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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 20:42:31 GMT -5
Chapter 15 Sundae knew her feelings of confusion wouldn’t disappear right away and, luckily, ‘Idol’ business took up a lot of her time so she wasn’t able to dwell on it. The next night was elim night and it came with the welcome distraction in the form of a visit from an old friend- season two third place finisher Kimberley Locke. Sundae had always been friendly with Kim and had looked up to her during her time on the show, so it was nice having her back again, even if for only one night. The main purpose of her visit was to perform a song from her second album, ‘Based On A True Story’. The song she picked was called ‘Fall’ and its message was simple- I’m here no matter what. For Sundae, it made the pain of the previous day even worse, for its words were very much how she had felt toward David-how she still felt toward him. Oh look there you go again Puttin on that smile again Even though I know you’ve had a bad day Doin this and doin that Always puttin yourself last A whole lotta give and not enough take You can only go so long before you break So…
Fall Go on and fall apart Fall into these arms of mine I’ll catch you every time you Fall Go on and lose it all Every doubt, every fear Every worry, every tear I’m right here Baby fall
Forget about the world right now All that’s wrong and all that’s right Lay your head on my shoulder let it fade away And if you wanna let go Baby it’s okay
Fall Go on and fall apart Fall into these arms of mine I’ll catch you every time you Fall Go on and lose it all Every doubt, every fear Every worry, every tear I’m right here Baby fall
Hold on Hold on Hold on To me
Fall Go on and fall apart Fall into these arms of mine I’ll catch you every time you Fall Go on and lose it all Every doubt, every fear Every worry, every tear I’m right here Baby fall
Baby, baby, baby fall Kim performed the song brilliantly and the crowd loved it. Ryan talked with Kim for a moment and, when the show went to commercial, Sundae got up from her spot on the end of the couch next to Chikezie and walked over to them. Kim smiled at her as she approached. “Hey baby girl, how are you?” she said, offering a hug which Sundae gladly accepted. “I’m okay,” she said. “Just okay?” Kim asked. “It’s been a weird couple of days,” Sundae said, glaring at Ryan out of the corner of her eye. Kim caught the look and turned to him. “What’d you do now?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “Honestly, I have no idea,” Ryan said. Kim eyed him for a moment. “Mmmhmm,” she turned to Sundae again, “Come on, lets go find a quiet spot for some girl talk,” she said. Sundae smiled a little. “I’d like that,” she said. Kim put an arm around her and led her off the stage. As they passed the couch however, Sundae noticed David watching her. She met his gaze momentarily, but then turned away as she and Kim went backstage. She led the way to her dressing room, and there, she and Kim settled on the small sofa to talk. “So, how are things? They must not be too bad since you look terrific,” Kim said. Sundae smiled. “Thanks, you do, too. I absolutely love this dress,” she said, admiring Kim’s beautiful champagne colored gown. “Thank you, but I want to know what’s going on with you. Why have the last couple days been weird?” Kim asked. Sundae sighed, feeling tears pricking at her eyelids. They started flowing as she started spilling the details of the previous day. Kim listened intently and hugged her as she finished. “I’m sorry all that happened. It sounds like you really care about him,” she said. Sundae sniffled and wiped away a few tears. “I do. I just wish Ryan had kept his big mouth shut. Then the whole mess wouldn’t have happened,” she said. “Well, that’s the thing about mistakes- they’re usually always stupid, and in Ryan’s case…”she trailed off, a smile coming to her face, “that thought doesn’t need to be finished,” she said. Sundae couldn’t help a tiny laugh and Kim hugged her again. “The point is you shouldn’t let something so small get in the way of something so big,” she said. “Something so big?” Sundae asked. Kim smiled. “Your first serious crush only happens once and it looks to me like this one could lead to something even more wonderful, if you let it,” she said. “I was kind of hoping for that,” Sundae said a little wistfully. Kim smiled even more. “Then just let go and let it come. If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen,” Kim said. Sundae mulled that one for a moment and then smiled, reaching to give Kim a bear hug. “Thanks, Kim. I’m really glad you’re here tonight. A friendly ear was just what I needed,” she said. “That’s what friends are for and remember, you can call me anytime if you want to talk,” Kim said. “I know, thanks,” Sundae said. Later that evening, as she was packing to go home, Sundae thought back over her talk with Kim and the advice she’d given. She was still hopeful that things would work out with David as she did still care about him a lot. She decided to follow Kim’s advice and let go and forget the mistake. In doing so she prayed that fate would see fit to set things back on the right track again. Little did she know that it wouldn’t take long at all.
For the next week the top 9(Chikezie got the boot for top 10 week) would get to work with the first celebrity mentor of the season, Country legend Dolly Parton. Sundae was also given the opportunity to work with the mentors each week and she was pleased to get to work with Dolly, as she’d always liked her music. The session with Dolly was held over the weekend and Sundae had a song all picked out when she went into the set aside rehearsal room for her turn. Dolly, a petite platinum blonde, stood by the piano and smiled warmly when Sundae came in. “Oh good, another one my size,” she said cheerfully as she offered a hug to Sundae, which she accepted. “It’s an honor to meet you Ms. Parton,” Sundae said. “You don’t need to be so formal,” Dolly said kindly. Sundae smiled. “I’m sorry. It’s just, having been born into the business I was taught to always mind my ps and qs,” she said. “It’s perfectly alright and that’s a good lesson. Now, your name’s Sundae right? Like in ice cream sundae?” Dolly asked. “Yeah, that’s me. My parents are a little weird with names,” Sundae said, genuinely smiling for the first time in a few days. Dolly laughed. “I think it’s cute, but you’re not actually competing here?” she asked. “Yeah, I’m actually the opening act for the show. I’m friendly with the contestants, though, and the producers let me work alongside them as they feel it strengthens all of us in a way. We learn from each other,” Sundae said. “I can understand that. How old are you anyway? I was told you’re a young one,” Dolly said. “I’m fourteen, but I’ll be fifteen in April,” Sundae said. “Oh, you’re only a couple years younger than little David. I bet you two get on pretty well,” Dolly said. Sundae’s eyes dimmed a little at that. Though she and David were still speaking to each other, they hadn’t completely mended fences yet. “Did I say something wrong?” Dolly asked gently. Sundae shook her head. “No, I’m fine,” she said, getting her mind back in focus. “If you’re sure,” Dolly said and Sundae nodded. “Alright then, what song did you pick to sing?” Dolly asked. “I picked my favorite of yours, ‘I Will Always Love You’,” Sundae replied, bringing some sheet music out of her purse. “Hmm, I don’t know if there’s rule about two people doing the same song, but if there is then Syesha beat you to that one,” Dolly said. Sundae sighed. “There’s not really a rule about it, but I try not to do the same thing as one of the contestants. They have a hard enough time pleasing the judges without being compared to me or anyone else,” she said. Her gaze dropped to the top of the shiny black piano beside them and she blinked back a tear as sudden memories of the last few weeks came rushing to the fore of her mind. “I can tell something’s bothering you. You don’t have to tell me, but I’d like to help if I can,” Dolly said, her tone again gentle. Sundae looked up at her for a moment, debating. “It doesn’t by chance have something to do with little David? You got real quiet when I mentioned him a minute ago,” Dolly said. Sundae again blinked back a tear. “It’s just this whole week has been so weird,” she said. “You think you can tell me?” Dolly asked. Sundae again looked at her for a moment and then, out of nowhere, the whole story of the last week spilled out. Sundae actually felt a little relieved when she finished, like a weight had been lifted. “Wow, sounds like a little misunderstanding caused a lot of hurt,” Dolly said. “Yeah, it did. I just wish it had never happened,” Sundae said. “Well, you can’t change the past, but you can fix things for the future,” Dolly said. “Wish I knew how,” Sundae muttered. “I’m thinking it’ll have to come from both sides, and I think I might have an idea to get things moving in the right direction,” Dolly said. “What’s that?” Sundae asked. “You still care about David, don’t you?” Dolly asked. Sundae nodded and she continued, “Then you should tell him how you feel and a special song might be just the right way.” She walked over to the chair she’d left her things on and picked up a large binder and laid it on the piano. “This has sheet music for a lot of the songs I’ve recorded and I know just the one for you,” she said as she flipped through the binder. A moment later she pulled some music from one of the page protectors. “I was thinking this one,” she said, showing the music to Sundae. The song was one Dolly had recorded as a duet with James Ingram as the love theme to a movie. It was titled ‘The Day I Fall In Love’ and Sundae had to smile as she read over the lyrics. “Wow, this takes me back to last summer when I met David,” she said. “I thought it might be right,” Dolly said. Sundae smiled even more. “Is it okay if I rearrange it a little? It won’t be anything major,” she said. Dolly smiled. “You arrange it however you want. The point is to get your message across,” she said. “Absolutely,” Sundae agreed, feeling happier than she’d been in a few days. Dolly gave her a gentle hug. “I hope everything works out for you,” she said. “Thanks so much. It really helped to tell you,” Sundae said. “You’re more than welcome,” Dolly said.
Sundae had a couple days to wait before she’d find out if her song would help things. When Tuesday night came she was more nervous than she’d ever been before performing. Just before she went out to perform she stood staring into her dressing table mirror, but not really checking her look. She closed her eyes and prayed things would work out. She was beginning to realize how much she cared for David and she didn’t want what they had to end, if it hadn’t already. Finally, she turned from the mirror and walked out of her dressing room. She headed down the hallway to the stage right entrance, not wanting the ‘Idols’, who were all at stage left, to see her yet. As she was reaching the end of the hall she saw Ryan coming and lowered her head to avoid looking at him. He noticed her, however. “Hey Sundae, whatever it was I said last week, I’m sorry,” he said as she approached him. “Not now, Ryan,” she said as she moved past him and headed for the side of the stage. There she took up her position beside the entrance and waited to be announced. She closed her eyes again and focused her energies for what she knew would be her one of her most emotionally difficult performances. A few minutes later she heard Ryan announce her and she took a deep breath and walked out onto the stage. Ryan stood at center watching her and the judges all looked on from their table as well. A piano had been set up in the middle of the stage and Sundae sat on a stool in front of it facing the crowd. Ryan handed her a microphone and then stepped away. The spotlight then focused on Sundae and the pianist began to play. Sundae had rearranged the piece from a pop ballad to a lilting piano melody thinking it would get her point across better. She sent up one last silent prayer and then started to sing.
Just an ordinary day Started out the same old way Then I looked into your eyes and knew Today would be, a first for me The day I fall in love
On the day I fall in love Skies will be a perfect blue And I’ll give my heart forever more To someone who is just like you The day I fall in love
People all say love is wonderful That the bells will ring and birds will sing And skies will open I wonder where’s that great big symphony The pianist, accompanied by two violinists and a cellist, played an instrumental section and Sundae looked out at the crowd. They were all listening intently, including the judges, and Paula had the hint of tears in her eyes.
People all say love is wonderful That the bells will ring and birds will sing And skies will open I wonder where’s that great big symphony
Just an ordinary day Started out the same old way Then I looked into your eyes and knew Today would be a first for me The day I fall in love The string instruments slowly softened their sound.
The day I fall in love Mmmmhmmmm The pianist softly played the final notes of the song and the crowd burst into applause. Sundae brushed back a tear as she stood up and took a bow. Ryan walked back out then, applauding as well. “Wow, that was personally one of the best performances I’ve ever seen you give,” he said as he came up beside her. Sundae couldn’t help a smile at the comment. “Thanks, but flattery won’t get you out of the dog house so quickly,” she said. Ryan shook his head. “Nuts, I thought we were okay,” he said. Sundae giggled lightly. Ryan then made a brief announcement and the show then cut to commercial. Sundae turned and headed off stage and as she stepped into the holding area, where all the ‘Idols’ were situated, she received another round of applause. She smiled modestly. “Thanks, you guys,” she said, accepting hugs from some of the girls. “You were terrific out there, Dae,” Syesha said. “Absolutely. That was beautiful,” Brooke agreed. “Thanks,” Sundae said. Her gaze then found the one person who meant the most in that moment. David stood toward the rear of the group, a small smile on his face. Sundae slowly approached him and the others turned away, giving them relative privacy. “That was amazing, Dae,” he said softly. “Thanks,” she replied, her gaze never leaving his. He reached out and gently took hold of her hand and, when they touched, she felt the spark of electricity, and this time it sent a shiver down her spine. Before anything more could be said Ryan appeared. “We’re back in one,” he said as he moved past Sundae and the ‘Idols’ and headed for the stage. Sundae and David barely noticed him. “Can we talk later?” David asked. Sundae nodded. “Sure,” she said. He then slowly stepped back. Sundae held his gaze for a moment before stepping back herself and heading back toward her dressing room. As she reached it she suddenly felt a little drained and she decided to just lie down rather than rush around to be ready to go back out at the next segment. She kicked off her shoes and lay down on her little sofa, letting her eyes close. She didn’t know she dozed off, though until she was shaken awake sometime later. She blinked open her eyes to see Syesha sitting next to her. “Did I fall asleep?” she asked as she sat up. “Yeah, you did. Are you okay?” Syesha asked. “Yeah, I guess that performance was more emotionally draining than I thought,” she said. “I’m not surprised. Would you like some help packing for the night?” Syesha asked. Sundae smiled. “That’d be nice, thanks, Esha” she said. “No problem. We girls are all gonna hang out at Carly’s for a while when we get home. Wanna join?” Syesha asked as they both got up from the sofa and started gathering Sundae’s things. Sundae nodded. “Yeah, that sounds cool,” she said. “Cool,” Syesha said. They quickly packed Sundae’s stuff up, deciding that she’d change when they got back to the apartments, and then went to meet up with the other girls. Again the girls and guys rode in separate cars and, when they got back to the apartments the girls all headed for Carly’s suite. There they tossed their stuff by the door and then sprawled around the living room on the couch and chairs. Sundae joined them after she’d changed out of her performance outfit and into jeans and a sweater. “So, what’s everyone in the mood for? We could watch TV or listen to the radio,” Carly suggested. “No music, once a night is enough,” Brooke said. The others giggled. “Anyone up for board games?” Sundae suggested. “I vote for Monopoly,” Kristy said. “You only want that one cause you got your butt whooped the last time,” Syesha said. “Hey, it wasn’t fair. Carly plays dirty setting up all those hotels,” Kristy said. “I do not. I just know good commerce when I see it,” Carly said as she got up and went over to the closet where she stored some games and got out Monopoly. “Sure Carly, whatever you say,” Kristy said as Carly brought the game over to the table. “Tell you what, I’ll let you beat me at Yahtzee when we’re done with this one,” Carly said as she opened the game box. “Fine,” Kristy said as they brought out the game board and accessories. They set up the game and rolled the dice to see who would get which game piece. “Yes!” Kristy said when she rolled a six on her first throw and got the thimble. “Darn it, I wanted that one,” Ramiele said. Sundae opted to be the banker again and once everyone had a piece and money the game got started. Carly soon had her hotel enterprise going again much to Kristy’s dismay and that of some of the others as well. Sundae didn’t really pay much attention to the game, though. She kept thinking back to her performance that night. She really had been singing from her heart and she hoped that the one she was singing to had realized that. She was suddenly jerked out of her thoughts by what she thought was scuffling noise from outside. “Did you guys hear something?” she asked, getting the girls’ attention. “I didn’t hear anything,” Brooke said. “Me neither,” Ramiele said. “Shh,” Sundae said. They all sat quietly for a moment and then heard the noise again. It sounded like it was right outside. “Ugh, if that’s the boys I’ll shoot them,” Carly grumbled as she got up and headed for the door. “I almost feel sorry for whoever’s out there,” Syesha said as she started counting the money she had left. “Yeah, didn’t Carly tell the guys ‘no tricks’ once before?” Ramiele asked. “More than once, I think, but you know guys. They can’t stop being goofballs,” Kristy said. “I heard that,” Syesha said, getting nods from Brooke and Sundae as well, just as Carly reappeared. “The door’s for you, Dae,” she said as she sat back down. “In think I can just guess who,” Ramiele said slyly, earning giggles from the others. Sundae rolled off the chair she’d been occupying, setting the moneybox on the table. “Don’t anybody steal my seat. I’ll be back,” she said and headed for the door. She gulped inwardly when she saw David waiting for her. “Hey,” she said as she walked up to him. “Hey. Would you come for a walk with me?” he asked, sounding a little shy. She smiled a little. “Sure,” she said and stepped out onto the porch with him, closing the door behind her. They then turned and headed downstairs and over toward the pool. As they neared it Sundae thought she saw a glow coming from beyond its fence, and when they reached the gate and walked in her eyes widened in surprise. On one of the poolside tables was small tray with three white candles, which were the glow she’d seen earlier. Situated on either side of the tray was a covered plate and in front of one plate was a pink rose, which Sundae presumed had come from one of the many bushes around the complex. “What’s all this?” she asked, almost breathlessly as she approached the table. “I knew I had to do something to make up for what happened last week,” David said as Sundae picked up the rose. She gently brushed her fingers over its velvety soft petals and inhaled its sweet scent. It was one of the most beautiful roses she’d ever seen. “I just hope you can forgive me,” David said, bringing her out of her reverie. She turned to face him. “There’s nothing to forgive. What happened wasn’t your fault. Ryan’s the one who should be asking for forgiveness. Heck, he should be on his knees begging for it,” she said. He cracked a smile. “I can’t argue with that, but still. Some of it does feel like my fault. I should’ve told you about my friends when you told me about yours,” he said. She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Maybe,” she said quietly. Then she smiled glancing at the candle-lit table again. “This whole set up is so sweet. No one’s ever done something like this for me before,” she said. David smiled a little shyly. “I did this because I had to show you something,” he took her hand in his, “You’re the one I want to be with, Dae. You, and no one else,” he said and Sundae could just make out a hint of blush on his cheeks. She blushed a little, too, as his words sunk into her mind. “No one’s ever said that to me before either,” she said, breathlessly. He took hold of her other hand as well, gently caressing the backs of her hands with his thumbs. “Can you forgive me, Dae?” he asked. She gazed into his eyes for a moment before letting go of his hands and wrapping her arms around him in a huge hug. “Of course I can,” she said and her heart swelled when he hugged her even tighter. They held onto each other for a moment and when they finally pulled apart he reached around and pulled out her chair for her. She smiled as she sat down and he moved to sit across from her. “What do we have here?” she asked, turning her attention to the plates in front of them. “Well, I thought since we didn’t get any earlier a little dessert might be nice,” he said and lifted the lids of the plates revealing her favorite-cherry pie a la mode. She grinned. “You remembered,” she said, picking up a spoon that sat next to her plate. He smiled, too. “Of course, and for a little atmosphere…” he reached over to a third chair that sat on the other side of the table and Sundae saw that there was a little CD player sitting on it, which he flipped on. The CD inside was a mix of their favorite music. Her smile grew as they dug into their pie. They ate quietly, enjoying the music and each other’s presence. Sundae was happier than she’d been in days. She savored the sweet taste of the pie, the sound of the music and the quiet contentment of being with someone she truly cared for. She smiled again as she finished the last few bites of her pie slice. “Mmm, I can never get enough cherry pie,” she said, setting aside her spoon. David nodded in agreement “Yeah, that was good. I’ll have to find out what bakery it came from,” he said. “You didn’t get it?” Sundae asked. He shook his head. “Jason’s mom brought it for him a couple days ago,” he said. “Well it was still yummy, no matter where it came from,” she said. The next moment the CD tracked forward to the next song and Sundae smiled when she heard what it was- Bryan Adams’ ‘Heaven’. David smiled, too, and reached across the table, taking hold of her hand. “Would you like to dance?” he asked shyly. She beamed at him. “I’d love to,” she said. They then stood up and moved a couple feet away from the table and he pulled her to him. She slipped her arms around his shoulders and he wrapped his arms around her waist as they swayed back and forth to the music. She leaned her head on his shoulder, her smile lighting her face. “This is kind of our song, isn’t it?” she murmured. He lifted one hand and gently tapped her chin, causing her to look up at him. “Not ‘kind of’, it is our song,” he said. She beamed at him again and hugged him tighter as they continued to sway back and forth. They stayed by the pool for a while longer and then finally packed up and headed back upstairs. They dropped the dishes, candles and radio outside the suite David shared with Jason and then walked down the corridor to Carly’s suite. They paused outside the door and turned to face each other. “Thank you so much for tonight. It was amazing,” Sundae said. “It was the least I could do,” David said. She smiled and reached to hug him again. They held each other for a moment and when they pulled back their gazes locked. He slowly leaned in and the next moment their lips met. Sundae felt herself melt into the kiss and her arms tightened around his shoulders. He tightened his grip on her, too, pulling her closer as the kiss deepened. It was a few minutes before they broke apart and Sundae reluctantly stepped back from the warm embrace. “See you tomorrow?” she asked, laying her hand on the doorknob. David smiled. “Absolutely,” he said. She smiled, too, as she turned the knob and opened the door. “Night,” she said. “Night,” he replied and she turned and went inside, the smile never leaving her face. She shut the door and walked over toward the kitchen counter, noticing the girls still engrossed in their game as she did so. She hopped up onto a bar stool and sat fiddling with her rose. She sniffed its scent again, thinking about her wonderful evening. “So, did you two kiss and make up?” Carly’s voice suddenly said and Sundae looked up to see her and the other girls watching her with smiles of their own. She blushed a little realizing what Carly had said. “Oooooooh,” the girls giggled. “Cut it out,” Sundae said as she got up and came over to join them. “Well dish, girl. We want details,” Kristy said. Sundae laughed, but then noticed Syesha sitting the chair she’d vacated earlier. “Hey, didn’t I say ‘no stealing my seat’?” she said. “You were gone for more than an hour and the carpet’s itchy,” Syesha protested. “Scoot,” Sundae said. Syesha stuck her tongue out at her as she got up and moved back to the floor. Sundae reclaimed the chair. “So, who’s winning?” she asked as she stroked the petals of her rose. “Who cares? We want to hear about your evening,” Ramiele said. “Oh yeah, spill it, girl,” Syesha said. “Some people don’t kiss and tell,” Sundae said coyly, but the girls caught the hidden meaning. “Ooooooh,” they cooed again. Sundae rolled her eyes at them, but couldn’t help giggling. “You guys are so bad,” she said. “Well, you’re the lucky girl with the rose,” Carly said, invoking images of the TV show ‘The Bachelor’ in everyone’s minds. Sundae gazed at her rose, her smile growing. “It was so romantic,” she murmured. A sigh next to her quickly snapped her back to focus. “Come on, Dae. We’re curious,” Carly said and Sundae laughed again. “Oh fine,” she said. The girls all perked up their ears and Sundae proceeded to tell them about her evening with David. She left out some of the conversation, which she wanted to keep private, but she told them enough to leave them all sighing happily. “Wow, that is romantic,” Brooke said as Sundae finished. “I’ll say. I wish my husband would do something like that for me,” Carly said. “You mean tattoo man?” Ramiele said, drawing giggles from some of the others. Carly rolled her eyes. “So he has a couple tattoos, so what? He’s a tattoo artist,” she said. “A couple tattoos? Please, girl, the man’s a mural,” Syesha said. “Yeah, he actually creeped me out when I first saw him,” Kristy said. “But he doesn’t creep you out now, does he?” Carly said. “Now that I know him, no,” Kristy said. “See appearances deceive. I rest my case,” Carly said. Sundae tuned out the rest of the conversation. Her gaze returned to her rose and her thoughts returned to her evening. She couldn’t have been happier with how things had worked out and she couldn’t wait to see David again the next day.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 20:49:51 GMT -5
Chapter 16 The next morning was the first in a few days that Sundae woke up with a smile on her face. Her first thoughts were of the previous night and she hummed happily to herself as she got ready for the day. She put on skinny jeans and a long, three quarter sleeved blue sweater and then did her makeup and brushed out her hair, deciding to leave it down for the day. She then shoved her feet into slip on flats and skipped out to the kitchen for breakfast. Carly, who was making something on the stove, looked up when she came in. “You are far too perky for six forty five in the morning. What’s got you so happy? Wait, never mind, don’t answer that,” she said. Sundae giggled. “Oh, drink your coffee,” she said as she grabbed a glass and fished the juice jug out of the fridge. Carly just shook her head at her. “Well, I am glad to see you smiling,” she said. “That makes two of us,” Sundae agreed as she put the jug back and hopped up onto a barstool. Carly glanced at her as she did so. “You look nice today and I can just guess why,” she said with a knowing grin. Sundae blushed lightly. “So what? I wanted to look nice,” she said. “Right,” Carly said. Sundae laughed. “Will you hurry up with the food? Ms. Barnes will kill me if I’m late,” she said. “It’s coming, it’s coming,” Carly said as she turned back to the stove. The two shared a breakfast of eggs and pancakes and then finished getting ready and headed off to the studio for the day. Later, after they were done with classes for the day, Sundae and David went to join the others in the theatre. When they came in, they saw the others scattered around working on individual songs. Dave, who was sitting on the edge of the stage, was the first to notice them, and to notice they were holding hands. “Whew, thank God, no more moping,” he said and flopped back on the stage looking relieved. Sundae and David both cracked up laughing at the sight. Dave then abruptly sat up. “Yo, Jason, you can finally get some sleep tonight,” he called. Jason, who was sitting on the stage steps, looked up and when he saw the two teens he, too, looked relieved. “Hallelujah,” he whooped raising his arms over his head. He then looked pointedly at David, “No more five am practices or I will personally come after you,” he said. “No problem there,” David said. He and Sundae then turned and walked off toward the left side of the theatre to find a spot of their own. “Those two are too crazy,” Sundae said as they settled in two seats in the front section. “Yeah, seriously,” David agreed. “What did Jason mean about five am practices?” Sundae asked as she pulled out a folder of sheet music. “That was last week. I was having trouble sleeping. Jason actually threatened to murder me one morning when I woke him up at five thirty,” David said. Sundae squeezed his arm sympathetically. “You weren’t alone. I didn’t sleep too well last week either,” she said. They both looked thoughtful for a moment and then Sundae smiled. “But that’s all behind us,” she said. He met her gaze and smiled, too. “Yeah, it is,” he said. He then slipped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him and she cuddled up to him, leaning her head on his shoulder as they settled in to work. Neither of them could have been happier that the previous week was behind them.
Eliminations took place that night, as always, and, much to everyone’s surprise, Ramiele was the one to get the boot. She was sad about it and the others were very sorry to see her go, but they had a big week ahead of them to keep them occupied. The top eight week theme was ‘Songs Of Inspiration’ and the reason was because it was also the week of the ‘Idol Gives Back’ charity event. ‘Idol Gives Back’ was new annual thing designed to raise money for needy children around the world. People could call in and donate money and some of the show’s sponsors would donate money to match the number of votes cast for the contestants that week. There would also be a benefit concert packed with celebrity appearances as part of the weeklong event. It was the biggest week of the season, next to the finale, and Sundae and the Idols were both excited and nervous at the same time. “I still can’t get over how huge this is going to be,” Kristy remarked Friday night. The eight remaining Idols and Sundae were gathered together at Syesha and Brooke’s suite discussing the coming week and trying to think of a game plan. “That makes two of us,” Jason said, agreeing with Kristy’s statement. Carly sat up a little more in her chair. “Actually, I think that makes eight of us,” she turned to Sundae, “You’ve done this before. Is it really as huge as we’ve heard?” she asked. Sundae looked up from her spot next to David on the couch and shrugged. “Last year was the first time for ‘Idol Gives Back’ so there’s not much to compare to, but it was pretty big. It was split between the ‘Idol’ dome and the Disney concert hall and there was a pretty big crowd that night, not to mention the celebrities,” she said. “But we were told they’re filming the concert portion tomorrow,” Michael said. Sundae nodded. “Yeah, they’re doing things differently this year. The concert is tomorrow and will air on Wednesday after your weekly competition performances,” she said. “That mean we get out of eliminations this week?” Dave asked lazily as he leaned against the foot of the couch. “I don’t know. They skipped elims for this week last year, but they also combined concert night with the results and there’s a third show this week, so you may not get that lucky,” Sundae said. “Darn,” Syesha muttered, drawing chuckles all around. “So, does everyone know what they’re singing this week?” Jason asked, changing the subject slightly. “I picked ‘The Show Must Go On’ by Queen,” Carly said. “’Dream On’ Aerosmith,” Michael said. “’Innocent’ Our Lady Peace,” Dave said. “Hmm, haven’t heard that one. I’m doing ‘Over the Rainbow’ but not the traditional version,” Jason said. “You’re doing the version by that Hawaiian guy?” Syesha asked. “That’s the one,” Jason said. “Good choice. I’m doing ‘I Believe’ by Fantasia,” Syesha said. “Oooh, I’d be careful with that one if I were you,” Sundae said. “Why’s that?” Syesha asked. “Well, Simon pretty much has it set in his mind that no one does that song but Fantasia. He’s overly critical of anyone who attempts it so, either blow it out of the park or don’t expect a good comment from Simon,” Sundae said. Syesha winced. “Thanks for the warning,” she said. “No problem,” Sundae said. “I decided to do ‘You’ve Got a Friend’ by Carole King,” Brooke said. “Oh that’s perfect for you,” Carly said. “Absolutely. I picked ‘Anyway’ by Martina McBride,” Kristy said. “Oooh another good choice. That’s a great song,” Sundae said. “Yeah it is,” Syesha agreed. “Hey, what about you, young gun?” Michael said, looking to David. “Yeah, no holding out now,” Carly said. David smiled and leaned over and whispered in Sundae’s ear. She grinned at what he said. “Oooh, that is perfect. I love that song,” she said. “Will you be sharing with the rest of us?” Dave quipped. “Yeah, come on,” Carly chided. Both Sundae and David smiled. “’Angels’ by Robbie Williams,” David said. The others were all impressed. “Ooh, that beats mine,” Michael said. “I second that,” Brooke said. “I third it,” Carly agreed. “Cut it out, you guys. You all made great choices,” Sundae said. “I agree. What’d you pick, Dae? Or are you performing this week?” Syesha asked. “I am performing. I’m doing ‘For You I Will’ by Monica,” Sundae said. “I vaguely remember that one,” Kristy said. “It was on the soundtrack of the movie ‘Space Jam’,” Sundae said. “Oh yeah, that’s right,” Syesha said. Carly then noted the time on the nearby VCR. “Well, if we’re supposed to be at the theatre early tomorrow for rehearsals then I’d suggest we call it a night. It’s going on eleven,” she said. The others looked at the time and then started stretching and getting up from where they were sitting. “See you all tomorrow,” Michael said as he strolled toward the door. Dave and Jason immediately following him. Carly and Kristy took a little longer saying their goodnights and Sundae and David followed them to the door when they finally left. “I’ll be back in a minute,” Sundae said to Syesha and Brooke and then stepped out the door after David and pulled it closed behind her. The two teens waited until they were really alone before they turned to each other. “So, I guess tomorrow’s a big day,” David said. Sundae smiled at him, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Tomorrow’s a ‘for fun’ night. You’ll be fine,” she said. He smiled, too, and pulled her to him. They hugged for a moment and then leaned in, their lips meeting in a long kiss. It was a few minutes before they finally pulled apart. “See you in the morning?” David asked. Sundae nodded, her smile not fading for a moment. “Absolutely,” she said. They gazed at each other for a moment, but suddenly jumped apart when they heard a loud thump from inside. “I’d better get in there, make sure nothing’s broken,” Sundae said as she stepped back to the door. “Night,” David said. “Night,” she replied, before opening the door and stepping back inside. As she shut the door, Sundae noticed a softball on the floor a few feet from the door. She went over to it and picked it up and when she stood back up she saw Syesha watching her. “’Bout time, didn’t know if my little trick got your attention or not,” she said. “What, did you throw the ball at the door?” Sundae asked. “I had to do something,” Syesha argued. Sundae rolled her eyes. “We were out there to have privacy,” she said. “I know, but what do you think the neighbors would say if they saw you two playing tonsil hockey on the doorstep,” Syesha said, taking the ball from her. “What neighbors? We’re the only ones in this part of the complex. And even if we weren’t, the neighbors would probably think we were just normal teenagers. Geesh, you’ve had boyfriends,” Sundae said. Syesha nodded. “All true, but I was a little older than you when I let myself get that serious about a guy,” Syesha said. Sundae had to laugh lightly. “I don’t know if I’d call what David and I have ‘serious’ yet,” she said. “Well, you’re not looking from the outside. I’ve seen ‘serious’ and from what I inadvertently saw when I was closing the blinds, you two look like you might be getting there,” she said as they headed back toward the bedrooms to get ready for bed. Sundae went through her routine lost in thought. Could what Syesha said be true? Was her relationship with David getting more serious than she thought? She couldn’t deny the obvious, that her feelings were growing, but what did it mean? She was still mulling when she got into bed and the thoughts stayed with her as she drifted off to sleep.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 20:50:28 GMT -5
Chapter 17 All the hullabaloo of the next night kept Sundae from mulling on her situation for long. She and the ‘Idols’ spent most of the day rehearsing, had an early dinner together, and then got ready for the start of the show. The concert was mostly guest artists, but it was still exciting. It was a thrill to the ‘Idols’ to witness some of their favorite artists performing in person. The show featured a wide range of performers from young artists like Fergie and Miley Cyrus to established veterans like Heart and Mariah Carey. There were also actors offering skits and commentary including Robin Williams pretending to be a Russian Idol, Reese Witherspoon, David and Victoria Beckham, and Brad Pitt doing charity pitches and talk show host Jimmy Kimmel doing a roast of Simon. The ‘Idols’ enjoyed every minute and so did Sundae. She and David hung out together for most of the evening, sometimes being joined by the other ‘Idols’ and also being visited by former ‘Idol’ champ Carrie Underwood, who was among the evening’s performers. Miley Cyrus, who was their age, also hung out with them for a little while. Toward the end of the evening Sundae and the ‘Idols’ were all in their dressing rooms getting ready for the final number of the night- a group version of the Christian ballad ‘Shout To the Lord’. Even the though the Kodak had plenty of room the guys all shared a dressing room and Sundae and the girls shared another. The wardrobe for the number was all white and the girls had fun admiring each other’s different styles. “You know, you can tell how different we all are by how different our choices of wardrobe are,” Syesha remarked as she touched up her make up in front of a mirror. “I’ll say, just look at our choices tonight,” Kristy said. She had on a simple long, white dress, Brooke wore skinny slacks and a sleeveless blouse and Syesha wore dressy shorts and a sleeveless blouse. Brooke nodded in agreement with Kristy’s statement. “Yeah very true and at least Carly’s not the only one wearing pants, tonight,” she said. Carly wore white dress pants and a jacket over a white top. “I always get pants because I’m the rocker chick. Rocker chicks don’t do Barbie doll dresses,” she said, drawing laughter all around. “Do you have any idea how weird you just sounded? Besides, I know you have dresses, or at least skirts,” Sundae called from inside one of the changing stalls. Carly shrugged. “True, but pants are comfy. What’s taking you so long, anyway?” she asked. “Do you even have to ask? She wants to look perfect for Prince Charming,” Kristy teased. “Ha ha, I forgot how to laugh. I’m actually still wrestling with my shoes,” Sundae said. “Sure you are,” Brooke said. “Need any butter or Vaseline?” Carly joked. “Again, ha ha,” Sundae retorted dryly. A moment later she emerged from the stall. “Ugh, finally. Somebody remind me I need to go shoe shopping. The heel straps on these are impossible,” she said as she set her clothes from earlier on her bag and moved to join Syesha by the mirror. She had just picked up a compact when she noticed it had gotten too quiet in the room. She looked up and nearly had to laugh when she saw all eyes on her. “What?” she asked eyeing the other girls. “Wow, girl. You look gorgeous,” Syesha said. Sundae glanced down at her chosen ensemble. She wore a simple spaghetti strapped white dress that ended just above her knees. Her hair was done up in a French twist with a loose strand of hair on either side and jeweled clips pinned in and on her feet were strappy white shoes with a glittery sparkle. “Thanks, but I wasn’t really going for that,” she said. “Well you got it,” Kristy said. “I’ll say. We’re gonna have to give David a sedative when he sees you,” Carly said. Sundae nearly cracked up laughing. “Oh my God, you did not just say that,” she said. “Oh yeah she did,” Syesha said giggling as well. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you guys are so bad,” Sundae said. “Hey, don’t look at us,” Kristy said, speaking for herself and Brooke. Sundae just shook her head and turned back to the mirror. A few minutes later all the girls were ready to go and they headed out and down the hall toward the stage. They saw the guys milling around when they walked up and Michael was the first to see them. “Gentlemen,” he said addressing the other guys, “We have died and gone to heaven.” The girls all giggled and the other guys turned around. “Wow,” Jason said. “I would say,” Dave agreed. He glanced at David who stood next to him and hid a smile. He nudged Michael who was on his other side and nodded toward David. Michael, too, grinned when he saw the wide-eyed look on David’s face and both he and Dave cracked smiles when they saw Sundae returning David’s gaze, a light blush on her cheeks. Carly, Brooke, Kristy and Syesha saw all this as well and couldn’t help smiles of their own when Dave gently pushed David toward Sundae. Carly bent down to Sundae. “What did I tell you?” she said in an almost singsong voice and gently nudged her forward as well. She and the others then stepped off to one side to give the two teens a minute alone. They simply gazed at each other for a moment before David finally found his voice. “You look amazing, Dae,” he said. She blushed even more. “Thanks, you do, too. White’s a great color for you,” she said. He was all innocence in white slacks, a pressed white shirt, white sneakers and a high collared white jacket. He blushed a little, too, at the compliment. “Thanks,” he said, gently taking her hand. They slowly started to lean toward each other, but didn’t get too far. “Idols on stage,” a crewman called as he bustled past them. Sundae and David both giggled lightly as they turned toward the stage, letting their hands twine together as they walked. The others couldn’t help smiles when the teens joined them. “Have I mentioned these two are hopeless?” Dave quipped, drawing a round of laughter. “Says you. I think they’re adorable together,” Syesha said. The two teens giggled again, neither knowing quite what to say to that compliment. Another crewman came up at that point and ushered everyone on stage ending the teasing for the time being.
