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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:33:21 GMT -5
Chapter 11 The next morning when Sundae woke up she was surprised to see Syesha was already up and out. It was eight am and they weren’t due at the arena until two and she knew Syesha would’ve taken advantage of the extra sleep time. Sundae opted not to worry about it, though, and went about getting ready for her breakfast date. She quickly got dressed and did her hair and make up and then checked her phone to see if David had texted her. He hadn’t, but since they had agreed to meet for breakfast she decided to head downstairs and text him when she got there. She grabbed her key and her purse and headed out the door. When she got down to the lobby she looked around for David and spotted him sitting on one of the sofas, seemingly waiting. She started to walk over to him, but stopped when she saw his dad walk up and sit next to him. Before she could wonder what was going on Syesha along with Carly and Brooke came up to her. “Morning,” she said as they walked up. “Morning, we’re glad you came down,” Brooke said. Sundae was a little confused. “Well, thanks but I’m supposed to have breakfast with David. I just hope he’s not in trouble or something,” she said nodding to where David and his dad sat talking. “Oh, he isn’t. Neither of you are, actually,” Syesha said. Sundae eyed her and the other two at that. “What are you getting at?” she asked. The three ‘Idols’ traded looks and Carly spoke. “We need to have a little talk, Dae,” she said. “About what?” Sundae asked. “You and David,” Carly said. Sundae started to step back. “Oh no,” she looked to Syesha, “If this is part two of your lecture from last night then I’m not listening,” she said. Carly caught hold of her arm as she started to turn away. “You need to listen, Dae. You and David are going way too fast with your relationship. You need to slow down a little before something happens that you can’t take back or do over,” she said. “Like what?” Sundae asked feeling annoyed. What had happened to whatever went on between her and David was their business? “Like what I managed to stop last night,” Syesha said. Sundae gaped at her. “It’s called making out. God, you guys have husbands and fiancées,” she said. “That’s the point I’m trying to make. We’re married or engaged to our men. You and David are just kids still. There are so many kids your age that think, ‘If it only happens once nothing bad can come of it,’ but the vast majority are proven very wrong,” Carly said. Sundae sighed. “Neither one of us has ever been that far. We couldn’t do anything to each other,” Sundae said. “That’s where you’re wrong. Remember when I asked ‘do you want to end up like Jamie Lynn Spears’?” Syesha asked. Sundae groaned. “Oh God,” she muttered. “Dae, your dad would literally have an aneurysm if you were to get pregnant at your age,” Brooke said. “I know that, but David and I aren’t that dumb. We’d never do that,” Sundae said. She couldn’t believe how fast her day had gone from looking nice to the complete opposite. “We understand that, but after what I walked in on…”Syesha started to say. “And what I saw at the pool, we talked and came to a decision,” Brooke said. “What do you mean ‘what you saw at the pool’? Were you spying on us?” Sundae asked, her shock turning to anger. “No, no of course not. I thought I left something behind and went back, and I saw you two together. The way you were holding each other and the way you kissed. It made me realize that Dave was right when he said your hormones could get the better of you,” Brooke said. “That’s what I said,” Syesha agreed. Sundae was still in disbelief. “He loves me and I love him. The way we are together…isn’t that how people in love are?” she asked. “It is, but you two are still so young…and that’s why we thought you should have some cooling off time,” Carly said. “Cooling off time?” Sundae asked. “Some time apart to think about what we just talked about,” Brooke clarified. “And this means what? There is nothing you can do that would make me break up with him,” Sundae said, now fighting back tears. “No, that’s not it at all. You guys are wonderful for each other and we would never think of splitting you up permanently. We just think you need a couple days apart to think. You both need to realize that actions do have consequences and we’re just trying to keep the really big ones from happening. We talked to his dad and he agrees,” Carly said. “He does?” Sundae asked, looking to where David and his dad were. They were getting up from the couch and David caught her eye momentarily as they were walking off. She saw the same pain she was feeling mirrored in his eyes. “Yes, he does. So, starting today for the next two days, you guys are only allowed supervised contact at the arenas and only for five minutes at a time. On the buses and at the hotels you’re not to interact. You’re also not allowed to call or text each other or email or IM since you both have your laptops. Is all this clear?” Brooke asked. Sundae looked up at her and the others, tears slipping down her cheeks, and nodded. “How can you guys do this?” she asked, unable to keep the tears from falling. “It’s what’s best right now, sweetie,” Syesha said. Sundae let her head droop and brushed at her tears. When she looked back up the tears were still there, but so was a look of determination and almost anger. “I love him and there is nothing any of you can do to take that away,” she said and then turned and ran back to the elevators before the other three could respond. When she reached the elevators she jumped into one and rode up to her floor. As she headed down the hall to her room she spotted David a few feet ahead of her, walking with his dad. He happened to glance over his shoulder and when he saw her he abruptly turned around and ran over to her. “Can you believe this?” he asked as he came up to her. “No. It’s so unfair. What happened to ‘what goes on between us is our business’?” she asked. “Wish I knew,” he replied and reached to hug her. “David! What did we just agree on?” his dad suddenly hollered from down the hall. “But dad I…” David started to say. “Now David!” his dad snapped. David sighed. “I guess I have to go,” he said. Sundae felt her tears come again. “We’ll still see each other at the arenas,” she said, managing a small smile. “Yeah,” he said. He then took hold of her hand, his gaze not leaving hers. “David James! If I have to come over there…” his dad barked and started toward them. “But dad…” David started again. His dad gave him a reproving look. “No buts. And since you didn’t listen to me the first time this counts as your five minutes for today,” he said and started to usher David away from Sundae. “What?! But dad…” David tried again. “No buts! Now march,” his dad barked. David looked to Sundae and they shared one last lingering look before his dad led him away. Sundae then turned and ran into her room. There she flung herself on to her bed and broke down sobbing. How could life be so unfair to take away the one person who meant the most to her? She cried for what seemed like a long time and after a little while she sat up and leaned back on her pillows. She turned her teary gaze out the window and started to sing softly.
In a perfect world One we’ve never known We would never need To face the world alone They can have the world We’ll create our own I may not be brave or strong or smart But somewhere in my secret heart I know…
Love will find a way Anywhere we go Is home if you are there beside me And dark will turn into day Somehow we’ll come through We’ll make one heart of two Love will find a way
Once I was afraid Then I realized Love is never wrong So it will never die I see my perfect world Shining in your eyes And if only they could see it, too The happiness I feel with you They’d know…
Love will find a way Anywhere we go Is home as long as we’re together And dark will turn into day Somehow we’ll come through Make one heart of two Love will find a way
I know love will find a way Sundae lowered her head onto her knees as she finished the song. If there was one wish she would want above all others it would be that the others would understand that she and David would never do anything to jeopardize their futures. They loved each other too much to take that risk.
That morning was the start of the most miserable two and half days of the summer for Sundae. She and David were kept completely apart. She thought there might be times, particularly at the arenas, where they could sneak off even if only for a few minutes, but those times never came. His dad was with him constantly and the girls watched her like hawks, so there was no chance of them managing to escape their restriction. Sundae barely noticed what city the tour was in during those days. She was lost in her only comfort, her music, trying to keep her spirits up as best she could. Whenever she saw David she could tell he was doing the same thing. Two days after the Indianapolis show the tour had made its way to Detroit to perform at the Joe Louis Arena. Sundae sat in the dressing room with the other girls after the pre-show meet and greets fiddling with her guitar and looking at some lyrics she’d been writing. She wasn’t even paying attention to the others who were primping all around her. Hey Dae, did you hear me?” Syesha suddenly asked and she turned around. “May I help you?” she asked, her eyes showing no emotion. “What’s with you?” Syesha wanted to know. Sundae gaped at her. “Excuse me? You have a hand in making me the way I am right now and you have the nerve to ask what’s with me? You should know very well what’s with me,” she snapped and then grabbed up her lyrics and ran out of the room and headed toward the stage. “Sundae! Wait a minute,” she heard Brooke call after her. She paused long enough to turn to her. “I don’t want to hear it right now, Brooke. I just want to be alone,” she said and then turned away again. She ran over to the steps of the stage and then went up them and walked along a little catwalk that ran behind the stage. She walked out onto the stage from the side and looked out at all the empty seats, knowing they’d soon be filled with thousands of fans expecting a great show. She hadn’t been feeling like performing over the last couple days, but she had managed and she knew she’d manage again that night. “Hey,” a soft voice suddenly said, startling her. She whirled around and saw David walking out from the other side of the stage. “Hey,” she said just as softly. “Couldn’t stand it any longer?” he asked, his eyes holding a knowing expression. She sighed. “No. This has been driving me crazy,” she said. He nodded. “Me, too. I haven’t been able to think straight in days. I must’ve looked like more of an airhead than usual during my press interviews today,” he said. She smiled a little. “I know what you mean. I’m surprised the crowds haven’t started booing when I come out for my set. I’ve been blowing lyrics left and right,” Sundae said, thinking ruefully over her last couple performances. Her distraction had been obvious, at least to her. “I didn’t notice any flubs,” David said, bringing her out of her thoughts. She smiled a little more as she took a step toward him. “Thanks,” she said. He nodded again, his gaze not leaving hers. “You’re all I can think about, Dae. It’s been killing me not to be able to hold you these last couple days,” he said. She blushed at that. “Me, too. If it weren’t for music I probably would’ve lost it by now,” she said. “Have you been writing?” he asked. “Yeah. Of course, since you’re all that’s been on my mind…” she started and he chuckled. “You’ve been inspiring me, too. I’d love to show you the lyrics I’ve been coming up with,” he said. “I’d love to hear them. I’d also love to hear the ones you told me about the other night at the movies,” she said. He looked around the stage and out around the arena. “There’s no one around,” he said hopefully. She smiled and stepped toward him. “I don’t see the harm,” she said. He grinned and she felt her heart melt, having missed his beautiful smile over the last few days. They walked over to a couple crates that had been left on the stage and he grabbed his song journal from where he’d left it on the piano, which was on stage for rehearsal purposes. She smiled to see it was the one she had bought him in Washington. They sat down on the crates and Sundae grabbed Brooke’s acoustic guitar, which had been sitting a few feet from her. He flipped open his journal and she opened her notebook setting it in front of her. They then looked to each other and giggled lightly. “You can go first,” David said. “No, it was your idea. You go first,” she said. They both giggled again and he looked at his journal. “Well, this is only a small part of a song. It doesn’t even have a melody yet, but um…” he trailed off for a moment and then started to read from his journal, “Take my hand, take a breath, I’ll pull you close, and take one step. Keep your eyes locked on mine and let the music be your guide,” he said. “Wow, that’s beautiful. We’ll definitely have to come up with a melody for that one,” she said. He smiled. “Glad you like it. I have part of a chorus, too. I’d like to connect it to the rest, but I haven’t figured out how yet,” he said. “I’m sure you will,” she said. He blushed a little. “Thanks. This chorus is only two lines and I um…I was thinking of you when I came up with them,” he said. She smiled and he started to read again. “It’s like catching lightening, the chances of finding someone like you,” he said. She smiled even more hearing that and actually giggled lightly. “I think we must have the same muse pushing our minds. I’ve got part of a chorus that fits with that perfectly. Mine has a melody, but it’s not great so bear with me,” she said. She then positioned the guitar on her lap and started to play.
It’s one in a million The chances of feeling The way we do And with every step together She paused a little awkwardly since that was all she’d come up with. “We just keep on getting better,” he said suddenly and she looked up at him in surprise. “Wow,” she said. “Yeah, it just came to me,” he said. She smiled. “Thanks for thinking of it. I feel like I’ve been trying to finish that line forever,” she said and added his line to the song. She looked at it for a moment, thinking. “You know this would go with what you wrote really well. We just have to connect them,” she said. “Yeah,” he agreed. “The chorus fits together perfectly, but I’m not sure about the melody,” she said. “I liked it. It sounded kind of like a waltz and that fits the song at least somewhat,” he said. She nodded. “True. Do you want to try putting the whole chorus together with the melody and see how it sounds?” she asked. “Sure,” he said. She then positioned the guitar again and started to play and they both began to sing, their voices blending in perfect harmony.
It’s like catching lightening The chances of finding Someone like you It’s one in a million The chances of feeling The way we do And with every step together We just keep on getting better As they finished the last line Sundae suddenly knew how to end the chorus.
So can I have this dance? David caught on.
Can I have this dance?
Can I have this dance? They sang the last line together and they couldn’t control the smiles that spread across their faces as they finished. “Wow again,” Sundae said. “That’s perfect,” he said. “Yeah, it is,” she agreed and bent over her notebook to add the new lyrics. He reached out and took hold of her hand and she looked up and blushed slightly at his tender gaze. She had missed it so much over the last couple days. Nearby, unbeknown to either of them, Brooke, who had followed Sundae earlier, was watching them and was coming to the conclusion that she and the others had been wrong in trying to keep the teens apart. She stepped away and went to find them and tell them what she’d just seen. She found them congregating in the hall outside the dressing rooms. Dave was the first to see her as she walked up. “Hey, have you seen the kids? We were just wondering if they were breaking restriction somewhere,” he said. Brooke sighed. “I just saw them and I have to say we were wrong,” she said. “What do you mean ‘we were wrong’? They were going way too fast,” Michael said. “I know, I know, but I was just watching them playing around with some song lyrics they’d written. They were talking about the one in a million chance of them finding each other and feeling the way they do. That is a lot more than a teenage romance to me,” Brooke said. “Do you remember any of the lyrics?” Syesha asked out of curiosity. “Some, but I don’t want to repeat them without permission. What I’m trying to say is those lyrics were written from their hearts and their real feelings. There is so much more there than just young love. Kristy, I know you were probably kidding when you said they have what most people get married for, but I really think they do. I think they may even be soul mates,” Brooke said. “Ooookay, since when do you go in for deep stuff like that?” Jason wanted to know. Brooke had to laugh. “Call me crazy if you will, but that’s what I think. I mean, think about all the times we’ve seen them together. The way they look at and hold each other, you can just tell,” she said. The others were contemplative for a moment. “You know, I have to admit you have a point,” Dave finally said. Carly nodded. “Yeah, you do, and let’s face it, it hasn’t been very sunshiny around here the last few days,” she said. Dave nodded at that and looked around at all the others. “So, are we agreed?” he asked. The others traded looks and, one by one, nodded. “Great, let’s go unlock the chains, shall we?” Dave said. The others laughed and followed him as he led the way toward the stage. Meanwhile, the teens were still fiddling around with their song trying to connect the verse and chorus they had. “How ‘bout I sing ‘won’t you promise me’ and hold it out and you sing a longer, shortened up line over it,” David suggested. “Yeah, maybe like ‘Now won’t you promise me that you’ll never forget’,” she said. “Perfect,” David said and she grinned as she started to jot down the addition. “Hey guys, can we talk to you?” came Dave’s voice from behind them and they jumped when they saw him and the others coming out on stage. “We were just fiddling with song. We can be done now,” Sundae said, quickly shutting her notebook. David shut his journal as well and Sundae quickly moved to put the guitar back. “Relax teen beans we’re not here to yell at you,” Dave said. The teens traded wary looks. “You’re not? But what about restriction?” David asked. Dave glanced at the others and then back at the teens. “Well, we’ve been talking and we think you’ve been restricted long enough to have learned your lesson. Besides, it’s way too quiet around here without you two running around together driving us crazy,” he said. The teens again traded looks, this time jubilant. “You mean that?” David asked. Carly spoke this time. “We do, and that being said the chains are officially broken. Restriction’s over,” she said. The teens both beamed and immediately reached for each other. “Ah, wait til we’re out of the room first, if you don’t mind,” Dave said, giving them a knowing look. The teens both giggled at him and he led the way back stage, the others following him, giving the teens their privacy. As soon as they were alone Sundae turned and jumped into David’s arms. He caught her up and spun her around, both of them laughing and happy for the first time in days. “I’m so glad all that’s over,” Sundae said, her eyes shining from her smile. He was beaming, too. “So am I. I felt like I was being tortured these last couple days not being able to hold you,” he said. She hugged him tighter. “I did, too,” she said. They held each other for a few minutes and then he looked down at her. “Will you come with me for a minute?” he asked. She nodded. “I’d go anywhere with you,” she said. He smiled and scooped up his song journal and she grabbed hers before letting him lead her along. They went backstage and down the ramp to where the piano was raised up. She turned to him as he set his journal down on a crate. “Why are we down here?” she asked. He took her journal and set it with his and then gently pulled her to him. “I just wanted to be sure we have no chance of being disturbed before I do this,” he said and then leaned in. She beamed and melted into him as their lips met in a much overdue kiss. His arms wrapped around her waist and hers quickly found their way around his shoulders. It was several minutes before they broke apart and he lifted her off her feet in a huge hug. “I love you so much,” she said, squeezing him tightly in return. “I love you, too, Dae. More than you know,” he replied. He then started to lean in again, but the moment was spoiled by a voice from nearby. “Sundae, David, we know you guys are down there and we just wanted you to know you should come out so the roadies can put the piano in place,” Jason’s voice said from the top of the ramp. The teens both giggled lightly. “You want to go see if catering’s set up yet?” David asked as he picked up both their song journals. Sundae nodded. “Sure, that’d be nice,” she said. He took her hand and she leaned her head on his shoulder as they headed back up the ramp. Jason was still at the top when they reached it and they passed Kristy and Ramiele as well as they turned toward the hallway. Sundae couldn’t help a smile coming to her face. She was relieved that the restriction was over and that she and David were free to be together again.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:33:50 GMT -5
Chapter 12 The tour continued on after Detroit and, needless to say, the mood was much lighter. The next stop was Toronto, a city neither of the teens had been to before, but were excited to see. There was a day off before the Toronto show, so everyone was making plans for sightseeing and shopping. Sundae and David decided to look for a quiet little café where they could have lunch and enjoy some time alone. Sundae started thinking about what she would wear for the lunch date almost as soon as she and Syesha were settled in their room at the hotel. Syesha couldn’t help giggling when Sundae started poking through her suitcase, looking through her clothes. “Girl, your date’s not til tomorrow. Relax already,” she said. Sundae giggled lightly, too. “I know. I’m just excited to have some real alone time,” she said, smiling a little at the thought. “I know you are. Was lunch all you guys had planned?” Syesha asked. “For now, yeah, but he does like to surprise me sometimes,” Sundae said, her smile widening at the thought. Syesha giggled. “Well, we girls are going out for some shopping tomorrow afternoon and we wondered if you wanted in. You can meet up with us if that’d be easier for you,” she said. “Shopping sounds nice. I don’t know how long lunch will be, but I’ll call or text when we’re done and let you know,” Sundae said. “Okay,” Syesha said. Sundae then turned back to her suitcase and to finding something to wear. Sundae woke up the next morning thinking about her lunch plans with a big smile on her face. She lay in bed daydreaming for a while and finally got up when Syesha ordered room service for breakfast. After she’d finished breakfast Sundae grabbed the skinny jeans and tank top she’d picked out for the day and twirled into the bathroom to get ready. She showered and dressed, did her makeup and dried her hair, but then stood in front of mirror trying to decide how to style it. Every style she played with seemed too ordinary. Finally, she stuck her head out the bathroom door and looked over at Syesha, who was lounging, still her pjs, on her bed. “Esh, I need some help here. My hair is not agreeing with me today,” she said. “Dae, it’s only ten-thirty, chill out. You’ll think of something,” Syesha said. “Ten-thirty?! Oh man, we’re meeting in an hour. Ugh! Curse bad hair days,” Sundae grumped. She grabbed her brush off the counter behind her, moved to stand at the dressing table mirror and starting brushing her hair again. Syesha giggled from behind her. “Come here,” she said and shifted into a sitting position. Sundae came over and handed her the brush and turned around. Syesha started brushing Sundae’s long, silky hair and soon it hung in soft waves down her back. “Can you put it up or something?” Sundae asked. “It looks fine like this,” Syesha said. “Yeah, but I want it to look nice and stay out of my way,” she said. “Alright, go get a scrunchie from your bag,” Syesha said. Sundae went back into the bathroom and grabbed a light pink scrunchie to match her tank top and then came back to Syesha. She handed over the scrunchie and turned back around, fiddling with her fingers as Syesha worked. “Why are you so nervous? You’re acting like it’s your first date,” Syesha said as she started to loosely braid Sundae’s hair. “It is kind of like that. This is the first real date we’ve had since rehearsals,” Sundae said. “Oh, that can’t be true. You two are practically joined at the hip, and what about your time in Utah?” Syesha said. “Well, you’re partly right, but I dunno if I’d call the two outings in Utah dates. For one, he was just showing me around town and for the other we were with friends,” Sundae said. “You were alone on the beach when he said the three magic words,” Syesha said. A smile came to Sundae’s face when she thought about that wonderful night. She wouldn’t trade a millisecond of it for anything. “That’s true,” she said, almost giggling at the ear-to-ear grin she was wearing. “Yeah, you know you’ve got it good,” Syesha said, hearing her happy tone. Sundae sighed happily and Syesha giggled. “You have got nothing to worry about. You love him and he loves you. You’ll have a great time,” she said. Sundae smiled even more. “Yeah, I know,” she said. “Alright, you’re done,” Syesha said and Sundae stepped over to the mirror. Syesha had loosely braided her hair and had left a couple strands loose on either side. “Wow, Esh this is perfect,” she said. “I try,” Syesha said. Sundae giggled and hugged her friend. “Thank you, you are so the best,” she said. “You’re welcome,” Syesha said. Sundae then pulled back from the hug and glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. “Well, I’ve still got a little bit, so I’m gonna load some new stuff on to my iPod,” she said and moved over to her bed. She picked up her laptop off the nightstand and turned it on and the grabbed her iPod as well. She fiddled around, loading new songs and even checking her email, for a little while. She was just unhooking her iPod from her laptop when her phone buzzed. She scooped it up and found a text from David. ‘I’m ready to go when you are.’ She grinned and wrote back to him. ‘Be right down.’ She then popped her phone into her purse and grabbed her iPod before turning to Syesha. “I’m off. I’ll text you later if I’m able to meet you all for shopping,” she said. “Have fun, Dae,” Syesha said. Sundae grinned and bounced out the door. She rode the elevator down to the hotel lobby and, when she stepped off it, she saw David waiting on a nearby sofa. She had to smile when she saw how incredibly cute he looked. He wore his usual jeans and a white graphic tee and had a pale pink and light gray striped button down shirt over it. He looked up then and smiled when he saw her coming. “Hey,” he said as he got up and came up to her. He took hold of her hands and leaned in, greeting her with a soft kiss. She nearly melted at the feel of his lips caressing her own and she beamed when he pulled back. “Mmmm, hey to you, too,” she said. “You look amazing,” he said and she blushed lightly. “Thanks, so do you,” she said. He smiled as they started to turn toward the hotel doors and she kept hold of his hand, letting their fingers twine together. “So, do you have an idea where you’d like to go?” David asked as they headed out of the hotel. “Well, I looked in the phone book to see what’s nearby and I found one just down the street that we’ll both like,” Sundae said. “Alright, sounds great,” David said as they strolled off down the street. They looked around the neighborhood as they walked, seeing what was around the hotel, and enjoying the warm day. Two blocks from the hotel Sundae paused in her stride. “This is it,” she said and gestured to the small restaurant they were standing in front of. David looked up at the sign on the door and had to smile. Sundae had picked a quiet little Thai place. “You know me too well,” he said. Sundae smiled as well. “I thought you’d like it,” she said. David nodded. “Yeah. Maybe we could even get our lunch to go and eat over there,” he said, pointing across the street. She looked and saw a park with some great spots under shady trees. “That’d be nice,” she said, smiling even more at the thought. They then turned and went into the restaurant to get their lunch. Fifteen minutes later the two were strolling along through the park, looking for a place to sit. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Sundae remarked. “It’s beautiful because of you,” David said, gently squeezing her hand. Sundae smiled and blushed and moved closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder as they walked. “Hey, what about right there?” he suddenly suggested. She looked up to see him pointing to a grassy spot under a tree. “Sure,” she said as they walked over and settled on the grass. He then opened the bag he carried and brought out the boxes with their lunch. They had both gotten his favorite, Pad Thai, and they quickly dug in while it was still warm. “Mmmm, I can not thank you enough for turning me on to this stuff,” Sundae said. “It’s good, isn’t it?” David said. “Oh yeah. It’s funny, I’ve always liked Chinese food, but if it hadn’t been for you I don’t think I would’ve thought to try Thai,” Sundae said. “Glad I could open your mind to it,” David said. Sundae smiled and scooted closer to him. “You’ve opened my mind to a lot more than that,” she said. He smiled, too, at that as they turned back to their meal. They ate quietly for a while and, when they finished, they bagged up the leftovers for later and then settled against the tree, enjoying the warm afternoon. He leaned his back on the tree and she cuddled up to him, her head on his shoulder and her arms around him. “So, anything interesting happening with you?” Sundae asked. “Well um, actually, there is one thing coming up,” he said. “Oh, what’s up?” she asked. “You know how we’ll be in New York this weekend?” he asked. She thought for a moment. “I know we have a show on Long Island and one in New Jersey,” she said. “Yeah. The day before the Jersey show, I’m supposed to go into New York…to premiere my first single on the radio,” David said. Sundae sat up her eyes sparkling. “Your first single?” she asked, beaming. He grinned, too. “Yeah, and I was hoping you’d come with me,” he said. “Are you kidding? Of course I will,” she said, hugging him. He held her close. “Thanks, Dae,” he said. “No need to thank me. I wouldn’t miss your debut for the world,” she said. He gently kissed the top of her head and she smiled even more. “Also, there’s another thing I just heard about. Dave and I are supposed to go to LA on August third for the Teen Choice Awards and I was wondering…” he trailed off, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. She looked up at him, her smile never fading. “Of course I’ll go with you,” she said, and then giggled, “I guess this means I need that shopping trip now.” “Did you and the girls have something planned?” he asked. “They do, in fact I think they’re out now. Esha invited me to join them, but I’m enjoying being with you right now,” she said. He hugged her again. “Me, too,” he said. She settled against him again, content to never move again. The two sat together for a little while longer and then went for a walk through the park, enjoying the warm day and each other’s company. They came upon a small playground not too far from where they’d sat to eat and ended up wandering over to the swings. “Remember the last time we tried out a set of these?” Sundae asked as they each grabbed a swing. He smiled at that. “Yeah, I do,” he said. Their last encounter with swings had lead to their first kiss. She smiled, too, at the memory as they started to swing. She leaned back and let the breeze wash over her and blow through her hair. “Having fun?” David asked. “Yeah, it’s nice out here,” Sundae said with a happy sigh. They were quiet for a little while, enjoying the feel of the breeze wafting over them, but then a chuckle from him grabbed her attention. “What?” she asked looking over at him. “I dare you to jump again,” he said. She laughed. “Oh don’t even go there. I am so not trying that in these shoes,” she said, holding one foot out to show him the fancy flip flops she was wearing. “Oh, yeah, that would be a bad idea. Sorry,” he said, sounding a little sheepish. “It’s okay,” she said. She then slowed her swing to a stop and he followed suit. She held her hand out to him as they stood up and he took it without hesitation. “So, um, did you want to head back so you can meet up with the girls?” he asked. She shook her head. “That can wait,” she said as they walked back toward the path. “You’re sure?” he asked. She turned toward him and slipped her arms around him. “I’m sure. We made our plans first and I’m really enjoying being with you,” she said. “Me, too,” he said. He hugged her to him for a moment and then slipped his arm around her, holding her close, as they strolled off. They again walked along the path for a while and soon came to a small pond. They walked over to it and had to smile at the flock of ducks waddling around by the water’s edge. “Aw, my little sisters would love this. They love feeding the ducks at the park by our house,” Sundae said as she and David settled on the grass in the shade of a tree. “Claudia and I used to chase ducks when we were little,” David said. “You did?” Sundae asked. “Yeah. There was a small lake near one of the houses we lived in in Florida. We used to escape our backyard and go over there and try to catch the ducklings,” he said. “Aw, that sounds so cute. Your parents probably freaked when they couldn’t find you, but still,” Sundae said. “We did get in trouble a couple times,” David said. Sundae smiled. She looked out at the pond for a couple minutes and then flopped back on the cool grass, turning her gaze to the clear blue sky. David followed suit and they lay together watching a few fluffy white clouds float along above them. Sundae was trying to spot shapes in the clouds when a shifting sound beside her caught her attention. She looked over and saw David lying on his side, propped up on one elbow, gazing at her. “What?” she asked, smiling up at him. “Just you and how amazing you are. I still can’t believe you picked me, the guy who was a nerdy park techie, when you could’ve had your pick of any guy in Hollywood,” he said. She smiled and reached up, laying her hand alongside his face. “I don’t want just any guy and I don’t see a nerdy park techie when I look at you. I see a handsome, loving and incredibly talented guy with the most beautiful spirit I’ve ever known. That’s who I fell in love with and will always love. Why would I even look at the over-moussed Hollywood types when I’ve found the most real and amazing thing ever with you,” she said. He lowered his head a little and she could see the rosy blush come into his face. She stroked his cheek with her thumb for a moment and then slid her hand behind his head and drew him down to her until their lips met. He slid closer to her and laid one hand on her waist as they both melted into the kiss. It was a few minutes before they broke apart, but they stayed close together, noses nuzzling and warm breath on each other’s faces. “I love you, Dae, and what you just said…it makes me fall even deeper,” David said. Sundae gently kissed the tip of his nose. “I love you, too, and I fall more in love every day,” she whispered. He leaned in and kissed her again and again they melted into it. Sundae was so lost in the moment, that when she heard a soft beeping noise she thought it was somewhere in the distance. David pulled back then and gazed at her with a smile. “I think you’re beeping,” he said. She giggled when she realized what she’d heard was her phone. “Dang it, I thought I had this thing on vibrate,” she muttered and she fished her phone out of her pocket. She flipped it open and found a text from Syesha which read, ‘Hey! We’ve been out for while and we’re wondering if you still plan on joining us?’ Sundae shook her head and wrote back, ‘Yeah, I still plan on it. I actually need to shop now. I’ll be there soon,’ “Everything okay?” David asked. “Yeah, Esha was just wondering if I’m still joining them for shopping,” she said. He pulled out his own phone and checked the time. “Well, it’s almost three now,” he said. She smiled. “I know and I know I do have a need to shop, but I’m really enjoying being with you. Wonder if the girls would mind if I brought you along,” she mused. David laughed. “I don’t know that they would, but I don’t think I wanna go there. I might get stuck being the bag boy,” he said. Sundae giggled. “I’d keep them from doing that, but you’re right that they’d be tempted,” she said. They gazed at each other for a few moments and he kissed her softly once more before gently helping her to her feet. He then slid his arm around her again and she leaned into him as they started back to the hotel. They walked slowly, enjoying a little more time together and Sundae texted Syesha again and let her know she was coming. When they reached the hotel Sundae didn’t have to look far for a cab. There were quite a few parked along the street. “One nice thing about hotels, you never have to worry about finding a cab when you need one,” she said as they walked toward one of the many yellow cars. “True. You sure you’ll be okay taking one?” David asked. “I’ll be fine. Remember this is Toronto. It’s New York where you want to be careful with cabs,” Sundae said. “Point taken,” David agreed. They paused beside one of the cabs and Sundae talked to the driver, asking what his fare was. Once a price was agreed on, she turned to David again. “So, I guess I’ll see you in a little bit,” she said. “Sure. My dad mentioned earlier that we might check out the hotel’s restaurant for dinner. You’re welcome to come if you’d like,” he said. She smiled. “I’d love that,” she said. She then leaned up and kissed him gently before turning and getting into the cab. “See you later,” she said and he waved as she pulled the door closed and the cabbie pulled away from the curb. She gave him the address of the store where the girls were waiting and then sat back to enjoy the ride.
