I Don't See Why He Moves Me - Chapter 1 {Cobra Starship, The Academy Is...}
Gabe sighed as he parked himself outside of the auditorium. His audition time was at 4:30. It was now 4:35 and he still hadn’t been called in - leave it to the theater department to be running late, wasting his precious time. He had been on time, he had made sure that he was on time, he had a song and everything. Granted, he had practiced only as much as he thought he had to in order to land a small role in the chorus, but still - anything was better than having to repeat his senior year. He frowned, confused to find that he was not the only person sitting outside of the theater doors.
“What’s going on?” Gabe asked the boy sitting next to him.
“We’re listening.” The boy shrugged.
“What do you mean?”
“Evaluating the competition…duh.” The boy rolled his eyes. “It’s what you do - you listen to everyone’s auditions, see how they do, see how you have to do in order to beat each person out for the part that you want.”
“Oh. Um, ok.” Gabe nodded, leaning against the wall. This boy seemed overly aggressive, overly competitive, but he didn’t think that starting a fight was a very good start, so he sat back. He was about to put his headphones in and listen to his iPod when he heard the audition going on currently begin. He set his iPod down, deciding that it couldn’t be too awful to listen.
If I die what will be my reward?
If I die what will be my reward?
I'd have to know
I'd have to know my Lord
I'd have to know
I'd have to know my Lord
Why, why should I die?
Oh, why should I die?
Can you show me now
That I would not be killed in vain?
Show me just a little
Of your omnipresent brain
Show me there's a reason
For your wanting me to die
You're far too keen on where and how
But not so hot on why
Alright I'll die!
Just watch me die!
See how, see how I die!
Oh, just watch me die!
“Hey.” Gabe leaned over to the boy next to him.
“What?” The boy snapped, clearly looking annoyed by the fact that Gabe was still interrupting his ability to eavesdrop on the audition taking place.
“Who’s in there?” Gabe asked.
“Um, William Beckett, duh…” The boy rolled his eyes. “Clearly, he’ll be playing Jesus, it’s Judas that’s the part to get - Beckett landed the role just by opening his mouth.”
“I don’t know who that is…” Gabe frowned.
“Jesus?” The boy looked at him disgusted.
“No, I know who Jesus is - I meant William Beckett.”
“Have you ever been to one of the plays here in the last two and a half years?”
“Um, no…” Gabe shook his head.
“Well that explains it. Just shut up and listen.”
“Thanks for being so friendly.” Gabe shot the boy a nasty smile, but went back to listening.
Then I was inspired
Now I'm sad and tired
After all I've tried for three years
Seems like ninety
Why then am I scared
To finish what I started
What you started
I didn't start it
God thy will is hard
But you hold every card
I will drink your cup of poison
Nail me to your cross and break me
Bleed me, beat me
Kill me, take me now
Before I change my mind
As the song ended, Gabe realized that the boy had been right - William Beckett, whoever he was, was a fantastic singer. Even just listening through the doors, Gabe could hear every word, meaning that William not only had the voice, but he was able to project all the way from the stage, through the closed wooden doors, and out into the hallway.
“Well that was pretty impressive.” Gabe nodded, smirking at the boy. “So I take it you’re going for Judas?”
“Well I’m not going for Mary Magdalene,” the boy snapped.
“Whoa there, no need to be hostile.” Gabe rolled his eyes.
“Who are you anyways? I mean I know who you are, you’re a fuckup, so what are you doing at my audition?”
“Our audition, sweetie.” Gabe held up his form. “I’m going to be in your play.”
“Yeah, ok.” The boy laughed. “They won’t cast you - can you even sing?”
“Anyone can sing, and don’t worry, I’m not trying to steal your precious role, I just want background chorus stuff.”
“Good.” The boy seemed to relax a little as Gabe mentioned that he wasn’t going out for a lead part. “You’re just lucky that there is a lack of interest this year, or you wouldn’t have even gotten an individual audition - they would have just landed you with the group choral auditions.”
“Eh.” Gabe shrugged. “Would have been fine with me.”
“Oh, here he comes.” The boy perked up the second the theater doors began to open. Gabe wasn’t sure who he was expecting to walk out of them, but it was not what he saw. His eyes widened as he looked at the boy. To say that Gabe had never seen this boy around the school would be a blatant lie, for Gabe had noticed this boy frequently, but had never known his name.
“Um, number 16, you’re up.” The boy spoke with a soft, quiet, small voice - nothing like the projected, loud, commanding voice that Gabe had heard through the doors. He was tall, almost as tall as Gabe, and skinny, thinner than anyone Gabe had ever seen. His long, chestnut brown hair fell over his face and he kept his eyes focused downwards. He wore a black hoodie zipped all of the way up and fairly well fitted jeans paired with very, very worn black canvas sneakers. As Gabe stood up to enter for his audition, he tried to recall ever hearing the boy speak.
He looked at William for a moment before turning to enter the auditorium, having trouble believing that the thin, shy boy was the person who had, only minutes earlier, been belting out one of the most important and impressive songs in the show - a song that Gabe himself had been too afraid to use for his audition piece. He didn’t know the show very well, but after going home and listening to the soundtrack, he had chosen his selection based off of what he knew of his own vocal range. He looked away from William, moving towards the door for his audition, when the small, slight voice spoke again.
“Hey,” William practically whispered. “Break a leg.”
“Oh, um…” Gabe frowned, looking at William.
“It means good luck, asshole.” The boy who had been spying on William’s audition rolled his eyes. “You do not belong in the theater, clearly.”
“Oh, right.” Gabe nodded, looking back at William. “Well, thank you.” William just nodded, holding his books tightly to his chest, still looking down as he headed for the front of the school. Gabe took one last look at the skinny junior and headed in for his own audition.
A/N - Again, if you haven't already, I recommend strongly that you listen to the song William used to audition - Gethsemane, this is my favorite version of the song.