Unexpected (Avi Kaplan)

Sing

Ivy's POV

"What the hell do you mean you're having technical difficulties?!" I heard Mitch yell as Avi and I approached the rest of the group. We were the last ones there, which I couldn't deny was my fault. The brunette turned around, a pout playing on his features. "The fair's closed. They claim they're having difficulties," he explained, clearly disappointed.

"Oh well, too bad. Time to go home. Avi, take me home," I said , turning and starting to walk away. I stopped when I felt a hand grab my arm, spinning me back around.

"Oh no. You're not getting out of this that easy," Scott said as he let go of me. "In fact, I'm pretty sure there's a karaoke bar not to far from here," he added, looking to everyone curiously.

"I'm not singing, but as long as Esther's okay with it, I don't mind," Darien spoke up before realizing he hadn't introduced himself to me. He held his hand out, and I didn't hesitate to shake it. "You must be the infamous Ivy," he said with a smile.

I shrugged my shoulder quietly before crossing my arms and sighing. "Then it's settled," I heard Kirstie say happily, holding onto Jeremy's hand. They were adorable whether they realized it or not.

I groaned as Avi dragged me back to his car, opening the passenger side door and motioning for me to get in. "The only reason I'm  doing this is because I don't have a ride home," I said before getting in and putting my seatbelt on.

Avi swiftly moved around the car and climbed into the driver's side. "Which is why you're going to let loose, have fun, and sing," he said while starting the car. He waited for everyone to pull out before following them, Scott and Mitch leading the way.

"I'm not but I'll say I am to get you off my case," I said, staring out the window. I really didn't want to do anything but stay in bed, watch movies and eat pizza all day, but it was obvious they weren't going to let that happen.

Only minutes later, we all pulled into the parking lot of a building. It looked like an old rundown warehouse, but hey, whatever worked. I got out and glanced around, subconsciously touching the braids on the side of my head as I quietly followed the others inside. Someone else was performing, so we made sure not to make too much noise as we found a table large enough to seat all ten of us. We waited for the man to finish before Ben called a waiter over. We each told them what we wanted to drink before looking back to the stage. I settled on a simple water, not wanting to take any chances.

It was obvious by all the stares we got that there was some definite recognition, but thankfully, no one acted on it. Kirstie, Scott, Mitch, Avi, and Kevin started talking among themselves, probably about what song they would do, but I couldn't pay attention. I was too busy in my own little world. They didn't really expect me to get up here and perform did they? Even if they make me, I don't know what song I would do.

I was too wrapped up in my thoughts at the moment to even notice them leave the table. I only noticed when I looked back towards the stage and saw the five standing there with goofy grins on their faces.

"Okay so guys, guys. I don't know if any of you know who we are," Scott started, but was cut off by the thunderous sounds of clapping and cheering. "Okay apparently you do. So, we are gonna do a song. Some of you may know it, some may not, and some may just not remember it. It's an oldie but a goodie that we recorded all the way back in 2012," he continued, raising the mic stand a bit. "It's called End of Time, originally by Queen B herself."

The sound of cheers was almost deafening, but it died off immediately when they started. It still amazed me what they could do with just their voices and how much they all got into the music. I wouldn't admit it outright, but this was easily one of my favorite arrangements from them. Was it because of Avi's solo? Maybe. I mean the man has the voice of an angel. But I also like the fact that they make themselves skip which wasn't easy.

Speaking of solos. I watched them with a smile on my face, though it immediately faded with Avi's solo. Was he looking at me? What the hell am I thinking? I'm imagining things. Just like that, the song was over and people were even louder than they had been when they went on. As they returned, I watched as Jeremy embraced Kirstie with a proud smile. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt a pair of arms around me, though from the scratchy yet tickling sensation on my neck, I could tell it was just Avi. "Your turn," he whispered in my ear, causing my eyes to widen.

I needed an excuse. "I need a guitar for the song I want to do but I don't have one, so I can't," I lied smoothly. I didn't even know what song I wanted to do, so how could I know if I needed a guitar. Just like that, Avi was gone and out the door.

When he returned, he was carrying a guitar case on his shoulder. "Are you trying to kill me? I don't want to perform," I said, leaning back in the chair and crossing my arms. As if my words didn't matter, he placed the case on the table and opened it, handing it to me.

"You can use mine. Pick or no pick?" he asked me. I kept my mouth shut, determined not to perform. I looked around, seeing a few very pretty females glaring in my direction, which made my skin crawl. It was a look I knew all too well. Jealousy.

I looked away and took a small sip of my water. "No pick," I said quietly, earning a wide grin from everyone at the table. The girls looked like the type to step in and steal someone's man without thinking twice. Given, Avi wasn't my man, but that didn't mean I didn't want him to be. I stood up, taking one more swallow of my water and glanced at the girls, sending them a glare in return.

"What song are you doing?" Kevin asked, genuinely intrigued by what I was planning.

"I have no idea," I replied simply, but made my way onto stage anyway. I grabbed a stool and sat down, racking my mind of songs I knew how to play. I sat down and placed the strap over my head before looking down and playing a few chords. The moment I heard the last chords, I knew exactly what song I was going to do. Instead of talking to the audience, I lowered the microphone stand a bit and moved it closer to me before looking down.

I began playing softly, a tune that was very familiar to me. It was a cover of a song, but I personally liked the cover better than the original because of how raw and emotional it sounded.

"I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real
The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything

What have I become?
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt

I wear this crown of thorns
Upon my liar's chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
Beneath the stains of time
The feelings disappear
You are someone else
I am still right here

What have I become?
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt

If I could start again
A million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find away"

I slowly opened my eyes and leaned back a bit, letting out a soft breath. Everyone, and I mean everyone was staring at me. The audience, the sound guys, even the waiters stopped what they were doing to watch and listen. There was no initial reaction. At least until I heard someone start clapping. I looked around, finding that it was the man that had been performing when we initially came in, and soon, everyone joined in.

I couldn't help but smile a bit at the thought that they were cheering for me. A light blush creeped up on my cheeks as I looked down. I turned, moving the stool back where I got it before turning back around. I stopped when I saw Avi standing directly in front of me, a mixture of confused, proud, and happy covering his features. I was expecting him to hug me and congratulate me, things any normal person would do. He quickly pushed a strand of hair out of my face, causing me to laugh a bit, but I wasn't expecting what happened next.

He kissed me.

A/N: Sorry it's been a few days guys! I've been stuck packing my bags for college since classes start Monday! *insert Mr. Krabs playing the world's smallest violin here* I promise I'll try to start posting more frequently. (At least I hope)