I do not own Nashville all rights belong to the ABC NCNT.
We're now in chapter 4, and the story is just getting heated up. The Music Prodigy chapter was so big. I had to separate it into two chapters. I hope I don't have to do that again but I think I don't have to. I think I can get everything in two chapters and we'll get to the good meat part of the story all right then.
Let us begin this chapter.
This chapter is the second part of the last one The Music Prodigy Girl our main character Caroline is down to discover, more of her musical talent.
We also ate her up to 16 the school made some promise to give her what she wanted finding her birth family as well which won't be for a while.
It will help more with her musical talents. We're up to the age. We need her to be there for at least a little while. She won't age for a while yet so we'll eat up to 16 and then we won't eat out till later. . which would be 18 so we'll get to that soon enough but not yet.
Here's what the story is gonna be about or this chapter so let's begin.
a few years later
It is now I am 16 and I am huge now not huge, not big but as in the school and popularity I hardly ever go home anymore. Well, I still have to even though I don't want to it's required. And the things I've done are still the same it's illegal for me to live at school so I had to so I still had to go home every weekend to deal with my evil family. I never tell them about my music endeavors or anything that I'm involved in.
They say it's a waste of time except for my academics and I'm not good that way I guess my grades but that's about it pretty much.
So at school, I inherited my talent even more at 14, and at 13 or so I started choir. I started the band at 14 I played guitar and piano for my two main instruments. I still took acquire lessons piano lessons and private guitar lessons. My songwriting increased, and I was getting better at that .
The school did not teach me how to song write songs so I wrote my own and I'd prefer them at talent shows instead of singing popular songs. I still played popular songs, though a talent show or not talent shows sometimes if I didn't feel like writing my own for the talent show I would do that, I'd think popular songs were very popular songs for recitals but they wouldn't talk about that at my IEP. They talked about my academic things over the phone with my parents saying that I was somewhat improving.
Somewhat, they said we wanna know if she is like your school is benefiting. Our daughter will still take her out and bring her back to her public school.
And wait and you can waste all your good and precious things and best things on someone else I'll talk. I would not talk about my music stuff on my Centrex. I'll talk about what I've done an independent living in the dorms not about me hanging out and socializing with friends or how great I was thriving in an environment I would lie and say I wasn't doing well at all, and then I was lonely and scared.
Do you want us to come get you? They would ask no I said I'm fine. I'll make friends. I said I couldn't tell them that I had a boatload of friends already and then I wasn't coming home this weekend because I had a choir trip I couldn't tell them that I just told him I wasn't coming home this weekend that's why school activity I said. Face off that you're in too many activities. They said dial them back a bit so you can come home they said.
No, the real reason you want me home I said is because you wanna keep me intact we just miss you they said you don't miss me. I said we're happy that you're succeeding at least in your academic studies they said and your independent living they said that's more important than any activity.
And I would just say yes, agreed I guess but I would never say the I guess part I didn't want him to hear the sarcasm in my voice about it after my Centrex call I would go off to go hang out with my friends and tell them all about how awful my phone calls homework. They said don't worry about it and your choir trip is coming so you'll get to go on the choir trip I smiled no I need to go on this choir trip .
I got to perform in front of a lot of people with a group of people which was nice for a weekend. I got to spend with them at school while they waited. We went on this choir trip. Sometimes we had them during the weekdays where we could leave and go, but sometimes we did them on weekends too where I did to stay on campus with my friends.
It was great. It was a rare opportunity. My musical talent got stronger and more nurtured in my performances in my voice classes got stronger as well. My piano skill was flawless guitar just as much.
But I couldn't let my family know about this as I got better. My confidence also grew on stage. Sometimes my voice teacher or my choir teacher would take me off campus alone for singing competitions, and I would succeed. I felt good about myself and every performance that I had besides just small talent show performances or choir performances or band performances or talent shows was bigger.
It's not that I didn't study my actual work. I did do OK and my actual studies too. I made time to study. I had quiet hours and time to study and I did OK in my schoolwork I had good friends to hang out with when I wasn't doing music things I played with my friends we played cards or other games together. Watch TV together or listen to music together. It made me feel better that I had friends who supported and loved me and cared about me for me and not just for what I could do with my life.
They told me I'll be going places where I'll be doing things. I smiled knowing that that would be the case they would say Caroline you're awesome. Keep it up and I would smile.