Fifteen minutes later the cab pulled up in front of the shop where Syesha had said she and the other girls were waiting. It was a nice little boutique and the street around it was lined with similar shops, some modern and some vintage. Sundae paid the cabbie, got out of the car and turned toward the store, checking to make sure she had means to pay for anything she might get. She looked around for the girls as she stepped into the shop and spotted Brooke and Kristy looking at some pretty blouses. “Hey guys,” she said as she walked up to them. They looked up and grinned, seeing her. “Hey, glad you could join us,” Brooke said. “Yeah, me, too. I haven’t had a spree in a while,” Sundae said. “Well that’s what today is for,” Kristy said. Sundae smiled and moved to look at the blouses they’d been perusing. “Oooh, these are pretty,” she said. The blouses were tunic style in various pastel shades. “Yeah, this pink one might be nice on you, Dae,” Kristy said, holding up a blouse in a pale shade of pink. “Mmm, I’m not much for tunic tops. I prefer them form fitting. These would look great on you, though, Brooke. They’re kind of that sixties vintage chic that looks good on you,” Sundae said. “That’s what I’ve been trying to convince her of for the last fifteen minutes,” Kristy agreed. Brooke laughed. “These are pretty, but I don’t know if I’d actually wear them. Besides, this place is a tiny bit pricey,” she said. Sundae looked at a price tag on one of the shirts and winced. The blouses were priced at forty dollars each. “You’re not kidding,” she said. At that point Syesha, Carly and Ramiele joined them, both Carly and Syesha carrying bags. “Hey girl, you and Romeo have fun today?” Syesha asked. The other girls all looked toward Sundae with romantic grins. “Awwww, did you guys have lunch or something?” Kristy asked. Sundae blushed lightly. “Yeah, we found a little Thai place right near the hotel and right across from it was this nice little park. So, we got take out and went over there and ate and walked around. It was really nice,” she said as the group headed out of the shop. “You know, I figured on seeing you when we walked up that you’d been somewhere nice. Your hair looks really pretty,” Carly said as the group started off down the street. “Thanks, Esha helped me with it this morning,” Sundae said. “Thank you, thank you,” Syesha said, pretending to bow. The others laughed. “So Dae, you told me when you texted me earlier that you actually needed to shop now. That wouldn’t have something to do with Romeo, now would it?” Syesha asked. “Oooh, more dates coming up?” Ramiele asked. Sundae giggled. “Yeah, a couple and I should actually text him before I tell you, cause there’s one that I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say anything about,” she said and pulled out her phone and quickly sent David a text. “What do you mean by that?” Brooke asked. “You’ll see when he texts me back,” Sundae replied. The six girls walked along for a few minutes, looking for another store to try. As they approached a vintage store, Sundae’s phone beeped. She grabbed it as Carly held open the door of the store. “Sweet little nothings?” Syesha teased, seeing the smile that came to her face as she read the message. “MYOB on that front, please. He does say that I can tell you about both dates, though,” she said as she sent a reply. “Oooh. So what’s the scoop?” Kristy asked as they walked over to a rack of clothes. “Well, one date is to the Teen Choice Awards. He and Dave are both going and he asked me if I’d go with him,” she said. “Awww, sweet,” Ramiele said. “Yeah, you’ll need red carpet glam for that one,” Syesha said. “True, but doesn’t need to be too fancy. The TCAs are a little less formal than the big shows. I do want a dress, but it can be a sun dress or something similar,” Sundae said. “That’s doable. What’s the other occasion?” Carly asked. “That one’s actually in a couple days when we get to the NY/NJ area. He’s invited me to come with him when he premieres his first single on New York radio,” she said. The girls lit up at that. “His first single?!” Ramiele and Syesha exclaimed in whispers. “Aww, he’s gonna get so big and famous so fast,” Brooke said with an almost wistful smile. “Yeah, I’m so proud of him and I couldn’t be more excited for him, too,” Sundae said. Kristy hugged her gently. “I’m sure he loves having your support just as much as you love giving it,” she said. Sundae smiled and Carly grinned. “A radio premiere calls for something very cool and I’ll bet we’ll find it in here. I’m thinking something like a vintage rock tee with skinny jeans and flats,” she said and started digging through the rack next to her. “That would be cool,” Sundae said as she moved to join her. “Yeah, and maybe have your hair in kind of a messy pony, sort of like the 80s style,” Kristy suggested as she and the others followed suit. “Maybe,” Sundae agreed as they all started perusing racks. Since Sundae already had skinny jeans and flats the girls concentrated on finding vintage rock tees and found quite a few of them, The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Metallica, Michael Jackson and few others. Sundae liked all the options, but she wanted something with some meaning for both her and David. “I can get you wanting something personal, but I really liked the Stones one,” Carly said as she and Sundae dug through another rack. “Yeah, that one was cool and I might get it anyway, but it’s not right for the premiere,” Sundae said. “Hey Dae, check this out,” Brooke suddenly said from a few feet away. Sundae looked up as Brooke walked up holding a black tee shirt in hand. She held it up as she approached and Sundae gasped. The shirt had a picture of Bryan Adams on it surrounded by a background of clouds and had ‘Bryan Adams’ written above the picture and ‘Heaven’ written under it, both in golden yellow letters. “Oh my gosh, that’s perfect. That’s our song,” Sundae said, taking the shirt from Brooke. “I know, that’s why I grabbed it,” Brooke said. Sundae hugged the shirt to her chest. “I can’t wait for him to see this. Thank you so much for finding it,” she said to Brooke. “My pleasure,” Brooke said. “Hey, did you find something?” Syesha’s voice suddenly asked from behind them and they turned to see her along with Ramiele and Kristy. “Brooke just hit the mega millions jackpot,” Sundae said and held up the shirt for them to see. Syesha grinned. “Now that is perfect,” she said. “I’ll say. Way to go Brooke,” Kristy said. “Why thank you,” Brooke said. The others giggled. “Did you guys find anything?” Sundae asked as she folded the shirt again. “Yeah, actually we hit pay dirt of the sun dress variety,” Ramiele said. “Oooh, well do show me,” Sundae said. “Alright, but we actually have to go next door,” Syesha said. “You three snuck out while we were perusing?” Carly asked, surprised. Syesha shrugged. “Vintage isn’t really my thing so I convinced these two to come with and see what’s next door,” she looked to Sundae, “You’ll be glad we did when you see what we found,” she said. “Okay, just let me pay for my shirt and we’ll go,” Sundae said and headed for the front counter. The others followed her and, after she’d paid for her shirt, they headed to the shop next door. This one was similar to the boutique Sundae had found the girls in, but not quite as pricey. The styles were a little younger, geared more toward teens and young women, and it was definitely a store Sundae could like. Syesha led the way over to some racks of sundresses and started digging through them. “Now if I can only find the one we liked,” she said and Sundae giggled watching her. “Ah, here it is,” she said and pulled a white dress from the rack. Sundae lit up. “Oh my gosh, Esha. This is gorgeous,” she said, taking the dress from her. The dress was simple and sleeveless with an empire waist and a v-neck and eyelet lace all over it. “Wow Sy, you really did score. That will be perfect with some strappy white shoes,” Brooke said. Sundae, who was holding the dress up in front of her before a mirror, turned at that. “Yeah, hopefully I can find some with a little gold accent so I can wear my necklace,” she said, holding up the gold heart pendant David had given her and that she never took off. “That would be gorgeous. You do that and there’s no way you won’t make the Best Dressed list,” Carly said. Sundae laughed. “Wasn’t really thinking of that, but thanks for reminding me,” she said. “You should have a little white handbag, too, with a gold clasp,” Kristy chimed in. “And gold stud earrings,” Ramiele finished. Sundae grinned. “Wow, you guys are as good with fashion as my aunt, Rhea,” she said. Syesha giggled. “Please, your aunt’s a super model. We just know what’ll look good with that dress,” she said. “And you know very well. Thanks so much for finding it,” Sundae said. “No prob. It’s on sale, too, so that made it even more attractive,” Syesha said. “It does for me, too,” Sundae said as she checked the size tag on the dress. She couldn’t believe her luck when she saw that it was exactly her size. She looked to Syesha again. “Okay, I owe you hugely. Not only is this dress gorgeous and perfect, it’s exactly my size,” she said. Syesha laughed. “Wow, who would’ve thought,” she said. “Seriously, but I’m still gonna try it on to be sure,” Sundae said and then grabbed up her purse and the bag with her shirt and headed for the fitting rooms. The other girls perused around while they waited, but Sundae didn’t take very long. Within ten minutes she was out of the dressing room and heading for the sales counter. “Perfect isn’t it?” Ramiele said as she and the other girls joined Sundae at the counter. “Absolutely, remind me I need to keep you guys around for future shopping trips,” Sundae said as she pulled out the bank card her dad had given her to pay for the dress. Once the transaction was finished the girls headed out of the store to see more of what the neighborhood had to offer.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:34:11 GMT -5
Chapter 13 After Toronto the tour moved on through Rochester, Pittsburgh, and then into New Jersey with a stop in Newark. That stop was two days before David’s big day in New York and the group had two days off in Atlantic City before their show there on the second of August. They drove to Atlantic City straight from Newark and Sundae and David spent part of the day checking out the boardwalk before they had to head into New York. They’d decided to stay in the city overnight to make getting to the radio studio easier. David was on edge the whole day and it became even more apparent once he, his dad and Sundae got to the hotel they were staying at in New York. Sundae tried to keep him calm, and tried to think of things to keep his mind off of the next morning. They watched a movie on pay-per-view, had a nice dinner at the hotel restaurant, and even relaxed in the hotel’s indoor hot tub. It helped a little, but David was still antsy when they went back up to their rooms just after ten. They had adjoining rooms, a double for him and his dad and a single for her, and they paused outside her door to say goodnight. Sundae noticed David’s distraction as she turned to him and she pulled him into her arms for a loving hug. “You’ll be just fine,” she said. “I hope so,” he said. She reached up and gently stroked his hair. “I’ll be right there next to you the whole time. You never have to let go of my hand,” she told him. He hugged her tighter. “You have know idea how much I appreciate that, Dae. It means a lot to me,” he said. She let him hold onto her for a few more minutes and then gently pulled back, brushing her fingers against his cheek. “I love you, David. There’s no way I wouldn’t be here for this,” she said. “I love you, too, Dae,” David said, a small smile coming to his face. He then leaned in and their lips met in a sweet kiss. When they pulled apart his sweet smile had brightened and he seemed more like himself. “There’s the smile I love,” Sundae said. David blushed a little and Sundae touched his cheek again. “See you in the morning,” she said. He nodded. “Okay, night,” he said. “Night,” she paused and leaned up and kissed him again, “Sweet dreams,” she said. “You, too, Angel,” David said. He then stepped back and they turned to their respective doors. She gave him one more smile before going inside to get ready for bed. The next morning Sundae woke up to both her clock radio coming on and her phone vibrating against the top of the nightstand. She sat up and turned down the radio and then grabbed her phone and found a text from David. ‘Hey, you up yet?’ She smiled as she sat up a little more and wrote back. ‘Yeah, I was just waking up. Did you want to grab breakfast?’ Sundae set her phone aside and got up to get her t-shirt and some jeans out of her suitcase. She’d just set them on the bed when her phone vibrated again. ‘I’m too nervous to eat right now.’ Sundae smiled a little, wanting to wrap David in a reassuring hug. She quickly replied to the message. ‘We’ll have a big lunch later, then. I’ll meet you in the lobby in fifteen minutes.’ She set her phone aside again and turned back to getting ready. She pulled on her shirt and jeans and then quickly did her makeup and pulled her hair into a loose ponytail. She was just grabbing her black flats out of her suitcase when her phone vibrated again. ‘I’m ready when you are.’ ‘Be right down,’ she wrote back and then pulled on her flats and grabbed her purse, room key and sunglasses before heading out the door. When she got downstairs, Sundae saw David pacing around near the lobby sofas. He wore his usual jeans and converse and a light blue Hurley t-shirt with a black and white diamond pattern on it. He looked even more nervous then he’d been the night before. She walked over to him as he turned in her direction. He looked up as she approached and reached for her, pulling her into his arms. “You okay? You seem shaky,” she said. “I’ve never been this nervous. What if no one likes it?” David said. “They’ll love it. Your fans adore you, I know they’ll love it,” Sundae said, squeezing him tighter for a moment. When she pulled back she still saw the tension in his eyes. She reached up and gently touched his cheek. “You never have to let go of my hand,” she said, twining her fingers with his. He squeezed her hand gratefully. He then noticed her shirt and a small smile came to his face. “Where’d you find that shirt?” he asked. Sundae smiled, too. “Brooke helped me find it at a vintage store when we were shopping the other day. I thought it would be perfect for today,” she said. “It is,” he said, stepping closer to her. His dad walked up then, spoiling the moment. “Our ride’s here. You ready for this?” he asked. David immediately looked antsy again and Sundae gently squeezed his hand in hers. He managed another tiny smile. “I think so,” he said. His dad nodded and led the way out to the car the studio had sent for them. The station they were going to was New York’s famous Z100. Its studio was only a few blocks from the hotel so the car ride was fairly short. Sundae held on to David’s hand the whole way and by the time they pulled up to the high-rise where the studio was located he had actually calmed down a little. His nervous shakes were replaced by nervous giggles as they went into the building and rode the elevator up to the studio’s lobby. There they were greeted by one of the station’s newsmen and a cameraman who were looking to interview David and sort of chronicle the magic moment of his radio debut. Sundae and Mr. Archuleta were asked to stand back, but David was a little reluctant to let go of Sundae’s hand. She gently squeezed his hand in hers. “You’ll be fine,” she told him and gently kissed his fingers before stepping back with his dad. The cameraman then settled his camera on his shoulder and the newsman stepped up beside David and started the interview. “So, we’re here with David Archuleta and he’s here at Z100 to premiere his first single. You must be so excited,” the newsman said, looking to David. “I am excited and I’m nervous thinking ‘is everyone going to like it?’” David said. “What went through your mind last night after your show? Were you thinking ‘tomorrow’s the big day’?” the newsman asked. “Yeah. I was so nervous and excited and shaky thinking about it. I actually didn’t even sleep last night,” David said. Sundae was quite surprised at that. She looked over at his dad and he nodded in confirmation. The newsman asked a couple more questions and then ended the ‘before interview’ and led the way over to the main broadcast studio. Sundae came up beside David, taking hold of his hand again, as they walked. “Why didn’t you mention you hadn’t slept?” she asked him. “I don’t know. There was already so much going on today, I guess I didn’t want you to worry,” he said. Sundae squeezed his hand. “I love you so it’s my job to worry,” she said, keeping her voice low so the newsman and cameraman wouldn’t overhear her. David smiled. “I know. I love you, too,” he said quietly and she leaned her head on his shoulder as they neared the studio door. The station’s morning show hosted by Elvis Duran was already on the air and they cut to commercial just as the newsman opened the door. The DJs waved them in and Sundae and David took in the room as they stepped into it. Each radio studio was different in its setup and Z100 had a slightly unusual one. Its microphones and soundboards were arranged on tables set up in a U formation. Each DJ had their own spot with microphone and control panel specific to them. David was ushered over to a guest chair and he pulled Sundae with him. He looked to the DJs as a techie brought over a headset for him. “Is it okay if Dae sits with me?” he asked. Elvis, a kind, spunky man in his late thirties, nodded. “Absolutely,” he looked round to another techie,” Bring an extra chair and headset for Miss Wahlberg, please,” he said. The techie nodded and moved to obey and David sat down to let his techie wire him up. The second techie came over a moment later with another chair and headset and Sundae sat down and was wired up as well. The show then went back on the air and Elvis introduced David and asked a couple questions. Then it was time for the big moment. “Okay, I hope this doesn’t skip, that would be very embarrassing. Here we go. Never before played on the radio, this is ‘Crush’ by David Archuleta,” he said and pressed a button to play the song. A piano-based melody began to play and David wiggled a little in his seat from nerves. Sundae squeezed his hand again and he tightened his hold a little on her fingers.
Hmmmm whoaaa ohhh Whoaaa ohh ohh I hung up the phone tonight Something happened for the first time, deep inside It was a rush, what a rush And the possibility That you could ever feel the same way about me Was just too much, just too much
Why do I keep running from the truth? All I ever think about is you You’ve got me hypnotized, so mesmerized And I’ve just got to know
Do you ever think When you’re all alone All that we could be Where this thing could go? Am I crazy or falling in love? Is it real or just another crush? Do you catch a breath when I look at you? Are you holding back Like the way I do? Cause I’m trying, trying to walk away But I know this crush ain’t Going away ayyay yeah yeah Going away ayyay yeah yeah Sundae beamed, listening to the song. It was simply amazing and she knew it would speak to every single kid hers and David’s age who heard it. It would speak to people of all ages, since crushes could happen to anyone, anytime. The words also reminded her of the beginnings of hers and David’s relationship, how they had obviously liked each other, but had been a little shy to admit it. She looked over at David and saw that he’d stopped wiggling and was watching her expression as she listened to the song. She smiled at him and rested her chin on his shoulder to look into his eyes. He smiled, too, his nose nuzzling hers as the next verse started.
Does it ever cross your mind When we’re hanging, spending time girl Are we just friends? Or is there more, is there more? Cause it’s a chance we’ve got to take Cause I believe that we can make this into Something that will last, last forever Forever Sundae and David both mouthed the echoed forever to each other, their smiles growing.
Do you ever think When you’re all alone All that we can be Where this thing can go? Am I crazy or falling in love? Is it real or just another crush? Do you catch a breath When I look at you? Are you holding back Like the way I do? Cause I’m trying, trying to walk away But I know this crush ain’t Going away ayyay yeah yeah Going away ayyay yeah yeah
Why do I keep running from the truth? (Why do I keep running?) All I ever think about is you (All I ever think about) You’ve got me hypnotized, so mesmerized (Hypnotized, mesmerized) And I’ve just got to know Ohhhh
Do you ever think when you’re all alone (Ever think, all alone) All that we could be, where this thing could go? (Go) Am I crazy or falling in love? (Crazy) Is it real or just another crush? (Another crush yeah yeah) Do you catch a breath When I look at you? Are you holding back Like the way I do? Cause I’m trying, trying to walk away (Ohhhh) But I know this crush ain’t Going away ayyay yeah yeah Going away ayyay yeah yeah
This crush ain’t Going away yeah yeah Elvis wound the song down then and the whole studio burst into applause. David was all smiles and Sundae leaned up and kissed the tip of his nose, making him grin and blush even more. “Whoo, that was ‘Crush’ by David Archuleta and from what I just saw I think he has his crush with him today,” Elvis said. Both Sundae and David blushed at that. Elvis interviewed David for a little longer and took calls from listeners to get their opinions on the song. Every single caller loved it and wished David all the best on his budding career. The session ended just after nine thirty and Sundae, David and his dad bid farewell to Elvis and the other DJs. The newsman and cameraman accompanied them down to the building’s main lobby, getting their ‘after interview’ with David on the way. Sundae and Mr. Archuleta again stayed behind the camera, but when the interview ended, they rejoined David and headed out to their car. David slipped his arm around Sundae, hugging her to him and she slipped her arm around his waist, leaning into him as they walked. Once they were situated in the car and buckled in, David took hold of Sundae’s hands again. “So…what’d you think?” he asked, referring to the song. Sundae beamed at him. “It’s perfect,” she said. “You really liked it?” he asked. “Of course, it’s an amazing song. Every single person in the world can identify with it and radio will absolutely love it. Remind me I need to send Dana a link to the Z100 website so she can hear it. It’s going to be a huge hit,” she said. David couldn’t help a smile. “I just can’t believe the people that called in liked it. I hope the fans will like it,” he said. “Your fans will adore it. You’re going to get them desperate for your album once they get a hold of ‘Crush’. You’ve already got me hungry for it,” she said. “Really?” he asked. “Completely. If ‘Crush’ is an indication of what the album will be like, I bet it’ll be fabulous,” she said. David blushed a little again. “Thanks, Dae,” he said. They got back to their hotel a few minutes later, got their stuff together, and checked out, before catching their ride back to New Jersey. That ride took a little over an hour and the teens rested on the way. David, now feeling the affects of no sleep the previous night, dozed off for part of the way, waking up again just as they arrived at their Atlantic City hotel. They got their stuff and headed in and the teens hung back a little while his dad went to check them in. David gently pulled Sundae to him, hugging her lovingly. “Thanks for coming with me today,” he murmured into her ear. “There’s nowhere else I would’ve rather been,” she said. He pulled back a little and looked into her eyes. “I didn’t say this earlier cause I didn’t want my dad to hear, but um, every time I hear ‘Crush’ I think of you,” he said. She beamed. “You mean that?” she asked. He smiled, brushing his fingers against her cheek. “I do. It reminds me of what I felt back in the first few weeks of ‘Idol’ every time I was around you…and what I still feel every time I look at you,” he said. Sundae blushed. “It reminds me of you, too,” she said, hugging him again. She looked up at him again after a moment. “I thought about the words a little on the ride over here and I kind of rephrased the chorus for us,” she said. “You did?” he asked. She nodded and softly started to sing.
Yes, I often think When I’m all alone All that we could be Where this thing could go I’m not crazy I’m falling in love This is more than just another crush Yes, I catch a breath When you look at me I’m not holding back Like I might seem to be And you know I’ll never walk away And I know this love ain’t going away He beamed and hugged her closer. “I love you, Dae,” he murmured, nuzzling her nose with his. “I love you, too,” Sundae murmured back. He then leaned down and captured her lips in a soft kiss. She held him tighter as the kiss deepened. She vaguely thought she heard a soft clicking sound somewhere beyond them, but put it out of her mind thinking she’d imagined it. “Kodak moment,” a giggling voice suddenly said and the teens broke apart to see Syesha and Ramiele watching them from a few feet away. Syesha had a camera in her hand and Sundae realized that the clicking noise she’d heard was her taking a picture. “Since when are you the paparazzi?” she asked, giving them a look. “Sorry, but you two looked so sweet,” Syesha said. Sundae just shook her head and David hugged her to him again. She looked up at him and he leaned down, giving her another soft kiss. She smiled when he pulled back and reached up to stroke his cheek with her thumb. Syesha and Ramiele both smiled. “We’ll let you guys be alone,” Syesha said and led Ramiele away. Sundae and David were too wrapped up in each other to notice.
Since they had the rest of the day off, Sundae and David put their stuff away in their rooms and then went out to look around the boardwalk again. They had hotdogs for lunch and walked around looking at the sights. David even managed to win a teddy bear for Sundae at a basketball game. They went for a ride on the Ferris wheel as the sun was setting over the boardwalk. They sat side by side in their seat, his arm around her and her head on his shoulder. “This has been a perfect day,” David said as they looked out at the view from the top of the wheel. The whole boardwalk and some of the nearby city buildings could be seen from there. “Yeah, it has been. I wish the rest of the summer could be like this,” she murmured. David gently kissed the top of her head. “I do, too,” he said, leaning his head against hers. She cuddled closer to him and he hugged her to him, both of them wishing the evening would never end. The next night was the Atlantic City show. Sundae noticed that the fans were already addicted to ‘Crush’. She even heard some of them singing it to David during the afternoon autograph session. Later, when she and David walked out to the stage for the start of the show, they found all the others waiting for them. The other ‘Idols’ all rose to face them and broke out into a chorus.
Do you ever think When you’re all alone All that we could be Where this thing could go? Am I crazy or falling in love? Is it real or just another crush?
Do you catch a breath When I look at you? Are you holding back Like the way I do? Cause I’m trying, trying to walk away But I know this crush ain’t going away David blushed bright red with modesty and Sundae gently squeezed his hand and the others burst into applause. “Awesome song, Arch,” Dave said, clapping David on the shoulder. “Yeah, I’m already smelling a gold record,” Michael added. “Thanks, you guys. That means a lot,” David said, his cheeks still flushed. Brooke came up to him and hugged him tightly. “Promise you won’t forget us when you’re all big and famous with a pile of Grammys and platinum albums,” she said. David chuckled. “If any of that even happens, but yeah. No way could I forget you guys,” he said. Syesha stepped up then. “Okay, excuse me, but if any of that happens? Um no. The correct phrasing is when all of that happens,” she said. “Yeah, Arch. If that song is any indication, and I’m sure it is, you’re gonna be huge, little bro. No doubt,” Dave chimed in. Sundae nodded in agreement and David lowered his head modestly. “Thanks,” he said, is cheeks still flushed light pink.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:35:04 GMT -5
Chapter 14 That night, after the show, Sundae, David and Dave hopped a red eye flight to LA for the Teen Choice Awards. They got in very late and went straight to bed when they got to their hotel. The next day Sundae and David had a late lunch together before going to get ready for the show. Sundae had brought her new dress and she had also managed to find white strappy shoes with gold accents, gold earrings and a white purse with a gold clasp to go with it and, of course, her finishing touch- the gold heart necklace David had given her. She finished getting ready at 3:30, half an hour before the red carpet portion of the day was to start, and headed over to David’s room two doors down the hall. When she reached the door, she knocked and a moment later his dad opened the door. “Hey there,” he said as he stood aside for her to step in. “Hi, Mr. Archuleta,” Sundae said as she came into the room. “David should be ready to go,” Mr. Archuleta said, gesturing through the front entry of the room to the back corner where two double beds were situated. David sat on one of the beds looking out the window and Sundae walked over to stand just behind him. “Whatcha thinking about?” she asked him softly. He turned hearing her and, when he saw her, he stood up his eyes widening. She smiled and took in his ensemble of a yellow and black plaid button down shirt with a blue tee shirt under it, dark jeans and red sneakers. He just gazed at her for a moment and then finally spoke. “Wow, Dae. You look amazing,” he murmured, stepping toward her. “Thanks, you look great, too,” she said. He shook his head. “This is nowhere near red carpet worthy. I guess I thought casual would be okay since this is a teen thing. Now, seeing you looking incredible, I know I was wrong,” he said. Sundae gently touched his cheek, making him look up at her. “It doesn’t matter to me what you wear. All that matters to me is that you’re wonderful and that I’m the one lucky enough to have you,” she said. David reached up and cupped the hand touching his cheek in his own. “You’re the wonderful one, Dae,” he said and softly kissed her fingers. She smiled and moved closer to him and he slipped his arm around her as they turned to head out for the show.
Sundae and David arrived at the TCAS a short time later. The blue carpet was already jam packed with every teen popular celeb imaginable. There were also interviewers posted here and there and big crowds of overly hyper teens. “I would so not be surprised if some of my siblings are out in those crowds somewhere, especially Kimmie,” Sundae said. David chuckled. “Yeah, you said she’s the celeb-crazy one, right?” he asked. “Oh yeah. When she heard the JoBros were gonna be at the ‘Idol’ finale she begged for hours for me to let her come backstage and meet them,” Sundae said. David shook his head. “I seriously don’t get obsessions like that,” he said as they started down the carpet. “Me neither,” Sundae agreed. She reached out and twined her fingers with his and they both smiled as they made their way down the carpet. About two thirds of the way down one of the interviewers waved them over to get an interview with David. They walked over and Sundae hung back a little, letting David walk up to the interviewer. She got so caught up in watching him that she didn’t see anyone come up to her until she felt a tap on her shoulder. She whirled around and groaned inwardly when she saw Nick Jonas standing beside her. He had made it known at the finale that he was interested in her and, though she had politely told him no, she wondered if he’d completely gotten the message. “Hey Sundae,” he said. “Hi, Nick,” she replied politely. “You look great,” Nick said. Always appreciating a compliment, Sundae spared him a smile. “Thanks, you look nice, too,” he said. Nick wore a Miami Vice style white jacket and fitting white slacks with a black top under it and black shoes. He and his brothers had become known for their red carpet style. “Thanks. Are you here by yourself?” he asked and Sundae heard the hopeful tone in his voice. She was very relieved when she saw David coming toward them. “Mmm, no. I have a date,” she said in response to Nick’s question and slipped her hand into David’s as he stepped up to them. “Oh hey, David,” Nick said. “Hey, Nick,” David replied as they shook hands. “I gotta hand it to you, man. You’ve got the best looking girl here,” Nick said and then nodded and went to find his brothers. Sundae shook her head as he left and David squeezed her shoulder. “He’s right, you know. The interviewer said the same thing. You’re the most beautiful girl here,” he said. Sundae blushed. “And you’re the most amazing guy,” she said. He blushed a little, too, at that and slipped his arm around her as they headed into the theatre where the show was being held. When they got inside an usher led them to their seats on a white sofa in front of the stage. Many other popular teen stars were also seated on the sofas around them and right next to them was Dave along with his brother Andrew. The four of them made small talk until the show started and hostess, Miley Cyrus took to the stage. Sundae knew Miley had a little thing for David and wondered if she’d try something, but David managed to keep her focus on him. They settled on their sofa as though they were at home watching a movie, him settled down into the cushions and her cuddled up beside him. He kept his arm around her and gently stroked his fingers along her arm and shoulder, sending tingles all through her body. With that distraction, Sundae was much more easily able to enjoy the show. There were a few featured performances intermingled with award presentations and there were also a couple of side gags. One of these was ‘Ask the Jonas Brothers’ where fans could write in with questions for the group and another was the culmination of a mini feud that had started on youtube. Miley and her BFF Mandy had started an online dance war with another popular youtube crew and part of the show was a final dance off between the two groups. The other group kept their routine to the stage and its attachments, but Miley, Mandy and their group did things differently. There was a break for commercial between the two groups so they could trade places and Sundae decided to check her phone for texts while Miley’s group got set up. She sat up a little reluctantly, since she’d been so comfortable cuddled up to David, and picked up her purse from where it had been sitting at her feet. “Having a good time?” David asked her. “Yeah, I am. It’s been nice just enjoying the show with you,” she replied, smiling at him as she flipped open her phone. “Yeah, it has,” he agreed as he caught her free hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. Sundae completely forgot about her phone then and slid closer to him as he leaned in. Just as they were about to kiss, scuffling around them spoiled the moment and they looked up see some of the dancers in Miley’s group getting situated around their row of sofas. Mandy was sitting down next to Dave and a moment later Miley came up to them. “Hi guys,” she said as she bounced up to their sofa. Sundae had to bite back a groan. “Hi Miley,” she managed to say in a friendly tone. “I’m not trying to interrupt, but I kinda need to use your couch for a minute,” Miley said. “Oh, no problem, we’ll get out of your way,” David said. He then started to get up and Sundae moved to follow him, but Miley stopped them. “No, no, no, you can stay. I just need to sit next to you for a minute,” she said. Sundae and David slowly started to sit down again and David started to slide over to make room. By the time he’d slid over enough for Miley to sit, there wasn’t enough room left for Sundae on his other side. She raised an eyebrow and Miley quickly stood to face her. “Look, I promise this is just part of the routine and I’ll only be here a minute. You’ll get it made up to you afterwards, too,” she said. Sundae sighed. “Alright, just this once,” she said and stepped around to the sofa behind the one she and David had been sitting on. The two kids there made room for her and the show got back underway a moment later. As it turned out Miley and Mandy were only using the couches as part of an intro and were up and dancing within a matter of seconds. Sundae kept her gaze on David, hoping he would turn to look for her. It didn’t even take him two seconds to do so after Miley had gotten up. He turned and smiled at her through the dim lighting and reached one hand over the back of the sofa toward her. She reached out and took hold of his fingers and he gently tugged until she stood and then guided her back around to their sofa. She quickly sat down, so as not to distract those around them from Miley’s routine and David slipped his arm back around her and pulled her to him. She hugged him and he leaned in close to her ear. “I could never look at anyone else,” he murmured and she felt a warm rush through every inch of her skin. She cuddled even closer to him, completely forgetting Miley had ever interrupted them. After Miley’s routine ended the audience was asked to vote on a winner for the dance off and, of course, Miley won. Then it was time for the final awards of the night. Both Dave and David had received nominations and Dave had already won his award for favorite reality TV star. David’s nomination was in more of a side category, ‘Most Fanatic Fans’ and he was up against Miley, Nick and his brothers, Jesse McCartney and Britney Spears. Sundae knew David’s fans were pretty fanatic, but she also knew the competition was stiff. She also wondered if they would even announce his award at the show, since there was a limit to the amount of time the show could take up on TV. So, she was understandably pleased when the second to last award announced was revealed to be the fanatic fans award. Two Disney girls, Demi Lovato and Alison Stoner, came out to present the award, Alison carrying the beach towel that would have the winner’s name embroidered on it. “As anyone in entertainment knows you can’t go far without the help and support of some very important people-the fans,” Demi said. “So this next award is for both the winner and their fans. The nominees for Choice Most Fanatic Fans are…” Alison said and then a video montage introducing the five nominees was played. When it finished Demi leaned over to the microphone. “And your Choice Most Fanatic Fans is…” she said taking one end of the towel and holding it up. Alison held up the other end and they then unfurled the towel. Sundae’s eyes lit up when she saw, embroidered in bright yellow thread on the towel, the name,
David Archuleta Sundae turned and hugged David as Demi and Alison announced his name. He surprised her with a sweet, soft kiss before standing up and going up the steps to the stage. Demi and Alison presented him with a surfboard, which was the award trophy for the TCAs, and let him step up to the microphone. “Wow, this is amazing. I can’t thank the fans enough. I know if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t be here, living this amazing dream, so thank you so much,” he said. He waved to the audience and then followed Demi and Alison backstage. Sundae knew he would have at least a couple interviews and figured she would text him after the last award so they could decide where to meet up. She sat back to watch the final presentation, but was slightly startled when Alison came up next to where she was sitting and bent down to her. “Are you Sundae?” she asked. “Yeah, that’s me,” Sundae replied. “I’m Alison, David asked me to come get you,” Alison said. “Oh alright, nice to meet you, by the way,” Sundae said, shaking Alison’s hand as she reached for her purse. “You, too. I love watching you on ‘Idol’ and I so wish I had a voice like yours,” Alison said. “Thanks,” Sundae said smiling as Alison led the way backstage. There Sundae found David finishing an interview, his surfboard beside him. When he finished he beckoned her over to him and she willingly and gladly joined him, letting him pull her close in his arms. “I’m so happy for you, David. You really deserve this,” Sundae said. “Thanks. I still can’t believe so many people like me and that they like me enough to vote for me in things like this,” David said. Sundae smiled. “Well, you’re gonna have to get used to people liking you. Your fans are gonna take you to some pretty amazing places,” she said. “I’m starting to figure that much out,” David said, looking at his surfboard. Sundae looked at it, too, admiring the design. “So, how are you gonna get that home?” she asked him. David laughed. “I have no idea. I’ll have to ask Dave how he’s going to manage with his,” David said. “Yeah, cause I don’t think it’s gonna fit in the over head compartment on the plane,” Sundae said making David laugh again. When they finally calmed down he turned to her and gently took her hand. “So, there’s something I want to ask you,” he said. “What’s that?” Sundae asked. “Will you accompany me to the after party?” David asked. Sundae beamed. “You know I will,” she said. David beamed, too, and slipped his arm around her, picking up his surfboard with his free hand. They then turned and strolled off to make their way to the after party to celebrate this achievement and look forward to new ones.
