Lingering Melody

The guy with the lip ring winks at me that send a light blush in my cheeks, and then he complies. Sebastian takes his arm away from mine and gets on one knee. I step back in confusion and wariness as the crowd gasps. “Nah, I’m not asking for marriage,” Sebastian grins. “But it’s a big deal to us. Shy, will you join our tour?”

My mouth opens in surprise and I stare out into the crowd, looking for Webster. I blame him, and wholly him. I take the microphone and hesitate for a minute. “You sure trapped me on purpose, didn’t you?” I ask nervously but with enough jest so they know I’m teasing and the crowd laughs again. I wear a small smile to match them.

Sebastian gets up. “Obviously,” he responds.

I lick my lips nervously and still I haven’t looked him in the eyes and I turn to the crowd. “That’s what I thought. Today, I was told I was being taken to some concert. Here I am tonight, being asked to travel with the newest and most hip of boy bands of today.” I pause. “I can’t really say no, can I?” the crowd goes wild. “I guess that’s my answer,” I shrug shyly and hand the microphone over and begin to walk away.

“Don’t you wish you could walk away,” comes the drummer’s musical voice. I look over my shoulder, confused. He was talking to me? Sebastian chuckles and gives the crowd a sly glance. “One more surprise of the night! Again, our people found her people who worked with some more people and within a few magical days, they arranged a piece for us, putting one of her songs more into a beat we can work with. Now who wants to hear her sing?”
I’m going pink and I walk to him quickly. I have to tell him… “No, no, I never sing at other concerts; it’s taking away from the other performers and I really dislike doing that to them,” I talk to him, trying not to let it overheard to the crowd.

“Awww, she’s concerned for us!” calls a voice. Brac. My knowledge says he’s the youngest of the group and he plays the keyboard. “But really, my friend,” he grins impishly, “you’d better grab the microphone and get ready to rumble!”

I’m handed the microphone again. The drums began a small beat and the keyboard joins in seconds. Slowly they build up the momentum and I realize it’s a fast beat of one of my first songs. ‘Dare to Breathe.’ I feel eyes on my neck and I glance to see the drummer looking at me intently, not once glancing at his drums. But he looks down and I turn back to the crowd.

I’m still hesitant so Sebastian begins it. “Walking on the clouds of yesterday, trying to grasp the air of tomorrow before it flies away…” The first verse finishes and he looks at me.

The beat is in my blood now and everyone is clapping to it. I lift the microphone close to my mouth. It’s strange, finally holding it, because I’ve always had the piano with me. But Webster always said I needed to learn this soon. “You should be right with me because it’s possible to get lost on this path to the sky…”

Before I know it, the chorus is there. “It’s my time to live, cause I dare to breathe. You can’t stop my blood pumping, my heart anticipating, my fingers shaking, my mind is flying higher than my soul…”

And the last words are there. I’ve crossed the stage and Sebastian grabs my fingers, keeping me close for the last lines. “It’s our only chance, we can’t lose. Let’s dare to dance, we must choose. Dare to breathe, or else we fall. Else we, else we, else we fall.”

I find I really enjoy the remix and I’m going to have to ask them for it. Sebastian wraps me in a tight sweaty bear hug but I don’t mind the sweat. It actually doesn’t smell that bad- it must do with his shaving cream that smells like orange cream… stuff.

“Thanks for playing,” he whispers in my ear. “We weren’t sure you’d say yes.”

“So you tried not to give me the choice?” I asked, pulling back. But I’m smiling, because I actually had fun tonight and I don’t mind missing the news for once. “But tonight was really fun,” I find myself saying. “I really like your music.”

He grins as the rest of the band comes up, waving to the crowd. “That’s great!” He might have said something else but it’s lost in the crowd and as we wave and touch hands to the others, it’s nice, but I still can’t get my mind off the fact that he doesn’t let his hand off my waist.

Yet, it finally does, when the crowd is finally gone enough that the rest of the band talks to me. “You’re hott!” Liam informs me, moving the microphone away and picks me up in a hug.