During course performances and things when we were not doing anything, I would host dance parties with my friends. We have free rain at the school so we can use the playroom or one of the other rooms in the main school building and I'd have a big dance party they were huge and they were so much fun.
We'd all take turns playing DJ or we would just dance around the room the school had a radio station so I decided to join and become part of the radio station as well. That was nice that they let me join the radio station and have my voice heard. DJ would be fun too if I can't get into actual singing maybe I can take broadcasting as well that'll help too.
That made me smile. I had a great time. My talent was strong. I was strong, but one time was at one of my competitions that wasn't through choir or band, but through my voice teacher, who took me on one of these competitions, voice singers get to go on these competitions get to try out for mid-state or Allstate choirs I was so happy and I would get the tryout for Allstate or even state choir. I was filling up with excitement. This was a big opportunity for me. I was in the newly formed coral ensemble, who went on all these trips as well.
A new climbing, the musical ladder wasn't gonna be easy work, but I knew what I was doing, and I was backstage at one of my midstate or Allstate tryouts with my voice teacher you got this she said, take a deep breath in and out she said in and out I breathed in and out preparing myself for this competition as always confident and I was a brilliant singer so I didn't have anything to worry about.
And this wasn't my first competition and she told me I'll probably get into more competitions throughout my life. I walked out onto the stage to perform in front of the all-state choir and sang my heart out choir teacher said it was OK if I didn't make it the first time there were plenty of other times when I could make it state or Allstate choir.
I joined band competitions, but this wasn't one of those competitions. This was a great performance I wasn't nervous obviously, and I saw one of my favorite songs, and I sang it well and flawlessly, but I looked out into the crowd and saw my parents. What are they doing here? How do they know about my competition? They weren't invited either so I don't know why they were here.
After I finished, the audience clapped except them and the choir all-state choir also clapped and gave me a standing elevation and said that I had made it into the land deliberately, but they would let me know if I made it to Allstate choir, and it could acquire me if they use their performance of what I did to get into midstate that made me happy too. I didn't have to come back to another competition later.
My teacher said I did a good job gave me a pat on the back and said you did good now we just have to find out if you made it just don't be disappointed. If you didn't I nodded and smiled. I knew if I didn't make it there's another chance I knew that too.
This was before they came up with their verdict if I made it or not, and my parents came into my dressing room I was nervous as they walked in. Oh, there you are, dear. My mother said let's go home now. Why are you here? I asked to take you home my father said keep me for making a fool of yourself. I'm about to become part of one of the biggest choirs in all of fire history I said I make Midstate or Allstate choir. It'll be a big step in my career. It's the first time I've talked about music in front of them in a while because we were at a music competition. We can tell that the school is a bad influence on you, dear. It's time to go home. No, I said I'm not leaving my school. I'm not leaving TSB and I'm not leaving my friends that I have made and I'm not going back to being nothing and nobody who wears poor clothing. I deserve nice things and a nice life. I said no you don't. They said you're blind you deserve poor, pitiful, rags because that's what you are. You're nothing they said only the bare necessities are all you get and even that ain't much they said.
Also, you're only 16. You don't get to have any say you're not an adult yet I will be in two years. I said I'll be 18 and I'll be able to make my own decisions. I'll get to make my own decision soon. I said when I turn 18, I will get to decide if I wanna graduate from here from TSB or stay till 22 years old and I might stay longer I don't know, but whatever I choose I can make that decision on my own. No, they said once you graduated 18 you're graduating at 18 they said you're not gonna stay on you're graduating and that's that.
Also, I said I'm gonna search for my birth parents. Their faces were shocked. Where are your parents? You adopted me I said I'm gonna find my real parents. I said again, my birth parents didn't want you so why would you think you'd search for them and think they want you back they said they got rid of you. They didn't wanna burden. I wasn't blind when they took me When they sent me away. I said so there's no count in that I said again.
My mother reached down and tore a piece of fabric for my dress. This is high-quality fabric. She said how dare you wear something so lavish she signaled for her husband to tear the other part of the dress, tearing another piece until the bottom half of my dress was gone. This wasn't the dress I wore for choir so this made me mad if it was a school's dress then I'd be mad, but it was a stress at the school did purchase so that made me mad too, but they destroyed that beautiful dress.
