***Fanfiction partly based on some characters and storylines from axed UK soap opera Brookside (to which I own no rights) with new characters of my own added*** 14-year-old choir singer Anthony Murray has no friends in school. Bullied constantly by...
The next morning, tired and weary from being in school all week, the whole of the lower-school choir including Anthony and Lucy met at the church on the dot of 9am and the final run-through ahead of that night's 6pm concert went perfectly. Even thought it was a Saturday morning, no one would dare to defy Mrs Linden a second day in a row.
Wearing the shoes loaned to him the night before by Lucy's 11-year-old brother, that fit his small feet perfectly and had kept him out of trouble with his parents, Anthony's solo soprano parts for 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing', and other well-known carols were sounding perfect. Lucy felt so proud of him. She hoped that when she reached Year 9, she might get a solo role in the choir herself.
Anthony was on such good form vocally that Mrs Linden excused him early from the rehearsal so that she could spend an hour or two working with the wider ensemble.
No matter what he went through in school, Anthony's singing never seemed to be affected. No matter what the bullies did to him, he could always bounce back and give a good musical performance. And maybe that was his one piece of defiance in the face of it all.
Not having anywhere to go, and his parents not due to return to the church until much later, Anthony waited for the rehearsal to finish so that he could spend time with Lucy again. Once the run-through was done, Mrs Linden directed the children to the next-door parish hall where they could base themselves for the rest of the day until show time if they wished.
While some of the kids chose to go home for a few hours, others - including Lucy and Anthony - were happy to stay on the premises all day.
Lucy noticed that other members of their lower-school choir were already gossiping a bit about how much time she and Anthony were spending together, but she didn't care - and she told Anthony that.
Yet, once they got into the parish hall, she made sure to find a spot just behind the stage, out of everyone else's sight, where herself and Anthony would be left undisturbed.
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Lucy (left) wants alone time with Anthony (right)
Anthony: "Wait, I thought you didn't care about the others?"
Lucy: "I don't. But I also like having time with you away from them."
Anthony: "Yeah, so do I."
"Anthony?", started Lucy, smiling.
Anthony: "Yes?"
Lucy: "Do you want to kiss me or something?"
Anthony hesitated, went red and looked very embarrassed.
Lucy: "Or if you're too shy, it's ok. I don't mind."
Anthony: "I've never..."
Lucy: "It's ok. Neither have I. It's just, well, I'm only young, anyway. But you're 14 so people might be surprised you haven't kissed someone."