The rest of the concert went off without a hitch and afterward all thoughts turned to that week’s competition round. Sundae decided to sit with the judges that Tuesday, liking to change up her view of events. She thoroughly enjoyed each performance and added her two cents of commentary when invited to do so. David was the second to last to perform that night and Sundae was especially enthused to hear his rendition of ‘Angels’. When she saw that’d he’d be playing the piano with it she got even more eager, as did the crowd in the theatre that night. Sundae let her eyes close as he started his performance, enjoying the sound of his voice and the music.
I sit and wait Does an angel contemplate my fate? And do they know The places where we go When we’re gray and old? ‘Cos I’ve been told That salvation lets their wings unfold So when I’m lying in my bed Thoughts running through my head And I feel that love is dead I’m loving angels instead
And through it all She offers me protection A lot of love and affection Whether I’m right or wrong And down the waterfall Wherever it may take me I know that life won’t break me When I come to call She won’t forsake me I’m loving angels instead
Ohhh, I’m loving angels instead The crowd applauded vigorously as David finished the song and Sundae joined them with just as much enthusiasm. He then came to stand at center stage and gave his full attention to the judges. Randy and Paula praised him enthusiastically as always and even Simon conceded, calling the performance the best song choice of the evening. Randy nudged her elbow as Simon finished speaking. “You want to add anything to all that?” he asked. Sundae looked to David and smiled as their gazes locked. “Beautiful,” she said simply and he smiled even more, his cheeks reddening a little. “Thanks,” he said as Ryan walked up beside him to read off his voting numbers for that night.
The next night was the night the concert aired, but even so, it didn’t mean a night off. Everyone gathered at the studio as usual. There would be a group number that night to the song ‘Seasons of Love’ from the musical “Rent” but before that, and in between segments of the concert, the ‘Idols’, including those who had already been bumped, sat on the stage at desks with computers, phones and pens and paper in front of them, taking calls from people making donations to ‘Idol Gives Back’. Sundae acted as the cute little secretary and messenger, relaying notes back and forth to Ryan when donations came in. At one point she was perched on the edge of David’s desk as he was writing down a donation, when Ryan came wandering over. He eyed the scene for a moment and then turned to the assembled crowd. “Anybody remember that show ‘The Nanny’ from a few years ago? Doesn’t this look familiar?” he said gesturing to Sundae. She bent over unable to keep from laughing. “Ryan Seacrest, you are unbelievable,” she managed to get out through her laughter. Even David and the other ‘Idols’ were laughing. Ryan just shrugged. “Someone has to insert some humor around here,” he said. Sundae just shook her head at him, unable to help another giggle. The next moment she fished into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. “Hold that thought,” she said to Ryan and flipped open her phone. “Hi, Uncle Mark,” she said. She listened for a moment and then lit up. “Seriously? That’s awesome! I’ll let Ryan know, he’s right here next to me,” she said. She then held the phone against her shoulder and leaned over to Ryan. “My uncle’s making a donation,” she told him. He nodded. “Really?” he turned to the crowd, “In case some of you don’t know her uncle is the academy award nominated actor, Mark Wahlberg,” he said, eliciting a few ‘ooohs’ from the crowd. Sundae put her phone back to her ear. “So how much can we put you down for?” she asked. Again she listened and this time her jaw dropped almost to the top of the desk. “Are you serious? Oh wow, thank you so much, Uncle Mark,” she said. She then took Ryan’s microphone and spoke to the crowd. “My uncle is very generously donating a million and a half dollars to ‘Idol Gives Back’,” she said. The crowd roared with approval and Ryan looked like he might pass out. He reached over and took Sundae’s phone from her. “Mr. Wahlberg, thank you so much for your generosity. You have no idea…” he started to say then paused, listening. “You’ll have to take that up with her,” he said and handed the phone back to Sundae. “What’s up Uncle Mark?” she asked. She listened and then blushed, laughing. “You’re so lucky this is for charity, Uncle Mark,” she said. “What’d he say?” Ryan wanted to know. “He said he’d up the donation to two mil, but I have to do something first,” Sundae said. “What’s that?” Ryan asked. She reached out, grabbed Ryan by his tie, pulled him to her and planted a kiss on his lips. He looked very surprised and the stunt generated a hearty round of chuckles from the audience. “Whoa! Your uncle has quite the sense of humor,” he said. “I’ll say. This lady I’m on the phone with thought that was hilarious,” David said from beside them. Sundae smiled at him and put her phone to her ear. “Happy now, Uncle Mark?” she asked. She laughed at his reply. “Thank you again for your donation, Uncle Mark. It’s greatly appreciated,” she said. A moment later she flipped her phone shut and grinned. “Two million in the bag,” she said. “Alright!” Ryan whooped. He then turned back to the crowd and went over the donating process once again. Sundae turned her attention to David again and blushed a little to see him smiling at her. “That was cool, Dae,” he said. “Yeah, Uncle Mark’s a good guy. How’s your total coming?” Sundae asked. He handed her the tablet of paper he’d been writing donations on and she was pleased to see that the total thus far was around ten thousand dollars. “Nice. Keep up the good work,” she said, handing the tablet back to him. He nodded still smiling and picked up the phone to take another call. The donations kept pouring in and, at the end of the night, they had raised well over forty million dollars for their cause. The next night was elimination night, which no one was looking forward to. For Sundae, though, the evening was brightened by an unexpected visitor. She was in her dressing room finishing her makeup when a knock came at her door. “Who is it?” she called as she set down her lip gloss. “Just me,” came Ryan’s voice from the other side of the door. “Come on in, Ry,” Sundae said and the door opened up and Ryan stepped in. “Hey, I ran into someone in the hall who’s excited to see you,” he said. “Really?” Sundae asked. Ryan nodded and a beautiful African American girl, a little older than Sundae, stepped in from behind him. “Hey girl, guess who’s back?” she said with a bright grin. “Jordin!” Sundae squealed and ran over to the girl and hugged her. This was Jordin Sparks, the reigning American Idol. She and Sundae had become the best of friends while she was competing on the show and had remained so since. “I’ll let you two hang out,” Ryan said and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind himself. “So what brings you back to ‘Idol’?” Sundae asked as she and Jordin moved to sit down on the couch. “I’m doing a guest performance tonight of my new single ‘No Air’,” Jordin replied. Sundae grinned. “I can’t wait to hear it. That song’s in hot rotation on my iPod,” she said. “Awww, you’re so nice, Dae. So tell me about what’s been going on with you. Seems like forever since we last talked,” Jordin said. “Yeah it does. This season has been so much fun, though. It’s probably the best group I’ve ever worked with, not to mention one of the most talented,” Sundae said. “So, I’ve heard. I watched on Tuesday and they all sounded great. I picked out at least three I could easily hand my crown to,” Jordin said. Sundae nodded. “I’ve got a couple in mind for that, too,” she said. Jordin giggled. “So, you’re in high school now, right? How’s that treating you?” she asked. “From the little freshman to the mighty senior, it’s going pretty good, even though I’m not on campus much right now. I made JV soccer along with Dana, which was cool,” Sundae said. Jordin giggled again. “That is cool, but you almost made it sound trivial,” she said. “Well, it’s not the biggest thing to happen this year,” Sundae said. “Oh, what’s the ‘biggest thing’?” Jordin asked. Sundae grinned. “I have a boyfriend,” she said. Jordin lit up like a firecracker. “Dae, that’s great! I’m so happy for you. So, tell me everything. What’s he like? How’d you meet him? Do I get to meet him?” she said. Sundae giggled. “Yes, you can meet him. He’s here tonight so it shouldn’t be a problem. He’s here every week actually,” she said. “Awww, he comes to see you perform?” Jordin asked. “Something like that,” Sundae said, wondering in the back of her mind what Jordin would say when she found out the whole story. Another knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts. “Come in,” she called and a moment later the door opened and David poked his head in. Sundae grinned. “Hey, come on in here. I want you to meet someone,” she said, getting up to greet him. He came in and kicked the door shut and she came up and greeted him with a hug. She was surprised, but very pleased, when he returned her greeting with a brief, but sweet kiss. “Hey, yourself,” she said, smiling up at him. Jordin suddenly cleared her throat startling them both. “Sorry,” Sundae said giving her a sheepish grin. “It’s okay. I take it he’s the one you were talking about?” Jordin said. Sundae smiled. “Yes, this is David. David, this is Jordin Sparks. She’s the reigning ‘Idol’,” she said. “Nice to meet you,” David said, reaching to shake hands. “You, too. I was just telling Sundae I watched you all perform the other night and you were one of the ones I picked out as a possible successor,” Jordin said. David nodded modestly as he and Sundae joined her on the couch. “Thanks. That’s quite a compliment coming from you,” he said. Jordin smiled. “Hey, I mean it. You were terrific the other night. I can easily see why they say you’re the one to beat,” she said. David nodded again and Sundae could see the hint of blush on his cheeks. “Thanks,” he said again. They were all quiet for a moment and then David looked to Jordin. “How did you handle the craziness?” he asked. Both Jordin and Sundae giggled at that. “I’m sorry, that just came out,” David said. Jordin patted his arm. “It’s okay and to answer your question, I just kept putting one foot in front of the other,” she said. David laughed a little this time. “I’m not kidding. Another piece of advice, get as much sleep as you can whenever you can. Once you’re in the top two you’re lucky to get ten minutes at any given time,” Jordin said. David looked surprised and glanced to Sundae for conformation. “She’s telling the truth. I see it every year,” she said. “Wow,” David said, starting to look unsure. Jordin again patted his arm. “I’m not trying to scare you, I’m just giving you a heads up. It’s a lot of work, but it’s also amazingly fun,” she said. David smiled at that thought and Sundae squeezed his hand making him smile even more. “Two minutes to airtime!” Ryan’s voice suddenly called from outside the door. “He hasn’t changed, has he?” Jordin remarked making them all giggle. “He’ll never change,” Sundae said as they got up from the couch and headed out into the corridor. Sundae turned to Jordin as she pulled the door closed behind them. “So, we’ll see you out there?” she said. “Absolutely. Good luck tonight, David,” Jordin said. David smiled. “Thanks, you too,” he replied. Jordin smiled, too, and Sundae gave her a little wave as she and David turned and headed off down the corridor to join the others for show time. The rest of the night went well with the exception of the elimination being a little surprising. Jordin performed her single about halfway through the show and was presented with two platinum records one for her first single ‘Tattoo’ and one for ‘No Air’. The elimination came fifteen minutes later and the surprise was that Michael, who had been an early favorite, was the one to get the boot. Everyone was surprised at this and they were very sorry to see Michael go, as he had been the jokester of the group.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 20:50:50 GMT -5
Chapter 18 With the number of remaining contestants dwindling tension started to mount for the coming weeks, especially the next one. That coming week the contestants would get to work with Mariah Carey and perform her songs and they were all a little nervous about working with such a legend. On Saturday afternoon Sundae was laying on her bed going over her song for the week when her cell phone rang. She picked it up and flipped it on without checking the caller ID. “Hey girl, whatcha doin?” came Syesha’s voice from the other end. “Hey Esha, I was just working on my song for next week,” Sundae said. “What’d you pick again?” Syesha asked. “’Whenever You Call’, why?” Sundae asked. “Oooh I remember that one. Brian McKnight can sing to me anytime,” Syesha said. “I know what you mean,” Sundae said. “Do we have anymore sodas?” she heard Brooke’s voice ask in the background. “Try the fridge,” she heard Syesha reply. “What are you all doing over there?” Sundae asked. “Having a pool party. You wanna come join us?” Syesha asked. “Heck yes. I can be there in thirty. Can I bring anything, more sodas maybe?” Sundae asked. “That’d be great and maybe some chips, too? We don’t have much around here since we’re not allowed out to go grocery shopping,” Syesha said. “Okay, no problem. There’s a market on the way from my house. I’ll make my brother drive me,” Sundae said. “Cool, hey maybe you can spend the night, too. We were thinking about a movie marathon later,” Syesha said. “Awesome. I’ll tell my dad and I’ll be there asap,” Sundae said. “Great see you soon,” Syesha said. “See ya,” Sundae said. She then flipped her phone shut, jumped up from her bed and dashed down the hall to her brother’s room. “Jase are you in there?” she called as she knocked on his door. A moment later the door opened and her brother poked his head out. His hair was mussed and he was bleary-eyed as though he’d been asleep. “Were you still sleeping?” she asked him. “It’s Saturday teen queen. I can sleep as late as I want,” Jason mumbled. “Well wake yourself up. I need a ride,” Sundae said. “Where to?” her brother asked. “To the Idols’ apartments and I need to stop at the market on the way,” Sundae replied. “Impromptu get together?” Jason asked. “Pretty much, they decided to have a pool party,” Sundae said. Her brother sighed dramatically. “Okay, gimme ten minutes to change,” he said and disappeared back into his room. Sundae grinned and dashed back to her own room. There she quickly changed into her most recent swimsuit, a halter top bikini with an almost digital red and white pattern and black string ties and then threw on board shorts and a baby tee over it. She then pulled her hair into a ponytail, grabbed some sunscreen from her desk and a towel and change of clothes from her closet and stuffed them in an old backpack along with overnight accessories before heading downstairs. She saw her dad coming out of his office as she got down to the foyer. “Hey Dad,” she said as she jumped down the last two steps. “Hey, going somewhere?” he asked, noting her bag. “Yeah, Esha invited me over for a pool party and to spend the night if that’s okay?” she asked. Her dad chuckled. “Knock yourself out,” he said. Sundae did a little fist pump. “Thank you, you are so the best,” she said. “I’m sure. You seem to be having a lot of fun with this year’s group,” her dad commented. Sundae grinned. “I think this is the funnest group I’ve ever gotten to know. We’re all really into our music, but we love to have fun away from it, too,” she said. “I can tell. You seem to be closer to this group than to any of the others, in particular that one young fellow you like,” her dad said. Sundae blushed a little, but then turned serious. “You and mom don’t have any issues with me dating, do you? I know you used to joke that you wouldn’t let me do so until I was forty,” she said. Her dad smiled. “I did have my concerns at first, since you are only fourteen, but I could tell that day you had him over that he’d never do anything to hurt you and, more importantly, that he makes you happy. That’s what means the most,” he said. Sundae reached out and hugged him impulsively. “You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say that,” she said. “I kind of do. Your sister said almost the same thing when we approved of Micheal,” her dad said. Sundae grinned as she pulled back. “Thanks, Dad. Having your blessing means a lot,” she said. Her dad smiled then pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “Just don’t grow up too fast, okay?” he said. “I won’t,” Sundae said. She then pulled away and dashed into the living room and grabbed a couple movies for that night. By the time she got back to the foyer her brother was coming down the stairs. “All set?” he asked. “Yup. I’m ready when you are,” she said. “Let’s roll,” Jason said and they headed out the door. Half an hour later they arrived at the apartment complex and Jason helped Sundae get the sodas, chips and snacks she’d gotten at the market out of his truck and into a cart they’d gotten from their garage at home. “Can you manage all that?” Jason asked as Sundae grabbed her bag off the front seat and tossed it onto her shoulder. “Yeah, I’m sure I can manage with the cart,” she replied. “Alright. Call me or home if you need anything,” her brother said. “Thanks, Jase,” Sundae said and then turned and headed for the pool, wheeling the cart behind her. Once there she found all her friends hanging out enjoying the warm afternoon. Dave and Jason were trying to get a grill going, Syesha, Brooke, Kristy and Ramiele, who was back in town, were lounging on deck chairs and Carly, David and Michael, who had decided to stick around, were all in the pool tossing a beach ball around. Dave was the first to notice her. “Hey, you bring some more snacks?” he asked as he and Jason came over to help her with the cart. “Yeah, I picked up some more sodas since Esha said you were running low, and I brought chips and a couple different kinds of dip, too,” Sundae replied as they moved the cart over to the table where what refreshments they had were laid out. They then started to unpack it and brought out cases of Pepsi, Coke, Dr. Pepper and Diet Coke as well as bags of chips and containers of bean and onion dip. “Alright, you brought more charcoal, too,” Dave said, lifting out a Kingsford bag. “Yeah, I kinda thought you might grill so I figured better safe than sorry. I brought lighter fluid and one of those clicker lighters, too. I didn’t know what you had,” Sundae said. “You’re an angel. We’ve been trying to light this thing with newspaper, but it wasn’t working. I was close to cutting off some of Jason’s dreads to see if that would help,” Dave said. “Hey!” Jason exclaimed, making a protective grab for his hair as Sundae cracked up laughing. A splashing sound indicated someone getting out of the pool and Carly, in a black and red halter-top tankini, joined them. “What chips did you get?” she asked, coming up beside Sundae. “Just about every kind the store had,” Sundae said. “Oooh, jalapeno ranch and bean dip, you totally scored,” Carly said grabbing the aforementioned flavor and dip. “Oooh sweet stuff,” Jason suddenly said and Sundae turned to see him holding a king-sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup package. “Hey, those aren’t for you,” she said reaching for the package and putting it in her bag. “Party pooper,” Jason muttered. Sundae shook her head and turned to Carly. “Having fun?” she asked. “Mmmhmm. You didn’t see what happened a minute ago though. David turned around when Dave greeted you and Mike got him in the back of the head with the beach ball,” Carly said. Sundae giggled again. “Oh geez, he couldn’t resist could he?” she said. “Not for a minute, you know Mike,” Carly said. Sundae nodded, but then something else occurred to her. “Hey, who’s deejaying this party?” she asked. “There’s a radio upstairs in my place,” Jason offered. Sundae got up and started for the gate. “Hey, while you’re up there, go next door to mine and get the burgers and hotdogs out of the fridge, oh and the buns, too,” Dave said. “No prob,” Sundae said. She went and set her bag on a chair near the other girls and then headed up stairs to the suites. She stopped at Jason and David’s suite first and grabbed the radio, but when she came back out, she was startled to find David waiting for her on the landing. “Oh geesh, you scared me,” she said as she rebalanced the radio in her arms. He gave her a sheepish look. “I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to say hi without an interruption,” he said. She smiled, and remembering her conversation with her dad earlier, she reached up and laid a hand on the back of his still damp head, and then leaned up and kissed him gently. They were both smiling when she pulled back. “It’s forgiven,” Sundae said. His smile widened as she slipped her hand into his. “Help me get the stuff from Dave’s place?” she asked. “Sure,” he agreed as they turned and went next door. They went inside and headed for the kitchen where they found packages of hotdog and hamburger buns on the counter and packages of hotdogs and two plates of washed hamburger patties in the fridge. They loaded the buns and hotdogs into plastic bags and then scooped up the plates of patties and headed out and back to the pool hand in hand. When they got there they found Carly had gotten back in the pool with Michael and Jason had joined them, while Dave had finally gotten the grill going and was keeping an eye on the flame. He glanced up as the two teens came over to the table and set down the plates and bags they held as well as the radio, which Sundae moved to plug in and turn on. “Ah, good the grill’s just about ready. Hey, didn’t you bring condiments?” Dave asked. “You didn’t ask for them,” Sundae said as she flipped on the radio and tuned it to a local station. Dave rolled his eyes and looked toward Syesha, Brooke, Kristy and Ramiele who were still lounging. “Hey, can one of you go get the ketchup, mustard and anything else we can use to flavor these burgers and hotdogs?” he asked. “Why can’t you get them?” Ramiele called back. “I’m watching the grill,” Dave pointed out. “Oh fine, I’ll get them,” Kristy said and got up and headed for the suites. Dave then started to turn back to the grill, but as he did so he glanced at the two teens and couldn’t help a chuckle. “What’s so funny?” Sundae asked as she grabbed herself a Coke from a cooler next to the table. “Oh nothing, I just know you weren’t just getting the food when you were upstairs,” he said, with a sly grin. “What do you mean?” David asked. Dave chuckled again. “You’ve got evidence on your lips,” he said, and then turned around to hide his laughter. Sundae looked over at David and blushed when she saw that she’d left some lip-gloss behind when she’d kissed him earlier. David blushed a little, too, when he realized it and the others all joined Dave’s chuckling. “Oooooh,” the girls giggled in unison. Sundae threw them a look as she and David stepped away from the table and walked over to the chair where she’d left her bag before going upstairs. “Sorry about that,” she said as they sat down together. “It’s okay,” he said, squeezing her hand gently. She squeezed back and then lifted her bag onto her lap and dug through it pulling out her towel and sunscreen. “Hey, we need a fourth for some water polo. Anyone game?” Jason asked. “Grilling,” Dave called from the other end of the pool yard. “You won’t be getting us wet,” Syesha said speaking for herself, Ramiele and Brooke. “Spoil sports. How ‘bout you two?” Michael asked looking to Sundae and David. Sundae glanced over at David and could tell with one look that he wanted to join in. “You can join them if you want, I’ll be okay with the girls,” she said. “You’re sure?” he asked. She nodded. “Don’t worry we’ll keep an eye on her,” Syesha said, hearing them. The teens laughed lightly at that and Sundae squeezed David’s hand again. “Go on, have fun,” she urged. He grinned and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Dae,” he said. He then pulled off the tee shirt he’d been wearing and went and got back in the pool to join the game. Sundae had to catch herself for a minute as she watched him. It was the first time she’d seen him without a shirt and she definitely liked what she saw. Though he was slender he was well built and she figured it came from playing basketball and rollerblading with his friends. “Hey Dae, come join us,” Syesha said. “Yeah, there’s a chair with your name on it,” Ramiele chimed in. Sundae smiled and scooped up her stuff before moving over a few chairs to join them. “Enjoying the view over there?” Syesha asked slyly. “Esha,” Sundae said, giving her a look. “What? I saw the way you looked at him when he pulled his shirt off,” Syesha said. Sundae blushed beet red and the other three giggled. “Guess I was right about things getting serious,” Syesha said. “Hey, don’t start digging for details without me,” Kristy called as she came in through the gate. She toted a small basket with ketchup, mustard, relish, hot sauce and mayo in it as well as a plate with slices of cheese, onions, lettuce and tomatoes arranged around piles of chopped pickles and chili peppers. “Oh don’t worry. You’ll want to hear this,” Ramiele said. Kristy quickly hurried over to the table and put down everything she was carrying and then dashed back to her chair. “Okay, what’d I miss?” she asked. “Only the fact that our little teenage romance is getting more serious by the minute,” Ramiele said. “Oooh, spill Dae. What happened?” Kristy asked. “It really wasn’t anything,” Sundae said. Syesha giggled and turned to Kristy. “Girl, you should’ve seen the look on her face when he took his shirt off,” she said. Kristy grinned. “Wow, it does sound like things are heating up,” she said. Sundae shook her head. “Forget singing, Esha, you should be a broadcast journalist,” she said as she started rubbing sunscreen on her arms and legs. “I didn’t embarrass you, did I?” Syesha asked, concerned. “Not really, it’s just…this is still really new to me,” Sundae said. “And that’s normal. No one expects you to have experience with this stuff at your age,” Syesha said. “She’s right, but there is nothing more wonderful than falling for the first time,” Kristy said. “Absolutely, that is totally the best,” Ramiele agreed. Sundae mulled that one over as she continued to apply her sunscreen. Was that what was happening to her? Was she really falling for David? It would certainly explain why things had only seemed to get warmer between them over the last couple of weeks. She put her thoughts on hold as she pulled off her own shirt and shorts so she could lather up the rest of herself. “Great bikini, Dae. As Paris Hilton would say, ‘That’s hot’,” Syesha said. Sundae smiled. “Thanks, yours are all great, too,” she said. As with their outfits at the concert, each girl wore a swim suit to suit her style. Syesha wore a black string bikini, Brooke wore a French cut one piece in blue and white, Kristy wore a white halter-top bikini with red string ties and Ramiele also had string bikini with a tropical print. “Thanks,” Kristy said. “Need some help getting that on your back?” Syesha asked, gesturing to the sunscreen. “Yes, thank you, that would be a big help,” Sundae said as she grabbed a scrunchie from her bag. She twisted her ponytail up to sit on the top of her head and then turned so Syesha could apply the lotion to her back, neck and shoulders. When she was finished she handed the bottle back to Sundae. “Thanks, Esha,” Sundae said. “No prob. Grab a magazine. I think we brought every one we own,” Syesha said. Sundae put away her sunscreen and untwisted her ponytail before looking over the pile of magazines on the small table between their chairs. “Oooh ‘Cosmo’ I’ll take that,” she said snatching up the latest issue of ‘Cosmopolitan’ and settling back on her chair. “Getting summer wardrobe ideas?” Brooke asked. “Yeah, we all should actually. We should look our best on tour,” Sundae said. “Mmm, point taken,” Kristy agreed and grabbed an issue of ‘Vogue’. Ramiele grabbed an issue of ‘Elle’ and joined them muttering something about how she hoped she would be able to find style that fit. The girls perused their magazines for the next half hour, trading style ideas and advice. Sundae was just showing the others a sundress she liked when Dave got everyone’s attention. “Food’s on, get it while it’s hot!” he called. “Alright burgers!” Jason whooped as he made a beeline for the pool steps. “Junk food!” Michael crowed following him. “Men. There’s no stopping them once the food’s served,” Syesha said. “Amen to that. I am hungry so I’m gonna try to wrestle a burger away for myself. Anyone else want any?” Kristy asked, getting up. “Oh we want some, we’re just not that brave,” Ramiele said, watching the guys pile their burgers sky high. “I’ll go with you. What does everyone want?” Syesha asked. “I’ll take a cheese burger, no spicy stuff,” Ramiele said. “Hotdog with ketchup and mustard for me please?” said Brooke. “I’ll have a hot dog, too, loaded, but no spicy stuff,” Sundae said. “Y’all have no taste buds, I swear,” Syesha said as she and Kristy headed for the table. Sundae, Brooke and Ramiele laughed. “Hey, I love to eat, but the spicy stuff is too much,” Ramiele said. “I heard that. I’ll nibble on salsa, pepperoni and zesty chips, but no chili peppers or hot sauce for me. I leave that stuff to my brothers,” Sundae said. “They ‘like it hot’, so to speak?” Brooke asked. “Oh yeah. You know that new jalapeno chicken sandwich at Carl’s Jr.?” Sundae asked. When they nodded she continued, “My older brother ordered one with double jalapenos the last time we ate there. His eyes watered from it being so spicy,” Sundae said. “Whoo, I wouldn’t go there,” Brooke said. “Me neither,” Ramiele agreed. “That makes three of us and my mom would make four. She can’t take anything spicy. My uncle once spiked her burger with a little hot sauce as a joke and she thought her mouth was burning,” Sundae said. “Wow,” Ramiele said. “Yeah, needless to say she got my uncle back good for that one,” Sundae said. “I’ll bet,” Brooke said as Syesha and Kristy rejoined them each carrying two plates. Syesha handed her extra plate to Brooke and Kristy handed her extra to Ramiele. “Hey, where’s mine?” Sundae asked. “Our hands were full so we had to get a special courier,” Syesha said as she reclaimed her chair. Sundae gave her an odd look, but Syesha only giggled and nodded to something behind her. Sundae turned around and had to smile when she saw David approaching her. He sat down on the chair next to hers and held out a plate with a hot dog just the way she liked it. “I thought you might be hungry,” he said with a shy smile. Sundae beamed at him as she took the plate. “Thank you, I’ve got a little something for you, too,” she said and fished into her bag and brought out the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup package. He grinned. “You remembered,” he said as she handed him the package. “Of course I did,” Sundae said, returning his smile. They then turned their attention to their lunch, unaware of the others watching them with smiles of their own. Sundae bit into her hot dog and was pleased to find it had just the right amounts of ketchup, mustard and relish on it. “Mmmm,” she murmured, a smile coming to her face. “Good hot dog?” David asked. Sundae nodded. “Mmmhmm, it’s perfect. What’d you get?” she asked, turning on her chair so they were facing each other. “A cheese burger with just a little bit of hot sauce for taste,” he replied. “You like the spicy stuff?” Sundae asked. “A little, but not overly spicy,” he said. “I’m kind of the same way. Spicy to me is my brothers putting on so much hot sauce and chili peppers they make their eyes water,” Sundae said. “That’s a little too spicy,” David said. “Tell me about it. How they can stand it and not chug down gallons of water afterward is beyond me,” Sundae said. By this time they had nearly finished their lunch and Sundae noted that the others had done so as well. Carly, Jason and Michael had again gotten back in the pool, Dave joining them this time, while the girls had gone back to their magazines. Sundae set her plate on the small table between hers and Syesha’s chairs and turned to David again. “You wanna check out the hot tub?” she asked. He nodded, setting aside his own plate. “Sure,” he said and they both got up from their chairs. They wandered over to the hot tub, which was situated off to one side of the pool yard. It was just tucked away enough to pass for secluded and Sundae was pretty sure none of the others had noticed her and David head over to it. They turned on the tub’s water jets and then stepped down into it. “Oooh, this one’s nice and warm,” Sundae said as they settled on a bench, letting the jets massage their backs. “Does it measure up to the one you have at home?” David asked. She shook her head. “This one’s better. Mom’s really picky about the temperature of ours because of the little kids, so it’s never this warm. I wish it was, though,” she said. “Yeah, this one is nice,” he agreed. They sat quietly, enjoying the warmth and relaxation. She felt him gently take hold of her hand and she looked up at him, a smile on her face. He returned her smile and slowly started to lean toward her. Just as they were about to kiss the moment was spoiled by the sound of someone approaching the tub. The teens looked up just as Carly and Brooke stepped into the tub. “Oooh, toasty,” Carly said. “Don’t mind us. We’re just getting out of the line of fire,” Brooke said as she and Carly moved to the opposite side of the tub and peered over the edge toward the pool. “Out of the line of fire of what?” Sundae asked, curiously. Carly looked over at her and David and beckoned for them to join her and Brooke. The teens traded looks and then moved over to the other side of the tub, crouching on the bench next to Brooke. They, too, peered over the edge and saw Dave, Michael and Jason sneaking up on Syesha, Ramiele and Kristy. “What are they doing?” Sundae asked. “I don’t know, but I bet it’ll be good,” Brooke said. A second later she was proven right when the guys came up alongside the girls’ chairs, grabbed their hands, and pulled them up and into the pool. The girls all looked thoroughly ticked. “Ohhh, you guys are so dead!” Kristy said, slapping at the water and splashing the boys. “We were just having fun,” Dave said. “Fun for you maybe. We were having our own dry fun,” Syesha said as she moved to get out of the pool. “Come on, how much fun can it be to lay around all day?” Jason asked. Ramiele rolled her eyes. “You tell us, Sir Sleeps A Lot,” she said as she followed Syesha. Carly, Brooke, Sundae and David were all cracking up at the scene. “That was classic,” Brooke said. “Yeah, the guys’ll be lucky if Sy doesn’t pummel them to death with