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| A day after Aaron's concert and the attack on him afterwards, he's still laying in hospital, unconscious. Mentally, nothing is wrong with him - the doctors say he should come around at any time. But physically, there was quite some damage done. A few ribs of his are busted, he's got some bad marks on his face, and he might even have a mild concussion. I don't care much for the in-depth explanation the doctor has. All I wanted to know was that Aaron will live. |
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| Even with the fantastic news that Aaron will live floating around my head, I find myself leaning against a cupboard with my fists, trying to figure out why Aaron would have been attacked. What had he done that could be so awful? Sure, I don't know Aaron too well, but I know he's not a murderer or something. |
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| "Eugh... Ack... Hmph... Oh, ma head... Hurts...," My head whips around as I hear mumbles emerging from Aaron's lips. "Welcome back to the land of the living and the busted." |
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| "This doesn't feel like living... This feels like another version of hell, but on Earth," Aaron complains as I walk past. "Sorry," I sigh, "I'll go get the doctors so they'll give you some morphine for the pain." "Nah, it's fine," he shrugs," I subscribe to a group where we don't mask our troubles with medication. Pain is just one of those troubles... But damn. It would be nice to have some pills. What the heck happened to me?" |
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| Being incredibly stubborn, Aaron manages to get up from his bed and examine himself in front of the mirror. "So you're saying I was attacked, huh?" Aaron asks, swaying his body from side to side to feel where the pain is at. "Yup. You were beat up pretty badly. I was hoping you would shed some light on that, actually," I explain as I tidy up his bed. "I wish I could," he sighs, then grimaces as the action causes him pain," but I can hardly remember anything. I remember going backstage to get a drink... And bam. Darkness." "That's too bad," I shrug, but secretly, I ball up my fists. If only he could remember something, then the culprit could be put in jail. |
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| Back at the reception, Janelle is waiting for the release papers of Aaron. Leaving Aaron to get dressed, I go to sit next to Janelle. "Why so glum, chum?" she frowns. "He doesn't remember anything of the attack. This is gonna be a hard case to solve." "At least he's alive, right? That's all that matters right now." |
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| Sure, he's alive, but what if the attacker comes back to finish what he started...? I want to say, but stop myself as a new person enters the room. "Hola, amigas. Sorry I only got here now, but I was at the hairdresser to color my hair...again." "Bridget?!" Janelle and I both gasp. Bridget's hair is a bright blue that matches her eye color, and coincidentally, her clothes. |
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| I look over to Janelle with a smirk. "This is the chaos I have to live with everyday. A sister who just can't decide on a suitable hair color, and who listens to WAY to much Reggae music." |
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| I throw up my hands in defense as I see Bridget wanting to retaliate, but a groan coming from behind a wall stops us all in our tracks. Aaron sluggishly enters, not looking happy at all. "Why so glum, chum?" Janelle asks the same thing she asked me. "Would you stop that!" I hush at her. |
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| "Janelle, you really have to ask, even?" Aaron growls, and looks up with a face that shows no emotion. "Oops, alrighty... I'm sorry," Janelle quickly apologizes, and whips out her phone to avoid talking any further. Bridget, with scared eyes, quickly sneaks out of the room. "I have bad marks on my face, a couple of ribs are broken, my beard had to be shaven to avoid hair growing into my cuts, I'm wearing crappy hospital clothes, and worst of all... I have no hair gel." I nearly laugh at the last remark, but contain after a mighty struggle. "So where are you gonna be staying? You certainly can't go back to your apartment. My guess is that the attacker would find you in your apartment and...finish the job." "Who says the aim was to kill me? Maybe just scare me off? I don't know. All I know is that I have no where else to go that's safe." "You could... Um, stay at my apartment," I suggest, and regret it - for God's sake, I'm dating his best friend! And here I'm casually inviting him to come and stay with me. "Uh, ya sure about that? I mean I can book myself into some motel or something." "Yeah, I'm sure. You'll probably have to struggle with Bridget for a spot on the couch, but she'll give up eventually." I fail to mention that she has a major crush on him and would happily give up her place after she has mulled it over. My phone buzzes, and I check the messages. Charlie <3 flashes up on the screen. "Sorry, I gotta reply to this quickly," I apologize to Aaron and read the message in private. I miss you. Come to the Art Gallery. Only that. I don't reply back, deciding to just jump in my car and drive. |
