Happy new year!
I was so bad with updating any story during all of 2022. But now we've reached 2023. New year, new opportunities right?
I keep wondering if this story will end up having more chapters than secrets revealed that ended up with 93.
Anyway, here we go with the chapter that I haven't started yet while I'm writing this.
"Come on, come on girl."
We could bring Ariel home on Friday afternoon, three days after the meeting with the burglar and not even knowing if she was going to live until in the morning or not. Most of her was still covered in bandages and we were moving slowly, slowly. But anything just as long as my best friend was here with me.
"Now come on." I lifted her so she could lie on my bed. "Come here." I crawled up, sat with my back against the wall and then, for at least an hour I just sat there and stared, scratched Ariel through her thick, white fur and barely saw what I had in front of me.
"You know Ari, these past two weeks have been for friendship for the glee club." I told her for the thousandth time. "And I showed the others that song I sang for you during the night. "…Still…" I couldn't help but laugh just a little. "I think most people planned and had ideas and everything for the end of it. Because yesterday, Thursday and Today there were so many songs sung I can barely even remember them all…"
Flashback
"So, does anyone have any songs to do today or tomorrow?" Mr. Schue asked when we were gathered for the glee club on Thursday afternoon. "Okay, whoa. That's many of you…. Caroline? Why don't you go first?"
Caroline had been a part of the glee club since the beginning of the year and had been a part of it all. But still, while she was an amazing singer she was shy and hadn't done many singing. I had actually been quite surprised when she carefully raised her hand and now stood up.
"Go on honey." Aiden- her boyfriend encouraged her on the way out on the floor in front of the rest of us. "You can do it."
"Yes, well." Caroline played a bit with her hands in front of her. "I was actually thinking, that one person- the only person that we all really need are ourselves. But to do that, we also need friends to remind us of those things that this song is about. And I've really wanted to do this song for quite some time now because it's my favorite. I do get it if… people would think it's not a song for friendship week but well…"
All songs would be about what the person singing or only hearing, and I would have to say I understood what Caroline was saying. I was happy she did too, because she was singing it beautifully and I could listen to her voice all day.
"I do get what you mean Caroline." Mr. Schuester said once the song was over and she seemed to breathe out. "And a song is always what we think ourselves. You're right! Now…" We all clapped our hands for Caroline while she went to sit back down where Aiden laid his arm around her shoulders. "Who else had something to do?"
"I have one." Rafaél raised his hand. "But if there's someone else, I'd like to go last."
"There is- and we have a group." Aiden got up and Caroline shivered where she sat as if she was cold. "I, Johnny, Tyler and Connor…" The boys all got down in front of the rest of us. "So I guess I'll just explain it to everyone. These past two weeks have been… actually kind of sexist if you all get what I mean. Girls singing girls' songs, and the same with boys. And… we don't really have to go into that so much. But we got together, I, Johnny, Tyler and Connor and we wanted to do something else… girly if that's what you want to call it. But we're still a group and… we thought this would make a good result."
Johnny was working on his phone and a small, carriable speaker that he laid on the piano and then ran to stand next to Aiden by the end of the line. Where they still stood in couples, Tyler and Connor and Johnny and Aiden.
I could feel the hairs on my neck raising already at the point where Tyler sung the first line, then on towards the first half of the first verse.
I had heard this song quite a few times. Yet it wasn't until now, when Connor took the song for the second half of the first verse. The refrain came with speeding up and Tyler took it as a solo again and when the second verse came. Both Tyler and Connor silent and made room for the other two. And I could just see how they had all made it so simple.
Johnny was one of the best dancers of the whole glee club. And these our boys could easily have made a big number on the auditorium stage with a light show and several instruments. Now they had music playing karaoke, while Aiden sang the first half of the second verse and Johnny the next and they had split this part up in the same way that Tyler and Connor had before.
At no point in the song there were more than one person singing at once. And as everyone else knew, Connor was especially looking at Rafaél, Johnny at Alice, Tyler at Lex and Aiden at Caroline, But somehow they just made it work into one piece and I definitely wasn't the only one shivering before the end when Tyler took over again.
"Wow guys…" Mr. Schue said once they had finished, Johnny was taking his phone and small speaker back and they were soon to go back to their seats. "That was amazing. And you looked like you had so much fun doing it."
"We did…" Connor said while the other three too nodded agreeing. "I know, I wanted to sing that line about kaleidoscopes. My little brother has just had an actual kaleidoscope and he's so fascinated by it… That's why I wanted to sing that line about kaleidoscope. I was rehearsing in our room and Oliver just kept running around looking into his little toy and spinning it around."
"I actually didn't know you had a little brother," Aiden said. "How old?"
"Yep. As well as four sisters in between us, he's almost five."
