Hey guys! Sorry this took so long to post buy my laptop crashed -______-
Can u believe it? *sigh* Well, here it is! A new chapter! I used Heart
of Sword from Kenshin and Strangers from Wolf's Rain in this chapter, and I
don't own either! HA! Ain't fanfiction grand? Well, I just want to
add...
Lady Shadow-san: I can't believe someone poured pink paint all over ur picture! That's just not nice! Ok, it seems like it WOULD be funny, but not on Farfarfello! For goodness' sake, not Farfarfello! Well, tell me when u are done and send me a scan or a link to where it is if u put it on the net or anything! I really wanna see it! ~_^ Well, I've never read a book on cutting yourself, but as a teenager with lost of angsty friends, I hear a lot about their little excursions in pain. A few who cut themselves have told me how they feel and everything and I just thought maybe Farfarfello would feel the same. Yeah, but I don't do it - lol. Too happy, I guess. AND I DON'T ADVISE IT!! Haha.
Kamazova: Thanks for your review! Glad I could make u feel special! Wow! U can see Aya-chan having a Christian influence on her brother? Good! I wasn't sure how people would respond to that! Sorry, I guess even I forget what her and Hiromi are doing, but guess what! This chapter has the contest, so u don't have to worry about it any more!
Misura: Thank you also! Yes, I think Crawford can be charming - if he wants to! Well, yes, Megan and Farfarfello's relationship is actually based off of two of my friends. They met (through me, I am sad to say) and are totally morbid together. It's awful. I never saw it coming and now I am kicking myself for it. She has even fallen in love with him! But it's a scary sort of obsessive love. Ack. What to do? What to do?
Heaven Star: Thanks for saying this is getting darker and more intense. This is actually a lighter, fluffier chapter, but I promise the next two are VERY dark and VERY sad. (Hint: There's a death - and it's not Farf's) Well, the comment 'that was the original plan' was meant to be slightly humorous, but I wasn't sure if anyone would catch that. Good for u! Family dinners, huh? Mine are pretty much like that too.
Any: I have no idea who u are, but keep reviewing and I'm sorry I took so long.
On with the fic!
~~~~~
Bonnie met Farfarfello in the flower shop, taking an early break that they might talk. She led him back into the small storage room, clicked on the light, and turned to face him, arms crossed. "Alright, Farfarfello," she said, "admit that you care. You care about people a lot more than you used to."
He sighed, looking at her scornfully. "Ight, lassie," he grunted. "I'll say it. I care."
She smiled. "So, now the real healing begins."
He glared at her warily, trying to intimidate her once again. Unfortunately, last night's telephone call had totally wrecked his image.
"Drop the tough facade, please," she said more softly, reaching out to take his face gently in her hands. He shied away at first, but when his back hit the wall and he realized there was no place to go, he merely stiffened and allowed her to cup both palms around his cheeks. "Look into my eyes now," she cajoled, and he turned his averted, golden orb towards her own two. His hands tried to raise to push hers down, but he yelped at the pain of straining his still tender wounds. "Farfarfello, you can trust me. Understand?"
"Yes."
"Can I trust you?"
He hesitantly shook his head.
"We'll get you there, then," she promised. "You're just going to have to work with me. Are you willing to work with me?"
Slowly, he dipped his chin down in a nod.
Bonnie grinned. "Here we go then."
~~~~~
"Today was the last day of school AND you've got a singing contest," Marianna teased her daughter playfully as she helped to tie her long, soft curls up into a ponytail. "Hold still now. You want me to get this straight, right?"
"Yes, mama," she replied obediently, continuing to fidget. This was it. The big day. She and Hiromi would be singing together in the contest that they had been stressing over ever since April, and, believe it or not, they had compiled a number of songs to create a stunning montage of music. Both felt fairly confident they'd be bringing home the prize.
"Done," said Marianna, stepping back to admire her handiwork. She smiled proudly. "You look so pretty, Bonnie."