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| As I stop in front of the art gallery building, I notice Charlie patiently waiting at the staircase, probably playing some kind of game on his phone. When he notices me in the car, his face lights up. I feel my heart flutter inside my chest because of that small gesture. "Hey there, gorgeous. I haven't seen you for quite a while," Charlie murmurs as I walk up to him, taking me into his arms. "Oh, not too long ago. Just yesterday, actually," I laugh. "Well, it felt like a decade." |
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| Charlie leads the way into the building, allowing me some time to look around. Like my mother, I share an interest in the arts and finer things in life. Every painting and sculpture fascinates me, but one stands out from the rest. A painting of a man dancing with fire... An acrobat. "Oh, that reminds me," I frown, turning towards Charlie, "you haven't visited Aaron yet." "Visited? What do you mean? I saw him yesterday..." "You don't know? Aaron was in the hospital. He was attacked last night after his concert." "Oh my god...," the shock that comes across Charlie's face almost makes me regret telling him, but he had to find out sometime. After a moment's sitting down and processing what he just heard, Charlie starts talking. "Last night I signed an agreement where Aaron could perform at the Sports stadium - his biggest gig yet. If Aaron finds out I did that, he'll protest and go through with it. But I won't allow it, not this time. Please, Kaylin, don't tell him about it. I want him to heal and rest." "I won't," I agree. "Thank you, for not pushing him to perform. You're a really good friend to him." "Of course. He's the closest thing I have to family here... I'll go visit him later today." I smile, and yet again, I forget to tell the truth - he won't be able to visit Aaron, seeing as he'll be crashing at my apartment. Under no circumstances can anyone else know about his whereabouts. Charlie may be his best friend, but even I won't trust that bond. |
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| I later bid Charlie goodnight, and return home to find that Aaron has already made himself comfortable in the lounge. "Oh, boy, I'm so gonna regret taking him in," muttering to myself, I grit my teeth, take a deep breath and walk over to him. "Hey there, Kaylin. Uh, hope I'm not intruding, but Janelle told me I could come in." I had given the keys of my apartment to Janelle, as she had to come by and drop off some paperwork for me to sign. That didn't really give her the right to allow other people into my apartment, but I can't stay mad at Janelle for long. "Ah well, you're here. I guess it doesn't matter how you got in or who let you into the house. I'm sorry I don't have any better accommodation. Just lie in a comfortable position so you don't hurt your ribs any further." |
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| With some extra time on my hands, I start to re-organize my clothing drawer. I have way too many clothes, yet too little space to put them all. Just a littler after eight, I hear the door slam shut and some very angry footsteps walk around the apartment. "Bridget," I sigh, and hesitantly put my ear to the door to eavesdrop on what she's doing, "she'll never be able to close a door softly." "KAYLIN! You get your little booty in here or I'll... I'll... Oh, never mind, just get in here!" My baby sister yells with a screechy tone. |
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| "What, what WHAT, Bridget? You're yelling so loud the neighbors will hear you!" "What, you ask me? You never told me we would have a house guest! Where the hell am I supposed to sleep?" her voice's pitch grows higher and higher as she shouts at me. Spittle even escapes from her mouth. "Bridget, calm down," I try to get her to a more ear friendly register, "This is my house, I can invite whoever and whatever I want to stay over, without asking permission. You're a guest, and as long as you're a guest, you play by my rules. Aaron is staying over for a few nights until he can find safer accommodation. Until then, you're probably gonna have to use the sleeping bag." "You always pull that card," my sister stomps away from me and out of the apartment. A few seconds later, I hear the elevator's ding, and the metal doors closing. So much for sisterly love. |
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| After some considerable time in the bathroom the next morning, making myself look appropriate for my house guest, I venture out to make breakfast. One thing stops me in my tracks though. "Aaron, what on earth do you think you're doing?!" I yell out over the whir of the machine. Aaron, with all his injuries, is running like a madman on the treadmill. |
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| "Um, I'm making good use of this treadmill. I have a couple of gigs scheduled, and I need to stay in shape for them," he awkwardly answers, stepping off of the machine. |
