1 - Music to My Ears
Author: EarthAngie
Title: Music to my Ears
Fandom: L&O:SVU
Pairing: A/O
Rated:K+ for now
Disclaimer: You know which characters aren't mine.
Note: Timeline adjustment here folks. I'm takin our Svu kids back to their high school days. A scarey place... I know
*Honestly, I don't know where these stories are coming from. I want to go on with this one but I don't know how long this creative streak will last. I do want to continue Bitter too.
"Music to My Ears"
"Remind me again, why I'm here?" Olivia asked, nudging her best friend.
"Liv, a chorus concert is not the end of the world," Elliot reassured the fidgeting girl beside him.
"Seriously El," she looked at the people filing into her rival high school. "I really shouldn't be here... neither should you, come to think of it."
"I know what you're thinking and you're wrong. The soccer guys hate Tapestry Charter High. Not all sports hate the same school."
"Maybe they should. Look at this place," Olivia looked up at the high ceilings and the 'fine art' of students that hung in frames along the clean walls.
"You're judging," Elliot mocked as the ushers opened the doors in front of them. They began the slow shuffle to the auditorium. Olivia snatched a program from a side table and followed Elliot to the front.
"Oh Elliot, please don't make me sit in the front. I don't want them to actually see me sleeping. That's just mean," Olivia half whined with a small smile on her face.
"Liv, I need to be in the front so I can see Kathy. Come on, I gotta make a good impression! Don't make a big deal about it... please," Elliot gave Olivia a sad look and her guilt made her whining come to a fast end. She knew Elliot liked this girl a lot and she was happy for him. Even though she got conned into coming to her concert.
"You're lucky I owed you one," she huffed, dropping into the seat beside him. She flipped through the pages of the program. "Dude, half these songs aren't even in English."
"Liv, did you really have anywhere else to be tonight?" He had a good point. If she wasn't with Elliot, her night was pretty much shot anyhow. They spent all their free time together. They had grow up a few streets away from each other and became fast friends. They had tried dating once in middle school but eventually both agreed that they were too much like family to go there.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome! City Honors High would like to congratulate our graduating seniors this year. We dedicate tonight's performance to you," the conductor went on to make his announcements and Olivia slumped down in her seat. Elliot sat up straight, eyeing the stage and the side doors, hoping for a glance of Kathy.
The singers filed out after introduction. The girls wore long sleek, black gowns that tied in the back to make them fit perfectly. The boys were dressed in tuxes, complete with comber buns and bow ties. Olivia and Elliot gave each other a look as if to say, "rich kids, ugh". The performance started with the national anthem and they stood to their feet. When they sat back down Elliot nudged Olivia.
"There she is," he pointed to the short girl in the front. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back in a low pony tail and she fidgeted nervously in the spotlight. She noticed Elliot pointing and smiling and she smiled back at him. "She sees us!" He waved at her. Olivia smiled. She hadn't met Kathy yet and was honestly worried to. After playing women's lacrosse for four years and getting into at least two fights a year with girls from this school, she had her doubts that any were worth knowing.
The concert went on and Olivia politely clapped after each mind numbing song. Elliot sat beaming at Kathy the entire time. Olivia hadn't really seem him so excited about a girl in a long time. After Sarah broke his heart eight months ago, he hadn't even talked about girls until he bumped into this one after one of his games at this school. They had talked a while and she gave him her phone number. He'd only been talking to her a couple weeks but when she gave him a good reason to see her again, Elliot was elated. He had been on cloud nine all week, after finding out about the concert.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, at this time, I would like to offer an intermission and the final chamber ensemble will finish our evening, promptly in 15 minutes," the choral director announced and Olivia looked at Elliot, rolling her eyes.
"Hmm, I could really go for some tea and crumpets myself," Olivia joked to Elliot. He wanted to scold her but he couldn't help but laugh.
"They are pretty, hmph, here," Elliot said, pointing his nose to the sky. "But I promise you, a million times over, Kathy isn't like that at all."
