Chapter 34: Drew's Confession
"Now, let's welcome to the stage...Daisy!"
Tons of applause and cheers sounded for May/Daisy. May took a deep breath.
"So you did sign up." Dawn said.
"Yep." May said. She stood up and walked up on stage.
She held the microphone in the stand. The music started playing.
("Let's see how this goes…") Drew thought.
(This song is "You Can't Stop The Girl" by Bebe Rexha.)
May took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Oh, they tryna shoot down angels. They tryna pull their wings off. So they can't fly." The boys are all enraptured by her voice. "And oh, but she's so brave though. Just like a tornado. She's taking us by storm."
May opened her eyes. "You can't stop the girl from going. You can't stop the world from knowing. The truth will set you free, oh." Drew's eyes widened. "You can't stop the girl from going. You can't stop the world from knowing. The truth will set you free, oh."
"Guys." Drew said. The gang looked at him.
"What is it?" Ash asked.
"You can't stop the girl." May continued.
"That's the song." Drew said.
"They tryna take our voices. They tryna make our choices. So we scream loud, loud, loud." May gained more confidence up on the stage.
"What song?" Dawn asked.
"The song from the beginning of the school year when I heard that mystery singer in the choir room. She's been right in front of me the entire time." Everyone looked back at May.
"Your mystery girl was the one who's been singing in front of you a lot and yet you never realized it?" Dawn asked.
"I guess I just wanted to hear this song again." Drew said. "To know the mystery girl for real."
"And oh, I know you feel the lightning. And it's so exciting. So here we come." May sang with all her heart and she took out the microphone and moved the stand to the side.
"You can't stop the girl from going. You can't stop the world from knowing." May glances at Drew and looks away, getting nervous again. "The truth will set you free, oh."
("She looked at me. What's she planning?") Drew thought.
"You can't stop the girl from going. You can't stop the world from knowing. The truth will set you free, oh." May continued as she glanced over at the audience. May backed up on stage. "You can't stop the girl."
May closed her eyes and her head was tilted down to the microphone. "You can't stop the girl. You can't stop the girl." May opened her eyes and sang with confidence back in her voice. She moved her left hand up to her forehead and clawed her head, holding her wig. "No you can't stop the girl." She sang as she pulled off the wig and showed her brunette hair. Everyone in the audience gasped at the sight of the Princess. May dropped the wig on the floor. Drew's mouth hung open.
May sang softly again. "Oh, I know you feel the lightning. And it's so exciting. So here we come." The music came to a stop.
It was silent for a moment before the theater erupted into applause for the Princess of Hoenn.
"She's the Princess?!" Gary yelled.
"And she's kept it hidden for the whole school year…" Drew said.
May smiled at the applause that she's receiving. She put the microphone back in the stand. At that same time, Drew got up and walked to the hostess. May picked up her wig and walked back to her seat and noticed that Drew wasn't there.
"Hey, where's Drew?" May asked.
"Umm...y-your...the…" Dawn stuttered.
"Guys, where's Drew?" May asked again.
"Umm right. We actually don't know. He just got up and left somewhere." Gary said.
May frowned. "Oh. Okay." She sat in the empty seat at the end of the row.
"P-Princess…" Gary stuttered. Everyone in the theater was trying to look at May from where they're sitting.
"Please you guys, it's just May." May said.
"Attention everybody, we have a last minute entry! Please welcome to the stage...Drew!" The announcer said.
"Did she just say Drew?" May asked.
"I think so." Dawn said.
"I wonder why he decided to do this last minute." Ash said.
The lights dimmed and the theater got pitch black. No one can see anything. Music started playing.
(This song is "Beautiful Soul" by Jesse McCartney.)
Everyone heard Drew's voice singing in the darkness. "I don't want another pretty face. I don't want just anyone to hold. I don't want my love to go to waste. I want you and your beautiful soul."
("That's Drew singing?") May thought. The lights flipped on and everyone saw Drew on stage holding the microphone while it's in the stand. Everyone started applauding because Drew made his appearance.
"I know that you are something special." Drew sang to one specific person at the back of the theater. "To you, I'd be always faithful. I want to be what you always needed." Everyone was staring at Drew in awe of his amazing singing voice. "Then I hope you'll see the heart in me."