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| "Really? How the hell do you manage to exercise while you have TWO broken ribs?" Angered, I nearly shout this out at him. I care about him, and I don't to see him injure himself any further. "Oh, no worries. I took some pain pills - they're working wonders. So I'll be up and performing in a day or so." "Good god, Aaron, you can't do THAT! For one, a few pain pills doesn't heal your broken ribs. If you're gonna continue doing crazy stunts, you'll puncture a lung, and die. Need I also remind you that there's a madman loose, hellbent on proving a point to the outside world that performers are stealing money?" In one fluid motion, I reach for the TV remote and turn it on, ushering Aaron towards the couch. |
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| "-And that's it for the weather. Now for the headlines. There's a new plague terrorizing Starlight Shores, and there seems to be no cure. A new local criminal has emerged, referring to himself as 'The Raven'. Police have received a video tape where the mystery man unveils his plan of 'purging the evil of the town'. He has confessed that he intends to target only performers, as he believes they are stealing the money of good people, and also have no talent, making their way to fame by buying it. Whatever his motives, 'The Raven' has already targeted acrobat Eragon, and singer Tasha, making it clear that he isn't only targeting one gender. To all the people of Starlight Shores, watch out, as no one is safe from his wrath. Moving on to other news, there has been a power surge throughout the state, baffling-" Hearing no further news on "The Raven", I turn the TV off. |
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| "Do you see how serious it is? There is no way that you can go out to perform again." "But what about you? You're also a performer," Aaron protests. "Yes, I am, but I'm not well known, Aaron. I haven't even had a decent concert yet. I do have one tonight though, but that's not the point. You're famous, and "The Raven" recognizes that. That's probably who he's targeting." "So what are you saying? I just lay around here and do nothing? That's definitely NOT who I am, Kaylin." "I'm not saying you have to stay here all day," I interject, and wonder how I'll be able to salvage this situation, "Uh... You could go outside, but keep a low profile. Wear different clothes, I don't know. Just don't go and do crazy stuff, alright?" "You're not my boss, Kaylin," grinds Aaron, closing himself off to arguing by folding his arms, "but I'll take your 'advice' and lay low. Only because I want to, not because you're ordering me to do it." I sigh, muttering inaudible things to myself. Why is it that the men in my life are always so stubborn? |
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| Just a few days ago, I had received a promotion in my singing career. Along with it I also gained a gig, where I'll be performing at the coffeehouse. That gig is tonight, and as I get ready, standing in front of the mirror doing my hair, I feel the nervousness in my legs - they won't stop shaking. "Deep breaths, Kaylin," I hum to myself, "Just keep taking deep breaths..." Within two hours, my hair is styled, my makeup is done, and I'm wearing my performing outfit. |
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| Like the trusty friend that she is, Janelle is already waiting for me in the lounge, being the only one of my friends to actually be going to the concert with me. "Thank you so so much, Janelle. You're like the sister I actually like. Bridget stormed off last night and I haven't seen her since... I'm not sure if I will see her again, to be honest." "Hey, it's a pleasure to be here for you. You're the sister I never had!" Janelle smiles, and we share a hug. |
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| "Did you paint that?" Janelle releases from the hug, and points to the canvas behind me. "Nope, that was definitely not me. It wasn't here last night, so... It had to be Aaron that did it. I didn't know he was artistic!" "Well, I wouldn't call that artistic," says Janelle, looking all the more doubtful, "But it IS a good start to be an artist." |
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| It's a ten minute drive to the venue, and another half hour to get the stage set up. As I'm preparing, people start to arrive. I hadn't known that the gig was going to be advertised like this, so as more than one person arrives, I keep getting shocked. "Okay, deep breaths, deep breaths...," I repeat to myself, trying very hard not to bite my lip. "Hey Kay-Kay, no need to be nervous. We're all here for you!" I hear someone calling out. That someone is my sister. "Bridget?" I ask, dumbfounded. "I'm not the only one," she admits, and points to the person next to her. |