As there was an ‘Idol’ tour show the next day back east, Sundae, David and Dave had to hop a red eye flight as soon as the after party was over, to get in time. Because of the late night travel it took a couple days for them to get back to a more normal sleep schedule, but by the end of the week they had all found their groove again. Sundae was glad to get her energy back especially since the Tuesday after the TCAs was a special one, the official release day for ‘Crush’. The song would be available for purchase on iTunes, Amazon.com and every other major music download site. When Sundae woke up that morning, her first thoughts were of David and his song and wondering how well it would do on the charts. She would’ve downloaded the song right away, but she’d left her laptop on the bus the night before and so had to wait until it was time to go to the arena. She was bouncy the whole morning, eager to get to her laptop and Syesha had to laugh at her inability to sit still. “Girl chill out. You’ll get the song in just a little while,” she said. “I know, I know, it’s just, this is make or break for David and I want more than anything to see him successful. He deserves it so much,” Sundae said. Syesha smiled. “Yes, he does, and you have no idea how amazing it is to me to see you put him and his future before yourself and your own. There aren’t many kids your age who would be that unselfish, especially in a relationship. That’s something a lot of people never learn,” she said. Sundae nodded, a smile of her own forming. “I love David so much. I would give up my own opportunities in a heartbeat if it meant he could be successful. I was born into this business and had all my opportunities handed to me. He’s had to work so hard to get to where he is. I would gladly give all my opportunities to him,” Sundae said. “That is amazingly mature of you, Dae. Your mom and dad would be proud to hear you talk that way,” Syesha said. “Thanks. Now if only it was time to leave for arena,” Sundae said. Syesha laughed. “Just try to take a chill pill until then,” she said and Sundae groaned and flopped back on her bed. Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait too much longer. The buses arrived to take everyone to the arena just after noon and, as soon as she was on the girls’ bus, Sundae went to find her laptop. She grabbed it from where she’d left it in the back room and brought it out to the kitchen area where everyone else was. Syesha giggled when she saw her setting up the laptop. “Not wasting any time, are you?” she asked. “Nope,” Sundae said as she turned on the laptop and quickly logged into her iTunes account. She started to look at the new releases, but then the ‘Best Sellers’ list caught her eye. Her jaw dropped almost to the ground when she saw where David was on the list. “Oh my God,” she squealed, cupping her hands over her mouth in shock. “What? What is it?” Brooke asked. “Is something wrong?” Ramiele asked. “No, nothing’s wrong. I just can’t believe it. David’s number one!” Sundae squealed. “What?!” Kristy shrieked. “What do you mean? Like on the pop chart?” Carly asked. “No, I mean overall. He’s number one overall on iTunes!” Sundae squealed and turned her laptop for the others to see. The other girls squealed with excitement when they saw the list. “Oh my God, he is so gonna freak when he hears this,” Kristy said. “Heck yeah, I just hope he doesn’t pass out or something,” Syesha said. The others all looked at her with raised eyebrows. “What? You all remember how relieved he always looked after judges comments and how he always nearly passed out each time he made it through to the next round,” she said. “You know, she’s right,” Carly said. Sundae giggled. “I can’t wait to tell him,” she said. “We’ll let you be the one to do that. It’ll mean the most coming from you,” Brooke said. “Thanks,” Sundae said. She then turned back to the laptop and downloaded the song for her iPod, all the while thinking of how ecstatic David would be when he heard the news. The buses rolled into the parking lot of the arena ten minutes later and Sundae started tapping her feet, anxious to get off the bus, find David, and surprise him. The buses rolled past the crowds that had gathered hoping to meet the ‘Idols’ and down into the loading dock before parking. As soon as the buses came to a stop, Sundae quickly gathered up her stuff and led the way off the bus. The other girls followed her and they all saw the guys staggering off their bus, still looking sleepy. “Why do they always look like they could sleep the entire day?” Kristy asked. Sundae shrugged. “No clue,” she then grinned, her eyes twinkling, “but I know what will wake them up,” she said. The other girls giggled as she looked over to the guys. “Oh boys,” she called. The five sleepy guys looked toward her. “What’s up, Dae?” Dave asked. Sundae couldn’t help an ear-to-ear grin. “Guess who’s number one overall on iTunes this morning,” she said, her smile growing as she looked toward David. The guys all snapped awake at that. Jaws dropped open and David’s eyes went wide as saucers, his backpack slipping off his shoulder and hitting the ground with a hard thud. “Ahhhhhh!” Dave shouted and grabbed David up in a giant bear hug. The girls all ran over and joined the party and they all took turns hugging and congratulating David. David, himself, was literally glowing with happiness. “I…I can’t believe it. Oh my gosh,” he said. He reached for Sundae and took her hand. “Are you really sure?” he asked. Sundae grinned. “Somebody throw me an iPhone,” she said. Chikeze tossed her his and she switched it on and pulled up iTunes, which came installed on the device. She moved the cursor over to show the ‘Best Sellers’ list and showed it to David. Sure enough ‘Crush’ was number one over all. David broke into an ear-to-ear grin of his own and when he looked up at the others they could all see the tears of joy shining in his eyes. Brooke came up and pulled him into another giant hug. “We are so incredibly proud of you, David,” she said. “Thanks,” David said, still in disbelief. That disbelief continued throughout the week. ‘Crush’ stayed at the top of the overall iTunes chart for the next several days in a row. By Friday it was up to five days and David was still in a state of shock and surprise. Sundae easily saw it as she and David were walking down the hallway of that day’s arena. “You still can’t believe it, can you?” she said. David shook his head. “No. It’s just, you always dream of hearing your song on the radio or seeing it at the top of the charts and, when it actually happens, it just seems unreal,” he said. Sundae paused in her stride and turned to face him. “Well, this time it is really real and you deserve it so much,” she said. “Thanks,” David said, nodding his head modestly. He looked up again a moment later and their eyes met. “Thank you for being with me through all this, Dae,” he said. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Sundae said. A tender smile came to David’s face and he leaned over, capturing her lips with his. She moved closer to him as the kiss deepened, her arms slipping up around his shoulders. His arms wrapped around her waist, holding her tight. “Ahem,” a male voice suddenly said. The teens looked up and blushed when they saw his dad watching them. “Sorry, dad,” David said. “It’s alright, but you reminded me to ask you if you’d talked to Sundae yet about the video?” his dad asked. “What video?” Sundae asked. “The music video for ‘Crush’,” David said, his cheeks coloring slightly. Sundae beamed again. “That’s awesome, and if you’re asking me to come with you when you film it, of course I will. I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” she said. David smiled. “I’m glad to hear that, Dae, but there’s a little more I want to ask. I’m actually hoping you’ll play opposite me in the video,” he said. Sundae’s eyes widened. “You…you mean…” she started to ask. “I want you to play the title role…to be my crush in the video,” David said. Sundae couldn’t control her grin and she through her arms around him, hugging him tight. “I’d love to,” she said. He hugged her back just as tightly and his dad chuckled. “I’ll call the producers and let them know,” he said, but the teens hardly paid him any mind as he left. They were wrapped up in each other.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:35:49 GMT -5
Chapter 15 Two days later the tour had a day off after a show in Duluth, Georgia. While the other ‘Idols’ headed to Florida for the next stop, David, his dad and Sundae stayed behind to for the filming of the video for ‘Crush’. They were expected to be on set by six am, so they were up and checked out of the hotel by five and on the road for the forty-minute drive. Sundae and David slept in the backseat the whole way and were just waking up when they arrived on location. Sundae blinked her eyes open and started to sit up as the car slowed to a stop next to a trailer. She yawned and stretched a little and then gently rubbed David’s shoulder. “Hey, time to wake up, sleepy head,” she said. He stirred, his eyes fluttering open, and he yawned, stretching his arms over his head. “Are we there?” he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Just pulled in and if I were you I’d really wake up. They called as we were leaving the hotel, saying they want to get started pretty quickly. They’re trying to get this done in one day,” his dad said from the front seat. David nodded and stretched again and then took hold of Sundae’s hand. “Ready?” he asked. “As I’ll ever be. What about you? Ready for your first video?” she asked. “Yeah. I’m a little nervous, but I’m excited, too,” David said as they slid out of the car. “You’re gonna do great,” Sundae said, shutting the car door behind her. David smiled as they looked around at their surroundings. All around them were trees and woodland. Nearby they saw a little cabin with a porch wrapping all the way around it surrounded by an open area and beyond that a path. They couldn’t see where it led to, and they were both curious to find out. “You guys can go look at the lake if you want,” his dad suddenly said. “Is that where that path goes?” David asked. “Yeah. You can go look if you want, just don’t wander too far,” his dad said. David turned to Sundae. “You wanna go for a walk?” he asked. “I’d like that,” Sundae said with a smile. He took her hand in his and twined their fingers together as they started to stroll off toward the path. They followed it and soon came to a dock looking out on a lake. There was a boat parked at the dock and the water around it was shallow enough to swim in. Sundae and David looked out toward the east and saw the sun rising over the water making it sparkle. “Wow, it is so beautiful here,” Sundae said. “Yeah it is,” David agreed and Sundae blushed when she saw that he was looking at her. He gently tugged the hand he held and pulled her to him. She slid into his arms and he leaned in, capturing her lips with his. She held onto him tightly, enjoying this small moment of quiet privacy. Such moments were becoming fewer and farther between and they cherished them as a result. When they finally came up for air Sundae wrapped her arms around David, hugging him tightly. He held her tightly, too, for several long moments, but then suddenly pulled back a little and pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Your dad want us back?” Sundae asked as he checked his texts. “Yeah, they’re almost ready to start shooting and we need to get into costume,” David said as he repocketed his phone. She slipped her hand into his again and let him lead the way back up the path an back to where they’d left the car. As they neared it they saw his dad along with another man in his thirties. The newcomer held out his hand as they approached. “Good morning, I’m Declan Whitebloom, I’ll be directing you today,” he said. “Nice to meet you,” David said. “You, too, and there’s one more person you should meet before we get started today,” Mr. Whitebloom said. “Oh?” David asked. Mr. Whitebloom nodded and looked back in the direction of the cabin. Sundae noticed a group of young people milling around near it. “Hagood!” Mr. Whitebloom called and a moment later a very pretty blonde haired, blue eyed girl ran up to them. Mr. Whitebloom motioned her forward. “This is Hagood Coxe. She’ll be playing your leading lady today,” he said. “Hi, nice to meet you,” the girl said. Sundae felt like all the air had been punched out of her. Had David been leading her on when he’d asked her to be in the video? She started to step away from the group, but David caught hold of her hand and held it firmly in his own. “I’m sorry, Mr. Whitebloom, but there’s been a mistake. My girlfriend, Sundae, is playing the lead,” he said and Sundae caught a glimpse of his hand as he gestured to her. “Oh uh, well we were never told about that, so we’re going with what we have. I’m sorry if it’s not what you expected,” Mr. Whitebloom said. Sundae just wanted to run, but David kept a tight hold on her hand. She noticed Hagood looked pretty uncomfortable, too. David sighed. “It isn’t what I expected and it’s not what I thought I agreed to. When we decided to do this video I said I wouldn’t be completely comfortable unless Sundae was playing the lead,” he said. Mr. Whitebloom sighed, too. “I can understand that, but we can’t make a change like that without the producers’ consent and we don’t have time for that. All you have to do is pretend for the day. I’m sure you’ll be fine,” he said. David shook his head. “I can’t do that. I can’t pretend those kinds of feelings,” he said. Mr. Whitebloom sighed again. “Anyone can pretend…”he started to say. “I can’t. I can’t pretend feelings like that for a stranger,” David’s voice shook as he continued, “How can you pretend feelings like that? How can you pretend that feeling of losing your breath at first sight? The feeling of looking at her and longing for her to notice you even for only a moment? The rush you get when your hand brushes hers and how all you want is to hold that hand in your own? The longing to tell her how you feel, and the fear that she won’t return your feelings?” he turned to Sundae, gently drawing her to him and looking into her eyes, “The magic of kissing her for the first time and knowing that you’ll never kiss anyone else, for the rest of your life,” he said. Sundae’s eyes were blurred with tears, listening to him. She had choked up early into his speech and now, as she looked at him, the tears started to flow when she saw the honesty and sincerity in his eyes. She laid her hand against his cheek and gently stroked it with her thumb. His eyes started to sparkle with tears as well and he swept her into his arms, holding her tightly. Mr. Whitebloom sighed again. “Look, like I said, I really wish there was something I could do,” he said. “There is,” Mr. Archuleta’s voice said. David and Sundae looked toward him and Mr. Whitebloom raised an eyebrow. “I just got off the phone with the producers. They are under the impression that Sundae’s playing the lead, so whatever the mistake was, it happened here,” Mr. Archuleta said. “Alright, let me call them,” Mr. Whitebloom said and pulled out his own phone. He stepped aside to make his call and Sundae and David looked over at Hagood. “I’m sorry you got mixed up in all this,” David said to her. Hagood smiled. “It’s alright. I wouldn’t intentionally get in the way of what you guys have,” she said. Both Sundae and David smiled and a moment later Mr. Whitebloom stepped back over to them. “Okay, I’ve spoken with the producers and there has been a misunderstanding. Apparently, they forgot to mention that the lead was already cast when they told us to cast for the rest of the kids. Sundae was promised the part first,” he said. David hugged Sundae to him and she held onto him tightly. After a moment they looked up and David spoke to Hagood. “Since you were promised a part here, you’re more than welcome to stay and be part of the group,” he said. Hagood smiled. “I’d like that, thank you,” she said. Mr. Whitebloom smiled, too. “And now that that’s settled, let’s get the show on the road,” he said. The teens laughed and Mr. Archuleta chuckled as the group disbursed to get ready to start filming. The large trailer they were parked next to turned out to be David’s and it was big enough for both him and Sundae to use. Sundae was given a pretty sun dress and sandals for her costume and went into the trailer’s small bathroom to change, letting David use the back room. She slipped into the dress, brushed out her hair and fixed up her make up, which had run a little from her earlier tears. When she was finished she slipped her feet into the sandals, put away her stuff and came out into the front lounge area of the trailer. David was already there now wearing a red graphic tee, dark jeans and a light and dark gray striped cardigan. He looked up hearing her footsteps and stood up when he saw her, a smile spreading across his face. “Wow, you look amazing,” he said, holding out his hand to her. She took it, returning his smile. “Thanks, so do you,” she said. He gently drew her to him and, when she was close enough, he lifted one hand and brushed his fingers through her hair. “I won’t be able to take my eyes off you all day,” he murmured as his hand came to rest against her cheek. Sundae felt the happy tears prick her eyes again and she leaned to the tender touch of his thumb stroking her cheek, her eyes slipping closed. The next moment she felt his silky soft lips on hers and she moved closer, letting her arms wrap around him in a loving embrace. Movement near the door of the trailer suddenly brought them out of their moment and they looked up to see his dad in the doorway, his head turned so he wasn’t looking at them. “You two should consider a ‘do not disturb’ sign,” he said. “Sorry, dad,” David said. “It’s alright, I just came to let you know they’re ready to start,” his dad said. “Oh alright, we’re coming,” David said. His dad then stepped out of the trailer and he and Sundae followed a moment later. They joined the rest of the cast on a lawn in front of the cabin and filming got underway. They worked on a couple different shots on the lawn, stopping after nearly an hour to readjust a few things. During the break, Sundae and David sat together on the grass and the rest of the kids sat in a group a few feet away. Sundae noticed that a few of them were watching David, as though wondering if they should approach him and introduce themselves. After a few minutes of this, one girl, a pretty brunette a little older than Sundae and David, got up and came over to them. “Hi David, I’m Kat. It’s nice to meet you,” she said. “Hi, nice to meet you, too,” David said in his usual, sweet way. He then turned and pulled Sundae forward. “This is my girlfriend, Sundae,” he said. “Hi, nice to meet you,” Sundae said. “You, too,” Kat said. She then looked over at her peers. “See, they don’t bite or anything,” she said. Sundae and David both smiled at that and the other kids laughed as they came over to say hello.
Filming got underway again a short time later and went on all day, using as much of the surrounding scenery as was possible. The kids played around and had a campfire on the lawn, they splashed and swam in the lake, they grouped together for pictures on the front porch and hung out and played games in the cabin’s small living room. Sundae’s favorite scene was shot on the front porch and was just her and David. He was sitting on the railing, looking out toward the lake when she came out and joined him, leaning on the railing beside him. They were supposed to share a sweet look and a smile, but each time she would turn to look at him and see him gazing at her with an almost wanting look she couldn’t help blushing. This got on Mr. Whitebloom’s nerves a little since she was supposed to return his look before smiling and blushing and looking away. After six attempts Mr. Whitebloom called for a five-minute break so everyone could collect themselves. David hopped down off the railing and came over to Sundae. “You okay?” he asked, leaning on the railing beside her. “Yeah, I’m sorry I keep blowing this shot,” Sundae said. David shook his head. “You’re not blowing it. I like it the way you do it,” he said. She smiled a little. “Thanks. I can do it the way they want it, but…every time I turn and see you looking at me, it makes my stomach flutter like the first time I saw you,” she said, her cheeks coloring a little. He smiled and reached out, gently cupping his hand under her chin. “It’s that way for me, too,” he said. “It is?” she asked. He nodded. “I have no idea how I manage to hold that look when you turn toward me. You look so beautiful with the sunset behind you, I just want to get off the railing, sweep you up in my arms and never let go,” he said. They both blushed a little at that and, when they looked back up at each other, their gazes met, their longing for each other mirrored in their eyes. “Now that’s what I’m looking for,” a male voice said from behind them and they turned to see Mr. Whitebloom standing next to his director’s chair. “Let’s try this scene again and this time give me that look you just had,” he said as he sat down. Sundae gently squeezed David’s hand and then went back inside to restart the scene. This time when she turned to look at David watching her, she remembered what he’d said to her and the longing easily returned. They held each other’s gazes and then both smiled and turned away as they blushed. Sundae then edged a little closer to David, shyly looking up at him. “Cut, print it,” Mr. Whitebloom suddenly said, calling an end to the scene. Sundae and David looked toward him and he smiled. “That was perfect,” he said. “Thank you, sir,” David said. Mr. Whitebloom nodded. “You’re welcome and I’m sorry about this morning. You were more than right to have Sundae play the lead. The performance you two have given today is the most believable I’ve seen in a long time,” he said. “Thank you,” David said. Mr. Whitebloom again nodded and then turned to give the crew directions for the next scene. David turned to Sundae and drew her into his embrace. They were both glad things were turning out so well.
The filming continued to go well throughout the rest of the day and finally wrapped up just after eight pm. David still had a couple things to do, so Sundae started to head back to the trailer to change and pack up her things. She saw Jeff along with two of David’s cousins who had come from their home in Atlanta to visit and waved to them as she passed. She was halfway across the lawn when she heard someone jogging up behind her. She turned and saw Kat coming up beside her. “Hey, I just wanted to say good job today,” she said. “Thanks, you, too. I can tell you’ve had experience,” Sundae said. “Yeah, I’ve worked with a few other artists as a dancer, but David is, by far, the sweetest and most humble I’ve ever met,” Kat said. Sundae smiled. “Yeah, he amazes me everyday with how wonderful he is,” she said. Kat smiled, too. “I can tell you really like him. It was very obvious from how realistic your performance was today,” she said. Sundae looked at her for a moment, wondering. “It was realistic because that’s how we were when we first met. It was a pretty instant spark for both of us,” she said. Kat looked confused. “When you first met? I thought…” she trailed off, not sure how to finish. “When we first met at his Idol audition last summer,” Sundae supplied. Kat looked liked she’d had a sudden flash. “You mean you guys are…? Oh my God, I am such a dork,” she said, laughing. Sundae giggled, too. “You didn’t realize we’re really dating, did you?” she asked. “No, I didn’t. I guess I wasn’t thinking when he introduced you as his girlfriend this morning,” Kat said. Sundae smiled. “It’s alright. We are pretty private about it,” she said. “With the way the media can be, I’m not surprised. So, how long?” Kat asked. “Almost eight months,” Sundae said, her smile turning dreamy. “Wow,” Kat said. “Yeah, he asked me out to dinner during Hollywood week and we’ve been together since,” Sundae said. “That’s awesome, I’m happy for you,” Kat said. “Thanks,” Sundae said. After a few more words, Kat went off on her way and Sundae continued on to the trailer. There she changed back into the jeans and t-shirt she’d been wearing that morning and packed up her bag to head off to rejoin the tour. When she came back out of the trailer she was happily surprised to find David waiting for her. “Hey, would you come with me for a few minutes? There’s something I want to show you,” he said. “I’d love to,” she said, smiling as she took his hand. They dropped her bag off at the car and then walked down toward the lake. When they reached the dock, Sundae gasped at what she saw. A trail of rose petals led out to the end of the dock and there a blanket had been spread for a sunset picnic with little twinkling candles adding atmosphere. Sundae looked to David and he smiled as he took her hands in his. “I wanted to do something special to thank you for being here today and doing the video with me,” he said. Sundae reached and hugged him. “I wouldn’t have missed this for anything,” she pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, “I was just telling Kat a minute ago how you amaze me everyday with how wonderful you are. This is one of those times,” she said. He pulled her to him again and they held each other for a moment, just enjoying being in each other’s arms. When they finally pulled apart he took her hand again and led the way down the dock to the blanket. There, they sat down and looked out at the lake as they enjoyed a light dessert of Sundae’s favorite, cherry pie. As she was finishing her slice, Sundae noticed a guitar that had been used in the video sitting near David. He had played it in a couple different scenes and she had been impressed with how well he’d done with it. “I see you brought the guitar out, too, and might I say, you did great with it today,” she said. David smiled. “Thanks. Dave’s given me a few pointers, too, which have helped,” he set his plate down and reached around for the guitar, “I brought it down here because I want to play something for you,” he said, situating the guitar on his lap. “Oh, what would that be?” she asked. He gazed at her for a moment and then started to play and sing a sweet, lilting melody.
Take me where I’ve never been Help me on my feet again Show me that good things come to those who wait Tell me I’m not on my own Tell me I won’t be alone Tell me what I’m feeling isn’t some mistake Cause if anyone can make me fall in love, you can
Save me from myself, you can Cause it’s you and no one else If I could wish upon tomorrow Tonight would never end If you ask me I would follow But for now I’ll just pretend Cause if anyone can make me fall in love, you can Sundae felt tears come to her eyes as she listened to the song. David met her gaze as he moved into the next verse.
Baby, when you look at me Tell me what do you see Are these the eyes of someone you could love? Cause everything that brought me here Well, now it all seems so clear Baby, you’re the one that I’ve been dreaming of If anyone could make me fall in love, you can
Save me from myself, you can Cause it’s you and no one else If I could wish upon tomorrow Tonight would never end If you ask me I would follow But for now I’ll just pretend Cause if anyone can make me fall in love
Only you can take me sailing in your deepest eyes Bring me to my knees and make me cry And no one’s ever done this Everything was just a lie and I know, yes I know David again lifted his gaze to meet Sundae’s and kept it there for the remainder of the song.
This is where it all begins So tell me it will never end I can’t fool myself, it’s you and no one else
If I could wish upon tomorrow Tonight would never end If you asked me I would follow But for now I’ll just pretend Cause if anyone could make me fall in love, you can David reached out and laid his hand against Sundae’s cheek, stroking it tenderly, as he sang the last line of the song.
Show me that good things come to those who wait Sundae’s tears were now flowing freely. David carefully set aside the guitar and pulled her to him, holding her tightly. “That was so beautiful and you made one of my dreams come true,” she murmured, hugging him just as tightly. “What dream?” David asked. “That a special someone would serenade me with a beautiful song like that,” she replied. David turned his head, kissing her temple, before whispering in her ear. “I’ll serenade you like that for the rest of our lives,” he said. Sundae felt more tears come at that and half giggled half sobbed as she hugged him even tighter. After a few minutes she pulled back and looked up at him, laying her hands alongside his face. “That line in the song…these are the eyes of my one and only true love,” she said, gazing into his shining pools of spun gold. He returned her loving gaze and, after another moment, he leaned in, pressing his lips passionately to hers, his love pouring out and meeting hers through the kiss.
The next day Sundae and David had rejoined the tour in Florida. They were in sunrise, which was very close to David’s birthplace, Miami and he was very excited at the thought of seeing family that lived in the area. Sundae saw his enthusiasm when they met up for breakfast. He bounced along as they walked toward the hotel’s restaurant. “You’re happy today,” she said. “Yeah, I have a lot of family coming today and I can’t wait to see them and for you to meet them,” David said. “I look forward to meeting them, too. I hope they’ll like me,” Sundae said. David smiled. “They’ll love you, Dae. I know they will,” he said. She smiled, too, and leaned her head on his shoulder as they approached the restaurant. The hostess greeted them and led them to a table and, as she handed them menus, another thought came to Sundae’s mind. “Oh, I just remembered, we’ll find out how ‘Crush’ did it’s first week out tomorrow,” she said after the hostess had left. “I’m not expecting much. It’s an honor for it to be out, to begin with,” David said. “True, but it’s still number one on iTunes,” Sundae said. “It is?” David asked in surprise. “Yup, at least it was when I looked an hour ago,” Sundae said. David shook his head in disbelief. “You should get used to it. ‘Crush’ is only the first of many,” Sundae said. “We’ll see,” David said as they turned their attention to their menus. Later that afternoon the two teens were walking along backstage after rehearsal. It was one of those times when few people were around and they were savoring the quiet as they walked. As they turned the corner into the hall where the dressing rooms were they saw David’s dad chatting with a group of people. They were all Latino and ranged in age from teens to grandparents. Sundae knew they had to be the family David had been talking about. They all looked just like him and his mom. She looked to David and couldn’t help a smile at his glowing expression. His dad turned then grinned seeing them. “Hey, there you are. You’ve got people wanting to see you,” he said. Sundae didn’t know how David’s grin could get any bigger, but it did when a couple of the teens stepped aside to let the grandparents of the group come forward. David lit up like the sun when he saw them. “Abuelita, Papi Will,” he said happily and Sundae smiled even more as he ran into their arms. His abuelita held him tightly to her, stroking his hair and kissing his cheek. “Oh, mi cancion. Mi angel cancion,” she said. Sundae was taking Spanish in school and understood her words. She had called David her Angel Song and Sundae thought it very appropriate. The rest of the family offered hugs and kisses to David, too, and Sundae thought she’d never seen him so happy. After a moment she felt a pair of eyes on her and saw that his abuelita was watching her almost curiously. “David, ella es tu amiga (she is your friend)?” she asked him. David nodded and beckoned for Sundae to join them. She walked up and David took her hand when she reached him. He then turned to his abuelita. “Te presento a mi novia (I’d like you to meet my girlfriend), Sundae,” he looked to Sundae again, “Dae, this is my abuelita,” he said. “Mucho gusto, Senora (nice to meet you, ma’am),” Sundae said politely. “Igualmente (Likewise). Se hable espanol (You speak Spanish)?” his abuelita asked. “Si, poquito (yes, a little), es mi lengua en escuela (it’s my language in school),” Sundae said. She caught David smiling at her adoringly out of the corner of her eye and returned the smile as his abuelita turned to him again. “Tu novia (your girlfriend)?” she asked and he grinned. “Si, abuelita,” he said. “Ella amas (you love her)?” his abuelita asked. David blushed a little at that. “Si,” he looked over at Sundae, “so much,” he said, his gaze locking with hers. Sundae blushed a little, too, knowing what had just been asked and answered. The smiles on his family’s faces only confirmed it.
Sundae and David spent the rest of the afternoon and part of the early evening with his family and, just before six, they went to go get ready for the show. That went very well and Sundae could tell that David was ecstatic to have his family there to see him. After the show came a small after party for the lucky few who were able to get passes and part of that included and autograph signing. Each Idol stood in a designated spot and those who wanted their autographs lined up in front of them. David’s line was quite long as were several of the others and Sundae was surprised to get a little line of her own as she stood beside David. By quarter after eleven some of the fans had left but many still remained, collecting autographs. There were still several in David’s line and Sundae was starting to wonder how much longer she’d be able hold out. She was already thinking about snagging a chair and sitting down. She was just about to make good on that thought when two women in David’s line caught her attention. They looked a little more excited than the fans usually did. Sundae watched as they got closer to the front and when the older of the two stepped up, grinning for her turn, she moved closer wondering what she might say. The woman smiled as she held out her program for David to sign. “David, the ladies at FOD asked me to tell you that ‘Crush’ is number two on the Billboard top 100,” she said. David’s head jerked up in surprise. “What?” he asked his eyes widening. “It’s number two on the top 100,” the woman repeated. “What?” David asked again in disbelief. Sundae wondered a moment, too, but then it clicked. “Oh my God, do you mean the Hot 100?” she asked stepping up beside David. “Yes, thank you. I knew I had the chart name wrong,” the woman said. Sundae turned her gaze to David and his eyes went as wide as saucers. “Oh my gosh!” he gasped as he grabbed her up in a huge hug. “The Hot 100, can you believe it?” Sundae squealed. “No, I never even thought about ‘Crush’ charting,” David said. “Well it has and then some. We have so got to tell the others. I’ll be right back,” Sundae said and then gently untangled herself from him and hurried over to the other side of the room where Dave was still signing a few autographs, too. She wanted to pass the news onto him first. “Hey Dave,” she said as she bounced up next to him. “Hey, what got you hyped up? You looked ready to crash a little while ago,” Dave said. “Good news will perk a girl up,” Sundae said with a grin. “What good news?” Dave asked. “Guess who’s number two on Billboard this week?” Sundae said, her grin growing wider. Dave’s eyes widened as David’s had. He looked over toward David and then back to Sundae. “Get the heck out of here,” he said, looking pleasantly surprised. “I’m not kidding, one of his fans just told us,” Sundae said. Dave chuckled and turned the next fan waiting for his autograph. “I’ll be back in just a minute, I promise,” he said. He then turned and went over to a guy on staff for the arena and Sundae giggled when she saw him borrowing a bullhorn. She scooted back over to David as Dave grabbed a chair, stepped up onto it and switched on the bullhorn. “Can I get everyone’s attention for a minute?” he said. Everyone quieted down and looked toward him curiously. “I’ve got an announcement to make. Somebody is this room is a brand new chart topper and he’s earned a big congratulations. The number two song on the Billboard Hot 100 this week belongs to our own David Archuleta. Congrats, Archie, you deserve it,” he said. The room lit up with applause at that and all the other Idols and David’s family, who had hung around after the show, came running over to David to offer their congratulations. David was swept up in huge hugs from all sides and Sundae knew that this was only the beginning of the great career he would have.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:37:03 GMT -5
Chapter 16 The tour continued on over the next couple weeks. They finished their three stops in Florida and then pushed on to Texas and Louisiana and then up into the Midwest. By early September they were winding down to the last few shows and everyone was looking ahead to working on their own careers. Sundae knew she would head home and go back to school for her sophomore year and get ready for another year of Idol, but she found that she couldn’t even think about it. The end of the tour meant saying goodbye to David and she didn’t even want to consider that. She had never been happier then when she was with him and she didn’t want it to ever end. David noticed that she seemed sad and when she told him the reason he reassured her that they would make things work wherever they were. As much as she loved hearing that, she still dreaded the end of the tour. A couple days before the last show, the tour was in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Idols went through the usual routine of getting to the arena and meeting fans by the buses. Sundae watched David greeting some of his fans, thinking of how much she would miss everything, especially him, when the tour ended. A little later she was in the girls’ dressing room tuning her guitar when her phone beeped. She pulled it out of her pocket and found a text from David. It read, ‘Remember I love you, no matter what.’ Sundae felt tears come to her eyes when she read the message and, before she could stop them, they started slipping down her cheeks. Just then the door opened behind her and she quickly tried to wipe the tears away. “Sundae, what’s wrong?” Brooke’s voice asked from behind her and moment later Brooke was sitting beside her. “It’s nothing. I-I’m okay,” Sundae said wiping her eyes again. “It must be something if you’re crying. You and David didn’t have a fight or something, did you?” Brooke asked. “No, no never. It’s just…I’m gonna miss him so much,” Sundae choked out as more tears came. “What do mean ‘you’ll miss him’?” Brooke asked. Sundae looked up at her. “Tour’s ending in three days, Brooke. I’m gonna go back home and back to school. David has his career, now. I-I might not see him again,” she said. Brooke gently hugged her. “Oh, sweetie, you don’t know that for sure. If I know David like I think I do he won’t give up on what you guys have so easily,” she said. “You think so?” Sundae asked. Brooke smiled. “He is head over heels in love with you, honey. When you feel that way, you don’t give up. I know you feel that way for him,” she said. “I love him so much,” Sundae murmured, brushing away the last of her tears. “There’s nothing wrong with showing that to him,” Brooke said. Sundae looked up at her. “You have an idea?” she asked. “Mmmhmm. I’m about to go run an errand and I think you might be able to find just the thing at the place I’m going to,” Brooke said. “You think?” Sundae asked. “I know,” Brooke replied. Sundae smiled. “Alright, sounds good,” she said. Brooke smiled, too, and helped her up from the bench they were sitting on and led the way out of the room. A short time later Sundae and Brooke were riding through town in a rental car driven by Brooke’s bodyguard, Steve. Sundae watched the world go by through her window, happy for a little distraction. She looked up when the car pulled into a parking lot and saw that they were in front of an LDS chapel much like the one David went to. Sundae looked to Brooke. “This is your errand?” she asked. “You’ll see,” Brooke said. Steve finished parking the car and then discreetly followed Brooke and Sundae when they went into the chapel. Brooke led the way down the hall, past the inner chapel door and into what looked like a small bookshop. “A church has a bookstore?” Sundae asked, surprised. “Surprising as it might be, it does serve a purpose. All those Christian bookstores out there don’t carry LDS books and such,” Brooke said. “Really? That seems weird,” Sundae said. “It is a little. For some reason they don’t want anything to do with us, so they don’t carry our books or anything related to our church. They won’t even carry music CDs by LDS artists,” Brooke said. “Now that’s just plain unfair. There’s no logical reason for them to do that,” Sundae said. “We know it, but there really isn’t anything that can be done. That’s why we have these little shops in our chapels. We can get what we need without having to special order it,” Brooke said. “Makes sense,” Sundae said. “It does. I need to look for a carry case for my book, and I thought you might find something for David here,” Brooke said. Sundae smiled. “Maybe,” she said thoughtfully. She then turned and started to walk around the store looking at the different things it had. There were shelves of LDS books, worship music from LDS artists, and trinkets connected to the church and its beliefs. Sundae walked around, looking at things, and as she neared the front of the store a display case by the front counter caught her attention. She walked over to it and found that it held a display of jewelry, most specifically rings. Almost immediately one ring grabbed her interest. It was a simple silver band with the letters CTR engraved on top. It was a very pretty ring, but Sundae wondered what the letters on it meant. “See something you like?” a friendly female voice asked. Sundae glanced up and saw a smiling clerk watching her. “Yeah, I’m just looking at that ring,” she said, pointing to the piece of jewelry. The clerk opened the case and brought out the ring. “This one is pretty. Are you looking at it for someone special?” the clerk asked. “My boyfriend,” Sundae said. The clerk smiled sweetly. Footsteps behind her made Sundae look up again and she saw Brooke walking up. “Find something?” she asked. “Yeah, I’m liking this ring,” Sundae replied, showing Brooke her find. “Oh, that’s a CTR ring,” Brooke said when she saw the letters. “What does that stand for?” Sundae asked. “It means ‘Choose The Right’. Kids yours and David’s age get them when they vow to live a pure life,” Brooke said. “Like a purity ring, right?’ Sundae said. “Yes, but we add a few things to the vow. On top of no you know what before marriage we also vow to stay away from drugs and alcohol and pretty much any other thing that could bring impurity to the mind, body or soul,” Brooke said. Sundae looked thoughtful and a smile crossed her face. “I’ve never known anyone as pure as David,” she said. Brooke smiled, too. “Me, neither,” she agreed. Sundae smiled even more. “I’ll take it,” she said to the clerk as she fished her wallet out of her purse. She hoped David would like the ring and that it could serve as reminder of her when they were apart.
Three days later the tour had reached its last stop in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sundae and David spent every free minute together that they could, knowing that it could be their last day together for a while. They managed to fit in a nice lunch around meeting the fans and then spent part of the afternoon cuddled together on the sofa in the back of the guys’ bus, watching a little TV. When show time came, they stayed together, watching the other performances as well as each other’s. Everyone stayed out on stage for a little while at the end of the closing number, savoring the moment. When they finally made their way backstage again, Sundae and David quickly found each other and she grabbed hold of his hand, not wanting to let go. “I guess it won’t be long now,” David said. “Can we not talk about that?” Sundae said, feeling tears in her eyes. “I don’t want to think about it either,” David said. Sundae brushed away a tear that had slipped out. She still hadn’t had the chance to give him the ring and was hoping for a minute alone so that she could. She felt him pause in his stride and she turned toward him as he pulled her to him. He wrapped her tightly in his arms and she held on to him just as tightly. “Hey, are you two okay?” a male voice asked and they looked up to see the others watching them. It was Dave who had spoken. “You guys are aware this is the last show, right?” Sundae said. “Yeah, and we are sad about it, but we haven’t dissolved into tears yet,” Dave said. Brooke came up beside him. “We didn’t fall in love on this tour, either,” she said. Dave sighed and looked to the teens. They both had tears in their eyes by this time. “I’m sorry, guys. Guess this is harder for you than for the rest of us,” Dave said. The teens only hugged each other tighter. “Hey, what’s going here?” another male voice asked and they looked up to see David’s dad walking up. He was surprised to see the teens’ tears. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “It’s the last day of tour, dad,” David said. “Yeah and?” his dad asked. “Dae’s gonna go home and back to school tomorrow. I also have school and I have an album to finish. We don’t know when we’ll see each other again,” David said and Sundae felt more tears come. His dad shook his head. “You don’t have anything to worry about,” he said. David looked at him like he’d lost it. His dad chuckled. “David, you said it yourself. You have an album to finish. You won’t be done in LA any time soon,” he said. The teens looked up at him. “You-you mean that?” David asked. His dad nodded. “Yes. We may not be there twenty-four seven, but we’ll be there a lot. You two will have time together whenever you like,” he said. Relief flooded through Sundae and one look at David told her he felt the same way. He pulled her to him as tightly as he could. “I told you I wouldn’t let go of you,” he said. “And I’ll never let go of you,” Sundae whispered back. “Alright Romeo and Juliet, let’s head back to the hotel. We’re gonna order in and just enjoy what time we have before we go home tomorrow,” Dave said. The teens pulled apart, but kept their arms around each other as they followed the others to head back to the hotel.
