You Know He Soothes Me (Bebe and Chad)

[Bebe Tenko]

Bebe sat on the empty stage, measuring the sides of the walls, sections of the floor, the lengths and widths of dressing room doors. This was the most mundane part of her job as set designer - figuring out how big the measurements of every set piece should be. Bebe HATED it. By all accounts, it should have been her favorite part; it combined math and the theater, her two favorite things. But it just didn't click.

Bebe checked to make sure that no one was around. As soon as she'd determined that no shadows would catch her off-guard, she began to hum the opening bars to one of her favorite songs.

"Love is blind, as far as the eye can see
Deep and meaningless, words to me
Easy lover, I need a friend
Road to nowhere, twists and turns but will this never end...?"

Then came the belting part... Bebe knew she could belt it like the best of them.

"Well my dear, you'll know that he pleases me
But sometimes illusion ain't no revolution
That ain't no release for me...

Too much of something is bad enough
But something's coming over me to make me wonder...
Too much of nothing is just as tough
I need to know the way to feel to keep me satisfied!"

[cyelena]

Chad had been looking for Bebe everywhere. He felt like he’d been around the entire school searching for her, with possibly the exception of the girls bathroom. As intruiging as the prospect of sneaking into the girls bathroom was, he wasn’t willing to risk it just yet. He’d had a number of detentions, and although his goal was to get as many as possible, he didn’t want to do anything to freak Bebe out.

He wasn’t desperate, per se, to see her, but he felt like he hadn’t seen her in hours, and he really just wanted to say ‘hi’ and give her a hug. One would say that because he was wandering around the whole school, looking for her, that he was, indeed, desperate. Chad begged to differ. He wasn’t desperate he just… really, really wanted to see her. He blamed it on those weird funny feelings he got whenever he thought about her; they were probably why he always felt sick when he thought he’d upset her and why just the mention of her name made him grin like a fool. Stupid funny feelings.

Suddenly, he stopped. And took several steps backwards. He hadn’t checked the theatre! Duh! Grinning with anticipation, he pushed open the door slowly, peeking inside. There wasn’t much light, but someone was singing in there. He poked his head around the door further, wondering who it was. In his rather uncultured opinion, they were pretty good. He didn’t recognise the song, but it sounded nice too.

His eyes widened when he realised who it was. He hadn’t known Bebe could sing like that! Rather than disturb her, he slipped in through the door and closed it as quietly as possible, before leaning against it so he could watch. Hmm, she looked really pretty today.

((LOOK!! OMG!! I actually posted!!))

[Bebe Tenko]

((OMG CHAD I LOVE YOU! ;D ))

Bebe folded her hands in her lap, giving up on measuring. She was sure that no one cared, anyway. Everyone seemed to be off in their own world lately, not even paying attention to the musical or anything. Sometimes Bebe wondered what everyone else was so caught up in... she hummed the instrumental intro to the next part of the song.

"Unwrap yourself from around my finger...
Hold me too tight, or left to linger...
Something fine, built to last -
Slipped up there; I guess we're running out of time too fast..."

More belting. Bebe inhaled.

"Yes my dear, you know he soothes me
There's no complications - there's no explanations -
It's just a groove in me!"

Bebe suddenly cut off and repeated the last line she spoke. "No complications and no explanations..." It reminded her of Chad and her. It was... so perfect. She giggled. "No complications, no explanations..."

She continued humming.

[cyelena]

((Sorry again!! I’m such a bad boyfriend! Bad Hannah!))

Chad let out a bit of a sigh as Bebe cut off, smiling softly to himself. Oh no... More mushy feelings... But hey, in his defence, she had a really awesome voice! He was pretty lucky to have a girlfriend like her. She wasn’t at all like any other girl he’d ever met, and that was probably where the attraction in her lay.

He couldn’t hear her singing anymore and was quite disappointed. But hey, at least he got to speak to her now! He wouldn’t have wanted to interrupt her singing, particularly when it was just so good.

