Shake It Out (Open.)

[Elisia Lark]

Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive our darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play.

And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues strong
It's always darkest before the dawn

Piano keys sliding beneath her fingers, music ringing out around her, the music filled her with a strong sense of emotion. Luckily she was used to the effect music had on her, otherwise she'd be in a lot of pain. It helped that it was herself singing it instead of hearing someone who really felt heartbreak and sadness singing it. This was just any other song to keep her practicing and giving her a different sort of outlet than talking to a therapist.

Her eyes were closed as she got into the music, allowing herself to be fully focused on that alone. This was her way of standing out. Her fathers always told her that she had been born to stand out from the crowd and though there was no one around, she felt like she really was. Blending into crowds when faced with a social gathering was more of her forte, but when she was on a stage, she liked being the center of attention. It wasn't that she thought she was better than anyone else, but this was where she felt most comfortable.

And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off
Oh woah
I am done with my graceless heart
So tonight I'm going to cut it out and restart
'Cause I like to keep my issues strong
It's always darkest before the dawn.

It would be a different story of course if she had an audience. When she was on stage just practicing she didn't feel ready, she didn't feel like she was good enough just yet. Ellie didn't have stage fright per se, but she did get nervous performing for someone when she wasn't prepared.

Her fingers began to slow on the keys and she finished the song with a smile gracing her face. Until she looked up to see someone watching her.

[Leonard Collins]

Leo had been searching for his favorite pen, which had been unfortunately lost. He entered the auditorium silently, hearing a student singing. He figured that she'd have known that he was there, as he silently moved about, trying to locate this pen. However, he couldn't find it, and frowned. He'd have to find it elsewhere, and decided that staying until this person had finished their song would only be the polite thing to do, and plus, this girl was good. If she decided to stick with music as her career, he figured she'd go far - however, he couldn't put a finger on who she was. It was simply that he was all the way in the back of the auditorium. He couldn't quite put a finger on what song it was either. Oh well.

As she finished her song, Leo couldn't help but clap in awe. He started walking closer to the stage, wondering who it was who'd sung it...

((hope this i alright!))

[Elisia Lark]

Elisia probably would have been more nervous had it been one of her peers. Adults were a different story, she could actually hold conversations with them without feeling like she should be a fly on the wall instead of being the one that was focused on. She was a chameleon of sorts, always blending in with her surroundings. Teachers often liked her because she didn't talk during class and paid full attention to every lecture.

As the teacher came closer, she was sure that she had him for a class. It was a science class, but she couldn't figure out exactly which one. It was last year and it had something to do with lots of experiments. The closer he got, the more familiar he became. Mr. C. Cullen? No that was from a stupid book. Mr. Co...COLLINS! She remembered now! Chemistry had been one of her favorite classes, even though she wasn't the greatest at science. She specifically remembered constantly asking him for help because she was too afraid to really talk to anyone else in the class.

She waved at him, "Hey Mr. Collins! What are you doing in the auditorium?" Ellie asked with a little laugh. Seeing teachers outside of class was usually pretty weird, but she didn't mind it. Especially the teachers she got along with.

[Leonard Collins]

Leo recognized Elisia once he came close enough - his vision wasn't as sharp as it used to be. He was getting older, being 42 had taken its toll on him, though he was amused that his age was the answer to life, the universe, and everything. He'd liked her well enough. The initiative she'd shown with asking for help had amazed him, and he admired her for her intentions, though he would've liked to hear her speak up a little bit more in class. Though, he realized that she was shyer than most, and hadn't given her a lower participation grade because of it. She simply wasn't comfortable volunteering, and he understood it perfectly.

Leo grinned at her. "Elisia, great to see you," he greeted. "I was just trying to find a pen - I thought I'd dropped it in here," he admitted. "No such luck." The man gave a good-natured shrug. "I must say, your performance was stellar there. You're quite the musician!"

[Elisia Lark]

Teachers were brilliant. Seriously, having that many students and actually remembering their names off the top of their heads was truly genius. Ellie knew she’d never be able to do that. Not only did they remember all of the names, but teaching a specific subject and having to know everything about everything that had to do with that particular subject. Teachers just didn’t get enough recognition for what they did. Not to mention, they had to put up with the wild troublemakers.

When he said he was looking for a pen, her eyebrows pulled together and she glanced around on the floor. She didn’t see a pen anywhere, so she shrugged it off just like him and smiled at his compliment. Teachers always said encouraging things, it was why she liked talking to them more than her own peers. Students were much harsher and scary.

“Why thank you Mr. Collins. It probably helps being a musical psychometric. That and I’ve been raised surrounded by a lot of singing and performing,” Elisia shrugged and smiled one more.