Finding My Voice

~2~

//A/N//: kk so this story will develop very slowly because that is just the way i write for some odd reason. i incorporated casey's contact name as cRiPpLe because that's what my sister's is in my phone and i thought it'd be funny haha. fun fact: that is actually the way my sister and i text sooo sue me if you don't like it.

also btw i do not have any sense of direction for california so if it's messed up do not worry abt it, ik it's most likely wrong. :P

anywaysss :3  -  s

...

See, the only reason why I am here is because of Casey. A few months ago, Casey called me screaming for joy that she had landed an audition for the Voice. Naturally, I was very excited and confident that she would crush it as she has always been the performer of the two of us. Hell, she even moved to California to hopefully pursue her singing career. Then suddenly two weeks later Tom called me saying that Casey was in surgery right now for vocal nodes. Apparently, something went wrong when she was practicing, and she scheduled an appointment with her ENT. There she was told that her vocal nodes had gotten to the point where they would most definitely damage her vocal cords if she didn't get surgery.

Hearing this completely shocked me. Casey had always told me that she was scared if that ever happened to her. It was probably her worst fear. So hearing that she was already in surgery for it was probably the scariest thing I have ever heard. 

During her recovery, my mom and I flew out to California to see her. She went to her recovery therapist to strengthen her vocal chords again but, she was eventually told that her singing voice would never be the same. This absolutely crushed Casey, considering she only had a month left before her audition. By the time we had flown back to Virginia, she called me. She had regained her speaking voice but it wasn't as strong or full as it once was. 

<Flashback>

"Pyper?" She sounded timid, hopeful maybe?

"Yeah, what's up? We just got home."

"So you remember my audition?"

"Yeah of course." It hurt me to hear her talk about this, I know how much she wanted to do it and now she couldn't.

"Well, I didn't want to waste the audition by emailing the people and saying that I couldn't do it - even though I can't..."

"Okay?"

"So, I emailed them telling them what happened and I asked them if they would allow someone else to basically go instead of me."

"And?"

"Well, they said yes and asked me to have whoever it was send an audition video. So I guess, what I'm trying to ask you is...would you do it?"

I almost dropped my phone. Why would she ask me? I've never sung in front of anyone let alone a judge! My anxiety would surely prevent that, but also...I. Can't. Sing. 

"You still there?"

"...Yeah" I manage to get out.

"I know that this is surprising and that you're probably freaking out right now but, I know that you can sing. I've heard you sing in the shower or the times when you think no one can hear you. I just wanted to ask you if you'd do this for me. Please, Pyper, this would mean everything to me. If I can't do it, I'd want you to. I'll let you think about it."

"Okay..." 

<EOF>

Eventually after days and nights of thinking about it, I agreed. Although I hated the thought of doing this, she's my sister. I was there when she was told she would never sing again. I held her when she broke down. It's the least I could do. 

So that leads me here. Flying to California on my Thanksgiving break to audition for the Voice. For whatever reason, after sending in my video audition they agreed and so they went ahead and scheduled all the needed things and I was set to go. The thing that worried me the most was flying in on the same day of the audition. I don't know why it was scheduled that way, but I most definitely would have a stern talking-to with whoever was in charge of that. 

"Okay! Let's go drop off our things at the house and then get you to your audition!" Casey yelled out, snapping me out of my thoughts.

It seems that she and Thomas had already packed away their costumes and were ready to go. They were both now looking at me expectantly.

"Let's go," I say, feinting excitement.

...