"Thank you," she replied with an equally pleased grin, starting towards the front door with a bounce in her step. She felt as if she looked very nice, actually, dressed in a new outfit her mother had bought her especially for the occasion. Her shirt was very pretty - well-fitted with bell sleeves, satiny shades of dark blue and periwinkle, milky white stars drifting across from the shoulder to the hip, seeming to be falling from the heavens. Her skirt was plain black and knee-length, conforming to her legs and flaring at the bottom to nearly meet her shiny, knee-high boots, an ebony hat setting atop her head to complete the picture.
Marianna followed Bonnie out to the front porch, sitting down while her daughter remained standing, the two waiting for Hiromi to come pick her up that they might make all required preparations.
An expensive-looking black car pulled up and the door opened, releasing Brad Crawford as he jumped out, seeming pretty happy himself. Ironically, the back seat produced both Aya and Omi. All three approached the house, the youngest of the trio smiling broadly in greeting.
"Hey guys!" Bonnie cried, waving enthusiastically.
Brad smiled, lifting his hand in return. "Good afternoon!" he called in English, but after seeing Marianna's look of concern at hearing the near foreign language, he switched to Japanese. "Bonnie, we came to congratulate you."
"I haven't won yet!" she joked.
"Not on that - on Farfarfello! He was showing amazing progress, so we had him tested today and he was - not to my surprise - proved clinically sane. You did it, Bonnie! You made him Jei again!"
Marianna smiled kindly. "Perhaps we should try dinner again, then?"
"Really, momma?!" Bonnie's hands clenched into fists in her intense excitement. So much good news! "Where is he now? I want to congratulate him myself!"
"He's back home getting ready to come watch your performance. He's very adamant about coming to watch you." Omi chuckled. "We'll be there too."
Bonnie raised her eyebrows. "Even you, Aya?"
He lowered his guard for just a moment to let a small smile slip through. "Even me. I haven't gone anywhere just for fun for a long time."
"Wow! Social butterfly, Aya!"
The glare he cautiously sent her way, just enough to let her know he was displeased and not enough to scare her mother, let Bonnie know she had crossed a line.
"Eh, sorry, sir," she apologized, switching into flower shop mode. "That was rude." But a wink from Omi assured her it was also humorous.
"So, you look very nice, Bonnie," Brad cut in. "How do you feel?"
"Nervous and excited! I want Hiromi to win that motorcycle so we can ride it to school our senior year!"
Marianna sent her daughter a careful look. "I don't know about that," she said slowly, unsure of herself. "He'll be taking me on a test ride before you go with him."
"Mama! He goes to our church! What more could you want?"
A lot more, that's what Marianna's look said. Only the best for her baby.
"Oh, and he's here!" Bonnie exclaimed, running down the driveway to meet Hiromi as he pulled up in his father's beat up truck. "We'll see all you there! Bye!"
~~~~~
"We're late, we're late, we're late..." grumbled Farfarfello from the back seat, nervously drumming his fingers in the window. It was dark - Bonnie would be starting her number in about five minutes. They were ten minutes away.
Brad, who was driving, rolled his eyes. "Calm down."
Aya, from the seat beside him, said nothing, though his eyes were closed and his lips moved in silence as he counted backwards from the number ten. The Irishman had been complaining about their tardiness the whole ride.
"We'll get there for at least SOME of the number!" Nagi tried to intervene, though even he was growing agitated.
Farfarfello, though, could not stop fidgeting. He had dressed up nice for this event, too. Granted, it was the same black turtleneck and jeans he had worn to her house, but it was still a lot nicer than what he normally attired himself in. "I wonder how she's doing...?" he murmured thoughtfully.
~~~~~
"Bonnie, you're going to have to FOLLOW me if you want to go onstage." Hiromi had turned around shortly after coming to the edge of the curtain and realizing that his partner was not close behind. In fact, she was clutching to a pole by the wall and shaking her head in panic.
"But I don't wanna go onstage," she said timidly, tightening her grip and swallowing hard. "Is it too late to back out?"
"Yes."
"Hiromi, I can't sing!"
