{Chapter Seven – Conquering Stage Fright}
•Violet Preston•
I took a seat at the table in the far right corner of the cafeteria. I began eating my lunch alone as usual while reading a book. It was too chilly to eat outside in the school's garden.
The chair across from me suddenly screeched very loudly causing me to nearly drop the book in surprise. I looked up to find none other than Grayson in front of me.
"Sorry," he said with a smile as he took a seat across from me. I hadn't seen him since the morning when I ditched him right after we arrived at school. He was bombarded by a million fan girls the moment he got out of my car and I quickly got away before he could follow me around like a little puppy.
"Hi Grayson." Ali popped up out of nowhere and took a seat next to him. "Hey Violet," she grinned at me.
A blonde girl with gray eyes popped up out of nowhere and sat on the other side of Grayson. "Hi, I'm Carly Henderson, Ali's best friend," she introduced herself to me.
"Violet Preston." I nodded at her.
Then she and Ali began chattering away to Grayson as Grayson gave me a pleading look like he was hoping I'd help him. I only smirked at him and watched the three of them in amusement.
"I see you're kind of smiling." Eli took a seat next to me.
"I am not," I scowled, remembering about our little bet. There was no way I was giving my soul to the devil. Who knows what he would make me do if he won.
"I said 'kind of smiling," sweet pea."
"I'd rather you call me Preston."
"Okay then, sweet pea." He wiggled his eyebrows at me as he leaned in closer towards me while I leaned away.
"Hi! I don't think we got to speak to each other the other night," Grayson interrupted us.
Eli reluctantly leaned away from me and turned to Grayson. "Right, you're Mr. Hollywood," he said, looking him up and down like he was analyzing him.
"Weren't you two a little too close to each other considering the fact that your parents are getting married to each other?" Grayson suddenly stated with a funny expression I couldn't quite make out.
"So? Can't future siblings be close?" Eli taunted, pulling me closer to his side. This seemed to annoy Grayson.
"Look dude, I'm just saying-" Grayson started.
"No, I understand what you're trying to say. You don't like me being too close to your little girlfriend," Eli said nonchalantly.
"Girlfriend?!" Ali and Carly snapped their heads in my direction.
"What?!" I exclaimed, not expecting Eli to say such a thing.
"I didn't- she's not-" Grayson looked as shocked as the rest of us.
"I'm not his girlfriend," I objected for him.
"Yeah, you aren't. That's because you're mine," Eli pulled me into his chest.
"What?!" This time Ali, Carly and Grayson exclaimed in disbelief.
I immediately pulled away from him and looked around to find the whole student body watching us now. Were we that loud?
"I'm not your girlfriend," I exclaimed, whacking Eli in the arm.
"Violent as ever I see. You should be called Violent Violet, get it?" Eli joked.
"Stop joking around. Why are you even here?" I demanded.
"Well, I came to see my lovely partner and all I get is a whack in the arm as usual."
"That's because you deserved it!"
"You're partners for what?" Ali asked looking extremely lost along with Carly and Grayson.
"She and I just so happen to be partners for the Winter Concert," Eli explained. "I'd love to stay and chat some more, but I got to go. Later Preston! Meet me in the music room after school." Then he was off, disappearing as fast as he had appeared.
The three of them still at the table looked at me expectantly and I shrugged. What the heck just happened?
School had just ended as I made my way to the music room like Eli had told me to do. I had given my keys to Grayson so he could drive home on his own, but he had refused and offered to wait for me so I had to literally shove him into the driver's seat and send him off.
"You're late," Eli said as I entered the music room.
"It's only been a couple minutes after the bell rang," I simply replied. "Why do we have to practice now? We have a month to prepare."
"I never thought you would be a procrastinator."
"Well, I never knew you even bothered with school."
"Touché," Eli replied. "So we have to pick a song. What song do you want to perform?"
"I don't know," I shrugged.
"Okay, just sing for me and we'll see," Eli said.
"I can't."
"Just sing anything."
I shook my head.
"Sing," he insisted.
"Why don't you sing?"
"Well, I'm not a vocalist, I play instruments, but if you really want me to sing, I will," he announced.
Eli started strumming his guitar and singing to Bruno Mars' Billionaire. His voice was so deep, rich and smooth that everything word he sang just flowed out of his mouth with ease. After he was done and looked at me expectantly.
"I didn't know you could sing," I commented, quite amazed.
"I prefer the guitar more than singing," he shrugged like it was no big deal. "So are you going to sing?"
I looked down on the ground. I guess it was only fair if I sang after he did so I began to sing in a low voice.
"I can't really hear you," Eli commented and I stopped singing.
"Um, you see, I kind of can't sing in front of other people," I admitted. I didn't know why, I just couldn't. When I was at home, I could sing so loud and clear, but when I had to sing in front of someone other than myself, I just couldn't.
"Stage fright?" He asked and I nodded slightly embarrassed. "Then let's go."
"Go where?" I asked confused. "Aren't we practicing?"
"Well, we can't practice if one of us can't even sing out loud in front of an audience," Eli said, grabbing my hand and dragging me out of the school building to who knows where.
We arrived in front of the Lexington Café which was right outside of the school walls and owned by none other than Vanessa Lexington's family. It was the place students usually hung out before and after school. It was also enemy territory for me. I never dared go in there because I knew Isabelle and her groupie hung around in there a lot.
"What are we doing here?" I exclaimed as Eli dragged me closer and closer to the café.
"We're going to get rid of your stage fright," he announced proudly.
"I can't go in there," I pleaded, trying to pull my hand out of his which resulted in him gripping my hand even tighter. What would people think if they saw us hand in hand?
Next thing I knew, we were in the café and all eyes were on us as Eli dragged me onto the little stage in the café. I didn't miss the glares shot by Vanessa and the confused look on Isabelle's face.
Eli grabbed the microphone with his free hand and still holding my mind with the other, he announced to the whole café, "Violet Preston is going to be singing this afternoon."
I was about to whack him in the arm when Eli whispered, "You don't want to hit me in front of all these people, they'll probably think you're violent or something which you are."
I sighed and stopped myself. "I'm not singing in front of all these people," I hissed into his ear so no one else could hear. The café was jammed pack.
"Don't worry sweet pea, you'll do great." He patted the top of my head before he handed me the microphone and began to walk off the stage.
"Wait, please don't leave me," I called to him and he came back.
"What's wrong?" He looked worried for once in his life.
"I'm scared," I blurted out without thinking. I just wanted the ground to swallow me up then and there.
"Okay then. I'll stay with you," he said as he put both of his hands on my shoulders. "Close your eyes. Pretend there's nobody in the audience and it's only you standing here on the stage," he instructed and I closed my eyes and followed his instructions. "Now sing your heart out."
Then I began to sing out loud, loud and clear like how I would alone and at home. Once I felt comfortable, I fluttered my eyes open and immediately saw the crowd, but my voice didn't flatter. My heart was rapidly beating and there was adrenaline rushing through my veins as I sung. I couldn't believe it. I was singing in front of an audience and for the first time ever, I wasn't scared.