Finding My Voice

~10~

//A/N//: oh sweet jesus i have two more days of school until i can

but i got straight a's this semester!! i'm just goated. anyways

- s x

...

I shuffle my feet as I follow Niall behind the doors, I've never really enjoyed doing vocal warm-ups or assessments of any kind so this should be lovely. Casey always would force me to warm up with her just so she could see my range because she was 'bored'. How nice.

Past the doors I see Niall walking over to a big grand piano in the back of the room. In the center of the room, there's a chair that's obviously for the coach, and a microphone stand set up right in front. I've seen this room before during some of the past seasons, I just never thought I'd be here. Ever.

"Okay Pyper, are you ready?" Niall says after settling in front of the piano. "Sure", I respond somewhat sheepishly.

"Great, I just want to start with going through some scales. I want to see what your range is so it is easier for me to figure out what song I want you all to sing, okay?"

"Yeah okay." I nod.

"Okay just say 'ah'. You got this, don't be worried." He says with a smile and starts playing.

After we finished with the scales, he had me do a vocal agility test where I basically just juggled with my voice? I don't know anymore. This is Casey's element. Not mine.

Once we finished Niall clapped his hands and turned to me. "Okay! I think I have a pretty good idea of what your range and tone is, this should make this easier. Now, could you go out and grab Anthony for me?". "Yeah, sure," I say as I turn to go.

"Oh and Pyper? You did really well. I know you're not used to this, but I want you to know I'm proud of you for trying. You're doing great, I have a feeling you are gonna go far." Niall says sincerely.

I wasn't expecting that. Maybe I can do this, if Niall and Casey say that I can, then I will. "Thank you, Niall. I'm glad you're my coach." I respond.

"I'm glad you're on my team. Now get outta here and bring me Anthony." He says with a smile.

I laugh. "Yeah okay."

<TiMe JuMp> (//A/N//: i know how rude right? it's only a few minutes later...)

"Alrighty-o! Now that you have all finished the vocal assessment, I want to hear how your voices mesh together. Almighty, you guys sound good together already, but I want to hear it with Pyper's voice added in. I have a few songs that I want to try out, but we just gotta make sure everyone knows them, okay?" Niall says after he finished with Claire.

He then pulls a paper out of his back pocket and starts listing songs. I don't know most of them but there are a select few that I do recognize: When We Were Young by Adele, Locked out of Heaven by Bruno Mars, and Waterloo by ABBA. "So we're just going to sing a few of the ones that you all know just to see where we're at. Okay?" Niall said.

After we discussed which songs we all knew, he decided that we would start with When We Were Young. "Okay, does everyone know the lyrics? If not I have them printed out right here."He holds a stack of papers up and passes them out. "Cool, now Jamie I want you to start with the first verse and just keep going until I tell the next person to start singing, or for everyone to sing. I'm not going to figure out the harmonies for you right now, I just want you to sing. Figure it out on your own, and get used to having one extra voice in there. There's no wrong answer here guys. Got it?"

We all nod. Oh golly, I don't know what I'm doing.

The music starts, and Niall smiles at us one more time. "Okay Jamie, go."

Everybody loves the things you do, from the way you talk to the way you move.

"Now Alex, go."

Everybody here is watching you. 'Cause you feel like home, you're like a dream come true.

"Anthony, your turn."

But if by chance you're here alone, can I have a moment? Before I go?

"Claire."

'Cause I've been by myself all night long. Hoping you're someone, I used to know.

"Now Pyper."

You look like a movie, you sound like a song. My God this reminds me, of when we were young.

"Everybody!"

Let me photograph you in this light, in case it is the last time that we might

Be exactly like we were before we realized. We were scared of getting old, it made us restless.

"Anthony!"

It was just like a movie.

"Alex!"

It was just like a song.

"Now Jamie!"

I was so scared to face my fears, nobody told me that you'd be here.

"Claire."

And I'd swear you moved overseas. That's what you said when you left me.

"Now Claire and Anthony."

You still look like a movie, you still sound like a song. My God this reminds me, of when we were young.

"Alex and Pyper!"

Let me photograph you in this light, in case it is the last time that we might

Be exactly like we were before we realized. We were scared of getting old, it made us restless.

It was just like a movie, it was just like a song.

"Okay, boys."

When we were young. When we were young. When we were young. When we were young.

"Girls!"

It's hard to win me back. Everything just takes me back to when you were there. To when you were there.

"Jamie, go."

And a part of me keeps holding on, just in case it hasn't gone. I guess I still care. Do you still care?

"Alex."

It was just like a movie.

"Anthony."

It was just like a song.

"Claire."

My God, this reminds me.

"Pyper."

Of when we were young.

"Everyone else."

When we were young. When we were young. When we were young. When we were young.

"Now everyone on the chorus."

Let me photograph you in this light, in case it is the last time that we might

Be exactly like we were before we realized we were sad of getting old, it makes us restless.

Oh I'm so mad, I'm getting old it makes me reckless.

"Claire and Alex."

It was just like a movie.

"Anthony."

It was just like a song.

"Jamie and Pyper."

When we were young.

...