"You can sing the songs we picked! You're voice is just right for those!" When the music began to play, Hiromi panicked as well. Running back to retrieve the girl, he grabbed her wrist, yanked her free, and the two stumbled onstage just in time for the crowd to explode in applause. Hiromi quickly adjusted both microphone stands and pulled up a tall, spindly- legged bar stool that he had placed nearby earlier. Smiling, he patted the seat and motioned for Bonnie to come over. Much to the crowd's amusement, she shook her head. He nodded. She gave in and walked over, sitting down and accepting the guitar he handed her, placing her fingers on the strings. The music already playing faded, just a background beat, and she began to take over, picking at the strings with nimble fingers. Hiromi had taught her just enough to make it through the contest. Meanwhile, Hiromi took his place up front, and began to sing.
The three judges perked up, the song instantly catching each one's attention. To win over the one who loved anime, Hiromi had chosen the ending theme song for Rurouni Kenshin to start off with - Heart of Sword. In order to get the vote of the woman judge who favored softer songs, Hiromi had rewritten the song into an acoustic version. And as the final touch, Bonnie had consented to sing some of the lyrics in English, even throwing in some Spanish lyrics under his singing - if only for the judge who had recently spent a year in Europe and loved it.
"Hitori de wa, tooi ashita wo ... Yoake no mama de, koesou de..." Hiromi had a good singing voice. Soft and velvety yet strong. He sounded confident and gentle. He looked it too. "Butsukatteikya kokeru omoi yo - Konya mo mata, sure chigai..." His hands gripped the mic stand a bit tighter as the beat grew stronger, louder, as did his voice, though not faster, for they had fashioned most of it to be on the slower side. Bonnie echoed him quietly in Spanish, almost a whisper of ethnicity, during the pauses. "Sanzan sugite doryoku no ato mo - Naku naru kekka, only no tsuna watari. Yaru dake son suru yona, mainichi wa - Sha ni kamaeteta hou koso, raku ni naru." There was a pause in the singing as he turned to look back at Bonnie, who was supposed to join in. She didn't. Just kept strumming absent-mindedly, the same part over and over again. With a smile, he said clearly into the microphone, in broken English, "Close your eyes, Bonnie."
She complied, drew in a deep breath, and surprised herself with the strength and clarity of her voice as she sang out, "Hiding myself..."
Hiromi joined in, crooning as he finished the verse in Japanese, "Tsurarai..."
"Heated and..."
"Kakushite..."
"Living only a short time." Bonnie paused before the chorus, breathing deeply, and then plunged in. "Tomorrow feels far away and lonely but I think... That I'll survive as long as it's still the dawn... If I let my emotions free, my dreams will once again not go well..." Even Hiromi looked impressed when she finished up. Her voice had been perfect for the part - slightly deep and a little bit raspy when she sang, wavering slightly. The words hadn't been the exact translation, but sounded much better, both had decided. The judges apparently thought so too.
The music suddenly changed. Their special effects kicked in, colored lights swaying and crossing the stage, passing quickly over Hiromi and Bonnie. The stereos behind her picked up with a heavy bass and a faster pace, some sort of horn playing in the background. For the song, 'Strangers' by Yoko Kanno (sung by Raj Ramayya), Hiromi and Bonnie had decided it best to cut straight to the chorus, since the beginning was a little slow. This was now Bonnie's forte, for she had near mastered the art of this particular song, having practiced every day for months. Her voice wasn't quite as deep or melodiously beautiful as the actual artist's, but it was close enough.
Hiromi winked encouragingly at her, but something else caught her attention. A wiry man in a black turtleneck was shouldering his way through the crowd to get as close to the stage as possible, his white hair ocassionally changing colors with the strobe lights that flooded over him. Farfarfello. He was staring at her, only at her, smiling, eye shining in almost a proud manner., and she grinned back. With a rush of excitement and happiness, she began to drum her palms on the guitar to the beat, no longer needing to play. And then she leaned in close to the microphone and began her solo.