the beach ball or something,” Carly said. Sundae and David both giggled at that and Carly looked over at them. “Sorry if we barged in on you two. We didn’t know you were back here,” she said. “It’s okay,” David said. The group hung out by the pool for the rest of the afternoon, enjoying the sunshine and the rare time away from the studio and rehearsals. None of them wanted the warm day to end, but by five thirty it was starting to cool down and the sun was slowly making its way down in the eastern sky. Sundae was retrieving the scrunchie she’d worn earlier out of her bag when she noticed Syesha picking up the magazines and putting them in a bag. “You guys packing up?” she asked. “Yeah, it’s starting to get a little cold,” Syesha said as she reached for her bag, which had been under her chair. Sundae looked around at all the others and saw that almost all of them were also packing up their stuff to go back upstairs. The only exception was David, who was stretched out on the chair next to hers. He smiled at her when she looked over at him. “You don’t look ready to call it a day yet,” she said as she started to redo her ponytail. “I could stay down here a little while longer. Are you ready to go in?” he asked. “Mmm not really. It’s not that cold yet,” Sundae said, settling back against her chair again. Carly paused beside them on her way toward the gate. “Don’t stay out here too much longer. We don’t need you two catching colds or something,” she said. “We’ll be up in a bit,” Sundae said. Carly nodded and continued on her way. The others slowly followed her, heading for the suites. Sundae turned her gaze to the sky, taking in the swirls of pink, orange, red and yellow that made up the sunset. It had been such a nice day and she was sorry to see it coming to an end. A soft squeaking noise caught her attention and she turned to see David getting up from his chair. Before she could ask what he was up to he answered the question for her when he took a running leap into the pool. He turned to look back at her and she giggled at the grin on his face. “Come on,” he said, beckoning for her to join him. “You’re crazy,” she said with another giggle. “Only for you,” David said and she blushed, knowing he meant it. She got up and kicked off her flipflops and then took a running leap into the pool herself. “Ooh chilly,” she said, brushing her wet hair back from her face as she turned to face him again. He reached for her, but she backed away. “You might’ve gotten me into the pool, but you still have to catch me,” she said and kicked away from him. David laughed and followed her, starting a game of chase. The two swam around, enjoying their game, their giggles filling the evening air. She finally let him catch her after a few minutes, her smile never fading as he pulled her to him. She brought her arms to rest on his shoulders and his arms slipped around her waist. A shiver she’d never experienced before ran through her when she felt his fingers gently caressing her back. David slowly leaned in and Sundae tilted her head up as their lips met. The kiss started out soft and gentle and slowly deepened. A wave of warmth wafted over Sundae and she completely forgot about the chill of the water. She slid one hand up to the back of his head, letting her fingers touch his hair, and feeling his grip on her tighten. She leaned her forehead against his when they finally broke the kiss, both of them breathing deeply. They were quiet for a few minutes until a breeze wafted by making them both shiver a bit. “Maybe we should go in?” David said quietly. Sundae nodded. “Yeah maybe,” she giggled lightly, “Carly’ll kill us if we stay out much longer anyway,” she said. They both giggled at that as they moved to get out of the pool. They grabbed their towels off their chairs and dried themselves off as best they could and then started packing up their stuff. As she put her towel back into her bag, Sundae checked through her extra clothes looking for a sweater, but found she’d forgotten to bring one. “Darn it,” she grumbled as she shoved her feet back into her flipflops. “What’s wrong?” David asked as he came over to her. “It’s nothing. I just thought I brought a sweater with me, but it turns out I didn’t,” she said. He fished into his bag and brought out a denim blue and gray plaid flannel jacket. “This might be a little big, but it’s definitely warm,” he said as he wrapped it around her shoulders. She smiled as she slipped her arms into the sleeves of the jacket, feeling his warmth in the fabric. “It’s perfect,” she said and leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, “thanks.” “You’re welcome,” he said, blushing lightly. She reached around and picked up her bag and then slipped her hand into his as they started to walk back to the suites. When they got to the second floor corridor, Sundae started to wonder if the others had all gone back to their individual suites or if they were all hanging out in one. She didn’t have to wonder long when noise was heard coming from Carly’s suite. She and David walked over to Carly’s door and, when they pushed it open, they heard the others talking noisily in the living room. Dave wandered by heading for the kitchen with a wad of paper towels. He glanced over at the still damp teens and couldn’t help a grin. “Hey Car, we’re gonna need more towels!” he called. “What now?” Carly said as she came into the room, but she too grinned when she saw the teens. “Oh geez, alright you go finish cleaning up your mess in the living room,” she turned to Sundae and David, “You two come with me and try not to drip on my carpet,” she said and led the way down the hall. She stopped in front of the linen closet and started rooting through it. “Everything okay around here?” Sundae asked. “Yeah fine, I wasn’t expecting anymore wet messes today,” Carly said as she fished out two large towels and turned to the teens, wrapping one around each of them. “What happened in the living room?” David asked as he and Sundae started drying themselves off a little more. “Syesha’s revenge on the guys for earlier. She and Kristy shook up their sodas and the overflow ended up on the carpet. If it doesn’t come out I swear…” Carly grumbled as she brought out two more towels, tossed them over the teens’ heads and started rubbing their hair dry. “Car, I think we can handle it,” Sundae said, pulling her towel back from her face. Carly gave her a sheepish look. “Sorry, I’m just a little riled. You guys can use the bedrooms to change and we’re all in the living room when you’re done. Make it quick if you want a say in the first movie,” Carly said as she shut the linen closet and then headed back down the hall. The teens then turned and headed for the bedrooms, Sundae going into Carly’s and David taking the other room, to clean up. Carly’s room was a master bedroom and Sundae decided to jump in the shower and quickly hose off before putting on her change of clothes. Once she was rinsed off, Sundae dried off again, pulled on her change of clothes; a pair of skinny jeans and another baby tee, and then brushed out and braided her hair. She then folded the towels Carly had given her and put what she could back in her bag. She picked up and pulled on David’s jacket again, hugging it around her for a moment, before grabbing her bag and heading out to join the others. When she got back out to the front of the apartment Sundae dropped her bag near the kitchen counter and wandered into the living room where she found the chosen movie already playing and the others sprawled around on the sofa and chairs. They’d even managed to find a couple of beanbag chairs. David had managed to snag one and he waved her over to him when he saw her coming into the room. She moved over to him and he made room for her to join him. “What movie are we watching?” she asked as she settled next to him on the beanbag chair. “They picked ‘Scream’. I have no idea why,” David said. “Great, they had to pick a scary one. I can just guess who had the majority vote,” Sundae said, glancing over at Dave, Michael and Jason who were camped on the sofa, bowls of popcorn in between them. The chair shifting grabbed her attention and she turned back around as David slipped an arm around her. He smiled reassuringly and she cuddled up to him and turned her attention to the movie. The movie marathon went on until just after midnight. At that point Carly called a halt to the evening seeing as that a few of the others were nodding off. Sundae helped Carly and the girls pick up and put away popcorn bowls, glasses and soda cans and it was quickly agreed that she would stay at Carly’s for the night. She was gathering her bag to take it to the guest room when David came up to her. “Can we talk for a minute?” he asked. “Sure,” she said and set her bag on one of the barstools and let him lead her out into the corridor. They moved a little ways away from Carly’s door so the others’ leaving wouldn’t disturb them. “So, what’s up?” Sundae asked as she and David turned to face each other. “I actually wanted to ask you something. You know Miles Siggins, right?” he asked. “Miles the Fashionista, sure why?” Sundae asked. Miles Siggins was the men’s stylist for ‘Idol’. “He’s taking me shopping tomorrow to get stuff for next week and I thought maybe you’d like to come,” David said. Sundae smiled. “Sure, that sounds fun. I haven’t hit the mall in a while and I need to start looking for something to wear for my birthday party,” she said. “Your birthday’s coming up?” David asked. “In two weeks on the 28th,” Sundae said. He started to smile, but a look of realization came to his face. “The 28th?” he asked. She nodded. “That’s wild. My birthday’s December 28th,” he said. Sundae grinned. “The same day of the month? That is wild,” she said. “One of those weird coincidences, huh?” David said. “Yeah it is,” Sundae agreed. “Sundae, time to be inside,” Carly suddenly called from down the hall. “I’ll be right there,” Sundae called back. David took hold of her hand and they walked back down the corridor, pausing outside Carly’s door. “So, what time is Miles coming tomorrow?” Sundae asked. “He told me to be ready by ten,” David replied. She nodded. “Okay. Oh here, I should give you back your jacket,” she said. She started to shrug out of the jacket, but he stopped her. “You can hang on to it, it looks nice on you,” he said. She blushed lightly. “Thanks,” she said. She then reached up and hugged him and he returned the hug without hesitation. She pulled back after a moment, but he drew her to him again, this time for a soft kiss, before letting her step away. “See you in the morning,” she said as she opened Carly’s door. “Night,” he said and she smiled as she turned and went inside. Carly was waiting in the kitchen when she came in. “’Bout time. You two practicing your tonsil hockey?” she asked. Sundae blushed, giggling, as she picked up her bag. “We were just saying goodnight,” she said. Carly gave her a sly look. “Mmmhmm. I think Syesha was right to say things are getting serious between you and David,” she said. Sundae sighed. “She told you about that?” she asked. “We were watching you two earlier today at the pool and she mentioned it in passing,” Carly said. Sundae shook her head. “I don’t think you have to worry about that yet. We’re teenagers,” she said. “True, but I will say I knew my husband was getting serious about me when he started letting me have things of his to wear,” Carly said, looking pointedly at the jacket. Sundae blushed again. “I was cold earlier and he let me borrow it,” she said as they headed down the hall toward the bedrooms. Carly nodded. “Maybe, but he’s also letting you hold on to it. I never got to hang on to a guy’s shirt or jacket unless it was a pretty steady relationship,” she looked over at Sundae with a smile, “I guess you can say you two are going steady now,” she said and then turned and went into her room. Sundae mulled over that last as she opened the door to the guest room. A smile came to her face as she flopped on to the bed. Going steady was something she definitely liked the sound of.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 20:52:30 GMT -5
Chapter 19 Sundae woke up at eight-thirty the next morning when her alarm went off. She got up and pulled on the skinny jeans and baby tee she’d had on the previous evening as well as David’s jacket, since it was a little chilly that morning. She then did her hair and makeup and slipped her feet into a pair of black flats and grabbed her purse before heading out to the kitchen. She was a little surprised to find that Carly was up, too. “You’re up early,” she said as she came into the kitchen. “It’s ten after nine, besides I wanted to get some practice in this morning. What Mariah Carey I do know is rusty. Didn’t think you’d be up this early,” Carly said as Sundae hopped up on to a barstool. “I’ve got plans,” Sundae said as she fished out her cell phone. “Do I even need to ask who with?” Carly asked as Sundae started a text message. She laughed at Carly’s knowing grin. “You already know so no, you don’t,” she said as she quickly finished and sent her message. “What are you two up to today?” Carly asked as she set a glass of juice in front of Sundae. “Miles is taking him shopping and I’m tagging along,” Sundae said. “Ah, were you just texting him to let him know you’re ready?” Carly asked as she turned to the stove. “No, I texted my dad. I just wanted to let him know I’d be home later today,” Sundae said. “Very responsible,” Carly praised. Sundae nodded. “What’s for breakfast?” she asked. “Pancakes if I can manage it,” Carly replied. “Want some help?” Sundae offered. “Actually yeah. Could you watch the griddle while I get the batter mixed up?” Carly asked. “Sure,” Sundae said and hopped down from the stool. Between the two of them they managed to get two short stacks made and they sat together at the counter and enjoyed their meal. When they were finished they put their plates in the sink and washed them off. They were starting in on the rest of the dishes when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” Sundae said and quickly dried her hands on a dishtowel. She then grabbed her purse and dashed over to the door. She opened it and smiled to see David waiting for her. “Hey,” she said, reaching to hug him. He smiled, too, returning the hug. “Hey. You ready to go?” he asked. She nodded. “Yup,” she turned toward the kitchen, “bye Car,” she called as she fished her key out of her purse. “You two have fun,” Carly called back. “We will,” Sundae said as she and David headed out the door. Sundae quickly made sure the door was locked and then slipped her hand into David’s as they made their way downstairs. They walked out along a pathway to the complex’s parking lot and, as they neared it, they saw a guy with dark, wavy hair leaning on a dark green sedan. He looked up as the teens approached. Sundae waved to him as she and David walked up. “Morning Miles,” she said. “Hey, didn’t know I’d be taking both of you,” Miles said. “I invited her if that’s okay?” David said. “It’s fine by me. An extra opinion can be a great thing,” Miles said as he opened the back door of the car. “Thanks,” David said as he and Sundae slid into the backseat. Miles nodded as he shut the door. He then got in the driver’s seat, started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot. They arrived at the mall twenty minutes later, parked in front of Nordstrom’s and went in. “So, what are you ‘seeing’ for me this week, Miles?” David asked as the three walked through the store. Miles was contemplative for a moment before he spoke. “Burgundy,” he said, lighting up at the thought. The teens eyed him for a moment he raised an eyebrow at them. “What? We haven’t done that with you yet and I think we should give it a shot,” he said. “You’re the stylist,” David said. Miles grinned. “You know, that’s what I love about you. You’re more willing to listen to suggestion than some others I could name,” he said. “What others?” Sundae wanted to know. “I probably shouldn’t say since it could get me trouble. I will say, however, that I’m glad there’s at least one in the bunch with an open mind,” he said as they approached the Juniors department. They had to walk past the displays of girls’ stuff to get to the guys’ section and Sundae glanced at some of the racks as they walked by. “You’re welcome to look at stuff for you if you want,” Miles said, noticing. “I will later,” Sundae said as they reach the guys’ displays. She and David started looking over a rack of jeans while Miles started going through a display of shirts. “Hmm, there’s a few things here we might get, but I’m not finding what I’m feeling for this week,” Miles said after a few minutes. Sundae turned to another rack behind her that had some shirts on it and thumbed through them. “Hey, what about this one?” she asked suddenly and held up a burgundy tee shirt with a black design on it. “That’s nice,” David said, smiling in approval. “Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Miles said with a cat-like grin as he came over to them. He took the shirt and held it up to David. “Absolutely, that’s exactly the color I had in mind,” he turned his grin on Sundae, “Nice eye, young lady. You might have a career in fashion someday,” he said as he added the shirt to the growing pile he held. “Thanks, but I think I’ll stick to my music for now,” Sundae said. “That makes two of us,” David said as they turned back to the rack of jeans. Sundae smiled as they started thumbing through the jeans again. “Do you ever get used to him?” David suddenly asked, nodding to Miles a few racks away from them. “I’ve known him for six years and I’m still not used to him,” Sundae said. “Heard that,” Miles said without even turning around. The teens both giggled as they turned their attention to the jeans again. They perused around the department for another forty minutes before Miles finally said it was time to start trying stuff on. David took the big pile they’d accumulated into the dressing rooms and Sundae and Miles sat down to wait. David tried on several ensembles Miles had liked with Miles nodding his approval to a little over half of them. “Where’s that burgundy shirt Sundae found?” Miles asked after about the seventh ensemble, “I want to see that next.” David obeyed and the next time he came out he was wearing the burgundy shirt with a pair of dark blue jeans. Miles looked at him scrutinizingly. “Hmm, the shirt’s perfect, but you shouldn’t wear it with jeans. Too school days. See if there’s some black slacks in all that stuff we picked out,” he said. David nodded and went back into the dressing rooms and when he came back out a few minutes later, he’d traded the dark blue jeans for a pair of black slacks with a slight sheen to them. Miles grinned. “Now that’s the ticket. That’ll be perfect for this week,” he said as David moved to stand in front of a mirror. Sundae smiled, watching him. “Miles is right, that looks great on you,” she said. David smiled, a hint of blush coming to his cheeks. “Thanks,” he said. Miles then stood up. “Alright, go change and bring everything back out and we’ll divide it into keeps and returns,” he said. David nodded and went back into the dressing rooms and Miles turned to Sundae. “You can go look at stuff for you if you want. We’ll come get you when we’re done,” he said. She shrugged. “I guess I could,” she said and started back toward the girls’ section. “We’ll be there in a few,” Miles said and she waved over her shoulder as she walked. When she got to the girls’ area she perused through the racks looking at everything from casual tops and jeans to dresses. She was really zeroed in on the dresses, but she didn’t see anything that really grabbed her. She was looking at a few dressy tops when she saw Miles and David coming. David held a fairly full bag. “Made out like a bandit I see,” she said as she came out into the aisle to meet them. “Pretty much,” David said, shifting the bag to his other hand so he could give her a half hug. “Sundae, I was wondering if you’d do me a favor,” Miles said. “What would that be?” Sundae asked. “There’s a kiosk just out in the corridor that sells belts and was wondering if you’d mind grabbing me a couple. They don’t have to be anything fancy,” Miles said. Sundae shrugged. “I guess I could,” she turned to David, “Do you mind?” she asked him. “It’s okay,” he said, smiling reassuringly. She returned the smile and then looked back to Miles. “Alright, how many do you want?” she asked. Miles pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. “Two medium, two large, just simple black if you can,” he said, handing her two twenties. She nodded. “Not a problem,” she turned to David again and leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, “I’ll be back in a few,” she said. “Okay,” he said and gave her hand a little squeeze before she stepped away. She started to walk off, but then stopped. “Oh, and Miles?” she said. “Hmm?” Miles asked. “Be nice,” she said, giving him a knowing look before turning round again. “You’re spoiling my fun, missy,” he called after her and she laughed as she headed for the store’s main doors. Once there she stepped out into the corridor and looked around for the belt stand. It wasn’t as noticeable as she had hoped and it took her a minute to find it, situated off to one side of the corridor in front of a camera store. She walked over to it and started looking over the belts. A lot of them had metal detailing so it took a few minutes to find simple straight black. She managed and got four belts in the desired sizes and then headed back into Nordstrom’s. She looked around for Miles and David and finally spotted them over in the men’s department presumably checking to see if there was anything worth getting there. She walked over and both guys looked up as she approached. “Here’s your belts, Miles. That stand wasn’t exactly where you said it would be,” she said, handing over a bag and the leftover change. “It was right outside the doors last time I was here,” Miles said, as he put the change in his wallet. “Well, they must’ve moved it since then,” Sundae said. David came up beside her and took hold of her hand bringing a smile to her face. She gave his hand a loving squeeze, but then Miles spoke up, spoiling the moment. “Okay, there’s a couple more stores I want to check out before we call it a day,” he said and lead the way to the store’s doors, the teens trailing behind him. Miles led the teens around the mall for almost another two hours, poking into a few other stores he liked. They finally left the mall around twelve forty-five and arrived back at the complex just after one. After being dropped off, the teens walked back to the suites hand in hand. They paused outside the one David and Jason shared and turned to each other. “Do you want to come in and have some lunch?” David asked as he pulled his key from his pocket. Sundae smiled. “Sure, that’d be nice,” she said. He smiled, too, as he unlocked and opened the door. As they stepped inside they were a little surprised to see two middle-aged men sitting on the sofa, talking. One Sundae recognized as David’s dad, but the other she didn’t know. “What are you guys doing here?” David asked them. His dad looked up and then stood up. “There you are. Where have you been? Dean’s been waiting almost an hour. You had us worried,” he said. “Miles Siggins took me shopping for performance clothes. I left a note,” David said. “Well I didn’t find one,” his dad said. David walked over to the kitchen counter and looked around finally picking up a slip of paper from under one of the barstools. “The fan must’ve blown it off the counter,” he said, handing the paper to his dad. He read it over and visibly relaxed. “I’m sorry I snapped, but you had me really worried. LA can be a dangerous city. I don’t want anything to happen to you,” he said. “I know, and I didn’t mean to worry you,” David said. “I know you didn’t,” his dad said, patting his shoulder. Sundae smiled as she watched the exchange. As David had said, his dad was actually pretty nice away from the studio. “I see it wasn’t just a guys’ morning out,” the other man suddenly said, nodding to her. David came over to her and gently took her hand, drawing her further into the room. “This is Sundae. Dae, this is my dad, Jeff, and that’s my vocal coach, Dean Kaelin,” he said. Sundae smiled, politely. “Nice to meet you both,” she said. “Likewise. Now I know where David’s mind goes when he’s not performing or studying,” Mr. Archuleta said. “Dad,” David said, blushing a little. His dad chuckled. “Relax, that’s all I’m going to say,” he said. David looked relieved and Sundae gave his hand a little squeeze. “Did Miles think to get you lunch?” his dad asked. “No. Lunch was the plan until we saw you guys here,” David said. His dad nodded. “Alright. Go eat and then it’s time for your voice lesson,” he said. David nodded and Dean then spoke up. “Sundae’s welcome to join you for that lesson if you want,” he said. Sundae looked over at him. “You’re sure I won’t be in the way?” she asked. “Not at all. I’ve heard you’ve got a great voice and I’d love to hear it,” Dean said. Sundae turned to David. “Is it okay with you? I can go otherwise,” she said. He nodded. “It’s okay. I’d love for you to stay,” he said, blushing a little again. She smiled and blushed slightly, too. “Alright, go eat. There’s sandwich makings in the kitchen,” his dad said. The teens nodded and headed for the kitchen. After a meal of ham and cheese sandwiches Sundae and David came back into the living room where Dean had set up a keyboard. As it was his lesson David spent about forty minutes working on his song choice for the week ‘When You Believe’ from the film ‘The Prince of Egypt’. Sundae was very familiar with the song and she loved David’s version of it. It was right in his vocal range and he sang it wonderfully. She smiled as he finished a second full run through of the song. “That’s sounding really good,” she said. “Are you familiar with this song?” Dean asked her. “I have eight younger siblings. I’m familiar with the song, the movie, the whole thing,” Sundae said. “Is it a favorite movie at your house?” David asked. She nodded. “Yeah, the little kids love it and I bet they’ll also love your version of that song. You sing it really well,” she said. He smiled. “Thanks,” he said. Dean smiled, too, at the scene. “What song did you pick for this week, Sundae?” he asked. “I picked ‘Whenever You Call’ but I don’t have the music with me. It’s in my bag over at Carly’s place,” she replied. “No worries. That one’s pretty popular. I’ve played it a few times before and I still remember it,” Dean said. Sundae shrugged. “Alright, why not?” she said. Dean nodded and started to play and Sundae started to sing.
Love wandered inside Stronger than you Stronger than I And now that it has begun We cannot turn back We can only turn into one Sundae’s gaze locked with David’s as she moved into the chorus of the song.
I won’t ever be too far away to feel you And I won’t hesitate at all Whenever you call And I’ll always remember The part of you so tender I’ll be the one to catch your fall Whenever you call She couldn’t help but smile when David joined her on the second verse of the song, singing a soft harmony to her melody.
And I’m truly inspired Finding my soul There in your eyes And you have opened my heart And lifted me inside By showing me yourself Undisguised
I won’t ever be too far away to feel you And I won’t hesitate at all Whenever you call And I’ll always remember The part of you so tender I’ll be the one to catch your fall Whenever you call The teens paused in their singing when they realized Dean had stopped playing. They turned to look at him and saw him watching them, a look of almost disbelief on his face. “Is something wrong?” Sundae asked. “I probably shouldn’t have started singing with you,” David said. Dean shook his head with a chuckle. “Nothing’s wrong and I’m glad you did start singing with her. That was the best vocal harmony I’ve ever heard,” he said. The teens traded looks. “You mean that?” David asked. Dean nodded. “Absolutely,” he looked to Mr. Archuleta, who was sitting on the sofa a few feet away, “You heard that, didn’t you Jeff?” he asked. Mr. Archuleta nodded. “I did and you’re absolutely right. That was terrific,” he said. The teens again looked to each other. “Wow, maybe my dad was on to something,” Sundae said. “Maybe,” David agreed. “Your dad heard you two sing?” Dean asked Sundae. She nodded. “We were hanging out at my house and he heard us singing together. He joked that he’d have to write a song for us,” she said. “I wouldn’t take that as a joke. You two should definitely consider recording together. You don’t get a sound like that every day,” Dean said. Sundae looked back to David and he smiled. “Maybe when ‘Idol’s over?” he said, a hint of hope in his tone. She smiled, too. “Yeah, maybe,” she said. Dean couldn’t help a grin. “Lets go through that again, and this time all the way through,” he said. The teens turned their attention to him again and he restarted the song. The lesson went on for another thirty minutes and then the teens were dismissed for the day. They hung out until almost four and then Sundae decided she’d better be getting home and called her brother to come get her. David walked her over to Carly’s suite so she could get her stuff and they then walked downstairs and out toward the parking lot. They were a few yards from the lot when Sundae suddenly paused in her stride. “Is something wrong?” David asked, turning toward her. She smiled. “No, there’s just something I’d like to do without prying eyes around to see,” she said, stepping closer to him. He caught on then and smiled as he slipped his arms around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he leaned in, their lips meeting. It was a few minutes before they finally pulled apart, both of them smiling. “Thanks for such a nice day,” Sundae said. “Thanks for joining me,” David replied. She smiled even more and tilted her head up again. Again they broke the kiss a few minutes later and this time they stepped apart, letting their hands twine together, and then continued on their way. When they reached the parking lot Sundae saw her brother waiting in his truck. She turned to David again and reached to hug him. He returned the hug happily. “I’ll call you later,” he said into her ear. “Okay, I’d like that,” she said. He surprised her with one more soft kiss as she pulled back and she beamed at him as she stepped away and went over to her brother’s truck. Jason grinned at her as she got in beside him. “You two are sure getting cozy,” he said as he put the truck in gear. “Don’t even start,” Sundae said, waving to David as Jason pulled out of the lot. “I’m not, I’m just saying I have trouble keeping a girlfriend for more than a month and here you’ve got your first serious relationship at fourteen,” he said. Sundae sighed. “Would everyone please stop saying that?” she muttered. “What? That you guys are serious? You’re more naïve with this stuff than I thought if you can’t see it, at least if the way you kiss him is any indication,” Jason said. “And how would you be aware of that? You a super spy or something?” Sundae wanted to know. “No, I just happened to catch sight of you two earlier,” he said. Sundae whirled to look at him. “You were spying,” she accused. Jason shook his head. “Again, no. I’d been sitting for a few minutes and I decided to make sure you were coming. I just happened to see you two on the walkway as I came around a corner. It wasn’t intentional, I swear. We may have had our differences, but I do respect your privacy,” he said. Sundae relaxed a little. “I appreciate hearing that, but you could’ve just texted me,” she said. “My phone needs charging, so that wasn’t really an option at that moment,” Jason said. “Oh,” Sundae said. She turned her attention to the passing scenery, her mind going over her brother’s comments. She also thought about how Syesha and some of the others agreed with him that she and David looked to be getting serious. With the evidence pointing in that direction, she was starting to think they might be right.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 20:53:09 GMT -5
Chapter 20 Two days later on Tuesday, that week’s competition got underway. Sundae knew Mariah Carey week would be interesting and she wasn’t disappointed. She knew all the songs that were being performed and she was curious to see what twists those who weren’t R&B or pop singers would put on them. She was thoroughly pleased with David’s performance and thought he laid down the gauntlet wonderfully for rest. As he was first to perform, they had the rest of the show together to hang out and watch the others’ performances. They were sitting together in the holding area watching the evening unfold, when Jason paused beside them on his way backstage. “Can I ask something?” he asked, turning to face them. “Sure,” Sundae said. Jason looked to David. “What’s with the leather pants? I didn’t think you were the type to go that route,” he said. Sundae glanced over at the black slacks that David wore and saw that the sheen in the material did make them look like leather in the right light. “These aren’t leather, they’re wool. They have a sheen to them,” David said. “They look like leather to me,” Jason said. Dave appeared then, heading for the stage for his turn. Jason turned to him as he walked up. “You’re going to have competition for the rocker look if this one’s trying leather,” he said, nodding to David as he spoke. He then sidestepped around Dave and continued on his way backstage. Dave watched him go and then turned to the teens. “Don’t mind him. All that sleeping affects his brain,” he said. Sundae and David giggled at that. “You think we’re just now figuring that out,” Sundae said. Dave nodded. “True. Well, wish me luck with this,” he said as he turned toward the stage. “Good luck,” David said and Dave nodded again as he strode out to the stage. The teens watched him take his place at center and start to play once Ryan introduced him. His song for the week was ‘Always Be My Baby’ and his rock ballad arrangement of it was interesting.
We were as one babe For a moment in time And it seemed everlasting That you would always be mine Now you want to be free So I’m letting you fly Cause I know in my heart babe Our love will never die, no “Interesting to hear this one as a slow song, huh?” Sundae said. David nodded. “Yeah, it is,” he took her hand in his and she turned to face him, “Do you wanna dance?” he asked, shyly. She smiled. “I’d like that,” she said. They then stood up and turned to each other, her arms going around his neck and his around her waist, as they started to sway back and forth to the music.
You’ll always be a part of me I’m part of you indefinitely Girl don’t you know you can’t escape me Ooh darling cause you’ll always be my baby And we’ll linger on Time can’t erase a feeling so strong No way you’re never gonna shake me Ooh darling cause you’ll always be my baby Sundae leaned her head on David’s shoulder, a happy smile on her face, as Dave moved into the home stretch with the song.
