DARCY:

Hey Jessie! Break a Leg Tonight! I know you'll be amazing! I wish I could be there. I miss you so much. Call me after, okay? I love you!

Standing backstage, I stare at my phone screen. Darcy is probably the sweetest person I've ever known, and I'm not just saying that because he's my boyfriend. I mean it. I wish he could be here though. It sucks that he still has exams going on. Tonight is my senior concert at Colonial. Between MadriGals and the chorus, I'm in almost every song. I even have a solo during the MadriGals portion of the concert. I peek out of the curtain to look at the audience… it's a full house. The first two or three rows of the auditorium are proof that even without Darcy, who credits himself as my biggest fan, the support I have in my life is infinite. Mom, Dad, the twins, Emma, Cassidy, Megan, Becca and all their families are here. The Berkeleys, though I suspect that's more because of Megan and Cassidy, are here too… and Theo and his grandmother and the Gopher Hole Girls are here too (Their moms are coming in later this week, and their spending part of the summer here in Concord). As I look around out the crowd once more, I even see Kyle Anderson sneaking in with Courtney and Grant. Even though all my friends and family are here… I still have this empty feeling in my chest. I wish Darcy could be here. I just miss him so much.

"You know, he'd be here if he could." I turn around to find Frankie, Adele and Savannah standing together in front of me.

"I know… I just really wish he could be here."

"Here's the thing though… Would he want you to spend your last concert wishing for him to be here?" Savannah starts, her tone becoming more motivational. I shake my head. "Of course he wouldn't! He'd want you to be enjoying it! It's the last time you'll be performing as a part of the MadriGals, so enjoy it."

"You're right." I admit, hugging her tightly before turning back to my phone to text back Darcy.

ME:

Hey! Thank you, you are the best! I wish you could be here! I miss you tons. I'll call you as soon as I get home… I love you too!

P.S. Kyle is here… when did he get home?

As I finish my text, I barley have enough time to silence my phone and rush over to the bleachers where the other girls are gathering around Mr. Elton. Everyone is chattering nervously, and if they aren't, they're trying to shush all the other girls. Mr. Elton waits until we're all silent before speaking.

"Okay ladies, for a lot of you, tonight is it. You've done this before… You will all be wonderful, so let's give this audience a show worthwhile. So, places, ladies, places!"

At his words, we all begin to file up onto the risers that have been place on stage. I can hear the dean speaking to the audience, welcoming to the concert… no flash photography, no video- taping, refreshments will be provided (By Pies & Prejudice) after they concert in the lobby… blah, blah, blah. Until finally the curtain rises, I close my eyes and take a deep breath, hearing Darcy's confident tone as he told me we'd be amazing this morning on the phone, and Mr. Elton cues our first note. As we open our mouths to sing our first note, everything fades away and all I can focus on is the music.

As we end our last chorus number, the girls who are only in the chorus file off the stage until the end of the concert and the rest of the MadriGals come on stage. As Savannah passes me, she tugs on the end of my braid that is hanging over my shoulder to lie over my chest. This brings Darcy right back into my mind, as if he'd left. I look out into the audience, smiling at all my friends and family, before my eyes trail once more to the doors at the back of the auditorium. When I do, I catch a glimpse of someone opening the door slowly, to not make much noise, before they lean against the wall by the door, since there are no seats left.

As the next song begins, I find myself drawn to the figure in the back of the room once again. Part of me is hoping its Darcy… the other part is telling me to be sensible. I'd seen the calendar he'd shown me when he was home at Christmas. Which was the last time I saw him for an extended period of time. I'd known then that he wasn't going to be able to come to the concert, but I'd still had hope… Darcy is really into surprises, and even though I tell him I hate them, I secretly kinda love them. I think that's why he does them. Next to me Frankie elbows me, bringing me back into reality. It's time for my solo, I see Emma discreetly pull out her cell phone to video, just like she'd promised Darcy. I decide then that I'm going to focus on the concert, and not Darcy. This is a huge moment in my life and Savannah was right… I need to live in the moment and cherish the present.