“Wow!” He exclaimed, sauntering down towards her and proclaiming his presence to her. “Looks like someone is going to give Gabs and the Ice Queen a bit of a run for their money this year!” He beamed at her, trying to make it appear like he wasn’t rushing forward, or that he totally didn’t want a hug. Okay, loathe he admit it, Chad liked cuddling. And it just so happened he had a gorgeous girlfriend that he wanted to cuddle all the time.

[Bebe Tenko]

Bebe jumped at least two feet off the ground, her tape measure falling to the stage and snapping back into the metal casing. Bebe's askew legs shivered apprehensively as she turned to face... Chad. She grinned broadly, trying not to look like all she'd wanted to do all day was grab him and hug him. It looked like Chad was trying to do the same, so Bebe let herself go.

"Chad!"

Bebe grabbed onto Chad's neck, grinning widely. Her seventies-style shapeless dress fluttered around her legging-clad legs as she let go, very embarrassed. He'd probably heard the whole thing... all of her singing... her singing to the Spice Girls! Chad probably thought she was lame for the song choice, but then he said that she could give Sharpay and Gabriella a run for their money. Bebe blushed, thoroughly touched.

"You... you really think so?" Bebe inquired. "Because honestly? No one expects me to sing the SPICE GIRLS. But I'm... quite the fan. I have all of the old dolls on display in my room, in their boxes, unopened. A ton of money, they're worth... but I love the faces and the clothes." Bebe shook her head. "Ah now I'm babbling... but Chad, you really... really think I can... make it into the musical?"

[cyelena]

Unable to stop his huge grin, Chad picked Bebe up and swung her around in the hug. Once they broke away, he laughed.

“That was the Spice Girls? Dude, I never knew that a chick band could sound so cool! Sure, I reckon you could get in. I’d rather you didn’t get lead role, because it’s pretty much guaranteed that Sharpay will poison you or something if you beat her for it, and yanno, I kinda like having you around,” he grinned again, showing he was teasing, “but you could definitely get something, I bet!”

He chuckled, fiddling with a stray hair on her face, tucking it away. “You’re allowed to babble. As long as you’re babbling because I’m here!” He winked, indicating another tease.

Quickly, before he could freak out, or anything could stop him, he pressed a quick kiss to her mouth. “I missed you,” he admitted, blushing a little bit as he pulled away. But well, he had!

[Bebe Tenko]

Bebe felt her incessant prattle being taken away by a sweet, quick kiss. She turned bright red, her green eyes glittering with happiness. Yes, this was what she'd missed. Each little kiss said 'I love you', in a way more striking and more beautiful than the last. Bebe, as a return favor, kissed him again, pulling away gently.

"Girl bands CAN rock out loud," Bebe giggled at him, coquettishly turning away and picking up her tape measure. "And I would never try out for a lead, anyway... can you imagine? School gangster, the lead in East High's musical? That'd be quite the coup. One worse than Troy and Gabriella's. In Mamma Mia... I quite like the character played by Lisa Stokke. The young girl about to be married. Not the MAIN main character... but... pretty pivotal to the plot."

Bebe stuffed the tape measure in her pants. "You're going to come, of course, right? It would be so depressing if you didn't..." Now Bebe was shamelessly flirting, glad to have some company.

[cyelena]

Chad gave a little laugh. "Course I'd be there. And really, do you think I'd turn down the opportunity to make fun of her highness, The Ice Queen? You being there will probably make it... enjoyable!"

Man, he wished he had some internal fly-spray or something. The butterflies (happy butterflies!) in his stomach were driving him insane. It made him feel like he wanted to start singing, and dancing around, and man, it was kind of freaking him out. Girls weren't supposed to make you feel this... happy. Heck, he still reckoned they had cooties!! But for all his complaints about feeling head-over-heels for Bebe, he didn't want the happy feelings to go away. He... he liked it. Probably more than he should.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "You'll have to teach me all this theatre junk. I've kind of been prejudiced since my mom developed this weird obsession with Phantom. Now that's depressing. Dude, she's like, completely obsessed!" He shook his head as if in disappointment and then grinned, ruffling her hair. You could never kill the annoying-older-brother in him.

