C.J. never really fit in anywhere except in his high school choir. He almost always kept to himself; if he wasn't singing alone in one of the practice rooms, he was talking to Mrs. Blanca, his choir director, about upcoming competitions or sight-reading. C.J. never had any trouble in school, but his home-life was another story. His dad was always at a bar grieving the fact that C.J. had come out as gay five months ago. With their dad gone, his older brother David was in charge of the house. David was an eighteen-year-old football player whose hobbies included attending church and making sure C.J. suffered every day of his existence. David would post a to-do list for C.J. on the refrigerator everyday, declaring his daily torture. His tasks ranged from doing the dishes to pulling every single weed out of the yard.

"Alright, that was an amazing rehearsal ya'll! Remember, All Region is next week, so bring your A-game," Mrs. Blanca squeals in her sing-songy voice as the bell rings.

The bell rings cueing C.J. to leave his holy grail and to trudge to his next class, where he suffers in silence. After the school day ends C.J. runs to the choir room to rehearse his music. He decides to focus on his latin piece, "O Magnum Mysterium". He started to get lost in the music and it's beautiful melodies when he heard a knock at the door. C.J. quickly slammed his laptop closed, turned off the rehearsal track, and bolted out through the other door.
"Hello? Hellooooo? Who's in there? You sound amazing" called a familiar voice.
  C.J. peered through the open door to see one of the cutest boys in his choir, Elliot standing in the doorway, holding a half eaten bagel and his choir binder. Elliot was tall, dark, and handsome. He had a classic elegance to his features, like something you'd see in a movie from the fifties. He had piercing green eyes, short, and well-groomed brown hair, and a jawline so sharp it could cut glass. Along with being gifted in the looks department, Elliot was also kind to everyone he met. He seemed to always greet everyone with a genuine, perfect smile. He was all C.J. could ever ask for in a boyfriend and more. Where Elliot excelled, C.J. seemed to lack; Elliot was near perfection, and C.J. was just... C.J. Elliot could never love anyone like him.

"Hello? You can't just ignore me. I love your voice! I'd love to sing with you," Elliot called into the silent practice room.

Oh god! He heard me singing. Oh no, oh no, oh no! C.J. screamed in his head. But wait, he did say I sounded "amazing"... C.J. considered revealing himself as the "amazing" singer Elliot heard, but then decided it would be best if he just ran for the hills and pretended like nothing happened.

Later that night, C.J. sat up in bed wondering what would've happened had he stayed and talked to Elliot. Would they have anything in common? Would Elliot have even liked him? Could there ever be anything between them? C.J. wondered until he dozed off into a dreamless slumber.

"WAKE UP," shouted David from the hallway, "You've got plenty of chores to do today, so no sleeping in!"
"But I have All Region auditions today! I can't miss it," C.J. replied, half asleep.
"I don't care. Dad is still passed out drunk somewhere, and I'm still in charge. You're NOT going!" David bellowed with such a rude tone C.J. completely woke up.
"But- But-" C.J. sputtered.
"No means no, you little fairy," David sneered.

C.J. flinched at the word fairy. C.J. started to sob as he pulled his covers over his head. He spotted his choir music laying next to him under his comforter. No, he thought, I'm going to go, and there's nothing David can do about it. With new found courage from his music, C.J. quickly got dressed and ran for the door grabbing his dad's spare keys to the old Mustang. He roared down road after road, heading towards the school. When he got there he grabbed his sheet music from the passenger seat, and headed towards the bus where everyone was waiting to go. C.J. took his seat near the front by Mrs. Blanca, where Elliot just so happened to be sitting behind him. C.J. couldn't help but to overhear Elliot's conversation.

"Yeah, I swear whoever I heard yesterday had the most angelic voice I have ever heard! I need to find out who it was! If I do, I'm going to ask him out right then and there. I love a guy who can actually sing. I am going to find out who this mystery singer is," Elliot chirped. He had an extra burst of pep with every sentence he spoke.

C.J. could feel his face turning red as Elliot purred on, and on, and on about this "mystery singer" singing.  After several hours of waiting, C.J.'s number is called. Just as C.J. lined up with the other Tenor two's, Elliot walks up behind him.

"Hey C.J.! I guess I'm going after you," Elliot smiled and winked. He actually knows my name?! C.J. spat ecstatically in his mind.
"Yep," C.J. replied, barely managing to get the one-syllable word out.

C.J. confidently steps into the audition room and sets his music onto the stand provided for him. He then recites his music almost flawlessly and is then told "Thank you" before he leaves the room. When he exits the doorway he is confronted by Elliot. Elliot stares at C.J., now Elliot is the one who can barely speak.

"I- I heard your audition through the door... It's you. You were the one I heard singing. You are the angelic voice I heard," Elliot spoke carefully, taking time with each word.
"Yeah, I guess you did hear me singin-" C.J. was cut off by a rather abrupt kiss from Elliot. The world fell away and all there was were C.J. and Elliot, with their lips interlocked.  They stood there like that, smiling at each other for what seemed like a lifetime, while everyone cheered.

Epilogue
On the bus ride back, C.J. tells Elliot everything that his brother puts him through, and about his drunken mess of a dad. Elliot then insists on C.J. living with him and his accepting parents. C.J. happily agrees to this arrangement and gives Elliot a quick peck on the cheek.

With C.J. living with Elliot, David is stuck doing all the housework and taking care of their father (which is NOT an easy task).

Four years later, C.J. and Elliot get married, where they both sang themselves to old age. They lived their lives together, and with love.
And they all lived happily ever after.