After the concert I walk out to the lobby in search of my friends and family, not bothering to change out of my long black skirt and sleeveless white button up, knowing my mom will want to take pictures of me with everyone who came to my last concert. I did however pull on the hoodie I'd been wearing before the concert, one of Darcy's that I'd taken the last time I was at the Hawthorne's.

"Jess!" I whip around at the sound of the familiar bellow of Tristan. He and Cassidy tower over most of the group, making them easy to spot.

"Honey, you were so wonderful! I am so proud!" My mother gushes as she hugs me, before shoving my brothers at me to take a picture.

"She right, you did fantastic, Jess." My dad tells me as mom takes another picture.

The next twenty minutes is a blurry, constant motion of switching people for pictures. My family and I, the Concord book club as a whole, then with just the moms, then just us girls, the Gopher Hole book Club and I, repeating the same steps as with the Concord group, my mom then makes me take separate pictures with everyone individually… Even Zoe Winchester. Madison tells me a thousand times over that we'll have to do a duet for the demo she's planning and I just hug her and laugh in response.

"Let's get one more of you by yourself, and then we can take one of you and Emma on her phone to send to Darcy… How's that sound?" Mr. Hawthorne suggests, looking around as though he's in search of someone. I notice that everyone has started to slip almost beaming smiles on their faces but I nod anyway and stand for another picture before Emma slides in next to me.

"You did great, Jess. I sent him the video I took… He'll probably text you when he gets it." She whispers to me as we hug. I grin and hug her tighter. Emma has always known how to make me feel better.

After another twenty minute round of pictures when Savannah, Frankie and Adele show up, my mom speaks up.

"Why don't you go backstage and get ready to leave, Jess?" It's a Friday, and finals start Monday morning but our mom's promised we could have a sleepover in the barn.

"Okay, I'll be right back!" I run down the hall to the dressing room and hear squealing as I turn into the dressing room. Everyone quiets as I walk in though.

"Why is everyone acting so weird tonight?" I ask Savannah as she pack up her make- up that is strewn all over the counter.

"I have no clue… Just go get changed so we can go." She orders, pushing me towards the changing room. "We still have to pick up our books from the dorm!" She calls after me as the door shuts.

From inside the changing room, I can hear commotion outside. The girls are all squealing again and it sounds like people are rushing around, colliding with counters and people and things, pure chaos… almost like the final piece we did tonight, where it seems hectic, but as the piece reaches it's peak, it's beautiful… beautiful chaos.

"Ya'll need to hurry and get back out there… She'll be out any minute!" I pull Savannah's bossy tone, out of what seems like just noise. What is she talking about? Something is definitely going on. I shake my head to clear my head and leaving the dressing room to head back into the lobby.

Finally, I'm helping the girls set up the blankets and pillows and mattresses (real and air) in the barn. The weather is supposed to be perfect, not too cold, not too hot, it supposed to be a clear sky too. I told Madison I'd teach her all the different constellations tonight. But we still have a few hours until it's time for that.

"Did you really bring that from the dorm?" Frankie asks as I place a picture frame, that holds a photo of Darcy and I that Cassidy took of us at the Thanksgiving Day game his senior year, on the books piled beside my pillow. I always bring it with me when I come home for the weekends.

"Shut up… You know it's a security blanket." I defend myself, laugh softly at her as she rolls her eyes.

"Hey Jess?" Kyle Anderson's voice falls down from the second floor of the barn, where he and the other boys are helping my dad set up the sheet screen where we'll project a movie in a while.

"Yeah?"

"Your dad says you might have some more books we can use to secure the screen just a little more?" He asks yet states. I nod.

"Yeah, I have some in my room. I'll be right back." Kyle nods and gives me a thumbs up and then looks at Cassidy who is holding the end of the sheet which is hanging on the ground. He motions to his phone and then makes a shooing motion and she runs away. Again, everyone is strange.