"Having younger siblings really is something special." Amy said. "And you think they're annoying as heck but there's really nothing you wouldn't do for them." Connor nodded agreeing. "Now come on Rafaél. You had a song too didn't you?"
"I do…. But I'm not sure I want to go up doing a song right after them… Because no matter what I do there is no way I'll be anywhere near as good."
"Come on love." Connor sat back down and gave Rafaél a quick kiss on the lips. "It's not about who's better or worse. And it can never end up anything else than amazing as long as we're doing it together. Isn't that what we've learned for these past two weeks."
Rafaél didn't answer, but he did get up and take the few steps down onto the floor where he could turn so he was standing in front of all of the rest of us.
"Well, I can't do nothing else than agree but… to say first. I do have a little sister. Adelina. But I know it too. There's nothing I wouldn't do for her… But anyway. I asked her for help to pick a song. She wanted me to do a song called me and you from a T-show she watches but… It just didn't feel right so I asked her again… And I was thinking again, about the same as Aiden and the others, and also about what Caroline said yesterday… and well, so much that has been said these past two weeks… And I wanted to do something. It was a bit hard finding a right song when I didn't like the first one Adelina suggested. But then we agreed on this, I sang it to her about a billion times to know it was just the right one. And yes, it is typically sung by a woman but… Brian?" Rafaél looked back on the pianist. The latter, like so many times before laid his hands towards the piano keys.
There were only a few songs, then he started singing.
So many times I had had nightmares about being stuck in the dark. And this song could have been about something, someone could do- something Jonah, and my older brother had been for me during all of those nights.
You're my flashlight…
I couldn't help the tears that had started rising in my eyes. I sniveled, shook my head so my hair covered them streaming. But when I glanced towards my side where Jonah would have been sitting there of course was only an empty spot.
"Are you okay?"
I didn't realize how much I was crying until suddenly Lex laid her arm around my shoulders and she whispered something in my ear. I forced more sobs down my throat and raised slightly while I watched Rafaél do the rest of his song.
"If you want to I can explain later."
"Now that was really good too." Mr. Schue said once Rafaél had finished and sat back down. "Now, there is one single day of the last two weeks' theme. And I think someone can come up for that too. But either way, for tomorrow I want you all to take a listen to a song that really reminded me of why I set up this glee club from the start. And we'll meet tomorrow. And I don't want anyone to sing any parts or anything. Don't think about singing nicely. Just sing, as loud as you can and have as much fun as you can." Mr. Schue played a song he had heard on his phone.
"I think…" I whispered to Lex. "I just can't help but think of Jonah and he would have loved all of this."
End of flashback
"I've really learnt a lot these past two weeks." I told Ariel where she still laid on my bed. "About friendship… like, for my whole life Jonah's been my best friend. And I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that. But when Hannah moved away I really didn't have any friends at all through freshman year. And no matter what Jonah was just always there…"
When I looked towards Ariel and she looked back, I had a feeling she understood every word I said. Maybe, as a dog she understood more than myself.
"I've just learnt about all kinds of friends…" I said after a long while in silence. "…About yours and mine too… I know I sang that song for you that night. I sang it again in glee club. But there's another song I've wanted to sing all of this time. And it's about all kinds of friends really… But somehow you always need them…" I started singing, and in Ari's dark eyes it looked as if she was listening.
The gift of a friend…
At last, when I had finished the song I ended up only lying with my head to the side and a slight smile on my lips.
"Leah." I heard dad calling from outside my bedroom door. "Time for dinner. We've got your favorite, sushi."
"Oh well…" I would have liked to stay lying on my bed with Ariel, but could feel my stomach rumbling with hunger. "You gotta do what you gotta do…" With another slight smile I leaned forward and kissed Ariel on her wet, black nose. "…I love you Ari. You're my best friend and I hope you know that."
Flashback
HERE'S TO THE REST OF US…
At the beginning of the glee club rehearsal, in the auditorium on Friday morning, Mr. Schue stood in the chairs with a big smile on his face as if this song was just what he had wanted and imagined it. Maybe it really was!
Just like he had asked there were no parts in singing. We were no soprono's or alto's, no baritone's or base-voices. Everything we did, after so much had happened only since Christmas, were singing our hearts out and making sure we had as much fun as we possibly could.
It passed my mind how much Jonah would have loved being here. But then there was another voice in my head telling me about that even if he wasn't here and would never be again, it was okay for me to have fun and feel happy and to peace anyway.
And with that, for the first time in weeks I let go of the thought of Jonah and sang at the top of my lungs along with my friends around me. And it really did feel like the first time since Jonah died I didn't only have to glue a smile on my face.
