WHO: Madison Mccarthy and Brody Weston
WHAT:Ā Rehearsal of a potential song for Regionals
WHEN:Ā Wed, Mar 6, afternoon
WHERE: Brodyās house
WARNINGS: None
Madison was still feeling off since her news over the weekend. She was grateful for daily Cheerios workouts and plans like Kittyās party as well as working on this number with Brody to keep her moving. Fake it til she made it was the only way she knew how to operate. If she seemed like she was still on top, maybe she would get there again. Sheād collected a few sets of sheet music from Between the Sheets on her way over to Brodyās place, hoping they would find the perfect number between his ideas and hers. She knocked at his door and tucked a hair behind her ear, then smiled as he greeted her. āHey! I brought music, and snacks!ā Madison said, holding each up in turn.
Brody had been going through his sheet music to find the perfect, upbeat duet for them. HeĀ“d collected a couple of pieces and once he was done he checked his watch. He had a couple of hours before heĀ“d start his shift and he was sure theyĀ“d be done by then. So when the knock on the door came he jogged downstairs and opened it, a bright smile on his face. "Then you can stay," he found himself joking as he stepped aside to let her in and then nodded towards the basement. "Got a dance studio down there," he explained before making his way there. In the beginning it had only been that, a studio, but over the years Brody had added a piano and even a comfortable couch with a small table where they could sit to try and find the perfect duet.
Madison stepped inside and followed his lead down the stairs. It wasn't often people had a dance studio in their house, and she was definitely impressed. "How'd you get so lucky to have this kind of space?" she asked, settling on the couch and pulling out the music. It wasn't all business, as she was sure they'd have fun getting the number together, but she wasn't one to waste time, either. Madison reached into her bag and passed a water Brody's way and pulled out a container with trail mix and one with cookies. "I went with healthy and also, not so much, depending on how you're feeling," she offered, "so tell me, what did you find?"
The story behind that was rather easy, he asked his mother for it and his father paid for it, but his family wasnĀ“t exactly something Brody liked to talk about, so he decided to keep it short. "Well I was lucky enough to have the space in the house. My Dad isnĀ“t exactly the guy who needs a room to himself other than his office and they decided to let me follow my passions when I was a kid." He nodded towards the couch and the table, on which he had stacked the sheet music he had picked out. "Well depending on what you want to go with. ThereĀ“s some classics, like Anything You Can Do I can Do Better," he picked up a cookie. "Or something a little out of the ordinary like The Song That Goes Like this," or even "Carried Away" from On The Town." he nodded. "ThereĀ“s a few more in there. Just have a look,"
"It's really awesome. Mason and I are stuck rearranging the living room when we need to practice cheers or for glee," she noted. Madison shifted to grab the small stack and flipped through the titles, pulling out the ones that struck her. "I love Anything You Can Do," she gushed, lightly hugging to her chest, and then sighed, "but it's a classic. Is it too predictable? Maybe? I hate saying no to it, but..." Ā She trailed off and kept flipping, pursing her lips in thought as she glanced around the room. "Maybe we should put this space to use, find a number we can sing and dance to."
"Well. Good thing the two of us have more than enough space to practice." Brody chuckled. He could use a duet at Regionals and Madison was fun to sing with. It would be something different and maybe Mr. Schue would go for it. He did seem to like the old school style, but he wasnĀ“t afraid to try new things every now and then. Brody smiled to himself as he finished the cookie and nodded. "That would certainly be something new. Duets are usually ballads or Broadway numbers. Do you have anything in mind?" He then asked, picking up some of the sheet music himself to go through.
Madison smiled knowing Brody was on board. They'd have their work cut out for them, but the payout was going to be worth it. She had a feeling. "Well, I think modern is risky with convincing Schue, but it seems to do better at competition. There's this Sara Bareilles song I'm a little obsessed with. Ā She did a version as a duet and it's just," she paused and made a face, unable to properly convey her feelings for the song. "There'd be room for the whole glee club for backup, it's got a good beat for dance. I brought sheet music and the track."
"He might like the old school, but he does know what works best with the judges." Brody agreed with a nod. He wanted to win, he NEEDED them to win. And if they did he wanted to be front and center. At her words he nodded. Maybe it was good not to go for Broadway this time. "Well, letĀ“s hear it." he then added, getting up from the couch and clapping his hands together.
She bounced up and nodded, grabbing her phone to plug into his stereo. With the audio queued up, Madison pressed play and listened as the music started to fill the room. Her shoulders shimmied with the opening piano before she took to a hand microphone and started to lip sync along with the lyrics. She turned to him, looking for his reaction as he took in the song, pointing as the male vocals came in, and soon enough she couldn't stop herself and was full out singing along. Ā When it ended she turned to him excitedly. "Sorry, I should have let you have a clean listen without me overpowering it. But... what do you think?