They spent time in the dressing room, tearing my dress to pieces saying that I was in rags now and no one wanted me now that I was a dirty, filthy girl being blind, and all I deserved to wear a rags my dress was cut, not cut. Oh yes, it was besides ripping. They used scissors and cut parts of my dress saying it was too long and I wanted it shorter eventually it was short way above my knees, and half the whole bottom of the dress was gone have you known shame? I said you destroyed my dress it's just a dress. They said let's rag in your hair too. Mother said she cut my hair down too and let's wipe away all your makeup. Father said as he took all my makeup off. This is what you look like. I can't wait for you to go back after there when they say you won and then they look at you and then say you haven't they said, they taunted me .
I started to cry you are just cruel. I said what if I present how cool my parents are in front of everyone how would you feel we don't care they said we don't care if you do that please don't though they said even if we don't care we do care our reputations are on the line. Yeah OK, I said.
They hit me my teachers watched, and in the doorway of my dressing room they washed as my dress was torn to pieces or cut to pieces they washed my beautiful hair, and my beautiful brown gold hair fell to the ground watched as they wiped all the makeup from my face and tore my beautiful dress they listened and all everything that they were saying about me my teacher started to cry. My voice teacher was in tears. She was in tears. She was coming to say that the judges were ready to see me and then they burst in how dare you my voice teacher said how dare you dress a tear-up dress we bought for her why would you care? They said she didn't deserve luxury she deserved to come home and be in rags no my voice teacher said this is enough we saw and heard everything. This is how you treat her. My mother nodded. Yes, my mother said my father agreed how dare you interrupt our private family time I think this is a waste of time we're gonna take our daughter home now.
No, my teacher said she had to get out there and in a minute to get me judged for what she's her vocal performance, my parents my mother grabbed one hand. My teacher grabbed the other. I said Mother I'm not coming back with you. I'm not going back with you and Father I don't care what you all do, but I'm not involved in it. I'm gonna find my biological parents. Why would you think they want you? They said they got rid of you. I'm gonna find them anyway. I wanna know for myself And if they don't want me then I'll find someone else who will be better suited to keep me as their own and 18 I'm gonna make my own decisions. Mother slapped me. She walked up and slapped me across both cheeks. How dare you how dare you mention your biological parents in front of us the ones who raised you from a baby.
Does that make you my parents? I said now that I'm 16 I can speak up for myself. I'm not 12. I'm not 13. I am 16 two years away from being 18 to 2 years away from making my own decisions now I can make them. And this is what I want.
I deserve what I deserve and you deserve what you deserve for abusing me. You deserve to go to jail Mom Dad you deserve to go to jail for abuse I said for child abuse.
Mr. and Mrs. Rose my choir teacher and voice teacher said we have the evidence we recorded everything we have the evidence to file against you for a report for abusing your daughter right here in a public place that's outside of school. You can't file charges. My mother said I can we can my voice and mute voice teacher, and the choir teacher said you physically abused your daughter by tearing her dress and cutting her hair without her consent we saw you hit her face we saw. I've heard everything you said about her and her birth parents. We'll figure out a way to keep her safe, but we will contact the state and for our time until we find her birth parents she will be in custody of the state she will become aware of the state at least until we find her parents, her birth parents. You'll have no obligation to her. She will never come home with you back to wherever you came from, we thought a guardian who will take care of her temporarily until we can find someone for her until we find her birth parents. If we can get her back with her birth parents before she's 18 that would be great. I thought back to my birth tears before I was 18 years old. I smiled knowing that I could be back with my birth parents, and they could bring me to school, but I knew that wasn't gonna happen.
They told me not to worry and that they would be with a good guardian who would keep me safe. They will keep me safe until I end school and then I can be free to do whatever I'd like I smiled that I could be taken care of until I can do whatever I want. I hugged my teachers close. I started to cry. It's OK. They said we saw how your parents are they're cruel monsters U2 will be filed for child abuse to be put into prison. They said you won't be allowed to foster any more children. We knew you all were in foster care so you will no longer foster any more children Either.
