Raise your voice...

[Jelline Autumns]

It was a bleary day outside and her chance of heading out for walk out on the school grounds were cancelled. She rushed into the Chorus Room, her clothes slightly damp from the catch of the drizzling rain outside. She sighed in exasperation, moving tendrils of her hair away from her face and turned on the lights of the dim room. It was a pretty big place with a few desks here and there, but the stage was what captured the eye. It stood right in the center, equipped with navy blue drawstring curtains, microphones, a few instruments and rolling chalboard scribbled with music notes off stage near the right. She hadn't been here in a long time an djust stepping into the room brough her back to her one love - singing. At first it was an interest, but slowly it turned into her whole life and one of the main reasons as to why she even came to Gordon Parks Academy in the first place.

Straightening her sweater, Jelline shifted her bag to the other hand and started down the main aisle towards the stage. She could imagine rows and rows of people sitting in chairs, awaiting her stunning performance of her song. It was a dream of hers ever since she was in middle school and she soon hoped to make into a reality with the help of her beloved Professor. She stepped up onto the stage, setting down her bag on the floor by her feet and fingered the black and white keys of the keyboard off the left of the stage. It was already plugged in, all she had to do was play.

As if suddenly jolted with power, Jelline began an opening to the music script layed open before the keyboard. Her fingers flew across the keys, striking notes that merged together perfectly and soon enough a sweet melody began to fly out from her mouth, filling the quiet room with lively song and spirit. Jelline became lost in the song, putting her heart and soul into it with the notes of the keyboard as her base rhythm. She needed this - this was her outlet from the real world and her only comfort. Singing was what kept her going.

[Mandy Steele]

Mandy headed across the grounds, she was beyond bored and she figured that the best thing for her to do would be to go practice for a bit. Though she wasn't quite away of the drizzle that was awaiting her once she stepped out of the door. She hurried as quickly as she could thankful that she'd chosen to replace the white shirt that she'd been wearing earlier with a light blue one. She usually didn't mind a bit of drizzle here and there, but it was cold on top of being wet and that just threw it all off. She wasn't sure how long it was going to take her to get dry now. She thought about turning back but she was almost there so that was against the point. It would have been a waste of time to get all wet and cold if she just turned around now.

When she made it up to the vocal room she was expecting it to be empty for some reason. So she was a bit shocked when she walked in and heard someone playing the piano and singing. They were very good she had to admit, but felt stupid for thinking something like that. Of course they were good. Everyone was good here, but there was good and then there was great. She listened as she walked up closer to the stage, she felt a little jealous of the fact that the girl could both sing and play. It was something that she herself had never been able to do. She waited until the song stopped before she dared to say anything. She didn't want to ruin the music that was being made.

"Wow," she said quietly. "That was really great." She didn't know the girl that was sitting there so she had to be in a different level, she looked as if she was a sophomore, a junior at most. Either way, it wasn't her first year there - or she hoped not anyway. That would make her feel a bit bad about her own skills. She knew the school would help to improve them as she went along, but at the moment she just felt bad compared to the people at higher levels. Because they were just that much better, it was a good sign about the school however.

[Jelline Autumns]

Her eyes were glued to the piece in front of her, making sure her hands didn't slip up and press the wrong key. That would've thrown everything off whack. Truth be told, she couldn't remember the last time she even played the piano. It's not like she had one at home anyway and if she did get a chance to polish her small talent it was at her friend's house where they actually appriciated her gift. But, a summer without singing or playing was the worst and now Jelline found herself so absorbed in her world that she didn't even hear someone walk in through the chorus doors. Usually, you could hear the doors creak most loudly due to the age old hinges that held the door in place. It was part of the reason as to why the chorus doors were left open most of the time.

Jelline slowly came to the end of the piece with a soft hum, her fingers drawing away from the keys of the piano. She slouched in her seat, trying to figure out if she had hit the right notes of her song, but a soft voice inturrupted her thinking. "Wow." it was a girl. "That was really great."

A red tint came to her cheeks at the compliment. She hadn't realized that she had an audience or she would've played a better song. She let a smile grace her face as she straightened up, her hands lying in her lap and looked towards the girl. She seemed so small, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that she was a freshman. The girl's hair was brown and she was clad in a shirt and skirt - simple and plain. It seemed that she hadn't been introduced to fashion yet and boy did she need major tips in that particular department.

Jelline then remembered she was in the chorus room and wondered why a girl such as her would be here. It didn't dawn her that she was a vocal student as well.

"Thank you." she replied politely, standing up. "I'm Jelline Autumns, but people call me Jelly..." she flashed a smile. "Are you new to the school? You aren't lost, are you?"

[Mandy Steele]

"You're welcome," Mandy said with a small smile, but it wasn't as if she'd been lying or anything about it. She'd told the truth the girl was really great, she probably practiced a lot. Or that was what she was inclined to believe anyway. From what she heard people usually came to the talent rooms to practice, so it would make sense that she'd come to practice. Or maybe she hadn't, either way it didn't really hold that much importance in her mind for her to think for then a few seconds about it. After all she didn't even know who the girl was, so there really wasn't a reason for her to care that much. If the girl did or didn't practice often it was none of her business or concern... still she liked to believe that she did. It would make her self esteem go down a few pegs if she didn't, so she was going to leave it like that in her mind and call it good.

She had to hold back a giggle upon hearing what people called the girl. That was actually very amusing to think about. What had her parents been thinking when they named the poor girl? Obviously it hadn't been about what her nicknames could be... or maybe it had been. In which case she was very worried about those parents. However the next set of questions took her off guard. Actually she was even slightly offended by them. Did she not look like she could be a singer or something? She kept those thoughts off her mind as she formed an answer though, giving Jelly a smile. "I am new to school actually. I'm a freshmen," she said with a small smile and nod. "But nope I'm not lost, I'm a vocal student too. I was just coming over here because I was thinking about practicing a little, I don't know what exactly... but I guess because you're here I'll just go so you can get back to your practicing," she said, starting to turn and leave.

Truth be told she had no idea what she was going to do now. After all though it hadn't exactly been her plan all day. This was the one thing that she'd really found to do. She turned back slightly, as if remembering something. "Oh and it was nice to meet you Jelly. I'm Mandy Stevens for future reference," she said, adding the last part as an afterthought. She turned toward the door once more and sighed slightly. She stood there for a minute, biting her lip lightly as she tried to figure out what she planned to do now. Well there was always going back to the dorm room she supposed, but somehow that didn't sound like much fun to her.