Tuesday, April 10th, 2012
Backstage of the Edmund Town Hall theater, Newtown, CT
Amy tensed and relaxed her shoulders unnecessarily, fighting off the pre-show nerves. Today only Dom, Reid, and Eloïse could make it considering the rest of the team was...out on a case in Seattle. Reid would join them in the morning, and, if Amy had her way, she'd be with him. Today, she was back in Connecticut for the first time in nearly four months. No wonder she was nervous.
Eloïse found her backstage and handed her the microphone. "Hey, you'll do great. You always do," she said, putting her hand on Amy's back, causing Amy to flinch away then sigh.
"I know. It's just...this is Connecticut. It's going to be hard," Amy whispered, her bottom lip trembling.
Eloïse knelt in front of her. "Amy, listen: I don't want you to cry right now. Yes, that's partially because I really don't feel like reapplying your make-up, but it's partially because I know you can do this. You've never let nerves or anything stop you from getting onstage and rocking it."
Amy sighed, collapsing back in her wheelchair. "I just hope you're right, Eloïse."
Eloïse threw her head back in laughter, her brown curls bouncing and shaking. "Oh believe me, Amy. I am always right."
Amy smiled. "Thanks, Eloïse. How much time left to curtain?"
Eloïse checked her watch. "Negative fifteen seconds."
Amy looked at her in confusion, then her eyes widened in realization. "Oh. Thanks. You might want to find the host, then."
Eloïse started to walk away, then came back saying, "What am I doing? I am the host!"
Amy laughed and clapped from backstage as Eloïse took the stage, a spotlight finding and following her.
"Welcome all!" Eloïse exclaimed cheerfully into the microphone she removed from the stand. As the crowd died down, Eloïse smiled and said, "Thank you very much. Welcome once again. I am Eloïse Mary-Ellen Tailor, soon to be Reid, and I really don't know how to introduce the wonderful young lady who is about to perform for all of us. She's talented, she's smart, she's funny, and she's strong. Without further ado - or a note - allow me to welcome Connecticut's own Amy Nickhoales."
The crowd went wild as Eloïse put the microphone back on the stand and quickly raced over to Amy to wheel her onstage. Amy smiled and waved at the crowd as Eloïse helped her move from wheelchair to piano, where Amy would be singing and playing. Eloïse left the stage immediately after.
"Thank you all so very much!" Amy exclaimed with a huge smile, taking the microphone from her lap and holding it up to her mouth. "I want to thank Eloïse for that flattering introduction. I'd like to get to the show as quickly as possible so you all can get home eventually." The crowd laughed, but Amy set the microphone in the holder on the piano and said, "So, with a simple note" - she hit middle C with her pointer finger with a flair and flick of her wrist - "allow me to begin the world premier of 'Feeling Something,' also known as 'What You Started.'"
She let the applause die out some before beginning the piano intro. As soon as the camera filming the event spun around her somewhat, her voice broke the solemn rest.
"I remember what you said that night,
You had me so scared.
I didn't know what I had comin'
Thought you couldn't have cared.
At least not that way.
At least not that day.
"You had me so worked up
I was losing my mind.
You smiled at me so much
And told me 'You are mine.'
Please don't kiss me.
Please don't piss me
Off...
"I thought you couldn't be
Feeling something.
Thought I had you figured out.
You thought that I might be
Feeling something
Too.
Just maybe I was
Feeling something
Any kind of something.
But it wasn't love for you
It wasn't hate for you
But I was feeling something.
"Perhaps you had every right
And reason to love me.
And maybe I just didn't want to face
The fact that this was meant to be!
Keeping all of my doubts
And fears locked up inside.
It took all of my strength
To give up and not hide!
"I thought you couldn't be
Feeling something.
Thought I had you figured out.
You thought that I might be
Feeling something
Too.
Just maybe I was
Feeling something
Any kind of something.
But it wasn't love for you
It wasn't hate for you
But I was feeling something.
"Something...
I was
Feeling something.
It wasn't good
It wasn't right
But it wasn't enough to face the light
It wasn't enough to face the fight
Wasn't enough to face the night.
You were
Feeling something.
It wasn't bad
It wasn't wrong
But it wasn't enough to make me move on
It wasn't enough to make me lose one
Wasn't enough to make me bruise..."
Amy took the piano interlude seriously, trying so hard to keep her voice from cracking as emotion built up in her throat before she continued.
"Yeah, I wasn't
Feeling that something
Just to put it out there
You were definitely
Feeling that something
And that something was just wrong love
Love that makes it 'right'
It just defied the night.
"Yeah, I was feeling something
But it wasn't love for you
It wasn't hate for you
But I wasn't gonna wait for you...
"To finish
What
You'd..."
Amy let the dramatic rest hang for a few seconds longer before sustaining the inhumanly high note that followed:
"Start-ed
Eh-eh-eh-eheheheh-eh-eh-ehd.
Couldn't let you finish what you started."
As the piano solo ended with a minor chord, the audience remained silent for a full thirty seconds before the first person started clapping, followed by another, then another, then the entire room filled with applause. Amy turned to the audience to smile and bow her head.
"Thank you. That was...really tough to get out of my system, but I'm glad I did," Amy said, pausing for the audience's nervous laughter. Amy chuckled to herself. "The next song..."
Tuesday, April 10th, 2012
Unknown, Virginia, United States
The older man laid in bed, unable to sleep despite the silver locket clutched in his hand and the old photos slipped under his pillow. He rolled over onto his left side and stared at his bureau, his eyes glancing to the bottle of gin on his bedside table next to his perscriptions. All he had to do was swallow a whole bunch of those and wash it all down with that gin... No, that wasn't the answer. He was simply tormenting himself by watching the show on TV again. He knew Amy had been singing about him for most of the show. Let her think I am dead. No, she deserves to know the truth. The truth will kill her. I plan on succeeding this time.