Once at the hotel the Idols took over a lounge on the second floor and hung out, reminiscing on their favorite moments from tour. “This sure has been an eventful summer,” Brooke said. I’ll say. Performing, traveling, performing, traveling, lots going on,” Michael said. “Yeah, but there was more than that. We saw a lot of places we’ve never seen before,” Kristy said. “We got to try new things,” Chikize said. “And new food,” Jason chimed in earning a round of laughter. “We have had a lot of adventure this summer, but I think the biggest adventure has been right under our noses this whole time,” Dave said and looked to the teens, who were cuddled together in an arm chair, lost in each other’s eyes. They looked up when they felt all eyes on them. “What?” Sundae asked. “We were just saying that of all the things we went through this summer, you two were probably our biggest adventure,” Dave said. “We were an adventure?” David asked. “Yeah, you two and your whirlwind romance gave us a lot of adventure this summer,” Michael said. The teens both grinned as they sat up a little more. “We’re sorry if we drove you guys crazy,” Sundae said. “We didn’t mean to,” David added. “You didn’t really annoy us. It got trying sometimes, but we knew what we were getting into because of how you were during ‘Idol’,” Dave said. “I would hope you two learned a little something from everything that happened this summer, especially when we had to separate you,” Carly said. The teens traded looks. “We did. The whole summer taught us a lot,” David said. “We definitely realize now that we were brought together for a reason,” Sundae said. The others all smiled. “I’d say you two are meant to be. I mean, you met on Star Search when you were like twelve and then you meet again through ‘Idol’ as teenagers. That fact alone makes it add up for me,” Syesha said. “And the lyrics in that song you wrote. They say it loud and clear, too,” Brooke said. Sundae and David traded looks. They hadn’t told any of the others about their song. “How do you know about that?” Sundae asked. Brooke immediately looked guilty. “Oh goodness, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have, but I followed you that day when you were upset wanting to be sure you were okay. I heard you two working on the song then,” she said. “It’s okay, Brooke. You didn’t know Dae and I would meet up when you followed her,” David said. “Yeah, you were just concerned about me when you followed me. We’re not mad that you overheard us,” Sundae agreed. Brooke breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to know,” she said. “Think we’ll ever get to hear that song?” Ramielle asked. Sundae and David again traded looks. After a moment they smiled and Sundae looked to Jason. “Can I borrow your guitar?” she asked. “Oh, sure,” he replied, handing over his trusty acoustic sidekick. She took it and positioned it and started to play and her eyes met David’s as they started to sing.
S: Take my hand take a breath Pull me close take one step Keep your eyes locked on mine And let the music be your guide
D: Won’t you promise me S: Now won’t you promise me That you’ll never forget D: We’ll keep dancing S: To keep dancing T: Wherever we go next
T: It’s like catching lightening The chances of finding Someone like you It’s one in a million The chances of feeling The way we do And with every step together We’ll just keep on getting better S: So can I have this dance? D: Can I have this dance? T: Can I have this dance? Sundae and David both felt swept into another world as they sang, pouring their feelings for each other into the words of the song.
D: Take my hand I’ll take the lead And every turn will be safe with me Don’t be afraid, afraid to fall And know I’ll catch you through it all You can’t keep us apart S: Even a thousand miles Can’t keep us apart T: Cause my heart is wherever you are
T: It’s like catching lightening The chances of finding Someone like you It’s one in a million The chances of feeling The way we do And with every step together We’ll just keep on getting better S: So can I have this dance? D: Can I have this dance? T: Can I have this dance?
S: Oh, no mountain’s too high enough T: Ocean’s too wide Cause together or not our dance won’t stop S: Let it rain, let it pour T: What we have is worth fighting for You know I believe that we were meant to be, yeah
T: It’s like catching lightening The chances of finding Someone like you It’s one in a million The chances of feeling The way we do And with every step together We just keep on getting better S: So can I have this dance? D: Can I have this dance? T: Can I have this dance?
T: Can I have this dance? Can I have this dance?
The other Idols applauded vigorously as the teens finished the song. “That was amazing, you guys,” Syesha said. “Yeah, you should think about including it on your album, Arch,” Jason added. The others nodded in agreement and David smiled. “That’s something to think about,” he said, turning his smile on Sundae. She smiled, too, and reached for his hand as she passed Jason his guitar back. The other Idols then went back to their conversations leaving the teens to themselves again. “Would you like to go for a walk?” David asked. “I’d like that a lot,” Sundae said, with a bright smile. David smiled, too, and took her hand as they stood up. They slipped past their friends and out of the room. They strolled down a hallway and out onto a terrace. It was still warm out and the teens enjoyed it as they walked over to a railing and stood together. There wasn’t much of a view, but they didn’t care. They were enjoying the quiet and each other’s presence. “It’s such a nice night,” Sundae murmured, leaning her head on David’s shoulder. “Yeah, it is and I’m so glad it’s not our last one together,” David said. “Me, too. I don’t know how I’d keep going if it was,” Sundae said, cuddling closer to him. David wrapped his arms around her. “I know what you mean. This summer has been the most amazing of my life and it’s all because of you,” he said. She looked up at him. “I feel the same way…” she paused for a moment, “I never knew I could feel this way until you,” she said. “Me neither,” David agreed, returning her tender gaze. He then slowly leaned in, his lips meeting hers in a tender kiss. She looked up into his eyes when they pulled apart. “I have something for you,” she said. “Oh, what?” he asked. “Brooke gave me the idea a couple days ago, when I thought we’d be saying goodbye. She suggested I get you something to remember me by,” Sundae said as pulled a small box out of her pocket and handed it to him. “I could never forget you, Dae, not ever,” David said as he took the box. His eyes widened when he opened it. “A CTR ring,” he said. “Brooke told me what it means and what it stands for. I don’t know anyone more worthy of it than you,” Sundae said. “Thanks,” David said. Sundae gently took the ring from the box and slipped it onto his finger. “I hope you’ll think of me when you look at it,” she said. He stepped closer to her; cupping his hand under her chin and making her look up at him. “Like I said, I could never forget you, Dae,” he said. “And I could never forget you, my love,” Sundae said. He leaned in again and they slid into each other’s arms as though they would never let go. That summer truly had been special and even magical for them. They had started out wondering what the future would bring and where it would take them and now they knew—their future was before them and they would face it together.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:38:31 GMT -5
Love Is A Song
Entr’acte
The Debut Album
November 11th, 2008
The final bell had just rung at East Beverly High School in Beverly Hills, California signaling the end of the school day. Fifteen-year-old Sundae Wahlberg, a sophomore, hurried from her last class to her locker to get her things, so she could leave for the day. She had an important errand to run that afternoon. She was packing her backpack with the books she’d need for her homework that night when her friend, Cara, came up to her, her long blonde hair swinging behind her. “Hey, you sure blew out of class fast. You need to be home ASAP or something?” she asked. “No, I just have an errand I need to run,” Sundae replied as she stuffed the last book into her bag and closed her locker. Cara thought for a moment and then grinned like a cat. “That’s right, it’s November 11th,” she said with a knowing giggle. “You would be right,” Sundae said as they started down the hall toward the school exit. “So, I’m presuming your errand would be to Tower Records for a certain someone’s CD?” Cara said. Sundae giggled, her cheeks turning pink. “Right again,” she said. The someone whose CD she was getting was her boyfriend, seventeen-year-old David Archuleta. Sundae had met him when he had competed on the popular TV show ‘American Idol’, where she was a regular performer, and they had been a steady couple for ten months. As the second place finisher on ‘Idol’ David had gotten a record deal and the CD Sundae was going to get was his debut album. Cara giggled, too, seeing her blush. “Girl, you are so head over heels,” she said as they neared the door. “Don’t I know it,” she said, her grin growing wider as they stepped outside. “Uh oh, it’s the boyfriend grin. Cara, did you have to get her started?” asked a female voice. Sundae snapped out of it long enough to see her best friend, Dana waiting on the steps in front of her and Cara. She laughed and shook her head at Dana’s comment. “So I’m in love, so sue me,” she said. Dana laughed, too. “Whatever. You ready to roll?” she asked. “Absolutely,” Sundae said. “Can I get in on this?” Cara asked. “Really? I didn’t think you were into pop music that much,” Dana said. “Not really, you’re right. I’m more a country girl, but he’s Dae’s guy, so I’m being supportive. Besides, I checked out snippets last night on Amazon and they sound amazing,” Cara said. “Oh, no spoilers please. I’ve been avoiding them like the plague,” Dana said. “Aren’t you the one always nosing around the net for news?” Sundae asked. “Usually, you’re right, but this time I abstained,” Dana said. “Wow, didn’t know soccer jocks knew big words,” Cara joked. “Oh, ha ha, I forgot how to laugh,” Dana said. “Can we go now?” Sundae asked. “Eager much?” Dana joked. Sundae stuck her tongue out at her drawing another round of laughter. “I just hope your brother doesn’t mind three giggling girls in his truck,” Cara said as they started down the steps. “Um, better make that five,” came another girl’s voice and the three turned to see Sundae’s fourteen-year-old sister, Kimmie and her best friend, Stephanie coming down the steps behind them. “Hey, you guys want in, too?” Sundae asked. “Um, duh. Every single girl in our class was talking about how they were getting the CD,” Kimmie said. “Yeah. Besides, he is so freaking hot,” Stephanie gushed. The other four burst into giggles and Stephanie blushed. “What? It’s the truth,” she said. “True, but need I remind you that I noticed first and that’s why he’s my guy,” Sundae said. “I know, lucky duck. Oh, and don’t worry about getting a ride with your brother. Candace can take us. She’s driving my mom’s van today,” Stephanie said. “As in your sister, Candace?” Sundae asked. “Yeah why?” Stephanie asked. “She only spent half of last year telling me why David was perfect for her and not me,” Sundae said. “She did what?” Kimmie squeaked. “Oh, she was seriously dreaming,” Dana said. Cara nodded. “I know, and don’t worry. I straightened her out on the subject,” Stephanie said as the girls started down the steps again. “How’d you manage that? She was pretty set on getting him. She even tried to flirt with him when he took me to prom in May,” Sundae said. “I remember. Kimmie and I convinced her to back off. We showed her that video of you guys kissing at the finale quite a few times among other things,” Stephanie said. Sundae heard her tone on ‘other things’ and turned toward her. “What ‘other things’ did you do?” she asked. Kimmie looked sheepish. “Just showed her some pictures of you guys,” she said. Sundae thought a moment. “We never let ourselves be photographed together in public because of the media,” she looked to her sister, “Tell me you didn’t go through my private pictures,” she said. Kimmie bit her lip and Sundae groaned. “I can’t believe you. Those were supposed to stay private. Some of those were taken on dates and aren’t meant for anyone else to see,” she said. “I know. We kinda figured which ones you wouldn’t want anyone seeing. We just used a couple that looked like they were taken at home,” Kimmie said. Sundae calmed down. “Alright, I’ll let you off with a warning this time. Stay out of my private stuff. If it says private on the box, don’t touch it,” she said. The girls then skipped the rest of the way down the stairs and headed toward a minivan parked at the curb. Sundae pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Better text Jase and tell him he doesn’t need to worry about driving us,” she said as she quickly wrote a message. “Oh yeah, he’d be pissed if we didn’t tell him,” Kimmie said. Sundae finished typing and sent her message just as the girls reached the van. Candace, a pretty senior, was behind the wheel waiting. “Hey, ya’ll ready for a CD party?” she asked. “Oh yeah, we’ve been ready all day, especially Sundae,” Stephanie said as the girls all piled into the van. “I’ll bet, and Sundae I promise I’ll let you do all the swooning,” Candace said. “That’s all I ask,” Sundae said as Dana pulled the door of the van closed. Candace giggled. “So, Tower Records?” she asked. “Tower Records,” the other girls chorused as Candace pulled away from the curb. “Hey, Dae, I just thought of something. All the other ‘Idols’ you’re friends with send you copies of their CDs when they’re released. Why isn’t David doing that?” Dana asked. “Oh, he wanted to, but I told him I wanted to buy it to be supportive,” Sundae said. “Awww,” Kimmie and Stephanie said. “Yeah, that’s sweet,” Cara said. Sundae smiled. “Yeah. I’ve already preordered the deluxe version from ‘iTunes and I ordered one from Wal-Mart as well,” she said. “Wait, you’ve already ordered two copies?” Stephanie asked. “Bonus tracks,” Sundae said with a smile. “Eeek! Are you serious?” Stephanie asked. “Yup. I’ve heard one that he wrote when he was fourteen and it’s amazing,” Sundae said. “Wow! I didn’t know he’d been writing that long,” Candace said. “I think he started messing with writing in eighth grade and he wrote or co-wrote five of the songs on the album,” Sundae said. “Whoa, he is multitalented,” Kimmie said. Sundae giggled as she turned her attention out the window. Her mind wandered to David and what he was up to. She knew he was in New York promoting the album and from what she remembered he was probably at the Virgin mega store for an autograph signing. “Thinking about him?” Dana asked, cutting into her thoughts. “Yeah, he’s in New York all this week,” Sundae said. Dana grinned. “Text him. You know he’s thinking about you, too,” Dana said. Sundae smiled. “I know, but he’s probably at Virgin for the signing right now, so I doubt he’s paying attention to his phone,” she said. Dana giggled. “With a few thousand girls screaming at him, you’re probably right,” she said. They pulled up to Tower Records fifteen minutes later and were all bubbling with anticipation as they went in. Sundae headed straight for the New Releases section and had to beam when she saw David’s album prominently displayed front and center. Her smile only grew when she noticed how few copies were left. The other girls came up beside her and Kimmie and Steph reached for the CDs. “Hold it! I want a pic to send to him first,” she said and pulled out her phone. Kimmie and Steph stepped back and Sundae put her phone on camera mode and snapped a picture. “Can I help you girls?” a female voice asked. The girls looked up to see a thirty-something woman wearing a manager’s blouse watching them. “Oh no, we’re good,” Sundae said as she put her phone away. “He’s her boyfriend and she was getting a pic to send to him,” Stephanie blurted out. Sundae sighed and the manager rolled her eyes. “Riiiiiight. You have no idea how many times I’ve heard that one today,” she muttered as she stepped away. As soon as she was out of earshot, the girls burst out giggling. “You know, you should be glad she didn’t believe you,” Dana said to Sundae as they calmed down. “Tell me about it,” Sundae agreed. “Okay, Sundae gets first dibs, then we can have at it,” Cara said. Sundae laughed again and reached for the CDs. “One for me, one for Des, one for Precious, one for grandma and one for mom,” she said. “Leave some for the rest of us,” Cara joked as Sundae stepped back. The other girls then stepped up to the display and grabbed the number of CDs they wanted. By the time they were done there was only one left on the display. “I almost feel bad leaving just one all on its lonesome,” Sundae said. “Get it for Shettie. You know she’s crazy about him,” Kimmie suggested. “Very true and she might like some new songs to go to sleep to,” Sundae said and picked up the last CD. A young guy working as a stocker walked up to the display at that point. He started to restock other CDs, but then noticed the empty section where David’s had been. “Ah man, that’s the fourth time today I’ve had to restock that one,” he turned to go back to the backroom to get more CDs, but then noticed the girls with their arms full, “What is it with you girls and this guy? He another Jonas brother or something?” he asked. “Ewww, no. David’s so much more talented than them,” Cara said. The guy just rolled his eyes and walked off. The girls started for the checkout counter and Cara noticed Kimmie and Stephanie giving her looks. “Hey, I’m sorry, but it’s the truth,” she said. Kimmie shrugged. “We know, we just have a thing for Nick,” she said. “What girl your age doesn’t?” Candace remarked as they walked up to the front counters. The girls quickly paid for their CDs and then headed out of the store. “Dae, did you see the girl at the register giving you a weird look because you had so many CDs?” Cara asked as they walked over to the van. “I told her I was buying for family,” Sundae said with a shrug. “We tried that when we bought the last Jonas Brothers CD for our cheer squad. I’m not sure they believed us,” Stephanie said. “I don’t know that I would’ve either,” Candace said as she unlocked the van. The girls piled in again and Candace started up the engine. “Where to?” she asked. “Our place for a listening party,” Sundae said. “Absolutely,” Kimmie agreed. Candace backed the car out of the parking lot and drove off toward the Wahlberg residence.
They arrived at the Wahlberg home twenty minutes later and quickly headed inside. Mrs. Wahlberg was just coming out of the downstairs office when they came in. “Hey mom,” Sundae said. “Hey. You girls rob out the music store?” her mom asked when she saw the bags in the girls’ hands. Sundae giggled. “Sort of, but it was for a good cause,” she said pulled one of the CDs out of her bag. “Here’s yours, and I have them for the girls and grandma, too,” she said. Her mom laughed. “Thank you, honey. I’m sure he appreciates it,” she said. “You’re welcome. Remind me to give you Pleshette’s copy before she goes to bed,” she said. Her mom nodded and Sundae then led her friends upstairs. As they headed down the hall to Sundae’s room they encountered two of the littlest Wahlbergs, Destiny and Precious, both seven coming out of the room they shared. “Hi girls,” Kimmie said. “Hi,” Precious said. Destiny then noticed the bags. “Did you bring me anything? Pretty Please?” she asked. Sundae laughed. “Actually, I did,” she said and brought out two more CDs from her bag. Both little girls squealed when the CDs were handed to them. “Thank you,” they chirruped in unison. Sundae giggled. “You’re welcome and I’ll tell you what. If you guys are good, I’ll get them autographed for you,” she said. Destiny and Precious both squealed once again and the turned and darted back into their room, most likely to listen to their CDs. Sundae smiled and turned toward her own room, her friends following her. There the girls plopped down wherever there was room and Sundae walked over to her CD player. She brought one of the three remaining CDs out of her bag, unwrapped and opened it and popped it into the player. “Everyone ready?” she asked. “You better believe it,” Dana said. Sundae giggled. “I’m gonna check my email and download my deluxe version while we listen,” she said and then pushed ‘play’ on her player. The first song to play was David’s hit single ‘Crush’. Sundae smiled as she plopped down at her desk and switched on her computer. She sang along quietly with the song while it booted. “You were in the video for this one with him, weren’t you?” Candace asked. “Yeah, I was. That was one heck of a day, too,” Sundae said. “Oh yeah. Tell them about the bottle blonde,” Dana said. “What bottle blonde?” Kimmie asked. Sundae rolled her eyes. “That’s a long story that I thought I told you not to blab about, Dana,” she said. “Oops,” Dana said realizing. “I guess it’s okay. Long story short, the producers somehow forgot I was supposed to play opposite him and cast a girl for the part. It took a little finagling to sort things out,” Sundae said. “Whoa, I would’ve been jealous,” Candace said. “I was, but only for like five seconds,” Sundae said. “Only five seconds?” Cara asked surprised. “Sweet nothings will do it every time,” Dana said. “Dana! You’re gonna be on gossip restriction if you don’t watch it,” Sundae said as she signed into her email account. “I’ll be good,” Dana promised. Sundae giggled. “If you guys want something to do while we listen David told me he wrote 2000 words worth of liner notes,” she said. The other girls quickly pulled out their CDs and Sundae smiled and turned back to her email. She found eight new messages from her friends and her older siblings and responded to them as she listened to the CD. She also found the download link for the deluxe version and got it. She then signed out and joined her friends in just listening to the music. They were three songs into the CD when Dana suddenly gasped. “OMG!” she said. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Cara asked. Dana held her copy of the CD liner out to Sundae. “You’re in here, Dae, in his thank-you notes,” she said. Sundae took the liner and skimmed over the notes. She blushed when she found a note to her midway down the page. It read,
SUNDAE: My angel, I couldn’t have done this without you by my side. You’ve been there to listen, to encourage and to inspire. There’s no one I trust more than you and I don’t know where I’d be without you. I love you.
“He just broke a million hearts with those words,” Kimmie mused, having read the note in her own copy of the liner. “Yeah, but he has the one he wants,” Dana said, looking over at Sundae who had tears in her eyes. The next song on the CD didn’t help much with that. It was a sweet love song titled ‘You Can’ and Sundae’s tears continued to flow as she listened to it. He had sung it to her once during the summer, the day they had shot the video for ‘Crush’. He had surprised her at the end of the day with a little candlelight for two on the dock of the lake where they’d been filming, and he had sung the song to her as they sat together. It was one of the most romantic moments of Sundae’s life. She handed Dana back her liner and brushed the tears from her eyes. “You miss him, huh?” Dana said, knowingly. “Yeah, but I know he’s happy with what he’s doing,” Sundae said. “He’d be happier if you were with him,” Kimmie said. Sundae smiled a little at that. A knock on the door interrupted the train of thought. “Password,” Sundae called and the other girls burst into giggles. “Um, you’ve got mail,” said her brother’s voice from the other side of the door. Sundae got up and went to the door and opened it to see her older brother, Jason, standing in the hall, a small package in his hand. “Why do you have a password?” he asked. “When I have friends over my room’s off limits. You got lucky by being the mailman,” Sundae replied. Jason rolled his eyes. “Whatever, here’s your package,” he handed her the package and then covered his ears, “Turn that off. The tweebs are already annoying me with it,” he said. Sundae stuck her tongue out at him before stepping back into her room and closing the door. Her friends giggled again as she reclaimed her seat at her desk. “Your brother is so weird,” Cara said. “Yeah, but he’s also very cute,” Candace said. “Ewww,” Sundae and Kimmie said. “What? It’s not illegal to look?” Candace said. “True, just don’t broadcast it around here. His ego’s big enough,” Kimmie said. Candace just laughed and Sundae shook her head and turned her attention to the package she held. It was small and lined with bubble wrap and, as she examined it, she realized there was a CD inside. “Who’s it from?” Cara asked. Sundae looked at the return address label and couldn’t help a smile. “Oooooh,” the girls giggled, noticing. Sundae giggled, too, and opened the package. She fished into it and pulled out another copy of David’s CD along with a letter. She set the CD on her desk, noting an autograph on it, and turned her attention to the letter. It was only about a page in length, but still wordy, keeping with David’s habit of rambling at times. It read,
Dae, How are things in sunny CA? haha Hope you’re doing well and keeping busy. I know you’ve got school and soccer going on and I hope you’re kicking butt at both. lol As for me, I’ve got so much going on, it’s crazy. First, I had all those radio interviews and promos, next I’ve got all the TV spots and then I’ve got a month of Jingle Ball concerts. Crazy! How is this all happening to me? I know you’d tell me it’s happening for a reason and that I deserve it and more, but I can’t believe it. It seems like just yesterday that I was first trying out for ‘Idol’ and now I’ve got more going on than I could ever have dreamed. Okay, I’m rambling again, but anyway, lol. I know you told me you were going to buy the CD, but I still wanted to send you an autographed one. The message is special and just for you. Also, I hope you’ll like the songs ‘You Can’ and ‘To Be With You’. They’re both for you. You know how I’m bad with words? Hopefully these two songs will show how much you mean to me. I’d do anything to be with you, Dae and you’ll always be my only one. I hope you’ll like the CD and I’ll try to call and text while I’m in the Big Apple. Take care and be well and thank you for always being there. I love you, David XOXO
P.S. Look at the twelfth track on the CD and you’ll find another surprise.
Sundae brushed away a few more tears as she set the envelope down. “What did he say?” Kimmie asked. “Private,” Sundae replied as she picked up the CD he’d sent her. “Party pooper,” Kimmie grumbled. Sundae shook her head at her and turned her attention to the CD in her hand. She first looked at the autograph and had to smile again at its message,
To Sundae with all my heart, I love you always, David He had even doodled a peace sign, two little hearts, and smiley-faced pig, which was an old signature of his. She smiled and turned the CD over in her hand and looked at the track list on the back. When she came to the last song on the list her eyes widened. The listing read,
12. Can I Have This Dance? (Feat. Sundae Wahlberg)
“Oh my goodness,” she murmured. “What’s wrong, Dae?” Cara asked. “Nothing’s wrong. He put the song we wrote together on here,” Sundae said. “Which song is it?” Kimmie asked. “The last one. We wrote it over the summer during the tour,” Sundae said. “When did you have time to record it?” Dana asked. “While he was finishing the album. Remember I hung out at the studio with him a few times?” Sundae said. “Oh yeah, that’s right,” Dana said. “That is so cool, Dae. This could get you noticed,” Kimmie said. “Maybe, but right now it’s all for him,” Sundae said. Her friends smiled, knowing what she meant.
Later that evening Sundae lay on her bed, listening to the deluxe version of David’s CD and winding down from the day. Her friends had hung out until almost five and then headed home for the night. Though she loved having them around, Sundae was glad to have sometime to herself. She had her eyes closed and resting quietly when she heard her phone, which was lying on the bed beside her go off. She grabbed the phone and had to smile when she saw who was calling. She pushed talk and put the phone to her ear. “Hey,” she said her smile growing wider. “Hey, what are you up to?” David asked. “Oh just relaxing and listening to your CD,” Sundae said. “Did you buy it like you said you were going to?” he asked. “If you count the deluxe edition from iTunes and the one from Wal-Mart, I’ve bought eight copies. I’m gifting some to the family,” Sundae replied. “Wow. Well, thanks for that,” David said. “You’re welcome. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, you know that,” she said. “Yeah, I know,” he replied. “I got the copy you mailed to me, too. Thank you for that…for all of it,” she said. “You’re welcome. I meant every word in my notes,” David said. “I know you did and to put our song on the album, too…that means a lot,” Sundae said. “I’m glad you liked it,” he said. “I do. I’ve been wishing you were here so I can hug you,” Sundae said. “I wish you were with me, too. I’d love to take you out on the town here, go for a spin at Rockefeller Center, and maybe a carriage ride through Central Park,” David said. Sundae smiled. “I’d love that,” she said. “I’ll be back in LA this weekend for a couple appearances. Maybe we could have dinner or see a movie,” David suggested. Sundae smiled even more. “I’d love to. There’s actually a new restaurant that just opened pretty close to me that looks really good,” she said. “Alright. Find out the name of it and we’ll try it,” David said. “Okay, great,” Sundae said. The two talked for a little while longer, catching each other up on what had been going on, what they were doing and what they had planned for the rest of the week. They’d been talking for over an hour when Sundae heard a noise on David’s end. He was quiet for a moment and the spoke again. “Dad wants lights off. I have to be up early tomorrow,” he said. “Alright. Say hi to your dad for me,” Sundae said. “I will. Same to everyone there and I’ll call you again tomorrow,” David said. “Okay, I love you,” Sundae said. “I love you, too, Dae,” David said. “Night,” she said. “Night,” he replied. She then switched off her phone and set it on the nightstand and then snuggled into her pillow, a smile on her face, as she drifted off to sleep. Even though David was on the other side of the country, she heard his voice as his CD played, and she felt his arms around her in her heart, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before they would be together again.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:39:31 GMT -5
Love Is A Song
Entr’acte
Christmas Wishes
December 6th, 2008
Fifteen-year-old Sundae Wahlberg gazed out the window of her dad’s truck as they drove along the streets of Hollywood, California. She brushed a piece of her long brown hair out of her face, her mind drifting. “Remind me again why we’re going to this tree lighting thing?” she asked looking over at her dad. He glanced over at her, the thin spots in his medium brown hair showing. “Because we haven’t had much dad/daughter time of late and I thought it might cheer you up,” he said. Sundae sighed. “Cheering up, right,” she mumbled. Her dad reached over and patted her knee. “Honey, you know how busy David is right now. He probably just hasn’t had time to check his phone,” he said. David was Sundae’s boyfriend of eleven months, seventeen-year-old David Archuleta. He was currently making the rounds of a set of radio-sponsored holiday concerts promoting his first album, which had just been released. Even so they normally talked everyday on the phone, but she hadn’t heard from him in two days and she was starting to worry. “I know, dad, but he usually texts me everyday. It’s not like him to miss a day,” she said. “Maybe he just has a lot on his mind right now,” her dad said gently. “Yeah, maybe,” Sundae said, turning her gaze out the window. “Have I mentioned you look great tonight? Very Christmasy,” her dad said. Sundae turned back around and had to smile at the grin on his face. “Thanks,” she said, looking over her ensemble of a black velvet mini skirt and a red velvet top. For accessories she wore garnet stud earrings and the gold heart necklace David had given her for her birthday. Her dad patted her knee again. “There’s the smile I love,” he said. Sundae couldn’t help a giggle as they turned down toward Hollywood and Highland where the Christmas Tree Lighting they were going to was taking place. “How’d you find out about this tree lighting anyway?” she asked. “A friend called me and suggested I check it out. There’s a VIP reception before the actual ceremony and I hear there might be a few stars there,” her dad said. Sundae giggled again. “Dad, look who you’re talking to. Kimmie’s the celeb crazy one,” she said referring to her younger sister. “Very true, but I thought it might be fun,” her dad said. A few minutes later they pulled up to the famous street and saw crowds of people gathering in front of a stage in the midst of the plaza where the ceremony would take place. “Wow, this is going to be big,” Sundae said. “Yeah, now if only we can find a place to park,” her dad said. Sundae laughed. “There would the million dollar question,” she said. Her dad nodded and continued on, looking for the parking garage. He found it five minutes later, but it took another ten minutes to find a spot. Once the truck was parked and locked up Sundae and her dad made their way to the elevator that would take them up to the plaza. “Are we just going to the plaza or are we going to the reception, too?” Sundae asked as they stepped into the elevator. “We’re going to the reception. It’s up on the third level,” her dad said as he pushed a button on the elevator. They rode up to the third level and then stepped out of the elevator and into the cool evening breeze. The third level was home to a couple of restaurants and a few business offices and Sundae and her dad made their way over to the main business center where a crowd had gathered outside the entrance. They were just starting to let people in for the reception and they waited their turn with the others who had tickets. Her dad showed their tickets when they reached the door and they made their way inside. The room inside was fairly crowded and there was a stage situated at one end of the room with a white curtain around it. “Is someone performing?” Sundae asked, noticing the set up. “Yeah, I think there is a short performance. They’re using the stage for a presentation, too,” her dad said as he led her along. They were soon right by the stage and her dad showed a pass to a man guarding the curtain and he let them through. “Your friend gave you a backstage pass?” Sundae asked with a hint of sarcasm. Her dad chuckled. “Yeah, he thought we’d be more comfortable this way. Or would you rather be out there with the masses,” he said. Sundae raised her hands in an ‘I give’ gesture. “Back here’s fine, thanks,” she noticed a table with bottles of water a few feet from them, “I’m gonna grab a drink,” she said and stepped over to the table. She stood beside it for a moment, thinking. Grateful as she was for her dad’s trying to distract her, she was still worried about David. She sighed as she reached for one of the water bottles, hoping the evening would be enough to keep her distracted. Her fingers were just grazing the bottle when a gentle male voice startled her from behind. “Santa must really exist. He brought me the angel I asked for,” the voice said. Sundae trembled, knowing the voice as well as she knew her own. She whirled around and her heart leapt when she saw David standing behind her. He looked wonderful as always with his hazel eyes shining, his black hair gelled to perfection, and a warm, loving smile on his face. He wore a brown and tan sweater that Sundae remembered along with fitting jeans and his usual sneakers. Sundae felt tears come to her eyes as she gazed at him and the next moment she forgot the water bottle and dove into his arms. His arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her close to him and she let one hand slide up to the back of his head, her fingers toying with his silky hair. “What are you doing here?” she asked, hugging him as tightly as she could. “I’m actually performing. What about you?” David asked. “My dad brought me thinking it would cheer me up from missing you. I was worried when I didn’t hear from you the last couple days,” Sundae said. David lifted one hand and gently stroked her hair. “That’s my fault. Spacey me lost my phone on the plane the other day. I wanted to call you and I tried when I was in Florida yesterday, but I couldn’t get through,” he said. “Why were you in Florida?” Sundae asked. “I was taping an appearance for the Disney Christmas Parade,” David replied. “Oh,” Sundae murmured. David gently pulled back and brushed his fingers against her cheek. “I knew you’d worry, Dae, and I wanted so badly to call you, but parents aren’t so easy to convince. My dad wouldn’t even let me use his cell and forget the hotel phone,” he said. Sundae couldn’t help a smile and reached to hug him again. “The important thing is that you’re here now and you’re okay. Your phone can be replaced, you can’t,” she said. “I’m glad you understand. I was scared I might lose you because of this,” he said. “Never,” Sundae murmured into his ear. They held each other for a few minutes and then pulled back to look into each other’s eyes. David lifted his hand again and gently cupped it under her chin before leaning in. Sundae melted into the kiss, reveling in the feel of his soft lips against hers. They both were beaming when they broke apart after a moment. “By