("Is he looking at me?") May thought.
Drew started slowly walking down the stage's stairs after grabbing the microphone out of the stand. "I don't want another pretty face. I don't want just anyone to hold." He never lost eye contact with May. He continued slowly walking towards May with a spotlight following him, and everyone was watching him. "I don't want my love to go to waste. I want you and your beautiful soul."
"You're the one I wanna chase. You're the one I wanna hold." The gang finally noticed who he's looking at and they all turn to look at May. May just focuses on watching Drew. "I won't let another minute go to waste. I want you and your beautiful soul."
Everyone still watched as Drew approached May. "Your beautiful soul." Drew sang. Drew stopped when he got to May and he continued to look into her eyes. May is sitting at the end seat of the row.
"You might need time to think it over. But I'm just fine moving forward." May never lost eye contact with Drew. "I'll ease your mind if you give me the chance. I will never make you cry," Drew reached out his hand to May while singing in the microphone in his other hand. "C'mon let's try."
"I don't want another pretty face." Drew sang as May slowly reached out and took his hand. "I don't want just anyone to hold. I don't want my love to go to waste." Drew raised his hand a little, signaling May to stand up. She stood up, staring into Drew's eyes. "I want you and your beautiful soul." Drew lowered their hands at their side.
"You're the one I wanna chase. You're the one I wanna hold. I won't let another minute go to waste. I want you and your beautiful soul." May smiled and looked down at their hands. The spotlight is still on them and all eyes are still on them.
Drew released her hand and lifted her head up to look at him again. "Am I crazy for wanting you? Baby do you think you could want me too? I don't want to waste your time."
Drew released May's face and pulled out a rose. "Do you see things the way I do?" He sang as he gently placed the rose in May's hair. "I just want to know that you feel it too. Cause there is nothing left to hide." May blushed.
"I don't want another pretty face. I don't want just anyone to hold." Drew took May's hand in his again. "I don't want my love to go to waste. I want you and your beautiful soul."
"You're the one I wanna chase. You're the one I wanna hold. I won't let another minute go to waste. I want you and your soul."
"I don't want another pretty face. I don't want just anyone to hold. I don't want my love to go to waste. I want you and your beautiful soul." May and Drew are still looking into each other's eyes and their hands are intertwined. "Your beautiful soul."
"Oh, your beautiful soul." The music stopped. It was silent for a moment until everyone in the theater started clapping. Drew and May smiled and still didn't turn away from each other.
"Princess-" Drew started but got cut off when May put her finger on his lips to quiet him.
"Please...It's just May." May said. Drew smiled.
"Thank you for that wonderful song Drew." The announcer said up on stage. Drew and May finally looked away from each other to the stage. Everyone else looked to the stage as well.
"I'm sure everyone here will like to know what that song means to you." The announcer said. Everyone looked at Drew and May again.
May blushed and turned away from Drew, looking down. "Well…" Drew said as he reached over and cupped May's face to turn it to face him. May's face was red and they were looking into each other's eyes again.
"I wanted that song to tell you how I feel." Drew said. May's blush got worse.
"I...umm…" Was all May said.
"I love you May." Drew said. They could hear a lot of gasps from the audience.
"Drew…" May said sadly, looking down.
"Do you feel the same for me?" Drew asked, hopeful.
May didn't answer and Drew started to get worried. People started whispering from the audience.
Drew lifted May's head up again to look her in her eyes. He saw sadness in her eyes. It didn't seem like she was sad because she doesn't love him back. She was sad because of something else.
"What's wrong?" Drew said quietly to May.
"I can't." May answered quietly.
"Umm...what's going on over there?" The announcer said. All eyes are still on them.
"Drew, I'm sorry." May said. She pushed Drew back and ran out of the theater. Drew stood there surprised and shocked at May's reaction.
"Drew, what happened?" Dawn asked.
"I don't know…" Drew answered.
Drew glanced over at the audience and at the announcer. He turned back to the gang. "I'm going to go find her."
"We should come too." Dawn said.
"No. I need to talk to her myself." Drew said. He ran out of the theater, looking for May.
"Okay…" the announcer said. "Well, that brings us to the end of this talent show. Please remember to cast your votes on the piece of paper you received as you walked in here."
