| When Words Fail | Jesse Swanson x Reader

Auditions [3]

Claire hurried through the grass as she checked the time on her phone, sprinting faster than she had before. She knew she was going to be late if she didn't hurry, since her last class got out late. As she pushed her way into the building she ran into someone, knocking the both of them over with a shout.

"Woah, Benji!" A familiar voice chuckled, making her pause and look up. Jesse helped the boy she had knocked over up off the ground before looking down at Claire, a wide smile forming on his lips as he realized it was her.

"Claire, you made it!" He stated loudly, reaching his hand out and yanking her up off the ground. She shouted as she fell forward again, but Jesse caught her before hit the ground.

"Jesus, you're small." He chuckled. She huffed teasingly and adjusted her shirt, grabbing her phone and earbuds off the ground.

"Yeah, people find it easy to throw me around." She sighed again, running a hand through her black hair as she closed her eyes momentarily. He smiled again.

"Well, you made it, I'm glad. Oh, this is Benji." He smiled as he wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders.

"You're roommate, yes. Hi, I'm Claire, nice to meet you." She smiled as best she could as she stuck a hand out for the brown haired boy. He shook it with an awkward smile.

"Nice to meet you, too. You're the girl Jesse met yesterday, right?" Benji asked, and you hummed your response with a nod. Claire glanced around, finding that they weren't the only ones back stage of the auditorium. There was a large group, and they all looked equally as nervous as she felt. She began to scratch the scar on her left thumb, glancing back at Jesse as she did. He glanced down at her hand and noticed the scratching, giving her a knowing nod.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this way, please!" A boy's voice called as a set of double doors swung open. The group of people glanced among each other before shuffling through the door and into the different rows of seats, Claire sitting on Jesse's left side as Benji sat to his right. The group murmured amongst each other before the same boy took the stage and clasped his hands together.

"For your audition, each of you will be singing sixteen bars of Kelly Klarkson's Since You've Been Gone. If a group likes you, they will contact you directly. My tone deaf side kick, Justin, here will be collecting your information." Another boy made his way across the stage.

"If I could sing a lick, in any way humanly possible, I would. But, I can't, and I hate myself every day because of it!" He shouted. Claire and Jesse shared an awkward glance.

"I know." The smaller boy nodded. He clapped his hands together, catching the drawn attention of the students sitting in the seats. "But, if you think this is just some highschool club, where you can sing and dance you're way through any big social issue, or confuse sexuality, you have come to the wrong place." The boy told them as he waved his hands at his crotch. Jesse nudged her, making her snicker. "There is none of that here. That is high school. This shit, is real life." He clasped his hands together. "Now, don't just bring it, sing it, and let's do this!" He shouted as he made his way off stage. Claire, Jesse, and Benji all began pulling papers out of their bags as Justin walked the rows, collecting the bundles from every student. He grabbed the information from the three and hurried past them, continuing with his task.

"Is anyone else a little uncomfortable with them knowing everything about you?" Jesse mumbled as he watched Justin. Claire sighed with a nod.

"Yeah, that's just creepy." She agreed.

Claire watched the different students make their way onto the stage separately, her scratching at the scar on her thumb vigorously.

"You know, you do that when you're nervous." Jesse pointed out as he motioned towards her hand. She looked down at the red spot forming on her skin and chuckled nervously. "Hey, you're gonna do fine, there's no need to stress." He told her softly. She glanced at him and nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Jesse Swanson!" Justin called. Jesse looked up before giving Claire a pat on the shoulder.

"Wish me luck." He winked. She giggled back as he made his way to the small door leading to the stage. As he stepped out, she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Claire Nichols!" Justin called. Claire's head snapped up to look at the door, and she began towards it as her finger continued to rub at her scar.

"Yeah, that's me." She gave a small smile as she approached him, and he moved slightly so she was able to get out the door. She took a deep breath before making her way out towards the stage. She glanced out among the seats. In the back right rows clumped together was a group of boys, all who were looking at her with mixed expressions. Some were judgy while others were crude. In the front two seats sat Chloe and Aubrey, who were looking at her with small smiles. As she took her place in the middle of the stage, she took a small breath.

"Hi, my name is Claire, and my hobbies include poetic writing and apparently singing, now." She smiled, making a few people chuckle. Her eyes landed on Jesse, who sat within the group of students who had already auditioned before her. He smiled at her and held his left hand up, motioning towards her own hand. She stopped scratching and folded her hands together.

"Whenever you're ready, darling!" One of the boys shouted from the back, making his group snicker. Chloe rolled her eyes and gave Claire a reassuring nod. Claire opened her mouth and begun on the first word, soon finding confidence in her voice as she sung.

When she finished the song, she glanced at Chloe and Aubrey, who were smiling at each other softly. Her eyes met Jesse's and she paused as she realized his eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly hung open.

"Thank you, Claire." Aubrey smiled. She nodded back and hurried off the stage, towards the open seats near Jesse, soon plopping herself down in the one to his right.

"Claire, that was... that was beautiful!" Jesse whisper shouted, and she giggled nervously.

"Thanks! I tried singing last night and realized that I actually did want to try out. And, if we both get in, that means that you have me to worry about during competitions." She smirked, making him chuckle.

"Well, I'd be glad to take you down any day." He smirked back, nudging her slightly.

"Yeah, whatever you weirdo." Claire giggled.