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| "For a person that wears mostly dark clothing and does parlor tricks for an existence, your sister isn't so dumb. Hi there, Kaylin," Aaron smiles, waving as I finally notice him in the crowd. "I am not dumb, and I don't do parlor tricks - they're really hard to master, you know!" Bridget argues with him, but Aaron only waves his hand in dismissal. "It's time to start, Miss Webster," one of the stage man announce, actually using the fake surname that I came up with. The sound of it stuns me for a second, and I struggle to relax again. "O-Okay, I'm ready," I reply, even though I'm far from ready. |
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| Having a real country sounding voice, seeing as I come from a suburb where country accents are common, I decide to perform a few country songs for the evening. The starting song is "Ever Ever After" by Carrie Underwood. Ever ever after Storybook endings Fairy tales do come true Deep down inside We wanna believe they still do In our secretest heart It's our favorite part of the story Let's just admit we all wanna make it to Ever ever after If we just don't get it our way Ever ever after It may only be a wish away |
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| Song after song I go through, and with each new song, the tension starts to leave my body in waves. The finale of my show is something special, a song by Miranda Lambert called "Over You". When I first saw the music video, it had moved me to tears, so I thought it would be nice to share it with the audience. Weatherman said it's gonna snow By now I should be used to the cold Mid-February shouldn't be so scary It was only December, I still remember The plants, the tree, you and me But you went away How dare you I miss you They say I'll be okay But I'm not going to ever get over you Living alone here in this place I think of you and I'm not afraid Your favorite records make me feel better Cause you sing along with every song I know you didn't mean to give them to me But you went away How dare you I miss you They say I'll be okay But I'm not going to ever get over you It really sinks in, you know, when I see it in stone Cause you went away How dare you I miss you They say I'll be away But I'm not going to ever get over you |
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| With traces of tears streaming down my cheeks, I bow quickly to my crowd, blowing a few kisses in the process, and make my way off stage to get a tissue. I end up needing more than one tissue. |
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| "Can we request more? It was so good!" an audience member shouts out. "Yeah, totally, and I never got this move!" Janelle joins in with protesting, swinging her arms back and forth to show what she wanted to do. "Sorry, but this show is over," I shrug, genuinely sad to tell them that, "but thank you so much for coming, everyone!"
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| My breath gets stuck in my throat as I watch the scene before me unfold. It's not so much just the fighting, but the people that are fighting. I recognize the normal looking man as Reid Williams, a paparazzi who is always taking photos of the most glamorous celebrities. And the other... It's "The Raven", the funny green haired man who's out on a mission. |
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| Reid's poor body is flung through the sky as "The Raven" delivers a mighty kick. The poor man never had a chance. |
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| "I'm gonna move closer to get a better look...," Bridget suddenly announces in a whisper, and starts to sneak in under a car. "Bridget!" I want to yell, but fear attracting the attention of the madman. Without a second thought, I rush after my baby sister, with Janelle on my heels. |
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| He saw us, there's no doubt about that. In that short moment, we also recognize some red highlights mixed in with the green hair. And in that moment of eye contact, I felt as if my death certificate was just signed. The look of pure hatred on his face is astonishing. I was definitely going to be next on his hit list. ~♥~ For anyone wondering, here is one of the songs Kaylin "performed". |
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| The flirty-and-forward, hilarious, talented yet lovable Aaron. |
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| The sweet, sensitive, although mysterious and bachelor-of-the-year Charlie. PS: Just because Charlie's pic is better than Aaron's, does NOT mean I prefer him over Aaron... >.> <.< I just couldn't find a better one of Aaron. |
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| A month had passed since my arrival in Starlight Shores, and in that short month, a lot of things has happened. For one, I've been progressing in my singing career, earning a promotion plus a raise in my stipend. It's not much, but I'm excited about it. The most important change is that Charlie and I have become a couple. The relationship isn't based on love, sadly, more like mutual attraction that will eventually subside. But for now, I'm enjoying the fact that I have a boyfriend to talk to and go on dates with. |
