Raise Your Voice [lrh] (EDITING)

one

Sitting at the piano bench in the dark auditorium was calming to me. The only light that was on was the dim one that let me read my sheet music — and that's the way I liked it. I sigh and look around, even though I couldn't see anything because the auditorium was almost pitch black, then crack my knuckles and place my fingers on the piano keys.

I started with my warm ups, although I hated them, I did them anyway and then gave up. Flipping through the sheet music in my music binder, I settle on Underwater by Mika, one of my favorite songs to play, and then sigh before starting to play the song.

"Bursting through a blood red sky, a low landslide, and the world we leave behind. It's enough to lose your head. To disappear and not return again. When I fall to my feet wearing my heart on my sleeve, all I see just don't make sense." I sing, then stop when I hear a male voice singing the next part, and he emerges from the back of the curtain.

Fabian. He was my best friend and has been since year seven, and although he was extremely vain and naive and rude and super cocky, he was somewhat lovable and super talented. He shakes his head and his blonde hair swoops out of his face, making his greenish-brown eyes visible as he sat next to me.

"You suck at playing piano you know." He jokes.

"How dare you say that to me, a musical prodigy!" I say back, and both of us laugh.

He starts playing the piano melodiously and I look at him, almost wanting to punch him for being that good. He stops and then turns to face me.

"Are you going to the talent night at Wizardo's tonight, Smelly Ellie bean?" He asks.

"No." I sigh. "I work tonight."

"Okay... You work at Wizardo's. I'm sure Joe would let you participate. He loves it when you sing." Fabian responds.

"Still, duty calls, mate. And you know I have stage fright anyway." I tell him.

"You don't have stage fright, Eleanor James, you just are stingy with your talents and won't perform. I'm the only one in this school who you've played for. Let the world know that Violet James' daughter is just as talented as she is." Fabian tells me.

I glared at him when he mentions my mum. He knows I hate her after what she did to me, forcing me to live with Tina, Tiffany and Tabatha, my evil-step mum and two evil step-sisters. (No, literally, Tina was actually evil. She got mad that I didn't clean up after dinner to her expectations, made me jump in the pool, and made me sleep out side. Did I mention that this was in the middle July? It was cold for Australia.).

"Don't mention that dead beat." I mutter to him.

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to mention her but you are super talented. Show the world."

"That's the thing, Fabian! If I show off my talent, then people will see me as 'Violet James Daughter' and that's not what I want. I want to be my own musician and my own artist." I respond.