Virgin Queries

Playlist

I thought it would be cool to include the songs I listened to while writing this, so here we go!

1. Wop – J Dash

Wop is only famous because of Miley twerking to it on YouTube and if you think about the story in a highly pretentious way, it’s almost symbolic (my English teacher would be proud) because YouTube is what helps save the day in this story.  On top of that, Paxton just loves this song and had it on repeat in the first chapter, so.

2. White Teeth Teens – Lorde

Lorde is one of my favorite artists of the year for a variety of reasons and her self-awareness is one of them.  She’s conscious of the fact that she’s not fitting in with other kids.  She’s not a white teeth teen.  And neither are Paxton and August.  They fit in with a group of people who pretend to be other people for the public eye.  They pretend to be perfect, but they’re not.  Paxton can be too sassy and August was scared of his mother.  My favorite line in relation to August and his mother is, “Impress the empress.”  If you ask me, that sums him up entirely until the very end of the story, when he can finally be himself and live without fear.

3. My Bubblegum – Rasheeda

I’m just gonna be honest…  This song has nothing to do with the story but when I was writing I imagined this to be Paxton’s favorite song.  I can just see him singing it to August while dancing at a party or something!

4. Va Va Voom – Nicki Minaj

While I don’t really think Nicki sleeping with married men is all that great, I still like the line, “If you lookin’ for the main attraction/Just hold on tight and let me do my dance.”  I don’t know about you, but that just screams Paxton.  Maybe even August if he was drunk enough to sing Nicki Minaj.  Paxton definitely wants August’s va va voom.

5. Rocks at my Window – Bridgit Mendler

Frankly, I think Bridgit was aware of my story and she wrote this song about August’s feelings towards Paxton.  There in the beginning, he was super into the idea of being with Paxton but that feeling wasn’t exactly mutual.  He wasn’t the type of guy Paxton would go for.  But being the secret hopeless romantic that he is, August was always ready for his prince charming as well as prepared to be someone else’s prince at the same time.

6. No Mozart – Natasha Bedingfield

One of my favorite things about these two is the time they get to spend away from everything.  Paxton doesn’t have to worry about VirginQueries or being V and August doesn’t have to worry about helping stop his mother.  They can just be alone together, cuddling and talking.  And since talking about feelings is an important part of being with someone for the long run, they both had to learn to express themselves.  If this was a movie, this song would be playing when the boys are working on lines in Paxton’s bedroom.  “You don’t have to be a Mozart/If you just play it from the heart,” is a really beautiful metaphor and I really like applying it to this scene.

7. Young Volcanoes – Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy, oh how I’ve missed you!  Again, when I write, I pretend I’m describing a movie and this song was on repeat in my mind.  If you guessed the petition scene, you guessed correctly!  Another one of my favorite scenes, I could sum it up with the line, “We’re the beginning of the end.”  It’s pretty much the anthem of rebellion and teenage freedom, which is a pretty great feeling if you’ve never experienced it, let me tell you.  If you get the urge to start kicking over trashcans and making out with your crush without inhibition, you know the feeling I get from this song.

8. Defying Gravity – Wicked

I’ve never seen Wicked (I know, right!?) but next year it’s coming to my city a few days after my birthday, so I’m giddy already.  Just the title of this song could be the cherry on this sundae.  I admit, the actual lyrics don’t have much to do with the story until the very end, I still love it.  I mean, c’mon, just when Judith had the upper hand and was about to crush them with her Hail Mary newscast, Paxton flipped it around and rose above her.  “Kiss me goodbye, I’m defying gravity.”  Plus, August is in theatre, so I had to include some kind of song from a musical.  I can rant about this song all day, let me tell you.  I won’t, though.  You should go listen and experience the greatness for yourself.

9. On Top of the World – Imagine Dragons

August and Paxton never utter the L word, but you can believe eventually they get to that point and they’ll be letting each other know before the other runs away!  This is the ultimate victory song if you ask me.  It’s got love, it’s got happiness, and I can just imagine the boys playing this on their laptops while sitting on the roof.  From that height, it probably felt like they were on top of the world, too.  This song just makes me happy, man.  They won, they beat Judith, and they’re now a couple.

10. This Is How We Do – Katy Perry

I just want to start by telling you all to go buy PRISM.  I know, we’re all tired of listening to Roar on the radio, but it’s the first song so you can easily skip it.  In the fashion of movies, this would be the song playing through the credits with little clips of the boys going through the year.  Paxton visiting August’s performances, Olivia, Paxton, August, and the girls driving through neighborhoods with their windows rolled down and music blaring, stuff like that.  Maybe even a little pre-sexy time too, once they’re ready!  Who knows?!

On top of that, I thought it would be cool to let you guys know some behind-the-…not scenes…  Uh… let’s say behind-the-keys information!  Off the top of my head, I can think of about three things.

First, Paxton and August were going to break up.  Don’t look at me like that!  I had a reason, trust me.  The underlying point of this story is to show that you can find love anywhere and under any circumstance, but that doesn’t mean love is forever.  Especially in high school.  That doesn’t make it any less powerful or exciting.  Love is just freaking awesome, right?  So, that’s what I was planning on conveying.  But the more I wrote them, the more I realized that they were a strong couple.  They needed to be together and they couldn’t be broken up just to prove a point.  This isn’t Romeo and Juliet!

Second, I wasn’t so sure this story was an actual story.  For a good while there, I didn’t have a footing in the story and I was worried it was just a little plot bunny that didn’t have much substance.  Hence the long break of time in the beginning.  I finally came up with a story that I could tell and went with it, rolling with the punches and all that.  It’s evident that I didn’t have a solid plan in the beginning because of the third tidbit.

Third, August was originally a creep.  He had long hair, he was lanky, and he looked like the sketchy type.  I mean, I even said something like, “He couldn’t forgive V just yet.  Not after what they’d done.” Or something like that.  I mean, is that not creepy!?  I didn’t remember that until recently, so if you were wondering, I wouldn’t.  I think in the first chapter I imagined August to be pissed that V accidentally outed him, but I’m not positive.  Whatever the reason, I forgot to edit it out, but once I edit the whole thing, the beginning will be smoothed out and all that.

Well, now I’m getting emotional over here because it’s finished.  I’m gonna miss these boys even with all the stress they’ve caused me.  I’d like to say thank you all for taking the time to support me, follow me, vote for me, and comment on my work.  I hate to say it because it’s so cheesy, but without all of the help and encouragement, August and Paxton would still be character types in my head and nowhere else.  So thank you all so much, and I mean it when I say I love you guys :D