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| "This is nice...," I murmur to Charlie, while wrapped tightly in his embrace. Charlie had the great idea to show me around town more, and so we ended up on the beach, enjoying some alone time together. "Always a pleasure," he smiles, kissing me on my left cheek. I smile back at him, and by accident, my gaze falls on my wrist watch. "Well, crap. I have a sing-a-gram scheduled at ten. I'm sorry, but I've gotta run and prepare." |
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| "Nooo! Come on, just five more minutes!" Charlie tries to pulls me back into a cuddle as I get up. Gently, I pry his fingers free, and seeing that he has lost the battle, Charlie gets up alongside me. "I hate the fact that people can call you and just summon you to their homes whenever they want. It's really bad if you're in a relationship," Charlie points out, taking my hands in his. "I know, I know. But that's what I have to do, seeing as I chose it for a career. Will I see you again tonight?" I sigh, trying to look hopeful in the circumstance. |
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| "Um, sadly no. I have a talent-seeking conference to attend. It might bring in more business for Aaron and I," Charlie clears his throat, looking very apologetic. "You should know that I'll make up for it. We can go out tomorrow night, have a nice date at a restaurant, and come back to the beach to watch the sun set." "You, mister Rapp, are a real classy guy," I chuckle. He passes a quick peck on my lips, and I run off to my car to get ready for my small performance. |
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| The sing-a-gram that I perform is a "Celebration" sing-a-gram, as the person that hired me was celebrating the fact that she completed her homework. Honestly, I don't know if there's something wrong with me or the people in this town - who celebrates and spends money on the fact that someone completed their homework? But I shouldn't complain, it's crazy people like that that bring in the money. Even though it's supposed to be of fantastic quality, my car breaks down on the way home. Almost throwing a hissy fit, I dump the car near a gas station and ask for someone to tow it in. The walk home is quiet, but all the way home, I feel so awkward, having to wear this ridiculous outfit. As I try to recognize certain buildings and other places, a colorful outfit catches my eye, and I'm immediately able to identify who it is: Aaron. |
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| "Enjoying yourself, huh? What'cha doin' here at this park, all alone?" I wave to Aaron, and he quickly ends his juggling performance. "It's a little kids park, but there are hardly any kids in this town, so this park is almost always deserted. I come here to practice my skills, so I don't make to many mistakes when I'm on stage," Aaron confesses, putting away his kit. "So exactly what do you have planned when you're on stage? How do you dazzle the audience?" "Hmm. That's a good question. Here, I'll show you...," Aaron smiles mysteriously, and stretches, preparing himself for whatever he wants to show me. |
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| "I don't have the experience to use a fire ring yet, BUT, I do have the skill to bend into crazy positions, like so," Aaron huffs, as he contorts into a perfect split with his legs in the air, instead of on the ground. My eyes nearly bulge out of my head - it's not everyday you get to see an acrobat do such things while hardly breaking a sweat. "You don't have to lose confidence in your performance. You're definitely going to amaze the crowd." |
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| "Well thank ye, miss Kaylin," Aaron says as he stands up, turning on a Southern accent. "Coming from you, that sure means a lot. I thought you'd still be mad after that stupid move I pulled the day I met you." "Oh, so you remember now?" I scoff. "I thought you were too drunk." "Not drunk, tipsy," he corrects. "I do remember some of the details. They're vague, but I remember them. I'll probably try to apologize for that for the rest of my life... Which brings me to my next point. Are you available tonight?" "Uh, um...," I stutter, not sure what to say. His question really caught me off guard, and it sounds as if there are a lot of things implied by that question. "Oh, it's fine if you're not. I have a gig scheduled tonight at the park, and I was just wondering. Janelle is already coming, and so is Bridget. I was actually thinking she'd bring you along." "As if," I roll my eyes at the idea. "You obviously don't know my sister well. It just so happens that I am free tonight, so I'll, uh, come by." "Great, thanks!" he smiles, waves and continues to practice for his gig. A little mystified by my behavior, I shudder, and walk the long way home. |
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| Around 3 PM I finally walk through the door of my apartment, and find that Bridget has already started getting ready for tonight. "You know the gig is only at 5, right?" "I do," she shrugs, then pauses. "Well, crap, he invited you? There goes my chance of wooing him!" "Like you ever had a chance," I laugh, walking to my room to pick out an outfit for the night. At 4:36 PM, both Bridget and I stand in front of the mirror, making sure our makeup isn't messed up. "Remember, don't chat to the guy too much. I have to have a shot at him first - if he proves to not be my type, then you can have him." "I'm not having your left overs, Bridget," I stare at her reflection in the mirror. "And anyways, I already have a boyfriend, so I'm not interested in anyone else, thank you." |
