(2) You are always...stealing the spotlight

As the young man on the stool near him began to sing very softly "always on my mind" Lorne felt his entire attention being torn from his friend Vinnie onstage to this boy. A human boy, no older than 16 soulfully crooning this song to no one and nothing. Yet it grabbed in by the butt (where his heart is) and didn't let go until the last note.

What he could feel was a conflicted angsty teen, with a pretty decent life, but as he looked into his future he saw nothing but grief and despair. It was possibly one of the worst readings he had seen in the last few months.

He motioned to the bartender. "Another sea Breeze pour Moi, mon Ami, thanks..." It looked like he was going to need it.

"So for my first performance what should I sing." Logan asked taking a sip of a rum and coke.

Duncan was reading the song list with Logan, but he couldn't focus he kept feeling uncomfortable, and almost as if he was on display.

"Hey Logan maybe we should just get some directions and go home. Huh, I mean this place isn't really our speed ya know?" Duncan was excellent at this casual desperate pleading thing, after living with Lilly it was kind of a requirement.

"Don't be stupid buddy." Logan said starting on another drink. "This is a male bonding experience and I am not going to waste. You know what we should do? Duet. That would be awesome, you and me up there."

"Oh no buddy, no way no how...I'm not getting up on that stage." He looked at Logan who just smirked. "C'mon man you can't do this to me. I'm not , I'm not.."

"Not what?"

"Never mind all I mean is I don't want to do this." Duncan looked away from Logan. ran a hand through his hair and looked at his watch. it was rounding 11:30, far to early to go home, so he couldn't use that as leverage. He could fake sick that always worked. He turned back to Logan who was no gone and only a few feet away from the stairs leading up tot he stage.

"How did he do that?" Duncan said. "Bartender, I'm gunna need something stronger than coke."

TBC