"We've found a kind of paradise beyond the desert's dunes." A pause. "We've walked the earth in solitude, so cold we need the warmth of sun." Just a heartbeat. "We've lived the life that we could live, we see the truth magic that begins... Searching for something new... Isle of gold in flowers bloom."
Now was Hiromi's turn at another solo. He also sang in English, though his was heavily accented, which only added to the feel of it all. "We've found a kind of paradise, below a sky so new. We've weaved a web of mystery so wide, we need the light of day," he sang, fast and upbeat, the rhythm flowing through his words and body as he swayed slightly, reaching out his hand to the crowd, who in turn felt the energy of the music. People had actually begun to dance or at least tap their foot. "We've worn the cloak of secret lives, we've seen the truth, magic that we send... Searching for something new... Isle of Gold in flowers bloom."
Together, he and Bonnie finished up in duet, their voices blending perfectly. "So when... will it end...? So when... When will we meet my friend? So when... Will it end? So when... so when will we meet my friend?"
Only two songs. That's all they had been able to put together. But it was good - it really was. Turning Heart of Sword into an acoustic piece so it mixed well with Strangers had been a stroke of genius - and the English and Japanese with a few of Bonnie's Spanish undertones was great. The judges discussed all this while the two took their bows and made their way backstage. And so it was decided. Bonnie and Hiromi had won.
When it was announced, Hiromi dashed on stage, holding Bonnie by the hand, and had smilingly accepted the trophy. Farfarfello watched with a smile, glad the girl had won and that she was so happy. He wanted to see her, to let her know he was watching and he was pleased. He raised his hand to wave, but she didn't see, for at that exact moment, Hiromi kissed her on the cheek and she was absorbed only in him.
Farfarfello's hand dropped. His smile faded. He turned and walked slowly away, making his way through the still surging crowd. No one even noticed his exit. Well, except Nagi. Always Farfarfello's baby-sitter. The young man frowned and looked up at Bonnie to see if she had noticed, but she was still laughing and making breathless comments about how surprised and happy she was. Hiromi had his arm around her, smiling and waving to their new fans.
By the time she would even go to look for him, he'd probably be long gone.
~~~~~
REVIEW!!!
Lady Shadow-san: I can't believe someone poured pink paint all over ur picture! That's just not nice! Ok, it seems like it WOULD be funny, but not on Farfarfello! For goodness' sake, not Farfarfello! Well, tell me when u are done and send me a scan or a link to where it is if u put it on the net or anything! I really wanna see it! ~_^ Well, I've never read a book on cutting yourself, but as a teenager with lost of angsty friends, I hear a lot about their little excursions in pain. A few who cut themselves have told me how they feel and everything and I just thought maybe Farfarfello would feel the same. Yeah, but I don't do it - lol. Too happy, I guess. AND I DON'T ADVISE IT!! Haha.
Kamazova: Thanks for your review! Glad I could make u feel special! Wow! U can see Aya-chan having a Christian influence on her brother? Good! I wasn't sure how people would respond to that! Sorry, I guess even I forget what her and Hiromi are doing, but guess what! This chapter has the contest, so u don't have to worry about it any more!
Misura: Thank you also! Yes, I think Crawford can be charming - if he wants to! Well, yes, Megan and Farfarfello's relationship is actually based off of two of my friends. They met (through me, I am sad to say) and are totally morbid together. It's awful. I never saw it coming and now I am kicking myself for it. She has even fallen in love with him! But it's a scary sort of obsessive love. Ack. What to do? What to do?
Heaven Star: Thanks for saying this is getting darker and more intense. This is actually a lighter, fluffier chapter, but I promise the next two are VERY dark and VERY sad. (Hint: There's a death - and it's not Farf's) Well, the comment 'that was the original plan' was meant to be slightly humorous, but I wasn't sure if anyone would catch that. Good for u! Family dinners, huh? Mine are pretty much like that too.
Any: I have no idea who u are, but keep reviewing and I'm sorry I took so long.
On with the fic!