Brody nodded over to the stereo and basically told Madison to help herself. He had definitely heard the song before and while it wouldnĀ“t have been the first thing to pop into his mind for a duet at Regionas he couldnĀ“t say that he wasnĀ“t intrigued. Especially not with how much Madison was getting into it. It was quite adorable to watch, actually. Brody was tapping his foot along, his lips curving into a smile. "Well I think weĀ“ve found our song." he then chuckled. "Never apologize for passion though. I can see youĀ“re really into the song. Do you have the sheet music? Or should we see if we find it on the internet?"
Madison blushed a little at his comment about her being really into it. She'd probably looked a little ridiculous, honestly. This was type of song she danced around her bedroom to, and she knew there wasn't anything particularly graceful about that. "It's empowering, I guess. Like, it's pretty clearly about some relationship, but you can twist into any not great situation and be like yeah, it sucks, but I'll figure it out," she explained with a shrug. Madison moved back over to her bag and flipped through to find the music. "It took me forever to find the duet of this. She released the solo as a single so it was everywhere."
"Look at you, being all prepared." Brody grinned, figuring this might have been the duet sheĀ“d been wanting to do from the beginning. He wasnĀ“t upset though, more impressed with her determination. "Well if the duet is a rarity then we might actually have a change at getting picked for the duet." Brody had performed duets at Sectionals and various competitions, and even a solo every now and then, but there was a bunch of talented people in Glee Club so to get picked over them was important.
Madison knew this was the song she wanted, but she wasn't about to force it on him. However, she was thrilled Brody had agreed to it. Ā Having passion for the song could only make the performance better, right? "It'll be unique," she agreed, "modern but not over done." She passed him a copy of the Ā music, keeping one for herself even if she didn't think she'd need it much. "Should we just start from the top?"
"Sounds like the perfect song for us," Brody replied with a smile. HeĀ“d already done some warming up before her arrival, so he was ready to go whenever she was. He went over the sheet music for a moment, making sure to know all the important parts, before wandering over to the piano. "Yeah, letĀ“s do a slow run first," he suggested before sitting down and putting the sheet music in front of him. It wasnĀ“t long until he had the melody down and began playing, a smile on his lips.
Madison was admittedly a little surprised when he went to the piano to play. Sheād heard him sing and watched him dance, but had no idea that his talent extended to the instrument as well. Ā Listening to the opening bars, she shifted closer to the piano before joining in with the opening āGoodbye, should be saying that to you by now, shouldnāt I?ā Her voice carried over the bouncing melody from the keys and carried on until it was Brodyās turn to take the lead, anxious to hear how well his voice fit the song.
Brody smiled as he glanced up at her, fingers flying over the piano. He wasnĀ“t an expert by any means, but his parents had decided he should learn an instrument, and considering he had his sights set on Broadway early on heĀ“d picked the piano. "Maybe we can start off slow with me playing the piano and then speed it up later on," he mused as he played and eventually listened to her first tunes. His lips curved into a smile before he eventually joined in. "And I tell myself to let this story end, oh, my heart will rest in someone elseĀ“s hand."
She nodded at his instructions, happy to let him set the pace as he learned the song. After all, it was her obsession not his. Madisonās fists clenched slightly in excitement when she heard him start to sing. It was perfect. She volleyed back and forth with him through the song, harmonizing under him in some sections, and taking the lead in others. Even at a slow first go through, it sounded like victory. āYou sounded good,ā she complimented as they finished.
For some reason they hadnĀ“t been singing together all too much in Glee Club. In group numbers, yes, but it had rarely ever been the two of them. Brody was enjoying himself though and it turned out that their voices were going together pretty well. He finished on a high note, his lips curving into a smile. "WE sounded good," he then told her. "And I think itĀ“s good to start off slow and then go faster. It brings a good dynamic to the song," he scribbled down a few notes before glancing up at her. "Alright, shall we go again?"
Madison smiled at his note that it was the pairing of them that sounded great. Ā She needed the positivity and the feeling that something might just go her way again. "I like that too," she agreed to note on tempo. "It would make a good opener. Just you and me, slow and steady, then it ramps up and everyone joins in on backup," she mused, gesturing as she pictured it playing out in her mind. Ā Madison took a moment to clear her throat and took her singing stance once more. "Play me in."
"Perfect." Brody agreed as he scribbled down some more notes for the people to join in later. HeĀ“d be giving a copy of the sheet music to Mr. Schue during their next Glee Club meeting. He wanted their teacher to see just how much effort Madison and him had put into the whole thing so theyĀ“d definitely be considered for the duet. "Alright," He played a couple of notes again, his lips curving into a smile as they started over. It went on for about an hour until he figured they deserved a break. "You know, I think we really have a shot with this," Brody grinned as he took a sip from his water bottle.
She couldn't have agreed more. Even with the little time they'd put into it, the number was objectively a contender. Madison took her spot on the couch again, munching on a bit of the granola she'd brought. She took in the room for a moment, trying to think if she'd ever noticed Brody's dancing. He definitely kept up in all the group numbers, but Mike seemed to take the forefront. And with a dance studio in his basement? Brody must be more talented than she knew. "Do you want to choreograph something for it? The music would definitely support more than Schue's typical sway and twirl," Madison noted.
