Fan Fiction ❯ Memories of What Was Once Lost: The Original ❯ Karaoke Coffee Shop ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: Karaoke Coffee Shop

Though it was only eleven o'clock, many people were there, flooding the small bar and coffee booths. Kathy's was a small but popular place where locals could show off their talent or just hang with friends. Though a lot of elderly women came in there in the early morning, usually by noon, the place was filled with students from the campus.

As we walked in, I could feel that we were being watched. I looked around and caught the gaze a guy that I recognized from the university grounds. He was a senior who just transferred from Michigan State. Katherine didn't seem to notice and smirked as she pulled me over to a small table near the stage and bar. I eyed her warily. She was up to something. As I took a seat, she wandered over to the bar and whispered something to the bartender. He smiled and glanced at me then bent down and pulled out a microphone from below the counter. As Katherine walked back and sat down across from me with a cocky grin, I glared at her. The bartender shut the speaker music off and hushed the crowd of people.

" Hello, folks!" The people smiled back at him and waited for what was to be said. " As most of you know, it's Talent week, which means that we're giving a big prize to whoever can impress the audience. Anyone can enter and can do anything they want on the stage. You're rated by the clapping of the spectators." He paused a second and threw a smile my way. " So, lets get started. We already had a entrance from a young lady!" The men hooted and whistled and suddenly, what Katherine did struck my mind.

"Katherine..."I growled. "What did you do!?" She just grinned. Before I could get my hands over the table and shake it out of her, the bartender hushed the guys and smiled.

"Our first act is going to be done by our very own, Christina Simmons!" My face had to at least be 5 different shades of red. I slowly got up and walked over to the bartender after giving Katherine a defiant stare and took the microphone from his hands. Chuckling, he turned it off. "What are you going to do?" I looked around on the stage and brightened when I saw a karaoke machine with cases of CDS. This might actually be good. I guess the bartender saw what I was looking at because he smiled and turned on some of the disco balls and colored lights on near the stage. "Knock'em dead!"

I walked over and nervously paddled through the CDS as everyone was staring at me. I fell across a familiar song and smiled. Thank God they had it. I inserted it into the machine and turned the microphone on and took a center place on the stage. I took a deep breathe as I heard the music start and looked out at the crowd.

Following a life, carefree and happily in love with you is how I want it to be;

Always in your arms, throwing our problems away, lost in an embrace that I could never flee.

How such a perfect world could be, with just you and me, until the end of time, together.

The rhythm soothed my heart and I could feel it pulsate through my veins. The song enraptured me; it's melody bringing back such cheerful memories of the times that I had spent in the arcade with my friends role-playing with Rhys and some other distant friends in high school. This was my song for him.

Though we both know this world could never be;

Why not stay in our enchanted fantasy?

Forget about veracity, about all the `what ifs' and `cant's'.

Lets focus on now, this perfect world we've created.

I could feel the lyrics flow out of my mouth and the people before me staring in awe. I smiled at all of them and looked toward Katherine who was smiling proudly back at me. But, in the midst of the audience, I saw the guy who looking at me earlier. To my surprise, his face was written over in shock. He suddenly walked over to the bartender with a determined look on his face and whispered something to him. The bartender nodded and smiled back at him. The guy then turned his attention back on me, as I was finishing up the song. His eyes sparkled in the light and they were so deep... they seemed awfully familiar.

Though, I can't stay long, we'll meet up again,

In a world of mystery and chaos,

Serenity and love;

Together forever.

The music swayed through the air, leaving a peaceful lull through the crowd as the music ended. For a moment, all was quite. The room then exploded with thunderous applause and hooting. I smiled and took a bow. The bartender looked up at me and winked.

" I guess there's no competition to that..." He said with a chuckle. " This young man right here wants to perform a song as well though. Do we have any other volunteers?" The crowd was silent. The bartender laughed. "Ok, lets hear another round of applause for Christina Simmons!" The roaring ovation was amazing as people stood up and some even threw money as I walked down from the stage and gave the microphone over to the guy. He smiled gently and took it but at the same time put a hand on my shoulder. " You have a wonderful voice, Christina... You remind me of someone I used to know..." And with that, he quickly went up to the stage. Standing there, stunned for a second, I turned around and tried to ask `what do you mean?' but he was already up there and looking through the songs. I shrugged off the compelling feeling to run up on that stage and question the guy and walked back to the smirking Katherine.

" Well, I knew you could play the piano like a pro... but I had no idea you could sing like one too!" She smiled and handed me a cup of coffee. " I thought you were going to stink or back out... but you proved me wrong!" I laughed and was about to say something but the bartender silenced everyone. "Here, I guess, is our final challenger. Please give a big round of applause for Rhys Hall!" Basically, all the girls screamed and applauded like maniacs while the guys just sat there, some in jealously and envy. Rhys smiled at the crowd and then the music began and couldn't help but gape. It was his song! It had to be... was this the Rhys from the role-playing!?

Flying, soaring through the starlit sky, never falling, flying free;

Independent...

You soar above the others, your silver wings outlined with the fire of your soul,

Leaving specks of stars through the silent night...

I sat there, frozen to my spot, eyes wide and mouth agape. It was him... after all these years; Rhys had found a way back to me and into my life. I just stared at him, memorizing every last feature of him. I couldn't comprehend what I was feeling... my thoughts were all tied up in a knot. Rhys just watched me, never taking his eyes off of me, singing the words with his heart.

Light engulfs your form, so light and angelic your crystal tears that fall like rain.

It's a dream, I tell myself this so... but I cannot awake, for your calls keep with you,

Cries of loneliness and fear.

I smile lightly and think, why not stay...

Just for the night, and awake for the day.

I couldn't think, I was sitting there like a dummy just finding out something that was so completely obvious, it wasn't even funny. The way he was looking at me, it was how I remembered him to be... I felt myself losing it and everything got dizzy. The last thing I heard was Katherine shout my name as I fell into darkness and felt warm arms engulf me.