Musical Interlude

by Jeanne M.

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Usual: Characters? NOT MINE. Money? NONE HERE. I only wish I had money. Everything belongs to the person it belongs to. The 'suggestion' (read the story, you'll know what I mean) is a line from Shakespeare. Song, quote, and People are not mine. Too bad. Onwards!

Thoughts
Singing

*******

Unacceptable. Emma Frost was fuming. Not only had Angelo and Jubilee had the sheer nerve to skip dinner when she was cooking, but the scent of pancakes had wafted up from the old servant's kitchen which was located (conveniently) in Jono's basement. They had made it quite clear that the rest of their classmates and professors were not invited to this little gathering, and for a few hours the sounds of Japanese Anime and carried up through the ventilation system. That noise, as annoying as it could get, was easy enough to ignore. But now she could 'hear' Jono cursing as he tuned the guitar that had sat gathering dust for the last few months. Between the plaintive guitar cords, and Jubilation and Angelo's constant heckling of their companion, the little soiree downstairs was getting quite rowdy.

"First shot- Roger, tuning the fender guitar he hasn't played in a year/ This won't tune!/ So we hear!" Jubilee was dancing around the basement, singing loudly out of tune as she grinned at Jono. "Dude, anyone else see the comparison here?"

"Jubicita, if you don't stop purposely singing like that, I'm going to kill you." Anglo was less than amused. "Por Dios, 'ita, stop!"

"Stop calling me 'ita'! I'm not sure what it means, but I don't like it!"

**It means 'little', it's a Spanish diminutive. An affectionate one, not a mean one. I think that's what it means.** Jono didn't even look up from his strings. **Do you two mind? I can't hear the bloody notes.**

"Play something we know!" Jubilee unceremoniously plopped herself down in a chair. "C'mon Jono, a song? Please?"

He tilted his head for a moment, dark eyes considering her. **Sure.** A few mournful cords drifted up from his fingers. A small wave of nervousness coiled in his stomach. I haven't done this since... Jono shook himself mentally. He could do this. It was a song. Just a song. I'm only doing this 'cause I needed to play something eventually, not 'cause Spark wants it. This has nothing to do with her. Honest. Feeling her expectant eyes on him, Jono let himself slip into the music. It really was a simple sounding song, but you had to get the feel of it right, you couldn't just play the notes. You really needed two guitars for it, but his would just have to do.

Hey now, all you sinners
Put your lights on, put your lights on
Hey now, all you lovers
Put your lights on, put your lights on

Jubilee and Angelo exchanged looks. Jono was.... singing? He softly projected his voice to them, unaware of the reactions.

Hey now, all you killers
Put your lights on, put your lights on
Hey now, all you children
Leave your lights on, you better leave your lights on

**You wanted a song, Spark. You gotta sing too. I don't mean that noise you were making earlier.** She looked startled. He hadn't stopped singing, and a quick glance at Ange showed her he hadn't heard Jono.

**Jono, I'm not a singer, I don't know what to do.**

**You've heard this song before, gel. I've heard you play it when you think no one's around. Or when no one's paying any attention.** Anger flashed briefly in her eyes. **Just sing along.**

**Stay outta my business, Starsmore.** The words were a searing flash in his mind, almost making him stumble over the guitar strings. The smooth alto that caressed the words on the next verse almost made him drop the guitar altogether, but he managed to keep from fumbling too badly and kept playing.

Cause there's a monster living under my bed
Whispering in my ear
There's an angel, with a hand on my head
She say I've got nothing to fear

There's a darkness deep in my soul
I still got a purpose to serve
So let your light shine, into my hole
God, don't let me lose my nerve
Don't let me lose my nerve

Ange had slipped out towards the end of the verse, returning with his own guitar before the first bar of the interlude was complete. The two instruments fleshed out the notes, weaving melody and harmony without thinking. Damn, Jubicita can sing! Not just holler along to music. And so can Jono, apparently. Jono glanced over at him, and Angelo nodded, taking the lead so that Jono could concentrate on his vocal duet.

Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now
Wo oh hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now

All throughout the school, silence reigned as students and faculty alike strained to hear the faint notes flowing softly from the basement. For one moment, in the world of X, everything simply stopped.

Hey now, all you sinners
Put your lights on, put your lights on
Hey now, all you children
Leave your lights on, you better leave your lights on

Jubilee's voice gained strength as her confidence grew. This was the first time she'd sung in....... how many years? Not since she'd left Cali. There'd been singing lessons, once, and what she had thought long buried trickled slowly into her mind. Breathing, rhythm. But she wasn't consciously thinking of that, only watching her duet partner with luminescent eyes that seemed to glow ever so faintly.

And upstairs, Emma Frost sat in her study, a faint smile creeping over her face. Maybe this evening wasn't going so badly after all. She slowly inserted a thought, a suggestion that no other telepath would ever notice, she wove it into the memory of the music itself leaving her students unable to ignore it.

**If music be the food of life, play on. Play on.**

Because there's a monster living under my bed
Whispering in my ear
There's an angel, with a hand on my head
She says I've got nothing to fear
She says......
La ill aha ill allah
We all shine like stars
La ill aha ill allah
We all shine like stars
Then we fade away

As the music faded softly, the Massachusetts Academy shook off the spell that had held it still for one moment, and things resumed their normal course. Except in the basement, where three people simply sat looking at each other, astounded.

"So." Jubilee stood up and walked over to Jono's CD collection, not looking at either of her teammates. "What else do you guys know how to play?"

Fin??

Song was Everlast's Put Your Lights On