You’ll always be a part of me I’m part of you indefinitely Girl don’t you know you can’t escape me Ooh darling, cause you’ll always be my baby And we’ll linger on Time can’t erase a feeling so strong No way you’re never gonna shake me Ooh darling, cause you’ll always be my baby “Awww,” came two voices from behind the teens as the song came to an end. Sundae and David whirled around to see Syesha and Carly watching them. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to spoil the moment, you two just looked so sweet,” Carly said. “Thanks, but can you do us a favor and not sneak up on us?” Sundae said. “Oh, we didn’t mean to scare you,” Syesha said. “We know, but you did a little,” David said. Carly smiled. “It won’t happen again,” she said. She and Syesha then turned and went backstage and the teens sat back down to watch the rest of the performances. Sundae knew that the fewer the contestants the more interesting elimination nights would be and she was shown the correctness of that theory the very next night. She sat with the judges to watch the goings on and when Ryan made ready to start the reveals she wondered if he had any tricks up his sleeve. He quickly showed that he did. He called Jason out first, read off the judges’ remarks for his performance and then asked if he would start a group on the left hand side of the stage. Jason did as asked and Ryan then called Dave out. Ryan went through the same routine with him and then asked him to start a group on the right hand side of the stage. Sundae contemplated as she watched Dave move to the right side as asked. “What is he up to now?” she muttered, trying to read into Ryan’s gaze as he called out the next contestant. Randy heard her. “You know Ryan. It’s always something with him,” he said. “Unfortunately,” Sundae said. Randy patted her hand and she gave him a small smile as the proceedings continued. She wondered when David would be called out and with each contestant she got more nervous. Within a few minutes Ryan had assembled two groups, one on each side of the stage. Jason, Carly and Syesha were on the left and Dave, Kristy and Brooke were on the right. David was the only one not accounted for yet. Sundae eyed the scenario and suddenly it hit her. “Oh God, he is not pulling this again,” she said, smothering a giggle. “Pulling what?” Randy asked. Sundae giggled again. “I know what he’s up to and I’m going to kill him,” she said as she started to get up. Randy chuckled. “Wait til the commercials,” he said. “No worries there,” Sundae said, fishing under the table for her purse. As she picked it up she felt it vibrate and pulled out her cell phone. She flipped it open and saw that she had a text from David. It read, ‘Hey, any idea what’s going on?’ She smiled and quickly wrote back. ‘Tell you in a minute.’ She sent the message and flipped her phone shut, just as Ryan moved to stand center stage. “As you can see we have two groups of three. One person’s still backstage,” he gestured to the screen behind him which then showed David, still backstage, watching the action on a small monitor, “He’s probably wondering what is going on, but he’ll have to wait to find out. We’ll be back after this,” Ryan finished and the show then cut to commercial. Sundae set her purse on the table and stepped down from the platform. “I’ll be back,” she said and walked down past the mosh pit and up the steps on the right hand side of the stage. “Hey, where are you off to?” Dave asked as she passed him. “I’ve just got a little something to take care of,” she replied and headed backstage. As she came into the holding area she saw David just starting to sit down on the edge of a crate. He hopped up again as soon as he saw her. “Hey, what’s going on out there?” he asked. “Just one of Ryan’s tricks. He’s pulled this before,” Sundae replied as they sat down together. “When was that?” David asked. “Two seasons ago this same week. I’ll never forget it,” Sundae said. “Who was the lucky one in my position?” David asked. “Chris Daughtry,” Sundae replied. David looked a little surprised. “Wow. What did he do?” he asked. Sundae smiled. “Ryan called him out last, told him he was safe and then asked him to join the group he thought was the safe group. Chris wouldn’t take sides so he just crossed his arms and stayed put at center stage. I was impressed that he had the guts to do so,” she said. David seemed impressed, too. “Wow. You’re sure that’s what’s going on tonight?” he asked. “Positive,” Sundae said. “We’re back in one,” a crewmember suddenly called from behind them. “Are you gonna go back out?” David asked. “Mmm, I’ve got a better idea. How ‘bout we throw Ryan off his game?” Sundae suggested and then leaned over and whispered in his ear. He grinned at her idea. “That’d be good, but do you think it’ll work?” he asked. She smiled. “Absolutely, Ryan’s pretty easy to mess with,” she said. He chuckled lightly and then his gaze turned tender as he gently took her hand in his. “I’m really glad you’re here with me, Dae,” he said, his cheeks coloring slightly. Sundae smiled, her cheeks coloring, too. “The feeling’s mutual,” she said. At that moment the show’s theme music blared from the studio’s sound system, making the teens jump slightly. They got down off the crate and moved over to the monitor which switched on to show Ryan on stage again, the two groups back on their respective sides. Ryan got right back into things “Alright, back to business. To my left we have Syesha, Carly and Jason. To my right we have David, Kristy and Brooke. All we’re missing is David Archuleta,” the screen showed the teens watching the monitor, “David, come on out here,” Ryan said, beckoning for David to come join the party. He offered his arm to Sundae and she took it as they made their way out onto the stage. Ryan couldn’t help a grin as they walked up to him. “What were you doing back there?” he asked Sundae. “Nothing, we were just talking,” she replied in perfect innocence as she let go of David’s arm. Ryan eyed them for a moment and then turned back to the card he held. “Now David, you sang ‘When You Believe’ and the judges all liked it. Are you getting more comfortable performing on the big stage?” he asked. David nodded. “Yeah, it gets more comfortable with each week,” he said. “And you’re having fun?” Ryan asked. David nodded again a smile coming to his face this time. “Yeah I am. I’ve never been happier in my life, actually,” he said, earning a round of ‘Awwws’ from the crowd. Sundae smiled, too, and noticed the others were smiling as well. Even Ryan cracked a smile as he turned back to his card. “Well, as you know, America voted and David…you are safe,” he said and patted David on the shoulder. David smiled and looked almost relieved. Ryan then looked at the two groups, focusing his attention on those on the right of the stage. “Okay, I’ve got too many Cooks in the kitchen, David would you swap with Syesha,” he said. Dave stepped away from his group and Syesha stepped away from hers. They sidestepped by each other and over to their new groups. Ryan then faced the crowd again. “Two groups, one is safe, one is your bottom three,” he laid a hand on David’s shoulder, “David Archuleta is safe,” he paused for applause and then turned to face David, “David, would you join the group that you think is safe?” he asked simply. Sundae hid a smile, seeing things playing out exactly as she had predicted. David looked from one group to the other and then started to sit down where he was. “David…” Ryan started to say. “Can I just sit in the middle?” David asked, giggling nervously. Sundae came and sat beside him, giving him a reassuring squeeze. Ryan tried again. “David, if you were to get close to the group that is safe you’d have to come this way,” he said stepping over to Carly, Dave and Jason and trying to coax David to follow him. Carly tried to coax him over as well, beckoning to him and to Sundae, too. Ryan finally gave in. “And if you were to get close to the group that’s safe they’d have to come this way,” he said and led Carly, Dave and Jason over to the teens. Dave plopped down next to them without hesitation and Jason did the same. Only Carly, who wore a skirt, wasn’t able to sit. “Alright, alright hop up,” Ryan said urging them to their feet. David held his hand out to Sundae and she gave him a special smile as he helped her up. “These four contestants are safe, Andrew Lloyd Webber is the mentor next week. You all can have a seat on the couch,” Ryan said ushering Dave, Jason, Carly and David toward the safety couch. Sundae started to hang back and giggled when Carly playfully grabbed David by the shoulders. Dave reached out and pulled her along with them and, when they reached the couches, he ushered her to sit between him and David. Carly reached over and tapped her on the knee. “You knew what was going to happen, didn’t you?” she said. “Later, I promise,” Sundae said and turned her attention to Ryan again. The rest of the show went off without a hitch. Mariah performed her new single and then Ryan did the final reveal, announcing to some surprise, that Kristy had gotten the boot. The others were sad for her, but they all had the feeling Nashville was calling her name. After the lights dimmed for the night and the audience made their way out of the studio, Sundae made her way back down the judges’ table to get her stuff. Paula was gathering her own purse when she approached and smiled at her. “Hey, nice job keeping Ryan on his toes tonight,” she said as Sundae grabbed her purse and crop jacket. “Why whatever do you mean?” Sundae asked. Paula laughed. “You’ve been here long enough to know the trick he used tonight. You should know all his tricks by now,” she said. “You got me, but I wasn’t going to let David face that without fair warning. Besides, it is reality TV. It’s supposed to be unscripted,” she said. “A very valid point and you did a fine job of keeping it that way,” Paula said. Sundae smiled as she pulled on her jacket and picked up her purse. “Thanks, I’ll see you later,” she said. “Have a good night,” Paula said. Sundae smiled again and gave her a little wave and then turned and headed backstage. She found the ‘Idols’ milling around when she got there. “Hey all,” she said as walked up. “Hey, we all want to know what was up earlier. We saw how you played Ryan,” Carly said. Dave and Syesha nodded and Sundae laughed. “Well it wasn’t that hard. He pulled the scenario he used tonight two seasons ago,” she said. “Ah, so you remembered how it went and decided to warn a certain someone ahead of time,” Syesha said, smiling knowingly at David, who stood between her and Sundae. Both teens smiled at that and the others laughed. “Don’t even try denying it either. You two are way too obvious,” Dave said. “To us, at least,” Brooke added. Kristy then started to step away from the group. “Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have a laundry list of interviews ahead of me,” she said. Sundae quickly grabbed her purse. “True, but before you go I have stuff for all of you,” she said and brought out a small stack of envelopes from her purse and then started to hand them out. “What are these?” Brooke asked. “Open them and find out,” Sundae said as she finished handing out the envelopes. Jason got his open first. “Hey, a birthday bash, sounds cool,” he said. “Yeah it does. You know we’ll be there, Dae,” Syesha said. “I kinda thought you would,” Sundae said. The others all smiled and Kristy spoke up again. “I really do have to go now,” she said. She traded hugs with everyone and then gathered her stuff. “I’ll see you all soon and Dae, I’ll call you sometime this week and let you know about the party,” she said. Sundae nodded. “Okay, see you later,” Sundae said. Kristy waved and went on her way and the others headed toward the dressing rooms to change before going back to the apartments for the night. Sundae was just reaching her door when Syesha came up beside her and bent down to her ear. “Don’t think I didn’t notice that someone got a heart for the dot of the ‘i’ in his name on his invite,” she said. Sundae smiled, blushing a little. “You’re bad,” she said as she opened her door. Syesha giggled. “Like Dave said, ‘too obvious’,” she said and then turned and headed for the dressing rooms. Sundae went into hers and quickly changed and gathered her stuff together, since she knew her dad didn’t like to wait around too long. As she came back out into the hallway she saw David approaching her, his backpack slung over his shoulder. They had developed a ritual in the last few weeks of him meeting her at her room after the show and then walking out together. “Hey,” she said as she locked her door. “Hey, you ready to go?” he asked. “Yup, all set,” she said, taking hold of his hand. They then headed off down the hall toward the studio where her dad would be waiting for her. As they reached stage left they saw her dad milling around with a few other people. The teens paused on the side of the stage and turned toward each other. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sundae said. David smiled. “Definitely,” he said. Sundae gave his hand a little squeeze before starting to step away. “Oh wait, one more thing,” David suddenly said. Sundae turned back around just as he grabbed her hand again and pulled her just out of view of the people in the studio. “What’s up?” she asked. “Just something I forgot to do,” he said and slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her to him. She beamed, knowing what was coming and wrapped her arms around him as he leaned in. They were both beaming when they broke the kiss a few moments later. “Wow,” Sundae said. He blushed a little. “Your invite did say to RSVP,” he said, his blush deepening a little. Her smile grew brighter. “Glad to hear it,” she said. They shared one more soft kiss and she then stepped back. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said. He nodded. “Okay, night,” he said. “Night,” she said and then turned and went to find her dad to head home.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 20:54:11 GMT -5
Chapter 21 Some were a little nervous about working with renowned composer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber for the coming week, but for the most part everyone was excited at the prospect. As Lord Andrew was in Las Vegas working on a new edition of his most famous musical ‘Phantom Of The Opera’ Sundae and the ‘Idols’ flew there to meet him. They left Friday afternoon so the teens wouldn’t miss any school time and stayed the night at the MGM Grand before getting ready to meet Lord Andrew at a nearby theatre. They settled in two rooms, girls in one, boys in the other, and the afternoon of the meeting the girls were all jitters as they got ready. “I can’t believe we get work with the Andrew Lloyd Webber. He’s like a legend,” Syesha said as she worked on her make up. “Not ‘like’, he is a legend. My mom was sooo jealous when I told her he was the mentor this week,” Sundae said. “Is she a big fan?” Brooke asked. “A huge fan. She has the soundtracks to almost every musical he composed and she’s seen a lot of them. I was actually grateful for it since she was able to help me pick my song,” Sundae said. “What’d you pick?” Carly asked as she finished brushing her hair. “The theme from ‘Whistle Down the Wind’. It’s really pretty,” Sundae said. Carly nodded. “I was a little torn on choices, but hopefully I can manage ‘Evita’,” Brooke said. “That’s in your range, you’ll do fine,” Sundae said. “Madonna managed, didn’t she?” Syesha added. Brooke laughed. “Do I look like Madonna?” she asked rhetorically. The other three laughed. “Well actually…” Carly started to say. Brooke gave her a look and she cracked up even more. “What? You do look like her circa late ‘80s early ‘90s,” she said. “Whatever,” Brooke said, and turned back to her own makeup. Sundae was already finished with her makeup and she quickly finished her hair as well, twisting it up into a half ponytail. She was putting on a pair of hoop earrings when a knock was heard at the door. “That should be for me,” she said as she quickly snatched up her purse. The other girls giggled. “We don’t even have to ask,” Syesha said. Sundae giggled and headed for the door. “Wait, let me get out of sight first. I’m not done to my satisfaction,” Brooke said and ducked into the bathroom. As soon as she was out of sight, Sundae went and opened the door. She smiled to see David waiting for her. “Hey,” she said. “Hey, you ready to go?” he asked. She nodded. “Yup,” she glanced over at Syesha and Carly, “See you guys downstairs,” she said and then turned back to David, slipping her hand into his as they stepped out into the hall, and pulled the door closed. The teens then headed downstairs and, when they reached the lobby, they saw Jason flopped on one of the lounge sofas looking over some sheet music. “Hey, Jason,” Sundae said as they walked up. Jason looked up from his music. “Hey, you two ready to meet the king of Broadway?” he asked, as he sat up. The teens traded looks. “As we’ll ever be,” David said. Jason chuckled. “You guys will do fine. You have the voices for this stuff. Me, on the other hand, that’s another story,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll do alright if you pick the right song. You can also rearrange something like Dave does. He’s actually the one I’m betting will have trouble this week,” Sundae said. “He seemed pretty relaxed earlier,” Jason said. Sundae shrugged. “Hey, where is Dave, anyway? You guys went down ahead of me,” David said. Jason chuckled again. “He wanted to see a little more of what Vegas has to offer,” he said and nodded to something beyond them. The teens looked around and saw that he was nodding to the hotel’s casino. “Oh boy, I hope he was wearing a tracking device, or at least had his cell phone on him,” Sundae said. “My thoughts, too,” Jason said. Just then Carly, Syesha and Brooke walked up. “Hey guys,” Syesha said. “Hey,” Jason said and the teens nodded. “Where’s Dave?” Brooke asked. Jason, Sundae and David traded looks and then pointed to the casino. Carly sighed dramatically. “Oh God, you all stay put,” she said and then marched toward the casino. “I feel sorry for Dave when she finds him,” Syesha said. The others suppressed grins at that thought. A few minutes later Carly returned and the others laughed to see her dragging Dave by his ear. “Ow, ow, ow, ow,” Dave complained as they rejoined the group. Carly then let go of him and turned to collect her purse. “What was that for?” Dave muttered as he rubbed his ear. “You’re not exactly setting a good example by running off to check out the slots,” Carly said. “And since when am I expected to do so?” Dave wanted to know. “Since you’re the oldest of all of us and since the kids look up to you,” Carly pointed out. Dave sighed in defeat. At that point Nick, who was acting as driver and security man for the trip, appeared and ushered everyone out to the limo that awaited them. A half hour later they arrived at the theatre where Lord Andrew was working on his new production. Nick dropped them off out front and a guard at the main doors let them in and ushered them across the lobby and into the theatre. They were all amazed by the inside and looked around in awe as they made their way to the stage. The theatre was decorated to look like a real opera house with rows of plush, red velour seats, imperial boxes painted in gold and hung with gold fringed red draperies and a wide stage with footlights at its edge and a gleaming crystal chandelier hanging over it. “This is gorgeous,” Brooke commented. “I’ll say, wish I had a camera on my phone,” Syesha said. “I have one on mine,” Sundae said and fished her phone out of her purse. She flipped it on, set it to camera mode and snapped a picture of the theatre. “I want a copy of that,” Syesha said. “Check your email when we get back,” Sundae said as they stepped up onto the stage and went over to a piano that sat in the middle. The accompanist looked up as they walked up. “Good afternoon. His Lordship will be here shortly and he asked that we run through some warm up stuff so you’ll be ready to go when he arrives,” he said. Sundae and the ‘Idols’ nodded and the accompanist started to play some of Lord Andrew’s songs for them to warm up with. The man himself arrived a few minutes later as they were singing ‘Music Of The Night’ from ‘Phantom’. He was of moderate height with thinning gray hair and a jolly smile and he greeted everyone warmly. “It’s wonderful to meet you all and I hope you’re ready to work today,” he said. When everyone nodded he smiled even more. “Alright, I think we’ll do the ‘one at a time’ thing with the rest of you waiting in the wings. Work on your songs while you wait, however,” he said. Everyone nodded again and, after a moment’s debate, Syesha was chosen to go first while the others went to find places to sit backstage. Sundae and David sat together on a crate and brought out their sheet music. “What’d you end up picking?” Sundae asked. “’Think Of Me’ from ‘Phantom’,” David replied, showing her his music. “Ooh, bold choice,” she said, but then as she looked at the music she noticed he had rearranged the song from an aria into a pop ballad. “This is a nice arrangement,” she said. He smiled. “Thanks. What song did you pick?” he asked. She showed him her music for ‘Whistle Down the Wind’. “Yours looks nice, too. It’s definitely in your range,” he said. “Yeah, I’m doing a pop arrangement, too, a la Tina Arena so we’ll see how it goes,” she said. They then turned their attention to their own songs and were quiet for a while, going over them in their heads and mouthing the words. They’d been working for a little over an hour when Brooke came up to them. “Your turn now,” she said to David before reclaiming the chair she’d been using earlier. David turned to Sundae as he got his music in order. “Do you want to come with me?” he asked. She smiled. “Sure,” she said and gathered her music and her purse. She then took his hand and they got down off the crate and walked out onto the stage. Sundae wondered if Lord Andrew would object to the two of them coming out together, but he only smiled when he saw them. “I was told I might get you two together,” he said as he reached to shake hands. “Is that okay?” Sundae asked. “Perfectly alright. Which of you wants to go first?” Lord Andrew wanted to know. The teens traded looks. “I guess I will,” Sundae said and handed her music to the accompanist. She ran through her song once and was fairly pleased in the end. Lord Andrew liked it, too. “That was quite good. You have a remarkable voice,” he said. Sundae nodded respectfully. “Thank you, sir,” she said. Lord Andrew chuckled. “No formalities necessary,” he said with a jolly smile. Sundae smiled and that smile grew when she felt David squeeze her hand. “That was really good, Dae,” he said. “Thanks,” she said. She then reclaimed her music and David handed over an extra copy he’d brought of his. “And what song did you choose?” Lord Andrew asked him. “I picked ‘Think Of Me’,” David replied. “Hmm, this should be interesting,” Lord Andrew said. Both teens smiled and, when David gave him a nod, the accompanist started to play. Sundae closed her eyes as she listened to David sing. With the new arrangement the song definitely sounded like it could be played on Top 40 radio. Lord Andrew seemed to like it, too, and smiled again as David finished the run-through. “Well you’ve completely wrong-footed me. I never thought I’d hear ‘Think Of Me’ sung like that. That was very good. The arrangement suits you well,” he said. “Thank you,” David said. Lord Andrew nodded. “Just two pieces of advice I would give. The first is, open your eyes. And the second is, open your eyes,” he said, another jolly smile showing itself. The teens both giggled lightly at that. David did have a tendency to close his eyes when he sang, but Sundae couldn’t blame him for doing so, since she did the same thing when she got really into a song. “You’ve got to be able to communicate what your feeling in the song to your audience. I think the eyes have it, and that’s why people say that,” Lord Andrew said. Sundae nodded. “I agree. My parents taught me early on that the eyes are the window to one’s soul. If you feel what you’re singing inside you and you show it through your eyes then your audience will feel it, too,” she said. Lord Andrew smiled even more. “Very well said. Your parents taught you well,” he said. David nodded in agreement. “How ‘bout we run through that again and this time keep those eyes open,” Lord Andrew said to him. David nodded and the accompanist started to play again. Sundae again closed her eyes, listening to him sing.
Think of me Think of me fondly When we’ve said goodbye Remember me every so often Promise me you’ll try On that day, that not so distant day When you are far away and free If you ever find a moment Spare a thought for me Sundae was so entranced by his voice that she started singing a soft harmony without really knowing she was doing it.
Think of all the things We’ve shared and seen Don’t think about the way It might have been “Hold on just a moment,” Lord Andrew suddenly said, stopping the music and snapping Sundae back to the present. She looked over and saw Lord Andrew looking at her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to start singing. I just got a little lost in the song,” she said and blushed a little when she saw David smiling at her. “Nothing wrong with that,” Lord Andrew said. He eyed them a moment. “Come around here and stand next to David, please,” he said. “Is something wrong?” Sundae asked as she came around the piano to stand next to David. “No, not at all. In all my years in theatre I’ve never heard two voices blend in harmony as well as yours do and, if you’ll humor me, I’d like to try something,” he said. The teens nodded and Lord Andrew picked up the songbook for ‘Phantom’ off the piano, flipped through it to a specific song and then looked to the teens again. “I’d like to have you two try a duet, but I need you to trust me first. I’m going to try to get the ‘Idol’ people to let you perform this and we all need to be in agreement if it’s going to work,” he said. The teens traded looks and then turned to him and nodded. “We trust you,” David said and Sundae nodded. Lord Andrew smiled. “Wonderful. Now, here’s what I’m thinking about,” he said and showed them the songbook. They worked on the chosen song for a about twenty minutes and Lord Andrew then asked them to work on it on their own over the weekend and said he would set up extra practice time before the shows the next week.
The teens did as asked and made time to practice both Saturday and Sunday and they even went over the song over their lunch on Monday. They continued to work on their solo numbers as well and they felt their nerves building as show time drew nearer. Fortunately, competition night went smoothly and both teens got through their solos without any stumbles. Their duet was set for elimination night and Lord Andrew was waiting for them when they arrived at rehearsals after their morning classes. He took them to a private rehearsal room and worked with them on the duet for a little over an hour. It was sounding really good by that time and Lord Andrew was pleased. “I must say you’ve got me very excited for tonight. I can’t wait to see the audience reaction tonight,” he said as they finished a run-through. “It is sounding good,” Sundae said. David nodded. “Yeah, it is,” he agreed. Lord Andrew smiled. “It’s sounding better than good. Now, you know all the stage positions and choreography, right?” he asked. The teens nodded. “Yeah, we worked on it over the weekend,” Sundae said. “Good. We should probably be getting back now since you still need to rehearse the rest of the show,” Lord Andrew said. The teens nodded and gathered their things before leaving the rehearsal room and heading for the studio. The others were all there working when the teens arrived. Dave was the first to see them. “Where have you two been?” he started to say, but then Lord Andrew stepped in behind them, “Oh, they were with you. Never mind then,” he said and went back to what he’d been doing. Lord Andrew smiled and went to find a seat while Sundae and David moved to join the others on the stage. “Was he working with you two?” Syesha asked as Sundae tossed her purse on a chair. “Yeah, we’ve got a little something planned for tonight,” she said. “Oh, like what?” Jason wanted to know. Sundae looked to David and then they both looked to Lord Andrew, who nodded. They turned back to the others. “We’re going to do a duet,” David said. The others all lit up. “Oh wow, now that will be cool,” Syesha said. “Absolutely,” Carly said. “What’s the song?” Dave wanted to know. “That we can’t tell you. It’s supposed to be something of a surprise,” Sundae said. “Well, whatever you do, it’ll be awesome. I, for one, can’t wait to hear it,” Brooke said. The others nodded in agreement. It made the teens feel a little more confident having their friends’ support, but even so, as show time neared they felt the nerves come on. Sundae felt them big time when she was in her room putting on the finishing touches. She felt butterflies, which she usually never got, as she checked her self in the mirror. She looked beautiful in a light pink, knee-length halter dress with a darker pink under layer in the skirt. Her hair was brushed to a sheen and lightly curled with a red silk rosette pinned in on the left side of her head. Completing the look were strappy light red shoes. She stood for a moment and then took a deep breath and left her dressing room. She walked to the holding area on the right side of the stage and found the others milling around, waiting for the show to start. Carly, who was at the rear of the group, turned around when she heard her footsteps. “Wow, Dae, you look terrific. That must be some duet you’ve got planned,” she said. Sundae smiled and the others turned around. “Whoa, she’s not kidding,” Dave said. “You look great, Dae,” Brooke said. “Thanks,” Sundae said. Jason then stepped aside from where he stood and urged David forward from behind him. As with the night of the top twenty-four group number and the night of the ‘Idol Gives Back’ concert, when the teens saw each other the rest of the world faded away and they were all that existed. Sundae again nearly lost her breath when she saw how handsome David looked in black slacks and a black jacket with a pressed white shirt under it. She blushed a little under his gaze. “You look beautiful, Dae,” he said, gently taking hold of her hand. She blushed even more. “Thanks, you look great, too,” she said. “Why do I get the feeling that everything we said a minute ago is moot,” Dave said, breaking into the moment. Everyone giggled at that. One minute to airtime,” a crewmember called from behind them. The teens both took deep breaths and turned toward the stage entrance. “Good luck, you two,” Carly said. Sundae and David smiled at her and then turned their attention to their performance. “You ready for this?” David asked quietly. “As I’ll ever be. I usually never feel butterflies, but I do tonight,” Sundae replied. He squeezed her hand making her turn toward him. “We’re in this together,” he said and she beamed at him as the show’s opening theme began to play. Ryan came out on stage accompanied by Lord Andrew and when the music ended he got right down to business. “Tonight your results and night two of Andrew Lloyd Webber,” he turned to Lord Andrew, “We’d like to thank you for guidance this week. What was it like to work with the contestants?” he asked. “They’re a wonderfully talented group and I loved working with them,” Lord Andrew said. “I understand you have a special surprise planned to start things off tonight,” Ryan said. Sundae and David knew that was their cue and they stepped out on to the stage, keeping to the darkened background behind Ryan and Lord Andrew. They walked together as far as a Grand piano that was set up for their performance and then Sundae gave David’s hand another squeeze before walking to the other end of the stage and sitting on the lower row of the couches, her microphone in her lap. Lord Andrew’s response to Ryan’s statement caught her attention then. “Yes, I do. While I was mentoring everyone this week I discovered a wonderful vocal duo that has yet to be showcased here. I decided to try a little experiment and the result, as I hope you’ll agree, is amazing,” he said. Ryan nodded. “Well, I leave the stage in your capable hands,” he turned to the audience, “Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber,” he said gesturing to the composer before stepping off stage. Sundae heard Lord Andrew’s footsteps going over to the piano and a moment later the lilting opening chords of the duet began to play. The chosen song was Webber’s signature love song ‘All I Ask Of You’. Sundae started to feel butterflies again, but when David started to sing, the sound of his voice drowned out her fears.
No more talk of darkness Forget these wide-eyed fears I’m here nothing can harm you My words will warm and calm you Let me be your freedom Let daylight dry your tears I’m here with you beside you To guard you and to guide you Sundae took a deep breath as she lifted her microphone to her lips.
All I ask is every waking moment Turn my head with talk of summertime She rose and turned to face David, who had crossed the stage during his part.
Say you need me with you now and always Promise me that all you say is true That’s all I ask of you David gently took her hand in his as he sang the next part.
Let me be your shelter Let me be your light You’re safe no one will find you Your fears are far behind you Sundae started to walk toward center stage, leading David along, as she picked up the song.
All I want is freedom A world with no more night She turned toward him and smiled.
And you, always beside me To hold me and to hide me David gave her hand a squeeze.
Then say you’ll share with me One love one lifetime Let me lead you from your solitude Say you need me with you now and always Anywhere you go let me go, too Christine, that’s all I ask of you Sundae’s smile grew at his tender expression.
All I ask for is one love one lifetime Say the word and I will follow you Share each day with me Each night, each morning She blushed a little at the next line.
Say you love me They both blushed at his response.
You know I do She stepped closer to him, their fingers twining together and their voices blending in perfect harmony.
Love me that’s all I ask of you The song moved into its instrumental break and the teens gazed at each other, lost in the music and each other’s eyes. They lifted their hands, their palms together, and let their fingers twine together. They took deep breaths and lifted their mics and their voices, for the final part of the song.
Anywhere you go let me go, too The teens moved closer to each other, their gazes locking.
Love me that’s all I ask of you Their voices slowly softened as the music faded and Sundae blushed when David lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. For a moment the teens were lost in each other’s gazes, but then the sound of applause brought them back to reality. They turned and were quite surprised to see the entire audience on its feet, cheering their performance. They looked to the judges and were even more surprised at their reactions. Randy’s eyes gleamed with unshed tears, Paula was brushing tears from her cheeks and even Simon was smiling wistfully. All three had knowing expressions and the teens smiled as Ryan came up beside them. “I think I can safely say that everyone agrees with Lord Andrew’s earlier assessment. That was amazing,” he said. Still overwhelmed by the moment Sundae and David could only smile and wave to the crowd. After a few minutes they were finally able to make their way off the stage and when they came back into the holding area they were greeted by more applause from the their friends. “That was so beautiful, you guys,” Brooke said. “Seriously. I was gonna do that song this week, but I’m glad I did something different,” Carly said. “Thanks,” Sundae managed to say. At that moment a crewmember walked up to the group and spoke to Sundae and David. “You two had better change, we need to keep things moving,” she said. The teens nodded and turned toward each other as the crewmember went back to work. “I’ll see you in a few minutes,” Sundae said. David nodded and she stepped away and headed down the hall toward her dressing room. Her whole body was tingling after the last few minutes, a feeling she’d never had, but didn’t want to end. Fortunately for her, it stuck around for the rest of the evening. She sat with the judges to watch the rest of the show and whenever her gaze met David’s the tingle came back, rushing through her like electricity. She managed to keep her mind on track and it was a good thing she did. Much to everyone’s surprise, Carly was the one who got the boot that night. Sundae had thought she might be one of the ones to challenge for the top two or three. Carly surprised everyone even more, though, by not being upset about it. She said she was happy with how far she had managed to get and Simon assured her that she would be just fine in whatever she did after her obligations to ‘Idol’ were fulfilled. Sundae agreed with him completely on that. When the show wrapped for the night Sundae went back to her dressing room to change again and pack her bag. Dana would spending the night at her house that night so they could plan more for her birthday party that weekend and she wanted to be ready to go when her dad arrived to get her. She had finished changing and was packing her makeup bag when she heard a knock on her door. “Come in,” she called and a moment later Carly came in. “Hey, I’m sorry about tonight,” Sundae said to her. “Don’t be. I’m glad I got as far as I did and I know I’ll do alright,” Carly said. “I’m sure you will, too,” Sundae said. Carly smiled. “Anyway, the reason I came by is because I’m not sure now if I’ll make it to your party and I wanted to get your gift to you just in case,” she said and handed Sundae a small box. Sundae smiled as she opened it and that smile grew when she saw what was inside. “Wow, Car, these are gorgeous,” she said as she held up two different pairs of earrings, one a set of silver hoops and the other a sparkly gold and bronze beaded set. “I thought you’d like them,” Carly said. “I do. These gold and bronze ones match the dress I’m going to wear for the party perfectly,” Sundae said. “I’m glad. I’ll be figuring out my schedule in the next couple days and I’ll try to call you by Friday and let you know for sure about the party,” Carly said. “Alright, and even if you can’t make the party call me anyway and let me know how you’re doing,” Sundae said. “Okay. I’ll be moving to the hotel we stayed at during Hollywood week. You’re more than welcome to visit anytime,” Carly said. “Cool,” Sundae said. The two then shared a hug and Carly turned toward the door. “I’ll call you in a couple days,” she said. “Okay,” Sundae said. Carly then turned toward the door, but then paused again. “You’ve got more company,” she said to Sundae and then sidestepped her way out the door. As soon as she was gone David poked his head in. “Hey, come on in. I’m almost done,” Sundae said. “Quite a night tonight, huh?” David said as he came into the room and shut the door. “Yeah, it was,” Sundae agreed as she quickly put the last of her make up into its bag. “Can I ask you something?” David asked. “Sure,” Sundae said and turned to see him sitting on the edge of her sofa. He took a deep breath. “I don’t know if it was just me, but I had this tingly feeling all night…” he started to say. “You felt it, too?” she asked surprised, but pleased all the same. A smile came to his face. “Yeah,” he said. She moved over to the sofa and sat beside him. “I had it all night, too, and I kept wondering what it was,” she giggled softly, “A couple times I thought I was going crazy or something,” she said. He gently took hold of her hand. “It didn’t make much sense to me either, but it was amazing,” he said, his cheeks coloring a little. She blushed a little, too. “Yeah, it was,” she said as their gazes met. They slowly leaned toward each other and their lips met, softly at first and then deepening with a heat neither of them had ever felt before. They were both breathing a little heavily when they finally pulled apart. “I wanted to do that earlier, after we sang together,” he murmured, his breath warm on her lips. She smiled. “So did I,” she said, looking into his eyes. He smiled, too, and started to lean toward her again. Before they could kiss again Syesha came barging in. “Dae, are you almost done? We’re…” she started to say, but paused abruptly when she saw the teens together. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t know you both were in here. I’ll go,” she said and stepped out as quickly as she’d come in, pulling the door shut. The teens both giggled as she left. “I should finish packing so we can go,” Sundae said and stood up from the couch. “Do you need some help?” he asked, standing up as well. Her smile grew. “That’d be nice,” she said. He returned her smile wholeheartedly and they then turned their attention to the packing.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 20:54:46 GMT -5
Chapter 22 With the main portion of ‘Idol’ done for the week, Sundae turned her attention to the next most important thing on her list- her fifteenth birthday party that weekend. She was very excited for the event. Many of her friends from school were coming, as well as the ‘Idols’ including Carly, Kristy and even Ramiele who was back in town again. The party was Saturday night and that afternoon Sundae hung out with Dana in her room as they got ready together. “So, how many people from school are coming?” Dana asked as they worked on their makeup. “Only about twenty and most of those are our soccer teammates. I also invited Cara, Michelle, Josh…” Sundae was saying. “Whoa, whoa, back up. You invited Josh?” Dana blurted out, cutting her off. “Yeah, we’re still friends, and since Cara’s coming I kind of had to,” Sundae said. “Okay, I know we’re still new to the dating game, but you should know you don’t have your current and your ex in the same room,” Dana said. Sundae couldn’t help a laugh. Please D, Josh is hardly my ex. We only went to one dance together last year. It was just that platonic middle school stuff,” she said. Dana eyed her. “And what you have with David is different?” she asked. Sundae smiled. “It is. I didn’t really feel anything for Josh, it was just two kids hanging out. It’s more special with David. He’s so nice and sweet and fun to be with,” she said. “How’s the tonsil hockey?” Dana asked with a grin. “Dana!” Sundae exclaimed. “I’m kidding, chill out,” Dana said. Sundae giggled, but then smiled, thinking about spending time with David that night. “You’ve got it pretty bad for him, huh?” Dana said. “He’s amazing,” Sundae said, her smile growing. Dana giggled. “And again I ask, how’s the tonsil hockey?” she said. Sundae swatted at her playfully and they both laughed. “You are so bad,” Sundae said. “I know. So, what are you wearing tonight?” Dana asked as she put the finishing touches on her makeup. Sundae did the same and then got up and went over to her closet. She opened it and pulled out a garment bag, which she opened to reveal a spaghetti strap, velour, mini dress in brushed shades of gold and bronze. “Wow, that’s hot,” Dana said. Sundae grinned. “Isn’t it? I couldn’t believe it when I found it last weekend,” she said. “What shoes?” Dana asked. Sundae laid the garment bag over the back of her desk chair, went back into her closet and pulled out a pair of strappy gold shoes with a short heel. “Those are cool, too. You’re gonna be the belle of the ball,” Dana said. “As it’s my ball, that’s the point. Now, help me decide what to do with my hair,” Sundae said, setting her shoes aside and sitting back down at her desk. She and Dana continued their primping for the rest of the afternoon, trying out different hairstyles and accessories. At just after six thirty they were just finishing up when a knock was heard at the door. “Come in,” Sundae called and a moment later her mom poked her head in. “I thought you’d like to know your guests are starting to arrive. Wow, honey, you look beautiful,” she said. Sundae smiled. She had decided to leave her hair down and had brushed it until it hung soft and silky around her face, and she wore Carly’s earrings and two gold bangles to accessorize. “Thanks, I think we both managed just fine,” she said nodding to Dana who wore a black and white sleeveless dress with an empire waist. She’d borrowed a pair of Sundae’s hoop earrings, had her hair up in a twist, and wore black wedge heels to complete the look. “You both look wonderful, but you’d better get downstairs before your friends come looking,” her mom said. “We’ll be down in a sec,” Sundae said. Her mom nodded and left and Sundae grabbed her cell phone off her desk and flipped it open. “Calling someone?” Dana asked with a mischievous giggle. Sundae giggled, too. “No, just checking my texts and I’m glad I did,” she said. “Oh?” Dana asked. “Yeah, there’s a text here from Esha. They’re running a little late at rehearsals,” Sundae said as she flipped her phone shut again. “Awww,” Dana said. “They’ll be here,” Sundae said, setting her phone on her desk. She and Dana then turned and headed out the door and downstairs. They walked through the hall and into the living room where the party was being held. Several of their friends and soccer teammates were there along with some of Sundae’s siblings including her older sister, Snow and her oldest brother, Misty, who had come up from their respective colleges. Sundae was almost immediately the center of attention when her presence became known. Her friends and siblings all wanted to talk to her and she threw herself into mingling like a good hostess. She wasn’t surprised when some asked about the ‘Idols’. “You did invite them, right?” her soccer teammate Cassie asked her. “Yes, I did. They ran a little late at rehearsals plus they have to pick up a couple of the others on the way, but they’ll be here. No one is to ask any of them to sing, however,” Sundae said. “Don’t worry we know the rules,” Cassie assured her. That assurance did ease Sundae’s mind and she was able to relax a little more. She chatted with everyone and enjoyed the music being played on the stereo. She was getting a glass of punch when Josh came up to her. “Hey Dae, great party,” he said as he snagged a handful of pretzels from a bowl. “Thanks, glad you’re having fun,” Sundae said. “I also wanted to thank you for inviting me. I know we haven’t exactly talked much of late,” Josh said. “True, but we are still friends,” Sundae said. “I’m glad to hear that. I was actually hoping we might have another chance,” Josh said. Sundae eyed him for a moment. “What do you mean ‘another chance’, Josh?” she asked. “You know. Maybe we could go out, see a movie or something sometime?” Josh said. Sundae couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Josh, you know I have a boyfriend,” she said. Josh chuckled. “Right, the choir boy,” he shook his head, “you could so do better,” he muttered, chuckling a little more. He started to reach for more pretzels, but she stopped him, grabbing his wrist firmly. “Hey…” he started to say. “Don’t you ever talk like that about him again,” she said lowly, a look of near danger in her eyes. “Geez Dae, get a grip. I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said. She let go of his wrist. “You better not have, because if you can’t handle the fact that I’m seeing him, you can leave,” she said. She then picked up her glass and stepped away from the table. Not feeling like mingling at the moment she slipped out the sliding glass door and on to the back patio. She walked over to chair and sat down, still peeved at Josh for what he’d said. She couldn’t believe he had tried to hit on her. She thought he was happy dating Cara. She was mulling over that last when she heard the squeak of the door in it’s track and saw Dana and Cara come outside. “You okay, Dae?” Dana asked. “I’m annoyed more than anything. I can’t believe Josh would do that,” Sundae said. “We saw what happened. What did he say to get you so riled?” Cara wanted to know. Sundae sighed. “He told me I could do better than David,” she said. Dana and Cara gaped at her and Dana actually laughed. “You’re kidding, right?” she asked. “Nope,” Sundae said flatly. “I can’t believe he’d say that. Who is he kidding, for one? You’re the luckiest girl around,” Dana said. Sundae had to smile a little at that. “Josh has been acting weird lately, but I don’t get that either. Be assured I will be talking to him, though,” Cara said. “Thanks, Cara,” Sundae said. Cara nodded and traded looks with Dana. “You gonna be okay,” Dana asked. “Yeah, I just need a few minutes,” Sundae replied. “Take your time,” Cara said as she and Dana headed back inside. Sundae finished off the rest of her punch and then sat back, thinking. She didn’t get why Josh didn’t seem to want to except that she wasn’t interested in him anymore. “Why do the teen years have to be so complicated?” she muttered. “You have no idea how many times I’ve asked that question over the last few years,” said a female voice and Sundae looked up to see a young woman, a little older than her, with dark brown hair cut in a chin length bob. “Hey, Snow,” she said. “Hey, Dana said you were out here. Everything okay?” her sister asked as she came and sat beside her. “Well it was until Josh decided to be a jerk and try to hit on me,” Sundae said. “But you guys broke up a while ago,” Snow said. “We were never really even together. He doesn’t get that I’ve moved on and don’t like him in that way anymore,” Sundae said. Snow smiled. “Well, guys can be pretty dense. There was a guy in one of my classes last quarter who didn’t get that I’m in a relationship and not looking for any changes. He kept at it until Michael threatened to have him arrested for harassment,” she said. Sundae laughed. “Wow, I’ll bet that worked. How is Michael anyway?” she asked. “I certainly have no complaints,” Snow said and held up her left hand to show off a diamond solitaire. Sundae gaped. “Oh my gosh, Snow! Are you serious?” she asked. Snow grinned and nodded and Sundae squealed and hugged her. “Congratulations! Have you told mom and dad yet?” she asked. “Not yet. Don’t squeal to them either. We’re coming for dinner tomorrow and we’ll tell them then,” Snow said. Sundae nodded. “Okay. This is so exciting. I can’t wait to go dress shopping and such,” she said. “Me either. Let me know what the tour dates are for this year and we’ll set a date for it,” Snow said. “You got it,” Sundae said. “So, speaking of guys, I hear this year’s ‘Idol’ has been pretty interesting,” Snow said with a knowing smile. Sundae blushed a little. “It’s been amazing,” she said, unable to control her smile. “What’s he like?” Snow asked. “He’s so sweet. You know how I’ve said that some of my friends only like me because of ‘Idol’?” Sundae said. Snow nodded. “It’s not like that with David. We’ve got so much in common and have so much fun together. And I can talk with him about anything under the sun. I’ve never been able to do that with a guy before,” Sundae said. Snow smiled. “Sounds like you’re really happy,” she said. “I am. You might think I’m nuts, but I’m never happier than when I’m with David. I get this rush of energy when we’re together and I always feel a spark when we touch and I get this tingly feeling all over when we’re close together. He even said he feels it, too,” Sundae said. Snow smiled and shook her head in seeming amazement. “Wow, Dae. I knew you’d go through this at some point, but I didn’t think it would be at the same age I was when I went through it,” she said. “What do you mean?” Sundae asked. Snow turned to face her, looking her in the eyes. “What you’re feeling with David is what I felt when I realized I was falling in love with Michael,” she said. Sundae’s eyes went wide with surprise and for a moment she couldn’t breathe. “F-falling in love?” she gasped out. Snow nodded. “Mmmhmm, it’s exactly what I felt. I watched you guys perform your duet this week and the way you were looking at each other…it’s the way Michael and I look at each other,” she said. Sundae mulled that one over. “Wow. I compared us to you and Michael once, mostly to keep the tweebs at bay,” she giggled softly, “I had no idea how true it would end up being,” she said. Snow hugged her. “I’m happy for you, Dae. Your first love is something you never forget,” she said. Sundae smiled even more, knowing she was right. “Think you can come back in now?” Snow asked after a moment. Sundae nodded. “Yeah, I think so,” she said, but as they stood up they suddenly heard music coming from somewhere other than the living room. What distinguished it even more was that it was piano music rather than the radio or a CD. Snow rolled her eyes. “That better not be Misty. Dad told him no practicing tonight,” she said. Sundae was about to respond when she heard a very familiar voice start to sing with the piano music.
Look into my eyes- you will see What you mean to me “That’s not Misty. Tell Dad I’ll be a couple more minutes,” she said and then headed off down the walkway toward the music room. Like the living room the music room had a glass door, this one a set of French doors, and Sundae saw that they were open as she approached them.
Search your heart- search your soul And when you find me there you’ll search no more When she reached the doors Sundae peeked inside and a bright smile came to her face. David was perched on the piano bench playing another of her favorite Bryan Adams songs.
Don’t tell me it’s not worth tryin’ for Don’t tell me it’s not worth dyin’ for Sundae quietly stepped into the room and softly joined him on the last two lines of the chorus.
