(Part 3 of 3)

More drinks were ordered and consumed, as well as snacks. Caleb took his turn up on stage, singing the rock song, "Kryptonite." Hanna made sure to record the whole thing in case he sucked, but he was actually really good. They were all impressed and gave him a round of applause.

When Aria got up to use the bathroom again, she caught Caleb at the bar on the way back to the table. She told him she had a song in mind and wanted him to sing backup.

In their absence, Ezra made normal conversation with the girls, and they bombarded him with personal questions, most of which he refused to answer. The drunker they got, the more easily distracted they became, making it no trouble at all for Ezra to steer the conversation until they devolved into hysterics at the most unfunny remark. Aria asked what was funny when she returned, and Ezra could honestly not say. Emily, practically in tears from laughing so hard, yelled, "He said monsters! You said monsters!" and pointed at Ezra to make sure he knew she was talking to him.

"I.. did not." Ezra tried really hard to remember himself say anything about monsters, but it never happened.

Without bothering to look up from the fascinatingly soggy coaster in her hand, as if she was the most levelheaded person at the table, Spencer interjected, "Yes you did," even though nobody asked her.

Ezra turned to Aria, his eyes saying, 'I haven't the foggiest idea what they are talking about.'

Hanna helpfully explained, "You said 'the monsters at the grille are food.' We all heard you."

Emily nodded her head in obvious vigorous agreement, and Spencer nodded too, completely disinterested.

"Oh!" Ezra exclaimed. He finally got it. "I said 'pasta at The Grille is good.'"

Aria snickered while Hanna and Emily tried to replay the original sentence in their brains and Spencer shook her head no, to herself, not even trying to convince anyone. She heard what she heard.

Spencer sang next. She chose "Fields of Gold," by Sting, a very slow song. She sang it well for someone who also almost fell off the stool on stage. Twice.

"Spence, that was depressing," Emily chided when she was done.

"Yeah," Hanna agreed, stirring the ice in her latest empty cocktail. "Way to bring us all down."

Caleb, on his third or fourth adult beverage, nodded in agreement.

Spencer looked to Ezra hopefully, a the most endearing puppy dog expression on her face. "You were very good," he said politely.

He was still nursing the second beer he hd all night. "Yes you were," Aria agreed, patting her hand.

Hanna, pretending to whisper a secret again, told Ezra, "Spencer gets weird when she's drunk." Last time, Spencer spent a half hour attempting to recite the alphabet backwards, long after anyone was interested in hearing her try anymore.

"I'm not wei-rr-dd," Spencer tried to argue, but was distracted by the condensation on her glass.

"What're you gonna sing?" Emily slurred at Aria.

"It's a surprise," she answered.

"I don't like surprises," Emily said, making a face.

"You'll like this one," Aria promised. Then she stood up and tapped Caleb on the shoulder, who followed her backstage. Ezra looked around, wondering if the girls knew why she needed Caleb for her song, but no one was paying attention to him anymore. If someone had told him in September he would be singing karaoke with a group of drunk students before the end of the school year, he'd have laughed in their face. If someone had told him he'd also have gotten one of those students pregnant, he would have had that person committed. Yet, here he was, possibly the most surreal night of his life, and he was truly enjoying himself.

A quick beat of drums started playing and some extra lights were flipped to illuminate the stage. The sheer fabric of Aria's dress swayed as she reached her mark. She stood up front, tapping her hand on her thigh to keep time, glowing under the bright lights, while Caleb stood off to the side adjusting his microphone.

"Give me a second I, / I need to get my story straight"

Her voice rang out like a bell. Everyone's heads perked up a little bit.

"My friends are in the bathroom getting higher than the empire state"

By the end of the first verse, everyone's eyes were on Aria, clearly the best singer anyone had heard all night.

"Tonight / We are young / So let's set the world on fire / We can burn brighter than the sun"

Caleb harmonized with her during the chorus. Ezra was entranced, as was everyone else in the room. He had heard her sing that one time, but had no idea how talented she really was. She commanded a presence on that stage, hitting every note and never missing a beat. Is anyone recording this? he thought and looked to see Hanna with the phone in her hand.

The mood in the room was lifted considerably. Caleb sang backup on the later verses, making this the most complex impromptu performance all night, and probably in the history of this bar. They sounded incredible together.

"So if by the time the bar closes / And you feel like falling down / I'll carry you home tonight"

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Aria was taken aback then started beaming at the crowd's reaction. After nearly 20 seconds of this, she didn't know what else to do, so she ran back to her seat. Ezra grabbed her first and gave her a huge hug, lifting her up off the ground, shouting, "You were amazing! You are amazing!" The applause died down as the other patrons started murmuring to each other how fantastic that performance was.

"Let's hear it for the birthday girl!" Caleb said into the mic. Hanna still had the camera rolling. The applause and cheering started again. "Happy Birthday to you," Caleb started singing. "Happy Birthday to you," Ezra and the girls joined in. "Happy Birthday, dear Aria," the whole bar was singing now. "Happy Birthday to you." The waitress brought out a plate of cupcakes with a single lit candle stuck in the middle. Spencer had prearranged this with the staff earlier and they recognized their cue. Aria was overwhelmed by the attention and the thoughtfulness of her friends. Ezra stood behind her with his arms around her waist as she closed her eyes, and made a wish, and blew out the candle.

.

Hanna, Spencer and Emily sat in the backseat while Aria drove Hanna's car to Spencer's. Caleb sat in the passenger seat. The girls, still pretty drunk, were trying to sing along to the radio, a Rhianna song, so off-key, it was almost painful to listen to.

Aria was lost in thought, thinking about how at her next birthday, she'd have with a 4-month-old on her lap, when Caleb spoke.

"You're a really great singer." He didn't have any idea how great when she approached him to sing back up. In fact he thought she was shy and that he would wind up singing the whole song himself.

"Thank you," she said.

"Have you ever thought about doing something with your voice?" Caleb asked.

"What, like, professionally?" she turned to ask him.

He nodded.

"No. I haven't," she answered truthfully, with her eyes back on the road.

"You should. You have talent." It was clear during their first song and even clearer during their second. A little while after the cupcakes had been devoured, a tan girl, unquestionably plastered by the way she stumbled up to their table, requested they sing the song "Closing Time," not because the bar was closing yet, but because it was her favorite song and they sounded so good, she wanted to hear them sing it. "Uhh.. sure," Aria had agreed, then took the stage and killed it.

Aria smiled. While it was nice to hear, it wasn't a dream of hers to sing. And pursuing a singing career at this moment in her life was not an option.

"I was thinking..., we should write a song together."

"You guys should totally write a song together!" Hanna exclaimed from the backseat.

"Totally. Totally, totally." Spencer and Emily agreed.

Aria laughed, and Caleb didn't. "Oh, what, are you serious?"

"Yeah. You write, don't you?"

"I write stories and stuff sometimes, sometimes poems."

"That's perfect. I'm good with music, but I'm terrible at lyrics. We could work together and make a song."

"Do iiitttt!" Hanna encouraged. "It'd be soo goooodd!"

"Yeah," Aria said, considering his suggestion. "We could do that. It might be fun."


[Links to all songs from this scene in my profile.

Caleb - Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down (my second choice was for Caleb to sing Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind, but I'm not sure he could hit some of those high notes )

Spencer - Fields of Gold by Sting

Aria w/ Caleb - We Are Young by Fun. (yes, I know this song didn't exist yet. I don't care.) and Closing Time by Semisonic]