the way, Santa brought me my angel, too,” Sundae said. David beamed and hugged her to him again. “Well, well, and you thought you wouldn’t have any fun off stage,” a new male voice said. The teens turned to see his dad approaching them, a smile on his face. They both smiled, too. “Hi, Mr. Archuleta, how are you?” Sundae said. “Just fine, and how many times have I told you to call me Jeff? You’re practically family,” Mr. Archuleta said. Sundae nodded. “I know,” she said. David gently hugged her again and then looked to his dad. “I never said anything about not having fun off stage,” he said. “I know, but you’ve been obsessing over your phone so much it made me wonder,” his dad said. “And I see my little surprise worked out well, too,” Sundae’s dad said as he joined them. Sundae was a little surprised, and she couldn’t help but laugh when the two dads turned to each other and shook hands. “Don,” his dad said. “Jeff, nice to see you. Thanks for the heads up, too,” her dad said. “He was the one that called you?” Sundae asked. Her dad nodded. “Yeah, he was,” he said. “Call it dad’s intuition that told me you two would enjoy some time together,” his dad said. The teens both smiled even more and Sundae leaned her head on David’s shoulder. “Thanks, guys,” David said. “Yeah, thank you both,” Sundae agreed. Their dads nodded and David then squeezed her shoulder and started to pull her away. “Don’t wander too far. They’re about to get things started and you’re up first,” his dad said. “Thanks, dad, I’ll watch the time,” David said and he and Sundae then stepped away to have some time to themselves. They walked over to the other side of the stage and found a chair that wasn’t being used. David sat down and pulled Sundae onto his lap. She giggled as she cuddled up to him. “I really am glad you’re here. I’ve missed you these last couple weeks,” she said. “I’ve missed you, too, Dae,” David said. “How was the first Jingle Ball?” she asked, remembering that the first of his holiday concerts had taken place a few days earlier in Sacramento. “It was great. The crowd was awesome. It was just like when we had our tour stop there, except it was me with four other acts,” he said. “Shontelle, Jesse McCartney, Boys Like Girls and Katy Perry, right?” she asked. “Yeah, exactly. They were all pretty cool. Katy even joked about giving me her number,” David said. “Oh, geez,” Sundae said, giggling again. “She wasn’t really being serious. It was part of her intro for her Hot ‘n’ Cold song,” David said. Sundae shook her head. “I get the idea, but I don’t think I’ll ever get her,” she said. David chuckled, hugging her again. “Even if she did give me her number, she’s not my type,” he pulled her close enough to whisper in her ear, “There’s only you for me,” he said. She leaned into him, letting him hug her tightly. She looked up after a moment and he started to lean toward her. “Ahem,” a male voice said and they looked up to see his dad walking up. “They’re ready for you,” he said to David. David nodded as he and Sundae stood up and he took hold of her hand as they walked over to the stage entrance. When they reached it, David turned to Sundae again. “I’m only doing two songs, so I won’t be long,” he said. Sundae nodded. “Okay, do well,” she said. He smiled and kissed her hand before turning and heading for the stage. As he walked up on to it, Sundae noticed a keyboard set up and ready to go and guessed one of his songs would be his signature piece, ‘Angels’. She was quickly proven right when he sat down at the keyboard and started to play the now well-known opening chords. His performance was wonderful as always. He performed ‘Angels’ beautifully and followed it up with ‘O Holy Night’ one of her favorite Christmas songs. When he finished the latter the emcee came up on stage and thanked him for his performance. “I’m glad I could be here. I hope you’ll all come outside for the tree lighting later,” David said in reply, addressing the last to the crowd. He then waved and headed back behind the curtain. Sundae greeted him with a big hug when he came up to her. “You were amazing,” she said into his ear as she hugged him. “Thanks, Dae,” he said, returning the hug whole-heartedly. They pulled apart after a moment and his dad spoke up. “We should probably head out. You’ve got press and by the time that’s done it’ll be time for the tree ceremony,” he said. David nodded and turned to Sundae. “Come with me?” he asked. She smiled. “You know I will,” she said. He smiled, too, and slipped his arm around her as they and their dads turned to head out of the restaurant. They made their way outside and started walking toward the elevators to head down to the plaza. They stopped along the way for the aforementioned interviews and then took the elevator down to the plaza. “Are you singing out here, too?” Sundae asked David as they stepped off the elevator at the plaza level. “Yeah, and I think I get to light the tree, too,” David replied. “That should be fun,” Sundae said. They neared the stage a few moments later and Sundae saw the keyboard set up again. “Are you doing ‘Angels’ twice? I see the keyboard,” she said. “I’m actually doing another song. It’s one I haven’t done in a while, so I hope I be able to do it well,” he said. “What’s the song?” Sundae asked as they walked up beside the stage. “1,000 Miles by Vanessa Carlton,” he said. Sundae smiled. “Oh wow. I remember the video of you singing that one when you were younger. I can’t wait to hear the updated version,” she said. “Thanks, but when did you see that video?” he asked. “Dana found it on youtube and sent it to me. You might’ve been younger, but you were still amazing,” she said. David smiled. “Thanks,” he said. A man working the outdoor part of the ceremony came up to them at that point. “We’re ready for you, Mr. Archuleta,” he said. “Alright, thank you,” David said. “Good luck,” Sundae said, leaning up and kissing him on the cheek. He smiled and squeezed her hand and then turned and headed up on to the stage. Again his performance was wonderful. He sang both of his singles, his hit ‘Crush’ and his new one ‘A Little Too Not Over You’, along with ‘1,000 Miles’ and an acapella version of ‘Silent Night’. As he finished ‘Crush’, which was the last of the four he sang, the emcee came up on stage, microphone in hand. “Thank you, David. That was terrific,” the emcee said. “Thanks,” David said. “It’s just about time to light the tree, but first there’s someone who’s come a long way to join you in doing so,” the emcee said. The next moment Santa himself came up on to the stage. The emcee handed Santa his microphone and then stepped away. Santa then turned toward David. “Ho, ho, ho this has been quite a year for you, hasn’t it?” he said. “Yeah, it’s been amazing,” David said. Santa smiled. “I know you’re a little grown up for this, but I know how good you’ve been this year and how good you always are, so I thought I’d ask. What would you like for Christmas?” he asked. David chuckled. “There’s really nothing I need and you’ve already brought me what I really wanted,” he said. “I have?” Santa asked. David looked around to where Sundae was standing with their dads. “Yeah, you did,” he said. Santa then saw Sundae and smiled knowingly. “She’s special to you, isn’t she?” he said. David smiled even more. “Yeah, she is,” he said, his gaze never leaving hers. “Well, I’m glad you’ll get to be together this Christmas,” Santa said. David finally tore his gaze from Sundae and turned back to Santa. “I am, too,” he said. Santa then gestured to a large button on a pedestal a few feet from them. “Shall we light up the tree?” he asked. David nodded. “Sure, let’s,” he said. The two then stepped over to the button and, after a countdown from ten, pushed the button lighting up the tree. The tree stood only a few feet from Sundae so it surprised her when it lit up, but it was beautiful to see. It was decorated with silver and gold ornaments and twinkling white lights and just as pretty as the famous Rockefeller Center tree. Sundae was so caught up in gazing at it that she didn’t know David had come down from the stage until he was beside her. She beamed and reached to hug him, still feeling touched by his earlier display of affection. He held her close to him and they were both smiling when she pulled back after a few minutes. “Thank you,” she said. “Why are you thanking me?” he wanted to know. “For being so sweet up there,” Sundae said. David gently touched her cheek. “I meant every word,” he said. She leaned into the gentle touch, but the moment was spoiled a second later. “Nice job up there,” a male voice said and the teens looked up to see their dads approaching them. It was her dad who had spoken. David nodded in response to the compliment. “Thank you,” he said. His dad smiled. “Since the night is young I thought we might do something more after this, that is if you two are up for it,” he said. The teens traded looks. “Yeah, that’d be cool,” David said. His dad nodded. “Glad to hear it. There’s a concert starting at eight that I think you’ll both enjoy,” he said and pulled an envelope out of his pocket, which he handed to David. David opened the envelope and both he and Sundae squealed excitedly over what they found inside. “John Mayer tickets!” they shrieked in unison. “He’s performing over at the Nokia and I thought, since it’s close by, and since today’s Saturday, it’d be fun,” his dad said. “Oh my gosh, dad, you rock,” David said. “Seriously,” Sundae agreed. “I think you just made their decade with this one, Jeff,” her dad said. Mr. Archuleta chuckled. “I knew they’d enjoy it,” he turned to David, “You do your encore and we’ll go,” he said. The teens both beamed. “Thank you so much,” David said, handing the envelope back to his dad for safekeeping. “You’re welcome,” his dad said. David then took hold of Sundae’s hand and they stepped away, both of them bubbling with excitement. “Wow, your dad is so the bomb right now,” Sundae said. “Completely. I didn’t even know about that concert before now, so he’s getting really good at the surprises,” David said. “I’ll say,” Sundae agreed. David gently squeezed her hand in his. “I’m glad you came tonight, Dae,” he said. She smiled. “I am, too. I almost didn’t want to, so I’m glad my dad talked me into it,” she said. “Me, too,” he said. They paused in front of a storefront and turned toward each other, him taking hold of both her hands. He then glanced up and grinned. “Oh hey, look,” he said, pointing upward. She looked up and saw that someone had hung mistletoe from the awning they were standing under. She looked back to David and smiled even more as he drew her to him. She melted into his arms as their lips met and slipped her arms up around his shoulders, holding him tightly. They stayed close together when they broke the kiss, their noses nuzzling together. “I love you, Dae,” David murmured. “I love you, too,” Sundae murmured back, leaning up to kiss him again. He smiled. “A year ago I was just starting with ‘Idol’. I never could have imagined I’d fall in love or that it would be so amazing,” he said brushing his fingers against her cheek again. She leaned into the caress. “I know. I was wondering what might happen if we ran into each other during Hollywood week. I never dreamed how far we would go,” she blushed lightly, “You’re the love of my life and my Christmas wish come true,” she said. “And you’re mine,” he said, and leaned in again. When they broke the kiss he pulled her to him, holding her tightly, as they slowly started to sway along to the song currently being sung by another performer. “Happy Christmas, Dae,” he murmured. “Happy Christmas, David,” Sundae murmured back. She knew it would be a happy Christmas. Someone, be it God or Santa or maybe both, had heard their wish to be together and had helped it come true.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:40:46 GMT -5
Love Is A Song
Entr’acte
Eighteen Candles
Fifteen-year-old Sundae Wahlberg stood in her room in her Beverly Hills home, trying to get her suitcase to close enough that she could zip it shut. “Ugh, what do I have to sit on you?” she grumbled at the suitcase before doing just that and sitting on top of the pesky bag and trying the zipper again. A knock on her door startled her out of her thoughts. “Come in,” she called while tugging on the zipper. “Ugh, dang it,” she growled when the zipper still wouldn’t zip. “Having problems?” her mom’s voice asked and Sundae looked up to see her mom, a petite redhead, leaning on the doorframe. “Yes, this stupid thing won’t zip,” Sundae grumbled. “Let me try,” her mom said and came into the room. “Mom, you’re just as skinny as I am,” Sundae said as she got down off the suitcase and tugged her long brown ponytail straight. “And I pride myself on that, thank you, but having given birth to twelve kids, I think I’ve got an extra twenty pounds I can spare,” her mom said and hopped up onto the suitcase. Sundae checked the zipper and found her mom’s slightly heavier weight did the trick. “Thank you, mom. You are so a lifesaver,” she said as she slid the zipper closed and held it in place with a tiny lock. “No problem and I’m glad to see you’ve picked up on David’s non-cursing habit,” her mom said. Sundae smiled, blushing lightly. David was her boyfriend of nearly a year, David Archuleta. Her earlier use of the phrase ‘Dang it’ was patented David. He was so sweet and humble that curse words and the like were not in his vocabulary. He even greatly disliked hearing other people use them. He was also the reason for Sundae’s suitcase troubles. She was flying over to his home state of Utah to visit him for his eighteenth birthday. She giggled lightly at her mom’s comment. “That’s something certain someones around here should consider doing, huh?” she said. “If you mean your brother, then I couldn’t agree more,” her mom said. Sundae laughed again. Her older brother, Jason, had also just turned eighteen and he loved lording it over her. “Nice as it is to have him for a taxi, I can’t wait for him to go off to college. Then I get to be the oldest at home,” she joked as she hauled her suitcase off the bed. “Yes, and you’ll also get to be the new taxi for the little kids,” her mom said. “Oooh, does that mean I’m getting a car for my sweet sixteen?” Sundae asked. Her mom laughed. “You wish,” she said. Sundae snapped her fingers in an ‘aw shucks’ gesture as she grabbed the handle of her bag. “Sundae, you ready to go?” her dad’s voice called from down stairs. “Coming! Bye mom I’ll see you later,” Sundae said and wheeled her bag out the door. When she reached the top of the stairs leading to the front entryway of her house, Sundae saw her dad, a man in his late forties with thinning medium brown hair, waiting for her. “Sorry if I made you wait. My suitcase was being a pain,” she said as she started to haul the aforementioned bag down the stairs. Her dad winced slightly as it thunked along behind her. “How ‘bout you let me carry it so we don’t damage the stairs,” he said and quickly made his way up the stairs to her. He took hold of her bag, hefted it up, and carried it down the stairs, her following him. “How many presents did you pack in here?” he asked as he set her bag down at the foot of the stairs. “Just one, thank you. That’s mostly clothes you’re feeling,” Sundae replied. “Why’d you pack so much?” her dad asked. “I didn’t. It’s like thirty degrees in Utah and sweaters and jackets are heavy,” Sundae replied. “Ahh, didn’t think of that,” her dad said. “Yeah, sunny SoCal winters are enough to spoil anyone,” Sundae said as she picked up the jacket she’d left out earlier for the trip. “I agree with you there. Now, we’d better go if we want to get to the airport on time,” her dad said. Sundae nodded and grabbed her bag and followed him out the door to his truck. Forty minutes later they were pulling up to LAX. Sundae grabbed for her purse and jacket as her dad pulled up to the curb. “You know the drill, right? Call me when you get there,” her dad said. “I know, dad. I won’t forget,” she said. Her dad then brought out the envelope he’d been holding onto with her plane tickets in it. “One more thing, remember how you were a little upset that you didn’t get a Santa present on Christmas?” he asked. “Well yeah, but I got a lot of other great stuff. Besides, I am a little old for Santa,” she said. Her dad smiled. “Look at the return date on your itinerary,” he said, handing her the envelope. She took it and opened it, pulling out the itinerary sheet. She gasped when she saw the date he’d mentioned. “January 3rd? Dad are you serious?” she asked. She had thought she’d be coming home in time for her mom’s birthday on December 30th, but he was letting her stay though the New Year’s weekend. “Your mom and I remember how romantic your first New Year together can be and we thought you’d enjoy it. Happy Christmas, honey,” her dad said. Sundae reached to hug him. “Thank you so much,” she said. “You’re welcome. I cleared it with his parents, so all you have to do is have fun,” her dad said. “Thank you, daddy,” Sundae said and leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Her dad smiled. “Safe trip, sweetie and call or text when you get there,” he said. Sundae nodded as she slid out of the truck and got her bag out of the back of the cab. “No problem, bye dad,” she said, waving as she shut the door. Her dad waved, too, and she then turned and headed into the airport. Her flight was smooth, as she knew it would be and, as soon as she was on the ground in Utah, all her thoughts turned to David. She was very excited to get to spend time with him, as there was nothing she loved better than being with him. She would have to wait to see him, though. Her visit was a surprise orchestrated by some of their friends. She was to be their special birthday gift to him. When she got to the baggage claim Sundae looked around and quickly spotted a pretty blonde accompanied by a tall guy with medium brown hair. These were David’s friends Jessica and Adam. Sundae had met them when she’d come to Utah with David earlier in the year. Both were bundled up for the cold and Sundae was glad she’d thought to pack warm. The blonde girl waved when she saw Sundae watching them. “Hey, over here,” she called. Sundae giggled and made her way over to them. “Hey Jess, how was your Christmas?” she asked reaching to hug the girl as she walked up. “Pretty good, how ‘bout yours?” Jessica asked. “Other than my little brothers and sisters waking me up at five am?” Sundae said. “Ouch. Even my sisters know better than that,” Jessica said. “Lucky you. Other than that little disruption, Christmas was fine. I am so happy to be here, though,” Sundae said. “We’re glad you could come,” Jessica said. “Yeah, me especially,” Adam chimed in. Jessica looked up at him and he shrugged. “Hey, you’re not the one who has to sit around with David and listen to him mope about how much he’s missing her,” he said. Sundae smiled a little. “I wish I could see him now,” she said. Jessica giggled. “Sorry girl, gotta wait til tomorrow,” she said. “Dang it,” Sundae muttered, snapping her fingers. The other two chuckled. They retrieved Sundae’s bag a few minutes later and then left the airport and headed off to Murray. They arrived at Jessica’s house, a pretty gray two story, about forty minutes later. “Wow, you have a pretty house,” Sundae commented. “Thanks. It’s a good thing you’re used to younger kids. My sisters have a tendency to drive everyone crazy,” Jessica said as they got out of the car. “How old are they?” Sundae asked. “Mandy’s twelve and Ginny’s eight,” Jessica said as they got Sundae’s stuff out of the trunk of the car. “Been there, in fact I’m currently there except it’s two of my brothers that are that age,” Sundae said. “Huh, maybe you guys could fix them up. Then maybe Ginny will leave me alone,” Adam said as they made their way to the front door. Jessica laughed. “Oh calm down. They know their limits,” she said as she opened the front door. “Hey, we’re home,” she called as they stepped into the house. Her mom came out of the kitchen and Sundae immediately knew where Jessica got her looks. Her mom was a striking blonde with blue green eyes. “Hi, Jess, Adam. And this must be Sundae?” she said coming up to meet them. “Yeah. Dae, this is my mom, Linda and over there is my dad, Greg,” Jessica said. Sundae looked to her left and saw a middle-aged man with graying dish blonde hair watching them from an easy chair. “Nice to meet you both,” she said. “You, too. You’re just as pretty as David’s described,” Linda said. “Thanks,” Sundae said, glancing over at Jessica. She mouthed ‘tell you later’ and Sundae nodded. Adam then spoke up. “Well, since you ladies are home safe and sound, I’ll be going,” he said. Jessica turned and hugged him. “See you tomorrow, babe,” she said and he nodded, giving her a peck on the cheek as he left. Jessica then turned to Sundae. “Come on, I’ll show you my room,” she said. Sundae managed to heft her bag and then followed Jessica upstairs and down the hallway to her room. Jessica’s room was like that of any girl their age. There was a queen-size bed, a desk with a laptop sitting on it surrounded by schoolbooks, a good-sized closet and a big plus of a private bathroom. “Okay, how did you luck out with your own bathroom?” Sundae asked as she wheeled her bag over to sit by an inflate-a-mattress that was set up next to the closet. “Dad had it put in when I turned fourteen. I was fed up with sharing the only other bathroom up here with the kids,” Jessica said. “I heard that. My sisters are always driving me nuts over the bathroom and before my older sister went off to college it was practically war. Three teenage girls and one bathroom,” Sundae said as they shrugged out of their jackets. “Ohhh, not going there, thanks,” Jessica said. A knock on the door made them both look up. “Yeah?” Jessica called. The door opened to reveal two girls, younger than Jessica, but who were obviously related to her. One had dish blonde hair and the other had golden hair like Jessica. “Oh good, you’re back. I was wondering if I could borrow your blue sweater? You know, the one with the sparkles on the collar?” the dish blonde asked. “Your sisters?” Sundae asked Jessica. “Yup, Mandy the borrower and Ginny the tagalong,” Jessica said. She then turned to Mandy. “That’s my favorite sweater, so no, you can’t,” she said. “Why are you always so mean?” Mandy asked. “Hey, do I come in to your room wanting to borrow your stuff?” Jessica asked rhetorically. Mandy sighed and Ginny spoke up. “Is that your friend from LA?” she asked, nodding to Sundae. Jessica smiled. “Yeah, this is Sundae. She’s David’s girlfriend,” she said. Mandy’s jaw dropped. “What? You didn’t tell me he has a girlfriend?” she squeaked. Jessica rolled her eyes. “I’ve told you about a hundred times,” she said. “She obviously wasn’t listening,” Ginny put in. Mandy took a deep breath, calming herself. “There is always the possibility that it won’t work out,” she muttered to herself. Jessica heard her. “I think I’d say ‘dream on’ to that. They’ve been together for a year,” she said. Mandy’s jaw dropped again and Sundae gave her a sympathetic smile. “Sorry, Mandy. I’m sure there’s a great guy out there for you, though,” she said. Mandy just turned and dashed from the room, Ginny following her. Jessica looked to Sundae. “Sorry about that. I should’ve warned you she’s got a mad crush on David,” she said. “Yeah, I actually feel kinda bad for her,” Sundae said. “I wouldn’t stress over it. He used to come over here all the time before ‘Idol’ and she never really cared. Now, he’s famous and she’s head over heels,” Jessica said. “Huh, guess fame can be attractive,” Sundae mused. “That isn’t the worst of it. The worst is at school. There are kids who didn’t even know David, or if they knew him from their classes they didn’t care, who now want to be friends with him or say they’re friends with him. Some of these kids used to pick on him and now they want to make nice? It’s enough to make my stomach crawl,” Jessica said. “He never told me he used to get picked on,” Sundae said. “Well, think about it. He’s small and shy and very quiet and always gets straight ‘A’s. A lot of kids would call someone like that a nerd or something along those lines,” Jessica said. Sundae sighed, her expression thoughtful. If David had been with them then she would’ve hugged him tight and told him she’d never let anyone treat him that way. She didn’t get how anyone could behave that way towards the most amazing person she’d ever known. “You okay?” Jessica asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. “Yeah, I just don’t get how anyone could be that way to David. He would never hurt a single soul in anyway. How could people be that way to him?” Sundae asked. Jessica sighed, too. “Honestly, I have no idea. What’s weird is, David would still be nice to those kids, even though they picked on him,” she said. Sundae smiled at that. “Yeah, that’s David. He couldn’t be mean if he tried,” she said. Jessica smiled, too. “I know what you mean,” she said. She then giggled lightly. “Well, now that we’re all cheered up we need to start planning for tomorrow,” she got up and moved over to the closet, “So, tell me, what do you wear for a ‘Blue Man Group’ concert?” she asked, sliding open the closet door. “Blue Man Group?” Sundae asked. “Yeah, that’s where we’re taking David for his birthday. Adam came up with idea. I think he was figuring, David loves concerts so let’s do that, but something unusual,” she said. “It’s cool, though, and David will love it,” Sundae said. “Have you seen Blue Man Group?” Jessica asked. “Yeah, I saw them in LA a couple years ago. They were very cool,” Sundae said. “Cool. So, fashion ideas?” Jessica asked. “Well, are we doing dinner or just the show?” Sundae asked. “Both. Adam found a place where they’ll sing to you if it’s your birthday,” Jessica said. “Oh God,” Sundae said, giggling. “My thoughts, too. I hope David won’t be embarrassed by it,” Jessica said. “We’ll see and as for clothes, go dressy casual. Nice slacks or a skirt and a nice sweater,” Sundae said. “Perfect and now I have even more reason not to loan my sweater to Mandy. What are you gonna wear?” Jessica asked as she started rooting through her closet. “I’ve got a nice skirt and a sweater. Only problem is I don’t have a nice warm jacket to go over it. My warmest is the one I just had on,” Sundae said. “I’ve got one I can loan you, no worries,” Jessica said. “Great, thanks,” Sundae said. “No prob. I can’t wait to see David’s reaction when we pick him up tomorrow,” Jessica said. Sundae smiled. “Me, too,” she murmured, thinking of being in David’s arms. Jessica smiled, knowingly. Sundae suddenly looked over at her. “Hey, I was gonna ask you about what your mom said downstairs?” she said. Jessica giggled again. “Oh yeah. We’ve all hung out here a couple times over the last couple months and whenever you come up in conversation we can’t get David to stop talking. My mom overheard us once,” she said. “Oh really?” Sundae asked. “Yeah and once she got him started, David wouldn’t shut up about you,” Jessica said. Sundae laughed. “You’re just joking,” she said. “Am not. That’s how he always is. He will not stop talking about you once he starts. He’s really crazy about you,” Jessica said. Sundae beamed at the thought knowing that she was just as crazy about him.
Sundae’s thoughts of David continued throughout the night and he was all she could think about the next day. Jessica dragged her out for mani/pedis and they hung around the local Murray mall for part of the afternoon. “Do you have a present for David?” Jessica asked as they strolled along looking in store windows. “Yeah, I do. I had something made for him just before Christmas. I’m seeing a lot of things here that he’d like, though,” Sundae said. “I see a few things, too,” Jessica said. “You know he’d never ask for anything, though,” Sundae said. “True and that’s one of the things that amazes me about him,” Jessica said. “Me, too. I heard him say in an interview just before Christmas that people always wonder what to do about gifts for his birthday and he always says not to worry about it. He’s like the only person our age that I know who doesn’t make a list a mile long this time of year. I told my mom about it and she was all ‘I wonder if his parents would be willing to trade him for your brother’,” Sundae said. Jessica laughed. “I don’t think that would happen, but I see her point. My parents say every year that we should follow his example and not ask for stuff,” Jessica said. Sundae smiled. “My parents would say the same thing,” she said. The two walked around the mall for a little while longer and then went back to Jessica’s house to get ready for their evening. Sundae chose a black skirt and a new baby blue cashmere sweater she’d gotten for Christmas and Jessica went with black slacks and the blue sweater her sister had tried to borrow the day before. Adam arrived to pick them up at six and Sundae was bubbly with excitement. “You really can’t wait to see him, huh?” Jessica said as she got out two nice coats from her closet. “Oh yeah. I’ve been thinking about him all day,” Sundae said. “Like I haven’t noticed,” Jessica joked. Sundae giggled. “Sorry, if I’ve been annoying you,” she said. “It’s cool. You’re in love, you’re supposed to be day dreamy. Is your bag all packed?” Jessica asked. “Yup. I still can’t believe you guys managed all this,” Sundae said as she finished zipping her suitcase and stood it up. She would be staying at David’s house after that night. “His folks were a lot of help, I can assure you,” Jessica said. Just then a knock came at the door and Adam poked his head in. “You two ready to go?” he asked. “Yeah, pretty much,” Jessica said. Adam walked over to Sundae’s suitcase and hefted it up. “Wow, girls do not pack light,” he muttered as he turned toward the door. “We don’t know the meaning of it,” Jessica joked as she and Sundae followed him out the door and down stairs. They said goodnight and thank you to her parents and loaded Sundae’s bag in Adam’s trunk before heading off to go pick up David. Sundae got more and more excited the closer they got to David’s house and when they pulled up out front, she was practically bouncing in her seat. “Calm down, girl. It’ll only be another couple minutes,” Jessica said as they got out of the car. They walked up the driveway and, as they reached the front walk, Jessica turned to Sundae. “Wait here until we signal you,” she said. Sundae nodded and stepped back into the shadows by the garage and Jessica and Adam continued on up to the front door. Adam rang the bell and a moment later the door opened, revealing David silhouetted in the light of the inside of the house. Sundae caught her breath at how amazing he looked in black slacks and a gray sweater that he’d worn in the video for his second single. “Hey,” she heard him say to Adam and Jessica. “Hey, birthday boy, you ready to party?” Jessica said. “I guess, you know I’m not really into partying,” David said. “Aw, come on. It’s just dinner and a show, you’ll be fine,” Jessica said. “Yeah, I guess,” David said and Sundae could tell he did seem a little glum, like Adam had said. “You’ll be fine. One thing, though. This one,” nodding to Jessica, “was worried that, even though it’s your night, you might feel like a third wheel hanging around with us all night, so we kind of…brought you a date,” Adam said. He then signaled Sundae to come out as David gaped at him. “You did what? Adam I can’t…believe you,” David trailed off in disbelief when he saw Sundae coming up the front walk. “Hey,” she said, beaming at him. A beaming smile came to David’s face, too, and he slipped past Adam and Jessica and ran up to her, grabbing her up in his arms in a tight hug. “How did you get here?” he asked, still in disbelief. “We have very cool friends and very nice parents,” Sundae said, hugging him just as tightly as he was hugging her. He pulled back for a moment to look over at Adam and Jessica. “You guys arranged this?” he asked. Adam nodded. “You don’t turn eighteen everyday,” he said. David couldn’t help grinning. “Thanks, guys,” he said. They nodded and he turned back to Sundae, pulling her to him again. “I love you,” he murmured in her ear. “I love you, too,” Sundae murmured back, lifting her hand to stroke his hair. A scuffling sound caught their attention then and they looked back to the door to see his mom standing on the porch. She smiled when she saw Sundae. “Oh, hi Sundae. Good to see you,” she said. “Hi, Mrs. Archuleta. Good to see you, too,” Sundae said. “Do you have your stuff?” Mrs. Archuleta asked. “Yeah, my bag’s in Adam’s trunk,” Sundae replied. “You have your bag with you?” David asked. “Our birthday treat for you, mijo. She’s going to stay here so you two can have time together,” his mom said. David lit up like the sun and turned to Sundae again. “How long are you here for?” he asked, gently pulling her to him again. “I’m here though New Year’s if you’ll have me,” she said. He beamed and hugged her tightly again. “You know I will. I’d have you forever if you’d stay,” he said. “I would if my dad would let me. Happy Birthday my angel,” Sundae said. David hugged her even closer to him. “I’ll get your stuff, Dae,” Adam said as he moved past them, heading for his car. “The rest of you come inside. It’s too cold to be standing around out here,” Mrs. Archuleta said. “I hadn’t even noticed,” David murmured, holding Sundae to him as they headed inside. She smiled as they stepped into the house, Jessica following them. David’s family warmly greeted Sundae and his older sister, Claudia, offered to share her room as she had when Sundae had visited in the summer. Adam brought Sundae’s bag inside and David pulled on his coat and gloves so the group could get going. Sundae came up beside him as they started toward the door and he slipped his arm around her. “I still can’t believe you’re here,” he murmured into her ear as he hugged her to him. She smiled, but then noticed something. “Oh, hang on a minute,” she said. He paused and she reached up and gently buttoned the snaps on the collar of his coat so that it was covering his neck. “Can’t have your throat getting cold,” she said. He smiled and leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. She smiled, too, and leaned into him as they followed Adam and Jessica out the door.
The teens arrived at their dinner destination, a cozy looking Asian restaurant, twenty minutes later. “Mmm, an Asian place, you guys know me well,” David commented as the group climbed out of Adam’s car. “Wonder if they have Pad Thai,” Sundae mused, making David grin. “Oh they do. I checked because I knew that’s what you’d want,” Adam said as they walked up to the door of the restaurant. David grinned even more as they went inside. The hostess, a pretty Chinese girl, lead them to a table and set out menus and the teens slipped off their coats and gloves as they sat down. David smiled at Sundae as she sat beside him. “You look amazing,” he said as he took hold of her hand under the table. “So do you,” she said, blushing a little as she squeezed his fingers. They then turned their attention to their menus, but only looked at them for a moment. “I know what I want,” David said, setting his menu aside. “Why am I not surprised? I will never understand your obsession with Pad Thai,” Adam said. “It’s so good, though,” David said. Sundae and Jessica giggled. “Absolutely and I think I’ll join you in your order,” Sundae said and set her menu with his. “Well, that does make things easier with half of us already decided,” Adam mused. “Make that three of us. I’m getting the Orange Chicken,” Jessica said, setting aside her menu as well. Adam shook his head. “I’ll never win here, will I?” he said and turned back to his own menu. Their waitress took their order a few minutes later and the teens sat and talked while they waited. “So, how was your Christmas?” David asked Sundae, gently rubbing his thumb over the hand he held. She smiled. “It was nice. It would’ve been better if the tweebs didn’t decide to wake up the whole house at the crack of dawn,” she said. “You too, huh?” he said. She looked over at him. “Amber tried to wake you guys up?” she asked, referring to his youngest sister, who was nine. “Her, Jazzy and Daniel. They all came and jumped on my bed at like six thirty in the morning. You’d think they’re old enough to be past that,” he said. Sundae giggled. “Two words, we wish,” she said. He chuckled. “I heard that. I um, I have a little something for you at home,” he said. She smiled. “You didn’t have to,” she said. “I wanted to. I would’ve sent it to you, but it got to me a little late,” he said. “It’s okay and since we’re on the subject, I’ve got something for you, too. It’s more for your birthday, but it could be for both,” Sundae said and reached for her purse. “You didn’t have to get me anything,” he said. “Like you said, I wanted to,” Sundae said as she opened her purse. “We all wanted to,” Adam chimed in as he and Jessica each held out cards. “You guys…” David said, taking the cards and smiling even more when Sundae set a card and a small box on the table in front of him. He couldn’t help grinning as he opened the cards. Adam’s card held a gift card to Abercrombie and Jessica’s had a gift card for David’s favorite restaurant Asian Star. “Thanks guys,” he said. “You’re welcome. I had the idea flash for mine a couple days ago. Since I knew Dae would be here, I thought you guys could put that card to use,” Jessica said. “Yeah, and you can use mine to get yourself some stylin new threads for the occasion,” Adam added. David chuckled and turned to Sundae’s gifts. He opened the card first and found it to be a classic black and white picture of two children in a romantic pose. The words ‘To My Love’ were written at the top. “Oh I love those cards,” Jessica said, seeing the picture when David opened the card to read the inside. Another gift card lay inside and he picked it up as he read.