Both my teachers took my hands and told my parents to get out and leave this competition. They said fine but you'll be hearing from our lawyers. You'll be hearing from ours too and the person that we're gonna take her to for child safety services. Also, we will find her a guardian. It'll take care of her. They said they took me out to my parents to leave then without a nowhere, they pulled out a new dress that was hidden in my dressing room closet. They got me out of the tater dress and into the better new dress they couldn't do anything about my hair. It wasn't so bad they said, brushing it and trying to style it we can make it look cute they said but my hair I said they cut off my braids. It's OK. They said it's just hair. It'll grow back. They said well make sure it's styled and cute. They washed my face redid my makeup up and put more makeup over the bruises on my face my tears stained my face as well over my eyes and things to make me look pretty again come on they said as they took me out they were ready for you.
I walked down on stage, guarded by my two lovely teachers as the judges looked at me. They left me in the middle of the stage for a while. We listened to your beautiful voice, a judge said, and we agreed that you shall be part of our choir, you should be part of at least Allstate choir. They said not that you're not good enough for all Midstate but I needed to try out again for Midstate choir once you enter Allstate choir, they said you're gonna go far they said coming up and congratulating me. You don't hate it about my appearance. I asked it's about your voice. They said not your appearance even though appearance does play apart you look pretty even with your hair short the judge said I think it looks cute. You'll stand out they said I smiled. I had the judge and then I had my teachers and then I went back to school. I was now part of a mistake in Allstate choirs.
And I went back to school to share the good news with my friends. They were happy for me and I was happy too. I was also happy that I would be taken out of this awful home and given to a foster family or at least a guardian that'll take care of me until I'm 18 or whatever how long I wanna stay in school for that made me happy to no more abuse no more anything.
I was getting better and better at music. I was now this big prodigy and people loved me. I was a start school. I was a celebrity. Everyone loved me and I loved everyone too especially my friends my choir friends, and my band friends. And even my classmates who became my friends.
I went from a girl and rags to like a Cinderella after some time not quite the type of Cinderella that was saved by a prince, but was gonna be saved by a new family released a guardian.
I cried tears of joy because I was happy for the first time in a long time I was happy and now I was gonna search for my birth family, I don't know how well successful I'd be, but at least I'd be given to a guardian who will protect me at least try to protect me.
I had no more Centrex calls or IEP meetings, cause I had no family to answer to. I haven't been given to a new guardian yet, but my parents were given to jail for custody. I testified in court against them and they were sentenced to jail to prison for child abuse and their license to adopt or foster children was revoked. It was taken from them. They were no longer allowed to do that practice ever again throwing another child in their mats to take care of like this.
They asked is this what you want Caroline yes I said this is what I want. This is what I want for my future. I said I don't want you in it and I will find me a new guardian who will take care of me. I am now in the custody of the state, I said I am now awarded the state and I don't mind that my last name will not be Rose. I said right now I have no last name or are they gonna put it on your graduation certificate when you graduate what are they gonna put on your diploma just Caroline I said and whatever my middle name is they might put Rose just for conversation I said, but I'm not part of your family or whoever my guardian's last name will be that's the name that'll be on my certificate on my diploma, I said.
You're making a big mistake. My parents said I don't care if I am I said I don't care if I'm making a big mistake. I don't care I said again this is what I want from my life. I am still old enough to make my own decisions even if I'm not an adult I can make some decisions at 16 and this is one of them.
Then I walked out of that courtroom with the state people with me don't worry here we'll find you a good guardian to take care of you. I smiled OK and I walked out with my head held high, knowing that my future was bright.
I got into the state car and was gone back to school where I felt the safest.
Out of a family of loveless, it was loveless a loveless family, and I didn't wanna be in it, but I was glad they were going to prison. They were sentenced today they're sentenced to prison for child abuse, and they were both taken away to their respective prisons. And if they ever did get out, they would not be allowed to adopt any more children or foster any more children.
But I was free and that was all that mattered. I was happy now and that's gonna stay that way.
I was a prodigy in music and that was good too, and that helped me along as well.
ending here
In this chapter, I hope you enjoy it. I gave it a little drama with her parents. I think it was fun. There'll be some more drama about her recent parents, but also other things too. The stories are just getting heated up and the reason I did this is because I want her adoption through being put in a state thing will be just as important as being with her family. I'll give her one step closer to finding her birth parents and I know you're rooting for Caroline so let's see what happens in chapter 5, but that won't be for a while but I hope you enjoy chapter 4 the music project the music prodigy part four I hope you enjoy it. It has more detail about her music progress and I thought it was fun so join me in chapter 5, and I'll see you then.
next chapter will be chapter 5
next chapter chapter 5