Ch-3 ★Just like her

[Jay]

Blue Diamond Banquet Hall, London

Backstage, everyone was busy setting up the equipment. James, the base guitarist was helping Roger, the keyboardist; place the keyboard stand behind my microphone stand. The background singers were going over the songs we had to perform. It had been quite a hustle today; we had just finished off a concert at the tricity theatre before rushing to the venue for Mr. Grey’s daughter’s birthday party.

Matthew was still nowhere to be been seen. Where was my loyal, curly haired friend? He wasn’t particularly in the mood for performing at the birthday but I can't perform without him. He was the drummer, an important part of my music and its rhythm.  His drum set was already here meaning he would arrive here sooner or later.

Speaking of the devil, he stepped in through the back entrance. His curly, brown flopping up and down his forehead as his green eyes held the most uninterested expression in them. The shirt he was wearing had a big ketchup stain on it and some pieces of lettuce had been sticking out of the corners of his mouth. Of course, he had gone to some fast-food junkyard. There is one thing I’ve learned about my friend is that he is always hunger. No-matter how much he has eaten. He will still manage to squeeze in some more. I wonder if there was some sort of black hole in his stomach in which all the food disappeared.

“Matt, you know you look like a teenage boy who hasn’t showered in ages,” I said when he approached me.

He just brushed off my insult with lazy smile “Whatever,”

“Ready to perform,” I adjusted my guitar’s leather strap around my neck. I had this guitar since my very first concert; Melody had gifted it to me. I’ve kept it with me ever since. I gently stroked its purple covering, my fingers tracing the silver thunderbolt at its edges.

“Man, I seriously don’t get it why are we performing at a kid’s birthday party,”

I fixed chords tightening them where they needed to be tightened. “Because that kid happens to Mr. Grey’s daughter,” Matthew looked slightly annoyed. “And let me remind you Mr. Grey happens to our new sponsor,”

“But you are the world’s biggest rock-star, you don’t need to perform at this stupid party,” His face was being to redden with anger.

“Mr. Grey is the world’s richest man. I can’t afford to get on his bad side,” I replied calmly. I really don’t know why Matthew was being so difficult today. He usually isn’t like this. He’s the one who thinks through every situation.

“This performance will ruin your reputation. The paparazzi outside they’re making fun of you saying that Jay Walters is willing to perform anywhere for money even in a pig-stack,”

I got it now. The paparazzi were the reason my friend wasn’t being himself today. He could never bear listening to anyone shit talk about me.

“That’s true. As long as I get to perform, I will perform anywhere. Don’t you get it? I’m a performer. This is my job,”

Matthew still didn’t look convinced. “Your reputation will be screwed if you keep doing this,”

“It doesn’t matter-“

“Nothing matters to you anymore,” He interrupted with his green eyes burning with anger and his lips pressed in a bitter line. “Ever since Melody,”

“Don’t” I didn’t want to hear what he had to say. I didn’t want my wounds to be scrapped again.

“I’m not going to stop,” He took hold of my shoulders. “She is not coming back. She never will-”

“Matt! You’re crossing the line,” I grabbed his hands and roughly removed them from my shoulder.

He looked hurt. Damn it, I hadn’t meant to hurt him, instantly I regretted my actions. Why couldn’t I stop hurting the people who cared for me?

“I’m sorry,” I reached out, trying to undo what had been done.

“It’s too late for that mate. I’ve just remembered my limits as your employee,”

“I didn’t mean that. You know it,”

“Save it,” He walked toward his drum-set picking up his drumsticks. He averted his eyes whenever I looked at him. I’ll have to talk to him after this performance. Let me just get over this performance then I’ll ask for his forgiveness. I know that he could never stay angry at me for long.

The lighting man from the hall Mr. Grey had booked came on the stage waving his hand frantically. “The curtains are about to be opened, get ready!” He yelled before rushing back to the control room.

Here I go again. I closed my eyes sending one prayer to my near and dears one’s. This performance was for them, the reason I performed was for their happiness.

When I opened my eyes, the curtains were being to part as a blazing spotlight was pointed in my direction enclosing me its glow. In this spotlight I lived, I loved, and I grew to become a Rock-star. It was an essential part of every stars life just like me. It was the light emitted by the star separating it from the darkness.

The red curtains had been fully opened. I leaned forward into the microphone while my hands strung the chords. The crowd was huge but unnoticed by eyes. My eyes were transfixed on the girl in the crowd upon whom the other part of the spotlight had been fixed.

She was unique. She stood there in the spotlight glowing like a passionate fire. She stood out, unlinke everyone else her body wasn’t burdened with heavy jewelry or truckloads of makeup. Her blue eyes shone like the denizens of the celestial, night sky and that smile on her lips the one that stole my breath away, it was a spellbinding smile, a smile that could drive any man insane.

She had her hands folded together above her chest. She looked so happy yet so stunned. Was it because of my presence? Did I have that effect on her?

To this girl I sang the song, my voice matching to the tune unconsciously. To the girl who had captured me in a prison made of alloy, strong and unbreakable. For her I sang.

