Status: new chapter june 8

The Ballerina and the Rocker

Chapter 13

Quinn

With all performances and auditions out of the way, Quinn used her study hall period to actually do school work instead of sneak in some extra practices. While she normally liked to find a seat outside in the school’s courtyard to do her work, she reluctantly placed herself in the library on this rare rainy day.

She was in the middle of reading over her English notes when Brian walked over and sat next to her at the table.

“Have I got a treat for you,” he whispered.

“And what’s that?” she whispered back.

Brian reached into his backpack and pulled out a CD that had A7X songs written in bold sharpie.

“No way!” Quinn exclaimed in an excited whisper. “You guys finished?”

“Well we finished two of them, so we figured might as well get those up and running. I just thought you’d like to listen.”

“Oh my god, yeah!”

She took the CD from Brian and placed it in her walkman. Head phones securely placed on her ears, Quinn pressed play and was hit with a strung out note on a guitar and heavy, quickly played drums. The screaming voice of Matt soon appeared and continued to drive the song. She didn’t know what he was saying, but then again this wasn’t the music she listened to; she knew it was exactly what they wanted, so she loved it.

Brian looked at her with expectancy.

“This is awesome!” Quinn spoke loudly to hear herself over the music, forgetting she was in a library. Brian shushed her with an amused smile. “Oops, sorry,” she went back to whispering and took off one headphone. The song had ended with a piano line and Matt singing something very lyrical.

“Listen to the next one,” Brian instructed. The second song started in a similar fashion, only this time opened to a chorus of “oh’s” and almost immediately dive-bombed into a ridiculously fast melody. It was incredibly impressive that these were just a bunch of 18-year-olds.

“I like this one, too,” she said, listening simultaneously.

“Are you just saying that?” Brian teased. Quinn stopped the walkman and took the other headphone off, giving her friend her complete attention.

“Of course I am. Doesn’t mean it’s not true, though.” She smiled and handed the CD back to Brian. “Look, I’m not an expert,” she continued in a hushed whisper, “but I know what you guys like and I’ve heard you play before - and I like this!”

“God, you’re such a people-pleaser.”

“Am not.”

“Are so.”

"Am not!"

"Mm-hm."

“Fine then- it sucked.”

Brian laughed and nudged Quinn with his arm as he put the CD back in his bag.

“I’m just messing with you.”

“You’re an ass.”

“I know.”

The bell rang, signaling the end of the class period. Quinn gathered her stuff and walked out of the library with Brian.

“But seriously,” he continued in the hall as the two walked down to their lockers. “You did like it, right?”

“Yes!” Quinn laughed.

“Alright, alright, just checking.”

“Brian, you guys are really good.”

“Not great?”

“Shut up.”

Brian laughed and gave her a one-armed hug before darting down a different hall. Quinn opened her own locker and traded in her books. Inside the metal blue door was a polaroid picture Val had taken of her and Zacky sitting on Matt’s garage floor with Zacky’s guitar resting across both their laps. That picture never failed to make her smile.

If the demo was any sign of things to come, she knew the boy in the picture would go on to do great things.

Zacky

Every day for the last two weeks or so, Zacky and Quinn had gotten in a routine where Zacky would sit on his front steps and wait for Quinn to get back from school so the both of them could check the mail for anything from Juilliard. Now was the time acceptances were being handed out and Quinn was too nervous to check all by herself.

It was raining today, and there he was sitting on his front steps getting drenched. He was too busy zoning out on the puddle forming at the curb to even realize how wet he was getting.

“Do you need an umbrella?” he heard Quinn shout.

Zacky looked up from his puddle and saw Quinn standing by her mailbox holding a clear plastic umbrella. He immediately got up and ran over. She held the umbrella up to cover the both of them.

“You could have at least waited inside where it was dry,” she continued.

“Yeah, but it’s our tradition,” he said, purposefully. He honestly hadn’t even thought about just waiting inside, but Quinn didn’t need to know that.

“You’re such a dork,” she said with shy smile before opening the mailbox and taking out the pile of mail inside.

Zacky followed her out of the rain and inside her house where Quinn immediately headed into the living room and placed the mail on the coffee table.

“Where’s your mom?” Zacky asked, noticing the quiet of the house.

“She’s working on some editorial stuff in L.A. today,” Quinn explained. “Want something to drink?” Zacky nodded and Quinn left for the kitchen.

He sat down on the couch, tossed his backpack on the floor beside him, and looked at the mail sitting on the table. It never got any less daunting.

Quinn returned with two Cokes and handed one to Zacky before taking a seat next to him.

“Maybe you should invest in a blow dryer,” she joked as she ran her fingers through his hair, pushing the dark wet strands off of his face.

“Oh! I have something to show you,” Zacky remembered. He reached into his backpack and pulled out the CD of Avenged’s demo.

“Is that your demo? Brian played it for me at school today,” Quinn said.

“Really?”

“But I’d love to listen to it again!” she added quickly.

“That asshole.”

“What?”

“I wanted to be the first one to show you. He should have known that some things should be left to the boyfriend.”

Quinn pouted playfully and placed her hand on his knee.

“Sorry he got to me first.”

“It’s ok,” he sighed. “It’s not a big deal. But I will hit him the next time I see him.”

“Oh please don’t start a fight over little ol’ me,” she joked, feigning the accent of a Southern belle.

“Sorry, ma’am,” he said, joining in on the accent, “but I can’t make any promises.” He placed the demo next to the mail and turned to Quinn, continuing very seriously and without the accent. “I’ll always fight for you.”

Quinn’s joking smile faded and was replaced by one with more sincerity as she stared into his eyes.

“Can I keep a copy of the demo so I can listen to it over and over again?” she asked with sincerity.

“I guess so,” he answered with smile. “Just don’t leak it - we don’t need that kind of publicity yet.”

Quinn gave her promise with a salute and the two then turned their attention to the pile of mail waiting to be opened.

“Well,” Zacky continued. “It’s showtime.”

Quinn

She reached over and picked up the pile of mail. She sifted through it, passing over the small envelopes addressed to her parents and tossing aside her Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachay covered issue of Seventeen. In a manner of seconds, she laid her eyes on a white envelope that was just a tad smaller than the magazine. It was addressed to Quinn M. Hartford with the return address in the corner bearing the blue and white Juilliard logo.

Her heart began racing as she carefully opened the envelope. Zacky watched her in anticipated silence. She took out the letter, held her breath, and read to herself: Dear Ms. Hartford, We are pleased to offer you a place in the class of 2004 at Juilliard this fall in the dance division. She stopped reading after that sentence and threw herself back on the couch, allowing herself to breath again.

“What?” Zacky asked of her behavior. Without saying anything she held the letter up to Zacky who took it and proceeded to read to himself. When he had finished, he laid his body on top of hers and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. Quinn buried her face in the crook of his neck and breathed deeply. She was ecstatic more than she could possibly explain on being accepted, but more than anything she was relieved the waiting was over.

“I’m so proud of you,” Zacky whispered in her ear. She moved her head off of his shoulder and grabbed his face in her hands to kiss him.

Zacky

That daunting part was over. The daunting task of figuring out what things meant for them was just getting started.
♠ ♠ ♠
Ok, this is a relatively short chapter but I figured a short one is better than no chapter at all. Hopefully updates will come around a tad more frequently, time permitting.

Thank you SO much to all of you incredible readers. You make it a joy to continue writing this story.

xo