~~~~~
Bonnie met Farfarfello in the flower shop, taking an early break that they might talk. She led him back into the small storage room, clicked on the light, and turned to face him, arms crossed. "Alright, Farfarfello," she said, "admit that you care. You care about people a lot more than you used to."
He sighed, looking at her scornfully. "Ight, lassie," he grunted. "I'll say it. I care."
She smiled. "So, now the real healing begins."
He glared at her warily, trying to intimidate her once again. Unfortunately, last night's telephone call had totally wrecked his image.
"Drop the tough facade, please," she said more softly, reaching out to take his face gently in her hands. He shied away at first, but when his back hit the wall and he realized there was no place to go, he merely stiffened and allowed her to cup both palms around his cheeks. "Look into my eyes now," she cajoled, and he turned his averted, golden orb towards her own two. His hands tried to raise to push hers down, but he yelped at the pain of straining his still tender wounds. "Farfarfello, you can trust me. Understand?"
"Yes."
"Can I trust you?"
He hesitantly shook his head.
"We'll get you there, then," she promised. "You're just going to have to work with me. Are you willing to work with me?"
Slowly, he dipped his chin down in a nod.
Bonnie grinned. "Here we go then."
~~~~~
"Today was the last day of school AND you've got a singing contest," Marianna teased her daughter playfully as she helped to tie her long, soft curls up into a ponytail. "Hold still now. You want me to get this straight, right?"
"Yes, mama," she replied obediently, continuing to fidget. This was it. The big day. She and Hiromi would be singing together in the contest that they had been stressing over ever since April, and, believe it or not, they had compiled a number of songs to create a stunning montage of music. Both felt fairly confident they'd be bringing home the prize.
"Done," said Marianna, stepping back to admire her handiwork. She smiled proudly. "You look so pretty, Bonnie."
"Thank you," she replied with an equally pleased grin, starting towards the front door with a bounce in her step. She felt as if she looked very nice, actually, dressed in a new outfit her mother had bought her especially for the occasion. Her shirt was very pretty - well-fitted with bell sleeves, satiny shades of dark blue and periwinkle, milky white stars drifting across from the shoulder to the hip, seeming to be falling from the heavens. Her skirt was plain black and knee-length, conforming to her legs and flaring at the bottom to nearly meet her shiny, knee-high boots, an ebony hat setting atop her head to complete the picture.
Marianna followed Bonnie out to the front porch, sitting down while her daughter remained standing, the two waiting for Hiromi to come pick her up that they might make all required preparations.
An expensive-looking black car pulled up and the door opened, releasing Brad Crawford as he jumped out, seeming pretty happy himself. Ironically, the back seat produced both Aya and Omi. All three approached the house, the youngest of the trio smiling broadly in greeting.
"Hey guys!" Bonnie cried, waving enthusiastically.
Brad smiled, lifting his hand in return. "Good afternoon!" he called in English, but after seeing Marianna's look of concern at hearing the near foreign language, he switched to Japanese. "Bonnie, we came to congratulate you."
"I haven't won yet!" she joked.
"Not on that - on Farfarfello! He was showing amazing progress, so we had him tested today and he was - not to my surprise - proved clinically sane. You did it, Bonnie! You made him Jei again!"
Marianna smiled kindly. "Perhaps we should try dinner again, then?"
"Really, momma?!" Bonnie's hands clenched into fists in her intense excitement. So much good news! "Where is he now? I want to congratulate him myself!"
"He's back home getting ready to come watch your performance. He's very adamant about coming to watch you." Omi chuckled. "We'll be there too."
Bonnie raised her eyebrows. "Even you, Aya?"
He lowered his guard for just a moment to let a small smile slip through. "Even me. I haven't gone anywhere just for fun for a long time."
"Wow! Social butterfly, Aya!"
The glare he cautiously sent her way, just enough to let her know he was displeased and not enough to scare her mother, let Bonnie know she had crossed a line.
"Eh, sorry, sir," she apologized, switching into flower shop mode. "That was rude." But a wink from Omi assured her it was also humorous.
