SONGS FEATURED

Colors of the Heart (From the anime BLOOD+) sung by UVERworld –suggested by SpotedLeaf
Irreplaceable sung by Beyonce

Turn the Music Up
By: Aminatsu032

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Lights surrounded everywhere. It was a whole new atmosphere when I heard the intro of the song. Everything changed…the worries, the fears—everything washed away. Suddenly, all I want to do now is sing—sing for everyone 'cause that's what I've always wanted!

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VERSE TWO:

I put down the microphone and close my eyes as if to get ready to the audience's reactions.

Not hearing anything, I slowly open my left eye and then the crowds cheer. My face brightened. I did it! I really did!!! At one snap my life has changed!

I turn to look at Anna, Nonoko and Hotaru smiling at me.

"You did it, Mikan," said Anna.

"You were great!" said Nonoko.

And then Hotaru approaches me and puts her hand on my shoulder. "I was not wrong in choosing you."

What she said made me feel a million times better, and moments after we begin to play music again. I really think that this is all a dream. Time seems to pass by at a blink of an eye.

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"Gosh! I was really scared at first but then when I started…wow!" I narrated excitedly to the group.

"Well you did a great job, Mikan!" said Nonoko.

I open my mouth to say something when I saw Hotaru looking angrily at something. I turn around to see it—or to see them. No other than Cross themselves.

The dark-haired boy, Natsume Hyuuga, was leaning in the wall smirking on us. He was wearing a black leather pants, and a black leather vest zippered halfway up. While the blonde boy, Ruka Nogi, I presume, was staring expressionlessly back at Hotaru (who was still staring angrily). He was wearing a blue-gray sweatshirt with his right hand on the pocket of his chained jeans.

Natsume approaches us.

"That was a poorly-performed concert," he said flatly. Hotaru's angry expression faded when she looked away. I stared at Natsume. He had a big ego in saying that.

"What do you mean?" Nonoko said raising her voice but her face, which was an open book, didn't hide fear.

Natsume looked at Nonoko with disgust. "What, you call that performance good?"

Natsume approached Nonoko and raised her nearly white face to him with his forefinger. "Listen, girly," he said in a husky voice, "I wasn't even ten percent impressed with that concert. I just wasted my money."

"Then why did you come, in the first place? Nobody asked you to!" I couldn't control myself. I yelled at him.

In regret, I put my hand on my mouth. Stupid mouth! Why did it have to be so talkative!

Natsume looks at me sharply. "That's a very good question," I hear him say. He walks back to his original place.

I was kind of relieved that he didn't go close to me. That look he gave me was scary.

"We invite you to go to Ocean Bar this afternoon at five," he finally says. "Unless you're too chicken to see we're way better than you are."

Natsume's crimson eyes go to Hotaru. "So what do you think?" he asks. "You're the so-called manager, aren't you?"

I saw Hotaru bite her lower lip. She didn't look at Natsume at all. She was looking away the whole time.

"Of course we're coming!" Urgh! What's up with my stupid mouth???

Natsume looks at me again. "Very well…"—he turns around—"We'll be waiting."

He walks away. Ruka casts us a final glance and then follows Natsume.

When the two were gone, I slowly approach Hotaru. "Hotaru I'm so—'"

"It's fine," she says. "It's about time you see how good those to can be when it comes to their performance."

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I arrive home and Mom calls in the phone saying she saw me on TV when she was in the restaurant having lunch with her co-workers and that she is so proud of me but a little disappointed because I didn't tell her anything about this and things like that.

But then she easily hung up saying that the lunch is going to be over soon and she is running out of load.

I wasn't surprised that she found out I was the new vocalist because in every channel I see my face. So I open the radio and hear the song I sang and then the radio people say that my coming was unexpected to the showbiz world and blah, blah, blah!

Also, every now and then I hear knocks on the front door. I assume they are those neighbors I don't even know knocking at the door just for the sake of telling their friends, "I've seen Mikan Sakura! She's our neighbor!" So I pretend I am not home.

Every-so-often, my cellphone beeps and I see messages from my classmates saying, "Mikan, I saw you on TV!"

It was finally four o'clock in the afternoon. It was time to get going. I figured I couldn't go pass the front door because people might be waiting there so I put on my purple jacket; jeans and my white cap and pull my hair to a ponytail.