You know it’s true Everything I do- I do it for you David looked up then, hearing her soft harmony, a bright smile of his own showing itself. “Hey,” he said. “Hey, that was beautiful,” Sundae said as she walked over and sat down next to him on the piano bench. He nodded a little shyly. “Thanks. You look amazing,” he said. She blushed lightly. “Thanks, you look great, too,” she said. He wore what he’d usually wear for performance nights- jeans and a tee shirt with a jacket over it. “Thanks,” his cheeks colored slightly as he reached for something on the bench behind him, “I have something for you,” he said and brought out a card and small box and held them out to her. She smiled. “You didn’t have to. Just you being here is enough for me,” she said as she took hold of the card and box. “I wanted to. Happy Birthday, Dae,” he said. She beamed at and turned to the little tokens he’d given her. She opened the card first, smiling at the picture of a single pink rose and blushing a little as she read the message. Then she turned to the box and gently undid the ribbon holding it closed. She carefully lifted the lid and her eyes went wide. Nestled on a bed of soft cotton was a swirly gold heart on a gold chain. “Wow, this is beautiful,” she said as she lifted the necklace out of the box. “I’m glad you like it. I found it at the mall that day we went shopping with Miles,” David said. Sundae had to smile at that. “So, that’s why he sent me off on that goose chase for belts,” her expression softened as she gazed into his eyes, “I’m glad he did, though. This is the most amazing gift I’ve ever gotten. Thank you so much,” she said and reached to hug him. “You’re welcome,” he said, returning her hug wholeheartedly. They pulled apart after a moment and Sundae started to fiddle with the clasp of the necklace. “Would you help me put it on?” she asked. “Sure,” David said. She handed him the necklace and moved her hair aside and he gently fastened it around her neck. She let her hair fall back as he finished and, as his hand lowered, his finger tips lightly brushed her arm bringing the tingly feeling back again. She let her gaze meet his and the feeling got stronger. She blushed after a moment. “We should probably head back to the party before they start searching,” she said. “Yeah, maybe,” David agreed as they stood up from the bench. “Come on, it’s faster if we cut through the yard,” Sundae said, taking hold of his hand. They went out the glass doors and started walking along the walkway, back toward the living room. “So, I know the actual day’s not til Monday, but how’s it feel to be fifteen?” David asked as they walked along. “It’s cool so far. I’ll still have to give it a couple weeks, but it’s definitely starting out great,” Sundae replied, squeezing his hand. He smiled. “My mom told me fifteen’s a pretty important birthday where she’s from,” he said. “Oh, how so?” she asked. “She said they call it a quinceanera. It’s supposed to mark coming of age,” he replied. “Oh yeah, I remember reading about that in school when I was younger. Dana and I used to dream of having parties like that,” Sundae said. “My sisters did, too, not that I blame them. Mom made those parties sound like a fantasy,” David said. Sundae smiled. “Yeah, they sounded that way to me, too. I remember reading that there’s more to the quinceanera than the party, though, but it’s been a while since I read it,” she said. “Coming of age is the big thing. Mom said that after her quinceanera a girl was of age for courtship and marriage,” he said. “Wow, well we’d better not let my dad hear about that one,” Sundae said with a giggle. David giggled lightly, too. “Yeah, he might not be too keen on that, huh?” he said. “More than likely. He’s cool with us, though,” she said, squeezing his hand again. He smiled at that and she leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked. As they reached the patio they heard music blaring out from the living room and into the night. “It’s times like this I’m glad we don’t have any immediate neighbors,” Sundae said. David nodded. “Yeah, I can definitely see the perks there,” he turned toward her, “Why did you sneak away from your party? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, I was just wondering,” he said. “It’s okay. It was just Josh being a jerk,” Sundae said. “Josh?” David asked. “I really only invited him for Cara, but he came up to me and started hitting on me. It just got me steamed,” she said. He looked thoughtful for a moment. “You’re a beautiful girl, Dae. It’s only natural that guys would be interested in you,” he said. She smiled and turned toward him, taking hold of his hands. “Remember when you set up that little dessert picnic by the pool for me?” she asked. He nodded. “Remember what you said to me that night?” she asked. “I told you that you were the only one I wanted to be with,” he said, blushing lightly. She looked into his eyes. “That’s how I feel about you. I don’t even want to think of looking at anybody else…not when I have the greatest guy in the world,” she said. His blush deepened. “I don’t know about that,” he said. She gently squeezed his hand again causing him to look up at her. “You are to me,” she said, gazing into his eyes. His expression turned tender as he gazed back. He stepped closer to her and she felt the tingling stronger still when he gently slid his hand behind her head. He then leaned in and she let her arms go around his waist as their lips met. They broke the kiss after a few minutes and she gazed up at him with a smile. “Wow, that was a nice present, too,” she said. He smiled, too, hugging her gently. They both would’ve liked the moment to last a little longer, but they weren’t so lucky. “There you two are,” a guy’s voice said and they turned to see her brother, Jason, watching them from the sliding door. “They’re out here, Dad,” he yelled into the living room. “Must you broadcast?” Sundae asked, giving him a look. “Dad was about to start a search party,” Jason said. Sundae rolled her eyes as she and David walked over to the door. “We were just about to come in,” she said. “Right, that’s really what it looked like,” Jason said sarcastically as he went back inside. Sundae sighed. “I am so going to kill him later,” she said. David gently squeezed her hand. “It’ll be okay,” he said. She couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah,” she said. They then turned and stepped back inside to rejoin the party.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 20:56:19 GMT -5
Chapter 23 After the fun of the weekend, Sundae refocused her attention on ‘Idol’. The mentor for top five week was Neil Diamond and, making things more difficult, the contestants had to learn not one, but two songs. Sundae wasn’t too familiar with Neil’s catalog and when David beat her to the punch on the two songs she did know, ‘America’ and ‘Sweet Caroline’, she opted to skip her opening number for the week. Fortunately, enough chaos ensued during performance night to keep her occupied. First off, there was a change in the judging procedure so that the judges would give critiques after the second performance and then during the show the producers changed things again telling the judges they would critique everyone together after all of the first performances and individually after each of the second ones. This threw the judges off enough that, during the group critique, Paula made a mistake and critiqued both of Jason’s performances based on her notes from rehearsal instead of just critiquing the one he had just done. Sundae knew the audience picked up on the gaffe even with Ryan trying to soften things by joking that Paula was ‘seeing the future’. Thankfully, it didn’t affect the rest of the performances. The next night Sundae noted that the gaffe was still echoing around in people’s minds, but she was too excited to really focus much on it. One of that night’s guest performers was one of her current favorite singers, Natasha Bedingfield, and she was psyched to get to see her live. She was walking along the corridors backstage, on her way to meet up with the ‘Idols’ in the holding area, when she spotted Ryan talking with a tall blonde who she knew was Natasha. She thought a minute about asking for an autograph, but decided against it, feeling that it wouldn’t be fair to David, whom she knew, was a huge fan of Natasha’s. She started walk on, but Ryan spotted her. “Hey Dae, come here a minute,” he said. Sundae turned and walked over to them, taking a deep breath to quell her nerves. “Hi,” she said, as she walked up. “Hi there. I understand you’re the resident diva here,” Natasha said. Sundae giggled. “You can say that, I guess,” she said. “You guess?” Ryan asked with a raised eyebrow. “Would you mind not starting?” Sundae asked, giving him a look. Natasha laughed lightly. “Come on,” she said leading Sundae away from Ryan, “Let’s walk and talk.” They stepped away and strolled off down the corridor. “So, I hear you’re a big fan of mine,” Natasha said. “Yeah, hugely. I absolutely love your music. Your new one is so cool,” Sundae said. Natasha smiled. “Well, thank you. I also heard you had a birthday this week,” she said. “Yup, on Monday, I turned fifteen,” Sundae replied. “I thought so, so I thought to come prepared,” Natasha said and fished a CD out of the purse she carried and handed it to Sundae. She lit up as she looked at it. “Wow, the import version of your CD, awesome. Do you mind if I make a copy of it?” she asked. “Not at all. You have a friend who’s a fan, too?” Natasha asked. “It’s for my boyfriend, David. He’s as huge a fan as I am. ‘Unwritten’ is like one of our theme songs,” Sundae said. Natasha smiled almost knowingly. “If he’s who I’m thinking he is then you’re a lucky girl. He’s adorable,” she said and nodded to something down the hall. Sundae followed her gaze and saw the ‘Idols’ milling around in the holding area a few yards away from them. Natasha was looking at David, who was sitting on a crate going over that night’s group number. Sundae smiled, a light blush creeping up on her cheeks. “Yeah, he is. He’s so sweet, too,” she said and started to fiddle with her heart necklace. Natasha noticed. “He gave that to you?” she asked. “Yeah for my birthday,” Sundae replied. “He must really like you,” Natasha said. Sundae blushed even more. “I like him a lot, too,” she said. Natasha smiled and patted her shoulder. “Would you like your CD autographed?” she asked, gently changing the subject. “Sure, I’d love that. I almost asked for one earlier when I saw you talking to Ryan, but I kind of thought it would be unfair to David if I got one and he didn’t,” she said as Natasha took the CD and scribbled an autograph on it with a sharpie. She smiled as she did so. “Well, I’ve got a little surprise in mind for later that I think he’ll like,” she said as she finished the autograph and handed the CD back. “That’s sweet of you, thank you,” Sundae said. “One minute to air time!” a crewmember called as he shuffled past them. “I’d better go warm up for my number,” Natasha said. “And I’d better get to my seat before Simon gets mad. Thanks so much for the CD,” Sundae said. “You’re welcome. Have a good show,” Natasha said. “You, too,” Sundae said. She then hurried to get to her seat at the judges’ table before the show started. Sundae wondered what Natasha had in mind when she said she had a surprise for later, but since she needed to focus on the show, she couldn’t really think about it. She sat with the judges while Ryan went through the paces. When he came to the start of the elimination she got a little nervous, but she quickly calmed down when it was quickly revealed that the guys were all safe and the girls were the ones on the line that night. The show then cut to commercial and the girls joined the guys on the sofa for Natasha’s performance, which was to immediately follow the break. Ryan came down from the stage and walked over to the judges’ table. “Hey Dae, you wanna watch the show from the couch?” he asked as he walked up. “Seriously?” Sundae asked. “Yeah sure, since your such a big Natasha fan. Consider it my birthday gift to you,” he said. Sundae smiled. “Thanks, you’re awfully nice tonight,” she said as she got up from her seat. “Aren’t I always nice?” Ryan asked. Sundae looked at him and then glanced at the judges. “Do I have to answer that?” she asked. “No, you don’t,” Simon said around chuckles from Paula and Randy. Sundae laughed, too, and headed up the stage steps and over to the couch. The ‘Idols’ all smiled in greeting and Brooke, Dave and Syesha all slid over to make room for her to sit next to David. He smiled, taking hold of her hand, as she sat down. “Hey,” he said. “Hey, having fun tonight?” Sundae asked. “Yeah. I still can’t believe we get to see Natasha Bedingfield tonight,” he said. “I know. Kind of like our birthdays and Christmas rolled into one, huh?” she said. “Completely,” David agreed. “You two are big fans, huh?” Brooke asked. The teens nodded almost eagerly drawing chuckles from the others. Before anything more could be said, Ryan came up and joined them and the commercial break ended. Ryan introduced Natasha who then performed her new hit ‘Pocketful Of Sunshine’. She got the crowd into it right away and had them clapping along throughout the song. When she finished Ryan came down from the sofas and talked to her for a few minutes. As she watched them, Sundae started to wonder again about the surprise. As Ryan and Natasha traded pecks on the cheeks she thought it might’ve been forgotten, but then, as Ryan came back over the couches Natasha came up beside him and spoke to him again. He nodded in response to what she said. “Oh sure, go say ‘hi’,” he said and Natasha turned and stepped up to the top row of couches. She made her way over to the teens and Sundae slid over to make room for her. Natasha sat down between the teens and then turned to David and gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek. He blushed and giggled nervously and Sundae beamed, unable to help a little giggle of her own. Natasha shook hands with the other ‘Idols’ and gave Sundae a half hug and then hugged David again before getting up and making her way back down the steps. She gave Ryan one more peck on the cheek and then headed back stage. Sundae slid back over, reclaiming her spot and Jason leaned over to David. “How come you get all the girls, huh?” he joked playfully. Dave leaned over as well, hearing him. “You know, I’ve been wondering that, too,” he said. Everyone laughed at that and Ryan then coughed, getting their attention for the next order of business. That was the weekly question and answer session. Viewers could call in or email with questions for the ‘Idols’ and even for Randy, Paula and Simon. That evening a very interesting call came in. A woman from England called in and asked Simon what he enjoyed more; his famed kiss with Paula which had been filmed as a joke segment a few seasons earlier or his kiss with her at the bottom of his garden in England as a child. The woman had been Simon’s first kiss! This surprised everyone and quickly became the talk of the evening. Sundae and the ‘Idols’ were still talking about after the show ended. “That was some q and a tonight, wasn’t it?” David said as he and Sundae walked along back stage after the show. “Absolutely. I still can’t get over that woman calling for Simon. I think that’ll be the talk of the season,” Sundae agreed. He nodded. “Yeah, probably,” he said as they walked up to her dressing room door. They paused beside it and turned toward each other. “So, I’ll see you in a few minutes,” Sundae said. “Sure,” David said. She gazed at him for a moment. “Is something on your mind?” she asked seeing the thoughtful expression in his eyes. He shook his head. “I’m okay,” he said. She quickly glanced around and, not seeing anyone, she leaned up and kissed him softly. They were both smiling when she pulled back. “I’ll see you in a few minutes,” she said. “Okay,” he agreed and she then turned and went into her room to change and pack up for the evening. She was ready fifteen minutes later and he was there to meet her when she came out of her room. When they rendezvoused with the others Brooke, who had been bumped that week, was saying her goodbyes. She turned to the teens as they walked up and gave them each a hug. “You two be good, okay?” she said. The teens both smiled. “We will. You’ll call us when you’re settled?” Sundae asked. “Absolutely. I’ll be at the same hotel where the others are so we’ll still be in touch and you know I’ll see you at the finale,” Brooke said. “Definitely,” Sundae said and David nodded in agreement. Brooke smiled and then turned and grabbed her bag. “I’ll see you all soon,” she said and then headed off with one more wave. “So, I guess that leaves us to prepare for next week,” Jason remarked once Brooke was gone. “Yeah, what’s the theme again?” Syesha asked. “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” Sundae replied. “Oooh, fun stuff,” Dave said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “Maybe for you,” Jason said as the group started to head down the hall toward the studio exit. “Relax dreadhead. Bob Marley’s in there somewhere,” Dave said. Jason got excited at that. “Marley? Are you serious? Oh yes, this is so gonna rock,” he said, raising his arms into the air in delight. The others laughed at the scene. “You had to get him started, didn’t you?” Sundae said, lightly whacking Dave on the arm. “Hey, I didn’t know, I swear,” Dave said. “Well, if he doesn’t stop I blame you,” David said. “That makes two of us,” Syesha agreed. By this time they were in the last part of the hallway before the doors they always went out of and as they reached them they ran into Ryan, who was also on his way out. “Hey, Ry,” Sundae said as the group approached him. “Oh hey. You all excited for your trip?” Ryan asked. “What trip?” Jason asked, settling down long enough to get curious. “To Vegas. I’m surprised you don’t know. You all get to go for a day for a Cirque Du Soleil performance,” Ryan said. Sundae and the ‘Idols’ were all pleased with this news. “Oooh, vacation day,” Syesha said. “Yeah, and this time I’m bringing my money,” Dave said. “You better not spend it all in one place,” Jason said as the group turned toward the doors. “Don’t worry I know my limits,” Dave said as they headed out to where their ride to the apartments was waiting. Sundae gave a quick wave to Ryan as they left, but even she had to admit she was excited for the trip.
The trip to Las Vegas was scheduled for Saturday so that the teens wouldn’t miss school and bright and early Saturday morning Sundae and the ‘Idols’ flew out in the studio’s private jet. They were met, upon arrival at the Vegas airport, by security officials who whisked them off to the Mirage hotel where they would be staying. They were again situated in two rooms; guys in one, girls in the other, and activities besides the Cirque show had already been planned. One of the Mirage’s biggest attractions was its dolphin habitat and Sundae and the ‘Idols’ were invited to visit it and meet the dolphins. After they’d settled into their rooms they regrouped in the lobby and were greeted by an employee of the hotel, a man in his thirties with dish blonde hair. “Good afternoon. My name is Peter and I’ll be your guide for your visit to the dolphins. Are you enjoying your stay here thus far?” he asked. “Yeah, this is a nice hotel,” Dave said. Peter nodded. “I’ll pass on the compliments. Now, if you’ll follow me, we’ll go visit our finned friends,” he said and led the way through the lobby toward the back of the hotel. They went down a couple corridors and soon were approaching a set of double doors. Looking through the small windows in the doors, they could see a large aquarium outside. Peter turned to face the group. “I’ll ask you to leave your shoes here and those of you with long pants will want to roll them up, unless you don’t mind getting wet,” he said. “We’ll leave the shoes here, thanks,” Syesha said. The group then kicked off their shoes and stacked them neatly in a pile. David was the only one with long pants and he rolled his jeans up to just above his ankles. Peter then led the way outside where they were greeted by the dolphin trainers. The trainers had the four dolphins perform a trick, leaping as one into the air and diving back into the water, as an introduction. The dolphins then swam up onto platforms that were built into their tank and raised their heads and tails in greeting. Peter turned to Sundae and the ‘Idols’. “You all can go say hello if you like. They want to meet you,” he said. The group didn’t have to be told twice and went over to the platforms to meet the dolphins. Sundae and David walked up to one dolphin together and it squawked a hello to them as they reached to pet it. “Hi to you, too,” Sundae said as she and David gently petted the dolphin. “This is so wild,” David said. “Tell me about it. Dolphins have always been one my favorite animals. I used to dream of swimming with them when I was a kid,” Sundae said. “Now that would be cool,” David said. Sundae smiled and then looked down at the dolphin. She leaned a little closer to look at its eyes, but it then took a breath spraying a blast of mist from the air hole on top of its head and spritzing Sundae. “Oh, I so did not need that,” Sundae said, pushing back her now damp hair. She looked over at David when she heard him giggling. “Not funny,” she said, but couldn’t help a giggle herself. The dolphin seemed content to play with them and slapped its tail in the water, splashing them both. The teens laughed as the dolphin continued to slap and splash. “Oh, this guy wants a water war,” David said as they stepped back to avoid more splashing. Sundae nodded. “Seems like it,” she looked to the dolphin, “It’s not nice to splash your guests, you know,” she said. She and David tried to approach the dolphin again, but it again slapped its tail and tried to splash them again. They jumped back again, laughing. “Mako, no splashing,” a female voice said and the teens turned to see one of the trainers watching them. “He’s not supposed to splash, but he does it to be a pain,” she said. “It’s okay. We’re actually having fun,” Sundae said. The trainer smiled. “Mako also loves to give and get kisses. Why don’t you try that?” she suggested. The teens traded looks and Sundae stepped over the dolphin again. She bent down and kissed the animal on the head, giggling as she stepped back. “Wow that’s wet,” she said. David then stepped over for his turn. He was hesitant at first, but then bent down and planted a quick kiss on the dolphin’s head. He giggled as he stood back up and stepped back over to Sundae. “Pretty wet, huh?” she said. “I’ll say,” he said, giggling again. The group hung around with the dolphins for about ten more minutes and then waved goodbye and followed Peter back inside. They paused to get their shoes and Syesha, Dave and Jason then noticed how wet the teens had gotten in their fun. “Okay, we should’ve had a ‘no playing in the water’ rule. You two are soaked,” Dave said, looking them over. “Hey, the dolphin started it,” Sundae said. Dave chuckled. “Sure blame the dolphin since it’s already wet,” he said. “It’s the truth,” David said as he finished retying his shoes. Syesha laughed lightly. “We believe you, but you’re both gonna have to clean up big time before we go to Cirque tonight,” she said. “We know,” Sundae said. Peter then came up to them. “Actually, you’ll all get a chance to spruce up for the evening. An appointment’s been set up for you at our spa and salon,” he said. Sundae’s and Syesha’s eyes lit up at that. “Oooh, manipedi here I come,” Syesha said. “I heard that. We could even get our hair done, too,” Sundae added. “Here we go. Makeovers 101,” Dave said dryly as the group started off down the hall. Syesha looked over her shoulder at him and Jason and David. “You know you’ll have fun, too,” she said. She then turned back to Sundae and they went back to discussing which treatments they’d get if they had time. The spa appointment was scheduled for four-thirty that afternoon to leave time to get to the show afterward. Sundae and the ‘Idols’ got to relax in their rooms for a little while and, at four-fifteen, they headed down to the spa bringing along their chosen outfits for the night so they could change when they were done with their treatments. Sundae and Syesha did decide to get their nails done as well as their hair so they went off to the manicure and pedicure stations while the guys went for haircuts. “You getting French or regular?” Syesha asked as she and Sundae looked over the nail color choices. “Regular. French is way too hard to maintain,” Sundae replied as she picked up a light pink. “Oooh, that’s pretty,” Syesha said, noticing. “Yeah, I like light colors, but every so often I’ll go with something darker,” Sundae said. “I was taught to go with colors that go with a lot of stuff in your wardrobe. That way you’re not searching for the one top that matches and realizing you don’t have it,” Syesha said. “I’ve been there before. I got this really pretty copper once on my toes, but then realized I had nothing that went with it. That taught me not to pick a color just because it’s pretty,” Sundae said. She then spotted a glossy pale pink and picked it up. “Oooh, I like that, too,” Syesha said, reaching for the small bottle. “Pick your own,” Sundae said, giggling as she pulled the bottle away from Syesha and moved over to a chair. Syesha quickly picked a champagne gold and joined her. “So, what are you wearing tonight?” Sundae asked as she started perusing a magazine. “I’ve got a great dress. It’s light olive green with an empire waist and a silk ribbon and a ruffled skirt. It’s so cute. And then I got strappy shoes that’ll show off my pedicure. What about you? What are you gonna wow your Romeo with tonight?” Syesha asked. Sundae giggled. “It’s one I’ve worn before, but not recently. I was actually surprised I could still wear it since I’m sure I’ve grown since I got it. It’s a black velvet spaghetti strap and I got open toed pumps to go with it,” Sundae said. “Oooh, glad I brought my camera. The reaction will be a Kodak moment,” Syesha said. Sundae laughed. “You’re bad,” she said. Syesha laughed, too. “Maybe, but I was glad I had my camera earlier. I got some very cute shots of you two playing with the dolphin. You looked like you were having so much fun,” she said. Sundae smiled. “We were. Even though Mako was being a brat and splashing us,” she said. Syesha patted her hand. “It’s good for you guys to have fun. You are still kids and if all the ‘Idol’ stuff is hard on me, Dave and Jason, I can’t even imagine how tough it is for you and David, not to mention you also have school to deal with,” she said. “Yeah, it can be a lot of work, but we know it’ll pay off in the long run,” Sundae said. “Yeah, when you’re counting the grammys and platinum records,” Syesha said. “Exactly,” Sundae said. The two then turned their focus to their primping since they knew the guys would be finished before them. When their nails were done they went to the hair styling area. Syesha decided just to have her afro repoofed while Sundae went a different route. She had thought about just getting her ends trimmed, but after some consultation with the stylist she decided to have the front ends of her hair cut to give her bangs again. She and Syesha had their makeup done while their hair was being styled and once that was done they changed into their dresses and went to meet up with the guys. Dave, Jason and David were all waiting out by the entrance of the spa and they all looked terrific. They all wore nearly identical ensembles of black jackets and pressed white shirts with nice jeans and dressy shoes. While Dave and Jason had just had their hair washed and brushed, David had gotten a trim and then had his hair gelled and styled to where it swooped up into a slight wave on the right side of his head. Sundae thought it looked great. “Good evening, gentlemen,” Syesha said as the girls walked up to the guys. Dave and Jason both let out low whistles when they saw them. “You clean up nice,” Jason said. “Thanks, I was just thinking the same about you,” Syesha said with a giggle. “Well, we do try. Your hair cut looks nice, Dae,” Dave said. The cut Sundae had chosen had given her long bangs that she’d brushed off the side. It was a more mature look than she’d had before, but she hardly heard Dave’s compliment of it. Her gaze was glued to David and his to her. Dave chuckled, noticing the looks on the teens’ faces. “I think we old timers should get out of the way,” he said and ushered Jason and Syesha away, giving the teens a moment alone. As had been the case the night of the ‘Idol Gives Back’ concert, the teens simply gazed at each other, the world around them ceasing to exist in their minds. After a few moments they stepped over to each other and David gently took hold of Sundae’s hands. “You look so amazing, Dae. More than amazing,” he said. Sundae blushed. “Thanks. You look great, too,” she said. Their gazes met then and, for a moment, they got lost in each other’s eyes. “Hey lovebirds, we’ll be late if we don’t get a move on,” Dave suddenly called, spoiling the moment. The teens both giggled. “We’re coming,” Sundae said. When she turned her gaze to David again he was offering his arm to her. She smiled and took it, letting him lead her along. She glanced at the other three as she and David passed them. “Let’s go then,” she said and they all grinned as they moved to follow the teens. They made their way out to the front entrance of the hotel where they were picked up by a limo and driven around to the theatre for a walk on the red carpet. That was fun, but the show was the real highlight of the evening. Set to the classic music of the Beatles the show, titled ‘Love’ was filled with acrobatics, dance moves, and an aerial ballet. Sundae had never seen a Cirque show and so was fascinated by every element. When the show ended she and the ‘Idols’ were invited backstage to meet the cast, which was also greatly enjoyed. It was nearly midnight when Sundae and the ‘Idols’ got back to their rooms. Sundae and David lagged behind the other three as they approached their doors. Syesha glanced over at them as she pulled out her keycard. “I’m presuming you two want a minute, but it better just be a minute. We have to be up bright and early tomorrow,” she said. Dave heard her and nodded. “Yup, the early plane waits for no one,” he said. The teens both giggled softly. “We’ll be in in a minute,” David said. The others nodded and went inside and, once they were alone, the teens turned toward each other. “Quite a night, huh? The show was incredible,” Sundae said. “Yeah, it was. You have to wonder how they do all that flying stuff without freaking out,” David said. “Tell me about it. Some of those moves just seem plain scary,” Sundae said. Both teens giggled softly. Their gazes met after a moment and they both smiled. Sundae blushed when David reached out and gently brushed a lock of her new bangs away from her eyes. “You’re beautiful, Dae,” he murmured, blushing a little himself. “And you’re wonderful,” she said, stepping closer to him. He blushed even more at that. She reached up and gently touched his cheek and then leaned up, brushing her lips against his. He responded almost instantly, his arms wrapping around her as the kiss deepened. Her arms slipped up around his shoulders and she hugged him tight when they broke the kiss. “See you in the morning,” Sundae said as they slowly pulled apart. “You know it,” David agreed. Sundae then stepped over to hers and Syesha’s door and pulled her keycard out of her purse. “Night,” she said as she opened the door. “Night,” he replied and she turned and stepped inside. Syesha was sitting on the edge of her bed and looked up when Sundae came in. “Nice goodnight kiss?” she asked with a knowing smile. “Some of us don’t kiss and tell,” Sundae said as she set aside her purse, kicked off her shoes, and flopped on her bed. Syesha giggled. “Girl, you don’t have to tell. It’s all over your face,” she said. Sundae smiled. “So, what if it is,” she murmured, unable to help a dreamy smile. Syesha smiled. “You know, first love is a once in a lifetime thing, so I’m glad to see you enjoying it,” she said as she got up and started her nighttime regimen. Sundae stared up at the ceiling thinking over that last. Snow had also told her that first love was special and unforgettable and, so far she was completely agreeing with that assessment. She wouldn’t trade what she had with David for the world. He was the reason for the smile on her face when she woke up each day and the reason for the beautiful dreams she had each night.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 20:57:54 GMT -5
Chapter 24 The next day, with the fun of their trip over, Sundae and the ‘Idols’ headed back to LA to prepare for the coming week. The theme they were to work with was ‘Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame’ and they were expected to choose from a list that Billboard magazine called the greatest songs that shaped rock and roll. Sundae had sheet music for many of the songs and songbooks with many more so she played host for the preparation sessions. She took everyone to lunch at a local Hard Rock Café that had loads of memorabilia on display and then let everyone pick through her music library to choose songs. The group hung out in her family’s music room and rooted through the file cabinets full of sheet music and the shelves loaded with songbooks. “Man, Dae, you guys have quite a collection,” Dave remarked as he thumbed through a pile of sheet music he’d pulled out of one of the file cabinets. “I know. Most of it is my dad’s doing. He finds a song he likes or that he thinks one of us kids should sing, he buys the sheet music or the songbook if it’s a whole album or a certain artist,” Sundae said. The five of them; Sundae, David, Syesha, Jason and Dave, were all sitting on the floor near the cabinets picking through pile after pile of songs. “You got any diva stuff I can do? I should think you would since you’re a diva yourself,” Syesha said. “I am not a diva, thank you, but since you asked I saw some Tina in here a second ago,” Sundae said and grabbed a pile she’d just set aside. “Oooh which ones?” Syesha asked, perking up. “Here’s ‘Proud Mary’,” Sundae said, holding up a song from the pile. “Yoink,” Syesha said and snatched the song from her. She then got up and went over to the piano. Sundae and the guys laughed. “How’d I know you’d pick that one,” Jason said. “Yeah, tell me about it. I’m not finding anything my style, though,” Dave said. “I think there’s some Who and Pink Floyd over in the songbooks,” Sundae said. “See ya,” Dave said and got up and headed for the other side of the room. Sundae giggled as did David. “This’ll be a good week for him,” David said. “I’ll say,” Sundae agreed. “Got any Marley?” Jason asked. The other four all groaned. “What? He’s on the list,” Jason said. “We know, we were just hoping you might’ve forgotten the idea,” Syesha said. “And what’s wrong with Marley?” Jason wanted to know. “Nothing. We just don’t know many people who like Reggae is all,” Dave said. “He’s not just Reggae,” Jason said. Sundae giggled. “We’ve got ‘I Shot the Sheriff’ in there somewhere and I think we have some Dylan, too. That’d be good for you,” she said. “Alright, which drawer?” Jason asked. “Umm, try the third drawer in the second cabinet. I think there’s folksy stuff in there,” Sundae said. “Awesome,” Jason said and moved over to the aforementioned drawer. “If he drives us nuts practicing, I’m holding you to blame,” Dave said. Sundae just stuck her tongue out at him and turned back to the pile in front of her, as well as the quiet boy beside her. “Finding anything?” she asked him. “I have one in mind already, but I’m having trouble picking a second,” David said. “What do you have in mind?” Sundae asked. “Well, I um, I’d kind of like it to be a surprise, if that’s okay,” David said, blushing slightly. Sundae smiled. “That’s fine, I like to be surprised,” she said. David smiled. “Do you have an idea what you’d like for your other song?” Sundae asked. “Well, definitely something upbeat since the other one is slow,” David said. “Why am I not surprised you’re doing a ballad. Man, you’ve got some great Dylan in here. Can I borrow an acoustic?” Jason asked as he pulled a stack of songs from the cabinet. “Knock yourself out,” Sundae said. “If he starts singing ‘I Shot the Sheriff’, I will personally murder you, Sundae,” Dave said flatly. “Oh, lighten up, rocker boy,” Jason said and plopped down where he was and started thumbing through his stack of songs. Syesha, Sundae and David all laughed and Dave just shook his head. “I knew this would be a fun day,” Syesha said. Sundae nodded and turned back to David. “So, something upbeat. You want a little soul with that, or just something pop?” she asked. “Soul would be nice if I can find something,” David said as he picked up another pile. Sundae did the same and started thumbing through it, thinking of what he was looking for. “Hmmm, upbeat with soul, let’s see…” she trailed off as she went through the pile. She was halfway through it when she suddenly stopped, her head jerking up, a glint in her eyes. “I’ve got it! I know just the song,” she said and jumped up from where she was sitting. “What is it?” David asked as she moved over to the cabinet Jason was again going through. Sundae grinned. “You’ll see, just gimme a sec to find it,” she turned to Jason, “Scoot over a minute,” she said and nudged him out of the way. She then shut the drawer he’d been in and opened the one below it. “Where are you? I know I saw you in here the other day,” she muttered as she thumbed the through the stacks of songs. “Ah, found you,” she said after a minute and pulled a song out from near the back of the drawer. She then moved back over to David. “This one has you written all over it,” she said, handing him the song. He lit up as he looked at it. “This is perfect,” he said, his eyes shining. “What is it?” Syesha asked. David grinned and started to sing.
When the night has come And the land is dark And the moon Is the only light we’ll see I won’t cry, I won’t cry No I won’t shed a tear Just as long as you stand Stand by me The others started clapping along to the rhythm of the song and joined in on the chorus.
So darling, darling Stand by me Oh stand by me Stand by me Stand by me Stand by me “Dae, you are a total genius. That’s perfect,” Syesha said. “Absolutely. I knew it would be a good idea to brainstorm here,” Dave said. David turned to Sundae and hugged her. “Thanks, Dae,” he said. “My pleasure,” she said, returning the hug wholeheartedly. “Hey, what are you doing this week, Dae?” Jason asked as he moved past her and David and over to the array of instruments on the other side of the room. “I picked an all time girl classic,” Sundae said and started to sing her choice for the week.
I come home in the morning light My mother yells ‘when you gonna live your life right?’ Oh mama dear we’re not the fortunate ones And girls, they wanta have fun Oh girls, just wanta have fun “Oooh Dae, you’re gonna rock that one,” Syesha said. “Yeah, that’ll be great for you,” David agreed. “Thanks,” Sundae said. “Think you could help me? You’ve got a ton over here, but it’s hard to pick,” Dave said. “There’s a volume of The Who on the shelf above your head. Try ‘Baba O’Riley’,” Sundae suggested. Dave reached up and grabbed the aforementioned songbook and flipped through it to the suggested song. He grinned as he read it over. “You are good,” he said and went over to where he’d left his guitar. Sundae grinned. “I try,” she said. “And you succeed,” Syesha said. “Thanks,” Sundae said and then turned to David again. “I could teach you a little guitar while we’re here,” she offered. David nodded. “Sure,” he said. They moved over to a small sofa that sat opposite the French doors and Sundae grabbed two acoustic guitars, handing one to David. “Wow, how you’d get a lefty?” he asked as he positioned the guitar. “You’ve got a lefty? I thought you were right handed,” Dave said from his spot by the windows. “I am, but my oldest brother isn’t,” Sundae said. “Huh, small world,” Dave said and went back to his song. Sundae turned her attention back to David and started showing him how to properly hold the guitar and finger the strings.
