Rising Star: Book 3 of The Orion Series

He Lied

There once was a field

Picture it now

Unaltered and beautiful

Now imagine it stretching forever

Farther than the eye can see

Never eclipsing, never-ending

Perfect, right? The answers seem so easy

Picture it now

Running until you can't anymore

A glass tube curving on itself

Can't get out, no release

Never-ending, forever downward

Perfect, right?

Picture it now

The sun finally sets

Finally finding peace

But all it is is a bog

And a man who drags you down

Forever downward, silent eternity

Perfect, right? 

The answers seem so easy

--The song True Lies, lyrics by Orion Bauwens

Groggily I flutter my eyes open. I don't want to be awake yet. I'm not ready to be awake yet.

Orion stayed way late. I didn't want to be rude, but I would've been content had he left at nine. Instead we stayed up chatting until one in the morning. I'm exhausted.

I can't get back to sleep though. Someone has the radio on while they shower. For a few minutes I toss and turn, even putting my pillow over my head. But the music won't stop, so I get out of bed.

It's almost ten thirty. I yawn and stretch as I hear the shower shut off. The radio is still going. I really have to pee.

As I go to the bathroom that's right around the corner from my room, I realize it's not the radio. Someone is singing. They're singing Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. They're belting it, actually. And as they reach the highest note in the song, whoever is singing nails it like it's nothing. And it cracks me up too because they're singing every part, not just what Freddie Mercury sings.

I'm about to knock on the bathroom door when it flies open. It's Orion. And I don't know who's more startled, me, or him. He yelps, stumbling into the door. I jump back.

He's wearing his clothes from yesterday, but his hair is wet and he's holding a wet towel. Before he can say or do anything, I speak.

"I thought you said you couldn't sing?!"

He blinks at me. "Uh, good morning to you, too." 

He rushes past me. I immediately spin on my heel and follow.

"Orion! That was amazing!"

He doesn't say anything, trying to find his way wordlessly downstairs, making several wrong turns.

"Seriously," I rant, following him, "that was really good! I thought it was the radio at first."

"Where are the God damn stairs..."

"You're like a professional singer dude!"

We're at the stairs and he races downstairs.

"Orion!"