I'm slightly quicker at updating this time, simply because I wanted to get this done.
Thanks to kamikaze-djali and Anony mouse101 for your reviews.
Quasi didn't let go of my hand throughout the ride there. Dez glanced at us a few times, taking in our clasped hands and the enormous jumper I hadn't been wearing before, but didn't try to bring anything up. She and her mum talked about instruments, and I put in a few words now and then, just so she wouldn't wonder what was wrong with us. When we picked up Em and Bex, the car filled with mindless chatter and kept us from being the focal point of conversation. They greeted Quasi warmly and then talked about unimportant things, trying to distract Dez's mum from the fact that I very probably had a boyfriend. As she was good friends with my mother, it wasn't in my best interests for her to know about us yet. She did try to get Quasi talking for a little while until I explained that he was nervous about his performance and was a bit distracted. She left him alone after that.
I don't think he heard a word about anything from anyone the whole time, not even when we arrived at the school, thanked Dez's mum, and headed to the art room to get our guitars. When the door shut behind us, I fell against it and let out a breath, dropping Quasi's hand to run my fingers through my hair. My heart was starting to slow down and my mental confusion was starting to dissipate. I could almost think clearly again. While Quasi wandered aimlessly over to a chair, I took a couple of deep breaths and held my hands up in front of me, checking for injuries.
The red marks caused by Frollo's grip on my arms had almost faded, and though one of my wrists was a bit sore, it didn't feel bad enough to affect my playing. The back of my head still ached from when he pulled my hair, and I had a bump on my scalp where I had hit the wall that stung when I pressed it, but these things were pretty minor. I think my only problem at that point twas shock. I was sure I was supposed to feel a lot more emotion about beating up my boyfriend's father and helping to liberate him from tyranny, but maybe that would come later. Everything else seemed to be OK. Satisfied, I pulled a chair next to Quasi and touched his shoulder.
"Hey. How's it going?"
He blinked, tried to say something, and shook his head, and I sighed and brushed my fingers over his cheek. He looked up and met my eyes, skin growing warm under my touch, and I almost leaned in for a kiss before remembering why we were here.
"Are you injured?"
"Um.." He looked at his arms, frowning in confusion, and I shook my head. He looked totally spaced out, and I could just imagine the conflict that was going on in his mind. He had just done the unthinkable, and now everything must've felt surreal.
I squeezed his hand, trying to bring his mind into the now. "Hey, you. Are you hurt?"
"I-I don't think so." He shook his head, eyes coming back into focus, and he looked at me, still looking stunned. "I-I can't..."
"Yes?" I prodded.
He took a deep breath and let it out. "I-I can't believe I did that. I can't..." He shook his head again, and I leaned forward and rested my forehead against his, stopping the movement.
"But you did. You stood up to him and made him listen to you. You defended me, which was awesome. And now he's gone. He can never hurt you again, because you did a very brave thing and stopped him. You did that. You should be proud of yourself."
"Y-you..." He cleared his throat. "You helped. I-I wouldn't have b-been able to do it without you."
"Well... yeah." I wanted to tell him that it was all him, but I had to admit that I did help a lot. Not wanting to dwell on it anymore, I pulled away and stood up. "Come on. We should get to the hall."
He nodded slowly and straightened up. "Ok."
We grabbed our guitars and headed to the hall. I wanted to walk slowly, enjoy a spontaneous moonlit stroll while i had the chance, but the concert had already started with the junior band, and arriving after the start time wasn't looked upon favourably. So we hurried, and I found myself humming along to the tune they were playing as we slipped in the backstage door and grabbed a loose program.
One of the backstage students, a bored-looking senior with a clipboard, approached us, and I had a quick chat to him about our performance and times, and he suggested that I take off my jumper, as the lights onstage put out a lot of heat. I did, and we talked for a bit about the possibility of going back out at the end if the other solo guy didn't show up, and then I came back to Quasi to give him a run-down.
"Alright, so the juniors have 3 more songs, then the strings ensemble have 4, and then it's us before the intermission. Not the best slot, since everyone's hanging on for a break by then, but it is what it is. Do you want to practice a bit?"