I can’t find words to say How much you mean to me So, on your birthday I’ll tell you with a kiss And so much more David, May your birthday bring you all your dreams come true, as you’ve brought me all of mine. All my love forever, Sundae
David reached over, cupped his hand under Sundae’s chin and tenderly brushed his lips against hers. “I love you, too,” he murmured as he pulled back. “Why don’t you ever do anything like that for me?” Jessica said to Adam. He rolled his eyes and Sundae and David smiled. David then picked up the gift card that had been in Sundae’s card and found it to be for another of his favorite stores Pac Sun. When he looked at the amount, though, he was surprised. Instead of $50 like Adam’s card, this one was for $100. “Wow, Dae,” he said. “Dana and I shopped at Pac Sun for our brothers for Christmas. They had so much stuff that would look amazing on you that I thought a gift card would be great. I even had the sales lady check to make sure The Gateway has a Pac Sun,” she said. “They do. I go there a lot, but you didn’t have to make this for so much,” he said. “I wanted to,” she said. He smiled and then looked to the little box in front of him. “So then what’s this?” he asked. “Well, the gift card is for Christmas and the box is for your birthday,” Sundae said. He picked up the box and gently pulled off the paper covering it revealing it to be made of smooth black leather. He opened it and his eyes went wide. “Wow…” he murmured as he lifted a stunning silver watch out of the box. “Whoa, dude is that a Rolex?” Adam asked. “It’s a Bulova, so it’s up there,” Sundae said. David set the box aside and gaped, stunned, at the watch. It was real sterling silver with three small dials on the face for date, day and military time on top of regular time, and the band had Swarovski crystals set in all around it. “Dae…this…this is too much,” he stuttered after a moment. Sundae smiled. “Like Adam said, you don’t turn eighteen everyday. Look on the back of the face,” she said. He gently turned the watch over in his hand and saw an inscription engraved on the back of the face. It read,
David All My Love Sundae 12/28/08
David looked over at Sundae, his face aglow. “You’re amazing,” he said. She beamed. “Only for you,” she said, and he beamed as well hearing the phrase he often said to her. She gently took the watch and undid the clasp and he held out his right arm and she slid the watch on and rehooked the clasp. The watch fit perfectly. “I knew it would look great on you,” Sundae said. David smiled even more. “Thanks, Dae,” he said. Their waitress arrived with their order a few minutes later and they dug into their dinner, enjoying the food and conversation. When they’d finished their meal their waitress came back with a plate of fortune cookies and took their plates. Adam got up and followed her til they were out of earshot and spoke to her momentarily before coming back to the table. “What were you doing?” David asked as he nibbled his fortune cookie. “I uh, was just asking if there were any more cookies. I know you love ‘em,” Adam replied as he snatched up his own cookie. “Ooookay,” David said and Sundae giggled, giving his arm a loving squeeze. A few minutes later a scuffling was heard a few feet away from them. Jessica turned and started giggling as did Sundae and David cringed. “You didn’t,” he said to Adam as their waitress and several of her colleagues approached their table with a small, candlelit cake. Adam just grinned cheekily. “Oh he did,” Jessica said. Their waitress set the cake on the table in front of David and she and the others then proceeded to sing Happy Birthday to him. He blushed all the way through it and gave Adam a look as he leaned forward to blow out the candles. Their waitress then set out four small plates and a cake knife before stepping aside along with her colleagues. Adam chuckled seeing David still eyeing him. “Hey, I had to do it, man. It was too much to resist,” he said. David shook his head. He then picked up the knife and turned to the cake. “Everyone want a piece?” he asked. “Absolutely,” Sundae said. “You know it,” Adam agreed and Jessica nodded. David cut the cake into four equal squares and set each square on a plate before passing them out. Once the cake was finished Adam paid for their meal and the group then headed off to Salt Lake proper for their concert. The concert was just as cool as they had thought it would be. Blue Man Group was a little odd with their blue painted faces, hence their name, but they were very innovative. Sundae knew David enjoyed it since he loved seeing how other artists got creative in interpreting their music. The teens arrived back at David’s house around eleven thirty and saw that most of the lights were off. “Looks like we’ll have to be quiet going in,” David said to Sundae as they unbuckled their seatbelts. “Yeah, it does. I’ll try to get your coat back to you tomorrow, Jess,” Sundae said, looking to Jessica as she finished. Jessica shrugged. “You can keep it. It looks better on you anyway,” she said. “You’re sure?” Sundae asked. Jessica nodded. “Yeah, I just got this one for Christmas, anyway,” fingering her own coat, “You keep it. You might need it again,” she said. “Thanks, Jess,” Sundae said. “Yeah, and thanks for a great night, you guys. It was a lot of fun,” David said. “Our pleasure. Happy Birthday, man,” Adam said. He and David traded handshakes and then Sundae and David slid out of the car. They strolled up the front walk, pausing by the door to watch Adam and Jessica drive away. When they’d gone Sundae turned toward the door, but David grabbed her hand and pulled her back. “What?” she asked as he pulled her to him. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to do all night,” he said and then leaned in. She melted into him as their lips met and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. They pulled apart after a few minutes, but stayed close together. “Thank you,” David murmured. “For what?” Sundae asked. “You were the present I really wanted today,” he said. She beamed and he leaned in and kissed her again. Again it was a few minutes before they broke apart and this time he slipped his arm around her and led her inside. Once inside the teens took off and put away their coats and gloves and then turned to each other. “You tired yet?” Sundae asked. “Not really, what about you?” David replied as they walked into the living room. “Me either, really, but I don’t want to wake anyone up by turning anything on out here,” she said. “We could relax in my room. I’ve got my computer and such,” he suggested. “Sure,” Sundae said. He took hold of her hand and led her down the hall to his room. He turned to her as they stepped into the room. “Come here a minute,” he said and led her over to the bed and had her sit down. “What are you up to?” she asked with a smile. He dug into one of his dresser drawers and pulled out two wrapped packages. “Good thing the mouse didn’t get these,” he muttered. “What mouse?” Sundae asked as he sat beside her. “Oh, I keep a lot of special stuff in that drawer; pictures, letters and mementos and such. I went to put some more stuff in there when I got back from the Jingle Balls and I found that a mouse had gotten in and made a nest in my stuff. He chewed up a whole bunch of my papers and stuff,” he said. “Aw, I’m sorry to hear that,” Sundae said. “Yeah, he didn’t get any of my stuff from you, though. I have a special box that I keep it in that can’t be chewed through,” David said. She smiled. “I keep my stuff from you in a special place, too,” she said. He smiled, too, and she then glanced at the packages that now sat on his lap. “What are these?” she asked fingering a curl of ribbon on one of them. He held the packages out to her. “These are for you. The big one is something I bought and the little one is something I made. Happy Christmas, Dae,” he said. She beamed and kissed him on the cheek as she took the packages and set them on her own lap. She opened the little one first and found a CD. She turned it over in her hand and couldn’t help smiling when she saw the cover. It was a picture of the two of them that had been taken during the summer ‘Idol’ tour and in the lower, right hand corner the words ‘Our Songs’ were printed in a pretty font. “All our songs from my album are on there and I recorded a couple more with my dad’s help,” he said. Sundae smiled even more and opened the CD to find a track list printed on the inside of the cover. She was pleasantly surprised to find all their favorite songs including their special song, Bryan Adams’ ‘Heaven’. “You recorded ‘Heaven’?” she asked. “Just for you,” he said. She beamed even more and hugged him. “Thank you,” she pulled back a little to look into his eyes, “You know your fans would kill to hear these new recordings,” she said. He laughed lightly. “Yeah, I thought about that,” he said. “I’ll keep them to myself though, don’t worry,” she said. “I know,” he said. Sundae then set the CD aside and turned her attention to the larger package. She opened it to find a framed certificate with a couple folded pamphlets lying on top. She set the pamphlets with the CD and looked at the certificate. She gasped when she read what it said. “You…you had a star named for me?” she breathed, looking up at him again. “What better to get for an angel than a little piece of heaven,” he said. Sundae teared up at that. She laid the frame on her lap and threw her arms around him again in a huge hug. “That’s the most amazing thing anyone’s ever done for me,” she said. “I wanted it to be amazing…for the most amazing girl in the world,” he said. “You’re the amazing one,” she murmured, squeezing him tighter. They held each other for a few minutes, savoring the warmth of the embrace, and then pulled back. “Do you want to fiddle around on the computer or something?” David asked. “Sure, why not? I should check my email anyway and send my mom an e-card for her birthday,” Sundae said as she picked up her gifts and set them neatly in a pile on his bed. “When’s your mom’s birthday?” David asked as they moved over to his desk. “Tuesday. She likes to joke that if you’d been born two days later then she’d be thirty years to the day older than you,” Sundae said as David opened and turned on his laptop. “Wow, well wish her Happy Birthday from me, too,” he said. Sundae smiled. “I will. She’ll love that,” she said. David smiled, too, as the laptop booted up. David then signed on to the Internet and Sundae surfed over to yahoo to check her email. She found notes from her dad and her best friend, Dana, and replied to both and then started looking at e-cards for her mom. It didn’t take her long to find one she liked and, after she’d sent it off, she looked over to David again. “You want to poke around on MySpace or youtube?” she asked. “Whatever you like,” he replied. Sundae decided to check her MySpace, since Dana had mentioned in her email that it had been getting quite a few hits of late. She pulled up the page and checked it over to make sure everything was as it should be. Her page had sections for pictures, video, music and a blog, which she hadn’t updated in a while. There was also a comments section and she skimmed over the posts there to make sure there was nothing inappropriate. “What do you have in your pictures and videos?” David asked as she scrolled back to the top of the page after finishing with the comments section. “I’ve got the usual stuff in the pictures section; me and Dana being goofs, soccer pics, and pics of my family. I have some of me and you, but I have those set to private so only those I approve can see them. I’ve got mostly youtube stuff in the videos,” she replied. “I’m glad you’re careful with the pictures of us. I have a couple on my page, too, but they’re also on private. I have the one Sy took when she caught us in the hotel lobby during tour and I’d rather not let the public find it,” he said. Sundae smiled. “I have that one, too, though not on my MySpace. I keep that one in my nightstand drawer and look at it when I’m missing you,” she said, looking up into his eyes. He slowly leaned in then, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. As they pulled apart a few minutes later he slid his arm around her, hugging her close to him. She pillowed her head on his shoulder and looked back over to the computer. She clicked on the video link and brought up that page. She heard him chuckle softly when the first two videos loaded. “You don’t have to have mine in there,” he said. The first two clips on the page were the videos for his singles ‘Crush’ and “A Little Too Not Over You’ or ALTNOY, as it had been nicknamed. “I wanted to, and I have I told you ALTNOY’s amazing. You can seriously see how much you’ve grown since ‘Crush’,” Sundae said. “Thanks,” David said. Sundae smiled, but then noticed something in the info box under the ‘Crush’ clip. The little info boxes under each clip contained the title and artist of the clip, the name of the user who had posted it along with a link to their page, and the number of views the clip had. It was this number that had caught Sundae’s attention. She leaned closer to look and her eyes widened. “Oh my gosh, ‘Crush’ crossed the ten million mark,” she said. “It did?” David asked, leaning over as well. “Yeah, look,” Sundae said pointing to the number at the bottom of the box. The video now had over ten million views. “Wow!” David gasped, his own eyes wide. Sundae grinned. “Never underestimate your fans,” she said. “Seriously,” David said. Sundae smiled, but then happened to see the view number on the ALTNOY video as well. “And it looks like they’re going to make ALTNOY huge as well. It’s over a hundred thousand,” she said. David just shook his head still in disbelief. Sundae smiled even more and reached up and drew him down to her, kissing his cheek softly. “This is only the beginning for you,” she said. “Thanks,” he murmured, hugging her again.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:41:21 GMT -5
Entr'acte 3 Part 2 The two stayed up for about half an hour longer and then went to get ready for bed, Sundae tiptoeing to Claudia’s room so she wouldn’t wake anyone. Sundae woke up the next morning at ten thirty and saw Claudia finishing her makeup as she sat up. Claudia turned, hearing her movements. “Morning, did you guys have fun last night?” she asked. Sundae smiled as she pulled on her robe. “Yeah, we did. It was a really nice night,” she said as she dug her makeup bag and hairbrush out of her suitcase. “Is David up yet?” she asked as she let her hair down from the bun she wore it in at night and started to brush it out. “Yeah, surprisingly. He was kicking Daniel’s butt at Mario Kart last I saw him,” Claudia said. Sundae smiled. “Boys,” she said, shaking her head as she dug into her bag for some clothes. “Tell me about it. I’ll get out of your way and let you get ready,” Claudia said as she put away the last of her makeup and got up from her desk. “Thanks,” Sundae said and Claudia nodded as she stepped out of the room. Sundae then turned her attention to her own primping. She got dressed in a warm sweater and jeans along with heavy socks and her Ugg boots and then did her makeup and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She then put away her makeup, hairbrush and pajamas and made her bed before stepping out of the room. She could see into the living room from Claudia’s door and she saw David and his brother Daniel messing around with their video games as Claudia had said. She went down the steps and walked over and knelt down behind David and slipped her arms around him, resting her chin on his shoulder as she hugged him. He turned his head and she gave him a soft peck on the lips. “Mmm, morning to you, too,” he said. “Hey, eyes on the road over here,” Daniel suddenly said. “Hold that thought,” David said and turned his attention back to the game. Sundae watched as the race went on. Daniel wound up winning, but only by a couple seconds. David’s score was enough, however, to maintain his earlier lead. “Man, one of these days you are so going down,” Daniel said as he shut off the game. “We’ll see about that,” David said as he tossed aside the controller he’d been using. “Maybe, but I can still cream you on the b-ball court,” Daniel said. Sundae giggled at that. “Did you ever tell him about the game you played with my brother?” she asked David. “Oh, no I didn’t,” David said. “When was that?” Daniel wanted to know. “It was back in March, during ‘Idol’. We were hanging out at my house and my brother dared him to a game,” Sundae said. “Is your brother any good?” Daniel asked. “Captain of his varsity squad and star forward,” Sundae said. “Whoa! You took on a varsity captain?” Daniel asked, clearly impressed. “He won, too,” Sundae said. Daniel looked even more impressed. “Whoa! Since when do you have game?” he asked. “It was just luck,” David said. Sundae hugged him again. “I don’t think so,” she said. Daniel shook his head and looked to Sundae. “Well, tell your brother it’s on next time I’m in Cali,” he said. “Oh, he’ll love that,” Sundae said. Daniel then got up and headed into the kitchen leaving Sundae and David alone. David turned to Sundae, cupped his hand under her chin and kissed her softly. “I say that it was luck that I won that game, because you were there. I realized a long time ago that you’re all the luck I need,” he said. She blushed at that, nuzzling close to him as he slipped his arm around her, holding her close. They sat together until footsteps behind them made them look up. They saw David’s mom come into the room and she smiled when she saw them. “Oh Sundae, you’re up. Have you had breakfast yet?” she asked. “Not yet. I’ve only been up a couple minutes,” Sundae replied. “Well, let me make you something. What would you like?” his mom asked. “You’re sure it’s no trouble?” Sundae asked. “Not at all,” his mom replied. “Alright. I loved your pancakes the last time I had them,” Sundae said. “Pancakes it is then. Would you like some, too, David?” his mom asked. “Sure, that’d be great,” David replied. His mom nodded. “Alright, it’ll be ready in about fifteen minutes,” she said and headed for the kitchen. “Have I mentioned your mom’s very cool?” Sundae said. David smiled. “Yeah, all our friends always say that, too,” he said. Sundae smiled. “Did you want to do anything in particular today?” she asked. “Well, I did come up with one idea as I was waking up earlier. Have you ever been to Park City?” he asked. “No, but my mom went there when she did Utah on vacation. It was in the summer, but she still loved it,” she said. “I was thinking we could drive up there, have lunch at one of the lodges and maybe walk around,” he said. She smiled. “I’d love that. I’ve always wanted to check out the slopes around here, too. Some of my friends at school have come up here and they say the snowboarding’s intense,” Sundae said. “Good luck getting him on the hill,” Daniel said as he passed through the room again on his way to his room. “What’s that mean?” Sundae asked, looking to David. He blushed lightly. “I’m not exactly the best snowboarder,” he said. “More like you can’t even stay on your feet,” Daniel joked. “I can, too,” David retorted. Daniel laughed. “Maybe for like a minute. Last time we all went you spent most of the time on your butt,” he said. “Daniel! That’s enough,” their mom’s voice suddenly snapped and they looked over to see her watching from the entry of the kitchen, spatula in hand. Daniel shrugged. “What? You know he can’t snowboard,” he said. “That doesn’t matter. Your teasing was uncalled for and needs an apology,” his mom said. Daniel looked over to David and Sundae. “Sorry, man,” he said to David. David shrugged. “It’s okay, you’re right anyway,” he said. Daniel turned and headed back to his room. Sundae gently hugged David again. “You don’t have to be like Shawn White to snowboard. You should see my brothers. My dad takes us to Big Bear every year and they wind up on their butts more often then not,” she said. “She’s right, David. You managed just fine the last time we went to the slopes. Pancakes are ready by the way,” his mom said and then turned and went back into the kitchen. David managed to smile a little. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I wouldn’t want to cramp your style,” he said. Sundae leaned over and kissed the tip of his nose. “You could never cramp my style. I love you too much for that to happen. Besides, I’m not that graceful on the hill either. I just go for fun,” she said. David smiled a little more. “I could teach you if you want? It really isn’t that hard,” Sundae offered. David hugged her to him. “Have I told you you’re amazing?” he asked. “Mmm, not yet today,” Sundae said as they pulled apart. David rolled to his feet, stood up, and held out his hands to help her up. “Well, you are,” he pulled her to her feet and then pulled her into his arms, “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he said, hugging her lovingly. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, either,” Sundae agreed. They held each other for a moment and he then slipped his arm around her and led the way into the kitchen.
An hour later, after having breakfast and bundling up for the cold, Sundae and David headed off to Park City. Park City was only thirty minutes from David’s home and was where the skiing events had been held for the 2002 winter Olympics. The city itself was a quaint little town that still held it’s old miner’s village feel, but more modernized. There were shops and little restaurants and museums dedicated to the town’s history. And there were also the ski lodges. Park City boasted the best skiing in Utah and had three famous lodges devoted to the tourism for the sport. Sundae and David went to the most famous of these, Deer Valley Lodge, where the Olympic skiers had stayed. They rented snowboards and got a map of the slopes and then rode the lifts up to the top to check out the powder. Once at the top they made their way to one of the easiest hills and shoved their feet into the boots attached to the snowboards, snapping the clasps securely in place. “I hope I can manage without falling,” David said as they edged their way to the top of the hill. “It’s really not that hard. Did you ever skateboard when you were younger?” Sundae asked. “A little, but once I turned ten music became the only thing I’d do,” David said. “I know the feeling. My parents have no idea how I balance music and soccer. I asked about skateboarding because the technique is very similar. The only big difference is you’re sliding on the snow instead of propelling yourself down the street. The balance technique is the same,” Sundae said. “I hope I remember enough,” David said. “You’ll do fine. Just bend your knees a little, scoot up to the edge and the snow does the rest,” Sundae said. He nodded and they scooted up to the edge of the hill. They then leaned forward and started to slide down the hill. They did fine until David leaned too far back and slid onto his rear. “You okay?” Sundae asked as she slid to a stop beside him and reached to help him up. “Yeah. I knew that would happen, but I’m fine,” he replied, grabbing her outstretched hand. “You were doing fine, you just leaned back a little too much,” Sundae said. She started to help him up, but he gently tugged her hand, causing her to fall down beside him. She laughed, seeing the grin on his face. “Oh you did that on purpose,” she said between giggles. David giggled, too. “I couldn’t resist,” he said. She smiled and pushed herself up again and pulled him up as well. “Let’s try this again and see if we can get the rest of the way down without falling again,” she said. “Alright,” he said, sounding a little unsure. “You’ll be fine. Just remember, bend your knees, push off and glide,” she said, demonstrating the motions. He followed suit and they were gliding down the hill again a minute later. This time they managed to get to the bottom in a smooth run. David was grinning as they slid to a stop. “That was fun,” he said. “It was, and you did great. I told you it was easy,” Sundae said. He grinned even more. “Thanks, Dae,” he said, hugging her gently. “You want to go again?” she asked. “Sure, why not?” David replied. They then bent down, undid the clasps on their boots, pulling their feet out. They then picked up the boards and headed off to the lift for another run. Sundae and David snowboarded for another hour and then returned their boards and went to check out the lodge’s restaurant offerings. The lodge had a few different styles of eateries to choose from and the teens settled on grabbing sandwiches at a small café. They picked a table for two next to a window looking out on the hill and watched the skiers as they zipped down the slope. Sundae looked over at David as she reached for her soda and noticed a thoughtful look in his eyes. “Something on your mind?” she asked. “I was just thinking. This kind of reminds me of the first time we went out, remember at the little deli across from the theatre during Hollywood week?” he said. She smiled. “Yeah I do remember that. That was really nice,” she said. “Are…are you going to do ‘Idol’ again this year?” David asked after another moment. Sundae looked over at him again. “I guess,” she shrugged, “I mean, I’m pretty sure I still have a contract with them, so as long as that holds out, I’ll still do it. Nigel wanted me to go to some of the auditions, but there was no way I was leaving the tour…or you,” Sundae said. David smiled. “I wouldn’t have minded. ‘Idol’ helps you get exposure in the business. That’s what you want, right?” he asked. “I thought so once, but that all changed two summers ago,” Sundae said. “What happened then?” David asked. Sundae smiled. “I met you,” she said and reached over to take hold of his hand. He blushed. “You really mean that?” he asked. She nodded. “Absolutely. When I first started with ‘Idol’ I kind of felt like I was searching for something. I was too young at the time to understand the feeling, but as I got older I realized that’s what it was. I used to get excited to go to the auditions thinking maybe I’d find what I was looking for,” she said. “What was it you were looking for?” David asked. “It was a someone, but I didn’t even realize that much until it happened; someone my age who shares my love of music, and who loves it to the same extent that I do. Someone I can really talk to and share my life with. Someone who understands me and where I’m coming from,” she said. “Wow,” David said. “Yeah, I know. It is kinda deep. Dana used to laugh at me when I’d tell her that stuff and even I didn’t get why I was thinking that way,” she said. “Maybe because even though you had friends, there wasn’t one who really got who you are and what you want?” he suggested. She smiled. “Exactly. Dana’s been my BFF since kindergarten, but even she doesn’t completely get me,” Sundae said. He nodded. “It’s kind of the same for me. My friends get that I love music, but I’m not sure they get how deeply I have it in me,” he said. “We were both born with it our blood and I think that’s hard to understand unless you’re like that,” Sundae said. David nodded. “Yeah, I’d say you’re right about that,” he said. Sundae smiled. “Only with you can I have conversations like this and that’s what it was that I was looking for. Someone I could talk to about anything and share everything with. I found that and then some in you,” she said. “And I found it in you. I’ve never had anyone I could be as open with as I am with you. I said this once during the tour, but it’s like I don’t have to hide anything from you. It’s one of the things I love so much about you,” he said. Sundae smiled even more and leaned across the table to give him a soft kiss on the lips. He squeezed her hand as she sat back in her seat. “Um, going back to ‘Idol’, I only mentioned it because I know you’ll make new friends…” he said trailing off at the end. Sundae smiled. “You have nothing to worry about. There’s not a single person in the entire universe that could take your place in my heart. You are my heart,” she said. He squeezed her hand again. “And you’re mine,” he said, kissing her fingers. She giggled lightly. “It’s funny, actually. Dana and I were talking about the new season just before Christmas and I asked if she was planning to watch. She was all, ‘I’ll watch for you, but after last year, I’m spoiled. Nobody can compete’,” Sundae said. David chuckled, too. “We did have a really talented group last year,” he said. Sundae giggled again. “She was referring to you,” she said. He laughed. “Riiiight,” he said. “She was and I agree with her. I’ve seen some of the audition tapes. Even the good ones can’t compete with you,” Sundae said. He blushed a little at that. “I’m sure there’ll be at least one that really stands out,” he said. Sundae shook her head. “Not from what I’ve seen. Some of them can sing, but none of them are like you. What you do when you sing is indescribable. You make your audience feel things they’ve never felt before. That is an amazing gift. I don’t know anyone else who can do what you do,” she said. His blush deepened. “Thanks,” he said, quietly. She smiled, gently stroking his hand with her thumb. They turned back to their meal and continued making small talk as they finished their sandwiches. Sundae looked out into the lobby of the lodge as they gathered their sandwich wrappers and soda cups. “Is there anything else to do around here?” she asked. “There’s a skating rink here, but we could also walk around town and see some of the shops,” David said. “Hmmm, both of those sound fun,” Sundae said. David glanced at his watch. “Well, it’s just after two now. We could go skate for an hour and then walk around and grab dinner on our way home,” he suggested. She smiled. “I’d like that,” she said as they stood up. He returned her smile as they pushed in their chairs and they then went and tossed out their trash and then headed off to the skating rink. The rink was an indoor facility set up just for the winter months to give the younger kids something to do while their elders hit the slopes. There were a few kids around and also a few parents when Sundae and David arrived. They rented skates and got out on the ice, skating along hand-in-hand. “You’re pretty good at this,” David remarked, noticing how easily Sundae was keeping her balance. “Yeah, my mom’s a little obsessed with skating and she made some of us kids take lessons when she signed up. It was pretty fun, but you won’t find me trying any big tricks,” Sundae said. He laughed. “You won’t see me trying that either,” he said. “You’re pretty good, too, but I know that’s your roller blading skills talking. Mom told me it’s the same principle since both types of skates are an in-line blade. If you can roller blade, you can ice skate,” Sundae said. David nodded. “I can see that,” he said. They continued to stroke around the ice for a little while, enjoying the feel of the cool breeze on their faces and the sound of the music playing on the sound system. As they were coming around a corner David suddenly glided out in front of Sundae and pulled her out into the middle of the rink. There he pulled her into his arms and they started to sway along on the ice to the current song. Sundae didn’t recognize the song at first, but then David started to sing the song to her as they danced. Ah, but in case I stand one little chance I’ll ask the jackpot question in advance What are you doing New Year’s New Year’s Eve? Sundae beamed and looked up at him as he finished. “What did you have in mind?” she asked. He smiled, too. “Well, I’m supposed to perform, but it’s a fun party at Utah Valley University. Ashley Tisdale’s hosting and I thought it might be fun to hang out there and ring in the New Year together,” he said. “I’d love to,” Sundae said, her smile growing. His smile grew, too, and he leaned in, their lips meeting in a soft, sweet kiss.
Sundae spent the next two days spending every minute with David that she could. They hung out around Murray with their friends, spent time with his family and had time alone together going out to lunch or dinner, shopping in Salt Lake proper, and even playing together in the snow at the park near his home. Sundae couldn’t remember having so much fun and, when New Year’s Eve arrived, she got even more excited. This was the first time she would spend it with a special someone and she couldn’t wait. His parents and younger sisters and some of their friends would also be going to the party so it would be a very fun night. She and David spent the day together hanging out around town and got home just after six thirty to have dinner and get ready. After a warm dinner Sundae went and hopped in the shower and then went to Claudia’s room to get dressed for the evening. Claudia was already there, getting ready to go out with some of her friends when Sundae came in and headed for her suitcase. “You excited for tonight?” Claudia asked, looking over from her desk. “Yeah, I am. How ‘bout you? You and your crew gonna paint the town red, tonight?” Sundae asked as she pulled a warm sweater and jeans out of her bag. Claudia giggled. “Not really we were just gonna hang out on campus. There’s a couple parties there tonight,” she said. “That sounds cool,” Sundae said. “Your party sounds cool, too. One of my classmates is going and she said she’d try to record it on her cell,” Claudia said. “She won’t be the only one. Every performance David does winds up on youtube the next day,” Sundae said as she pulled on a pair of thick socks. “Yeah, I’ve seen that,” Claudia agreed as she turned back to doing her make up. Sundae quickly pulled on her sweater and jeans and then sat down, propping a small mirror on the nightstand, to do her own makeup. It was after eight by the time she pronounced herself ready to go and when she went out to the front room she found David, Amber and Jazzy were all ready, too. Amber and Jazzy were playing video games to pass the time and David sat watching them from the couch. He looked up as Sundae joined him and smiled. “You look great,” he said, pulling her to him and kissing her softly. “So do you. I love your sweater,” she said as he hugged her to him. He wore dark jeans and a gray and burgundy striped sweater. He smiled at her comment. “Thanks. A fan actually gave it to me during the tour. I’d almost forgotten I had it until a few days ago,” he said. “Well, that fan has great taste. It looks great on you,” Sundae said. “Thanks,” David said. His parents came out, ready to go, a few minutes later. “Everyone ready?” his dad asked. “Looks like it,” David said. “Are your friends meeting us over there?” his mom asked. “Yeah, they said they’d wait by the entrance,” David replied. “Alright then, let’s go,” his dad said. David nodded and he, Sundae and his sisters went and got their coats and gloves. Once everyone was bundled up they headed out the door. Half an hour later they arrived at Utah Valley University’s small arena. They pulled around to a rear entrance so they wouldn’t have to deal with the people leaving a family concert that was just getting out. They parked near a couple other cars and then headed toward the entrance. Jazzy and Amber danced around as they walked. “Careful girls, there could be ice on the ground,” their mom said. Jazzy and Amber settled down and caught up to their parents and Sundae and David trailed along behind them. “You excited for tonight?” David asked. “Yeah, this should be a lot of fun. What about you?” Sundae asked. “I’m excited for every show I do. I’m excited for this one, I’m excited for the one I’ll be doing at the Hard Rock café in New York in a couple weeks and I’m excited thinking about my tour coming up, too,” he said. “The tour should be fun. Are you thinking solo or are you going to open for someone?” Sundae asked. “Well, right now we’re thinking solo. We did discuss opening for Chris Brown, but I guess it didn’t jibe with Jive,” David said. Sundae giggled at the rhyme. “That would’ve been cool, though. You’d be a hit with his audience,” she said. “Maybe, but fans usually don’t go to concerts for the opening act,” David said. “Yours would. I’ll bet there’ll even be some here tonight,” Sundae said. David smiled. “I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s nice that they do stuff like that,” he said. “Yeah, it is,” Sundae agreed. “You know, there’s a bigger reason I’m excited for tonight,” David said. “What’s that?” Sundae asked. “I’m excited to spend my first New Year’s with you,” he said, smiling at her lovingly. She returned his smile. “Me, too,” she said. She started to lean her head on his shoulder, but then felt her left foot start to slip from under her. “Whoa!” she squeaked, but David managed to catch her before she could fall. “You okay?” he asked, pulling her close to him. “Yeah, I guess that was some of the ice your mom mentioned,” Sundae said. He nodded as they continued toward the entrance. As they reached it they saw Adam and Jessica and two other friends, Danielle and Scott waiting for them. “Hey guys,” David said as they walked up. “Hey superstar, you ready to party?” Scott asked as he and Adam traded handshakes with David. “Yeah, absolutely,” David said as Sundae greeted the girls. “Alright everybody, let’s get inside so the cold doesn’t set in,” his dad suddenly said from behind them. Sundae moved back over to David, taking hold of his hand, and they and their friends turned and followed his parents and siblings into the arena.
The concert got underway forty minutes later and, as David would be the last to perform, he, Sundae and their friends got to hang out and enjoy the music. They and David’s family had a private corner of the small arena to themselves and the teens laughed and danced and munched on snacks that had been provided for them. The first act of the night, VFactory, was a boy band with an upbeat sound and the teens thoroughly enjoyed moving around to their dancy tunes. They took a break after about three songs and sat together in a group, laughing and talking. “Hey, why don’t we tell our New Year’s resolutions?” Jessica suggested after a few minutes. The others shrugged. “I guess,” Adam said. Jessica rolled her eyes. “Oh fine, I’ll go first. I’m resolving to be nicer to my sisters,” she said. Sundae smiled at that and Adam snickered. “We’ll see how long that lasts,” he said. Jessica whacked him on the arm. “You get to go next, blabber mouth,” she said, drawing chuckles from some of the others. Adam groaned. “Aw man,” he said. Jessica gave him a look and he relented. “Fine, I’m resolving to keep my grades up,” he said. “Well that’s good,” David said. “So says he of the straight ‘A’s,” Adam said with a chuckle. David just looked down modestly. “How ‘bout you go next?” Adam suggested to him. David jerked his head up at that. “Oh, I um, I’d really rather not tell mine right now. I want to see if it’ll come true first,” he said. “Come on, if I had to tell, so do you,” Adam said. “I’ve got a better idea than telling resolutions,” Danielle piped up. “What’s that?” Jessica asked. “My family has this tradition where we tell our favorite thing about the out going year. How ‘bout we do that?” Danielle said. “That’s a cool idea,” Sundae said. “Yeah, that is,” Jessica said. The guys seemed to agree and Danielle smiled. “I’ll go first, my favorite part of ’08 was finally getting my license,” she said. “For me it’s new friends,” Jessica said, smiling at Sundae, who smiled back. “Mine was my dad surprising me with my truck during the summer,” Adam said. All eyes turned to David then, but he was again saved from having to respond, this time by his dad coming over to the group. “They’re ready for you,” he said. “Oh okay, thanks, Dad,” David said and got to his feet. Adam groaned again as he and the others followed suit. “How’d you get out of telling again?” he grumbled. Jessica again swatted him as the teens made their way over to the stage. They had to wait a few minutes while the stage was prepped for David and then he was announced and charged up onstage for his performance. He sang both his singles and completely rocked them. The crowd loved every second and danced and jammed along to the beat. They roared with applause as he finished and the announcer came up on stage. “Wasn’t he terrific?” he asked the crowd who roared with approval. David smiled modestly and waved and the announcer then turned his attention to a screen that had been set up at the back of the stage. “And now, I told you we’d bring it to you and here it is,” he said as a video of New York’s Times Square appeared on the screen. Sundae smiled, seeing it, but then looked at her watch with a confused expression. After a moment she looked up, realization in her eyes. “Oh God, I am such a dork,” she said. “No you’re not. Why would you say that?” Jessica asked from behind her. “I forgot, I’m on Pacific time and here we’re on Mountain,” Sundae said. “So?” Adam asked. “So, it’s two minutes to eleven in LA and it’s two minutes to 2009 here,” Sundae said. “Oh, wow that must be weird,” Jessica said. “Seriously,” Sundae said. “Hey, maybe you could call your folks just after midnight here and ask them how life is back in ’08?” Danielle suggested. Sundae laughed. “Not a bad idea. I’ll text my BFF, Dana, too,” she said. “Are we ready to count down?” the announcer’s voice boomed and the teens looked over to see him at the edge of the stage, David beside him. The crowd cheered and David led them in the countdown. “10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…Happy New Year!!” the crowd cheered. They then started singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and the teens joined in, trading hugs and high fives among themselves. Sundae saw David hugging his family and had to smile at the sight. 2008 had been a banner year for him and 2009 looked to be even brighter. After a few minutes he managed to squeeze past the people on stage and come over to them. “Hey, awesome set, man,” Adam said. David smiled and traded high fives with him and then took Sundae’s hand. “Can you guys excuse us a minute?” he said to the others and then gently pulled Sundae away from the group. They stepped over to the other side of the stage and then behind a speaker, where the crowd couldn’t see them. “What’s up?” Sundae asked as they turned toward each other. “I know it’s a few minutes late, but um…”David trailed off and then leaned in capturing her lips with his. She melted into him and let him pull her as close as he could to him. She beamed at him when they pulled apart and he smiled, his cheeks blushing light pink. “Happy New Year, Dae,” he said. “Happy New Year,” Sundae replied, pulling him to her again and hugging him tightly.
A half hour later the crowd had gone and volunteers were starting the chore of cleaning up the arena. David’s dad was helping with the sound equipment, his mom had taken his sisters out to the car and the other teens had headed home. Sundae and David both offered to help with the cleanup, but his dad insisted that they go join the others in the car and rest. They opted not to argue and headed for the door where they’d come into the arena, strolling hand in hand. “Quite a night, huh?” David said. Sundae smiled. “Yeah it was. You were amazing, as always,” she said. He smiled his usual modest smile. “Thanks, Dae. It was all the more special having you here,” he said. Sundae stepped closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked. They were quiet for a few minutes and then Sundae looked up at David again as they reached the door. “I liked Danielle’s idea earlier about telling our favorite parts of ’08,” she said as he pulled open the door. “That was a pretty cool idea. What was your favorite part of ’08?” David asked as they stepped outside into the brisk night air. “Everything. The whole year was amazing,” she said with a giggle. He chuckled softly, too, and she turned to face him. “What about you? What was your favorite part? You looked like you were relieved that you didn’t have to tell earlier,” she said. “Well, it’s a little personal and I didn’t really want the others to hear,” he said. “Oh, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t feel comfortable,” Sundae said. “It’s okay, you’re the one person I do want to tell,” he said. She smiled even more and stepped closer to him. “Alright, what was your favorite part of ’08?” she asked. His expression turned tender and he lifted his hand and gently brushed his fingers against her cheek. “You,” he murmured softly. Sundae felt her heart soar and tears of joy touched the corners of her eyes. She lowered her head a little to hide her blushing cheeks, but he gently moved his hand, cupping it under her chin and lifting her gaze to meet his. “None of what happened last year would’ve meant anything if you weren’t there to share it. You mean more to me than anything, Dae. I love you,” David said, his tone soft and tender. “I love you, too, so much, David,” Sundae said, her eyes now shining with her joyful tears. David then leaned in, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. Sundae held him as tightly as she could, knowing in her heart that 2009 held many more wonderful memories to be made for the two of them.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:42:33 GMT -5
Love Is A Song
Entr’ acte
Hollywood Week
November 2008
Fifteen-year-old Sundae Wahlberg sat at a table facing the stage of the Kodak theatre. Beside her sat four others, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Kara Dioguardi and Simon Cowell and their attention was all focused on a group of young people up on the stage. This was one of the early rounds of the American Idol competition and Sundae and her companions were judging the contestants. During this round the contestants were put in small groups and then, one by one, each came out onstage to sing either with or without an instrument. The group on stage at the moment was finished with their songs and waiting to be told whether they’d made it to the next round. Sundae was trying to keep up, but she was drained emotionally from the day. Idol had always been important to her, but this year was more strenuous than usual. There were a few contestants that she had no idea how they’d gotten as far as Hollywood week and she didn’t think she could take it if they went through even farther. One such contestant was in the group on stage. “Sundae,” Simon’s voice broke into her thoughts, “Did you hear me? I asked your opinion on this contestant.” Sundae looked up and groaned when she saw that Simon wanted her to look at the contestant that bothered her. Her name was Tatiana, but Sundae called her a whiney rhymes with witch because of her whiney laugh and annoying ways. “I’m going to take a pass on this one,” she said. Simon sighed. “You’ve been taking a pass on everyone,” he said. Sundae dropped her head into hands, not wanting to hear it. “Look, I know you’re under a lot of stress, but we do need your input here,” Simon said. “You honestly don’t want to know my opinion,” Sundae said, trying to be as polite as possible. She felt a hand on hers and looked up to see Paula and Kara looking at her with understanding eyes. “You wouldn’t be here if we didn’t want your opinion,” Simon said. Sundae looked over at him and, after a moment’s debate, decided to take his challenge. “Fine then. She shouldn’t be here,” she said, nodding toward Tatiana. Simon looked at her in surprise. “Don’t act surprised. You already know I don’t like her,” Sundae said. “Not liking someone is no excuse for not keeping them,” Simon said. “Oh please. This whole season is turning into a train wreck. I wouldn’t have even put through half the people here, but my opinion is moot, which is why I’d rather not give it,” Sundae said and then turned in her chair so her back was facing him. Simon sighed again and shook his head, turning back to the business at hand. Sundae kept her head down and listened and tried to hide a shudder when Tatiana was put through to the next round.