"I hope not or I'm going to have to seriously rethink being your friend. I can't have a best friend with no boundaries. I mean really, what will people think," Olivia laughed, getting to her feet. "All joking aside, I really have to pee." She looked around.
"Would you like to announce that to the whole auditorium?" Elliot asked, looking to the stage. "There's a mike up there if the people in the back didn't hear you."
"Oh shut up," Olivia slapped his arm. "Go find you're girlfriend."
"I can't," he said stretching his arms."I think they have to stay in the back rooms. Besides, I don't want to get lost in this place."
"Okay, well I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere. If you leave me in this place, I'll never speak to you again," Olivia warned with a half smile and handed Elliot her crinkled up program.
The lobby was swarming with people buying baked goods and older ladies complaining about the distance to the restrooms. Olivia slipped between the crowd and found a door leading to a deserted hall.
"Nice," Olivia said to no one. She couldn't stand crowds and was thankful she found a quiet place where she wouldn't have to face more people she already felt she shouldn't be coming into contact with. She felt horribly out of place in the large school but she was there to help Elliot out, so she figured they'd laugh about this a few years from now.
She finally found the girls room and pushed her way through the door. The bathroom was free of people but full of detail. She figured she'd come across a faculty restroom, considering there was lotion, hairspray, moose and fake flowers lining the sinks. Olivia simply rolled her eyes and headed into a stall. Afterwards, she washed her hands and looked at herself in the large mirror. She brushed her hair with her fingers, decided she looked decent enough not to embarrass Elliot and headed for the door. As she pushed the swinging door, she was met with resistance. She stepped back and let the person, who she assumed was pushing the other side, come through.
"I'm sorry," a tall blonde girl said as she opened the door quickly, nearly running into Olivia.
"No problem," Olivia said, taking in the girl for a second. She was definitely one of the singers. The black gown and violin in her hand were a dead give away. The girl brushed past her, running for the mirror. Olivia took a double take before leaving the bathroom. There was something about that girl that left her with an odd feeling. She brushed it off and headed back for the auditorium.
"I thought you drove off with my car," Elliot joked as Olivia jumped for her seat. The lights dimmed just as her body made contact with the theatre style seat.
"I wish," Olivia joked. "Hey where's my program?"
"Here," Elliot handed her the wrinkled paper. "Not like you really care what's going on up there."
"You know I'm just kidding El," Olivia said, settling down. He smiled at her.
"Kathy's in this group too," he whispered as the director returned to the stage. "I guess she's really good to be part of all of them."
"Cool," Olivia answered mindlessly. She looked through the program.
The songs started up again and Olivia's eyes scanned the crowd. She wondered if any of the girls lacrosse players she'd attacked were up there. When her eyes came to the middle of the top row, she recognized the girl from the top row. She was the violinist from the bathroom. She hadn't noticed it, in the few seconds they crossed, but the girl was surprisingly attractive. Her ivory skin seemed to glow under the stage lights and her blonde hair seemed angelic too. It was so light, shiny and perfectly brushed on either side of her head.
"She is probably the snottiest girl in the whole school," Olivia thought to herself. "No one that pretty can be nice." Elliot leaned into her before her pessimistic thoughts could continue.
"Kathy has a solo next, kinda," Elliot whispered.
"What do you mean, 'kinda'?" Olivia wondered.
"Well, she's not singing but she gets to play accompanying a soloist," he answered proudly.
"What does she play?" Olivia answered, flipping back to the program to look for Kathy's name.
"Violin," Elliot answered.
"Maybe you should take lessons, so you can woo her," Olivia commented as Elliot elbowed her.
"I would like to introduce a very special student tonight," the director addressed us. "She is an excellent senior, who I am proud to say is going to be studying Music and Dance in the fall at Juilliard." People in the audience began to whisper low about how prestigious Juilliard was and how it was 'astonishing' that the girl was accepted so early. "Please help me welcome, Alexandra Cabot."
As Olivia clapped, she saw the girl she'd been studying shift her weight. The singers parted gracefully to let her down off the top risers. The blonde approached the microphone to address the audience.
