Overrated | The Voice France / MIKA & OC

4.4 - Live 1. Busted! Part 2

Reveal your most dangerous secret by accident - check.

Although I don't think it's an accident. Anything but an accident.

I look at my teammates and I don't see friends anymore.

- I'm waiting, - Emily repeats, - Why the hell you have Mika's number and why do you meet him without anyone knowing about it?

- It's against the rules of the show, - remarks Lucas.

I feel like I'm on an interrogation. These heavy looks, these short, but deadly-sharp words, this pressure...

I'm not even worried now, I'm scared. I recognise this shiver, this adrenaline, spilling in stomach like melted iron. I hoped that things like this won't happen to me again.

I can't lie. I just can't. Lie will just make everything worse. I have nothing else to do than confess.

But then, a sudden thought hits me - but it was not me who started it all, it was Mika. What will they-I don't even know who exactly-do to him if they find out, as it's against the rules? If I tell Emily and everyone here about it now, I will betray Mika.

So I do the only thing that's left - I run away.

- Hey, where are you... - I hear from behind. I rush past confused Gaspard, out, on the streets, and run until my knee hurts so much I have to stop, afraid to fall.

And of course, I'm lost. But this time I'm kinda glad about it.

I make sure no one is following me and find a bus station. There I rest my wounded limb and think over what happened.

It seemed like a planned move. The way Lucas grabbed me, the way Karen looked at Emily before calling...

And now what? I ran away, did that automatically mean I'm guilty or the real conversation is still coming?

And what's most important - should I tell Mika about it? Or should I try to talk to Emily before and try to solve the problem without him worrying? He doesn't have time for nonsense like this.

I hide my face in my hands and try to forget everything. Too much questions, I need to calm down first. Why, karma, why? What did I do to deserve this?

- ...A fatal mistake - showing up in a photo with Mika, - suddenly I hear the voice above me, making me jump up. The Wizard, dammit. Always popping up from nowhere.

- You too, Brute? - I sigh.

- No, I'm actually in the same boat as you.

I look up at him, surprised. Yeah, Gaspard doesn't look angry or anything. He looks just... Exhausted.

- With a trauma like this you run quite fast, - he says and sits next to me, - I've heard what you guys were talking about there. Didn't want to get into trouble, but I needed to talk to you. The thing is, Mika offered me extra coaching too. You must have heard him saying that we're alike, and it's not just words.

Oh, so I'm not as special as I imagined myself. Should I be disappointed or relieved?

- So you meet Mika?

- Yep, I've been in touch with him for a week. He contacted me himself.

- And you're not afraid that someone finds out?

- I'm a lone wolf, - he shrugs, - I always disappear and nobody knows where I am.

Won't work for me, I guess.

- So where did I screw up? - I ask.

- At the part where you made all the France know that there's something between you and Mika. He always seemed too interested in you. And then, you appear in the photo with Mika. In Cannes, a few months ago.

Oh, crap. I tried to stay away from cameras, but, I guess, I failed.

- How did you know about all this?

He pulls out his phone, opens Twitter and types in "#Mikalice". And Holy Mother, there's a couple of hundreds of posts about Mika and me!

- It's everywhere in the Web, see. Instagram and Tumblr is even worse, not telling about fanfiction and gossip sites. It was a question of time before a fan like Emily puts all the things together.

I need a can of soda, like, right now.

- Lucas and Karen seemed to know about it as well, - next thing I remember.

- Yeah, and they're jerks, by the way. That was kinda humiliating. She could have told them, I don't know. I honestly tried to stay away from this.

- So what do I do?

This time Wizard shrugs.

- I really want to help you, Alice, but I've told you all I know. You decide.

I look at my phone. I can call Mika right now and tell him to cancel everything. But... I've dreamt about these things since I was a kid...

- Why do you help me anyway? - I ask Gaspard. This question seems to be my favourite. He shrugs again.

- Does it really matter? - and he is right. I keep silence and scroll through contacts. Here he is, Mister Brown.

- I'll tell him tomorrow, - I decide, - We need to finish the work. I have no idea what to do without him. One last time, and we're done.

Gaspard doesn't seem to like my decision, but all he says is:

- As you wish. Just make sure it doesn't get worse.

***

The rest of the day goes on in tension. Emily doesn't talk to me, neither do Karen, Lucas (although I keep catching his looks on me), even Gas. I feel like a criminal waiting for a verdict. If I could go somewhere else, I wouldn't be stuck in the studio.

Furthermore, I do feel guilty. It hurts me to think that Emily is betrayed like this. I should have predicted that someone may find out, especially a fan like me and like her. I mean, if I was in her place, I would be heartbroken now - the only person that supported me through my hard times preceded me to someone else, it's even painful to think!

It's not right. No one should go through this, no matter how insignificant it all seems. I don't deserve more, I shouldn't take something from others.

Too much "don't" and "shouldn't".  No more self-digging. I need to take action.

Moved by a sudden impulse, I get up from my bed, leave my room and knock on Emily's door.

- One meeting, - I blurt out as soon as she comes out, - I had only one meeting. I will stop seeing Mika and delete his number tomorrow. Just please, don't tell anyone. Not for me, for Mika. I don't want him to have problems because of this.

For several seconds Emily just looks at me. I can't read her expression, but it doesn't seem like anger.

- Why are you so special? - she utters quietly, - Why do you keep getting all attention?

I don't know what to say. But Amelie doesn't need my reply.

- I guess you are special, - she says then, and looks back into my eyes. No, it's not anger anymore. It's just... Frustration.

- If Mika thinks you deserve extra time with him... - Emily sighs, - Who we are to doubt his decisions.

Giving me last sad grin, she disappears behind the closed door, leaving me confused. For the second time.