"Do you think I look okay?"
Mindy frowned.
"How many times have I told you that you look great?" she said, using exagerated hand movements.
I smiled as I looked in the mirror. I wanted to look good for my secret admirer, but everytime I thought about it I felt a pang of guilt inside, that I would quickly shake off everytime that I thought about it.
"Seriously?" I asked again.
"I'm your best friend, Victoria. Why would I lie to you?"
"I don't know," I replied, smoothing my skirt out.
"I heard that there is going to be a live performance there tonight."
My heart started to race, and my eyes widened.
"There is no way that I am going then," I said.
"Why not? You have to go, or your secret admirer will be very disappointed," she said, play scolding me.
"No! Matt is performing. I can't go, galavanting around with some stranger. He'll see me and then he will go smoke or something."
Mindy raised her eyebrows.
"I didn't know that he played anything."
"He didn't really tell anyone."
"Well, you need to go tonight. You think too much, and you just need to have fun for once. Don't think about what Matt thinks."
I thought for a second, and still had a guilty feeling in my stomach.
"But..."
"But, no, Victoria. Go tonight, and I will be there with you," she said, putting the rose behind my ear.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I scanned the room once again.
No Victoria.
I played a few popular covers, thinking that I might as well wait until she got there.
I launched into my rendition of No Such Thing, by John Mayer, still waiting. Looking into the crowd, I saw some familiar faces from school, but still, no Victoria.
My boss walked up, and handed me a cola as I played the ending chords.
"Great job. The crowd loves you," she said, patting me on the back.
"Thanks," I said, catching my breath.
I took a long drink from my cup, and looked at the door.
In walked Victoria and Mindy; Victoria with a skirt and a red shirt, with a red rose tucked behind her ear.
I beamed, and went into my last song before my speech, In my Life. I hoped that Victoria would remember it.
"There are places I remember. All my life..." I sang, watching her every move. She was looking for her "secret admirer", and she tried not to look at me.
All part of the plan.
"In my life, I love you more," I finshed, drawing applause from the crowd.
Victoria looked towards the stage, making brief eye contact with me, but quickly breaking it away. I cleared my throat, and thought to myself,
Here it goes.
"Hey, ya'll. Hope you are enjoying yourself tonight," I said, drawing hoots and hollars from the audience, including my good soccer friend Oscar.
"I just want to say something really quick. Ummm, I just want to say that I really messed up recently, pushing everyone that I loved away from me. I didn't realize what I did, until someone told me. I then I knew my mistake. So that is why I would like to dedicate this next song to the girl I love, Victoria Smith."
I watched as the entire crowd turned to look at Victoria, who had turned almost as red as her shirt. She turned to leave, but Mindy stood in front of her, blocking her from the exit.
"You sounded so good on the phone. All moved up and all moved on
Me and gravity, we never could agree. But I can almost see the sky
when I need to, I close my eyes. You're the only thing that's worth holding on to."
"Angel you sing about beautiful things, and all I want to do is believe. But I traded my dreams for this mess or memories, and they just stopped working for me."
"Now I'm not a monster I believe like a liar would believe. Helps me navigate the wooden smiles, the raging seas. And all my heros pull their heads. Like a fighter would, I guess. No one ever really likes getting older."
I stopped singing, and took a long drink of my coke. I cleared my throat again, and waited for the applause to subside.
"So, please. I know that I am not good enough for you, you are an angel. But please, let me have one more chance, and I will make it worth your while."
I found Victoria in the crowd again, and motioned to Mindy to make her come up to the stage. As I did this, Oscar started a chant in the audience.
"TAKE HIM BACK! TAKE HIM BACK!" he yelled, and soon the rest chimed in.
Victoria walked up to the stage, and nervously climbed up.
"Hi," she said, and an eerie silence took over the audience. I pulled the bouquet of roses that I had gotten her from inside my guitar case.
"These are for you so your rose won't become lonely," I replied, handing them to her.
"Thanks. It was you all along? The secret admirer?"
I smiled coyly.
"You caught me."
"It was really beautiful," she said, dabbing her eyes.
"You're beautiful."
I pulled out the necklace that I had bought for her out of my pocket. It was a silver locket, with our pictures inside.
"Excuse me for being a little cheesy, but I am a sensitive guy. I guess it's all of those romantic comedies that I watch."
She quieted me by putting her finger on my lips, and then wrapped her arms around my waist. Victoria then kissed me on the lips, and the place went up in a huge cheer.
"I am so sorry for everything, Victoria," I managed to say between her kisses.
"Shhh. It doesn't matter anymore."
We turned around, and the crowd was still in applause.
"Looks like we have an audience," I joked.
"C'mon, let's get out of here," she said, jabbing me in the stomach playfully.
I smiled, and picked up my microphone again.
"Have a great night!" I yelled quickly, and then taking Victoria's hand, and my guitar case, we both rushed out as quickly as possible.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Songs:
In my Life, by the Beatles
Angel, by Matt Nathanson
Mindy frowned.