"So, you look very nice, Bonnie," Brad cut in. "How do you feel?"
"Nervous and excited! I want Hiromi to win that motorcycle so we can ride it to school our senior year!"
Marianna sent her daughter a careful look. "I don't know about that," she said slowly, unsure of herself. "He'll be taking me on a test ride before you go with him."
"Mama! He goes to our church! What more could you want?"
A lot more, that's what Marianna's look said. Only the best for her baby.
"Oh, and he's here!" Bonnie exclaimed, running down the driveway to meet Hiromi as he pulled up in his father's beat up truck. "We'll see all you there! Bye!"
~~~~~
"We're late, we're late, we're late..." grumbled Farfarfello from the back seat, nervously drumming his fingers in the window. It was dark - Bonnie would be starting her number in about five minutes. They were ten minutes away.
Brad, who was driving, rolled his eyes. "Calm down."
Aya, from the seat beside him, said nothing, though his eyes were closed and his lips moved in silence as he counted backwards from the number ten. The Irishman had been complaining about their tardiness the whole ride.
"We'll get there for at least SOME of the number!" Nagi tried to intervene, though even he was growing agitated.
Farfarfello, though, could not stop fidgeting. He had dressed up nice for this event, too. Granted, it was the same black turtleneck and jeans he had worn to her house, but it was still a lot nicer than what he normally attired himself in. "I wonder how she's doing...?" he murmured thoughtfully.
~~~~~
"Bonnie, you're going to have to FOLLOW me if you want to go onstage." Hiromi had turned around shortly after coming to the edge of the curtain and realizing that his partner was not close behind. In fact, she was clutching to a pole by the wall and shaking her head in panic.
"But I don't wanna go onstage," she said timidly, tightening her grip and swallowing hard. "Is it too late to back out?"
"Yes."
"Hiromi, I can't sing!"
"You can sing the songs we picked! You're voice is just right for those!" When the music began to play, Hiromi panicked as well. Running back to retrieve the girl, he grabbed her wrist, yanked her free, and the two stumbled onstage just in time for the crowd to explode in applause. Hiromi quickly adjusted both microphone stands and pulled up a tall, spindly- legged bar stool that he had placed nearby earlier. Smiling, he patted the seat and motioned for Bonnie to come over. Much to the crowd's amusement, she shook her head. He nodded. She gave in and walked over, sitting down and accepting the guitar he handed her, placing her fingers on the strings. The music already playing faded, just a background beat, and she began to take over, picking at the strings with nimble fingers. Hiromi had taught her just enough to make it through the contest. Meanwhile, Hiromi took his place up front, and began to sing.
The three judges perked up, the song instantly catching each one's attention. To win over the one who loved anime, Hiromi had chosen the ending theme song for Rurouni Kenshin to start off with - Heart of Sword. In order to get the vote of the woman judge who favored softer songs, Hiromi had rewritten the song into an acoustic version. And as the final touch, Bonnie had consented to sing some of the lyrics in English, even throwing in some Spanish lyrics under his singing - if only for the judge who had recently spent a year in Europe and loved it.
"Hitori de wa, tooi ashita wo ... Yoake no mama de, koesou de..." Hiromi had a good singing voice. Soft and velvety yet strong. He sounded confident and gentle. He looked it too. "Butsukatteikya kokeru omoi yo - Konya mo mata, sure chigai..." His hands gripped the mic stand a bit tighter as the beat grew stronger, louder, as did his voice, though not faster, for they had fashioned most of it to be on the slower side. Bonnie echoed him quietly in Spanish, almost a whisper of ethnicity, during the pauses. "Sanzan sugite doryoku no ato mo - Naku naru kekka, only no tsuna watari. Yaru dake son suru yona, mainichi wa - Sha ni kamaeteta hou koso, raku ni naru." There was a pause in the singing as he turned to look back at Bonnie, who was supposed to join in. She didn't. Just kept strumming absent-mindedly, the same part over and over again. With a smile, he said clearly into the microphone, in broken English, "Close your eyes, Bonnie."