He nodded, and we found a corner where we wouldn't be bothered and started to play. Only bits and pieces, the harder parts like quick changes and the chords I still had trouble stretching my hands around. Our practice had gone extremely well earlier that afternoon, so I was confident in our abilities. I just hoped Quasi wouldn't be too distracted when we got up there.
When we'd figured everything out and run through the song once, we found some seats off to the side and just relaxed and listened to the performances. Well, I say relaxed, but cringed is probably a better word. It wasn't every song, just some of them, but I wasn't a big fan of school orchestras. Especially strings. Multiple violins, cellos and double-basses in the hands of 11-15 year olds sounded more like loud, buzzing insects than instruments for beautiful music. But maybe that was too harsh- these kids practiced more than we did and put a lot of effort into their pieces. I knew that more than anybody- Angie had been playing violin since she was 7, and at 13 she was only now starting to sound listenable.
I suddenly came back to earth when the violins played a particularly loud note. My heart gave a great thump as I realised exactly why I was here. I was about to go on stage, in front of a few hundred people... And I was going to sing and play an instrument. This was bad. I couldn't put myself out there like that. I just knew that I would go out there and make a fool out of myself. Not that I cared what other people thought of me. Much. Oh who was i kidding- of course I did. I was going to look like such an idiot. I couldn't do this. I couldn't do it. I could-
No. Stop it. You can do this.
No, I really can't.
Do you realise how pathetic you sound?
I scowled. Sod off.
Didn't you just have this conversation with Quasi?
But-
Didn't you just manage to convince him to do the thing he was terrified of?
Yeah, but-
You told him he could do anything if he believed in himself.
This is different.
Right, because singing on a stage is so much scarier than what you just went through.
I... Well... You have a point.
Stop being such a baby. It's money-where-your-mouth-is time.
I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, trying to settle the butterflies.
"Are you OK?"
I nodded and opened my eyes, smiling weakly at Quasi. "Yeah. Everything's just become very real, is all. How are you doing?"
"I... I'm OK." He looked down at his guitar, nodding slowly. "I'm OK."
"Are you scared? Of going onstage?" I guess I just wanted a reassurance that I wasn't alone in this.
"Are you?"
Hell yes. "A bit."
"A little," he agreed. "But, uh... you're here. As long as you're with me, I know it will be OK."
I don't think I was mentally prepared for an answer like that. I looked at him, dumbstruck, and he held my gaze without fear, something that I wouldn't have thought he would ever be able to do after such a speech. I don't think I had ever wanted to kiss him more than in that moment. And I think he knew it, whether he had read my mind, was able to pick up on really subtle body language, or was thinking the same thing, because his eyes flicked over my lips and he started to lean in, just slightly. My heart skipped a beat and I leaned in too, desperate to close the distance between us but not wanting to move too fast. We were only inches apart when the violins finished with a flourish and the senior called our names, and I stopped and nudged him with an embarrassed grin. "You're so cheesy."
He shyly returned my smile, and we stood up, listening for the announcement. We could hear the vice-principle thanking the strings group for their performances and telling the audience that there was one more act before intermission, and then the senior clapped me on the shoulder and gave me a little push towards the stage entrance.
I squeezed Quasi's hand and whispered, "Ready?"
He nodded. "Ready."
I steeled myself and walked out to the stage, blinking as the light focused on us and we found the microphones. Waves of people stared at us as we straightened our guitar straps and positioned our fingers on the strings. My heart was hammering so hard i was worried the microphones would pick it up, but as I looked out at the audience, I caught sight of Dez at the back of the hall, and Em and Bex somewhere in the middle, all waving and giving me thumbs up, and i realised it was going to be fine. I could do this.
I leaned into my mic and let my eyes roam over the many faces looking up at me. "Hi, everyone. I, uh, just wanted to say a few words before we start. Some of you here might not be aware, but there have been a lot of changes this year. So much stuff has happened and I won't go into all of it now, but I want you guys to remember the last time someone was up on this stage. Think about what happened, how certain people were treated, and how things have been since then. And I want all of you who were ever bullied, laughed at, teased, or beaten up to think of tonight when things get tough. Don't live in fear, hoping what happened up here in September won't happen to you. Remember us, up here tonight, and don't give up. Because this song is for you. It's not just about love- its about change. Never give up hope that things will change for you like some things have changed this year. Don't give up." I smiled and glanced at Quasi, who was watching me with shining eyes. "Never give up. You are worth it."