"May? May, where are you?" Drew called while walking down a hall. "May, I'm sorry if you were embarrassed. I didn't mean to make you feel that way, I just…" Drew's voice trailed off.
Drew walked to the front entrance of the school and saw May sitting on the bench, looking down. He approached her. May heard footsteps coming closer, but she still didn't look up.
"May." Drew said once he stopped in front of her. She didn't bother looking up at him.
Before Drew could say anything else, the front doors of the school opened and two royal guards walked inside.
"Hey, what are you doing near the Princess that close?" A guard asked Drew.
"What did you do to her?" The other guard asked once he noticed that May was looking down.
"I did nothing to her." Drew said.
"A likely story." The first guard said. He walked over to Drew and grabbed him by the shirt. "Leave. Now."
May looked up and immediately stood up. "Hey! Let go of him!"
"Listen Princess, we're here to protect you from this commoner." The guard said.
"I said let him go." May said, eyes furrowed.
After a moment, the guard let go of Drew.
"Are you okay?" May asked, worriedly. Drew just nodded.
"Good." May said. She turned to the guards. "What business do you have being here?"
"We saw from outside this boy approaching you very slowly." A guard said.
"And so we had to make sure you were safe from him." The other guard said.
"Okay. Now you guys can leave." May said.
"Umm…" A guard said. May glared at them. "As you wish Your Highness." They bowed and left.
"May, listen-" Drew said.
"It's not your fault Drew." May cut him off.
Drew cocked his head. "It isn't?"
"Of course not." May said. "You sang that song to tell me how you feel. It's not your fault that I ran."
"...why did you run?" Drew questioned.
"It's just…" May started. "I'm not...allowed to date commoners. You've heard of those Princes that visit the castle to court the Princess, right?"
Drew nodded his head.
"My parents want me to choose one of them." May said. "I don't get to decide if I choose someone who isn't a Prince. That's why I ran. I didn't want to...say that I like you too if...my parents won't allow it.
"Like?" Drew questioned.
May looked at the floor. "Love is a strong word." She said. "And...how do I know that you won't break my heart? That's why it's only 'like'."
"I...can understand that." Drew said. "But I just want you to know that...I can honestly say that I've loved you since I first saw you."
"Really?"
Drew nodded and lifted May's chin up with his pointer finger. "Yes. I immediately noticed how...beautiful your eyes are." May blushed.
Drew continued. He let go of May's chin. "And even as Daisy, I knew I saw your face before. It was the one with the beautiful sapphire blue eyes that I loved. And even now...I know who I've been looking for all this time."
"Really? Who?" May asked, smiling.
Drew returned the smile. "You." Drew took May's hand in his. "You're the girl I heard all those months ago. The mystery girl with the most beautiful voice."
"Drew…"
"Listen May," Drew said and he let go of May's hand. "I know what I feel for you for real now. And that's love. I've...never felt this strongly about anyone else before, but you...you came into my life and didn't treat me like a celebrity. You actually care about my personality, unlike all my fangirls."
"See? That's the thing." May said. "I want to say I more than like you Drew, I really do, but...something could just happen between you and a fan that-"
"Nothing will happen." Drew cut May off.
May frowned. "You can't promise that."
"But May-"
"I'm sorry Drew." May cut Drew off. "Even if I like you as more than a friend, I've told you that my parents won't let me date anyone. The part that I didn't say is that they only want me to date Princes."
"But I don't want to lose you to someone else. I've finally found my mystery girl. You thought that it wasn't you, but it was. Your voice is the one that spoke to me. When I first heard you sing that song, I could tell that you felt trapped. Now I understand."
"What?" May questioned.
"You really don't like the rule that you have to marry a Prince, huh?"
May looked down again. "I just…"
Drew waited for an answer from May, but nothing came. He took the silence as a yes that she doesn't like the rule, but he decides to just drop the topic. It looks like he may be taking this conversation too far. She clearly likes him, but she just doesn't want to admit that she loves him. He lifts her chin up again with his index finger.
"I'll drop the topic." Drew said. "You clearly don't want to talk about this and I don't want to see you sad."
"Drew…"
Drew lowered his hand. He gave May a smile. "Just...think about what I told you, okay?"
After a moment, May smiled and nodded. "I will."