Running From You

Chapter 39

NORA

"Break a leg, everyone!" Mr. Tanner, our music teacher, wishes after his very long pep talk. It's show time. The night of the concert is finally here and all the work we've put into it this semester is finally paying off.

I look around me at the both nervous and exited faces of my peers, and smile. "Let's do this, yeah?"

My advanced music class' a capella cover of "Hallelujah" is up first, followed by the junior class' performance, and then the sophomores' and so on, leaving the individual and duet pieces last.

"Gather in, seniors!" Evan's loud voice fills the backstage.

Cory, Helen, Anna, Matt, Lorraine and Julia squeeze themselves into a circle around us, and we do a little good luck chant before breaking up and taking our places just behind the heavy red curtain.

"Don't choke, Sanders" Evan winks at me as he takes his place in the middle.

"Never," I respond, settling between Helen and Julie, and take a second to ground myself.

I've always loved performing, but this is the first time both Mads and mom are in the audience, along with Tyler and his dad and Bella, not to mention all my friends. I really want this to go well.

Mr. Tanner counts us off and the curtain rises, revealing the auditorium filled with people. I heard almost every seat is filled. Luckily they are all cast in shadow as the bright spotlight falls on stage.

Evan, our baritone, takes a step forward and starts singing softly into the silence. "I've heard there was a secret chord. That David played and it pleased the Lord. But you don't really care for music, do ya?" The rest of us begin harmonizing from the third line onward as he leads the verse, bringing more emotion with each word as he leads us through to the chorus.

"Hallelujah, Hallelujah," I sing along in the chorus, and then it's Matt's turn to tackle the second verse with his mesmerizing bass voice. Cory, our amazing beatboxer, among other things, adds a beat.

Again the chorus comes upon us, and we all start clapping and tapping our feet in rhythm all the while harmonizing, bringing up the intensity.

Then it's my turn to take a step forward. I'm a mezzo-soprano, so I take the song higher from Matt's bass.

"Well baby, I've been here before, I've seen this room and I've walked this floor. I used to live alone before I knew ya," I sing, my clear voice filling the auditorium. "And I've seen your flag on the marble arch. And love is not a victory march," I let myself get lost in the music. "It's cold and it's a broken Hallelujah!" I belt out, taking a step back to the line and continuing to the chorus as the lead.

Helen steps forward, tackling the next verse until we're at the chorus again, this one our grandest yet, filled with so much emotion I can actually feel it resonating all the way to my core.

We fall silent, and stand there, still feeling the after-effects, and soon the audience is clapping like crazy. We take a bow and the curtain closes before us.

"Well done!" Mr. Tanner smiles and claps, while at the same time ushering the next group on stage.

"That went so well!" Lorraine squeals, visibly excited and Anna tackles her in a hug.

"And that's how you do it," Evan high-fives me and I can't help but grin back. We were great, even if I say so myself. No one choked or missed anything, and everyone's timing was perfect all the time, as it should after all the hours we spent practicing.