"Thank you," she began, in a low, calm tone. "As Senior class president, I would like to dedicate this song to my class. I think we've all had a wonderful time together and I will miss you all. This is my way, on behave of my class, of saying goodbye." Elliot rolled his eyes.
"She's definitely the fakest person I've ever seen," he commented. But Olivia didn't seem to notice. She wasn't sure why, but she was studying the shape of the girls jaw when she spoke. She... liked the sound of her voice, even though she was just speaking.
"Tonight I will be singing "The Long Day is Over", written by Norah Jones," she smiled at the name. Olivia wondered if that was the blondes favorite artist. She snapped out of her trance and wondered why she even cared anyway. "I would like to introduce Katherine Meyers on violin and Grace Adams on piano."
"Go Kathy," Elliot whispered. Olivia looked at him and laughed.
"This isn't a soccer game," she replied. "So shut up."
Elliot eyed her for a moment, wondering about her sudden change of heart but as the piano began to play, his thoughts shifted away. They both turned their heads as Kathy began to play along with Grace. Olivia looked down at her program, curious as to the name of the blonde. She wasn't really paying attention before, but she sure was now.
Soloist: Alexandra Cabot
Her eyes looked over the black ink printed in front of her. Under the name was the blurb about Juiliard. She began to read it but when the first note of Alexandra's song hit the air, Olivia's head shot back up. It was amazing! Olivia could not believe sure a rich sound could come from such a fragile looking body. She felt her skin rise with goosebumps and a chill went through her. The blonde sang the slow jazz calmly and controlled. The only thing it lacked was real emotion. Sure, the girl could really sing but Olivia wondered if she was into music as she let on.
As the last note left her mouth, Olivia thought she might cry. No one at her school could sing like that, not even their best. The crowd erupted with applause and ended the praise with a standing ovation. Olivia was on her feet before Elliot.
"Man, she was good huh?" Elliot exclaimed. Even he was shocked.
"Yeah," Olivia said, intrigued by the smiling face on stage. Alexandra took Kathy's hand and they bowed together before exiting. "She was amazing."
Title: Music to my Ears
Fandom: L&O:SVU
Pairing: A/O
Rated:K+ for now
Disclaimer: You know which characters aren't mine.
Note: Timeline adjustment here folks. I'm takin our Svu kids back to their high school days. A scarey place... I know
*Honestly, I don't know where these stories are coming from. I want to go on with this one but I don't know how long this creative streak will last. I do want to continue Bitter too.
"Music to My Ears"
"Remind me again, why I'm here?" Olivia asked, nudging her best friend.
"Liv, a chorus concert is not the end of the world," Elliot reassured the fidgeting girl beside him.
"Seriously El," she looked at the people filing into her rival high school. "I really shouldn't be here... neither should you, come to think of it."
"I know what you're thinking and you're wrong. The soccer guys hate Tapestry Charter High. Not all sports hate the same school."
"Maybe they should. Look at this place," Olivia looked up at the high ceilings and the 'fine art' of students that hung in frames along the clean walls.
"You're judging," Elliot mocked as the ushers opened the doors in front of them. They began the slow shuffle to the auditorium. Olivia snatched a program from a side table and followed Elliot to the front.
"Oh Elliot, please don't make me sit in the front. I don't want them to actually see me sleeping. That's just mean," Olivia half whined with a small smile on her face.
"Liv, I need to be in the front so I can see Kathy. Come on, I gotta make a good impression! Don't make a big deal about it... please," Elliot gave Olivia a sad look and her guilt made her whining come to a fast end. She knew Elliot liked this girl a lot and she was happy for him. Even though she got conned into coming to her concert.
"You're lucky I owed you one," she huffed, dropping into the seat beside him. She flipped through the pages of the program. "Dude, half these songs aren't even in English."
"Liv, did you really have anywhere else to be tonight?" He had a good point. If she wasn't with Elliot, her night was pretty much shot anyhow. They spent all their free time together. They had grow up a few streets away from each other and became fast friends. They had tried dating once in middle school but eventually both agreed that they were too much like family to go there.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome! City Honors High would like to congratulate our graduating seniors this year. We dedicate tonight's performance to you," the conductor went on to make his announcements and Olivia slumped down in her seat. Elliot sat up straight, eyeing the stage and the side doors, hoping for a glance of Kathy.