Sundae managed to sit through the last two groups of the morning, but she was relieved when they were finished and everyone was dismissed for lunch. She started to reach for her purse when Simon spoke up again. “Sundae, I know you’re not happy with this season’s contestants…” he started to say. “There’s an understatement,” Sundae muttered. Simon sighed again. “If I may finish, I know you’re not happy, but you can’t let your personal feelings get in the way of doing your job,” he said. Sundae groaned. “I hardly feel like this is a job anymore. It hardly seems worth it. Every year there’s always been someone who stands out, who has something more, but there’s no one like that this year. There’s no one…no one special,” Sundae said. “You need to put all that aside and focus on what’s in front of you. You have so much to offer and teach these contestants and I want them to learn from your experience,” Simon said. “If I can stand them long enough to teach them,” Sundae muttered. Randy gently patted her arm. “You’ll manage,” he said as he stood up from his seat. Paula reached over and took Sundae’s hand again. “It’ll be okay. Everyone has to deal with things they don’t like in life,” she said. Sundae sighed. “I just…I don’t know how much more I can take. With the way things are going, Idol isn’t the same anymore,” she said. Paula patted her hand. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Besides, I think your day’s about to get better,” she said with a knowing smile. “I don’t know what could make this day better,” Sundae mumbled. Just then a pair of arms with a loving touch slipped around her making her jump nearly a mile. “Would a wonderful lunch with someone who loves you help?” asked a warm male voice. Sundae knew the voice as well as her own and when she turned her eyes filled with joyful tears to see her boyfriend, David Archuleta, beside her. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “What are you doing here?” she asked him happily. “I’m in town for some album promotion, but I just got done and I had to see you,” David replied. “I’m so glad you came,” Sundae said. They hugged each other for another long moment and then he drew her up from her chair, keeping her hands in his as they started up the aisle toward the exit. “Have a good lunch you two,” Paula said and Sundae spared her and Kara a smile as she picked up her purse before letting David lead her up the aisle and out into the lobby of the theatre. There they walked along, enjoying each other’s presence. Sundae leaned her head on David’s shoulder, glad to have him with her to ease the stress of the morning. Already it was nearly gone. “Did you have a place in mind for lunch?” she asked after a moment. “Yeah. There’s a nice little café right by my hotel and I’ve already made reservations,” David said. Sundae beamed. “That sounds so nice,” she glanced down at herself, “but I should freshen up a little first,” she said. David turned toward her, drawing her to him and gently stroked her cheek. “You don’t need freshening. You’re beautiful,” he said. Sundae beamed, blushing lightly, as she looked into his eyes, thinking for the billionth time about how lucky and blessed she was to have him. “Thank you, but I’d like to get rid of the stress of the morning,” she said. He smiled lovingly. “Alright, if that’s what you want,” he said. She smiled and leaned up and kissed him sweetly before pulling away and heading for the nearby ladies room. She went in and washed up, splashing a little water on her face, and recombing her hair. She then touched up her lip-gloss and then headed back out to the lobby. When she came out of the ladies room, she looked around for David and her jaw dropped at what she found. He was sitting on a bench a few yards away, waiting for her, but it was the girl blatantly flirting with him that got on her nerves. The girl was another of the contestants she didn’t like, but while Tatiana was annoying, this girl grated on her last nerve. Her name was Katrina, but she was known as bikini girl, because of what she had done at her audition for the judges- walked in wearing nothing but a string bikini and high heels. At the moment she had on a black dress that Sundae would’ve described as a designer sack because of its cut, and she was very blatantly flirting with David, who was blushing with embarrassment. Sundae noticed a few other contestants watching the exchange and decided to put an end to it then and there. She strode over to the girl and stepped in front of her, blocking her view of David. “Excuse me, do you like flirting with my boyfriend?” she asked. “Your boyfriend?” Katrina asked. “Yes, my boyfriend,” Sundae said. “Well I don’t see why he’d want you, when he could have this,” Katrina said and struck a show-off pose. “Oh don’t get me started on how wrong that is,” Sundae said. Katrina rolled her eyes. “That is so high school. Why don’t you run along home and do your homework,” Katrina said, smugness in her tone. Sundae took a deep breath, composing herself. “Okay, look, I may be in high school, but I also hold one fifth of the vote that decides whether you continue in the competition. I also have the authority to have security escort you out now, so if you have a prayer of continuing here, you’ll walk away right now,” she said. Katrina gave her one last look and then stalked off in a huff and Sundae let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding in. She then turned to David, who was now standing beside her. “You okay? If she made you uncomfortable…” she said. “I’m okay. It looked like she really got you mad, though,” David said as they started to walk out of the theatre. “She gets on my last nerve. The only reason she’s even here is because Simon and Randy were thinking with something other than their brains. She can barely sing at all,” Sundae said. By this time they were outside and David grabbed hold of Sundae’s hand and led her around to one side of the building. There he gently drew her to him and kissed her sweetly. She smiled when he pulled back and he hugged her close to him. “Don’t think about what’s going on in there. Just think about what’s going on right now. I’m going to treat you to a wonderful lunch and take you away from everything that’s stressing you,” he said. She hugged him just as tightly and looked up into his eyes. “Thank you. I know I’ve said it before, but I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you,” she said. “And I don’t know what I’d do without you,” David said, hugging her tightly again. They held each other for a few moments and then stepped back out onto the sidewalk and strolled off hand-in-hand to enjoy time together and forget their stresses.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:56:23 GMT -5
Love Is A Song
Entr’acte
A Family Reunion
Fifteen-year-old Sundae Wahlberg giggled with glee as she looked out the window of the airplane she was currently riding in. “I still can’t believe we get to go to Disney World,” she squealed. She bounced in her chair at the thought, her long brown ponytail bobbing behind her. Her dad, who sat beside her, chuckled. “You’re excited,” he said, his smile not fading. “Oh yeah. Not only do I get to go there for the first time, I get to share it with some of my best friends in the world. It’s gonna be so awesome. You should’ve seen Dana when I told her. She was all, ‘You’re gonna be partying at Disney World with the ‘Idols’? So not fair’,” Sundae said. She was an up and coming young musician and a regular performer on the hit TV show ‘American ‘Idol’. She and her dad were on their way to Orlando, Florida so she could participate in the Grand Opening celebrations for an ‘Idol’ themed attraction that was opening at Disney World that weekend. Called ‘The American Idol Experience’ the attraction gave park guests the chance to experience an ‘Idol’ show either as a contestant or an audience member. Those who won the daily competition would receive front-of-the-line passes to a real ‘Idol’ audition. Many of Sundae’s ‘Idol’ friends would also be attending and she was very excited to see them all. “Just remember to say thank you to Mr. Fuller for inviting you and for the opportunity of being on the show,” he dad said. Mr. Fuller was Simon Fuller, the creator of ‘American Idol’. “I will, dad, no worries. I actually owe you a thank you, too. If it hadn’t been for you knowing Randy and Paula for forever and telling them about me, I wouldn’t be in this position to begin with and I am so grateful for that,” Sundae said, leaning over to give her dad a hug. He hugged her, too. “I’m glad to hear that, honey,” he said. Sundae hugged him for a moment and then returned to looking out the window. Their flight landed in Orlando twenty minutes later and Sundae and her dad got their stuff together and caught a cab to their hotel. They were staying at the Disney World Hotel, which was right next to the park and Sundae couldn’t help but look all around her as she and her dad wheeled their suitcases inside. Disney World itself could be seen from the hotel as well as Epcot Center and some of the roller coasters from nearby Busch Gardens. “Man, I so wish we had more than just two and half days here. This place is just screaming to be explored,” “Well, you’re aware Monday is President’s Day, right?” her dad asked as they walked into the front lobby. “Yeah, why?” Sundae asked. “That means no school til Tuesday so I thought you’d enjoy an extra couple days,” her dad said. Sundae lit up. “Are you serious? Dad, you rock! Wait til I tell Dana about this. She will really go green,” she said. “I’d imagine,” her dad said with a chuckle as they walked up to the front desk. Sundae looked around the lobby while her dad checked in. The hotel was fairly fancy like some of the ones in her hometown of Beverly Hills, California, but it had all sorts Disney décor to make it unique; portraits from various Disney films, a couple statues of well known Disney characters including Mickey Mouse and framed pictures of historic Disney moments. “Good thing I brought my camera,” Sundae mused as she took it all in. As her gaze passed the elevator corridor she saw a familiar African American girl coming out into the lobby. She wore jeans and a baby tee and had her hair styled in a poofy Afro. This was Syesha Mercado, one of Sundae’s best friends from the last season of ‘Idol’. Sundae beamed. “Esha!” she called and started toward the girl. Syesha looked up hearing Sundae’s voice and grinned when she saw. “Hey girl!” she called as she ran toward Sundae as well. The two met next to the sofa in a big hug. “It’s so good to see you,” Sundae said. “You, too. I’m so glad you could come to this,” Syesha said. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world. How many from last season are here?” Sundae asked as they stepped back from each other. “Seven of the top ten,” Syesha said. “Awesome, we have so got to hang out while we’re here,” Sundae said. “Already on top of it, girl. We’re gonna have lunch together tomorrow. You know you’re invited,” Syesha said. “You can totally count me in. That sounds awesome,” Sundae said. “Cool and I know a very sweet someone who’ll be over the moon to see you,” Syesha said with a knowing grin. Sundae blushed at that. The sweet someone Syesha was referring to was Sundae’s boyfriend, David Archuleta, the reigning ‘Idol’ runner up. They had met when he auditioned for the show and had been a steady couple for thirteen months. “You guys gonna do anything for your first Valentine’s together?” Syesha asked. Valentine’s Day was that coming Saturday. “That’d be nice if we could. I think he has an event on Saturday, but it’d be nice if we could do something while we’re here,” Sundae said. “I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” Syesha said. “I see you’ve already found a friend,” a male voice said and the two turned and saw Sundae’s dad walking up rolling his and Sundae’s suitcases. “Hey dad, you remember Esha, right?” she asked. Her dad nodded. “Sure, nice to see you again,” he said. “Nice to see you, too, Mr. Wahlberg,” Syesha said. “Do you wanna come up and hang out?” Sundae asked. “Sure, you owe me a long gossip session anyway,” Syesha said. Sundae laughed and grabbed her bag from her dad and then led the way to the elevators.
The rest of the evening was spent settling in to the hotel. Sundae and her dad got room service and watched a movie before turning for the night. Sundae had to be up early for press the next morning and she set her alarm so she’d have time to get ready. She was awake before her alarm even went off and up and in the shower before her dad could blink his eyes open. When she came out all washed and dressed her dad was sitting on the edge of his bed, sipping a cup of coffee. “Morning. I didn’t wake you, did I? I tried to be quiet when I got up,” she said. “You were fine. I was just surprised to see you up jack flash. I thought you weren’t much of a morning person,” her dad said. Sundae giggled. “Depends on the morning,” she said as she moved over to the dressing table to do her makeup. Her dad got up from the bed. “I’m gonna go get presentable myself. If you order breakfast get me two eggs over easy and some hash browns,” he said. “Sure, dad,” Sundae said and he waved as he stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. Sundae went ahead and ordered room service so it would be there when her dad was done and then sat down and did her makeup. An hour and half later Sundae and her dad were walking through Disney World on their way to the section called Hollywood Studios. This was where the ‘Idol’ attraction was along with other rides and shows that went along with the Hollywood theme. The ‘Idol’ attraction wasn’t hard to find for three reasons; one, it was right by the front entrance of Hollywood Studios, two, it was adorned with the ‘Idol’ logo and three, there was a myriad of press hanging around out front for the opening. “I guess they went all out,” Sundae said as she and her dad flashed special ID passes and went past security. “I’ll say, looks like there’s even someone performing,” her dad said, pointing to a stage that was set up a few yards away. Sundae looked over and a smirk came to her face. “And I see the someone. BRB,” she said and headed over to the stage. As she neared it she made her way over to a guy in his mid-twenties with a scruffy rocker look to him. “We’re up early this morning,” she said. He jumped slightly, but grinned when he turned and saw her. “Hey stranger, didn’t think I’d see you here,” he said. “Hey Dave, how are ya?” Sundae said, reaching to hug reigning ‘Idol’ winner David Cook, whom she and everyone from his season called Dave. “Can’t complain. What about you?” Dave asked. “I’m good, even better since I’m here in sunny Florida instead of rainy SoCal,” Sundae said. “Hey even SoCal has its perks when compared with the freezing cold Midwest,” Dave said. “Point taken and that would be why my grandparents choose to spend the holidays with us instead of in Boston,” Sundae said. Dave chuckled. “Very smart. Did you get the copy of my CD that I sent you?” he asked. “Yeah, I did. Dana and I listened to it,” Sundae replied. “And…verdict? I’m not expecting raves since I know you have…other leanings,” Dave said. Sundae smiled. “It’s good, Dave. You did a good job,” she said. “Thanks, Dae. Knowing you like I do, I’m glad to hear that,” he said. Sundae giggled a little. “So, how’s the new season shaping up?” Dave asked after a moment. Sundae rolled her eyes. “Ugh, murder me,” she groaned and leaned against the stage with an exasperated sigh. “Seriously?” Dave asked. Sundae looked over at him. “Okay, they call this the most talented season ever? Baloney. Nobody can even hold candle to our group last year,” she said. “Well, you know how the producers are. The more hype the better,” Dave said. “I guess, but some of the people this year…ugh,” Sundae groaned again. “That bad, huh?” Dave asked. “They let a cheap excuse for a bad Vegas karaoke comedian in,” Sundae said. “What?!” Dave asked, surprised. “You heard me right and you know those weird headaches you get right between the eyes?” Sundae asked. “Oh yeah, been there,” Dave said. “Well, there’s a whiney rhymes with witch who’ll give them to you every two seconds, so be glad you’re not competing this year,” Sundae said. “Wow, sounds almost MTV,” Dave said. “You don’t know the half of it,” Sundae said. Dave shrugged. “I thought I heard about some bikini girl, too, but maybe that was Ryan’s blabbering,” he said. Sundae groaned again. “Oh, don’t get me started on her. She grated on my last nerve. She even tried to horn in on my turf,” she said. “How’s that?” Dave asked with a raised eyebrow. Sundae sighed. “Hollywood week was the week your album came out. David happened to be in LA that week and surprised me for lunch one day, which I really needed. I went to freshen up before we headed out and when I came out of the ladies room she was standing next to him in this ugly sack of a dress draping herself all over him,” she said. Dave’s jaw dropped. “She did what?! He never mentioned anything about that to me,” he said. “Well, you know how modest David is and you should’ve seen how embarrassed he looked. He looked like he’d been sunburned he was blushing so hard,” Sundae said. Dave let out a low whistle. “Wow, hope that didn’t scar him for life,” he said. “I don’t think it did. I nearly kicked her *** before she could really do anything,” Sundae said. “Whoa the cat claws came out,” Dave said with a chuckle. Sundae gave him a look. “Don’t even go there, and I kid you not, I would’ve had her tossed out then if I could’ve,” she said. “I’m not surprised,” Dave said. They were quiet for a moment and then Dave spoke again. “Have you gotten to check this out yet?” he asked, gesturing to the ‘Idol’ attraction behind them. “No, not yet. Think they’ll let me have a sneaky peek?” Sundae asked. “Sure. I warn you, though, it’s very accurate. You might feel transported to LA for a few minutes,” Dave said. “Thanks for the warning,” Sundae said as she pushed herself up from where she’d been leaning on the stage. “No problem. Oh, by the way, there should be a treat for you inside,” Dave said. “If it’s from you I’m shuddering,” Sundae joked as she turned toward the building. “Ha ha,” Dave joked back as he turned back to the stage. Sundae headed for the building and her dad jogged up beside her a moment later. “I thought you were still on edge with him,” he said, nodding back toward Dave. “We’re fine. We patched things up during tour rehearsals. We’re cool now,” Sundae said. “Huh, well then where have I been for that last eight months?” her dad mused. “No idea,” Sundae said as they headed inside the ‘Idol’ attraction. Once inside, Sundae saw Dave hadn’t been kidding on the accuracy. The small theatre looked just like the ‘Idol Dome’ where the top twelve through top three rounds of the competition were held. “Wow! Okay, now I am seriously glad I brought my camera. Simon has to see this,” she said, referring to crusty British judge, Simon Cowell. “You’ll have to show this to every body,” her dad said. Sundae started to look back at him, but caught sight of something, or rather someone, out of the corner of her eye, that grabbed her attention. “BRB…again,” she said with a half grin as she walked down a small ramp and along the front of the stage. She slipped over to the judges’ table and sat in the aisle seat on the right hand side. There were four judges now on ‘Idol’, but in previous seasons she had sometimes filled that fourth chair. She looked up at the scene on the stage, a smile spreading across her face. About a dozen park visitors were up on stage getting a taste of what it was like to perform on the show. A TV host from the local ABC affiliate was emceeing the moment and, leading the visitors through a round of Rascal Flatts’ ‘Life Is A Highway’, was David. He looked amazing as always in jeans and a gray and light green plaid, button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows. His black hair was fluffed and spiked to perfection, his sunny smile lit his whole face and Sundae could clearly hear his smooth, rich tenor above the other voices in the crowd. He happened to glance in her direction just then and she winked at him as his smile grew into a huge grin. When the song ended a moment later he turned to the host. “Can I get like one minute?” he asked. The host chuckled. “We’re actually done, so if you need to be somewhere, feel free,” he said. “Thanks,” David said. He then sat down on the edge of the stage and hopped down to the floor. He set the microphone he’d been using on the stage and then turned toward Sundae. She stood up from her chair as he approached and he surprised her by lifting her up from the platform where the judges’ table was situated and spinning her around before setting her down and taking her in his arms for a huge hug. She hugged him back just as tightly. “I’ve missed you,” she murmured into his ear. “Me, too, Dae,” he murmured back. After a moment they pulled back enough to meet each other’s gazes and he brushed a lock of hair back behind her ear. “I wasn’t even expecting to see you here,” he said. “Well let’s both be thankful to Simon Fuller for making sure I got an invite, then,” Sundae said. David smiled. “Definitely,” he said and then started to lean toward her. She started to lean toward him, too, but they didn’t get very far. “Hey! Hey! Turn that thing off this second!” a male voice suddenly shouted from behind them. Sundae and David turned to see his dad running up to the edge of the stage, his gaze trained on a cameraman who, they realized then, had been filming them since they’d hugged. “You’ll hand that footage over to Azoff management immediately. My son’s private life is not to be caught on camera,” his dad snapped. “Neither is my daughter’s,” her dad chimed in as he walked up to the edge of the stage as well. “Whoa, our dads are on the war path,” David mused. Sundae giggled softly. “Yeah and good thing, too, or we might’ve been the top story on ‘Access Hollywood’ tonight,” she said. David made a face at that. “No thanks,” he said and she giggled again. Their dads argued with the cameraman for a few minutes and he finally handed over the tape he’d been filming on. Her dad then waved them over and the four of them then headed back outside. Once outside the teens stepped a few feet away from their dads, who were still talking, and turned to each other. “So, I think I have free time until the motorcade parade later today and I was thinking we could spend it checking out the rides,” David said. Sundae beamed. “I’d love that,” she said. David smiled, too, and then looked over to where their dads were standing. “Hey dad, do I have any more press?” he asked. “Just one more radio interview and it should be short, why?” his dad wanted to know. “We’re wanting to check out the rides,” David said. His dad nodded. “Fine by me. We should probably stop off at the hotel first since you said you wanted to wear something different later,” he said. “That’s fine,” David said. Sundae smiled at him and gently squeezed his hand in hers as they started to follow their dads. “You look amazing, you don’t need to change,” she said. He blushed a little. “Thanks, but I don’t think this shirt is red carpet worthy,” he said. “It’s fine, but since you mention it, how formal is the red carpet thing? Maybe I should change, too,” she said. He shook his head. “You’re perfect,” he said. She blushed and leaned her head on his shoulder. “And you’re too sweet,” she said. He let go of her hand and slipped his arm around her, holding her close to him as they walked. When they got back to the hotel they rode the elevator up to their floor, they and all the other visiting ‘Idols’ were all on the same floor, and headed for their rooms. The teens paused outside Sundae’s room and turned to each other again. “So, I’ll get changed and meet you at your room?” Sundae asked. “Sure, I’m just down the way in 348,” David said. Sundae smiled and they started to lean toward each other again. “Ahem,” came a male voice from behind them and they turned to see their dads leaning on nearby doors trying to be nonchalant. The teens both giggled and David gently cupped Sundae’s hands in his. “I’ll see you in a few minutes,” he said and softly kissed her fingers. “Okay,” Sundae said. He then stepped back and headed down the hall, his dad following him. Her dad came up and moment later and unlocked the door of their room and she quickly slipped inside to get ready. Ten minutes later she was putting the finishing touches on a new ensemble of dark blue skinny jeans, black flats, a black baby tee and a burgundy leather crop jacket. She was clipping on the gold heart necklace David had given her when she noticed her dad stretching out on his bed. “Tired?” she asked. “A little. I think I’ll sit out the rides, but you go have fun,” he said. “Seriously?” she asked. “Sure,” her dad said. Sundae grinned. “Awesome,” she quickly finished with her necklace and grabbed her purse, “See you later,” she said and started for the door. “I’ll meet you at the ‘Idol Experience’,” her dad said. Sundae waved and then slipped out the door. She headed over to David’s room four doors down the hall and tapped on the door. She heard footsteps and a moment later the door opened revealing David, now wearing a gray tee shirt and dark jeans. “Hey,” he said, taking her hand a pulling her into the room. “Hey yourself. You look great,” Sundae said as he shut the door. David smiled. “So do you,” he said and then drew her to him. The next thing she knew his lips were on hers and she melted into him. Her arms slipped up around his neck and his wrapped firmly around her waist, holding her close. “Ay Chihuahua!” a male voice suddenly yelped. Sundae and David pulled apart to see a guy David’s age with dark hair and eyes and Hispanic features watching them with a surprised expression. “Dang, cuz, didn’t know you had it in you,” he said, looking to David. David gave him a look. “You remember my cousin, Andrew,” he said to Sundae. She nodded as a dark haired girl also their age came up and lightly whacked Andrew on the arm. “And my other cousin, Vanessa,” David added, nodding to the girl. “I remember,” Sundae said. She had met both cousins when they’d visited the set of David’s first music video the previous summer. Vanessa turned toward them and smiled at Sundae. “Nice to see you again, Sundae, and please ignore my dork of a brother. He drives everyone crazy,” she said, earning a mock glare from Andrew. Sundae giggled. “Just be glad you don’t have six of him to deal with,” she said, thinking of her own six brothers. Vanessa giggled, too. “Can’t argue with that,” she said. She and Andrew then moved aside to let David and Sundae come all the way into the room. Sundae was pleasantly surprised to see David’s sister, Claudia was there as well and she saw his dad out on the room’s small patio on the phone. “So you guys decided to check out the party, too, huh?” Sundae said, looking to Claudia, Vanessa and Andrew. “Heck yeah. You know this is like my favorite place on the planet aside from home,” Claudia said. “True,” Sundae said. “Yeah and we have a family reason also. It’s our abuelita’s birthday today so we’re gonna have a mini reunion to celebrate. You should come, it’ll be fun,” Vanessa said. “Yeah,” Claudia chimed in, “Abuelita loved you when she met you last summer during the tour.” Sundae looked up at David and he smiled. “Would you like to come? You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he said. “I’d love to,” Sundae said and leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. Claudia and Vanessa smiled and Andrew snickered behind his hand. David’s dad came back in at that point and smiled, seeing all the teens together. “Everyone ready for rides?” he asked. “Yeah, and Dae’s gonna join us for dinner tonight if that’s alright?” David said. His dad nodded. “Perfectly fine with me,” he said. David grinned. He then went and grabbed his jacket and the group headed off for the rides.
The rest of the day was pretty jam packed, but fun nonetheless. Sundae, David and his family tried out many of the rides, working them in around David’s radio interview. At one Sundae and David met up with Dave and Syesha and four more of their season seven friends for reunion lunch, which was wonderful. They reveled in being with their friends again and it was just the distraction from the current season that Sundae needed, though Dave did irk her by telling the others what she had told him about it. By the time they were done with their lunch it was time for the Grand Opening. Sundae rode with David in the motorcade parade, walked with him on the blue carpet and sat beside him in the theatre. The show in the theatre was very entertaining and featured performances from both Dave and season four winner, Carrie Underwood. They along with the other five winners also received special microphone shaped trophies for their achievements. After the show, Sundae filled her dad in on her dinner plans and then went with David back to the hotel. There they met up with even more of his family, aunts, uncles, and many cousins as well as the guest of honor, his abuelita. The large group enjoyed a lovely dinner at the hotel restaurant and Sundae enjoyed watching David interact with his family. His cousins were tons of fun and it was clear his abuelita adored him. Sundae had seen them together during the ‘Idol’ tour and knew how close he was to her. Sundae was checking her wallet to see if she could help out with the tip when David gently took her hand in his. “It’s been nice having you with us tonight,” he said. Sundae smiled. “It’s been nice being here,” she said and lifted his hand to her lips and kissed his fingers. He smiled, too, a light blush coming to his cheeks. “Would you come upstairs with me for a few minutes? I um, I have something for you,” he said. “I’d love to,” she said. He nodded and helped her up from the table. They paused next to his dad for a moment so David could tell him where they were going and then headed out of the restaurant and across the lobby to the elevators hand-in-hand. They rode up to their floor and David led the way down the hall to his room. When they reached the door David pulled out his keycard and turned to Sundae. “Close your eyes for a minute?” he asked. Sundae held back a little giggle, but did as he asked. She then heard him open the door and then felt him take her hands and lead her in to the room. He led her in several paces and then gently turned her. “Sit right here,” he said. She did and found the cushion of a bed under her. “Wait here a minute and don’t peek,” he said. She giggled and listened as he shuffled around the room. She heard him open the patio door and wondered what he was up to. Just as the waiting was starting to get to her she felt him take her hands again and help her up from her seat. He led her a few more paces and, when she felt a cool breeze on her cheeks she realized they were stepping out onto the patio. “Can I open my eyes yet?” she asked when they were fully on the patio. He moved to stand beside her and gently turned her slightly to the left. “Open them now,” he said. She did and gasped at the sight before her. Set up on the patio table was dessert for two. Two little squares of cake sat on two paper plates with glasses of water beside them and in the middle of the table was a third plate with two little plastic tea light candles sitting on it. The scene was so simple, but so incredibly sweet and romantic and it reminded Sundae of another little dessert picnic he’d set up for her at the apartment complex where he and their friends had stayed during their season. She turned to David and hugged him. “This is so sweet,” she said. He held her tightly to him. “I know it’s not much, but I wanted a special way to ask you to be my valentine,” he said. She gently pulled back and looked into his eyes, tears of happiness filling her own. “Of course I will. I love you so much,” she said. “I love you, too, my angel. Happy Valentine’s Day,” David said. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” Sundae echoed as he leaned in. Their lips met and danced together in a long, loving kiss and they stayed close together when they came up for air. “I have gifts for you, too,” David murmured. “You’re all the gift I need,” Sundae whispered back as she laid her hand against his cheek. He kissed her again softly and sweetly and then pulled back and led her over to the table. He stepped over to one of the chairs and reached down to the seat. “First…” he said and brought out a single, long-stemmed pink rose. Sundae beamed as it was just like the one he had given her at their first picnic. “It’s beautiful,” she said as she sniffed the rose’s sweet scent and stroked its soft petals. “I thought you’d like it and I hope you’ll like this, too,” he said and picked up from the seat the prettiest teddy bear Sundae had ever seen. It was a soft light pink with a pattern of roses on its fur and it held a little faux rose in its paw. “She’s beautiful,” Sundae said as she gently took the bear. David smiled. “I’m glad you like her. I made her for you when I visited Build-A-Bear for a promotion I’m doing with them,” he said. “Oh yeah, the ‘Love, Hugs, Peace’ thing. My sisters have been hounding me to get your song, which of course I will. I visited the BAB store at the mall near my house last weekend and they said they had everything in stock and ready. I’ll be buying several of those download cards and I think I’ll take this one,” looking at her bear, “with me and get her a David t-shirt to match the ones I have,” she said. David chuckled. “Whatever you wish, love,” he said. She beamed and stepped closer to him. “Thank you for all of this,” she said. “You’re welcome,” he glanced down at the bear and gently lifted the paw that held the rose, “Remember what I said, I’ll love you until the last one dies,” he said. Sundae felt more tears come to her eyes and she laid her hand against his cheek again. “I’ll love you longer,” she murmured and leaned up to kiss him again. This time when they pulled back he led her over to the chair where her gifts had been and held it out for her to sit. She did and he sat across from her as they turned their attention to the little cakes in front of them. Sundae was quiet as she ate and looked out at the view from the patio. You could see Disney World and Epcot in the distance and the lights from both attractions glittered in the night. “What are you thinking about?” David suddenly asked. Sundae looked back over tom him. “I was just thinking how nice this is, just us. I knew I’d be missing you this weekend since you’re supposed to perform, so I’m glad we got to have this time,” she said and reached for his hand. He gently squeezed her fingers. “So am I,” he said. They gazed at each other for a moment and then he stood up and drew her to her feet. “What’s up?” she asked him and got her answer when he pulled her into his arms and began to sway along. He then leaned close to her ear and started to sing softly.
From the moment I saw you From the moment I looked into your eyes There was something about you I knew, I knew That you were once in a lifetime A treasure near impossible to find And I know how lucky I am to have you
I’ve seen rainbows that Would take your breath away The beauty of the setting sun On any given day And when it comes to shooting stars I have seen a few But I’ve never seen anything As beautiful as you
Holding you in my arms No one else could fit so perfectly I could dance forever With you, with you And at the stroke of midnight Please forgive me if I can’t let go Cause I never dreamed I’d find A Cinderella of my own, oh
I’ve seen rainbows that Would take your breath away The beauty of the setting sun On any given day And when it comes to shooting stars I have seen a few But I’ve never seen anything
No I’ve never seen anything As beautiful as you
From the moment I saw you From the moment I looked into your eyes Sundae melted into David as he sang to her and hugged him as tightly as she could when he finished. This was the first Valentine’s she’d spent with a special someone and she knew that David was the someone she wanted to spend it with every year for the rest of her life. Even if the rest of the world ceased to exist he was all she would ever need- her love, her Valentine.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:56:51 GMT -5
Book 2 Epilogue- April 22, 2009
Sundae stood in her dressing room at the Idol studio getting ready for that evening’s show. The new season was going well thus far, though it had had its share of ups and downs. There was now a fourth judge at the table, and a few changes to the competition. One of the big ones was the introduction of a judges’ save where the judges could vote to save the lowest vote getter each week. It could only be used once and had been used the week before. As a result that evening’s show would see a double elimination and it was bringing on more stress. Sundae remembered the stress of results nights the year before and how she and David had always gone through them together. She didn’t have that kind of camaraderie with the current group of ‘Idols’. She didn’t dislike any of them, but she hadn’t been able to get close to any of them in the way she’d been close to the season seven group. There was one girl her age, which was a plus, but other than that she hadn’t really become friends with any of them. A knock on her door startled her out of her thoughts. “Come in,” she called and turned to see Ryan stick his head in. “You almost ready?” he asked. “Yeah, just about,” Sundae said as she reached for her lip-gloss. “We’re on in five and be prepared. We’ve got a little surprise for you tonight,” Ryan said. Sundae giggled. “You’re a week early, you know,” she said, thinking of her sixteenth birthday the following week. She would’ve have loved for David to be there, but he was busy touring and she knew he needed every second of downtime he could get to rest. “Yeah, well, you’ll like it,” Ryan said, snapping her back to the present. He then disappeared back into the hall. Sundae checked herself in the mirror one more time and then headed out for the stage. A short time later Sundae was on stage with Ryan as the show came back from a commercial break. The remaining ‘Idols’ were off to one side on the couches except for two, who still had yet to learn their fates for the week. Ryan’s voice caught her attention and she turned back to him. “Welcome back to the show. Before we get on with the results we have two special guests to perform tonight and the first is also a birthday surprise for our own Sundae,” he said. Sundae smiled and nodded modestly as the crowd applauded. “As you may know, Sundae will be sweet sixteen one week from tonight. We’re giving her her gift early because…well because this was the best night for everyone’s schedules,” Ryan said. Sundae gave him an odd look. “Schedules? Ryan, if you guys are just giving me a cake it could’ve waited til next week,” she said. Ryan chuckled. “It’s a little more than a cake. From all of us here at ‘Idol’ who’ve had the pleasure to watch you grow up before our eyes, Happy Birthday, Sundae,” he said and then stepped aside. Sundae wondered what to do for a moment, but then a very familiar melody starting up made her stop in her tracks. A moment later a familiar voice made tears of joy spring to her eyes.
Saw you from a distance Saw you from the stage Sundae turned as David, dressed up in dark jeans, a light blue dress shirt and silver and black plaid skinny tie with a dark gray hoodie over it, came out onstage, singing a song from his debut album, his eyes all for her.
Something ‘bout the look in your eyes Something ‘bout your beautiful face In a sea of people There is only you I never knew what the song was about But suddenly now I do
Trying to reach out to you, touch my hand Reach out as far as you can Only me, only you, and the band Trying to reach out to you, touch my hand
Can’t let the music stop Can’t let this feeling end Cause if I do it’ll all be over I’ll never see you again
Can’t let the music stop Until I touch your hand David took Sundae’s hand in his as he sang.
Cause if I do, it’ll all be over I’ll never get the chance again I’ll never get the chance again I’ll never get the chance again Sundae grooved along with David as he sang, dancing with him and following his lead as he moved around the stage. At one point he even offered her the mic so that she could join him. He had grown so much as a performer since his time on ‘Idol’ ended. He had complete control of the stage and the audience was eating out of his hand. Sundae even noticed the judges getting into the mood and groove of the song. As the song wound down David pulled Sundae to him and their eyes locked as he finished the song. Trying to reach out to you, touch my hand Reach out as far as you can Only me, only you, and the band Trying to reach out to you, touch my hand Yeah, yeah, yeah The crowd went wild as he finished and his shining smile was all Sundae saw as she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. “Happy birthday, angel,” he said into her ear, as he held her close to him. Sundae sniffled slightly as she blinked back tears of joy. “Thank you, so much,” she replied, never wanting to let him go.
After the show ended, David walked with Sundae to her dressing room. She held his hand tightly and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I thought I wouldn’t be seeing you for a while,” she said. “Yeah, I’m very glad I was able to come visit otherwise I might not’ve seen you until the summer. Besides, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I missed my beautiful girlfriend’s sweet sixteen,” he said. Sundae blushed and moved closer to him as they walked. Just then a girl their age with dyed dark red hair came up to them. “Your party’s still on for tonight, right Dae?” she asked. “Yes Ali, it’s still on,” Sundae said. “Cool, I’ll catch you then,” the girl said and continued on down the hall. Sundae looked back to David and giggled at the raised eyebrow he was giving her. “Alison Iraheta, you met her out onstage,” she said. Alison, or Ali as Sundae called her, had been one of the two in jeopardy that night and David had given her and the other ‘Idol’ in the hot seat, Anoop Desai, a pep talk after his performance that evening. “Yeah, it’s just from what you told me I didn’t think you really got on with any of them,” David said. “Well, I have ‘Idol’ school with Ali and she’s our age, so she’s cool, but other than that, you’re right. I’m nice to them and all, but it’s not like it was last year when we were all tight,” Sundae said. “Yeah, I guess I see what you mean,” David said as they approached her dressing room. She opened the door and they stepped inside. “What did she mean about your party being tonight?” David asked as she shut the door behind them. “Oh yeah. You actually picked the perfect week to visit. I’m having my birthday party this week instead of next because it was the only time I could get off from ‘Idol’,” Sundae said. David smiled. “Now I’m even more glad I could come this week,” he said. Sundae smiled, too, and started to turn to get her things together. A moment later she felt him come up beside her and gently run his hands along her arms sending the wonderful tingle throughout her body. She looked up at him and he reached into his pocket. “And what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t bring you something?” he said and pulled a long thin box from his pocket. Sundae couldn’t keep the grin off her face. “You didn’t have to,” she said. “I wanted to. This came all the way from Malaysia for you,” David said. Sundae looked up at him in surprise and then back to the box as she snapped it open. Her eyes widened still more when she saw a fourteen carat gold bracelet in the box on a silk pillow. Its band was etched with South East Asian symbols, giving it an exotic look. “Oh my gosh, David. It’s beautiful,” she said. “I’m glad you like it,” David said and reached out to gently stroke her cheek. She leaned into his touch for a moment and then looked up at him, a twinkle in her eye. “I’ll wear it for the party on one condition,” she said. “What’s that?” David asked. “That I have you on my arm as well,” she said. David grinned. “You know it,” he said and then leaned in, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.