I had run out of things to say, so I took a moment to center myself. Then, with a deep breath, I nodded to Quasi, and struck the first chord.
"All I knew
This morning when I woke
Is I know something now, know something now I didn't before
And all I've seen
since 18 hours ago
is green eyes and freckles and your smile-" I paused for a millisecond to wink at Quasi.
"In the back of my mind making me feel like,
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now..."
At this point, Quasi jumped in quietly, just loud enough to be heard underneath my vocals.
"I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know, you know you know you..."
And because I was a soppy romantic who applied everything in songs to real life, my mind started making connections to us as we sang. Memories and disjointed comments brought themselves up without my permission with every phrase.
"Cause all I know is we said hello," our first conversation...
"And your eyes look like coming home," I could spend hours staring at them...
"All I know is a simple name," simple like Kaz?
"Everything has changed," oh yes it has...
"All I know is you held the door," remember when he held the door open for you when you were running from Esme? Cause I do...
"You'll be mine and I'll be yours," remember that beautiful scene in the library?
"All I know since yesterday," well, a bit longer than yesterday...
"Is everything has changed."
I took a step back and smiled encouragingly at Quasi, and he closed his eyes and stepped forward to sing his part.
"And all my walls stood tall painted blue
But I'll take them down, take them down and open up the door for you
And all I feel in my stomach is butterflies, the beautiful kind
Making up for lost time, taking flight, making me feel like..."
He visibly relaxed as I joined in again.
"I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you, know you know you
'Cause all I know is we said hello
And your eyes look like coming home
All I know is a simple name,
everything has changed
All I know is you held the door
You'll be mine and I'll be yours
All I know since yesterday
is everything has changed."
We had been turning slightly, just slightly, as we sang, and by the time the bridge came around, we were facing and basically singing to each other.
"Come back and tell me why
I'm feeling like I've missed you all this time
And meet me there tonight
And let me know that it's not all in my mind..."
I stared into his eyes and quirked a smile as I sang by myself.
"I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you, know you, know you..."
He jumped in enthusiastically, finally starting to look comfortable in front of everyone. Maybe staring into my eyes helped. I don't know, I don't want to sound vain. Whatever. But it was beautiful.
"Cause all I know is we said hello
And your eyes look like coming home
All I know is a simple name,
everything has changed
All I know is he held the door
You'll be mine and I'll be yours
All I know since yesterday
is everything has changed."
I took the last verse, unable to keep the grin off my face, which was annoying since it affected the way I sang. But I was too happy to care too much about it.
"All I know is we said hello
So dust off your highest hopes
All I know is pouring rain
And everything has changed
All I know is a new found grace
All my days, I'll know your face
All I know since yesterday..."
Quasi leaned in and harmonized with me.
"Is everything has changed."
The last note was held a little longer, the last chord was struck, and we stared into each other's eyes, a little out of breath, as the silence took the place of our music.
And then, the hall erupted with sound.
I had never heard such applause. We stood on that stage, staring at each other, wondering if all that noise was for us and thanking the heavens that it was over, until the vice-principle came back on the stage and thanked us enthusiastically for our wonderful performance. I suppose that was our cue to leave, as he then went on to point out the food stands at the back of the hall and encouraged everyone to spend all of their money, and reminded them of the upcoming raffle, and dismissed them to go enjoy their intermission. But even as some people started to move around and talk and socialise, many continued to clap and whoop and whistle. It was surreal, to have that many people show appreciation for something I had done, and I realised that I had been an idiot. There had never been anything to worry about. I was much better than I had given myself credit for, and I needed to start believing in myself, just I had told Quasi to. As for him, he looked just as bewildered as I felt, but gradually he began to smile as the clapping and general noise faded into conversations and movement, and as we stepped away from the microphones, he beamed at me joyfully.
"That... was awesome."
I took off my guitar and threaded my arm through his, giving it a squeeze. "That it was, Kaz. That it was."
