A/N: So I've noticed that this story has been dragging a bit and I'm sorry for that! I'll try to get to the..."action" faster :)
"For a boring festival, they have some pretty awesome food. Is that all you're eating?"
I snapped out of my thoughts to look up at Vance. Woah, how does that guy manage to eat so...healthy? I guess it makes sense. I mean, he is an athlete after all. No wonder he has abs...wait - when did I become such a creep? I shook my head to clear my thoughts.
"I don't really feel like eating." Honestly speaking, I never ate much.
After what happened last night, I just couldn't stop thinking about Vance. What if I'm wrong? What if he's actually not okay? Why did I even care that much?
"Hey, um...Vance...about last night..." If looks could kill, Vance's death glare would've killed me in no time.
"It's not what you think!" I protested.
"Then what is it?" He growled.
"I was doing some research and you know how you...kind of need to light things on fire..."
"Shut up!" He quickly scanned our surroundings with a panicked look on his face.
I lowered my voice. "So I Googled about that and I think it might be pyromania."
"What the hell are you talking about?" He hissed.
"Well, pyromania is an impulse disorder and the symptoms include an obsessive desire to set things on fire..."
"Come on Zaavan, you sound like a dictionary. Besides, you shouldn't use the internet to diagnose people, it's dangerous."
"I know but it sounds exactly like you. I was just thinking that maybe you should get that checked out. You know, get some help..."
"How many times do I have to tell you to stop? Please Zaavan, aunt Lucy has already ruined my life. I just want to spend one day without thinking about her." He gave me a pleading look.
Maybe I should've pressed him some more, but the moment he gave me that look, all I could think of was how I didn't want to lose him. I didn't know what I'd do if he hated me, so I nodded and just changed the topic.
"Hey - update from Ariadne. Katja managed to get their performance moved to an earlier time. They're going to perform soon. We should go." We finished our lunch and made our way backstage.
"I need to go to the washroom!!!" cried Kennedy as we walked in.
"I'll go with you so you don't get lost," winked Kolton.
Kennedy raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure I can handle it."
"Oh, well I need to go too...so yeah?"
Kennedy shook her head. "Fine. Whatever." She turned on her heels and walked out. Kolton rushed to catch up to her.
"Ummm, Ariadne, don't you think Kolton's getting a bit too...cosy with Kennedy?" asked Katja.
Ariadne snorted. "Don't worry, I know he's cheating on me. I saw him kissing Kennedy the other day by the pool. I'll break up with him. I'm just waiting for the right moment because if I go out, I'm going out with a bang. Screw being the better person - revenge is so much more satisfying."
I glanced over my shoulder and saw Vance talking to Dashiell. I shook my head. "Well that's Kolton for ya. Your classic asshole."
Katja sighed. "I know. If he actually loved Ariadne and was a faithful guy, then he wouldn't have cheated on her no matter what."
"Yeah. If someone loves you, no one can steal them from you. If they really care about you, then they wouldn't leave you in the first place."
Kolton was a complete asshole. How was I ever friends with him? That made me wonder, was I like that too? No way. I'm not a total jerk. At least, I don't think I am.
"Where are The Fireflies?" We all turned our attention to the tall bearded Sikh man who was dressed in a professional suit and wearing a turban.
"Right here!" waved Katja.
"Great! Thank you all for coming. I'm Harjot Singh, the stage manager of this event. You guys are up now. Good luck!"
"Thanks! C'mon guys, let's go!" With that, "The Fireflies" got on stage.
"Benji, I told you, don't worry. I've got this whole video thing covered, now go! They need you!" said Kennedy.
Benji got on stage and took his place behind the electrical keyboard. With Dashiell as their DJ, Kolton on drums, Ariadne on bass guitar and Katja on lead guitar and vocals, they began to play.
I was impressed but not surprised. After all, Katja was practically perfect at everything. I smiled. When she sang Bette Davis Eyes, I couldn't help but feel proud of her.
Song: Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Karnes
"Wow. They're pretty awesome," said Vance. He turned to me and smiled. I grinned back. Is it weird to say that Vance just had the most contagious smile?
"Oh no, this is bad. This is very bad."
"What's wrong Mr. Singh?" asked Vance.
"The group that was supposed to be performing next never showed up. That's the fifth group we've lost so far. That is way too many. I need a replacement and I need it now!"