Brody put the water bottle down and glanced at Madison, his lips curving into a smile. "That would actually be a really cool idea," he admitted. He wasnĀ“t necessarily a pro choreographer, but he could whip something up that would outdo anything Mr. Schue had to offer. No offense though. "IĀ“ll definitely think of something," Brody pulled out his phone and checked the time, making sure heĀ“d still have enough time to get to his shift. But he was good for now. "Should we do another run through and then maybe start again tomorrow? IĀ“ll have some choreography by then,"
Madison's hands clapped together in excitement. This really was coming together. Knowing that Brody was just as invested in their number, in this number, had her all the more motivated. She was back to her feet at the piano as quickly as she'd sat down, ready to go again. Ā She let Brody play in the intro and was back on her lines again, full force this time for the last run through. She harmonized with him through the last chorus I'll be all right, just not tonight before finishing on her own, fists clenching with the final someday... Madison let out a satisfied sigh with a grin, holding a fake microphone to mouth. "And the 2019 Regional Champions taking a spot at Nationals... The New Directions!!"
Brody played the notes on the piano before he let the playback take over and got into the song, giving it his all. Their voices really did harmonize well together and he was going to enjoy performing this in Glee Club together. It was going to be a hard competition, because not everyone was just going to accept someone else taking a spot in the front row, but he doubted all of them would be as well prepared. Brody chuckled an clapped before holding an imaginary trophy up in the air. "Can you imagine?" He then laughed. "It would be glorious."
Madison sighed wistfully at the thought. "It would be glorious. And plausible, I think. we're strong as a team this year, stronger than I think we were last year. And I really think you and I are bringing a strong number to the table," she listed off. She was learning to not be over confident in herself, but still, optimism was her mainstay. "I think we could all pull it off."
"Definitely." Brody agreed. Most of them had grown up quite a bit this year and appreciated the fact that they were all a team more. They definitely had a shot at the championship this year and Brody would have loved to put that on his resume. And of course heĀ“d loved to with with the team. He enjoyed performing with most people in Glee Club and it would be nice to win with them. "Same time tomorrow?" He then asked as he gathered the sheet music.
She nodded and moved to gather her things. The start of her week hadn't been great, but the magic of a good number had brought back her optimism. Madison hooked her bag on her shoulder and smiled at Brody. "I'll bring my dancing shoes."
full name: Brody Thomas Weston
age: 18
grade: Senior
gender identity: cis male
pronouns: him/his
sexual & romantic orientation: bisexual/biromantic
family members of importance: Thomas Weston ( father ), Mary Weston ( mother ), Fiyero ( his cat )
clubs/teams (if any): Lacrosse, Glee Club, Dance Team
positive traits: ambitious, creative, honest, responsible, insightful
negative traits: stubborn, secretive, impulsive, cynical, bossy
Biography:
Brody Weston couldnĀ“t exactly say that heĀ“s had a bad life so far. Not when it came to the what other people saw anyways. With his father being a respectable lawyer, earning enough money for them to have a comfortable life and his mother not having to work, he couldnĀ“t exactly complain about not getting what he wanted. A bike, rollerblades, a play station, trips to New York and London to see all the shows he could, even his own dance studio in the basement.
He named it, his mother asked for it and his father paid for it.
Yet his life had turned out to be just a bit like that TV show that had been popular a couple of years ago, though. Desperate Housewives it had been called if he wasnĀ“t mistaken. ( Which he rarely was ) Only without the drama of affairs and murder. A perfect life, the thought of getting to do whatever he wanted with his future, yes, but on the inside, behind closed doors and behind that white picket fence, something else had developed. The pressure to step into his fatherĀ“s shoes instead of getting to live his dreams. The dance studio and singing lessons being nothing more than a way to keep him quiet until there was no turning back. The Lacrosse team only being something to look good on his resume and maybe even a way to get a scholarship, even though both his father and him knew it wasnĀ“t needed. Not if Brody did what his father wanted him to anyways.
BrodyĀ“s dream had always been to be on Broadway. To move to New York, to get himself a small apartment and work hard to achieve his dream. But his father had made it clear: Not choosing the career path heĀ“d chosen for his son would end with him being cut off. ( He still remembers his mother crying behind the closed bedroom door after a particularly heated fight between his father and him. )
While thereĀ“s a lot of people Brody considers his friends in school, especially in Glee Club, there isnĀ“t anyone he really talks to about his problems. He doesnĀ“t want to be a bother, yes, but if all you were ever taught in life was to put on a smile and make sure people didnĀ“t see the cracks in the mask youĀ“ve put on, then how does one overcome that? Especially with everyone seemingly going their own way in a short while anyways?
With his time in High School running out Brody knows he has to make a decision. Risk his family to audition for NYADA and to potentially get to live his dream, or apply for Law to make his father proud, and risk resenting him for the rest of his life?
Maybe the fact that heĀ“s gotten himself a job waiting tables at a restaurant at the outskirts of Lima, and behind his parentsĀ“ back, is a slight indication as to where BrodyĀ“s future might be leading himā¦