Giving another laugh he added. "But it'd be pretty funny if you did get the main role. I reckon you could. But as I said; I kinda like you being alive. You and your... strange ideas that girl bands can rock." He snorted. "Pfft! What's with that?" He poked her forehead. "You're delusional." He teased, grinning widely.

((I'm so sorry!!! Once again!!! ARGH!!! And I feel bad that I couldn't even write a long response!!!))

[Bebe Tenko]

((Dude, that was def. a long response. Don't be so hard on yourself. ))

Bebe didn't want the moments to end. Chad was going to see the musical no matter what - last year it probably would've taken an act of God to get that to happen. But then again, last year, he wouldn't have even considered having Bebe as a girlfriend. Things were different; things were good. She smiled, immensely content.

She laughed at Chad's mentioning of The Phantom of the Opera. "Well, I understand why you wouldn't like that musical. It has good music, but it's hopelessly romantic. Too much for me. You'd probably like Spring Awakening better... even though everyone dies at the end and most of the play is about people trying to screw each other." Bebe shrugged. "Women just like that lovey-dovey fake romance stuff. I was never one for it. And just so you know..."

Bebe stepped forward, smirking deliciously. "...Our relationship is better than Christine and Raoul's."

She quickly reverted to normal - chances were that Chad didn't understand what she'd said. She crossed her arms, still grinning. "Yes, there's this odd delusion of mine... I think girl bands are just as good as indie rock. I must be out of my mind." Bebe raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to hear the last bit of the song? Because I can tell that you want to."

Shameless flirt manipulating. Benefit number 116 of having a boyfriend who was so awesome.

[cyelena]

Chad gave a laugh. "Spring Awakening? That sounds more romantic than Phantom of the Opera. At least Phantom has a spooky sounding thing in the title. Spring Awakening sounds like something with love and romance," he poked his tongue to show what he thought of that. "Loves totally cool when you're in it, but seeing it... It'd be like watching Troy and Gabriella, just... bigger. And that's depressing." He nodded with mock sobriety. "I'm glad you're not a normal woman." He informed her, only half joking.

He grinned. "And we'd better be better than Christine and Raoul! My hair is so much better than his!" Chad had only endured the movie version and the guy's hair had made him cringe. It was so... normal. Nah, Chad would have his sexy-as fro any day.

"Seriously, Bebe? Indie rock? You gotta be kidding me! You need to be exposed to some decent music! I'm totally making you a mix CD. You need a serious education in decent music, and really fast."

Flicking an eyebrow up, Chad appraised her silently. "Sure, why not?" He said, wondering how that song was actually going to end. He pulled back from her and moved over to one of the seats, sitting back to watch her. He hoped she didn't mind if he acted as an audience member.

((I actually have no idea what indie rock is. But now I have to find a genre of music for Chad to like. Because I couldn't have him be agreeable, could I? Argh!!))

[Bebe Tenko]

((Indie rock = independent-type rock. Basically bands that haven't broken through. ))

"Spring Awakening is mostly about physical love, not real actual love," Bebe admitted. "It's a pessimistic play through and through. Not at all like the sickeningly sweet Juno-Bleeker romance Troy and Gabriella have." Bebe shuffled her feet a bit, scuffing the ground slightly, frowning at the sugar-coated bliss Troy and Gabriella had. It seemed like a facade. No one could be that happy.

Bebe rustled Chad's hair, grinning. It was soft to the touch... very soft. "Your fro beats Raoul's man-bob any day. Although Raoul doesn't have a man-bob that compares to Anton Chigurh's, so... you win anyway. Man-bobs are ugly." Bebe was now giggling. Man-bob. She'd coined a new word.

Chad wandered into the audience to listen to the end of her song, and suddenly Bebe felt butterflies flittering about in her stomach. She bit her lip. How would she perform this? She grabbed a mike stand lying against the wall, propping it in front of her. She began to snap her fingers in a beat, trying to recapture the beat.

"one, two, three..."

"Too much of one thing is bad enough
But something's coming over me to make me wonder...
If too much on nothing is just as tough
I need to know the way to feel to keep me satisfied!"

Now for some good old-fashioned belting. Bebe couldn't wait.

