The Stage Door (Camren/Norminah)

Rooftop Nights

"Happy November seventh," Mr. Rinaldi said to his Music and Composing class, the students looking at him with cinched brows and turned up noses. "You're all looking at me like I'm crazy, but today is a celebration, it's been a month since the Parent's Day showcase and today is the day we start preparing for the Snowflake and Sunshine Festival."

"Snowflake and Sunshine what now?" Dinah laughed from her desk and Mr. Rinaldi smiled and walked over to stand in front of her. 

"Well young Dinah-saur," he said with a laugh while Dinah groaned and hid her face, both embarrassed for herself and her overly chipper teacher. "The festival is held on the 15th of December every year. It's our own LA version of a winter wonderland, the school puts on a Christmas carnival and there's games and rides and food, of course. And music, which is where you guys come in. Every year a freshman class is chosen to provide the music and this year, our class has been chosen out of the hat, yes I said hat. We choose out of a hat and now that that's out of the way, we can prepare. There are twenty-six students in this class, the festival is two full days so that mean twelve students will perform solos the first day and twelve the second. There will also be some duets and a special group performance by our very own girl band Fifth Harmony. I mean as long as you girls think that's something you would like to do?"

Mr. Rinaldi looked around at the girls and the girls looked at each other before turning back to there teacher, nodding excitedly. "We would love to," Camila said with a smile. "Who is getting the duets?"

"Are you asking for one?" Mr. Rinaldi answered her and Camila nodded. "And who would you be wanting to do this duet with?" He asked his eyes already looking at Lauren knowingly.

"Lauren, please," Camila said with a smile and Mr. Rinaldi nodded his head before walking over to the board and writing Camila and Lauren's names on it.

"Anyone else? Duets? Trios? Groups? Anything, we have spots available so let me know," the teacher told the class as he set down the chalk and walked closer to the students. You'll have just over a month to prepare, some of you will have free reign over your songs, others will be given topics they must follow and some of you will be given songs by famous artists to cover. So let's get down to business." Mr. Rinaldi started naming off students, pairing them with cover songs, Christmas songs or topics and a select few with free creative control. "Dinah, you have a choice," he said looking over at the girl doodling in her notebook. 

"Choices are good," Dinah said looking up at the man. "Hit me with them choices, Sir."

"Free reign or Beyonce?"

"Which Beyonce song?" Dinah asked, curiousity killing her slowly.

"Whatever one you want," he said with a laugh as his eyes fell to the front of the notebook Dinah had just closed, pictures of Beyonce she had cut out of magazines glued in collage form on the front.

"I choose Beyonce."

"I figured as much. Ally, you will be singing Merry Christmas Darling. Normani, free reign," he said before turning to Lauren and Camila. "Lauren, I would like you to sing Alicia Keys, If I Ain't Got You and Camila, your first solo was written about your feelings for Lauren yes?"

Camila laughed and the whole class answered for her, "Yes!" Burying her face in her hands to hide the blush in her cheeks Camila nodded slowly.

"I want you to write another song about Lauren, but I want you to take a different approach. Instead of writing about how you feel about Lauren,I want you to write about how you felt when you were figuring our your feelings for Lauren. Your writing skill are impressive and I can't wait to hear what you come up with," Mr. Rinaldi said and Camila looked at him and smiled.