The Joiners pt 10.

by
Angharad

Carrie thanked Diana for her makeover and Diana gave a short hug telling her to knock 'em dead that evening, Carrie replied she'd do her best.

Back at home, they had a light supper, just a sandwich, so she didn't feel weighed down with food. She felt more sick than weighed down but let Tara help her get dressed into the nice dress she was wearing, the stuck-on breast forms making it look much better than before and together with the makeup and the clip hair extensions, she looked so different that she wasn't sure who she was anymore.

Part of her felt good because it would make it harder to identify her and she also looked a few years older, but that could mean older boys or men hitting on her and that wasn't something she wanted to happen and she hoped the older girls would help her and besides her mum would be there.

After she'd finished dressing, she checked her makeup and finally sprayed some of her perfume on her throat and then misted some and walked into it. "Where did you learn to do that?" asked Tara, who she'd forgotten was with her, she was thinking fully about the contest and feeling quite sick again.

"Diana asked me if I had some perfume and told me how to apply it."

"Crikey, Carrie, you get more like a proper girl each day," it was out of her mouth before Tara thought about what she'd said and how Carrie might react to it. The latest about what the doctor had said tended to suggest she actually might be a girl or something in between and not a boy at all. If that was the case and the way she had said she didn't want to be a boy anymore, then she could get upset and then they'd have no chance of winning the competition.

While the girls were thinking about this, others were thinking about the competition with even baser motives. The manager of the hotel was smiling to himself and pleased that some talent would possibly appear that evening, such as the kid who came and reconnoitred the place and sang the Carpenter's songs, what was her name, something like Carpenter, the occupation rather than word? Oh yes, Joiner, that was her name. If she sang as well tonight, they might be able to convince her to sign a contract and make some money from her because kids like her were usually star-struck and ripe for exploitation. If she didn't turn up, oh well, there'd usually be another one who had more talent than acumen as well as all the timewasters. The rules of the competition had specified that the competitors had to have applied by a form at least twenty four hours before the competition date. He counted them up beforehand, they had ten entrants so not too many to clog up the evening and as long as there were two or three who could actually sing, it would keep the punters happy.

The whole point had been to discover some local talent that could be exploited to freshen up the weekend entertainments and thus bring in the punters who'd buy drinks and possibly the odd meal and thus pay off his debts and bring forth profits, not of the biblical sort.

Back at the Carpenters' house, Carrie was now ready, wearing her new coat and carrying the bag Diana had given her, Tara, amazingly, was also ready and they were both waiting for their mother. They'd agreed to meet Colm and Macey down at the hotel and were making small talk until Penny arrived and pulled on her coat and they went out to the car. Carrie's butterflies were approaching king condor size and she felt quite sick. Noticing, Penny told her to take slow, deep breaths and to try and relax, she would be fine.

About the time they arrived at the hotel, Rob came home and saw the note on the fridge. 'Carrie made you some cottage pie love, Penny.' He looked in the fridge and noticed it was just a portion and as there were no dead bodies lying around, he assumed it was safe to eat. He popped it in the microwave for a few minutes while he washed his hands and face. He remembered they were all at the karaoke thing.

He sat and ate the cottage pie which was really good and he enjoyed it, blushing when he thought about his doubts about its edibility before. He'd only been surprised because Tara did as little as possible in the kitchen, which he attributed to both he and Penny not trying to encourage her to acquire some life skills beyond using social media and flirting. Mind you she was a very pretty girl and rather frighteningly, so was Carrie. He did worry about her. Glancing at his watch, he wondered what time she'd be performing - then ran upstairs, called a cab and changed while it was coming to collect him. He arrived just as the competition was starting and Penny and all the others were astonished to see him, however, she decided it wasn't the time to ask why the change of heart. Carrie was delighted to see her dad and after giving him a huge hug, felt much more confident - whatever happened, he'd protect her.

