Her sneakers squeaked against the museum floors, her ponytail swinging as she put a skip in every step she took. It was an average Saturday night, the clock struck eight. Almost every girl in Meadows flooded into the basement, waiting for the moment they longed for the whole week. She was the new girl in town, and she didn't see the whole fuss about this. Her neighbor, Pango, who had dragged her along, nudged her and squealed, "Eeek! I can't waiitttt!"
She tilted her head and questioned, "Wait for what?"
"Oh my gosh! You don't know?! It's K.K. Slider! EVERYBODY knows about him!"
"I don't…"
"Well you're about to find out! I hope that our love story begins tonight!"
"What love story?"
"What do you mean what love story?! While he's performing, he'll gaze his gorgeous eyes into mine, and they'll remain there the whole time! Then, he'll invite me backstage, and we'll go out, then he'll purpose to me, then we'll get married and-"
"OK, OK I get it! But why is everyone so in love with him? It's not like he's mister perfect for everyone…"
"Are you kidding me?! He's mister perfect for me! And nobody will stop meee!"
"Pango, you'll get over him. This is just a little overboard. I mean, it's not like he'll ask somebody to come up on stage with him when he's performing tonight."
"You be quiet about your hating!"
"I'm not hating! I'm just pointing things out to you and warning you! Besides, I don't even know him!"
"Whatever. Just grab a coffee and sit down, the show's about to start!"
"Fine…"
She walked over to the counter and set down two hundred bells. The tender, also known as Brewster, cooed, "What would you like, Peachy?"
She grumbled, "The usual, please."
"Would you like pigeon milk in it?"
"I'm trying to lay off the milk, but I guess I could just once."
"Very well…"
She always admired how he brewed the coffee. No matter how long it took, he'd always perfect it and make it taste different every time. The day before was nutmeg, so she wondered what he'd brew up this time. The only flaw to the cafe being in the basement was there wasn't a window to watch the falling snow, or look outside in the summer and watch the animals run around and play.
He mumbled, "You're coffee is ready. It's perfect at 173 degrees, so the right time would be now."
She smiled and replied politely, "Thank you."
She drank it and the taste was so familiar to her she realized he was being classy that evening. He made her hot chocolate. As soon as she finished, she rushed back to Pango. Her eyes went wide and she complained, "I thought you were going to buy me a cup of coffee!"
"Go buy it yourself! You were being rude to me and now you expect me to pay for your coffee?! This isn't how you make friends with the new girl!"
"Whatever!"
Suddenly, both their gazes locked to the stage as they heard the stool gain pressure. A soft voice commented, "Hello people of Meadows! Tonight I am gonna treat ya'll to some Spring Blossoms, so I hope you enjoy! And don't forget after the show to pick up a copy of the song to jam to at your house! I ain't in it for the gravy, just the smiles of ya'll."
Pango whispered, "I think tonight will be my perfect evening!"
"Yeah right, it'll just be an average evening probably..."
His gaze turned to a girl with pink hair wrapped up in a ponytail, talking to a purple anteater. He felt his heart pump as his gaze stayed on the girl. He never felt like the way he did before. He shook his head and thought to himself, "K.K, focus on the song! You can get to the girl later, but right now, the dang song!"
He strummed the first note and tuned his guitar, realizing it was out of tune. He strummed it again and kept moving forward with the song. He sang:
Spring Blossoms-
He forgot the words. He never forgot the words. Everyone turned their heads and got confused. He suddenly remembered the words and continued. During the instrumental, he locked his gaze to the same girl. Pango thought he was looking at her and whispered to Peachy, "Oh my gosh! He's looking at me! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I think he'll ask me on stage!"
Peachy felt as if he was glaring at her for some odd reason. She shook her head, accidentally slapping her face with her ponytail and thought to herself, "No…Pango likes him, so I-I can't go hurting my friends feelings. It's mean. I got to keep myself together! After this, I am going home…"
After the performance, he was getting offstage which was a very rare occasion. All the girls except for her flooded around him, asking for his autograph. She simply walked off, as if he wasn't anything. But to him, she was like a diamond. A flawless, perfect, gorgeous, priceless pink diamond, walking away. He thought his heart was in the music and the music only, but now, he thought twice. He ran to his trailer and splashed cold water against his face. The feeling wouldn't leave him.
Worry flashed to his face. He mumbled, "But...How could one girl...One, beautiful...No, just an ordinary, small town girl, have a musician like me...M-Make me feel like this?!"
He let out a small growl. He realized he was acting differently. He froze at first sight of her, and now he couldn't get her out of his head. Now he was growling at himself over his feelings. He sighed and mumbled, "Besides, I bet she's already got someone special."
Meanwhile, Peachy walked up the two flights of stairs, K.K. Rider stuck in her mind. She wouldn't accept the fact that she was in love. Pango had a crazy huge crush on him, but Peachy's heart swelled at the thought of his snow white fur, his big, black eyes that were as dark as the darkness that loomed outside of her house. She sighed and threw the sheets over herself. She mumbled, "It's just a thought. No big deal."
She closed her eyes. K.K. plopped on his leather sofa and threw a throw blanket over himself. The blanket meant so much to him because his mother made it for him before she suddenly passed away. He was the runt of the litter, always being fed last, but he had the strongest bond with his mother all the way up to the end. His father abandoned them when he was born, and he never got to know him. His eyes swelled with tears. He mumbled, "Momma, I wish you were here...I need help."
He cried himself to sleep, wishing his mother was there to hold him tight and tell him it would all be OK.