I almost kissed him again. As we made our way out the backstage door, accepting compliments from staff as we did, I almost convinced myself to jump up and sweep him off his feet with a dizzying smooch. But just when I had gotten the nerve, 3 very familiar voices started shrieking at us, and we were enveloped by hugs from 3 pairs of arms.
"You were great! You were awesome! Didn't we say you'd be awesome?"
"I loved it! I didn't know you could sing like that!"
"Your playing has gotten so good!"
"I'm so proud of you!"
"Thanks, you guys." I beamed at them, feeling light. "It was fun." I nudged Quasi. "See, told you. Everyone loved you."
He shook his head. "They loved you. They stared at me."
"And then they clapped for you. Give yourself some credit. Give yourself... twelve percent of the credit."
Em snorted, understanding the reference immediately, while Quasi looked quizzical. "Twelve percent?"
"An arguement can be made for fifteen." All 3 of them were laughing now, and I chuckled and patted his arm. "It's a movie reference. In all seriousness, you should take at least fifty percent of the credit, since you sang half the song. What were you saying earlier about not being able to do it yourself?"
"I... guess."
"Good enough. Now, I'm starving. Let's go get some cake before we have to sit down again."
All 5 of us left to find the food table, and soon Dez left to join the band backstage, and we found some seats just as the vice-principle started calling everyone back.
The rest of the concert was great. Sometime during the third musical number, the boy with the clipboard came to find us and explained that the last act of the night wasn't coming, and would we like to take their place? I knew that in terms of a solo act, Quasi would probably be better received than me, as he possessed most of the talent in our duo; and when I said so, it only took the duration of one more song to convince him. I was surprised, actually, by how easy it was. So I gave him a kiss, suggested a song, and let the backstage guy lead him away.
For the next 20 minutes, I focused as much as I could on Dez and the band members. It wasn't too hard, as the program included music from some of my favorite musicals and movie soundtracks, but I was more excited for the end, which made me feel like a terrible friend. I managed to pay attention the whole time, though, so I didn't miss the awesome saxophone solo or the vice-principle jumping up onstage to do an impromptu tap-dance. He was hilarious in his serious grey suit and obvious toupee, dancing lightly across the stage like an overgrown bird, but the laughter he caused was surprised and appreciative, not mocking. I clapped as hard as anyone else when he got down, grinning and wiping his brow, and wished for the umpteenth time in my life that I had learnt how to tap-dance.
And then, the band left, the end was announced, and Quasi walked out onstage. I felt as well as heard the audience hush around me. I found myself digging my nails into my palms and forced myself to relax as he stood in front of the microphone, adjusted his guitar, and closed his eyes. The spotlight found him, bathed him in yellow brightness which highlighted his every imperfection in front of everyone. And then, his fingers strummed the guitar, and he started to sing. And everyone forgot about anything that made them stare before, because the most beautiful rendition of "Everybody Hurts" was coming out of his mouth and floating though the air and twisting around our heads and flowing through our ears like molten honey. Except honey doesn't go in ears and this was much sweeter.
Quasi sang, and I cried like the sap I was and mouthed the words with him.
"Sometimes everything is wrong
Now it's time to sing along
When your day is night alone
If you feel like letting go
If you think you've had too much
Of this life, well hang on..."
Quasi's fingers never faltered, his voice never shook, and he even opened his eyes halfway through the song. He looked right at me, and I smiled real wide and sang the words back at him. By the end of the song, everyone was singing along and swaying.
"Well, everybody hurts sometimes
Everybody cries
Everybody hurts sometimes
And everybody hurts sometimes
So hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on
Everybody hurts."
He stopped and let out a big breath, stepping back as the audience erupted in applause. I don't know how long it lasted, because I left my seat and ran out of the hall and around to the backstage door to wait for him to come out. When he did, I threw my arms around him and did what I had been wanting to do since forever. I kissed him.
And it was every bit as good as I had imagined it to be.
Edit- Yeah so I added the bits in that I wanted. Hope you like :)
Most of this chapter was spur of the moment. It also feels a bit rushed. Next will be more detailed... and the last.
That's right- if the story decides to work with me, the next chapter will be the last one. We are nearly finished. I don't know how to feel about that.
Drop a line and let me know what you think :)