They thought they'd drawn lots for the singing order but Jack, the hotel manager, who was also MC decided that from the choice of songs, the ones that knew what they were doing would be interspersed with those who probably had very little idea. He'd also seen one or two before and they were quite seasoned performers. At first, he didn't recognise Carrie, she looked so polished and poised compared to the young woman who'd visited the room days before, but he recognised the other three who were with her. Good, he'd put her on last after two other girls and a bloke who could actually sing a bit. His friend, the theatrical agent, was sitting to the side sipping his G&T and waiting to see who was who and what they could do.

Why do they always sing My Way, Sinatra's theme song? It was so hard to sing properly but there was always one, probably the least capable who was going to make a complete fool of himself in front of dozens of people. Jack looked around, the tables he'd put around the ballroom were filling up. It could be a better night than he anticipated, the little girl with the amazing voice was sitting with her dad and they were talking.

"Daddy, I wasn't expecting you, but it's brill to see you here."

"Well, after you so kindly cooked my dinner, how could I not come and tell you how much I enjoyed it."

Carrie blushed, "I'm glad you enjoyed it and thanks for coming, it means a lot to me." He hugged her and she had great difficulty not messing up her eye makeup. She took some deep breaths and relaxed.

The first singer was a boy who effectively destroyed the Sinatra classic as Jack had predicted to himself. Next was a woman whose contralto voice was in parts very good but every now and again it went squeaky or cracked as she gave a rendition of a Cliff Richard song. And so the evening progressed until the last man sang beautifully, 'From Russia with love,' Carrie waited in the wings while Sharon, the woman in front of her did a very good version of 'I am a woman in love'. She had a very powerful voice, though once or twice she missed a few of the higher notes, but only a singer or other musician would notice, Carrie was one of them as was Jack's friend Maurice, who was also the judge for the night.

Sharon finished to loud applause, she was obviously very popular and had done this before. Carrie stumbled onto the stage in a bit of a dream. It was too late to be worried now, the executioner awaited, or it felt like that.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our last singer tells me she's never done this before, so please be gentle with her. I've heard her sing before and she is very good, please welcome, Miss Carrie Joiner."

The light came up on the machine and she waited nervously for the music to start and for her entry. "We've only just begun..." Maurice, the judge swallowed hard on his drink, if he closed his eyes, it could have been Karen Carpenter singing, amazing in someone so young, what was she sixteen or seventeen? but boy, she was a natural, except for the nerves, which were excusable. He'd certainly listen to what else she was going to sing and try and get her to sign on the dotted line.

The applause for Carrie was equally loud as with Sharon or the other performers, the audience was in a good mood. Maurice had prepared reports for all the singers, including the three who would progress to stage two.

He gently dismissed the lesser talents exhorting them to practice and to listen to how professional singers performed the songs and to copy them until they could improvise with their own versions, anyone can sing, but to sing well takes practice and, he didn't add, some talent. The three finalists were surprisingly two men and Carrie, who was excited to have got through the first round. Sharon stomped off in a sulk after failing to qualify and several tables of people emptied following her. They weren't empty for long.

Carrie wasn't really paying much attention to what the others were doing, their songs had been listed with the application form, so no one would repeat or copy someone else's choice, That had been one of Jack's big worries, them all singing the same song. After a fifteen-minute break, the first man sang Lennon and McCartney's Yesterday another standard from the karaoke circuit and his tenor voice carried it off very well. Carrie began to think he was likely to win. She took to the stage again, the rose between two thorns, as Jack described her. This time she sang 'Goodbye to love,' and the applause was rapturous again, the audience were so generous she thought as she'd sung it better at home. The other man sang Tom Jones' Delilah another karaoke standard and the audience liked it.

The three had to sing again and then the judge would give his pronouncement, 'with my luck that will probably be a life sentence,' thought Carrie unknowing what he was thinking and had he spotted all the mistakes she was sure she'd made.

They sang in the same order and this time, the first man sang a Neil Diamond classic to thunderous applause, Carrie was now sure he'd win it because he deserved to, he was good. Carrie sang the more upbeat song, 'Close to you,' and thought she did reasonably well but she thought at best she could only come second. The final singer let rip with 'Bridge over troubled water,' however, he didn't quite have Art Garfunkel's range and lost it on the higher notes. However, the audience clapped and whistled, so he was another local favourite.