She complied, drew in a deep breath, and surprised herself with the strength and clarity of her voice as she sang out, "Hiding myself..."
Hiromi joined in, crooning as he finished the verse in Japanese, "Tsurarai..."
"Heated and..."
"Kakushite..."
"Living only a short time." Bonnie paused before the chorus, breathing deeply, and then plunged in. "Tomorrow feels far away and lonely but I think... That I'll survive as long as it's still the dawn... If I let my emotions free, my dreams will once again not go well..." Even Hiromi looked impressed when she finished up. Her voice had been perfect for the part - slightly deep and a little bit raspy when she sang, wavering slightly. The words hadn't been the exact translation, but sounded much better, both had decided. The judges apparently thought so too.
The music suddenly changed. Their special effects kicked in, colored lights swaying and crossing the stage, passing quickly over Hiromi and Bonnie. The stereos behind her picked up with a heavy bass and a faster pace, some sort of horn playing in the background. For the song, 'Strangers' by Yoko Kanno (sung by Raj Ramayya), Hiromi and Bonnie had decided it best to cut straight to the chorus, since the beginning was a little slow. This was now Bonnie's forte, for she had near mastered the art of this particular song, having practiced every day for months. Her voice wasn't quite as deep or melodiously beautiful as the actual artist's, but it was close enough.
Hiromi winked encouragingly at her, but something else caught her attention. A wiry man in a black turtleneck was shouldering his way through the crowd to get as close to the stage as possible, his white hair ocassionally changing colors with the strobe lights that flooded over him. Farfarfello. He was staring at her, only at her, smiling, eye shining in almost a proud manner., and she grinned back. With a rush of excitement and happiness, she began to drum her palms on the guitar to the beat, no longer needing to play. And then she leaned in close to the microphone and began her solo.
"We've found a kind of paradise beyond the desert's dunes." A pause. "We've walked the earth in solitude, so cold we need the warmth of sun." Just a heartbeat. "We've lived the life that we could live, we see the truth magic that begins... Searching for something new... Isle of gold in flowers bloom."
Now was Hiromi's turn at another solo. He also sang in English, though his was heavily accented, which only added to the feel of it all. "We've found a kind of paradise, below a sky so new. We've weaved a web of mystery so wide, we need the light of day," he sang, fast and upbeat, the rhythm flowing through his words and body as he swayed slightly, reaching out his hand to the crowd, who in turn felt the energy of the music. People had actually begun to dance or at least tap their foot. "We've worn the cloak of secret lives, we've seen the truth, magic that we send... Searching for something new... Isle of Gold in flowers bloom."
Together, he and Bonnie finished up in duet, their voices blending perfectly. "So when... will it end...? So when... When will we meet my friend? So when... Will it end? So when... so when will we meet my friend?"
Only two songs. That's all they had been able to put together. But it was good - it really was. Turning Heart of Sword into an acoustic piece so it mixed well with Strangers had been a stroke of genius - and the English and Japanese with a few of Bonnie's Spanish undertones was great. The judges discussed all this while the two took their bows and made their way backstage. And so it was decided. Bonnie and Hiromi had won.
When it was announced, Hiromi dashed on stage, holding Bonnie by the hand, and had smilingly accepted the trophy. Farfarfello watched with a smile, glad the girl had won and that she was so happy. He wanted to see her, to let her know he was watching and he was pleased. He raised his hand to wave, but she didn't see, for at that exact moment, Hiromi kissed her on the cheek and she was absorbed only in him.
Farfarfello's hand dropped. His smile faded. He turned and walked slowly away, making his way through the still surging crowd. No one even noticed his exit. Well, except Nagi. Always Farfarfello's baby-sitter. The young man frowned and looked up at Bonnie to see if she had noticed, but she was still laughing and making breathless comments about how surprised and happy she was. Hiromi had his arm around her, smiling and waving to their new fans.
By the time she would even go to look for him, he'd probably be long gone.
~~~~~
REVIEW!!!