The rest of the weekend went well and everyone was feeling ready by Tuesday night. As with the previous week, the performances were split into two rounds with Dave going first, Syesha second, Jason third and David fourth in the coveted closing spot. As they’d predicted, Dave did well with his rock choices and Syesha showed her flare with ‘Proud Mary’. Jason, however had trouble. He did Marley for his first song and surprised everyone when he actually forgot the words at one point. Sundae was standing backstage with Syesha, watching, and they both were surprised. “Who knew he’d flub on this song,” Syesha said. “Yeah especially after he was so hyped about singing it,” Sundae agreed. The judges weren’t any kinder. Randy and Simon panned the performance and even Paula had to gently let Jason down, which wasn’t easy for her. David came up beside Sundae as Ryan was reading off Jason’s numbers for the week. Sundae smiled to see how cute he looked in a vintage black tee and black slacks. “You ready to rock ‘em?” she asked him. “As I’ll ever be,” he said, taking a deep breath. She smiled and leaned up and kissed his cheek. “You’ll be fine,” she said. He smiled, too, as Jason approached them coming off the stage. “You’re up, young gun. Knock ‘em dead,” he said as he passed them. David took another deep breath and Sundae squeezed his hand. “Go out there and nail it,” she said. He smiled again and headed out onto the stage. And nail it, he did. David’s performance of ‘Stand By Me’ was one of the best Sundae had ever heard and he even spiced it up a little, adding a line from the Sean Kingston song ‘Beautiful Girls’. The line sold the song with the audience and David easily and handily won the first round of the evening. Since there were two songs apiece that night the ‘Idols’ had the option of two different outfits for the evening as well. Dave and Syesha had changed into their second outfits while David was performing and, while they were doing their second numbers, Jason and David took their turns in the changing room. Syesha was just finishing her second song when David, all set to go for his second number, joined Sundae on the crate she’d been sitting on to watch the show. She smiled when she saw him. “You look great,” she said, giving him a half hug. He wore a simple greenish gray button down shirt and dark jeans, and he smiled at the compliment. “Thanks. Um, were you planning to watch the rest of the show from here?” he asked. She shrugged. “I guess so, why?” she asked. “Can I ask if you’ll sit with the judges for the rest? I um, I’d like to see you when I sing my second song,” he said. She smiled and softly touched his cheek. “For you, anything,” she said. He smiled, too. “Thanks, Dae,” he said. He then reached up taking hold of the hand on his cheek and then turned his head slightly and kissed her palm, making her smile even more. Syesha came back then and smiled, seeing them. “You two really are too sweet,” she said as she passed by. The teens both smiled at that. The show then cut to commercial and Sundae slid down off the crate. “See you out there,” she said. “Okay,” David said and she turned and headed out into the theatre. She walked over to the judges’ table and Randy, Paula and Simon all looked up when she sat down. “I thought you were hangin’ backstage tonight,” Randy said. “David asked if I’d sit out here for his second song,” Sundae said. “Ahhh,” Randy said. “Sounds like we might be in for something special,” Paula said and even Simon had a knowing look in his eyes. Sundae didn’t have time to think about it though. Ryan came back out onto the stage then and the show got back underway. Jason came out for his second song, this one by Bob Dylan, but he again fumbled the words. Sundae sensed the beginning of the end and gave him a sympathetic smile as Ryan read off his numbers again. Jason waved to the crowd again and then headed backstage. A piano was rolled out from behind the two big doors in the center of the stage background and a chair was placed at center stage for David. He came out to thunderous applause and took his position. There was a moment’s pause and then the accompanist began to play a lilting melody and David began to sing.
Love me tender Love me sweet Never let me go You have made my life complete And I love you so Sundae’s heart was pounding as she listened to the song, Elvis Presley’s ‘Love Me Tender’. She was a little surprised, but pleased, with the choice, and even more so that David was looking right at her as he sang- as though they were the only two in the room.
Love me tender Love me true All my dreams fulfill Oh my darling, I love you And I always will
Love me tender Love me long Take me to your heart For it’s there that I belong And we’ll never part
Love me tender Love me true All my dreams fulfill Oh my darling, I love you And I always will Sundae had felt tears prick her eyes about halfway through the song and by the end they were flowing freely. The judges noticed and Paula handed her a tissue as David stepped forward for critique. Randy raved about the tenderness of the performance and Paula said she had been able to feel David’s heart in the song. Simon smiled when his turn came. “David, you didn’t just beat the competition tonight, you crushed the competition tonight,” he said, producing an enthusiastic round of applause from the crowd. “Also, you more than got your message across and that was the point wasn’t it?” Simon said, nodding toward Sundae with a knowing smile. She looked up at David and had to dab her eyes again at the tenderness of his expression. Ryan then quickly went through a recap of the night’s performances and then opened the phone lines for voting. Sundae stayed put at the judges’ table until most of the audience had left the studio. Once they were gone she got up and headed backstage. The holding area was empty and she made her way back to her dressing room and started packing up her stuff for the night. She was just finishing with her makeup bag when she heard a knock on her door. “It’s open,” she called and looked up in time to see David come in. “Hey,” he said, sounding a little shy. She set aside her bag and walked over to him. The beaming smile never left her face as she wrapped him in a huge hug. “Thank you so much for that song,” she said, squeezing him tightly. He held her as close to him as he could. “You’re welcome,” he murmured into her ear. She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked into his eyes. They gazed at each other for a moment before leaning in, and their lips met with a heat neither had ever felt before. They got so caught up in the moment that neither of them heard the door open again. “Sundae, are you… whoa! Definitely wrong moment,” they heard Dave say. “What are we missing, huh? Anything interesting?” Jason was heard to ask in the hall. “Out!” Sundae snapped and Dave quickly pulled the door closed again. The teens then looked to each other again, and both were surprised to burst out laughing. “I think we gave him more than an eyeful,” David said. “Tell me about it,” Sundae said. Their gazes met again once they calmed down and David reached out and brushed a bit of Sundae’s hair back from her face, his hand coming to rest against her cheek. “It’d be nice if they didn’t interrupt for once,” he said. “Yeah, it would,” she murmured, leaning into his gentle touch. He leaned over and kissed her again, sweetly and softly. Both their eyes were shining when he pulled back. She smiled at him for a moment and then turned back to her packing. Her smile only grew when he started to help her as though it were second nature. The next night was, to Sundae, the most nerve wracking of the season. Top four elimination was her least favorite night mostly because she’d seen more than one frontrunner be sent packing that night. It had happened in season one to the very talented Tamyra Grey, in season three to Latoya London and in season five to Chris Daughtry, whom many thought would win. Sundae said an extra prayer before leaving her dressing room that the same wouldn’t happen that year. She did have some good guest performers to look forward to, though. Season four runner up Bo Bice and one of her favorite bands, Maroon 5, would both be performing. Sundae hadn’t seen Bo in a while, but he was unmistakable when she saw him in the hall. He still had the mane of long brown hair that had been a trademark of his. She spotted him saying hello to Ryan and walked over to them. “Hey Bo,” she said and he looked up as she approached. “Hey. Good grief you can not be that grown up already,” he said. Sundae giggled. “I’m fifteen, Bo. I have to grow up sometime,” she said. “True, but here I’m picturing the cute kid I remember and you’re not a kid anymore,” Bo said. Then he smiled. “It’s good to see you, Sundae,” he said and reached to give her a hug, which she accepted. “You, too. How’s your family?” Sundae asked. “Terrific. Everyone’s doing great and they send their regards. I’ve got a new album out, which I’m pretty sure I sent to you,” Bo said as they started to walk along. “Yes, you did and it’s a great album. We have a rocker in the group this year and I let him listen to it, too. He raved as well,” Sundae said. “I heard there was a rocker this year. He anything like me or Daughtry?” Bo asked. “Mmm, yes and no. He’s more classic rock like The Who and Pink Floyd. I know you’re southern rock and Chris was always more alt rock to me,” Sundae said. “Yeah, I watched last night. Everyone’s pretty good this year, including that young guy of yours,” Bo said. She whipped her head around to look at him and blushed when she saw the knowing smile on his face. “You figured it out from watching?” she asked. Bo chuckled. “It wasn’t brain surgery, you know. I could tell from the way he was looking at you. And by the way, a guy doesn’t do a serenade for just any girl,” he said. Sundae giggled. “My sister figured it out watching us do a duet two weeks ago. I guess we must be more obvious than we thought,” she said. “I’d say so,” Bo said. “Well, can I ask you not to blab, especially not to Ryan? You know how he is. TMZ with a radio show,” Sundae said. Bo laughed. “I know, and don’t worry I won’t say anything. I won’t even tell Simon if you don’t want me to,” he said. Sundae laughed, too. “Oh, Simon already knows, as do Randy and Paula. It was obvious enough to them when we met at his audition,” she said. Bo patted her shoulder. “I’m happy for you, though. You deserve a good guy and it seems like you’ve found one,” he said. “Thanks, I know I have,” Sundae said with a smile. By this time they had reached the holding area and there they found the ‘Idols’ milling around waiting for the show to start. They looked up when Sundae and Bo walked up. “Hey, Dae,” Syesha said. “Hey. I want you all to meet someone. This is Bo Bice, season four runner up and southern rocker extraordinaire. Bo, meet this year’s top four; Syesha, Jason, David and our resident rocker, Dave,” Sundae said gesturing to each ‘Idol’ as she introduced them. Bo nodded. “Nice to meet all of you, especially you,” to Dave, “Any guy that can rock like you do is a guy after my own heart,” he said. Dave grinned. “I think this could be the start of a great friendship,” he said. He and Bo then moved off to the side to talk shop on rock music and Sundae moved to join David who was in his usual spot on one of the crates looking out on the stage. “You nervous for tonight?” she asked him. “Yeah. It just gets worse every week with fewer and fewer of us,” he said. “True. I’m actually nervous, too. This is my least favorite week to deal with because I’ve seen some really talented people leave at this point,” Sundae said. He gently took hold of her hand and gave her fingers a loving squeeze. “Whatever happens, we’ll be okay,” he said. She smiled at that. A few minutes later the show got underway. Sundae went out to sit with the judges and she was surprised when Ryan got the elimination ball rolling right after the group number. She grabbed onto Randy’s hand as Ryan looked to the nervous group waiting backstage. “Who shall we see first? Hmm, how about David Archuleta? Come on out, David,” Ryan said and Sundae’s grip on Randy’s hand tightened. “Losing circulation,” Randy muttered to her. “Sorry, bundle of nerves here,” she said. He patted her hand and she turned her attention to Ryan and David. “How’re you holding up with all this?” Ryan asked. “Um, I’m a little nervous. Every week I get more and more nervous because no matter how well you do there’s always a chance, but I’m glad that I had the songs I had this week because I really connected with them,” David said. “So, you’d like to be the next American Idol,” Ryan said. David giggled, his nerves showing slightly. “Yeah, I’d love to,” he said. Ryan smiled and turned to the card he held. “Well, let’s see here. For your first song you sang ‘Stand By Me’. Randy thought you brought out great vocals, Paula loved how you connected with the audience and Simon called it the best performance thus far. For your second song you chose ‘Love Me Tender’. Randy and Paula loved your tender performance, Simon said you ‘crushed’ the competition and, for the record, we know Sundae liked it, too,” Ryan said. Sundae blushed at that and David did a little, too. Ryan looked to his card again and Sundae tightened her grip on Randy’s hand. “After the nationwide vote, David…there’s a nice comfy couch you should go sit on,” Ryan said unable to help a smile. David smiled, too, and Sundae did a little fist pump. “Yes!” she said as David made his way over to the couches. Randy took his hand back and rubbed it as he had before. “Sorry about that,” Sundae said to him. “Ah, it’s okay. I get what you’re going through,” Randy said. “I bet David will enjoy his visit home,” Paula said. Sundae smiled at that thought. One of the perks of making the top three was trip home on a private jet and a whole day in your hometown devoted to you. Sundae knew David would love it, though she wondered if he realized how big it would be. She also wondered who the other two recipients of hometown visits would be. Dave was quickly revealed to be the second but as always, Ryan kept everyone in suspense on the third until after the guest performances were done with. Bo gave a great performance of the first song from his new album and Maroon 5 played their latest hit. Both received a good reception from the audience and, once they were done, Ryan finally got on with it and announced that Syesha was the third one to get to do the hometown visit. As Sundae had suspected, it was Jason’s turn to go. She did feel a little sorry for him, but she knew he would do well once he found his niche. After the show ended Sundae went and got changed and packed as usual. She was a little surprised when David didn’t come by but when she came out of her dressing room she saw him coming to meet her as always. She smiled as he walked up. “Hey,” she said reaching to hug him. He accepted and returned the hug without hesitation. “Hey, pretty cool night tonight, huh? Bo was great and Maroon 5 was awesome,” he said. Sundae smiled. “Yeah, they were. Nothing beats Maroon 5 live and Bo was great. He was fun to watch when he competed, too. He did a great acapella number that really blew every one away. Simon even joked that he’d put the band out of a job,” she said. David smiled. “I’m thinking about trying something acapella, but I don’t know if it’d be that good,” he said. “Are you kidding? It’d be amazing. I’d love to see you try something acapella. I think you’d sound incredible,” Sundae said. David blushed lightly. “Thanks. We’ll see if it happens,” he said as they started to walk along. “I hope it does happen. I think you’d knock Simon out of his chair,” Sundae said. He laughed. “That’d be something,” he said. “Speaking of ‘something’, are you looking forward to your hometown visit?” Sundae asked. “Oh yeah. I can already hear my bed calling me and of course I can’t wait to see my family and friends,” David said. “I’ll bet and I hear you about the bed. That’s the biggest thing I look forward to after being on the road in the summer. Hotels are nice and all, but nothing beats your own room and your own bed and pillows,” Sundae said. David smiled. “Absolutely,” he said. He then paused in his stride and stood gazing at her for a minute. “Is something wrong?” Sundae asked. He shook his head. “No, it’s just…” he paused again and then grabbed her hand and pulled her off to a small corridor off the main hallway. “What’s up?” Sundae asked once they were sure they were alone. David gently took hold of her hands. “I wanted to ask you…about the hometown thing,” he started to say. “What about it?” Sundae asked. He took a deep breath. “I wanted to ask if you’d come with me,” he said. “As in, go with you to Utah?” she asked. He nodded. “You’ve shown me your hometown. I’d love for you to see mine,” he said, sounding a little nervous. She beamed at him and wrapped her arms around him in a huge hug. “I’d love to,” she said into his ear. She felt him let out a breath at that. “You really mean that?” he asked. “Of course. It means so much that you’d even ask,” she said. He hugged her even tighter and she rested her head on his shoulder and let her eyes slip shut, savoring the moment and the warmth of the embrace. “Sundae! David! Where are you? Where did those two get to?” they suddenly heard Syesha say. “I have no idea. Archie! Sundae! You two are in for a world of trouble when we find you,” they heard Dave say. “You’ll never get them to come out that way,” Syesha admonished him. “You know a better way to get their attention?” Dave asked. Sundae and David both giggled softly, listening to the exchange. “Hope they don’t come back here,” David said. “Me, too. So, I’ll ask my dad about Utah. I’m sure he’ll say yes. He likes you,” Sundae said. He smiled. “I hope he’ll say yes. I already asked my parents and they had no objections,” he said. She smiled, too, and hugged him again. “Sundae! David!” Syesha called again. “You teen beans better get out here or we’re leaving without you,” Dave added. Sundae and David giggled again. “We’d better get out there,” Sundae said and David nodded. She started to reach for her bag, which she’d set down when she’d hugged him earlier, but he beat her to it. “I’ve got it,” he said as he picked up and shouldered her bag and rebalanced his own backpack. She beamed at him again. “Thank you,” she said. He smiled, too, catching hold of her hand, and they turned and headed back out to the main hall. They peeked out and seeing Syesha and Dave a few feet ahead of where they were they slipped out and started toward the exit, waiting until they were a few feet from the corridor before they both giggled softly. “There you two are! We’ve been looking all over the theatre,” Dave said from behind them and they turned as he and Syesha came up to them. “We needed to talk about some stuff. We didn’t mean to keep you waiting,” David said. “And what was so important that it couldn’t wait until we got home?” Dave wanted to know. The teens traded looks. “I asked Dae if she’d come with me for my hometown visit and she said yes,” David said. Syesha smiled and Dave shook his head in apparent wonder. “And I’m glad he asked when he did because I need to ask my dad about it,” Sundae said. Dave then got the ‘a ha’ look on his face. “Alright, you’re off the hook this time, just don’t make us chase you down again. Got it?” he said. “Got it,” Sundae said. The four then turned and headed for the studio exit. “So, are you guys excited for your hometown visits?” David asked Syesha and Dave. “Heck yes. I feel like I haven’t been to Florida in ages, which isn’t entirely untrue,” Syesha said. “Yeah. It will be good to get home. I just hope Andrew left my room alone. I’ll kick his butt if he touched anything,” Dave said, referring to his younger brother. The other three laughed. “You sound like me with my younger siblings. I practically have to lock my room when I leave,” Sundae said. “With the number of kids in your family, I am not surprised,” Dave said. Sundae laughed. “Yeah. Oh, speaking of the hometown thing, can I ask you, Dave and Esha, to text me your judges’ choice songs when you get them?” Sundae asked. “What do you mean ‘judges’ choice’?” Syesha asked. “Oh right, I should explain all that first. For this next week you each get three songs, one chosen by one of the judges, one chosen by the producers and one you choose. You usually find out your judges’ choice during the hometown thing,” Sundae said. “Okay, that’s a lot to take in, but I think I get it,” Dave said. “It is a lot, but I know you guys can handle it,” Sundae said. “So, we get to pick a song and then have two more picked for us, right? Any rules for our choice?” Syesha said. “Nope, no rules at all. The song only needs to be cleared. You can pick whatever you want. You could even do a rap song and no one would bat an eye as long as the rights clear,” Sundae said. David, Syesha and Dave all laughed at the rap song mention. “I don’t think any of us will be going there, but thanks for the info,” Dave said as they reached the rear exit of the theatre. “No problem,” Sundae said as they headed out to catch their rides home.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 20:58:24 GMT -5
Chapter 25 Later that evening, Sundae went to her dad’s downstairs office to talk to him about the Utah trip. She had already brought her suitcase out of her closet just in case, and she was crossing her fingers for the best. When she reached the office door she took a deep breath before knocking. “Come in,” her dad’s voice called from the other side and she opened the door to find him sitting at his desk going over some papers. “Hi, Dad,” she said as she stepped in and pulled the door closed. He looked up and smiled. “Hey, sweetie, what’s up?” he asked. “Well, I wanted to ask you something,” she said as she came up to his desk. “What’s that?” her dad wanted to know. “You know the hometown visit thing they do for the top three every year?” she asked. “Yes, and we discussed it last year, too, if I recall,” her dad said. She sighed. Jordin had asked her to come along on her trip to Arizona the previous year, but her dad had said no because he’d wanted her to take the opportunity to be in school. She felt tears prick her eyes at the thought of the same thing happening that year. She wanted to go with David even more than she’d wanted to go with Jordin. “David asked me to go with him to Utah. If you want me in school I understand, but…but this is really important to me,” she said her voice softening on the last couple words. Her dad looked at her. “I should’ve guessed it had something to do with him,” he said. “I understand if you’re saying no. I’ll go up to bed now,” Sundae said and turned to go. “Dae, come here a minute,” her dad said. She turned back toward him and walked over to him. She couldn’t help a smile when he pulled her onto his lap. “Dad, I’m fifteen. I’m too old for laps,” she said. “Humor me,” her dad said and she let out a little laugh. “So, what’s this? A speech about how I’m daddy’s little girl and you don’t want me growing up too fast?” she asked. Her dad chuckled. “No. It’s more to say I’m surprised at how fast you’ve grown up. You’ll always be my little girl, but you’ve grown up so much this year it scares me,” he said. “Dad…” Sundae started, but he stopped her. “And then I see you with David. I see you falling in love with him and that scares me even more. No dad ever wants to see his little girl grow up, but he knows she has to,” he said. Sundae smiled. “Dad, no matter how old I get…or who I’m with, I’ll always be your little girl at heart. Nothing can change that,” she said. Her dad smiled. “I do like hearing that,” he gazed at her a moment before continuing, “I know how much it means to you to go with David and, like I’ve said, I know he’d never do anything to make the trust I put in him when he’s with you waver,” he said. Sundae eyed him. “And this means what?” she asked cautiously. Her dad smiled. “Go. Have fun. Just be sure to call or text when you get there, when you get back and if you need anything,” he said. Sundae lit up like the sun and threw her arms around him. “Thank you so much,” she said. “You’re welcome,” he said, returning her hug. She then slid off his lap and started for the door. “This really does mean a lot to me and I promise I’ll text you the second we get there,” she said. “I know. I love you, honey,” her dad said. She smiled at him. “I love you, too, dad,” she said. She then ran over and gave him one more hug before hurrying out the door and up to her room to start packing.
The next day when Sundae headed off to the studio she toted a packed suitcase with her. The plan was to fly to Utah late that afternoon after school and rehearsal, stay the night, enjoy the big day on Friday and then fly home that night. When she got to the studio she realized that she didn’t have enough time to drop her suitcase in her dressing room as she had planned so she rolled it along to the classroom with her. David was already there when she arrived and he looked up when she came in. His smile grew into a huge grin when he saw her suitcase. “Your dad said yes?” he asked, jumping up from his chair. She nodded and he grabbed her up in a huge hug. She grinned, too, returning the hug. “I’m so glad he said yes, too. He said no last year when Jordin invited me along and I don’t know what I would’ve done if he’d done the same thing this time,” she said. “Why’d he say no last time?” David wanted to know. “He wanted me to be in school. I think he’d like that this time, too. I’m just glad he’s being nice this time,” she said. “Me, too. I wouldn’t have half as much fun if you couldn’t come with me,” he said. She blushed a little at that. “You’re too sweet, you know that,” she said. He gently cupped his hand under her chin, lifting her head to meet his gaze. She blushed a little more at the tenderness of his expression and her eyes slipped shut as he started to lean toward her. “Good morning,” Miss Barnes’ voice chirped and the teens looked up to see her coming into the room. “Morning, Miss Barnes,” Sundae said as she and David stepped apart. Miss Barnes nodded, but then noticed her suitcase. “Taking a trip?” she asked. “Oh yeah, we’re going to Utah later today,” David replied as he took hold of Sundae’s suitcase and rolled it over to one side of the room. “Oh yes, it’s top three week, isn’t it? Well, never mind that now. We have a lot to do today,” she said. The teens nodded and quickly claimed their seats for class. Later that afternoon, after school and rehearsals were done and over with, Sundae and David headed off to the airport to catch their flight to Utah. His parents were along as well, but the teens didn’t pay them much attention. They were walking along, hand-in-hand, talking over the trip. “If there’s time I’d love to take you around the town and show you the sights,” David said. Sundae smiled. “I’d love that. My mom told me the suburb areas outside Salt Lake are just beautiful. I can’t wait to see it,” she said. “You’ll love it. I’m also hoping maybe we can meet up with a couple of my friends while we’re there. I’d love for you to meet them and them to meet you,” David said. “Have you told them about me?” Sundae asked. “Well, I talked to my best friend, Adam, last night and I told him I was bringing someone along that I wanted him and everyone to meet, but I said I wanted it to be a surprise,” he replied. Sundae giggled. “Wonder what they’ll think of me?” she mused, looking thoughtful. He smiled and slipped his arm around her, hugging her gently. “I know they’ll love you, Dae. You’re amazing, so how could they not?” he said. She blushed as she leaned into his embrace. “You’re amazing, too,” she said. They had to walk out onto the tarmac to board their plane and by this time they were just reaching the door that led out to it. Sundae huddled close to David as they opened the door, a blast of warm air hitting them as they stepped outside. They walked across the tarmac to a huge 747 jet that sat waiting for them. “This looks like the ones we took on our trips to Vegas,” David remarked as they reached the steps leading up into the plane. “I’m pretty sure it’s the same kind,” Sundae said as they went up the steps. Once inside the plane they saw that it was indeed like the ones they had taken on their Vegas trips. It was literally a luxury suite with wings. There was a spacious living room area with a full entertainment center, a small but full kitchen, a full bathroom and a bedroom. The teens made their way over to the entertainment center and crouched in front of it to check it out. “Wow, this thing is loaded,” Sundae remarked. “I’ll say, TV, DVD player, CD/MP3 player and even an iPod jack. Why didn’t we notice this stuff on the other planes?” David mused as they looked over all the equipment. “I have no idea,” Sundae said and they both giggled. “Did you bring any CDs with you?” David asked. Sundae giggled. “Hello? You’re talking to Miss Never Leaves Home Without Her Music,” she pulled off her backpack and dug into it, “I brought the collection,” she said and lifted a large CD carry-case out of her pack. He pulled off his backpack as well and brought out a case of his own. “I did, too and I brought my iPod,” he said. “Same here. Shall we pick a playlist for the flight?” Sundae asked. “Sure,” David said and they settled where they were and started flipping through their CD cases to pick flight music. They had a small pile in front of them when his mom came up behind them, leaning on a chair. “You guys should get buckled up. We’re almost ready to take off,” she said. David nodded. “Thanks, mom. We’re almost done,” he said. “Picking out music to listen to?” she asked. David nodded in response. “Hmm. Oh, that reminds me. I’ve got something for Sundae,” his mom said and fished into her purse. Sundae turned around and saw a CD being held out to her. “Jeff had me make this for you a couple weeks ago. We just kept forgetting to give it to you,” Mrs. Archuleta said. Sundae took the CD and saw the words ‘David: The Early Years’ written on it in sharpie pen. David noticed the title and winced. “Mom, you didn’t,” he complained. “What? We thought she’d like it,” his mom said. Sundae gently touched his arm. “Is this you when you were younger?” she asked. He nodded. “Yeah, it’s some recordings I did with Dean after Star Search,” he said a slight blush on his cheeks. She smiled. “I’m sure I’ll love it,” she said, squeezing his hand. He smiled a little. “Thanks, but I still wish I’d known they were making you that CD,” he said. His mom laughed lightly. “Oh, you have nothing to worry about. Don’t go all emo on us, mijo,” she said. David looked at her in disbelief. “You did not just say emo,” he said and Sundae giggled. His mother shook her head. “I’m just trying to keep up with you kids and your lingo,” she said and then turned and headed back to where Mr. Archuleta was waiting for her. “Us and our lingo?” David muttered and Sundae giggled again. “What is it with parents wanting to understand every single little thing about you,” she said. “Tell me about it,” David agreed. Sundae looked at the CD in her hand again. “You don’t have to listen to it if you don’t want to,” David told her. She smiled. “I do want to and actually, since the subject came up, I have something for you, too,” Sundae said and fished into her CD case. She brought out a CD in a jewel case and handed it over to him. “My dad put that together. He thought you’d want to hear it,” she said. The CD was just like the one she had been given, a mix of songs she had recorded when she was younger, and was labeled, ‘Sundae: Diva In Training’. “Guess your dad had the same idea as mine,” David said. “Yeah. You don’t… have to listen to it,” she said. He smiled. “Oh I’m definitely listening to this. I remember how amazing you were on Star Search. I bet these are great,” he said, referring to the songs on the CD. She smiled and blushed lightly. “Thanks,” she said. “Alright everyone needs to sit down a buckle up, we’re ready for take off,” a male voice said and the teens looked up to the see the co-pilot looking out into the cabin from the cockpit door. They quickly got up at that and moved their CDs up against the entertainment center before sitting down in two chairs next to it and buckling themselves in. Sundae pulled a magazine out of her bag, but before she could open it, she felt David grab her hand and hold on tightly. She looked over at him and saw the nerves evident in his eyes. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “I uh…I should’ve mentioned this earlier, but…I’m not too crazy about flying,” he said, his cheeks reddening at the confession. She smiled. “You’ll be okay. Just hang onto my hand,” she said and covered the hand holding hers with her free hand. He smiled a little and leaned back in his chair breathing deeply. A moment later the plane began to taxi toward the runway and his grip on her hand tightened. She gently stroked his hand and rubbed his arm as the plane roared down the runway and took off into the sky. David finally calmed down once the plane was at cruising altitude and Sundae coaxed him into listening to some music to pass the time. They sat on the floor by the entertainment center and went through the pile of CDs they’d picked out, listening to their favorites and harmonizing with a few. They also brought out their iPods and listened to the music stored on them as well. They even imagined what their dream concert would be like; where they would have it what songs they’d sing, what artists they’d love to duet with and other such things. By the time the captain came on the intercom and announced they were coming in for a landing, they’d almost completely forgotten they were flying in the first place. Once the plane was on the ground and parked everyone unbuckled their seatbelts and started gathering up their stuff. Sundae noticed that David got his things together pretty quickly. “Okay, either you’re really excited to be home or you really want to be off the plane,” she said. He laughed. “It’s a little bit of both, but really I am excited to be home. I can really hear my bed calling me now,” he said and she laughed, too. “Uh David, about that. We should’ve told you sooner, but we won’t be staying at the house. They’ve got it arranged for us to stay at a nearby hotel,” his dad said as he came up beside the teens. “What? But why?” David wanted to know. “It’s for security reasons. Everyone in Murray knows who you are and where you live. Do you really want the entire population camped out on our doorstep?” his dad asked. David sighed. “I guess not,” he said. “Don’t worry. I’ve heard you have some downtime tomorrow and we’ll hang out at the house then,” his dad said. “Alright,” David said with a nod. His mom joined them then. “We also have a little surprise waiting for you at the hotel that I think you’ll like,” she said. David smiled a little at that and Sundae took hold of his hand, making him smile even more. The group then deboarded the plane and, as they reached the tarmac, they saw an SUV stretch limo sitting in wait. The driver stood by the door holding a sign with David’s name on it. “That’s for me?” David asked surprised. “Welcome to superstardom, son,” his dad said. Both teens giggled at that as the driver opened the door for them. “Unreal,” David said as he and Sundae climbed in followed by his parents. They all sat down and buckled up and David turned to Sundae. “Do you ever get used to riding in these things?” he asked her. She smiled. “Depends on how often you get to do it. My dad and my uncle Mark are used to it, but I’ve still got a ways to go,” she said. “That makes two of us,” David agreed. The limo drove around the airport to an exit gate and then made it’s way to the freeway. David pointed out sights to Sundae as they drove including some things she remembered from watching the Olympics a few years earlier. They drove away from Salt Lake City and into a more suburban community with neighborhoods and small businesses lining the sides of the freeway. When they finally pulled off the freeway they were in a small, quiet downtown area with small strip malls and stores and streets leading off into pretty neighborhoods. “So this is Murray?” Sundae asked David as the limo made a right hand turn onto a sort of main drag. “Yeah, some of it. I really wish we had time for me to show you around,” he said. “I do, too,” she said and let her fingers twine with his as they looked out at the passing scenery. “Well, don’t forget you’ve got a tour coming up. I’ve heard there’ll be a Salt Lake stop so maybe you could make time for that then,” his dad said. “That’d be cool,” David said and Sundae nodded. A few minutes later the limo pulled into the circular driveway of a local Hilton and stopped at the front entrance. The driver came around and opened the door and Sundae, David and his parents climbed out. “I’ll bring your bags in for you,” the driver said and went around to the trunk of the car. Sundae and David followed his parents inside and plopped down in easy chairs while his dad went to check them in. The driver wheeled their bags in and a bellhop came and loaded them onto a cart as the driver left. “So, I wonder what tomorrow’s gonna be like?” David mused as they waited. “I don’t know. Jordin told me about hers last year, but each one is different depending on the place and person,” Sundae said. “So mine should be pretty quiet, I guess,” David said and then giggled lightly Sundae giggled, too. “I wouldn’t bet on it being quiet. These things are usually pretty amped up,” she said. “Alright, we’re all checked in. Ready for your surprise, David?” his dad suddenly asked as both parents walked over to the teens. “Oh yeah, sure,” David said and he and Sundae followed his parents down a corridor to the elevators, the bellhop trailing them with their luggage. The rode an elevator up one floor and headed down another corridor. The teens quickly noticed that there weren’t very many doors in the corridor. “Is this a small hotel or are there not very many rooms on this floor?” David asked out of curiosity. “These are business suites. They’re usually reserved for traveling CEOs and such,” his dad replied as they stopped at one of the doors. He put a keycard the in door and unlocked it and then turned to the teens. “Ready?” he asked, looking to David. “My surprise is in there?” David asked curiously. “See for yourself,” his dad said and pushed open the door. David and Sundae stepped into the room and were immediately greeted by a group of six kids their age, three guys and three girls, whom David instantly recognized. “What are you guys doing here?!” he exclaimed, the grin not leaving his face. “Dude, it’s called a surprise, hello?” a tall guy with medium brown hair said. “I know, but I wasn’t expecting this,” David said as he traded greetings with everyone. The other two guys were tall as well, one with sandy colored hair and the other with brown like the first guy and all would definitely pass for very cute if Sundae had been looking. The girls were all quite pretty, one with wavy blonde hair, one with shoulder-length red hair and one with medium brown. Sundae recognized the brunette as Megan, the girl who had visited during top ten week. “Dude, it is hot in LA,” one of the guys suddenly said and Sundae turned to see the first guy looking at her with a grin on his face. The blonde haired girl came up beside him. “Excuse me, but your eyes are supposed to be on me,” she said and Sundae guessed they were boyfriend and girlfriend. “I know, I know, but a guy can’t help himself when something that gorgeous walks through his door,” the guy said. The girl rolled her eyes and David gave the guy a look before turning to Sundae and taking her hand. He pulled her over to stand next to him and then turned to the other teens. “Dae, I’d like you to meet my friends from school,” he said and gestured to each teen as he introduced them, “Adam,” pointing to the first guy, “his girlfriend, Jessica,” pointing to the blonde, “Scott,” pointing to the other brown-haired guy, “his girlfriend, Danielle,” pointing to the red head, “Todd,” pointing to the sandy-haired guy, “and his girlfriend, Megan, whom you’ve met,” David then turned to his friends, “Guys, this is Sundae, my girlfriend,” he said. The guys’ jaws all dropped at that and girls all smiled. “Whoa! Okay, you go out to LA to score a record deal and you score a flaming hot girl in the process? Dude, you seriously rock. What’s your secret?” Adam asked. David just laughed nervously and Jessica swatted Adam on the arm. “What?” Adam asked her. “You are such a dork,” she said. “How long have I been saying that?” David chimed in. “Seriously. Why do we put up with him again?” Jessica asked. “Oh, now I’m hurt,” Adam joked and they all laughed. The eight teens then moved over to a couch and chairs and flopped around to talk. “So, you guys all met through school?” Sundae asked, looking to David, who was beside her. “Yeah. Scott and Danielle are in choir with me and the rest I met through my other classes,” David said. “That’s cool,” Sundae said. “What do you like to do out in LA, Sundae?” Danielle asked. “Well, other than school, I also play soccer and I’m really into music,” Sundae said. “That last would be a good thing with this guy around,” Adam said, patting David on the arm. “Do you sing?” Jessica asked. “Yeah, I do. I also play piano and guitar and write songs,” Sundae replied. “Wow, you and David do have a lot in common,” Scott said. “Yeah, we’d love to hear you sing if you’re up for it,” Danielle said. “You won’t be disappointed if she does, believe me,” Megan said. “You’ve heard her?” Todd asked. “Yeah, remember when I went to an ‘Idol’ taping a few weeks ago,” Megan said. Jessica sat up a little more. “Oh yeah, that’s right. Why didn’t you tell us about her then? Or were you guys not together yet at that time?” she asked, looking to Sundae and David. “Oh, they were together. I didn’t say anything then because I nearly ruined things while I was there, but it was really all Seacrest’s fault,” Megan said. “Oh sure, blame the host since he gets it all the time,” Adam joked. “She’s right actually. Ryan was interviewing me before my performance and he asked what I’d been missing here at school since I’d been in LA. I told him I might miss prom and he got all interested and tried to get me to tell whom was I planning to take. He didn’t, and still doesn’t, know about me and Dae so he presumed Megan was the one since she was sitting with my dad that night,” David said. Adam whistled. “Now, that could’ve gotten interesting,” he said. “I’ll say. Is that part of why you looked so down when you were singing that night, cause we all noticed it,” Danielle asked. “Yeah, part of it,” David said. Sundae squeezed his hand. “I didn’t realize that Megan was just his friend when Ryan singled her out. I ended up running backstage thinking David hadn’t been honest with me when he actually had been,” she said. “So, you thought Megan was his girlfriend and that he’d just been leading you on or something?” Scott asked. “Pretty much,” Sundae said. “How long have you guys been together now?” Jessica asked. Sundae and David thought a minute, doing the math in their heads. “Four and a half months,” Sundae finally said and David smiled. “Wow, so you’d been together almost two months when I visited, then,” Megan said. “Just about,” David said. “I’m glad I didn’t ruin it all for you and I still want to kill Seacrest for what he did,” Megan said. “Take a number,” Sundae joked and the group laughed again. Adam then spoke up, a mischievous look in his eyes. “Hey, I just had a thought. You guys said you’ve been together four months?” he asked looking top Sundae and David. David nodded. “Yeah, why?” he asked. “What are you getting at now, Adam?” Jessica asked. “You guys, think about it. If they’ve been together that long then that probably means our little Davy’s had his first kiss. Aww, they grow up so fast,” Adam joked, patting David’s shoulder. “Lay off,” David said and Sundae noticed he was blushing as red as a tomato. “You kids want pizza?” Mr. Archuleta’s voice asked and the teens turned to see him watching them, cell phone in hand. “Yeah, sure. Thanks, dad,” David said, looking grateful for the interruption. “Thanks, Mr. Archuleta,” the rest of the teens chorused. Mr. Archuleta chuckled. “You’re more than welcome,” he said and went off to place the order. The teens went back to their conversation and talked until the pizza arrived. After they’d eaten the guys got into a video game frenzy using the set up in the suite’s living room and girls sat around and continued to talk. “Sundae, I want to apologize for my boyfriend the dork earlier,” Jessica said. Sundae smiled. “Oh, it’s okay. My older brother’s the same way, good-looking jock, but dorky as heck and no clue with girls,” she said. The other three laughed. “That would go double for me. I have two older brothers,” Danielle said. “I do, too, actually, but the oldest is in college and he at least has some sense,” Sundae said. “How many kids in your family?” Megan asked. “Twelve,” Sundae replied looking sheepish. “Twelve?! Holy cow! How do your parents manage?” Jessica asked. “I have no idea, but we older kids help out where we can,” Sundae said. “I’ll bet. I have two little sisters and my mom insists on me helping out. She’d kill me otherwise,” Jessica said. The girls giggled. “So, Sundae, we’re all curious to know. How did you and David meet?” Danielle asked. Sundae smiled. “We met when he auditioned for ‘Idol’ last summer. My dad’s in the business and knows two of the judges from way back so I perform and help judge the early rounds. I helped judge the San Diego auditions, which was where it all happened,” she said. “What was he like at his audition? Was he nervous?” Jessica asked. “A little, I think, but he didn’t let it show. He absolutely blew us all away with how good he is,” Sundae said. “Did you think he was cute right from the get go?” Megan asked. Sundae blushed. “Pretty much,” she said. The other girls giggled. “Dish girl, we want to hear the first impression,” Jessica said. Sundae smiled again. “Well, It was the middle of the afternoon and I was starting to get a little tired. It was August so even inside we were roasting in the heat. The other judges were telling me I could cut out if I wanted to, but I insisted I was fine and boy am I glad I did. I got up to get a coke and as I was turning back around Simon called for the next contestant. I was thinking, ‘Crap. Get in your seat before you’re caught on camera.’ So, I quickly sat down just as the door was opening. I looked up as I was putting my coke on the table and there was the cutest guy I’d ever seen. I just remember thinking, ‘OMG! I have got to tell Dana, my BFF, about this one’. When he said a second later that he was sixteen I mentally went ‘Yes! Thank you, God!’,” Sundae said. “Wow, sounds like he had you at hello,” Megan said. “God, that is so cliché,” Danielle said. “Oh, bite me,” Megan said and they all laughed. Sundae smiled. “To answer your question, Megan, he did have me at hello,” she looked over at David who was joking around with the other guys, “and he’s had me since,” she said. “Ooooh, you’ve got it pretty bad. Not that we blame you, of course,” Danielle said. “Absolutely. David’s a total sweetheart. I don’t think he even realizes how wonderful he is,” Megan said. Sundae smiled even more. “Yeah. I tell him all the time, but I he never seems to believe me,” she said. “Yeah, that sounds like David. Too humble to accept a compliment as being the truth,” Jessica said. The teens all hung out for a while longer and, just after nine, David’s parents came out and said it was time to call it a night. Sundae and David walked the other six to the door. “It was so great getting to hang out and it was wonderful meeting you, Sundae,” Jessica said. “You guys, too,” Sundae said. “You’re all coming out tomorrow, right?” David asked. “Dude, are you seriously asking that question? Of course, we’re coming. You know nothing could keep us away,” Adam said. The teens all laughed at that and Adam led Jessica and the others out the door. “See you guys tomorrow,” he said. “Later,” David said. Adam and the others then stepped out and shut the door leaving Sundae and David alone. “You’ve got great friends,” Sundae said as they turned to go tidy up the living room. “Oh, thanks. They’re pretty cool,” David said. Sundae smiled. “I was glad to see how nice they are to you. You deserve nice people around you,” she said. David blushed. “Yeah. I’m glad they were nice to you. I would’ve had issues if they hadn’t been,” he said as they stacked up paper plates and cups to be tossed out. “They’re your friends, though. They were here for you, not me. I didn’t expect anything and I still don’t, to be honest. It wouldn’t have mattered to me if they hadn’t been welcoming to me,” Sundae said. David set aside the cups he was holding and took her hand in his, pulling her to him. “It would’ve mattered to me. You mean a lot to me, Dae, and if they weren’t willing to accept you, then I couldn’t accept them,” he said. She blushed. “You don’t have to say that,” she said. He gently pulled her closer to him. “I want to,” he said. She blushed even more at that. He cupped his hand under her chin and leaned in, kissing her softly. When they broke the kiss a moment later she reached and hugged him, thanking God once again for bringing him into her life. They went off to bed a half hour later, but Sundae had a hard time getting to sleep. She kept thinking about all that would go on the next day. Would she be able to stay with David the whole time or would she end up being pushed aside. She finally got up when it became clear she wasn’t going to get much sleep. She wrapped a blanket around her and went out to the front room of the suite. She started to cross over to the kitchen when she saw someone out on the suite’s small patio. She moved closer to the window and saw David sitting on a bench looking up at the sky. She stepped over to the sliding door and pushed it open and he looked up as she came out. “Hey, couldn’t sleep?” she asked as she walked over and joined him. “Yeah, I keep thinking about tomorrow. You couldn’t sleep either?” he asked. “Yeah, and, oddly enough, I was thinking about tomorrow, too. I’m sure we weren’t thinking the same thing, though,” Sundae said. He slipped his arm around her as she sat beside him and she placed the blanket over both their laps. They sat quietly for a while, just watching the stars until he spoke. “Um Dae, there’s something I should tell you,” he said. “What’s that?” Sundae asked, lifting her head off of his shoulder to look up at him. “Um earlier when Adam was joking around…about my first kiss…” he started to say. “I saw you blush at that, not that I blame you. He was being a dork,” Sundae said. “Yeah,” David muttered. His expression turned thoughtful and she gently touched his cheek, getting his attention. “What is it?” she asked. “Well um, I got to thinking and I decided I’d better tell you…” he tried again. She shifted to face him and gently took hold of his hands. “Whatever it is, you can tell me,” she said. He nodded. “It’s just that… our first kiss…was my first kiss,” he said, his cheeks turning pink. Sundae was a little surprised. “So, Adam wasn’t just kidding around, was he?” she said. “No. I’d never kissed or been kissed…until you,” he said. She smiled. “Well, since we’re being open about these things, I should tell you…that was my first kiss, too,” she said. He looked up at her in surprise. “But…but what about…” he started to say. “Josh?” Sundae shook her head, “Never happened. He and I were just friends who kind of liked each other. To be completely honest, I didn’t even want to kiss Josh,” she looked up at him, “but I can’t help but want to kiss you,” she said, blushing lightly. He gently brushed his fingers against her cheek. “And I can’t help wanting to kiss you,” he said. He then leaned in and their eyes slipped shut and their lips met. At first the kiss was soft and sweet, but it slowly deepened until it was filled with passion. Her arms wrapped around him and his slipped around her waist holding her close. They both were beginning to realize that their feelings were growing into more than just teenage infatuation and it was moments like these that confirmed those thoughts. When they finally broke the kiss they stayed close to each other, their foreheads touching. They held onto each other until a breeze blew past making them both shiver a little. “Maybe we should go in,” Sundae murmured. “Yeah, maybe,” David agreed. They then stood up and he wrapped the blanket around her shoulders. She kept his arm around her as they turned and went inside and he walked her back to her room. They turned to each other again outside her door. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning,” Sundae said. He gently pulled her to him and they hugged each other tightly. “Night, Dae,” he murmured. “Night,” she said. She pulled back after a moment and then turned and went into her room, giving him one more smile as she closed the door. She climbed back into bed, snuggling into her covers with a smile on her face, sleep claiming her easily now that she had something sweet to dream of.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 20:59:54 GMT -5
Chapter 26 It didn’t feel like very long before Sundae felt someone shaking her awake. She blinked her eyes open and saw Mrs. Archuleta standing over her. “Time to wake up,” she said. “What time is it?” Sundae asked. “It’s five am. David has to be at the local Fox studio by six-forty-five,” Mrs. Archuleta said. Sundae nodded. “Alright, I’m up,” she said and quickly rolled out of bed. She then gathered the clothes she’d picked out for the day and went to take a quick shower. She was finished and ready to go by six and when she came out into the front room she found David up and ready to go as well. He wore his usual attire of jeans and a graphic tee this one baby blue, and had a light gray ribbed sweater over it. He looked up from packing his backpack as she came into the front room. “Morning,” he said, setting aside his pack and coming over to her. “Good morning to you,” Sundae said as she slid into his arms for a hug. “You excited for today?” she asked him when they finally pulled apart. “Oh yeah. I’m anxious to see what it’ll be like,” David replied as he stepped back over to his backpack. “I think you’re in for a few surprises,” his dad said as he passed by them on his way over to the kitchen counter. “What do you mean?” David asked. “Your mom and I saw a story about the plans for today on last night’s news. It looks like it’ll be pretty huge,” he said. David went quiet, thinking to himself, and Sundae sat beside him on the couch. She reached over and gently touched his hand, getting his attention. “The key to all of this is just to live in the moment. Don’t worry about what’s going to happen next, just enjoy it as it comes,” she said. He smiled and visibly relaxed. “Thanks, Dae,” he said. They sat together for a little while, talking quietly as they packed what they’d need for the day. At Six fifteen his parents came up to them. “We’re all set to go. There’ll be a camera crew along for the ride, but try not to focus on them,” his dad said. “A camera crew?” David asked, looking toward Sundae with a nervous expression. His dad patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, they know their boundaries. No shots of you two together,” he said. David again visibly relaxed. “That’s good to know,” he said as he and Sundae stood up. He started to reach for her hand, but his mom interjected. “We were going to have Sundae come down with us. They want to get footage of you coming out of the hotel to start the day,” she said. David nodded and then turned to Sundae, pulling her a little ways away from his parents. “See you down there,” he said. She smiled. “Okay,” she said. He then leaned over and gave her a soft kiss and she smiled even more as they turned and went back over to his parents. “Just give us about three minutes and then come on down,” his dad said. David nodded and Sundae gave him one more smile before following his parents out the door. They went downstairs and out front and Sundae saw that the limo was back and waiting for them. She went and got in, taking one of the side seats and his parents sat across from her. She turned and watched out the window as David came out, filmed by the camera crew. He was laughing lightly as he climbed into the limo. “I can already tell today will be interesting,” he said. “How’s that?” Sundae asked as he sat beside her. “The camera guy was wanting to do another take. I thought reality TV was unscripted,” he said. Sundae giggled. “That’s what they’d like you think,” she said. He laughed again and shrugged off the oddity and she smiled as he slipped his arm around her and hugged her to him as the limo pulled out of the hotel parking lot. They took the freeway back to Salt Lake and drove through the downtown area toward the local TV studios. They pulled up to the Fox studio just after six-thirty and saw quite a crowd gathered to meet them. “Wow,” David said, looking out at the hundreds of fans waving at the limo as it pulled up. “Told you you have a lot of people that love you,” Sundae said. He smiled, but then laughed. “Oh my gosh, the Murray High cheerleaders are here, too,” he said, pointing to a group of girls in black and orange uniforms. “Looks like someone’s getting popular,” his dad said. David giggled nervously as the limo pulled to a stop. The driver came around and opened the door and David took a deep breath as he slid out of the limo. Sundae heard the crowd outside nearly explode with screams at the sight of him. She and his parents followed and she laughed when she saw a security guard wave the cheerleaders over. They came running and nearly knocked David over with their hugs. The security guard then pulled the girls back and David, his cheeks flushed from the moment, stepped back. Sundae saw him reaching for her as he backed toward her and she grabbed his hand as soon as he was within reach. The security guard then ushered them toward the building. “A little overwhelming, isn’t it?” Sundae said to David. “More than a little. I’ve never gotten so much attention,” he said. “Well, you just lived one of my older brother’s dreams, so that would make you cool in his book,” Sundae said. “What dream? Being famous?” David asked. “Being mobbed by cheerleaders,” Sundae said. David laughed and she did, too. “I’m not kidding. He’s a jock remember? He’d be in heaven with cheerleaders all over him,” she said. They both laughed again as they were ushered inside. Almost immediately they were met by one of the studio managers who acted almost a little too nice. “Good morning. We’re so happy you could visit us today,” he said, shaking David’s hand. He nodded to the parents, but pretty much ignored Sundae as he then proceeded to usher everyone down a corridor. He talked almost a mile a minute so it was easier to just pretend to keep up. Sundae noted, however, that David was actually trying to do so. The manager led the way through the studio to the ‘Good Day’ set and then over to a green room where guests were allowed to relax before their segments. He opened the door and ushered everyone inside. “Here’s a familiar face, I’m sure,” he said to David and gestured to a middle aged man with graying light brown hair. David was so overwhelmed it took him a minute to recognize the man. “Oh Dean, hi,” he finally said. “Hey there. They already putting you through hoops?” Dean asked as the manager stepped out of the room. “Yeah, pretty much,” David said and shook his head trying to take everything in. Dean quickly got David started on his vocal warm ups which was the distraction he needed. Sundae joined in, too and Dean even had them try some harmonies, which sounded quite good. After the ‘Good Day’ interview David went and did two radio interviews and then headed off to Salt Lake City’s Gateway Mall for an autograph signing. “Wonder how many people will be there? There were a lot at the studios,” his dad mused as the limo rolled through downtown Salt Lake City. “I’m not expecting many. The studios may have had something to do with the crowds outside them,” David said. The limo turned a corner then and Sundae looked out the window to see the mall up ahead. Her jaw dropped when she saw the sea of more than a thousand people waiting for them. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” she said. David twisted around in his seat and his jaw dropped as well when he saw the crowd. “Oh my gosh!” he blurted out, staring in amazement. The limo pulled forward and the crowd surged in around it. The teens both jumped back from the window when some of the fans tried to look in at them. “This is crazy,” David said. Sundae laughed. “This is like what used to happen to my dad back in his day. They’d have crowds like this outside the arenas and stadiums where they’d perform and some of the fans would even push on their bus trying to get them to come out,” she said. “Oh man, hope they don’t try that here,” David said. “I think I’ve got a better idea,” Sundae said and reached over and flipped a switch on one of the doors. The sunroof over their heads slid open and she grabbed David’s hand as she stood up. “Come on,” she said and stepped up onto one of the seats. He followed her lead and they poked their heads and shoulders out of the sunroof. The fans roared at the sight of them and they waved back as security made their way over to the limo. They managed to clear a path and the teens ducked back inside and were greeted by another guard waiting to walk them to the platform that had been set up for the event. They climbed out of the limo followed by David’s parents and started to make their way through the crowd. This was easier said than done. The fans continued to surge around the security guards and David was grabbed at from nearly every direction. When they finally made it to the platform they were able to look out and see all the fans that had gathered. Sundae quickly saw that her original guess was under the mark. There looked to be more like two thousand people in attendance and she could tell David was overwhelmed by it all. She saw him swipe at his eyes and came up beside him. “Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” she said. He looked at her and she saw the tears of joy in his eyes. “Yeah. I can’t believe how many people came for this. It’s just…” he paused and wiped his eyes again, “It means so much,” he said. She smiled and handed him a tissue, which he took. “Thanks,” he said and quickly wiped his eyes again. She gently squeezed his arm and he smiled. He was then ushered over to a table and, as soon as he sat down, the fans started coming up for autographs. Sundae watched David patiently take his time with each fan, signing what they’d brought and even talking to them a little. She could tell from their smiles that he was making their day as much as they were his. The signing lasted for nearly two hours, but even then not all the fans were gotten to. Sundae could tell David was disappointed by that fact. It was written all over his face as they got into the limo. “You won’t ever be able to get to all of them. I know people who’ve tried,” she said. “Yeah, I still wish I could, though,” he said. They looked back out the window at the fans and Sundae saw a thoughtful look come to David’s face. “What is it?” she asked him. “I was just wondering…where did they all park?” he mused. Sundae laughed at that, as did his parents. “What? I’m serious. There’s like a million of them out there and there’s no cars around,” he said. “You do have a point there,” Sundae said. “Yeah, and I bet there are probably full lots around here for a couple miles,” his mom chimed in. “Maybe,” David said. “Well hey, we’ve got some downtime before we go over to your school so how does lunch at home sound?” his dad asked. David beamed at that thought. “Awesome,” he said. “You’ve been missing your house, huh?” Sundae said to him and he nodded. “Yeah, I can’t wait for you to see it. It’s not as big and nice as yours but…” he started to say, but she stopped him. “If it’s yours I’m sure it’s wonderful,” she said. He smiled, his cheeks coloring slightly. “Thanks,” he said. They had a little bit of a drive back down the freeway so Sundae fished out her iPod and handed him one of the ear buds. They then started flipping through her music, listening to the stuff they liked. They were jamming along to an Avril Lavigne song when they noticed they were driving past pretty houses. “Oh, this is my neighborhood,” David said as they turned to look out at the scenery. “It’s beautiful,” Sundae said. All along the street on either side were pretty one and two story houses with well-manicured lawns and pretty trees and gardens. “You really like it? I know it’s not like where you live,” David said. Sundae reached over and took hold of his hand. “It’s better. I know. I live in Beverly Hills what could be better than that, right? As glamorous as mansions are, they’re just not me. I’ve always wanted a nice little house in a pretty neighborhood like this,” she said, smiling a little at that thought. David smiled, too. “I know what you mean. My friends always tease me that someday I’m gonna get out of this little town and have a big mansion in Hollywood, but that’s just never really appealed to me. If music does work out I don’t know that I’d live in LA. I mean, you can record anywhere, so why not live where you want,” he said. “Exactly. My parents have both said they want to get out of California when they retire and I’d be more than happy to follow them,” Sundae said. “It might be neat if you ended up in Utah,” David said, blushing a little. Sundae smiled, gently twining her fingers with his. “Yeah, it would be,” she said. The limo then turned into a cul de sac and pulled up to a tan, brick, one-story house. Sundae immediately noticed a sign over the door that read, ‘Congratulations David’ “Look’s like they’re expecting us,” she said as the car shut off. “Yeah, it does,” David agreed. The driver opened the door a moment later and the teens slid out to face the house. Sundae loved it at first sight. It looked small from the front, but she could tell it sprawled a bit in the back. Tan bricks were set into its front walls, accenting its creamy color and a cream cinder block wall surrounded the back yard. A perfectly manicured lawn spread out in front of it and the front garden bed over flowed with flowering shrubs. “What do you think? I know it’s not much,” David said. Sundae smiled, squeezing his hand. “It’s perfect. It’s just the kind of place I can picture you living in,” she said. He smiled, but before he could say anything the front door opened making them look up. “David!” came a happy squeal as his two little sisters, Jazzy and Amber, came racing down the front walk. “Ooof,” David said when they pounced on him. “We missed you,” Amber said, hugging him tight. David laughed. “I missed you, too, but do need room to breathe,” he said. “Give your brother some air, girls,” their dad chimed in. Sundae couldn’t help a smile at Amber’s pouty expression as she let go of David. “But we don’t get to see you anymore,” she said. David bent down to her and looked into her eyes. “I’m here now and we can do whatever you want, okay?” he said. Amber’s eyes lit up at that. “Play you at Super Smash Brothers,” she said. David laughed. “You’re on,” he said. Amber beamed and took off toward the house, presumably to get the game set up. Sundae stepped up beside David again as he stood up. “That was sweet. It makes me think I should be spending more time with my little sisters and brothers,” she said. David smiled. “You’re great with your siblings, Dae. I can tell they practically worship you,” he said. “Thanks, but I do feel I should spend more time with them,” she said. “Hey superstar, you forget about us little people out there in LA?” came a male voice and the teens looked up to see David’s brother Daniel and older sister Claudia coming to greet them. David laughed at Daniel’s remark. “Not on your life,” he said as they traded hugs. “Hi, Sundae, good to see you. We heard you might be coming out for this,” Claudia said, giving Sundae a friendly hug. “Yeah, it’s been a lot of fun so far,” Sundae said. “I’ll bet. Come on in and check out the house,” Claudia said and led the way up the walk. David slipped his arm around Sundae and she leaned into him as they followed her up the walk. They vaguely heard his dad talking to the camera people, but didn’t really pay attention to what was said. They followed Claudia and Daniel into the house and Sundae smiled to see that the inside of the house was just a pretty as the outside. There was a small patch of tile flooring by the door and light brown carpet spread throughout the rest of the house. The walls were a light cream color and the furniture was all in earth tones to go with the carpeting. The front entrance opened into a spacious living room with a sizable kitchen adjoining it. A hallway off to one side led to bedrooms and beyond a sliding glass door Sundae could see a beautiful backyard. “Wow, this is really nice,” she said as she looked around. “I know it’s not what you’re used to,” David said. She smiled. “It’s part of you, so it’s wonderful to me,” she said. He couldn’t help smiling at that and hugged her to him. “You’re the wonderful one,” he said into her ear, making her smile even more. “David, the game’s ready,” a little voice said and they looked up to see Amber ready and waiting with a video game controller. “In a few minutes, Amber. I want to show Dae around first,” David said. “But you said…” Amber started to say. “Amber that’s enough. We all need to eat, so your game will have to wait,” their mom said as she came into the room. Amber pouted as she shut off the game. David then turned to Sundae. “Would you like the grand tour?” he asked. She nodded. “I’d love that,” she said. “Make it quick, though, David. You guys do need to eat and you also have a home ec. project you should do while you’re here,” his mom said. David sighed and Daniel, who had over heard the last about the project, cracked up laughing. “You’ve got home ec. this term? How’d you get that bad luck?” he said. David rolled his eyes at him. “It’s a required class and you don’t have to rub it in,” he said. “Well, I’ll never be taking it,” Daniel said. “It’s a graduation requirement so, yes, you will,” their mom interjected. David pulled Sundae away before Daniel could say anymore. “You can laugh if you want to…about the home ec. thing,” he said. “I’m not going to laugh. There’s nothing wrong at all with you taking that class, and, by the way, I happen to know that girls love guys who can cook,” she said. David shook his head. “You’re just saying that,” he said. “It’s true. One of the most romantic things a guy can do for a girl is make her dinner. My mom loves it when my dad does it,” Sundae said. David nodded. “Well, all I have to do for this project is make a pastry of some kind, but I’ll keep that in mind,” he said. “Are you allowed to have help on your project?” she asked him. David thought a moment. “I’m not sure,” he then smiled, “but no one has to know if I did,” he said. She smiled and squeezed his hand as they looked around the living room. It was wide and open like her own at home and had a fully loaded entertainment center, a big comfy couch and easy chairs. There were also a couple of bookshelves and, over by the window, a black baby grand piano. “I bet you spend a lot of time with this,” Sundae said as they walked over to the piano. “Yeah, I do love playing it,” David said as they sat down on the bench. He lifted the cover off the keys but before he could start playing a shrill yipping sound caught their attention. The teens looked over to see a small cream-colored dog looking up at them. David grinned. “Hey boy, did you miss me?” he asked as he bent down and picked up the dog. “You didn’t tell me you had pets,” Sundae said. “Yeah. There’s also a fish in my room and two cats around here somewhere. This guy loves to chase them, so they’re probably hiding,” David said as he ruffled the dog’s fur. “He’s so cute,” Sundae said as the dog licked David’s face. He laughed. “He can be a pain though and he knows it,” he said. “What’s his name?” Sundae asked. David gently positioned the dog on his lap. “This is Teddy,” he looked to the dog, “Teddy, this is Sundae. She means a lot to me, so be nice okay,” he said. Sundae smiled and held her finger up to Teddy’s nose for him to sniff. “Hi Teddy. You’re a very cute puppy,” she said. Teddy wiggled out of David’s arms, climbed onto Sundae’s lap and started licking her face. She laughed. “Okay Teddy, I like you, too,” she said between giggles. David reached over and picked Teddy up again. “Hey now, I did see her first, you know,” he said. Teddy yipped at him and Sundae laughed. “He doesn’t like competition, huh?” she said. “Yeah, he tries to steal Daniel’s girlfriends, too,” David said. They both laughed and David set Teddy down before turning to the piano again. “I’ll bet you’re like me, it’s like pulling teeth to get you away from this thing,” Sundae said. David smiled. “Yeah, pretty much, unless I have a lot of homework. I do most of my writing here,” he said. “I’d love to hear some of that writing some time,” Sundae said. He nodded modestly. “Well… it’s not that good…but this is part of a song I wrote,” he said and laid his fingers on the keys and started to play and sing. I try to chase the memories away But they haunt me everyday I hope I get over this phase Cause I’m stuck inside this haze All I need is a simple lift So just sweep in precious gift So I don’t lose it all before What I have left turns to nothing more “That’s amazing,” Sundae said when he’d finished. “Thanks. I don’t think it’s much. I actually wrote it a couple years ago, so I’m sure I could do better,” David said. She gently touched his cheek, making him look over at her. “It’s incredible. I’ve been writing since I was eight and I’ve never been able to come up with something like that,” she said. He smiled, blushing lightly. “Thanks,” he said. When he looked back up their eyes met and he slowly leaned toward her. Just as they were about to kiss, voices behind them spoiled the moment. They looked up and saw his parents coming into the room. “You might not want to do that while the media people are around,” his dad said. “Hmm, good point,” Sundae noted. “David, you might want to go do your project now while there’s time for it to bake,” his mom said. David nodded and stood up from the piano, pulling Sundae up as well. “Alright. Dae was going to help me if that’s okay?” he said. “I’m sure it’s fine, but if find one speck of flour on my kitchen floor there’ll be trouble,” his mom said, giving them a warning look. The teens both laughed. “No worries, mom,” David said. He then took hold of Sundae’s hand and led the way into the kitchen. There they saw that his mom had left out what they’d need for the project. “What are we making?” Sundae asked as they washed their hands. David looked over at the recipe his mom had left out. “Apple muffins,” he said. “Oooh that sounds yummy,” Sundae said. “I just hope I don’t burn them,” David said as they dried their hands and then turned to the ingredients and dishes on the counter. Sundae picked up the recipe and read off the list of ingredients and David checked to make they had everything, which they did. Sundae then started reading off the directions and he started mixing ingredients together. Soon they had two bowls, one with sifted flour, sugar, baking soda and salt, and one with mixed eggs, vanilla extract, and applesauce. “I think we need the electric mixer for the rest,” David said. Sundae nodded and he went and got the mixer out of a cabinet, set it on the counter and plugged it in. He then got out a set of beaters from a drawer and started to try to attach them to the mixer. Sundae brought the bowls over and noticed he was having a hard time doing so. “Need some help?” she asked, setting the bowls aside. “That would be great. I do not get this thing,” he said. She smiled and took the beaters and turned to the mixer. “It took me quite a few tries, too,” she said as she attached the beaters to the mixer. She then reached over and picked up the bowl with the liquid ingredients and set it on the holder in the base on the mixer. David then lowered the head of the mixer so the beaters were in the bowl ready to go and then reached over and turned it on. Unfortunately, the mixer’s speed was set a little too high and as soon as it was turned on it started whirring away and a teeny bit of batter spritzed out of the bowl. “Whoa, there,” Sundae said as she reached to turn down the speed on the mixer. David quickly went a grabbed a sponge and wiped up the batter that had gotten away from them and Sundae picked up the bowl of dry ingredients and started adding it to the other bowl as the mixer spun it. David joined her after putting the sponge back and took the bowl of dry ingredients from her. “Can you get out a cupcake pan? There should be one in the cabinet next to the oven,” he said. “Sure,” Sundae said and moved over to the aforementioned cabinet. She checked to make the sure the oven was ready as she did so and saw that it was heated and ready to go. She then bent down and dug in the cabinet and quickly found a cupcake pan and set it on the counter. “Do you have paper cupcake cups or do you just want to grease the pan?” she asked, turning to him. David shrugged. “Grease it, I guess. I’m sure if we have any cupcake cups,” he said. “Alright, greased it is,” she said and went over to the fridge. There she found the butter drawer and pulled an empty wrapper out. She then went back over to the pan and used the wrapper to grease it. “Did your mom teach you that trick?” David asked her as he finished adding the dry ingredients to the batter. “Yeah, she usually uses cups, but one time she didn’t have any and did it this way,” Sundae said. He smiled and turned back to the batter. “Hey, does this look ready to you?” he asked. She looked up from greasing and saw the bowl on the mixer now filled with a thick, creamy batter. “Yup, it’s ready,” she said and he reached over and turned off the mixer. He then brought the bowl over and she helped him pour the batter into the little cups in the pan. He then got an oven mitt and put the pan in the oven and set the timer and then together, they went about cleaning up the kitchen. They washed the dishes they’d used and wiped off the mixer and counter tops where they’d been working. Once the cleaning was done they leaned side-by-side against the counter tops. “So, now what? I guess we just wait for the timer to ding,” Sundae said. He nodded. “Yeah. Oh, um, one little thing. You’ve got a teeny little drop of batter…”he leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose, “…right there,” he finished. She blushed. “Thanks, you’ve got one, too,” she said and gently rubbed a tiny drop off of his cheek with her thumb. He reached up and caught her hand before she could pull it back, holding it to his cheek. He then started to lean toward her. “Oooh, this’ll make a nice shot,” a male voice suddenly said and the teens jumped apart to see a photographer aiming his camera. “Oh, don’t mind me,” he said. “A little late for that,” Sundae said. Mr. Archuleta happened to come in at that point and saw the photographer. “Excuse me, but I thought I made it clear, you’re not to photograph David with Sundae. What goes on between them is to be kept private,” he said. “I only want one shot,” the photographer said. “I made myself clear,” Mr. Archuleta said. He then turned to the teens. “David, why don’t you show Sundae the backyard while you wait on your project,” he said. David nodded. “Sure, dad,” he said and gave his dad a grateful look as he led Sundae out of the kitchen. Neither of the teens felt calm enough to breathe until they had slipped out the sliding door and onto the back patio. “Whew, that was too close,” David said. “Tell me about it. Now I know why my parents don’t get out much together. Darn paparazzos,” Sundae said as they walked over to a swing that faced out into the yard. There they sat down and Sundae had to be impressed as she looked out around the yard. It wasn’t as big as hers, but it was still spacious. There was a pool, smaller than her own, with an adjoining hot tub and plenty of grass to romp on. There was also a small basketball hoop on a pole and the whole yard was beautifully landscaped with trees, shrubs, both flowering and non, and masonry. “Your yard is beautiful,” Sundae commented as she gazed about her. “Thanks. Dad takes a lot of pride in it,” David said. “That’s pretty easy to see with how well maintained it is,” Sundae said. David just nodded thoughtfully. “Do you spend a lot of time out here?” Sundae asked. “Yeah, we all do, really. We even practice out here sometimes,” David said and nodded to where some music equipment was set up under the patio cover. “Oh, I’ll bet that drives the neighbors nuts. Wait. Scratch that. If you’re the one singing, I’ll bet the neighbors line up around the block for the free concert,” Sundae said. David laughed. “Our immediate neighbors do love to listen. I’ve seen them looking over the fence plenty of times,” he said. Sundae smiled. “They want to know who that amazing voice belongs to,” she gently touched his cheek making him look over at her, “Now the whole world knows,” she said. He nodded, blushing a little. “It’s just all happened so fast. If someone had told me a year ago that I’d be here now, I would’ve laughed,” he said. “Well, it’s happening for a reason. God wants this for you and I think He had it planned that you came to ‘Idol’ this year,” Sundae said. “He must’ve had it planned. I almost didn’t make it past the round at the stadium,” David said. “What do you mean?” Sundae asked. The auditions she helped judge were not the first round. Hopefuls first had to sing for talent scouts and then for the shows producers before going before her and the other judges. “When I sang for the scouts at the stadium I was in a group with three other people and the scout listening to us said that none of us were right for ‘Idol’. So, I started to go, but as I was leaving the stadium another scout pulled me aside and said I was through. I never did figure out what happened,” David said. Sundae was surprised. “Wow, there must have been some fate involved with that. If I ever find that scout I’ll never be able to thank him or her enough for giving you the green light. I don’t even want to think of what this season would’ve been like without you. I can’t imagine what I’d be like without you,” she said, blushing a little at that last. He smiled and gently brushed his fingers against her cheek, making her look up into his eyes. “I can’t imagine what I’d be like without you either. You’re not the only one who owes that scout a huge thank you. I wouldn’t trade these last few months for anything,” he said. Sundae smiled. “Me neither,” she murmured. David then slowly leaned toward her and her eyes slipped shut as their lips met. She slid over a little more as the kiss deepened and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer. When they finally broke the kiss he hugged her to him and she rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m really glad you’re here with me, Dae,” he said. “Me, too,” Sundae said. “Yo lovebirds, lunch is on,” Daniel suddenly called from behind them. “Thanks, Daniel,” David called back. He then stood up and pulled Sundae to her feet. “Wonder what we’re having?” he mused as they started toward the backdoor. “Good question. We should check on the muffins, too, while we’re in there,” Sundae said. “Yeah, we should,” David agreed as he opened the backdoor and then followed her back inside.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:00:57 GMT -5
Chapter 27 After a very nice lunch, David’s day continued. He, Sundae and his family headed over to Murray High School for a huge celebration. David was again overwhelmed by how many people had come to see him. It looked like a literal ocean of people to Sundae from her view sitting with his family on a stage set up on the football field. David was kept front and center on that stage and was honored by both the mayor of Murray and the governor of Utah. They dedicated the day to him and even renamed the main street of downtown Murray Archuleta Avenue is his honor. The mayor also read a letter from Paula stating that her song choice for the coming week for David was ‘And So It Goes’ by Billy Joel. Sundae remembered the song and made a note to look it up and download it to her iPod for David to listen to. David also got to perform a couple songs for the assembled crowd and they were over the moon for that. After the party at the school David, Sundae and his family headed to Salt Lake proper for the culmination of the day- David singing the National Anthem for and NBA playoff game between the Lakers and the Utah Jazz. He performed beautifully as always and the crowd, of course, loved it. They stayed for part of the game and then David, Sundae and his dad headed for the airport to catch their return flight home. Once back in LA, the trio was picked up by a limo and driven back to the ‘Idol’ apartment complex. There, Mr. Archuleta went back to the apartment he and David were sharing to go to bed and Sundae and David went for a walk around the complex. “So, did you have fun today?” Sundae asked as they strolled along past the pool hand-in-hand. David shook his head, an ear-to-ear grin nearly splitting his face. “I still can’t believe it. I never experienced anything like that. I had no idea so many people would be there. I just…I can’t believe it,” he paused and turned to her, taking her hands in his, “and I’m so glad you were there with me, Dae. You don’t know how much that means to me,” he said. Sundae smiled. “There was nowhere else I would’ve rather been,” she said. He grinned and pulled her into a hug and they held each other for a few minutes before continuing their walk. “Okay, so I know this might seem like a weird question, but did you have a favorite moment today?” Sundae asked. David laughed. “Way too many to count. The whole day was just amazing. What about you? Did you have a favorite moment?” he asked. “There were a few too many to count for me, too, but just getting to hear you sing was amazing,” she said. David nodded modestly. “I don’t think I did so great. I was a little off at the school,” he said. Sundae shook her head. “I didn’t see that. You were perfect to me,” she said. He smiled even more, a light blush coming to his cheeks. “I also can’t believe we were at a Lakers game. My brothers will never believe it, especially Jase,” Sundae said. David chuckled as they started up the stairs toward the apartment suites. “Yeah, Daniel was pretty pumped, too, even though he’s more of a Jazz fan,” he said. “Well, Jase will freak when I tell him, so I hope dad’s around to keep him on a leash,” Sundae said. “I’ll be there with you if you want,” David offered as they reached the top of the stairs. “Thanks,” Sundae said, squeezing his hand. They were quiet as they walked along the corridor, and as they reached Syesha’s apartment, where Sundae was spending the night, they turned toward each other. “You know, what I said a few minutes ago, I actually did have a favorite moment today,” she said. “Oh, what was it?” David asked. Sundae stepped closer to him. “Being with you,” she said. David’s smile grew and he lifted his hand and gently touched her cheek. “I loved being with you, too,” he murmured as he leaned in. His lips met hers a moment later and the kiss slowly deepened as she slid into his arms. They stayed close together when they finally came up for air. “Do you want to come in for a little while?” Sundae asked. “Sure,” David said. Sundae then stepped over to the door, unlocked it and led the way inside. Once inside, Sundae turned and relocked the door and, as she set the keys aside on the entryway table, David came up beside her and gently took her hand. He drew her to him and she slipped her arms up around his shoulders. They gazed at each other for a few moments and then his head lowered until his lips were on hers. Her grip on him tightened and they moved away from the entryway and over toward the nearby couch. She sat down and he moved with her, their lips still dancing together. She then laid back against the pillows and pulled him with her and he shifted so that he lay beside her, his back against the back of the couch. She shifted to face him and they lay together for a while, enjoying the quiet and trading soft kisses as they snuggled together on the couch. After a little while David reached back behind him and pulled his phone out of his back pocket. “Someone texting?” Sundae asked. “Yeah, dad wants me in for the night,” he replied as he repocketed his phone. Sundae sighed. “Shoot,” she muttered quietly as she sat up and then got up from the couch. He followed suit and they then walked back over to the door. She went to unlock it, but he caught her hand and pulled her back over to him. She beamed as he leaned in and kissed her softly and sweetly. Her smile only grew when she pulled back and saw the sparkle in his eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asked. “Definitely. Come for breakfast,” she said. “I’d like that,” he said and then kissed her again, “Thank you for being there today, Dae,” he said. She beamed. “Thank you for letting me be there,” she said. She then stepped over and unlocked the door and he came up beside her again. “Night, Dae,” he said, pulling her into his arms and hugging her tight. “Night,” Sundae said, hugging him just as tight. He pulled back after a few minutes and they gazed at each other for a moment before he stepped out the door and headed off down the corridor. She watched him for a moment and then stepped back inside and shut the door, smiling at the thought of the amazing day they had shared.