Walking into my room, everything is quiet and normal… which is a change to how crazy everything has been. I pick up a few of the larger books lying around my room, then look out the window which is on the opposite side of the room where my bed has been new moved to, so I can look out the window while sitting or laying on it. The sun is setting behind the barn, and there are stars appearing high up in the sky.

"It's gorgeous…" I whisper to myself. I start thinking about showing Madison the constellations again, when my thoughts turn to summer nights laying in the bed of Darcy's old pick up truck in the field behind the barn to watch the stars again. I'm still dreaming of those nights when a voice interrupts my thoughts.

"I wish we could be there too. Those nights are always my favorite." I snap my head towards my bed where after blinking a few times to make sure I'm not dreaming, Darcy is laying.

"DARCY!" I yell, dropping the books I'd gather and rushing over, just in time for him to stand long enough to catch a hold of me, before falling backwards onto the bed.

"God, Jessie… I missed you so much. Thinking of you, those night and this moment… having you back in my arms…" He whispers to me, pulling me even closer and I bury my face in his neck. "They were the only thing that got me through my last final this morning at seven- thirty, an hour earlier than everyone else, because my professor is awesome and let me take my exam early when I told her I was planning to surprise my girlfriend and had to leave as soon as I could in order to get home to do so. They got me through a three- hour drive this afternoon. And it was so worth it."

"Really?" I ask, giggling.

Darcy nods. "Of course it was! Between finally getting to actually see you, and watching you kill your solo- "

I interrupt him, "That was you!?"

"You really think I was going to miss your senior recital where you have a solo?" He laughs, throwing his head backwards. "You were so amazing, Jess… I'm seriously so proud of you."

"I missed you so much… I'm so glad you got to be there. Even if I didn't know it."

Later that night, after the movie in the barn, Darcy and I, with Madison in tow, walked out to the pick up, where Madison and I jump in the bed of the truck. Darcy drove out to the middle of the field and then threw a few blankets onto the ground.

"Hey! Did you all really think you could go star gazing with out us?" Emma yelled, running over after jumping out of Stewart's car and plowing Darcy over in a hug.

"Of course not, we knew you all would follow." Madison tells them, laughing before joining Winky, Cassidy and Bailey in the bed of Owen Parkers truck.

"C'mon Jess, Let's go." Darcy says, tugging my braid to get my attention. He tugs me over to his truck and lifts me into the bed before jumping up himself and pulling me to his chest and looking up. I look at the groups of misfits laid out around me, our "crowd" as Emma would reference Betsy- Tacy", before just watch Darcy stare at the sky. "What? What are you thinking, Jessie?"

By now, everyone has quieted down, whispering to each other in hushed tones, no one paying attention to Darcy and I. I can see our parents all grouped together around a bonfire my dad and Mr. Parker started by the barn. I look at all my friends and smile.

"Just that, even though star- gazing in the summer with just you to start summer is one of my favorite things- sharing our tradition with our family, might not be such a horrible idea." I whisper to him. He smiles and lays down flatter on the bed of the truck, pulling me with him.

"You know, Jess… I think you just might be right." Kissing the top of my head and tugging my braid, Darcy hums against my scalp. I reach up and kiss his cheek and then his nose, our little joke.

"Welcome home, Darcy."

Hey Everyone!

So this is like the third time I've tried to upload this one-shot... I'm not sure what keeps happening, but hopefully it works this time! I've renamed this story, "Dog-Eared Moments" because when I like a moment of a book, I usually dog-ear the page so I can go back to it. I've also decided to make this not only a song-fic story, but a one-shot one as well. My ships are pretty cannon: Jess/Darcy, Cassidy/Tristan, Emma/Stewart, Megan/Simon, and Becca/Theo (though I'm not completely sure if they are cannon or not...), Mainly Jess/Darcy and Cassidy/Tristan.

So send in the Prompts!

Love, Love, Love

MiggieMoo2014