"Wow, guys." Mr. Schue clapped his hands for us. "That was amazing. Just like I thought it should be but… wow! I don't think I could have imagined anything like that just… wow! Now come on guys. Come and sit down and I have to show you something I have done…"
We switched places, all of new directions came to sit down and Mr. Schue went down onto the stage where he grabbed a guitar, checked if it was tuned and then turned towards the lot of us again.
"Next week it will finally be time for one I've been planning since the beginning of this year. As you all know that when we started this year Moa and her family had just moved here. And I promised her that when it was time for her birthday, we'd do a week with Swedish songs. And to help us with that we have Moa… and of course, Google translate." He made a pause and let hear a short laughter from the rest of us when he got a guitar. "So… I was searching around for a song that would be a spoiler to the following week and I think… I think I found one."
Mr. Schuester started playing the guitar, then seemed quite nervous while he started singing. At first he looked towards Moa, as did I. Moa was smiling only slightly, but whatever she must be thinking I could only imagine.
There was always something special about listening to someone singing or talking in a language one didn't understand. I knew I didn't understand a word from it, but still Moa- or anyone did whose first language was Swedish and for them it was obvious what every word meant.
"Wow…" When Mr. Schue finished, obviously Moa was the first one to say something. "If I didn't know this song, or knew it was in Swedish there would be no way for me to know that was actually Swedish… And I have a feeling that is the way it's going to be a lot during the nearest few days." It was only quiet for a few seconds. But as usual Teeghan was the one that didn't have anything good to say about it.
"How are we even going to succeed of having a week of songs in a language we don't understand… don't even say what you're thinking Moa. I mean mean, as usual I'm the only one who's saying what everyone else are thinking. And I think this idea of doing songs in some language none of us understands is stupid."
"I understand it!"
"Of course you do. But you're only one, and…" Teeghan gestured towards Mr. Schuester. "…If you haven't noticed already the rest of us will just…. We don't understand. How can we even know what the songs we're singing are about. And not all of us are about to use hours and hours the whole week, with Google translate or whatever. At least I don't…"
"I do." As usual, Teeghan and Lex were sworn enemies and Lex wasn't afraid of showing that. "…This will be fun!"
"Really?" Teeghan snorted. "I guess even more fun than that song we did, that just made us sound like even bigger losers than we already are."
End of flashback
It was when I was on my way from my room and the kitchen table that my phone beeped with a message from Lex. And while I sank down on a chair I read it and ignored what I knew my parents thought about me bringing the phone to the table.
I get it if you want to be alone some after everything that's happened. But maybe I can come over some tomorrow? Mum and dad will be away and I will be bored. And I also have a song I wanted to sing to you now, before we're moving onto the Swedish week.
Still, without minding the looks mum gave me I pressed to answer to her message.
Of course you can come over. See you then.
Ariel came to lie down by my chair, I leaned down and stroke her as hard as I possibly could. She might be home now but she would be covered in bandages for quite a while.
"Leah!" Mum scolded when I took the phone again, when I didn't say anything she stood and grabbed the phone from my hand. "That's it! The phone has no place by the dinner table." She disappeared out of my sight. I didn't answer. "Now." She came and sat down by the table again "and neither does the dog! Now eat!"
"Lex wondered if she can come over tomorrow. I told her she can."
"Shouldn't you have asked us before giving her an answer?"
"I'm not a child. I don't need rule or a curfew about who I can be with and when. If you don't want us here then we'll just go to hers instead or somewhere else…. Where there's no one there who judges her like you do."
Mum didn't answer, but that spoke enough about what she thought.
"Now…" I got up and grabbed my cutlery to put it in the dishwasher. "I'm not very hungry… By the way. If there's anything that the two past weeks in glee club has taught me it's all about friends. And I didn't before, then I certainly won't now, stand up for her. Because no matter what your problem with Lex is, that's nothing you've had with Hannah or Jack."
I went back into my room where my phone laid on the desk and checked on a group message that had come from Moa.
I don't care whatever Teeghhan think of next week's theme. I've been waiting for it all year. And the past two weeks have taught us all what voices really do matter.
I can't wait for this weekend to be over.
If anyone wants translations of the Swedish songs that will be used here. Then please write it in a review or a PM and I'll send them.
Playlist (I might have had a bit of too many ideas for this)
Caroline: Who you are- Jessie J
Boys: Stand by you- Rachel Platten
Adelina's idea: Me and you- Austin and Ally
Rafaél: Flashlight- Jessie J
Leah: Gift of a friend- Demi Lovato
Group reminding of the glee club: Rest of us- Simple Plan
Mr. Schuester: Det finaste någon kan få- Molly Sandén (The best that anyone can have)
Random fact
It took me all the time into February. But now finally all my stories have been updated.