The next morning Sundae awoke to the sounds of someone moving around in the kitchen. She got up, pulled on her robe, and went out to see what was going on. She found Syesha putting on a pot of coffee. She still looked groggy from sleep. “Morning Esh,” Sundae said, keeping her voice quite so as not to spook her friend. Syesha turned and smiled on seeing her. “Morning, sleep well?” she asked. “Yeah, how ‘bout you? What time did you get in last night?” she asked. Syesha groaned. “Like three am. Not my fault that I live on the other side of the country, though,” she said. Sundae smiled. Syesha lived in Florida and had a six-hour flight each way for her trip as a result. “I don’t blame you for being tired. I would be, too,” she said. “That’s why I’m making coffee. I need energy to work on my songs today,” Syesha said. “Do you mind if David comes for breakfast? I invited him last night,” Sundae said. “That’s fine. Why don’t you call Dave and invite him, too. Then we can all trade hometown stories,” Syesha said. “Sure, sounds cool,” Sundae said. She went and got her phone from her purse, which was still on the table by the door. She called Dave and invited him for breakfast and sent David a ‘good morning’ text and then went back to her room to get ready for the day. She got dressed, brushed her hair into a ponytail and did her makeup. When she came back into the kitchen she saw Syesha had gotten dressed, too, and was getting ingredients out of the cabinets and fridge to make breakfast. Sundae started to go over to help her but, just as she reached the kitchen counter, a knock was heard at the door. “I’ll get it,” she said to Syesha and bounced over to the door. She opened it to find both Dave and David. “Morning,” she said stepping aside to let them in. “Morning, thanks for the invite,” Dave said as he and David stepped inside. “You’re welcome,” Sundae said. She then turned and shut the door and, as she locked it, a hand came around and caught hold of hers. She let the hand gently pull her around and she beamed as she looked up into David’s eyes. He smiled, too, and pulled her into a hug, brushing his lips against hers as he did so. “Mmmm, morning to you, too,” Sundae said, hugging David tightly. “Did you sleep well last night?” David asked. “Yeah, how ‘bout you?” she asked. “Yeah, I did and I had a nice day to dream about,” he said. “Me, too,” Sundae agreed, as she looked up at him again. He leaned in again for another taste of her lips and she returned the favor and tasted his as well. “Ahem,” came a grumbly chuckle from behind them. The teens turned to see Dave and Syesha watching them and blushed lightly as they moved to join them. “Sorry about that,” Sundae said to Dave and Syesha as David sat next to Dave at the counter. “It’s alright, we know you can’t resist,” Syesha said. Sundae giggled and turned to the guys. “So, what can I get you gentlemen to drink?” she asked. “Coffee, black, double sugar,” Dave said. Sundae held her hand up like a notepad and pretended to write down his order. “Alright, and for you, good sir?” she asked, smiling at David. “Orange juice, if it’s not too much trouble,” he said. “Not at all,” Sundae said and then turned to get their drinks while Syesha started making a breakfast of eggs and pancakes. Sundae got a mug and a tall glass out of a cabinet and grabbed the orange juice from the fridge. She poured the juice for David and then put the carton back and got the coffee pot and a scoop of sugar. She then poured the coffee into the mug and mixed in the sugar and then, after putting the pot and scoop back, she brought the drinks over to the counter. “Thank you,” Dave said, taking the mug. “You’re very welcome,” Sundae said, handing David his juice. She then started to turn to help Syesha, but was held back when David gently took her hand. She turned to him and he gently pulled her to him, planting a soft kiss on her lips. “Mmmm, what was that for?” Sundae asked when they pulled apart. “A good waitress gets a good tip,” David said. Sundae blushed and heard Syesha smother a giggle behind her. “Okay, you two are in danger of making me lose my appetite over here,” Dave said, unable to help a chuckle of his own. “Sorry,” David said a little sheepishly. Dave chuckled again. “Ah, it’s alright. I’m used to you two by now,” he said. “And changing topics, how was everyone’s home town visit?” Syesha said as she mixed up the pancake batter. “Mine was incredible. There were the usual interviews and such and a gathering at the local ampetheater. There was a parade, too, and I saw signs saying people had driven in from all over the Midwest just to see me. I still can’t get over it,” Dave said. “Wow. Mine was pretty amazing, too. I couldn’t believe how many people actually came. It was like, where did they all park?” David said. Syesha and Dave both chuckled. “I’m serious, you should’ve seen my school,” David said. “He’s not kidding. It was pretty much an ocean of people,” Sundae added. “Wow. Well, I thought mine was pretty big, but was nothing compared to that. There was a small party at my old high school, too, and larger gathering in a local park. That was pretty big. I seriously didn’t know there were that many people in Florida. I also got to sing the National Anthem at a Tampa Bay Rays game,” Syesha said. “You got that, too? I sang for my hometown KC Royals. Threw out the first pitch, too,” Dave said. “Did it make it to home plate?” Sundae asked, teasingly. “Ha ha, I do have decent arm, I’ll have you know,” Dave said. “I’m just kidding,” Sundae said. “Did you get to sing the Anthem anywhere, David?” Syesha asked. “Yeah, I sang it at the Lakers/Jazz playoff game,” David replied. Dave nearly choked on his coffee. “You got to sing at an NBA playoff game?” he asked, stunned. “Yeah, the Jazz are the only pro team Utah has in any sport, unless you count soccer,” David said. “Oh, I count soccer alright. Is your team any good?” Sundae asked. “I guess, I haven’t really followed them like you would. We could go to a game sometime, though,” David said. “I’d love that. If they ever play my LA Galaxy, I’ll be there with bells on,” Sundae said. “They do play the Galaxy a few times a season. Is that your favorite team?” David asked. “Yup. Dana and I have season tickets,” Sundae said. Dave chuckled before David could reply and Sundae looked over at him. “What? I’m a soccer jock, shoot me,” she said. “I get that. It’s just, knowing you as a musician, it’s kinda hard to picture you trying to bend it like Beckham,” Dave said. Sundae rolled her eyes and Syesha saved her the trouble and bopped Dave on the head with an empty paper towel tube. “Thank you, Esha,” Sundae said. “No problem,” Syesha said and turned back to the frying pan and the olive oil therein that she’d been watching.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:01:35 GMT -5
Chapter 28 Over the weekend Sundae, David, Syesha and Dave worked on their songs for the coming week. There were three songs for each ‘Idol’ and Sundae would be doing two numbers for her opening instead of one, so there was even more work than usual. But it paid off in the long run, as they were all ready to perform come Tuesday. Just before the show started Sundae came into the holding area and found Syesha, Dave and David milling around, waiting for show time. “I’m sensing nerves back here,” she said noting that both Dave and Syesha were pacing and David was fiddling with the tie he wore. “Don’t even mention nerves,” Syesha said. “Yeah, it’s the last thing I need to think of,” Dave agreed. “Sorry, I don’t mean to make anything worse,” Sundae said. “It’s alright,” Syesha said, patting her shoulder. Sundae smiled and then noticed Syesha’s sparkling gold gown. “Wow, Esh, that is an amazing dress,” she said. “Thanks, I love it, too. I just hope it gets the right idea across,” Syesha said. “Well, if the right idea is ‘I am the new diva’ you’ve got it in the bag,” Sundae said. Syesha giggled and Sundae then looked over to David. He was still fiddling with his tie and was now trying to retie it, since it had come undone from his fiddling. She smiled and stepped over to him. “Here let me,” she said gently taking the tie from him. “Thanks,” he said, letting out a breath. She looked up at him. “Are you okay?” she asked. “Yeah, but…what you said about nerves, that was probably me,” he said. “I’m sorry if that got to you. I didn’t mean it to,” Sundae said. David smiled. “It’s alright,” he looked at his tie again and his smile grew, “Wow, you’re good at this,” he said as she finished retying the tie. “Thanks, my brothers are all thumbs so we girls had to learn pretty quickly,” she said as she straightened the tie a little. David stepped closer to her then and cupped his fingers under her chin, making her look up at him again and meet his gaze. “Thanks,” he said and she saw the earnestness in his eyes. “You’re welcome,” she said. He then stepped even closer and started to lean in. “Ryan alert,” Dave suddenly said from behind them and they jumped apart just as Ryan came into the holding area. “Alright, let’s get this show on the road,” he said as he stepped over to the stage entrance. “I’m gonna sit with the judges tonight so I won’t be in the way when you all go back forth to change between numbers,” Sundae said. Dave and Syesha both nodded and David caught Sundae’s hand as she turned to go out for her opening numbers. “See you out there,” he said and gently kissed her fingers. She smiled and gave his hand a loving squeeze and then turned and followed Ryan out onto the stage. Sundae performed her two songs and then joined Simon, Randy and Paula at the judges’ table for the rest of the show. David had drawn the first performance slot and Sundae was eager to hear his songs. On top of Paula’s choice, he also had a song the producers chose and one he’d chosen himself. Sundae knew his producers’ choice song was Dan Folgelberg’s ‘Longer’, but he hadn’t told her what his own choice was. First, though, was Paula’s choice of ‘And So It Goes’. David sang part of the song a capella and the sound was amazing. Randy and Paula both loved it, too, but Simon as usual brought on an argument by saying it was good, but not outstanding, which Sundae only rolled her eyes at. She hoped Simon wouldn’t notice, but his eagle eye caught her and he looked to her as he finished his comments. “I’m presuming you don’t agree with what I said,” he said dryly. “No I don’t. Anyone who’s been watching this season since the beginning would see that David has only gotten better since then and what I just heard was not just an outstanding vocal, but an amazing vocal,” Sundae said. The audience applauded in approval and Sundae caught David’s eye and winked at him as Ryan started to read off his call-in numbers for the week. Syesha and Dave then performed their judge’s choice numbers. Randy had picked an R&B number for Syesha and Simon had chosen the classic ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ for Dave. Sundae wondered how Dave would do with that song, since it was very one eighty from what he might’ve picked for himself. He did okay with it, but Sundae didn’t particularly care for the belted ending. Simon, however, stroked his own ego by pronouncing the round a win for himself and Dave. Sundae again rolled her eyes, but quickly composed herself when David came out for his second song. He flashed a small smile her way as he made his way across the stage to where Ryan was sitting on one of two stools. David sat on the other stool and Ryan got right to it. “This song was your choice. What’d you choose and why?” he asked. “I chose ‘With You’ by Chris Brown and I just thought since I’ve been doing a lot of older sounding stuff I’d give something new a try,” David said. Sundae smiled. ‘With You’ was one of her current favorite songs. “Was it easy for you to learn?” Ryan asked. “It wasn’t actually. I haven’t done it for a while,” David replied. “Well, how bout you get set for the song and we’ll start the performance,” Ryan said. David slid down from his stool and made his way to center stage. A moment later Ryan announced him and the band started to play. His gaze met Sundae’s and he smiled as he started to sing.
I need you, Boo I gotta see you, Boo And there’s hearts all over the world tonight Hearts all over the world tonight
Hey, little mama, ooh you’re a stunner Hot little figure, yes, you’re a winner And I’m so glad to be yours You’re a class of your own and
Ooooh, little cutie, when you talk to me I swear the whole world stops You’re my sweetheart and I’m so glad that you’re mine You are one of a kind and You mean to me what I mean to you and Together, baby, there ain’t nothing we won’t do
Cause If I got you I don’t need money I don’t need cars Girl you’re my heart And oh, I’m into you and Girl no one else will do With every kiss and every hug You make me fall in love And now I know I can’t be the only one I bet there’s hearts all over the world tonight With the love of their life who feel What I feel when I’m With you, with you, with you, with you, with you, girl With you, with you, with you, with you, with you, oh With you, with you, with you, with you, with you
David looked right toward Sundae as he finished the song and winked at her as the audience applauded his performance. He then faced the judges for their comments. Paula liked the performance, but both Randy and Simon felt the song wasn’t quite the right choice for David. Simon even referred to it as being like ‘a Chihuahua trying to be a tiger’. Sundae again rolled her eyes. “Once again, however, you more than managed to get your point across, so bravo on that front,” Simon said, catching Sundae off guard for a moment. She looked toward David and he smiled nearly taking her breath away. She blushed and he winked at her again as he turned to head off stage. A little later, during the break before the third round was to start, Sundae went backstage to get a water from the fridge in her dressing room. When she came into the holding room on her way back to the judges’ table she found all three ‘Idols’ milling around, ready to go for their final numbers. “Hey, how’re you guys holding up?” she asked as she joined them. “Pretty good. I’m gonna need something for my voice after this, though. Three songs is a little straining,” Dave said. “I heard that. It’ll be tea with tons of honey for me later tonight,” Syesha agreed. Sundae looked over at David who was perched on one of the crates. “I’m presuming it’ll be the same for you?” she asked, taking in how cute he looked in a baby blue button down shirt and dark jeans. “Vocal rest for me,” he said, taking hold of her hand. Sundae smiled. “I hear you there,” she looked up into his eyes, “Thank you for the song,” she said. He smiled, too. “You’re welcome. I hope you’ll like the next one, too,” he said. “I’m sure I will,” Sundae said. “Show time,” Ryan’s voice suddenly said and Sundae turned to see him heading out to the stage. “I’d better go,” she turned back to David, “I’ll see you out there,” she said. “I’m up first, so I’ll be right behind you,” he said. Sundae gave his hand a squeeze and then turned and hurried after Ryan. She quickly got into her seat and when she looked up she saw David taking his position on a stool at center stage. Ryan then stepped forward from the side of the stage. “Now it’s time for the producers’ choice. Singing ‘Longer’ by Dan Fogelberg, here is David Archuleta,” he said. He then stepped back and the accompanist at the piano began to play. David looked right at Sundae as he began to sing and, to her, it was like it had been the week before, him singing to her and her alone.
Longer than there’ve been fishes in the ocean Higher than any bird ever flew Longer than there’ve been stars up in the heavens I’ve been in love with you
I’ll bring fire in the winter You’ll send showers in the spring We’ll fly through the fall and summer With love on our wings
Through the years as the fire starts to mellow Burning lines in the book of our lives Though the binding cracks And the pages start to yellow I’ll be in love with you I am in love with you David’s gaze was focused completely on Sundae as he finished the song and she felt tears in her eyes and the sweet tingle through her skin. He stood up from his stool and moved to face the judges and Sundae prayed they would be favorable. Both Randy and Paula were kind as usual, but Simon again had to make things awkward. “Okay, I’m not going to criticize you, David, because I thought you sang the song very well. But I thought the song and the lyrics were absolutely horrible. It’s so gooey,” the crowd booed, “It is gooey. It’s something you’d choose for a ninety year old and you’re seventeen years old,” he said. Sundae shook her head. “Simon, of course the song’s gooey. It’s cheesy 70s folk pop. What do you expect? I agree, however,” turning to David, “That you did sing it very well. That was beautiful, David,” she said. David smiled and Ryan read off his numbers once again. David then went backstage and Syesha and Dave each performed their final songs. Dave was last and, after he’d performed, Ryan recapped all the performances and call in numbers and then brought the show to a close.
The next night held the results that would determine who would go head to head in the season finale. Sundae was nervous knowing that anything could happen. The previous season when Jordin had competed, Sundae had expected her to vie against early favorite Melinda Doolittle for the title, but when the results for top three week were announced it was Melinda who was eliminated, sending Jordin and Blake Lewis into the finale. Sundae didn’t want to see the same thing happen to David, so she was crossing her fingers extra hard. Just before show time, Sundae was heading down the hall toward the stage her mind wandering, thinking of the finale and wondering who would make it. She was suddenly jolted out of her thoughts by someone taking hold of her hand. She turned, slightly startled, but smiled when she saw David beside her with a smile of his own. “Hey,” she said, letting her fingers twine with his. “Hey, you looked like you have something on your mind,” he said. “I was just thinking about the finale. Seems like this season has gone by so fast,” Sundae said. David nodded. “It has gone by fast,” he turned to face her, looking into her eyes, “but I wouldn’t trade a minute of it for anything,” he said, his smile turning tender. She blushed lightly as she moved closer to him. “I wouldn’t either,” she said as he pulled her into his arms. She sighed as she hugged him tightly. “I just don’t want to think about elims tonight,” she said. “Don’t think about it and don’t worry. It doesn’t matter what happens tonight, I’m not going anywhere now that I’ve found you,” he said. Sundae hugged him even tighter. “I’m glad to hear that,” she said. They held each other for a few minutes and he then stepped back and slipped his arm around her as they started off toward the stage. Dave and Syesha were already there when the teens arrived. “Hey, you guys ready for tonight?” Dave asked. “Yeah, as we’ll ever be,” Sundae said. She felt David squeeze her hand and gave him a grateful smile. Ryan appeared then and the teens quickly stepped apart. “Everybody ready?” Ryan asked. “As much as we can be,” Syesha said. “Well I saw all your families out there, so be prepared for cheering sections,” Ryan said. He then turned to Sundae. “You at the table tonight?” he asked. “Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute,” she said. Ryan nodded and headed out to the stage and Sundae turned back to her friends. “Well he just made things a lot less stressful,” Syesha said sarcastically. “Yeah, the whole family watching doesn’t make it any easier,” Dave agreed and David nodded. Sundae smiled. “You’ll guys will be fine. Just don’t worry about the elim. It doesn’t really matter at this point,” she said paraphrasing David’s earlier reassurance to her. She saw him smiling at her when she caught eye. “I’d better get out there before the show starts. Remember, just focus on having fun,” she said. Dave and Syesha smiled and David stepped up beside her. Sundae was pleasantly surprised when he leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. “See you out there,” he said. She smiled and squeezed his hand and then turned and headed out to the stage. She claimed her seat at the judges’ table just as the lights went down for the start of the show. Sundae could feel the tension in the air as Ryan came out and got things underway. The audience was just as keyed up as she was for the all-important results. The tension seemed to grow as the show progressed. The three ‘Idols’ came out for a group number and then Ryan got right down to business. He called each ‘Idol’ out one at a time, to review their performances and play the video of their trips home. David was first up and Sundae could tell he was a little nervous, too. Ryan recapped his performances and the judges’ remarks and then introduced the video of the trip to Murray. The video was made up of clips filmed throughout the day and Sundae squirmed slightly in her seat when she saw herself pop up in a couple clips. She could tell David had noticed, too, and she hoped for both their sakes that Ryan would let it slide. She wasn’t that lucky. “How do you feel after seeing that? You alright?” Ryan asked David when the video ended. “It’s a little embarrassing. They showed a lot of me crying, gosh,” David said. Ryan smiled and patted his shoulder. “I’m pretty sure I saw Sundae in a couple places in those clips. Or am I imagining things?” Ryan asked. “Oh, um, she’s been really great showing me around and making me feel welcome here and I wanted to do something nice for her,” David said. He met Sundae’s gaze then and they shared a sweet smile. Ryan chuckled, but then turned serious as he turned to face the audience. “As you know it is a very, very close race and there is a real possibility that this could be David’s last time on the ‘Idol’ stage. Whatever happens we want to celebrate his story so far. Here’s a look at David’s journey,” he said and then turned to face the screen again as a second montage, this one of David’s time on ‘Idol’ played. Sundae couldn’t help but smile and even brushed away a few tears as images of David’s time on ‘Idol’ filled the screen. All memories she had to go with those images filled her mind. She didn’t want those memories to ever stop being made. When the video ended she and David shared a special smile as he turned and made his way off stage to wait until it was time to reveal the results. Ryan continued on with the show bringing out Dave and Syesha for their recaps and videos. When those were finished the show went to break and Ryan called all three ‘Idols’ out onto the stage. Sundae started to get very nervous and the tension in the room grew with anticipation. Sundae was fiddling with her phone, trying to keep occupied when Randy’s hand reached over and took hold of her own. “Squeeze if you need to,” he said with an understanding smile. “Thanks,” Sundae said gratefully as the ‘Idol’ theme music blared through the Idol Dome. All eyes then turned to the stage where Ryan was standing beside the three ‘Idols’. Syesha was in the middle with the boys on either side of her and all were hand in hand. Ryan got right down to business. “Dim the lights, cue the music and here we go,” he said. The lights dimmed and Ryan turned to face the threesome beside him. “America has decided that the two people going head to head in the finale are…” Ryan paused and Sundae squeezed Randy’s hand tightly. “David Archuleta,” Ryan finally said after a moment. Sundae let out a huge breath she didn’t know she’d been holding in as she watched David’s surprised reaction. She wiped away a few tears as Syesha and Dave reached to hug him and, when she looked over her shoulder at his family, she saw them doing the same. She turned back to the stage when the lights dimmed again and saw Dave and Syesha standing side by side, his arm around her shoulders, and David standing a few steps to the side. Ryan held up his results card again. “And going up against David Archuleta is…David Cook,” he said. Dave pulled Syesha into a hug for a moment and Ryan then ushered him and David over to the couch. Sundae caught David’s eye as he and Dave turned to go sit and smiled at him. He smiled, too, and she could tell by his eyes that he wanted to run over and hug her. She wanted to hug him, too, but first they had to wait for the show to end. Ryan then announced Syesha to perform her final song, but Sundae still couldn’t tear her eyes from David. She listened to Syesha’s song and gave her a friendly wave, but as soon as Ryan closed the show for the night and the cameras stopped rolling, she got up and quickly scooped up her stuff. “You okay?” Randy asked her as she grabbed up her phone and her purse. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just want to get this stuff put away,” Sundae said. She then waved to him and Simon and Paula and then headed toward the stage. She went up the steps, past the couch and back into the backstage area. She didn’t see any of the ‘Idols’ and presumed they, too, were packing up for the night. Sundae went back to her dressing room and packed up her things for the night. She then pulled on the sweater she’d brought and then grabbed her bag and headed back out to the stage. There she saw that the audience except for family and friends of the ‘Idols’ had left and the crew was cleaning up for the night. She looked for David and quickly spotted him surrounded by his family and a few friends. He was in his mom’s arms and she was holding him tightly, tears of joy obvious in her eyes. She walked toward them slowly, so as not to interrupt anything. His mom saw her as she neared them. “There’s someone else here to see you,” she said to David as she gently pulled him back from her. David turned around and a grin came to his face when he saw Sundae watching him. He stepped over and the two teens embraced in a tight hug. “I told you I’m not going anywhere,” he said. Sundae hugged him tighter. Now, instead of worrying about being separated, they could look forward to more time together, and the culmination of the ‘Idol’ season.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:03:01 GMT -5
Chapter 29 Preparations for the finale began the very next morning. Rehearsals were scheduled, music was selected and the ‘Idol’ set was taken apart and moved to the new Nokia Theatre, where the finale would be held. For Dave and David, the work had only just begun with making it to the top two. They had three songs to learn along with group numbers, songs to be performed with special guest artists and a duet that they would be performing together. The first step was to have all the song selections nailed down so the songs could be learned and rehearsed. The first step toward that was a meeting with record exec Clive Davis. Clive, who had been involved with Idol since its inception, would be choosing one of the three songs each of the guys would be singing. The meeting took place in the rehearsal room at the Idol Dome studio. The guys would be working on their individual songs there and practicing group numbers in a larger studio on the Fox lot. Sundae went along to the meeting and she and David waited together in the hall outside the room while Dave went in for his turn. David fidgeted in his chair as they waited and Sundae reached over, taking hold of his hand. He looked up and was surprised by how calm she looked. “You aren’t nervous?” he asked. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. Clive’s really, really nice,” she said. “You’ve met him?” David asked. “Yeah. Clive’s been almost like a mentor to me since Star Search,” Sundae said. “Really?” David asked. Sundae squeezed his hand. “Yes, he’s very nice and I know he’ll love you,” she said. David tried to smile, but he still looked worried. “You’re nervous about more than meeting Clive, aren’t you?” Sundae said. David sighed. “It’s just… I still can’t believe I’m even going to be in the finale and I don’t want to mess it up. I want to do the best I can,” he said. Sundae reached out and gently lifted his chin so she could see his eyes. “You’ll be fine. You’re one of the most gifted musicians I’ve ever known. If anyone can handle an ‘Idol’ finale, you can,” she said. David finally managed to smile. “Thanks, Dae,” he said. Just then the door to the rehearsal room opened and Dave appeared, sheet music in hand. “Your turn and he wants to see both of you together,” he said. Sundae was a little surprised. She wasn’t expecting Clive to ask to see her, since that day was supposed to be about the guys. Still she got up and took hold of David’s hand when he held it out to her and they turned and went into the room. There they saw Clive waiting for them in a chair near the piano. He stood up when they came in. “Hi there,” he said warmly. “Hi Clive,” Sundae said. “How are you?” Clive asked as they traded a friendly hug. “I’m good, how ‘bout you?” Sundae asked. “I’m well, I’m well,” Clive said. Sundae then turned and drew David forward. “David, this is Clive Davis. Clive, this is David,” she said. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Davis,” David said. “You, too. I’ve heard very good things about you,” Clive said. David smiled shyly and Clive gestured for him and Sundae to sit down as he reclaimed his own chair. He then fished into the briefcase that sat next to his chair and brought out some more sheet music. “Alright, David, what I have chosen for you is ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’, the Elton John hit,” he said, handing one of the three songs he held to David. “Thank you. This is a good song,” David said. “It is a good one. I remember Clay Aiken singing it during his season,” Sundae chimed in. “I remember that, too, and that’s part of why I knew it would be a good fit for you, David. You and Clay have similar vocal styles,” Clive said. David nodded. “I have one for you, as well, Sundae,” Clive said and handed her one of the other two songs he held. Sundae looked at it and was surprised. The song was ‘I Surrender’ by Celine Dion. Sundae had wanted to perform it, but wasn’t sure if she was ready. “Are you sure about this one?” she asked Clive. He nodded. “I’ve wanted to hear you sing that song for several years now. Having seen your performances this past season, I know you’re ready for it,” he said. “I’ll help you with it if you want. Remember, I sang it on Star Search,” David said. “That’s true,” Sundae agreed. David took her hand, letting his fingers twine with hers. “We’ll help each other,” he said. She couldn’t help a smile. “Okay,” she said. Clive smiled at them. “You two have something special,” he said. The teens both blushed a little. “Yeah, we do,” David said, gently squeezing Sundae’s hand. “I’ve seen it throughout the season and when I came across this song while making my selections for this week, I thought another duet was in order,” Clive said and handed over the last song. Sundae took it and she and David looked at it. The song was ‘The Start of Something New’ from the Disney film ‘High School Musical’. The teens smiled as they read over the words of the song. “This fits us pretty well, doesn’t it?” David said. “Yeah, it does,” Sundae agreed. “I already spoke to Mr. Lithegoe and we agreed on you two performing this song for the results night,” Clive said. Sundae and David looked toward each other. That idea opened up an opportunity to them, but they needed to decide if they wanted to take it.
The next big event of the finale prep was the filming of a commercial for the video game Guitar Hero. Sundae and David both loved the game and were very excited for the shoot. They thought the commercial would be something like Dave and David playing the game together as a promotion, but it turned out to be quite different. When they got to the studio where the commercial was to be filmed, Dave and David were immediately whisked off for a quick consultation and wardrobe and Sundae hung out around the set. She was nibbling on chips at a snack table when Dave wandered up beside her. “Hey, anything good?” he asked, reaching for the chips. “Yeah, kind… oh, gosh, Dave!” Sundae squeaked turning her back to him as soon as she saw him. He was wearing a peach dress shirt and socks and not much else. “What?” Dave asked as he popped a chip into his mouth. “Um, do need to point out that you forgot your pants? My dad would freaking kill you if he caught you right now,” Sundae said. “Well, then he won’t be too happy with your boyfriend in a minute,” Dave said with a chuckle. “What do you mean?” Sundae asked. “The commercial’s theme is the famous scene from ‘Risky Business’,” Dave said. “’Famous scene from Risky Business’?” Sundae asked, but then it dawned on her. Dave was referring to a classic Tom Cruise movie and its famous scene where Tom danced around in a dress shirt and his underwear. “I don’t think David would go for that,” she said, knowing how shy and modest about his attire David was. Dave chuckled again. “He put up one heck of a fight, that’s for sure,” he said. “I believe it,” Sundae muttered. She reached for and managed to pick up a couple chips without turning around. She had just finished them when Dave chuckled again. “And here comes Archie now,” he said. Sundae slowly turned around and blushed when she saw that David wore the same peach shirt and socks as Dave. Luckily for the both of them he also wore boxer shorts. Still, it was the first time she’d seen that much of his legs and she was intrigued. She dropped that train of thought in an instant when she saw how red he was blushing. “I can’t believe we have to do this. No one’s ever seen me like this,” he said. “Not even your mom?” Dave asked sarcastically. David gave him a look. “You’re not helping, Dave,” Sundae said. She then took David’s hand and pulled him away from the table and off to one side of the room. “How am I supposed to do this? I don’t even know how they got my dad to agree to this,” David said. “I’m kind of wondering that, too, but you are seventeen. If you hang around my house on the weekend you’ll see that hanging around in boxers isn’t an abnormal thing for guys your age,” she said. He raised an eyebrow at her. “What? You should see my brothers on Saturdays. Anyway, what I mean is that your dad probably didn’t think it would be weird for your age. From what I remember of the movie, that scene wasn’t suggestive. Tom’s character was just having fun,” she said. David sighed. “I guess, but I still feel embarrassed. I won’t live this down at home,” his eyes narrowed slightly, “Daniel will make sure of that,” he said. Sundae took his hand and gently held it in her own. “I know you’re not comfortable with this but, as my dad will tell you, it’s part of the business. There’ll be a lot of times that you’ll have to do things you won’t like or be comfortable with. As for Daniel, you tell me if he tries anything and I’ll kick his butt,” she said. That made David smile. “Thanks, Dae. And thank you for not…you know…acting weird when you saw me like this,” he said. “I’d never make you uncomfortable on purpose,” Sundae said. “I know,” David said. “Hey love birds, we’re ready to start over here,” Dave suddenly called. David gently took Sundae’s hand and led the way over to where Dave was waiting with the director.
The rest of the commercial shoot went well and, despite his discomfort, David got through it with flying colors. The days following the shoot were filled from top to bottom with rehearsals. The ‘Idols’ worked for nearly ten hours a day learning their routines and songs for the finale show. For Dave and David it was double the work. Not only did they have their competition songs to learn they also had group numbers and special duets to learn for the results show. They would each perform with a special guest as well as doing a duet together and perform with the rest of the ‘Idols’. It was enough to exhaust them by the end of each day. Sundae saw how tired they were when rehearsals ended each day and she was just as tired. She and David tried to spend time together in the evenings, but they fell asleep more than once in front of the TV. As the new week began everyone looked forward to getting the finale over with and being able to rest afterward. On Monday afternoon rehearsals were going strong as always. Sundae and the ‘Idols’ were running through the group numbers for results night. They were just sitting down for a short break between songs when Idol producer Nigel Lithegoe came in to the rehearsal studio. “Hey, everyone ready for our big nights?” he asked. Sundae and the ‘Idols’ nodded, wanting to seem enthusiastic, even through their fatigue. “I brought someone with me whom, I thought, could give you all a little boost in the right direction,” Nigel said and turned toward the doors of the studio. Sundae and the Idols followed his gaze and were quite surprised to see the original ‘Idol’, Kelly Clarkson, step into the room. It was surprising because she was usually very busy with her popstar life. Sundae grinned, seeing her. She and Kelly had always gotten on well. “Hey, Kell, long time no see,” she said as she got up and stepped over to her. “Hey. Oh my gosh, it cannot have been that long since I last saw you,” Kelly said, noticing how grown up Sundae was. “It has been a little while,” Sundae said. Kelly smiled and then spoke to the young ‘Idols’, giving them an idea of what to expect at the finale and what their lives would be like when ‘Idol’ was over. As she was finishing Sundae suddenly remembered something she wanted to tell her. “Hey Kell, before you go how ‘bout a little mind trip?” she said. “Uh oh, this doesn’t sound good,” Kelly giggled. “Okay, think back to your finale for a minute,” Sundae said. “Oh boy, now I know this can’t be good,” Kelly said with another giggle. Sundae giggled, too. “Just think back. Remember how you told me about when you were in the hotel lobby and a boy a little older me sang for you?” she said. A new smile came to Kelly’s face. “Oh yeah. That kid was amazing,” Kelly said. “Would you like to meet him again?” Sundae asked. Kelly looked at her in surprise. “What do you mean ‘meet him again’?” she asked. Sundae grinned and gestured for David to join them. He got up from where he was sitting and walked over. Kelly recognized him almost instantly and her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it,” she said. “It’s pretty amazing, right?” Sundae said. Kelly nodded. “It is,” she looked to David, “I can’t believe I’m seeing you again,” she said. “It’s nice to see you, too,” David said shyly. Kelly smiled, but then suddenly turned to Sundae again. “Oh my gosh, do you still have Justin’s number?” she asked, referring to her season runner up, Justin Guarini. “Yeah, I text him sometimes when does his interview segments,” Sundae said. “Well, please do pass it on. We had bet all those years ago that this guy” nodding to David, “would be an ‘Idol’ himself, someday. I need to let him know he owes me a hundred bucks,” Kelly said. Sundae grinned. “Ah, well I’ll be happy to help you there,” she said. Kelly then pulled out her phone and Sundae gave her Justin’s number. “I just thought of something else from back then,” Kelly said. “Oh, what’s that?” Sundae asked as Kelly finished typing Justin’s number into her phone. “I remember thinking that if you’d been there when David sang for us, I would’ve tried to hook you two up. You guys would be very cute together,” Kelly said. Some of the other ‘Idols’ chuckled and the two teens smiled shyly. “Well, you were right on with that one,” Sundae said, taking hold of David’s hand. “Awww, how sweet,” Kelly said and the two teens smiled.
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