"What part of no don't you understand?
I want a man,
Not a boy who thinks he ca-an..."

Bebe inhaled sharply. Here it came. The high note. She had to place it, get her diaphragm ready, not keel over, right pitch -

"Boy who thinks she can~~~!"

[cyelena]

Chad laughed, pretending to fix his hair primly when Bebe ruffled it. "It had better beat their... man-bobs." He muttered, smiling softly at her. He pulled a face at the mention of Troy and Gabrialla's sickeningly sweet love. Chad was all for sugar, and probably used to ingest more than was healthy for a kid before he'd started to get serious. But Troyella, or whatever the student body called them, was enough to make even the sweetest tooth gag.

He was unable to stop grinning as Bebe got back into her groove. It was a pretty cool song, even if it was from a chick's band (he was biased against them - prejudiced or something? - so sue him). Bebe could be a whole band on her own. Chances were, she had more personality than an entire chicks band, and definitely as much attitude. And he adored her for that.

His eyes widened a little as she started the whole loud section [belting part], more than a little impressed. Man, if she starred in the show, he would definitely come and see it. How could it be less than awesome with her in it?

"Woah..." He breathed as she held the big note. It was totally impressive and sounded awesome. He had no idea if she was on pitch, or whatever, but it sounded so cool! "Dude..." He nodded, more than a little impressed. He hoped there was more!

[Bebe Tenko]

Bebe looked at Chad. His jaw was basically on the floor. She grinned happily, showing off her teeth. On a whim, she twirled her mic stand about in her hand, leaning over it and swinging about as she continued to sing an alternate melody. It would've sounded better if the real melody was beneath it, but no worries...

"Too much... is just enough~ Oh-oh...
Too much... just as tough~
To keep me satisfied~!"

And now the part she hated; the part where they all sounded like men. But nothing seemed impossible at the moment, not with Chad there beside her. So she let her knees hit the stage, and leaned out, with the bottom of the mic stand held by her feet, her hands gripping the metal stand. She was a foot or so away from Chad.

"Too much of nothing so why don't we give it a try...?
Too much of something, we're gonna be living a lie..."

Bebe knew that she was acting like someone completely alien than herself, but Chad just made her feel... like... like...

...a girl.

"Too much of nothing, so why don't we give it a try...?"

[cyelena]

((I didn't abandon you!! My internet brokes!! ))

It was a pretty cool song, Chad grudgingly admitted to himself. Even if it <i>was</i> the Spice Girls. He completely ignored the fact that he'd thought the Spice Girls were cool before. And he'd maybe thought one or two of them were kinda hot... For old ladies! Okay, shutting up now.

He gave a laugh when she dropped to her knees. Had he been in a normal "hormonal teenage boy" mood, his mind could possibly have done dirty things with that phrase. As it was, he was too impressed by his girl to do anything but be in a bgit of awe. And, it felt weird, but he was... proud? Or something like that.

Bebe was acting a little different to how she normally did, but he liked it. He kinda liked everything about her. Oh man, the mushy feelings were threatening to take over again... He couldn't help it! She was just so awesome!

He continued to watch, unsure if he should say something, clap, or what. So he just continued beaming at her, taking in her performance with excited eyes. Oh yeah, his girl was so gonna rock East High's theatre this year!

[Bebe Tenko]

Bebe's voice broke off, and the microphone stand lay in her hands, cold. She just sat there, staring at Chad, unsure of what to do next. She couldn't continue the song - there was nothing left of it. Damn the Spice Girls and their tendency to write short songs. Chad would definitely know if she launched into another one...

A big part of her wanted nothing more than to kiss him right then and there, but the mic stand would get in the way. So Bebe did what any self-respecting girl would do: stand up, move the mic stand away from her, hop off the stage, and sit down next to Chad.

She pulled some sweaty hair out of her face. Man, she had been SO nervous! Unusual for the cocky, confident Bebe Tenko, but still...

"So...?" Bebe inquired breathlessly. "...What did you think?"

She ignored the impulse of her body, knowing that if she kissed him right now, he wouldn't answer.