied.
"And Hunter…I know it wasn't easy to do that second solo. It was Jay's favorite song from The Greatest Showman. You killed it, son," Kelsey admitted, pulling Hunter in for a tight hug.
"I promised myself I'd do a song in his memory somewhere in competition," Hunter revealed, hugging her back.
"Well, I think we should get out of here before the mad rush gets too bad," Rebecca Raseri suggested.
"Will we see you at home, son?" Valerie asked Hunter, who she noticed was looking at Troy not so subtly.
"In a bit," Hunter replied.
As they were all heading outside and going with their families, Hunter saw Troy about to go off with his family and he grabbed his hand gently. "Wait…" Hunter told Troy, as the man stopped and looked back at Hunter.
"What's up, Hunter?" Troy inquired.
"I was hoping to talk to you tonight…About us. Would you…Possibly like to go grab dinner with me? If not, it's okay. I know it's late and-," Hunter started.
Troy was surprised, but certainly wasn't going to not take the offer. "No, no. It's not late at all, Hunter. Yeah, I'd love to join you for dinner. Would you like to meet somewhere, or…Do you have your car? You know the state of mine," Troy admitted.
"I have mine." Hunter nodded.
"Mom, Dad…Am I okay to go with Hunter, if he doesn't mind bringing me home later?" Troy hoped, looking to Hunter for confirmation.
"I don't mind," Hunter replied.
"Sweetheart, you don't have to ask us permission. You're eighteen, you have a key and the code to the alarm system. If you wanna stay out and party all night with friends to celebrate the win, or have a dinner with Hunter. It's fine with us. We only ask that you keep us posted about things." Rebecca kissed his cheek. "We'll see you later." She led the other Raseri family members away to van.
"We'll see you later on, bro?" Zayden asked.
"Mmhm," Hunter replied.
"Same rules, son. Keep us posted," Salvatore asked.
"Of course, Dad," Hunter promised. "Ready to go?" He asked Troy, who nodded to him and the two walked off after waving to the others and calling a good night and see them tomorrow at the presidential event. Hunter led Troy to his car and unlocked it as they approached, then slid into their respected seats and bucked up. Hunter started the car, backed out of his parking spot and got into the slow-forming long line to leave the arena.
"Where do you suppose their going?" Griffin blinked.
"I thought we said we were gonna all go out to celebrate tonight?" Roseanna asked.
"We can do that another time," Steven said. "It's clear they need to talk."
"Yeah, we saw that ever since Hunter's first solo," Samuel nodded.
"With any luck…" Blake started. "They'll get back together and both stop being miserable."
"I'm really surprised Hunter is the one who took the first step," Jason looked at the academy friends.
"He never wanted to break up with Troy, but the situation called for it at the time. But you're right, it was strange. I was sure Troy was going to say something first, or at least pull Hunter aside to tell him the others know the truth and maybe they could talk soon," Steven agreed.
"Guess we'll have to see what happens," Natalie shrugged.
"And thank you, to you who didn't originally know until the lockdown, for not drawing attention to things." Jasmine said.
"I think Hunter is going to admit to Troy he misses him, their relationship. And then it'll go into wherever it goes," Fredrick stated.
"And hopefully Troy will tell Hunter the others know the truth too." Elijah informed.
"We'll wait to find out. It's all we can do," Madison mentioned.
Soon after that was established, everyone broke off to hang with each other of go home with family. The trophy did go with Principal Bludvist to ensure it got into the case on Monday morning. Next week was prom and everyone looked forward to that, but a real fun event would be the presidential dinner hosted by the mayors and mayoress's of the Archipelago tomorrow night. And there was hope Hunter and Troy would be back together.