The singers filed out after introduction. The girls wore long sleek, black gowns that tied in the back to make them fit perfectly. The boys were dressed in tuxes, complete with comber buns and bow ties. Olivia and Elliot gave each other a look as if to say, "rich kids, ugh". The performance started with the national anthem and they stood to their feet. When they sat back down Elliot nudged Olivia.
"There she is," he pointed to the short girl in the front. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back in a low pony tail and she fidgeted nervously in the spotlight. She noticed Elliot pointing and smiling and she smiled back at him. "She sees us!" He waved at her. Olivia smiled. She hadn't met Kathy yet and was honestly worried to. After playing women's lacrosse for four years and getting into at least two fights a year with girls from this school, she had her doubts that any were worth knowing.
The concert went on and Olivia politely clapped after each mind numbing song. Elliot sat beaming at Kathy the entire time. Olivia hadn't really seem him so excited about a girl in a long time. After Sarah broke his heart eight months ago, he hadn't even talked about girls until he bumped into this one after one of his games at this school. They had talked a while and she gave him her phone number. He'd only been talking to her a couple weeks but when she gave him a good reason to see her again, Elliot was elated. He had been on cloud nine all week, after finding out about the concert.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, at this time, I would like to offer an intermission and the final chamber ensemble will finish our evening, promptly in 15 minutes," the choral director announced and Olivia looked at Elliot, rolling her eyes.
"Hmm, I could really go for some tea and crumpets myself," Olivia joked to Elliot. He wanted to scold her but he couldn't help but laugh.
"They are pretty, hmph, here," Elliot said, pointing his nose to the sky. "But I promise you, a million times over, Kathy isn't like that at all."
"I hope not or I'm going to have to seriously rethink being your friend. I can't have a best friend with no boundaries. I mean really, what will people think," Olivia laughed, getting to her feet. "All joking aside, I really have to pee." She looked around.
"Would you like to announce that to the whole auditorium?" Elliot asked, looking to the stage. "There's a mike up there if the people in the back didn't hear you."
"Oh shut up," Olivia slapped his arm. "Go find you're girlfriend."
"I can't," he said stretching his arms."I think they have to stay in the back rooms. Besides, I don't want to get lost in this place."
"Okay, well I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere. If you leave me in this place, I'll never speak to you again," Olivia warned with a half smile and handed Elliot her crinkled up program.
The lobby was swarming with people buying baked goods and older ladies complaining about the distance to the restrooms. Olivia slipped between the crowd and found a door leading to a deserted hall.
"Nice," Olivia said to no one. She couldn't stand crowds and was thankful she found a quiet place where she wouldn't have to face more people she already felt she shouldn't be coming into contact with. She felt horribly out of place in the large school but she was there to help Elliot out, so she figured they'd laugh about this a few years from now.
She finally found the girls room and pushed her way through the door. The bathroom was free of people but full of detail. She figured she'd come across a faculty restroom, considering there was lotion, hairspray, moose and fake flowers lining the sinks. Olivia simply rolled her eyes and headed into a stall. Afterwards, she washed her hands and looked at herself in the large mirror. She brushed her hair with her fingers, decided she looked decent enough not to embarrass Elliot and headed for the door. As she pushed the swinging door, she was met with resistance. She stepped back and let the person, who she assumed was pushing the other side, come through.
"I'm sorry," a tall blonde girl said as she opened the door quickly, nearly running into Olivia.
"No problem," Olivia said, taking in the girl for a second. She was definitely one of the singers. The black gown and violin in her hand were a dead give away. The girl brushed past her, running for the mirror. Olivia took a double take before leaving the bathroom. There was something about that girl that left her with an odd feeling. She brushed it off and headed back for the auditorium.
