Smooth Criminal

Chapter #19

The scuff of my sneakers against the stage was the only thing my ears could focus on as I made my way to my place. The only thought that kept running through my head was that this could be our final competition altogether. If we don't win this, the seniors will never have the National championship they have been dreaming of since day one. We had to make this the best performance we've ever done, championship or swan song, we were going to give it our all.

The chatter of the audience could be heard over my beating heart as I stepped up to my place and took a deep breath. The red curtains that were blocking us from their view hung heavy as Rachel walked onto the stage and the first notes of the song began.

We could just go home right now, or maybe we could stick around

for just one more drink....

The intense feeling of nostalgia brought by this song was a bittersweet emotion that I had been trying to cope with for the past few weeks. Now as it was sung for the final time, all I could do was smile. All of our hard work has gotten us here and with these people by my side, we can do anything. We were going to win this.

As Rachel continued, everyone stood up, moved by the power behind the song and her voice to clap and dance along. I couldn't make out any details of faces from this far away, but I could make out the lot of blue and red jackets of the Warblers clapping and dancing along, which brought a smile to my face once again.

Here's to us, here's to love,

here's to all the times we've messed up...

I began towards centre stage to meet Rachel and the girls coming from the other side, the nerves dissipating as adrenaline took over. We bopped and harmonized behind her before moving upstage towards the audience grins plastered on every single face. As the boys appeared on the balcony, I looked out towards the crowd and made eye contact with the hazel eyes belonging to Sebastian Smythe, who also had a little grin on his face. When I made eye contact he immediately winked and let out a little cheer, making me roll my eyes at his antics but secretly loving it all the same.

A feeling of giddiness washed through my body and I began letting loose and enjoying the choreography. Every so often, I'd glance at him again only to see him already looking in my direction. He wasn't looking at the star of the performance or our little balcony trick, just me. I couldn't tell if that made me feel uneasy or safe. Man, this boy was an enigma.

As the girls around me began moving to separate parts of the stage to get people to sing back to us, I moved towards them. The Warblers had all been brothers to me before Sebastian came along and they all sang and danced harder than anyone as I smiled at Jeff, Nick and Trent as they had their arms around each other swaying to the song while screaming the lyrics. Laughing at their antics I made my way back to centre stage with the girls as the song came to its end.

After the last note, I scurried off the stage while The Troubletones did their number. Waiting for Blaine at the bottom of the stairs as he was my dance partner for the next song. Running down the stairs, he grabs my hand and twirls me around with a smile on his face. His happiness is contagious and I can't help but laugh as we run to our spot at the side of the stage.

As the next two songs concluded the happy feeling never left, these were gonna be the moments that I remembered for the rest of my life and I couldn't help but feel nostalgic for them already. The girls killed What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger) and all of us together gave an awe aspiring performance of I Believe I Can Fly. I couldn't help but look at my best friend during that song, thinking about how far we've all come made me just almost believe that we could actually fly.