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| Arriving ten minutes early, us girls get a preview of the show, as Aaron is still busy practicing some of his moves. Janelle and Bridget move to the side, giggling and gossiping over how hot Aaron is when he's wearing his leotard. I awkwardly stand by, trying not to listen to their conversation. "If you get hurt," I say, moving closer to where Aaron is practicing," I'm not taking the blame. You should be careful with those juggles." "I'm always careful. But thanks for worrying about me. When the cops ask me who drove a knife through my head, I'll be sure not to implicate you." "Good," I chuckle. "I don't need the bad publicity." |
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| Aaron excuses himself from our conversation, and moves up to the stage, looking nervous as he does so. This performance is so much bigger than a SimFest, where he had previously performed in, because this is a solo act. "Ladies and gentleman, thank you for blessing me with your presence and attending my performance tonight. I'm really thankful that you came, seeing as I enjoy wowing my audience. And now, I will kick start tonight with a quick acrobatic movement." |
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| Without so much as blinking an eye, Aaron does a back flip, not even using his arms to support him. |
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| "When I was much much younger than I am now, I wished that I was a bird and I could fly. Of course, I'm not a bird, nor am I magician who can levitate off the ground. So that was something that makes me feel like I can fly," Aaron confesses to the audience. "My other inspiration is Genie's. They're mystical creatures, who can float off the ground. That's pretty much how they move around all the time. But I'm also not a genie, obviously. The closest I can get to being a genie is this." Aaron slowly contorts his body into a back flip while on the ground, and pushes his body so it comes upright. With a little more effort than usual, he removes one of his arms as support, balancing himself off of only one arm. This causes many gasps from the audience, as well as a huge applause. |
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| The rest of the show follows almost the same pattern, yet he keeps dazzling the audience. I wonder what his secret it, and I'm about to ask him, when he walks off backstage, possibly for a change of clothes. |
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| Not being in the mood to walk all the way home (again), I scrounge up the courage to ask Bridget for a ride. Before I even manage to get close to her, Janelle ushers me to the side, a huge grin shining on her face. "So, I was thinking of asking Eragon, or if you prefer, Aaron, for his autograph. Do you think I may walk backstage to get one? That won't be too bold of me?" "Nope, not at all," I shrug, "and besides, you practically know the guy already. There shouldn't be anything awkward about it." Still keeping her goofy grin, Janelle confidently strides off in search of Aaron. |
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| A couple of seconds later, a high toned scream comes from backstage, and I rush towards the sound. "Oh... Oh my god. Somebody HELP!" Janelle keeps screaming. "What's going on?" I ask, coming to a stop beside her. "Oh, Kaylin, thank goodness... Aaron... H-he's just lying there. I don't know if he's alright!"
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| With sad eyes I look away from the man with the funny green hair, and back to Aaron that is lying on the ground, motionless. "Janelle, you have a phone here right?" I ask my friend, barely able to keep my voice from breaking. "Please call an ambulance. And the police." |
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| Janelle immediately whips out her phone, and types out the emergency numbers with jittery fingers. As she talks on the phone, I move closer to Aaron, checking if he still has a pulse. Across his face, there are some nasty bruises, but other than that, he should live. Tears roll over my cheek, and I remember my earlier words. If you get hurt, I'm not taking the blame. So who should get the blame? And why did someone want to hurt Aaron? ~♥~ Hi there, to all my lovely readers! Thanks for reading this chapter, and sorry this is so short. PS: To those who have seen on Facebook, I've added default replacement eyes to my game, and if you're wondering why you haven't seen them yet, it's because I have a few chapters' pictures that were already taken before I added them (like seriously, this chapter was done two days after I got Showtime, and that was QUITE a while ago). In the next post, you will see them. :) |
