Chapter seven: "Loren Tate: Live at Pulsetto!"

I was dressed in a white midriff top, a long floral skirt, and white Vans. My hair fell in chocolate curls, and a necklace, a few pieces of jewelry, and light makeup was on my face. I was nervous as hell; I couldn't stop trembling as we drove to our destination.

Melissa squeezed my shoulder, "Calm down, Lo. It'll be over before you know it." Mom decided to stay home, which made me even more nervous. I don't even know why I agreed to go. "I just wish you could've done something with your nails." I looked down at them: silver finger nail paint covered my nails, little smudges seen every now and again.

"I think they look okay. Besides, I'm nervous as it is. Don't make this harder for me, please." I begged, tempted to bite my nails, but I didn't. Mel would probably have a fit, making us drive back to re-do them, and we were already five minutes late. I was rarely tardy for school, so being late for an interview on live television wasn't making my nerves lessen.

She rolled her eyes, "Calm your tits, we're here." Was that supposed to automatically calm me down? Brushing it off, I took my time getting out of the car, coaching myself to stay calm. It's okay Loren; millions of girls get interviewed for singing a karaoke song with Eddie Duran, I thought sarcastically. I walked slowly to the decent sized karaoke club, my heart pounding in my ears. Mel kept telling me to calm down, but it fell on deaf ears. Get yourself together, Loren!

"This way," Mel said, directing me to the stage. A camera crew had already set up, and they were fixing things around, waiting for me to come. I began feeling light headed, swallowing the giant lump of fear in my throat.

A short fat man came from the back of the club with a woman following behind him. She was pretty tall in her pointy heels, her crisp business suit hugging her body as she walked briskly to us. She had black straight hair and piercing blue eyes, and I recognized her from the woman on television who mentioned me.

The man held his hand out, "Hello, I'm Mark Pulse, the owner of 'Pulsetto'. You must be Loren Tate, correct?" My throat was swelled shut in nerves, so I nodded meekly, shaking his hand. He chuckled, pointing to the woman. "This is Helen Yola, and she's going to be interviewing you for the evening."

She turned to me, smiling brightly. "Hello, it's very nice to meet you, Ms. Tate." I quirked an eyebrow; no one has ever called me 'Ms. Tate' before. "I'm so glad to have this opportunity to interview you. I know you're probably nervous, so we'll make it quick." She looked down at the clipboard in her hand, which I didn't notice until now. "We're going to do a quick interview, and then you're gonna do a short set list."

I widened my eyes, "Set list? I didn't hear anything about a set list!" I turned to Mel, who held a guilty expression on her face. "Really, Mel, what the hell am I gonna sing? I didn't rehearse anything."

She shrugged, "Actually, you've been practicing a couple of Eddie Duran and Katy Perry songs, if I'm not mistaken." I groaned, knowing she was right. "And if those don't work out, you can always sing your own songs. Don't worry, everything is gonna work out." She walked over to her purse, pulling out her video camera and flipped it open, smiling brightly. "Alright, let's get this started!"

"Hello all viewers; recently, Eddie Duran has been spotted at the hottest new karaoke club, 'Pulsetto'. But, instead of having his fiancé on his arm, he was too busy belting out notes with valley teenager, Loren Tate. Today, we've actually had the pleasure to interview the eighteen-year-old beauty at the very place where it all happened." She finished her introduction, turning to me. The camera landed a deadpan view of us staring at each other, and I forced myself to act as casual as possible. "Hi, Loren, how are you?"

I mustered up a bright smile. "Hello, Helen. I'm fine actually. A little nervous, but fine nonetheless." I giggled, and she laughed along with me. Some of the nerves lifted from my shoulders, but it was still there.

Chuckling, Helen continued, "That's normal. How does it feel to actually be filmed on live television?"

I took a deep breath, "Well, it's crazy. I mean, just a couple of days ago, I was wiping down tables at my job. I'm still doing that, but now, I'm being known for a karaoke night with Eddie Duran, so you can see the dramatic difference…" I looked over at Mel, and she gave me a thumbs up, balancing her camera with her other hand. I smiled at her, growing a bit happier.

"We definitely can. Now, how was it to sing with Eddie Duran? Are you a fan of his music?"

I thought for a moment, trying to word my answer without looking completely stupid or lame on television. "Well, it was a nice experience. I'm indeed a fan of his music; he's an amazing artist and it was an honor to be singing on stage with him." I was pleased with myself for the good response, and I started to think that maybe this interview wouldn't be all that bad.

"Speaking of Eddie and singing on stage with him, some people have started saying that you guys would actually make a cute couple. What do you think about that?"

Immediately, I began to blush. "U-Um… well, he has a fiancé, and I think they're… really good looking together. I-I mean, I don't think he would go for an eighteen-year-old girl, anyways." I chuckled nervously.

She laughed along. "Well, did you feel any spark with him?"

I blushed even more, "W-Well, I think sparks would be over exaggerating it. I mean, i-it was an amazing experience, but I don't know if it was sparks. It was probably just the rush and excitement of being able to sing with him."

"Okay, final question: do you see yourself continuing in an actual career? There are people who think you're extremely talented, and would like to see you produce music of your own. Are you interested in doing something like that if you were given the opportunity?"

I was glad the question was lighter than before, but it was still a bit hard. Did I want to fulfill a career in the music industry? It wasn't easy from what I've heard, and I don't know if I would be able to handle it. I've been focusing on education, but I will admit that being a singer has always been a dream of mines. I normally write my own songs, in hopes of singing them for people, but my stage fright has always gotten in the way. Though, I think it's slowly fading; I was actually able to be on television without blowing chunks or freaking out. "Well… I don't really know. I can kind of see myself making music, but focusing on my studies as well. If I was given the opportunity, I might take it, because it's always been a dream of mines."

"Well, I'm sure the audience hopes you'll come out with music of your own soon." She faced the camera as it zoomed in on her, "Stay tuned as Loren Tate sings her heart out where everything took place, right after the break." The camera stopped filming, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Helen laughed, "Don't worry, the worst is almost over." She joked, getting up and heading for the restroom.

Mel walked towards me, "How ya feeling, champ?"

I rolled my eyes. "Like a million bucks," I said sarcastically. After a few minutes of going over songs, we started filming again. I was in the middle of the stage with a mini band behind me. It was a little weird without my guitar, so I just held onto the mic as I sang through my short set. I was definitely nervous at first, my voice rocky. But soon, I got comfortable and began to sing like no one else was in the room. After two or three songs, I was about to close up, but a certain someone walked onto the stage, causing me to nearly have a heart attack. God, he was everywhere!

The few handfuls of crew plus Mel began to clap obnoxiously and throw in a few low whistles. I blushed, shaking my head. He smiled at me, sitting down to the bench next to me. That's why that was there; it had been planned this whole time!

He looked better than I remembered: his chocolate hair shining in the lights as well as his handsome smile. I shook off the thoughts, reminding myself that he had a fiancé.

"So, do you guys think you can relive some of that magic from the karaoke night?"