The three waited for more of Maurice's opinions and scores. He said he liked them all and it was very difficult to decide, he then pointed out the mistakes they'd made and they all nodded in acknowledgement. "However, mistakes don't win competitions but they can lose them." He then awarded the final singer the third prize of twenty-five pounds.

'Oh well, I've won fifty quid,' thought Carrie not really listening to what Maurice was saying, so she nearly missed him awarding the fifty pounds to the other man. She was away in a little world of her own which was embarrassing as she was standing on the stage by herself as Maurice walked over to her and put his arm around her shoulder.

"It's unusual for a schoolgirl to beat two such mature performers but she has, she has so much natural talent and like the original singer of her chosen songs, she makes it seem so easy. I hope she has another one for an encore, because tonight's winner, ladies and gentlemen, is Carrie Joiner. He hugged her and left her standing on stage wondering what had just happened as the audience clapped and shouted, 'Encore.' Tara ran up and hugged her and got her a drink while she tried to think what else she could sing. Getting her thoughts under control once again she asked Jack if they had, 'Yesterday once more,' on the machine and he nodded, she nodded back. He held up his hands to quieten the audience and they became as silent as the grave, which was almost as unnerving as them being noisy.

"Carrie is going to sing another Karen Carpenter standard, 'Yesterday once more,' so give a big hand to Carrie Joiner, tonight's winner.

They clapped and shouted again and once the noise stopped and the music began, "When I was young I listened to the radio..." she closed her eyes and concentrated on singing it like Karen would have done and she almost felt her urging her on as she gave it everything. As she finished she felt the audience sending her their good wishes and she ended to rapturous applause.

"Tonight's winner, Carrie Joiner who I'm sure will be here again to entertain us with her fabulous talent, ladies and gentlemen, Carrie Joiner." He waited for the applause to end before adding, "That's it for tonight, folks, the bars are still open for another hour, so please enjoy yourselves."

With his arm around the shell shocked teen he walked her off the stage and she almost ran to hug her mother and father, who were effusive with their praise and even more so with their hugs. "I'm so glad you came, Daddy," she said to Rob who replied that he was too.

Maurice, who'd been circling like a shark, wandered up to the 'Joiner' family, "Your daughter has a real talent, it needs to be protected as she could have a real future in the music industry."

"Really?" said Rob though his sarcasm was lost on Maurice who had thicker skin than an elephant.

"Yes, she really needs an agent."

"Really?" said Rob again and once more it washed off Maurice's back like a duck.

"I could offer very good rates," he offered Rob his card, "she needs someone to develop her talent and to watch out for her, there are a load of sharks out there who look to exploit youngsters like her."

"You would know better than I." Rob again saw his wit wasted on the man, presumably he'd had more rebuffs than a first time author. "You realise she's only fourteen?" Rob added and this time Maurice took note.

"Oh, she can only perform so many hours while she's a child," he said seeing the pound signs dropping.

"With parental consent," said Rob, his arm around his younger daughter.

"Quite," said Maurice, "but I'd still like to see what I could do to nurture such a precocious talent."

"Nurture, is how we see her immediate future, she's studying music under a private coach," said Rob unsure if it was true or not.

"Is that a singing coach?" asked Maurice.

"No," said Carrie interrupting the adults, "I'm learning piano, guitar and drums."

"Drums?" gasped Maurice, not only does sing like Karen but she also plays the drums, surely that has to be an omen, like Karen reincarnated.

"Me an' my friends were thinking of putting together a Carpenters tribute band," Carrie was walking right into his parlour, as in spider and fly.

"Oh really, I think I could help with that, let me get back to you, Mr Joiner," he addressed Rob, "if you could give me a contact address?"

"I'd like to discuss this with the family first, but I'll get back to you, come on, girls, let's get home," with that, he gathered his family together and led them out towards the car.