"How many times have I told you that you look great?" she said, using exagerated hand movements.
I smiled as I looked in the mirror. I wanted to look good for my secret admirer, but everytime I thought about it I felt a pang of guilt inside, that I would quickly shake off everytime that I thought about it.
"Seriously?" I asked again.
"I'm your best friend, Victoria. Why would I lie to you?"
"I don't know," I replied, smoothing my skirt out.
"I heard that there is going to be a live performance there tonight."
My heart started to race, and my eyes widened.
"There is no way that I am going then," I said.
"Why not? You have to go, or your secret admirer will be very disappointed," she said, play scolding me.
"No! Matt is performing. I can't go, galavanting around with some stranger. He'll see me and then he will go smoke or something."
Mindy raised her eyebrows.
"I didn't know that he played anything."
"He didn't really tell anyone."
"Well, you need to go tonight. You think too much, and you just need to have fun for once. Don't think about what Matt thinks."
I thought for a second, and still had a guilty feeling in my stomach.
"But..."
"But, no, Victoria. Go tonight, and I will be there with you," she said, putting the rose behind my ear.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I scanned the room once again.
No Victoria.
I played a few popular covers, thinking that I might as well wait until she got there.
I launched into my rendition of No Such Thing, by John Mayer, still waiting. Looking into the crowd, I saw some familiar faces from school, but still, no Victoria.
My boss walked up, and handed me a cola as I played the ending chords.
"Great job. The crowd loves you," she said, patting me on the back.
"Thanks," I said, catching my breath.
I took a long drink from my cup, and looked at the door.
In walked Victoria and Mindy; Victoria with a skirt and a red shirt, with a red rose tucked behind her ear.
I beamed, and went into my last song before my speech, In my Life. I hoped that Victoria would remember it.
"There are places I remember. All my life..." I sang, watching her every move. She was looking for her "secret admirer", and she tried not to look at me.
All part of the plan.
"In my life, I love you more," I finshed, drawing applause from the crowd.
Victoria looked towards the stage, making brief eye contact with me, but quickly breaking it away. I cleared my throat, and thought to myself,
Here it goes.
"Hey, ya'll. Hope you are enjoying yourself tonight," I said, drawing hoots and hollars from the audience, including my good soccer friend Oscar.
"I just want to say something really quick. Ummm, I just want to say that I really messed up recently, pushing everyone that I loved away from me. I didn't realize what I did, until someone told me. I then I knew my mistake. So that is why I would like to dedicate this next song to the girl I love, Victoria Smith."
I watched as the entire crowd turned to look at Victoria, who had turned almost as red as her shirt. She turned to leave, but Mindy stood in front of her, blocking her from the exit.
"You sounded so good on the phone. All moved up and all moved on
Me and gravity, we never could agree. But I can almost see the sky
when I need to, I close my eyes. You're the only thing that's worth holding on to."
"Angel you sing about beautiful things, and all I want to do is believe. But I traded my dreams for this mess or memories, and they just stopped working for me."
"Now I'm not a monster I believe like a liar would believe. Helps me navigate the wooden smiles, the raging seas. And all my heros pull their heads. Like a fighter would, I guess. No one ever really likes getting older."
I stopped singing, and took a long drink of my coke. I cleared my throat again, and waited for the applause to subside.
"So, please. I know that I am not good enough for you, you are an angel. But please, let me have one more chance, and I will make it worth your while."
I found Victoria in the crowd again, and motioned to Mindy to make her come up to the stage. As I did this, Oscar started a chant in the audience.
"TAKE HIM BACK! TAKE HIM BACK!" he yelled, and soon the rest chimed in.
Victoria walked up to the stage, and nervously climbed up.
"Hi," she said, and an eerie silence took over the audience. I pulled the bouquet of roses that I had gotten her from inside my guitar case.
"These are for you so your rose won't become lonely," I replied, handing them to her.
"Thanks. It was you all along? The secret admirer?"
I smiled coyly.
"You caught me."
"It was really beautiful," she said, dabbing her eyes.
"You're beautiful."
I pulled out the necklace that I had bought for her out of my pocket. It was a silver locket, with our pictures inside.
"Excuse me for being a little cheesy, but I am a sensitive guy. I guess it's all of those romantic comedies that I watch."
She quieted me by putting her finger on my lips, and then wrapped her arms around my waist. Victoria then kissed me on the lips, and the place went up in a huge cheer.
"I am so sorry for everything, Victoria," I managed to say between her kisses.
"Shhh. It doesn't matter anymore."
We turned around, and the crowd was still in applause.
"Looks like we have an audience," I joked.
"C'mon, let's get out of here," she said, jabbing me in the stomach playfully.
I smiled, and picked up my microphone again.
"Have a great night!" I yelled quickly, and then taking Victoria's hand, and my guitar case, we both rushed out as quickly as possible.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Songs:
In my Life, by the Beatles
Angel, by Matt Nathanson