I look at myself in the mirror I was barely recognizable. I slip to my black Converse Chucks and go out through the back door.

I thought the people following me around were kind of annoying. They're like stalkers.

By the time I reached Ocean Bar it was quarter to five. I saw Anna, Nonoko and Hotaru standing by the front door.

"Hey, guys!" I call.

"Hello Mikan!" they call back.

We went inside the bar. It was loaded with people. They was a poster outside saying "Cross: LIVE! Tonight at 5 PM" so I assume the people saw it.

"There are so many people!" I say.

"Of course there are. Cross is very popular," Hotaru said flatly.

At last, the host goes to the stage. "Tonight, we have a very special guest," he starts. The crowd gets fired up. "We have no other than CROSS themselves! Plus," he adds, "we have a secret guest to perform in this very bar."

Whispers were heard.

"But before we wonder who the special guest is…" the host says, "let us welcome the one and only Cross. Singing they're newest single: Colors of the Heart!"

The stage lights turn off and the intro of the song is heard then the lights turn on again and the crowd cheered seeing their favorite duo on stage.

"Ano hi boku no kokoro wa oto mo naku kuzure satta
Kowarete saken demo keshi sare nai kioku to
Kurayami ga hitomi no naka he to nagare komu
Mou iro sae mie nai ashita he to shizumu"

My eyes follow every move they make. My ears hear every syllable they say. This was just the first verse and I'm truly impressed. They say every syllable with feelings and carries the people into other worlds.

My heart beat faster. I have never seen anyone as good as Cross.

"Wakari aeru hi wo tomedo naku sagashita
Ushinau tame dake ni ima wo ikiteku
Mou dame da to hitori kodoku wo daite mo
If you turn on the lights...
Hikari he terashiteku

'Negai tsudukeru omoi itsuka iroduku yo' to
Oshiete kureta kokoro ni ikitsudukeru hito
Nanimo kamo hitsuzen no naka de umareru Colors
Mou ichido kono te de asu wo egakeru kara

Itsu no ma ni ka boku wa nakusu koto ni mo nare
Te ni ireta mono sae yubi wo surinuketeku
Namida ga kareru mae ni kiki takatta kotoba wa
Ima wa dareka wo sukuu tame ni
It's all your fate. You gonna do that.
'Hikari ga tsuyoku nareba yami mo fukaku naru' to
Kiduita toshite mo osoreru koto wa nai yo
Nanimo kamo kokoro no hate ni umareru Colors
Mou hitomi wo hiraite mitsumerareru kara

Kanashimi no Breath
Sore wa sagashiteta iro wo nijimaseru yo
Oto mo tatezu ni

'Negai tsudukeru omoi itsuka iroduku yo' to
Oshiete kureta kokoro ni ikitsudukeru hito
Nanimo kamo hitsuzen no naka de umareru Colors
Mou ichido kono te de asu wo egakeru kara

Mou ichido terasu yo hikari no yubisaki de

Just drawing…Colors in light and darkness
And take it…Colors in light and darkness
Ima wa todoka nai yasashii iro mo
Subete wa mata kono te de egaki naoseru kara"

As the last note drops, the crowd cheers. I have forgotten the words that Natsume Hyuuga said before because when they were singing, time had stopped.

My mouth is left open. My god, they're the best singers I've ever seen. It's like then they sing a sad song, you oughtta cry and then they sing a happy song, and your day brightens.

Natsume and Ruka goes out of the stage and the host comes back.

"And now for our mystery guest…" the host says as the lights come dead again and someone sings…

"To the left
To the left"

Where have I heard that voice before?

"To the left
To the left"

The lights turn on…the one singing was no other than…Sumire Shouda.

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-end of chapter-

Author's Notes

Wow! When Mikan is caught between things, Sumire Shouda, the former vocalist of the band she's in shows up?

Can life be more complicated???
Haha…well, I loved the song suggestions—all of them!

My god, there are certain songs you suggested I got addicted to!
But I would like to thank my close friend, Jemelle, for reviewing. That made me wanna update soooon!!!

Thank you once more and please keep the suggestions and review coming! I love you all!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008!

--Aminatsu032--