Lynne

Chapter 19

While I wasn't so keen on being separated from everyone else already, I figured we would find them later, and ran with Gumi through the crowd. She took us straight to the middle of the floor. I didn't consider myself much of a dancer, either, but I found it surprisingly easy to jump, step, and sway in time with Gumi. She looked like a pro. She kind of was. It was a slow start, but after a few heart-pounding sogs I was dancing with the same excited energy as her.

The crowd was packed, and Gumi and I had lost ourselves into it. If you had told me that I would spend my entire night surrounded by sweaty twenty-year olds, bumping into them constantly as we danced, and enjoying myself, I would have told you to go fuck yourself. But here I was. I managed to stay near Gumi, which was much more difficult than it sounded as I was pushed and nudged in different directions.

I don't know how long we were in that crowd. It felt like minutes before Gumi pulled me closer, shouting in my face over the music.

"You should do a song!"

"Which one? I don't have any club songs." If I had been in my right mind, I would have outright refused. But I was on the adrenaline high once again. It almost felt like I was supposed to be singing.

"You can do one of Miku's songs. She won't care!"

"Which one?"

Her eyes flashed to the ground, and instantly came back up. "Macaron! The bass will be awesome!"

People continued to bump into us as we talked. "Alright!" I agreed.

She led us through the crowd once more, this time swinging towards the DJ. We stepped up onto his stage, the DJ giving us an initial odd look before recognition swung over him.

"Danny!" Gumi yelled in greeting. "I've got a singer for you!"

Before I knew what was going on, I had a microphone in my hand. There was a bit of extra space next to his station, and I stood there, a grin plastered across my face, and confidence flowing out of me in waves. Gumi gave me the thumbs up before disappearing into the crowd.

A few people noticed my presence on stage, and were giving out cheers. Everyone knew who I was, but I knew none of these people. Not a single one. Even if I could see their faces, I doubted I would recognize a single one.

The unmistakable beat of my song began to blast through the speakers. I opened my mouth at a laugh directed towards nothing in particular. The thrill was coursing through my veins. Being booed or made fun of didn't even cross my mind. There was no trace of nervousness left in me.

I was having fun.

The first verse started, and even more people cheered in my direction when they realized I was singing. My voice rang out through the house nearly as loud as the bass. I wondered if the others heard me, wherever they were in the house. They had to have.

I paid no attention to my dancing. It just happened naturally. I felt in control on the stage, by myself for the first time. Like this was my party, even though it wasn't. I wasn't self-conscious of my dancing, my singing, my poses, nothing. This must be how Gumi feels on stage, I thought, striking a final pose before the melody dropped.

"M, A, C, A, R, O, N, La~"

I jumped, waving my free arm in the arm to the beat. The crowd was pumped. That was my goal, after all. To get people to dance.

The beat dropped, and I laughed again after dropping my arm to my side. My peers were cheering, Gumi was somewhere out there with them. Was she alone? She had to have found someone to dance with.