Jazz Club AU: Reunion
When Uma was a young girl her mother forced her to work at Ursula’s Fish and Chip Shop. Her mother abused her emotionally and physically, even over the most simplest mistakes, Ursula would make sure she was punished.
Uma found a distraction from her tormented reality in the Jazz Club called ‘The Blues’. She related to the sad melodies but found happiness in the smooth and upbeat rhythms. She was often invited on the stage by the band to sing their songs due to being noticed by one of the members. Uma loved spending them at the Jazz club, but she could only come at night, in fear of being caught by her mother (Ursula told her that her voice was her possession and no one else was allowed to hear it).
One night, Uma was singing a slow, dreamy song with the band, when a young boy with thick black eyeliner around his eyes caught her eye. He stared at her with such awe that it shocked her. She hadn’t been given this much attention before so she decided cease it. She held her notes a bit longer, softened her voice and stared back at him. Once the song was finished, she had planned to go up to him but he was dragged away by a very drunk older man (who seemed to be his father by the way he was shouting at him). Maybe he’s trapped in the same reality as her, she thought.
It had been a week and she hadn’t spotted her admirer in the crowd. She had been looking around the room every night to see if he would show up but tonight she finally decided to accept that he wasn’t coming. Uma walked onto the stage and the crowd gave her a loud applause (she was starting to gain popularity among the audience because of her powerful voice). She played a painful melody on the piano, every note echoing across the room. Her voice trembled over the suffocating words about being unloved and isolated. However, little did she know that her admirer was sitting in the room, with his eyes locked on her. Just like before.
‘Come on, Harry. Let’s go. This place is boring!’ his companion begged as he tugged on his shirt.
‘No’ Harry said. And with a disappointed moan his friend left. When Uma finished her song, Harry introduced himself and the two began to talk all night. Uma never felt so vulnerable but yet so comfortable. He began to realize how similar they were, which made his attractions to her grow even more. From that day on, Harry visited to Jazz club regularly to hear her sing and talk. They began to grow closer to one another has the months went on.
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Uma was in her dressing room getting ready for the Jazz concert that was about to start in a few hours. She had finally escaped her mother’s grasps and was adopted by one of the members of the band that she had always saw as a father figure. She was finally free... but she wasn’t completely happy.
Her happiness had been broken into pieces four years ago by the boy who she met in the Jazz club. The boy who some how managed to break down her walls and enter her heart. The boy... who she loved. The memory of him was like a curse that she couldn’t get rid off. The thought of him would always haunt her mind. She could still remember the day he left.
He left nothing but a note saying: ‘I’m sorry’. Uma always thought he was a coward for doing something so selfish as that.
Time had gone past abruptly fast for she was called to go up next on the stage. The crowd roared as walked over to the microphone.
‘This song is for the broken-hearted.’ Uma announced as the crowd cheered. The band began to play a sorrowful melody:
‘And how can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
How can you stop the sun from shining?
What makes the world go round?
How can you mend this broken woman?
How can a loser ever win?
Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again’
While she was singing she spotted a familiar face in the crowd, a young man with icy blue eyes and a devilish smile. Harry Hook. Did he think a broken heart was something to smile about?
When the concert ended, Uma returned to her dressing room, she began wiping the make up off her face. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, which revealed Harry Hook. Uma didn’t turn around to look at him, instead she carried on wiping the make up off her face.
“Surprise!” Harry smiled. Uma couldn’t understand how he expected her to be jumping for joy when he left her 4 years with nothing but a note. She knew he was simple-minded but he wasn’t that stupid to know that she would be anger at him.
“Uma? Didn’t ye here? I’m back-”
“What do you want me to say, Harry? Do you want me to jump up and down like an idiot?” Uma shouted
“I, I just thought that you’d be happy to see me that’s all.” Harry said shyly smiling.
“Happy? Happy? No, Harry, I’m annoyed! I’m annoyed at the fact that it seems like your acting like you didn’t do anything to me four years ago!”
This time she turned around to face him. His eyes filled with water. She found it comical how he was the one crying when he wasn’t the one who was abandoned by the love of his life.
“Uma, I do know. I do, and I said sorry.” Harry said. His voice trembling.
“No, Harry, you didn’t say sorry. You wrote it!” She turned back to the mirror. “ What did you think was going to happen? Did you think you could just show up here after four years, without an explanation and think things would go on as before?”
“No, of course not. But if you’d let me explain-”
“I loved you! You know that right? I let my guarded down, made myself vulnerable and you went and left me all alone!” Uma’s eyes began to swell up. She didn’t want to cry in front of him but the tears flowed. “When my mother was pissed and let her anger out on me, there wasn’t a safe haven for me to go to because you weren’t there!”
Harry began to walk towards her, he just wanted to wipe the tears from her eyes. he hated seeing her cry. If anyone made her cry, he would hook them at the first chance he got. But this was his fault. He put his hand on her shoulder, beckoning her to turn around to face him.
“Don’t touch me!” she said while forcefully shrugging his hand off her shoulder. “Leave me alone.”
Harry moved in between her and the mirror. He lifted Uma’s chin up to face him and wiped her tears with his thumb. She kept her eyes to the floor, his touch made her heart race. She wanted to touch him, to comb his messy hair with her fingers but she urged herself not to.
“Do ye still want me to go?” Harry said while tracing her cheek down to her lips with his thumb. “If ye want me to leave, I will.”
She couldn’t hold it in any longer. Uma stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips. She missed how it felt to kiss him. The way he tugged on her hair gently or the way he let her take control.
She parted from his lips and rested her head on his chest.
“I hate how you make me feel like his.” Uma mumbled into his chest. Harry laughed softly.
“I promise, I will tell you everything. Just give me a chance.”
Editor’s Note: Okay this wan’t meant to happen. It was just meant to be a quick summary of what the AU is about and that’s it! I’m sorry. I know I’m not a good writer and the ended seems rushed (mainly because I was trying not to make it long for you guys) but I hope you enjoyed it! :)