Now I'm not Albert Einstein, but even I should've seen what was coming next.
Mr. Singh turned towards me and Vance with a huge grin on his face.
"No." I deadpanned.
"Please, we need at least one more performance!"
"Then you'll just have to find someone else."
"You know what, maybe we should do it."
I turned towards Vance with a horrified look on my face. "NO!"
"Great! You boys can sing the song that the other group was supposed to perform!"
"I can't sing."
"Well neither can I but it'll be fun."
"Did you hit your head or something? This is insane. We didn't even practice."
"You both can practice right now."
"YOLO am I right?"
"No you're not right."
"Come on Zaavan, what have you got to lose?" My pride, my dignity, my reputation, my sanity...should I continue?
I should've said no at any cost, but for some reason, the second I looked at Vance's face, I just couldn't. He looked really excited and I just couldn't let him down. I mean, he deserves to be happy after everything that his freaking aunt does to him.
"Okay, fine." With that, we got busy preparing for our performance. We only had a couple of minutes, but we managed to put together a decent duet.
"Okay, are you boys ready?" asked Mr. Singh.
"Yes Sir." Vance looked over at me. I didn't even realize that I was so nervous I was actually shaking.
"Hey." Vance put a hand on my shoulder. I flinched at his touch. "It'll be fine. Just relax and have fun. Besides, if we screw up completely, we probably won't see any of these people ever again, so don't worry." He gave me a reassuring smile which was enough to calm my nerves. The weird thing though, was that even though I wasn't stressing anymore, I could feel my heart pounding faster. I guess it was just an adrenaline rush before the performance. Anyways, I nodded and we both stepped on stage.
"And now, introducing Vance Dallas and Zaavan Fleetwood!"
Song: Like Magic by JRDN
The crowd cheered as the song started to play. Vance started us off by singing the first 4 verses.
"The sky never been so blue
The grass never looked so green and I
I wanna give my all to you
Cause I never felt this feeling in my life"
Of course. I shouldn't have expected any less of Vance. He had the most amazing voice I had ever heard. He hit every single note perfectly and never missed a beat. On stage, I could see the Vance Dallas that everyone else did. His green eyes were sparkling and his cheeks were slightly flushed. But his smile, it was everything. The only thing brighter than the stage lights was his perfect smile, which I swear lit up the whole room. I know, that's a really weird thing to say.
I took a deep breath and sang the next four verses and we sang the chorus together. We split off and then synced once again.
"Something sexy bout the way you smile
It pulls me in and I just don't know how
I'm hypnotized I'm under your spell
Baby I'm not going anywhere"
At that moment, everything felt just right. Being here on stage with Vance, everything was for once in my life perfect. I never wanted to lose him. He was the best friend I've never had. But what can I say. All good things come to an end, don't they?
The song finished and I swear my face was about to split in half from smiling so much. I don't think I've ever smiled that much in my life before. Vance slapped me on the back and grinned. "I thought you said you couldn't sing?"
"I can't."
"Come on Zaavan, you were-"
"VANCE!!!" My smile faded as I turned my head to face an excited Kennedy.
"Vance, you were amazing!" She shoved me aside and hugged Vance tightly. I could feel the anger rising inside of me. What the hell was her problem?! Vance gave me an apologetic look.
"Vance, that song, it just reminded me of the first time we met...and it just made me think of all the good times we had together...and I was thinking..." No way. Was she being serious right now?
"I don't think we should let a silly fight get in the way of us, right? We have something special and we can't lose that. I see that and I forgive you. So what do you say? Let's get back together?" I looked at Vance. He's a smart guy, he would never say yes, right? RIGHT?
Vance hesitated for a bit. "Ummm...Kennedy..." She looked at him and pouted, giving him puppy dog eyes. Blech, there was no way Vance would fall for that...
"Okay, sure." My mouth fell open. WHAT?! He's actually taking her back? After everything? I didn't know why, but at that moment, my heart sank and I just felt drained. Why did I care so much? Just because they're dating again, that won't change the fact that Vance and I are still friends. It shouldn't even matter, it doesn't change anything.
But I did care. I cared a lot. And it did matter. More than it should've. For some weird reason, it felt like I was losing everything that mattered to me. I had no idea why.
A/N: Question: It might be too early to ask this, but who is/are your favorite character(s)? Let me know in the comments I'm curious.