Glitter fell in the form of snow,

The night I met you

I watched you smile

Your lips curled up

My heart sped right away

You had caught me

In the spell of words

I couldn’t stop myself from staring. I forced my eyes to move, to look and break away from the prison in which she held me as the prisoner.

For a moment, my eyes lingered to the girl standing next to her, instantly the air was knocked out my lungs. She was dressed in silver like an angel of my doom, it couldn’t be her: the same blue eyes, the same blonde hair, the same smile of Melody. How is this possible? That couldn’t be Melody. It just couldn’t be her.

My heart sped like the old times. This girl couldn’t possibly be my Melody, my muse.

I gripped the microphone tightly to keep myself from breaking apart. I tried holding on and keep on singing even though my mind was no longer in the song. It had drifted away to a memory of my distant past, the past I wanted to forget but couldn’t...

The waves of the ocean crashed upon each other. The sky was clear with the bright sun shining down on both of us. We sat by the shore, our feet dug deep into the cold sand. I looked to the girl on my right. I sang to her and only for her. I barred out my soul to her as I sang.

She was smiling at me. I could never forget that smile. The way her enchanting blue, eyes sparkled when she smiled. The crinkles on the side of her eyes and the dimples on her cheek, I could never forget them.

“That was beautiful,” she sighed taking hold of my hand. I wrapped my fingers around her small hand.

“Don’t say that just to make me happy,” The sixteen year old me spoke.

“I’m not. I mean what I said. Jay, you have an amazing voice,” She was one of few people who encouraged my singing. She had been by side when no-one in the world knew Jay Walter, when no-one cared who I was.

She leaned into my shoulder, resting her head across it. “One day you’ll amaze the world with your voice,”

I wrapped my hands around her waist. “How can you be so sure?”

She removed her head from my shoulder. “It’s in your eyes,” She spoke looking into them. “That fire inside them to rule the world,” and she had read me right. I wanted stardom more than anything.

“I hope I can reach my dreams,”

“You will,” She smiled. She had more faith in me than I had in myself.

“I love you,” I don’t where it came from but it was there somewhere in my heart. It was this strong, burst of emotion.

A salty, ocean breeze swept the sand off the shore as her blonde hair moved in the direction of the breeze. I removed the strands from her face, my hands rubbing against her cheeks.

There was this hesitation on her face. I would never forget that hesitation.

“I love you too,” She sounded so uncertain. I know for a fact that she was lying to me. I would never forgive her for the lies she told me for my happiness....

The loud applause from the crowd whisked me away from the past jolting me into the present. I scanned the crowd for her again. There she stood with the crowd clapping for me. She smiled at me with no traces of recognition. She wasn’t Melody; I have to accept that fact even though my heart refused to do so.

I bowed my head with my arm to the side. “Thank you,” I spoke into the microphone for the final time as the curtains were pulled back into their original position.

I couldn’t move from my spot. My hand held onto the microphone for my dear life. I was afraid that I might shatter once I let go. I couldn’t let go. How can that girl look so similar to Melody? I have to stay away for from her. I can’t afford to fall again.

The day you left me Melody was the day all other melodies became lifeless. You were the song from which all the melodies in my life rose. Why did you leave? I’ve continued living this life for your sake. I don’t how much longer I can survive without you.

A hand on my shoulder shook me out of my daze. I turned around to see Matthew with a worried expression on his face. “You al ’right mate?”

“I’m fine Matt,”I replied giving him a confident smile. “I’m sorry for earlier,”

“I’ve already forgotten about it, “He waved it off running his hands through his curls.  “So we’re heading back. I’m too tired to move a muscle, “He looked quite tired. I’ll cut him some slack this time.

“You go ahead. It’ll take me sometime. Mr. Grey wanted to introduce me to the future CEO of innovation,”

Matthew raised his eyebrow. “And who may that be?”

“His daughter,”

“Oh okay. Can I tag along?” He sounded too interested. I knew what he had on his mind flirting with Mr. Grey’s daughter. “I bet she’s hot,”

“Calm the testosterone. She’s out of the limits. We can’t mess with the sponsor’s daughter,”

“Aw okay I won’t,” He crossed his arms over his chest, pouting. “I’ll just stick to my first love,”

“Which is?”

“Food!" I chuckled slightly. I should have known. There on one thing Matthew Hutchins loved more than anything in the world was food.

*~*~*~

“I want you to meet,” Mr. Grey spoke with authority and confidence. “My daughter Aulaura Grey, the future CEO of the Innovation,”

It was the same girl who had been under the spotlight, glowing under it like a flame. She was quite an exceptional beauty, not fragile or broke kind but the strong and daring kind. It’ll be interesting to talk to her.

I noticed the way she grimaced when Mr. Grey added the CEO part. I understood her unease very well. She was getting burdened with a responsibility she didn’t want. It amazes me that Mr. Grey didn’t notice that. Parents can sometimes be very unobservant.  

She looked in my direction smiling at me politely. I smiled back.

Looking into her eyes, I noticed sorrow haunting her eyes. This strange emptiness surrounding her blue orbs though she smiled from lips her eyes never smiled back. What could be the cause of her sorrow?