An hour later, Sundae was in her room at home putting the finishing touches on her outfit for the party. David had gone over to his hotel to change and she wanted to look as perfect as possible when he got to her house. She wore a simple plum colored mini dress and gold shoes to match the accent of her gold jewelry. She was just finishing combing her hair when there was a knock on her door. “Come in,” she called and when she turned she was surprised to see David peek in. “Hey, is it okay to come in? Kimmie said I could come up and get you,” he asked. She smiled and stepped over to him, took his hands and drew him into the room. “Of course you can come in, but let’s not let my dad find out,” she said. “Am I not supposed to be up here?” David asked nervously. “Dad doesn’t want us having guys in our rooms, but I’m sure he won’t mind you being here for two minutes,” Sundae said. “I hope you’re right. I don’t want him mad at me. I don’t know what I’d do if he didn’t let me see you,” David said. Sundae smiled and laid her hand against his cheek, gently stroking it with her thumb. They gazed at each other for a moment and then she spoke again. “Help me with my jewelry?” she asked. “Sure,” he replied and stepped over to join her by her dressing table. She picked up the new bracelet and he took it as she held out her wrist. He gently fastened the bracelet around it and it shimmered as it caught the light from her lamp. Then she picked up the gold heart necklace he had given her for her last birthday. He took it from her hand and she held up her hair as he fastened the chain around her neck. She trembled slightly when she felt him start to trail kisses along her neck as he finished. She let her hair drop and turned toward him, her lips meeting his with the passion of their love. She turned in his arms to completely face him and then started to step back toward her bed, him following her movements. When she reached the bed she sat down on it and then lay back, gently pulling him with her. They came up for air when she was completely lying down and she noticed a hint of worry in his eyes. “What?” she asked, stroking his cheek with her fingers. “Your dad would really lose it on me if he saw us right now,” David said. Sundae smiled ruefully. “Yeah, I know,” she looked up at him again, “We just don’t get this quite time much anymore,” she said as he shifted so that he lay beside her. “It’d be nice to have it more often,” he said as he took hold of her hand and twined their fingers together. He then drew her hand to his lips, kissing each finger one by one. As he finished he started to lean toward her, but before he could kiss her, the music playing downstairs caught their attention. “We should get down there before dad sends a search party after me,” Sundae said as they sat up. “Yeah, we should,” David agreed as they got up from the bed. Sundae quickly ran a brush over her hair again and slipped her hand into his as they stepped out of the room and headed downstairs.
Sundae’s party was in full swing in the living room of the Wahlberg home. All her friends from school had come and the current group of ‘Idols’ were there as well. There were also a couple family friends, since it was her sweet sixteen. Her older brother was DJing and everyone was having a great time. Sundae and David hung out with her friends, enjoyed snacks and kept each other’s dance cards booked. They were talking with Sundae’s best school friends, Dana and Cara, when the music suddenly stopped. They all looked around and saw Sundae’s dad standing by the DJ table, microphone in hand. Sundae groaned. “Remind me to kill him,” she said. “You don’t know what he’s doing yet,” Dana pointed out. “Yeah, he wouldn’t embarrass you on purpose,” David added. “Sundae, would you come up here and bring David with you?” her dad said. “Then again…” David said. Sundae grabbed his hand as they walked over to where her dad stood. “You’re not going to embarrass me, are you?” Sundae asked. “No, of course not. I just have a special song for you that I wanted you both to hear. It kind of sums up everything that’s happened for you in the last couple years,” her dad said. “Okay, but no funny stuff, please?” Sundae said, drawing giggles from some of her friends. “No worries,” her dad said. He then nodded to Sundae’s brother and he started up the music. The song was definitely country, but it was slow and Sundae knew it had a message to it. Look at the two of you Dancing that way Lost in the music And each other’s face So much in love You’re alone in this place Like there’s nobody else in the world
I was enough for her Not long ago I was her number one She told me so And she still means the world to me Just so you know So be careful when you hold my girl Time changes everything Life must go on And I’m not gonna stand in your way David took Sundae’s hand and drew her to him and they started to sway along to the song. I loved her first I held her first And a place in my heart Will always be hers From the first breath she breathed When she first smiled at me I knew the love of a father runs deep And I prayed that she’d find you someday But it’s still hard to give her away I loved her first Sundae could kind tell that her dad was directing the message of the song toward David, telling him to be good to daddy’s girl.
How can that beautiful woman with you Be the same freckle-faced kid that I knew The one that I read all those fairy tales to And tucked into bed all those nights And I knew the first time I saw you with her It was only a matter of time
I loved her first I held her first And a place in my heart Will always be hers From the first breath she breathed When she first smiled at me I knew the love of a father runs deep And I prayed that she’d find you one day But it’s still hard to give her away I loved her first
From the first breath she breathed When she first smiled at me I knew the love of a father runs deep Someday you might know what I’m going through When a miracle smiles up at you I loved her first Mmmmmhmmmm Sundae smiled at her dad when he finished the song and offered a hug when he stepped up to her and David. “Happy birthday, honey,” he said as she hugged him. “Thanks. I love you, dad,” Sundae replied, keeping her voice down so no one else would hear. “Love you, too,” her dad said just as quietly. They then pulled apart and her dad held a hand out to David. He took it and they shook firmly. Her dad then took her hand and laid it in David’s as if granting his approval. The rest of the guests applauded and both Sundae and David smiled. Later, after the party had wound down, Sundae and David were out in the Wahlberg’s back yard enjoying sometime alone. They were settled together in a lawn chair, in each other’s arms, looking up at the stars. “Did you have fun tonight?” David asked. “Yeah, I did,” she looked up at him, “The best part was having you here,” she said. He smiled. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” he said. She cuddled closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. She felt him shift after a moment and she looked up as he started to get up from the chair. He kept hold of her hands and pulled her up with him and then drew her into his arms. He then started to slowly sway along to a melody only they could hear and she laid her head on his shoulder again as he held her close. “I want to spend the summer with you, Dae,” he murmured after a few moments. She looked up at him. “Spend the summer?” she asked. “I don’t have any tour plans and I’ve been thinking of all the things we can do; going to the beach, seeing movies, nice dinners and long walks,” he said. “That all sounds so perfect,” Sundae said. “It will be. I’ll be down here to work on my next album and I want to spend every free moment with you, just like last year,” David said. Sundae hugged him tighter. “I’d love that,” she said. He gently tapped her chin making her look up at him. “And I love you,” he said. “I love you, too. So much more than you’ll ever know,” she said. He pulled her even closer and she wrapped her arms around him, both of them dreaming of what life held for them next.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:57:15 GMT -5
Love Is A Song
Entr’acte
A Final Finale
Sixteen-year-old Sundae Wahlberg stood in front of the bathroom mirror putting the finishing touches on her red carpet look. She ran her hands along the skirt of her red, spaghetti strap mini dress, making sure it was wrinkle free and then scooped up her hair brush and combed through her shiny long brown hair. As she finished with this she looked around and then groaned. “Ali, can you bring me my purse?” she called out. “I thought you had it in there with you,” replied the voice of her friend Allison Iraheta. “No, I think it’s on the dresser,” Sundae said. A shuffling was heard then. “Oh yeah, here it is,” Allison said and a moment later she came into the bathroom and handed Sundae a little red handbag. Allison, herself, wore her usual rocker chick look of fitting black pants, a graphic tee, biker boots and plenty of rocker jewelry including chains and wrist cuffs. Her dark hair was down and in a wavy style, its magenta red highlights very obvious under the bathroom lights. The two girls were dressed up for the finale of the popular television show ‘American Idol’. Allison, as one of the current season contestants would be performing as part of the evening’s festivities, which would end in the crowning of the 8th ‘Idol’. Sundae was the show’s opening act and she also helped judge the early rounds. That night she was simply going as a spectator and was looking forward to seeing old friends and enjoying the show. She smiled at Allison as she took her purse. “Wow, girl, you meeting up with Pink later?” she asked. Allison laughed. “I so wish. This,” gesturing to her look, “is just me. You’re the one who’s gonna be dropping jaws in that dress. You got a hot date to go with it?” she asked. Sundae’s expression fell slightly and she quickly turned back to the mirror. “Oh, Dae, I’m sorry. You know he’d be here if he could,” she said. Sundae paused, holding her lip-gloss in one hand. The ‘he’ Allison had been referring to was David Archuleta, Sundae’s boyfriend of nearly eighteen months. He’d been touring over seas for the last few weeks and had just had a huge show in the Philippines the previous weekend. She knew he was back in the states now, but she also knew he’d want to see his family and so wasn’t upset with him for not coming to the finale even though he was the reigning ‘Idol’ runner-up. “I know he would be,” she said in response to Allison’s statement, “But I wouldn’t begrudge him the chance to see his family. He doesn’t get much time with them since he’s so busy,” she said. “I know. That’s the one part about this business that I’m not looking forward to. I do not know what I’d do without my folks around all the time,” Allison said. “Yeah, I hear you on that. I’d miss my annoying siblings, too,” Sundae said. A knock on the main door of the hotel room they were in made them both jump slightly. “Who could that be?” Sundae mused. “Probably my dad forgetting something again,” Allison said. The hotel room was hers and she had invited Sundae to come get ready and hang out with her at the finale. Allison stepped out of the room to get the door and Sundae turned back to the mirror. She uncapped her lip-gloss and painted her lips, making sure to put on an even coat. She had just finished when she heard Allison giggle. “Oh, I can’t believe this. Hey Dae, your date’s here,” she called. Sundae sighed. “Ali, I told you…” she started to say, but when she stepped into the main room her jaw dropped. There, standing next to Allison, his smile shining like the sun, was David. “Hey Dae,” he said and held his hand out to her. Tears of joy came to Sundae’s eyes. Her lip-gloss slipped from her hand and fell to the floor as she stepped over, grabbing hold of David’s hand. He then pulled her to him and into his arms. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, feeling the tears threatening to fall. “I’m gonna go wait for my ride. I’ll see you two later,” Allison said. Sundae managed a small wave over David’s shoulder. After Allison had gone Sundae hugged David tighter, nuzzling her face in his neck, and reveling in the feeling of his hands gently caressing her back as he held her. “I can’t believe you’re here,” she murmured. He chuckled lightly. “We can thank Dave for some of it. He convinced me to come since I’m in LA anyway for some meetings and I couldn’t pass up the chance to see you. I’ve missed you,” he said. “I’ve missed you, too, so much,” Sundae said. She gently pulled back after another long moment and felt a dampness on her cheeks. “Oh goodness, my mascara must be running everywhere,” she said and started to lift a hand to her eyes. He gently caught her hand in his, drawing it to his lips, and softly kissed it. “You look incredibly beautiful,” he said. She blushed. “And you look amazing as always,” she said, taking in his ensemble of a dark teal, button down shirt with small black checks with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, black dress slacks, a black skinny tie and white sneakers with black Velcro straps. He nodded his head modestly and she noticed his soft black hair, neatly combed and lightly fluffed and looking like it had had a recent trim. “Did you cut it?” she asked, reaching up to brush her fingers through the silken locks. “Yeah, a little. I really wanted it off my neck since it’s getting pretty hot here,” he said. She smiled. “I’m glad you left it a little fluffy, though. I love it this way,” she said and brushed her fingers through his hair again. He leaned into the touch this time and she rose up on her toes and took a sweet, soft taste of his lips. David drew her closer to him at that, leaning in and tasting her lips as well. “Mmmm,” she murmured after a moment, “If you’ll give me a minute, I’ll freshen up and redo my lip-gloss,” she said and brushed her fingers almost seductively against his cheek as she started to step back. “You don’t need it,” David said, gently catching her hand again. Sundae lovingly squeezed his fingers and then turned and went back to the bathroom. There she freshened her face and quickly redid her mascara. Then she came back out and picked up her lip-gloss from where it had fallen earlier. She stepped over to the mirror that hung facing the beds and painted a fresh coat of gloss on her lips. As she finished and recapped the tube, she felt a pair of strong, loving arms wrap around her. She leaned into David’s embrace, turning around just enough to wrap one arm around his neck. They stood that way for a few moments and then he gently nuzzled his head against hers. “You ready to go?” he asked. “Yeah, but I could just as easily skip the finale and stay here with you all night,” she said. “Don’t you have to perform?” he asked, surprised. “No. I opted out of performing this week. I just didn’t have the energy and I’m a little surprised the producers went along with it,” Sundae said. “I’m a little surprised, too, but I’d never pass up the blessing of being able to enjoy a nice evening with you,” David said. Sundae smiled. “I’d never pass it up either,” she said. David then slipped his arm around her and held her gently to him and she leaned into him as they made their way out the door and downstairs to find their ride to the show.
Once downstairs, Sundae and David crossed the hotel lobby and went outside and David lead the way over to a limo that waited at the curb. The driver was leaning against the front passenger door, but he jumped to attention when he saw David and Sundae and held open the rear door for them. They climbed in and the driver shut the door and went around to his own. A few moments later the limo pulled out of the hotel’s parking lot and started off toward the Nokia theatre where the finale was being held. “I wonder how many of our gang will be there?” Sundae mused, leaning her head on David’s shoulder as he held her to him. She was thinking of their season seven friends. “Well, Dave’s performing and I saw Brooke and Ramiele the other day and they both said they’d be there,” David said. “Cool, we should all try to hook up after the show and hang out. It’s been a while since we were all together,” Sundae said. “Yeah, it’s been nine months almost, I think. It would be nice to get together and catch up,” David said. “Yeah, it would,” Sundae agreed.
Fifteen minutes later the limo pulled up to the cue in front of the Nokia Theater where the finale was being held. It was few minutes more before it reached the front of the cue. The teens both had to hold back chuckles at the size of the media presence along the red carpet. “This just gets bigger every year, doesn’t it?” David mused as the driver pulled open the door. “Oh, I can vouch for that,” Sundae said as they slid out of the car. Flash bulbs started flashing away as they stepped away from the limo and started down the carpet. They could see news media from many national stations lining the carpet looking for interviews and, all along the sides, were grandstands packed with fans screaming for every ‘Idol’ they saw. They nearly went crazy when they saw David. “David! David, over here!” they squealed. “You get more popular every day, don’t you?” Sundae said as she and David made their way over to where some of the fans were leaning over a wall hoping for autographs. “Aw, I don’t know about that. They’re probably more interested in the show than me,” he said. Sundae just giggled as they walked up to the fans. She knew many of them were huge fans of his, but that, humble as he was, David would never believe they were there just for him. David signed several autographs and Sundae signed a few as well before they waved and moved on down the carpet. About halfway down they spotted their friend and reigning ‘Idol’, Dave Cook, being interviewed by the TV Guide channel, which was doing exclusive coverage of the red carpet. The interviewer, whom Sundae recognized as another former ‘Idol’, saw them as he was finishing his interview with Dave. “And from one David to another,” he joked as Sundae and David walked up. Dave turned and grinned, seeing them. “Hey you two,” he said, reaching to hug them both. Sundae noticed the interviewer, an African American man in his late twenties, smiling at the scene. He then lifted his microphone and addressed the camera beside him. “We’ve now got David Archuleta here,” he turned to David and shook his hand, “And man, let me just say, you have got the hottest date here,” he said. David smiled as he pulled Sundae over to stand beside him and she stifled a giggle as she looked to the interviewer. “You don’t remember me, do you Mr. Rogers?” she said. The interviewer lifted his bolero hat and looked closer at her. His eyes widened. “Oh my…okay it can not have been that long since my season,” he said. Sundae laughed. “Well, I’m sixteen so it has been a while,” she said. He shook his head in disbelief. “I still can’t believe it,” he said. Sundae then turned to David and couldn’t help a grin at his slightly confused expression. “David, this is Brandon Rogers. He was top ten a couple seasons ago,” she said. David then perked up. “Oh, nice to meet you,” he said. “You, too. Glad we could facilitate a little reunion there,” Brandon said, nodding behind them to Dave, who was moving on to another interview. David chuckled. “Well not much of a reunion. Dave and I just did a concert together in the Philippines last weekend, and we were there almost a week leading up to it,” he said. Brandon nodded and then went straight into interview mode, asking David what he was up to and what his plans were for the next steps in his career. When the interview ended, Sundae and David continued down the red carpet to the entrance of the theatre. As they reached the doors, Dave approached them again. “Hey, not much time to talk back there,” he said. “Yeah, really,” David agreed as they made their way inside. They stepped away from the doors and went over to a corner where they could have relative privacy. Sundae then turned to Dave. “So, how are you holding up?” she asked, gently squeezing his arm. He sighed. “As well as can be expected. It was nice having a week with this guy,” ruffling David’s hair, “to take my mind off it,” he said. The ‘it’ Dave was referring to was a personal tragedy he’d recently suffered. His older brother, Adam, had lost his battle with the brain tumor he’d had for over a decade. Sundae had been shocked to hear about it and had talked with David, who had been in the UK at the time. They both turned to Dave. “You know you can call us if you need anything, even if it’s just to talk,” Sundae said with David nodding in agreement. Dave smiled. “I know and honestly I have no idea what I’d do without you two to help keep me sane,” he said. “We’re happy to help,” David said, making Dave smile even more. “I thought I saw familiar faces over here,” a female voice suddenly said from behind them. The three turned to see a young woman with a mane of blonde curls approaching them- another ‘Idol’ friend, Brooke White. “Hey Brooke,” Sundae said as Brooke walked up to her and the guys. “Hi sweetie,” Brooke said reaching to hug her. She then hugged Dave and then pulled David into a big bear hug. “I feel like I don’t see you enough,” she told him as she let go. “We just had lunch yesterday,” David said. “I know, but I still miss seeing you,” Brooke said. She then looked from Dave to Sundae and back again. “And I miss you guys, too. I see you,” to Sundae, “quite a bit, but I haven’t seen you,” to Dave, “in months. Comes with the career, I guess,” she said. Dave nodded. “Yeah. I was actually thinking earlier that just a year ago we were all together and now we’re all busy with our careers and don’t really see each other,” he said. Brooke nodded and then giggled. “Good grief, has been a year already?” she wondered aloud. Sundae and David both giggled, too. “We were thinking about that earlier, too, and we came up with an idea,” David said. “Oh, what would that be?” Brooke asked. “We were talking about all of us getting together after the show to hang out and I was thinking maybe a pizza party at mine?” Sundae suggested. Dave and Brooke traded looks and Dave hugged Sundae again. “Have I told you I love you today?” he asked. Sundae giggled and David gave Dave a look, which made her giggle even more. “Not treading on your turf, Arch, I swear,” Dave said. “I know,” David said. “So, do you think we can round everyone up after the show? I know a few of them are here,” Sundae said. “Shouldn’t be hard. We’ve got the after party later so we could all meet up there and push on to yours,” Dave suggested. Sundae nodded and looked from Brooke to David and they both seemed to like the idea as well. “Sounds good. Let’s try to text everyone during the show and I’ll text my mom, too and see if she’ll order the pizza ahead of time,” Sundae said. The other three nodded and they then turned and headed into the theatre. Inside, Dave headed off to his seat toward the front and Sundae, David and Brooke all headed for their seats, which were all together. Brooke’s husband, who was also named Dave, was already there and greeted them when they walked up. As they sat down, Sundae suddenly noticed a guy in the row in front of them who looked familiar. She looked at him for a few moments before finally recognizing him. “David, look who’s sitting in front of us,” she said, tapping his arm. David looked up and his eyes went wide. “Oh my gosh, Jason Mraz,” he said in an excited whisper as Jason was one of his favorite singers. His whisper was loud enough to be heard, however, and Jason Mraz turned around hearing his name. He smiled when he saw David. “Hey, David Archuleta, nice to see you man,” he said as he stood up. David stood as well and looked over the moon when Jason gave him a friendly hug. “You performing tonight?” Jason asked. “Aw no, I’m just here to watch. I’m with my girlfriend, Sundae, tonight,” David replied, gesturing to Sundae as she stood beside him. Jason smiled. “Nice to meet you,” he said. “You, too, Mr. Mraz. I love your music and David’s told me so many nice things about you,” Sundae said. “Thank you,” Jason said. They talked for a few more minutes and then sat down to enjoy the show.
The show was very enjoyable. As with every finale, the results were kept secret until the very end of the show and the rest was packed with special performances. Finalists Adam Lambert and Kris Allen each performed with a special guest, Adam with the glam rock band Kiss and Kris with country star Keith Urban. A few of the other top ‘Idols’ of the season also performed with special guest artists and there were also group numbers and filler video bits, including joke pieces such as awards given to some of the reject hopefuls, replays of some of the season’s Ford videos and a special bit showing Adam and Kris being presented with new cars courtesy of Ford. When the results were finally delivered, they proved a bit surprising. In quite an upset Kris won the title over the much-touted Adam. Sundae knew they would both make albums, although, based on what she knew of the current radio scene, she wondered how well they’d fit in. After Kris had delivered his winning performance and the stage had cleared, the audience started filing out of the theatre. Sundae, David and Brooke made their way out into the lobby and met up with Dave, Michael Johns and Jason Castro. They all talked and decided to meet up with the rest of the season seven group at the after party and head to Sundae’s house from there. Two hours later, after a spending a short time at the after party Sundae, David and all their season seven friends were crowded into Sundae’s living room, eating pizza and reminiscing on old times. It was the first time in nearly ten months that they’d all been together in the same room, and they truly enjoyed hanging out again and catching up on each others’ lives. They even watched a little of the finale on TV, but since they’d been there, they didn’t need to see the results for a second time. By eleven pm, the others had said their goodnights and Sundae and David were alone in the living room, resting together on the couch. They were enjoying the quiet when Sundae suddenly sat up. “Wanna go sit out back?” she asked. “Yeah, sure,” David agreed as they got up. Sundae led the way out back moved over to one of the deck chairs as David slid the door closed behind them. “Oooooh, I’m gonna need a foot bubbler,” Sundae said. “You okay?” David asked as he came over to where she was sitting on the chair. “Yeah, these shoes were killing my feet, though, so it’s a relief to get them off,” she said as she put aside the strappy red shoes she’d been wearing. David sat next to her on the chair, lifted her feet onto his lap, and gently started to rub them with his warm, strong fingers. “Oh, my goodness,” Sundae moaned as she lay back on the chair. “Feeling better?” David asked. “Oh yeah. If music doesn’t work out for you, which I doubt will be the case; you could so have a career doing this. You’ve got great hands,” Sundae said. David chuckled. “I dunno about doing this for a living, but I’m glad I can do it for you,” he said. He worked on her feet for a few more minutes and then gently set them back on the chair. He then stood, took hold of Sundae’s hands and pulled her up and into his arms. She lifted her feet off the ground as he slowly spun her around and then held her close, swaying along to a melody only they could hear. “I love you, Dae,” he murmured into her ear. “I love you, too, David, and I can’t wait to have this summer with you,” Sundae replied, holding on to him tightly. “I’m already thinking about the summer and all the things we can do. I’ll be here the whole time working on albums, and I want to spend every minute with you,” David said. “Me, too, and there are so many amazing things we can do. Going to the mountains, the beach, Disneyland,” Sundae said, giggling softly at the mention of the last idea. David chuckled, too. “I’d love to do all that and more,” he said. He gazed into her eyes for a moment and then leaned in, their lips meeting passionately. Sundae tightened her grip on David, never wanting to let him go. She couldn’t wait for the summer and all the amazing memories she was sure they would make together.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:57:49 GMT -5
Love Is A Song
Book 3
This I Promise You
Sixteen-year-old Sundae Wahlberg couldn’t help but smile as she strolled across the green lawns of her school, East Beverly High, with her best friend, Dana. Life was pretty good for the aspiring young singer and she wanted the whole world to know it. “You sure seem happy today. I’d think you’d be stressing over that big test we have in pre-calculus next week,” Dana said. Sundae shrugged. “Eh, math doesn’t worry me. I’m doing fine in that class so I’ll be fine for the test,” she said. “That makes one of us. I swear Mr. Rawlings is out get me, or something,” Dana said. “No he’s not you’re just stressing over nothing,” Sundae said. “Try telling my stomach that,” Dana said. Sundae giggled and Dana shook her head. “Seriously though, why are you so happy? It wouldn’t have to do with a certain special someone who happens to have three number one singles and a platinum album to his name, now would it?” Dana asked, teasing her lightly on the last part. Sundae blushed at the reference to her boyfriend, eighteen-year-old David Archuleta. They had met two summers before when he had auditioned for the hit TV talent show ‘American Idol’. They had shared a mutual instant attraction and had now been a steady couple for almost eighteen months. Even though he had finished second on ‘Idol’ David had still gone on to a hugely successful career and with each new milestone her pride in him grew. Presently, he was back in his home state of Utah finishing his senior year, but they did plan on spending the summer together, somehow. “You really are crazy about him, aren’t you?” Dana said. Sundae beamed. “God yes. I always thought my sister was crazy for falling for Michael at such a young age but…then I met David…and now I completely understand how she felt. It’s so amazing,” she said. Dana giggled. “You want to know what I seriously think?” she asked. “What’s that?” Sundae wanted to know. “You and David are gonna wind up married one of these days,” Dana said. “Dana!” Sundae said, unable to help a laugh. “I’m serious. You are completely in love with him, Dae, and it’s pretty obvious he feels the same way,” Dana said. Sundae couldn’t help a dreamy smile at that and Dana giggled again. “Is he taking you to prom again this year? It was so cool that he did last year,” she said. As it was May, prom was the chief subject of conversation for the students at East Beverly. “It was, but I don’t know about this year. It was convenient last year since it was just after ‘Idol’, but he’s back in Utah now. He already comes out a lot to see me and he was just here for the finale. I wouldn’t want to add one more trip,” she said. Dana turned to her so they were facing each other. “Dae, if he loves you like I know he does, he’d move heaven and earth to be here,” she said. Sundae thought a minute and then smiled again. “Yeah, you’re right,” she said as they started walking again. “So, next time he calls you, or you call him, ask him. I know he’ll say yes,” Dana said. “I’ll think about it,” Sundae said. “Definitely do that,” Dana agreed. A car horn honking nearby caught the girls’ attention then and they looked over to see a young guy at the wheel of a pick up truck waving them, or rather at Sundae. “Coming Jase,” Sundae called and turned back to Dana. “Girl, we are so getting you your first car this summer,” Dana said. “Yeah, but I should learn to drive and get my license first,” Sundae said. Dana waved her hand dismissively. “Minor details,” she said. Sundae laughed. “Minor my foot,” she said. Dana couldn’t help an eye roll. “Hello? You have a soon to be graduating boyfriend who has his license and will be spending the summer with you, who better to teach you?” she said. Sundae laughed again. “I don’t know what my dad will say to that, but we’ll see. Right now I’ve gotta go,” she said as she stepped back. “Alright. You’ll be at soccer practice tomorrow, right?” Dana asked. “Hello? I’m co-captain. Of course I’ll be there,” Sundae said. “Cool. Call me later,” Dana said as Sundae started toward her brother’s truck. “Bye, D,” Sundae said and dashed over to the truck. Her brother Jason leaned over and opened the door for her. “Hey, having a gab session?” he asked as she got in. “Pretty much. How was practice?” she asked. Jason, a senior, was captain of the school’s varsity basketball team. “Pretty good. It’s the end of the season and most of us are graduating, so we haven’t been doing much,” he replied as he shifted the truck into gear and started out of the parking lot. “I’m starting to wish I was a senior,” Sundae said. Her brother laughed. “You only want that so you and David can run off together the second you graduate,” he said. Sundae blushed. “Oh God, you’re as bad as Dana. No, scratch that. You’re as bad as Michael Johns making bets on us last year,” she said. Jason laughed again. “I only call it as I see it,” he said as he turned out of the parking lot and headed down the street. Sundae pulled her math book out of her bag and started looking over what she needed to study for her test. Her mind drifted back to her conversation with Dana and her brother’s jesting remark and made her wonder. Could what she had with David really last forever? She knew she loved him and he loved her and she knew her sister had found true love at her age. Whatever came in the future, she knew she would be by David’s side and she hoped he would be by hers.
Later that day Sundae was up in her room relaxing and studying for her test. She had David’s album, which had been released the previous November, playing softly in the background and she couldn’t help but move along to the beat of certain songs. His hit single ‘Crush’ came on next and Sundae smiled, thinking about how much that song meant to both of them. He had told her it was one of his special songs on the album for her and she had even gotten to play opposite him in the music video for the song. She was just thinking about what a day it had been when they’d filmed the video when her cell phone rang. The ringer was also ‘Crush’, which told Sundae exactly who was calling without her having to look at the caller ID. She picked up the phone, grinning like mad, and put the CD on pause before answering. “Hey,” she said, flopping back on her pillows, her grin growing wider. “Hey, Dae. What are you up to?” David asked and she could tell he was smiling, too. “Not much, just studying for a pre-calc test and listening to your CD…and thinking of you,” she said. He laughed. “I hope I’m not distracting you too much,” he said and she laughed, too. “Never. What are you up to?” she asked. “Same as you, not much. I’ve been working on some new songs, though,” he said. “Planning the next platinum album already?” she asked. “Something like that. It gets a little crazy trying to write with Amber, Jazzy and Daniel always bugging me, though,” he said. “At least you only have three younger siblings to deal with. Try managing with eight plus an annoying older brother,” Sundae said. He laughed again. “Not going there, thanks,” he said and she giggled, too. “So anything interesting happening in Utah?” she asked. “Well, there is one thing and it’s sort of why I’m calling,” David replied and Sundae heard a hint of nerves in his voice. “What is it?” she asked. “Um well my school has its senior ball coming up and I was wondering if you’d go with me?” he asked. Sundae beamed, but then a thought struck her. “Would there be a problem with me being a sophomore?” she asked. “No, not at all. We can bring younger dates they just have to be at least sixteen and you are sixteen,” he said. “That’s true,” Sundae said, her grin coming back full force. “So…will you go to the senior ball with me?” he asked again. “I’d love to,” Sundae said. “Really?” David asked and Sundae giggled softly. “You know I will,” she said. She heard him sigh in relief and had to smile even more. “So, is this dance pretty formal? I’m presuming it is since it’s a ball,” she said. “Yeah, it’s pretty formal. Adam was already talking tux rental earlier today,” David said. “Wow, I guess I’ll have to grab Dana and Aunt Rhea for an emergency shopping trip,” Sundae said. “You don’t have to go all out,” David said. “I want to and I’d also like to know how long I have until this dance?” she asked. “It’s in two weeks,” he said. “Wow, then I do have a lot to do. Asking my dad will be the first thing,” she said. “Could you maybe ask him now?” David asked. “I could. Do you want to wait or should I call you back?” she asked. “I can wait. My phone’s good for a while,” he said. “Alright, give me a few minutes,” she said and set the phone down on her bed. She then got up and dashed out of her room and downstairs to her dad’s office. ‘Why is he always in here when I need to ask him something?’ she mused as she knocked on the door. “Come in,” her dad’s voice called and she stepped in to see her dad, a well-built man in his late forties with thinning brown hair sitting at his desk. “Hi dad,” she said. “Hey sweetie, what’s up?” he asked. “I need to ask you something,” Sundae said. Her dad eyed her. “It wouldn’t have to do with a certain young man, now would it?” he asked. Sundae couldn’t help giggling. “What are you, a mind reader?” she asked. “No, I just happen to know you very well. What’s up this time?” her dad asked. “David’s invited me to go to his senior ball with him. Can I?” she asked. “Wouldn’t there be a problem with you being a sophomore?” her dad asked. “No, they can bring younger dates they just need to be sixteen and I am sixteen,” Sundae said. “Yes, you are and I trust you,” her dad said. “And that means…” she started to ask. “Have fun. Just let me know dates so we can arrange flights for you,” her dad said. Sundae felt like she could fly. “Thank you so much,” she said and gave her dad a big hug. “You’re welcome. Fill me in later,” her dad said. “I will,” Sundae said as she dashed out of the room. She flew back up the stairs to her room and dove onto her bed, grabbing her phone in the process. “David?” she said, checking to make sure he was still there. “Yeah? Did he say yes?” he asked. “Yes! He did and I am on cloud nine right now,” she said. “Me, too. I can’t wait,” David said. “Me neither. I wish those two weeks would hurry up and pass already,” Sundae said. “I know. I’m already thinking about dancing with you,” he said. She blushed even though he couldn’t see it. “So am I,” she said. They were quiet for a moment before he spoke again. “I just heard my mom call for dinner so I should go,” he said. “Okay. I love you,” Sundae said. “I love you, too, Dae and I’ll see you soon,” he said. “Okay, night,” she said. “Night,” he said. She then switched off her phone and glanced at her math book. “I know I need to study, but I am way too happy right now,” she said. She thought for a moment and then turned back to her book. “I can be happy and study,” she glanced at her CD player, “but I shouldn’t let myself be more distracted then I already am,” she finished and turned her attention to her book. As much in love as she was, she also wanted to keep her grades up.
The next afternoon Sundae and Dana and their soccer teammates Selena and Cassie were heading into the locker room after practice to shower and change before going home. “Hey, Dae, have you been studying for the calc test? I’ve been trying, but I keep getting lost on the hard stuff,” Dana said. “What stuff’s hard?” asked Cassie. “All of it,” Dana said. Sundae, Cassie and Selena laughed. “Don’t worry I’ll help you. I studied some of it last night, but I had a little distraction toward the end,” Sundae said and couldn’t help a dreamy smile at the thought of David. “Uh oh. It’s the boyfriend smile,” Selena said as they approached their lockers. “Oooh, you have a little study break, Dae?” Cassie said as she started to dial her combination. Sundae laughed. “He called last night, yeah,” she said. “Did you ask about what we discussed?” Dana wanted to know. Sundae giggled again. “He actually beat me to the punch. He asked me to go to his senior ball with him,” Sundae said. The other three sighed. “A senior ball? OMG that sounds so much better than just a prom,” Cassie said. “Tell me about it. You could be like Cinderella, which means you need the perfect dress,” Dana said. “Absolutely, which is why I’m recruiting you and Aunt Rhea for a shopping trip this weekend,” Sundae said. “Oh I am so in,” Dana said. “Cool, I’ll call you tonight with all the deets,” Sundae said as she grabbed what she needed from her locker and headed for the showers. She jumped into stall, switched on the faucet and starting singing to herself as she washed her hair.
Woke up early this morning Made my coffee like I always do Then it hit me from nowhere Everything I feel about me and you The way you kiss me crazy Baby you’re so amazing “I know who you’re thinking of,” Dana singsonged from the next stall. “Be quiet,” Sundae singsonged back and went back to her song.
Seven days and seven nights of thunder The water’s rising and I’m slipping under I think I fell in love with the eighth world wonder “Shut up with the singing, Wahlberg,” came a voice from down the way. “Bite me, Celeste,” Sundae called back and heard Dana giggle on the other side. “Girl, you know she’s just jealous,” Dana said. “Oh yeah,” Sundae said and they both laughed.
When Sundae got home an hour later she dropped her stuff by the stairs and went to look for the phone. She found her mom using it when she came into the kitchen. “Hi mom,” she said. “Oh, hi sweetie. I’m on the phone with your aunt Rhea. Can we talk later?” her mom said. “Can I talk to her real quick? I need to ask her something. Pretty please?” Sundae asked. Her mom sighed. “Rhea, Sundae needs to talk to you for a minute,” she said and then handed Sundae the phone, which she took and put to her ear. “Hey, Aunt Rhea, can I ask you a favor?” she said. “Let me guess, Prince Charming invited you to his ball and you need something to wear,” her aunt said. “Okay, you’re even more of a mind reader than dad,” Sundae said. “Your mom told me. How’s Saturday sound for shopping?” her aunt said. “Perfect. Do you mind if Dana comes, too?” Sundae asked. “Not at all,” her aunt replied. “Awesome, I’ll see you Saturday,” Sundae said. “Pick you up at ten,” her aunt said. “Bye Aunt Rhea,” Sundae said and handed the phone back to her mom. She then skipped out of the room to go call Dana and fill her in on the weekend plans.
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