"I thought you drove off with my car," Elliot joked as Olivia jumped for her seat. The lights dimmed just as her body made contact with the theatre style seat.
"I wish," Olivia joked. "Hey where's my program?"
"Here," Elliot handed her the wrinkled paper. "Not like you really care what's going on up there."
"You know I'm just kidding El," Olivia said, settling down. He smiled at her.
"Kathy's in this group too," he whispered as the director returned to the stage. "I guess she's really good to be part of all of them."
"Cool," Olivia answered mindlessly. She looked through the program.
The songs started up again and Olivia's eyes scanned the crowd. She wondered if any of the girls lacrosse players she'd attacked were up there. When her eyes came to the middle of the top row, she recognized the girl from the top row. She was the violinist from the bathroom. She hadn't noticed it, in the few seconds they crossed, but the girl was surprisingly attractive. Her ivory skin seemed to glow under the stage lights and her blonde hair seemed angelic too. It was so light, shiny and perfectly brushed on either side of her head.
"She is probably the snottiest girl in the whole school," Olivia thought to herself. "No one that pretty can be nice." Elliot leaned into her before her pessimistic thoughts could continue.
"Kathy has a solo next, kinda," Elliot whispered.
"What do you mean, 'kinda'?" Olivia wondered.
"Well, she's not singing but she gets to play accompanying a soloist," he answered proudly.
"What does she play?" Olivia answered, flipping back to the program to look for Kathy's name.
"Violin," Elliot answered.
"Maybe you should take lessons, so you can woo her," Olivia commented as Elliot elbowed her.
"I would like to introduce a very special student tonight," the director addressed us. "She is an excellent senior, who I am proud to say is going to be studying Music and Dance in the fall at Juilliard." People in the audience began to whisper low about how prestigious Juilliard was and how it was 'astonishing' that the girl was accepted so early. "Please help me welcome, Alexandra Cabot."
As Olivia clapped, she saw the girl she'd been studying shift her weight. The singers parted gracefully to let her down off the top risers. The blonde approached the microphone to address the audience.
"Thank you," she began, in a low, calm tone. "As Senior class president, I would like to dedicate this song to my class. I think we've all had a wonderful time together and I will miss you all. This is my way, on behave of my class, of saying goodbye." Elliot rolled his eyes.
"She's definitely the fakest person I've ever seen," he commented. But Olivia didn't seem to notice. She wasn't sure why, but she was studying the shape of the girls jaw when she spoke. She... liked the sound of her voice, even though she was just speaking.
"Tonight I will be singing "The Long Day is Over", written by Norah Jones," she smiled at the name. Olivia wondered if that was the blondes favorite artist. She snapped out of her trance and wondered why she even cared anyway. "I would like to introduce Katherine Meyers on violin and Grace Adams on piano."
"Go Kathy," Elliot whispered. Olivia looked at him and laughed.
"This isn't a soccer game," she replied. "So shut up."
Elliot eyed her for a moment, wondering about her sudden change of heart but as the piano began to play, his thoughts shifted away. They both turned their heads as Kathy began to play along with Grace. Olivia looked down at her program, curious as to the name of the blonde. She wasn't really paying attention before, but she sure was now.
Soloist: Alexandra Cabot
Her eyes looked over the black ink printed in front of her. Under the name was the blurb about Juiliard. She began to read it but when the first note of Alexandra's song hit the air, Olivia's head shot back up. It was amazing! Olivia could not believe sure a rich sound could come from such a fragile looking body. She felt her skin rise with goosebumps and a chill went through her. The blonde sang the slow jazz calmly and controlled. The only thing it lacked was real emotion. Sure, the girl could really sing but Olivia wondered if she was into music as she let on.
As the last note left her mouth, Olivia thought she might cry. No one at her school could sing like that, not even their best. The crowd erupted with applause and ended the praise with a standing ovation. Olivia was on her feet before Elliot.
"Man, she was good huh?" Elliot exclaimed. Even he was shocked.
"Yeah," Olivia said, intrigued by the smiling face on stage. Alexandra took Kathy's hand and they bowed together before exiting. "She was amazing."