Love Rectangled

Forty-five

"What's your name, kiddo?" Rupert asked as Noah reached the stage.

"N-Noah Stone." He cleared his throat, standing straight.

"Have you ever done stage performance before?" Noah shook his head. "What made you do today?" He glanced at me and replied.

"My friend."

Rupert looked at me and smirked. "Well, then good luck. The stage is all yours, Noah." He smiled, patting his shoulder. "Give a round of an applauds for Noah people!"

Everyone clapped for Noah as he sat down on the stool in the middle of the stage and tuned his guitar.

I crossed my fingers and prayed that everything goes well.

Noah looked up and blew a breath. His eyes wandered around the audience. "T-this is m-my first-time p-playing in front o-of the audience. H-hope you'll like it." He gulped.

You can do it, Noah.

He stared at his guitar, then after a minute he shook his head and was about to get up when I started yelling.

"Noah... Noah... Noah..." He looked at me in confusion as I continued to cheer for him. After a second, everyone else joined with me.

His eyes grew big as he stared at the audience cheering for him, then he glanced at me and I gave him an encouraging smile.

"You can do it, Noah!" I hooted from my place clapping for him.

I'm a cheerleader. It's a habit of mine.

He chuckled then closed his eyes, taking deep breaths then started playing.

"Here's to the ones that we got
Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
Of everything we've been through.
Toast to the ones here today
Toast to the ones that we lost on the way
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
And the memories bring back, memories bring back you."

He opened his eyes and his gaze meet mine, smiling. I beamed and thumbs up.

"There's a time that I remember, when I did not know no pain
When I believed in forever, and everything would stay the same.
Now my heart feel like December when somebody say your name
'Cause I can't reach out to call you, but I know I will one day, yeah."

I looked around people; they seem to enjoy it, moving on the melody of his sweet voice.

"Everybody hurts sometimes
Everybody hurts someday, ayy ayy
But everything gon' be alright
Go and raise a glass and say, ayy"

I narrowed my eyes at the group of girls that sat in the corner eye raping my Noah, but I ignored them since I was in a good mood and I couldn't blame them either. I glanced back at Noah, who was engrossed in his music, and watched him as his finger skillfully played with the string of the guitar.

The audience started singing with Noah, and after a while, the entire bar got engaged, including me.

"Doo doo, doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo (ooh, yeah)
Memories bring back, memories bring back you."

Everyone cheered and hooted for Noah. I jumped from my seat furiously clapping and whistling. "THAT WAS AMAZING!"

He laughed at me. Rupert came to the stage looking impressed by Noah.