Forbidden

SYRAH

I don't like the guy and I don't trust him either. If Aidon trusted him though, I had a tiny fraction of faith in him. Regardless, I still meant what I said. Aidon looked at me with surprise, but left it alone. Instead, he lead me to the amphitheater. There was a couple of guys signed up for the singing competition. I just scoffed at them and signed up myself. I was expecting Aidon to try and persuade me to back out and he would take over for me. He just nodded and looked around the crowd.
"You're not signing up" I asked skeptically.
I was actually a few degrees disappointed. He always took up a game or challenge for me and beat it. Now he was turning his nose to it.
"I work with music" he said, still scanning the masses, "I'm leagues ahead of everyone in the park. It wouldn't be fair. That, and I'm actually a guest judge, can't compete."
I had actually forgot about his record label. Aidon was a top quality music producer. It made sense now why he wasn't competing. I blushed light pink with embarrassment. He tilted his head and smiled at my new complexion, making it worse. I couldn't help staring at him smile at me. I somehow inched all the way next to his tall frame. He was bending a little. I started rising on my tiptoes. I was almost reaching him, and Cinos pulled him away. I hate that guy!
The announcer guy addressed the crowd. He looked really weird: middle aged with a huge beer belly, in the tightest clothes I've ever seen someone that size wear comfortably, he seemed oblivious to the fact that he was failing at using "hip speech", much to everyone's amusement. I finally decided it was all an act. After his antics got everyone's attention, he summed up the karaoke rules. The crowd chose the winner.
He gestured me and the other participants onto the stage. I looked everyone over. A couple nerds as a team wearing some cartoon ninja shirts and skinny jeans; an extremely voluptuous woman twice my age, obviously suffering from a mid-life crisis; a wannabe bodybuilder juice head with the matching spandex; another pair, a young couple with so many tattoos, I couldn't see any normal colored skin besides their faces; and a girl a little older than me in a park outfit with a badge that said 'section manager'.
The host called up the nerd pair first. They tried some Japanese rock song no one knew. They were booed off after a few verses. The manager girl was next. She belted a beautiful Beyoncé song. The crowd went wild. The guy in spandex was after her. He sang a decent song from a Latin artist, Enrique Iglesias I think it was. The last couple followed him. Almost immediately, they were pelted off stage. Heavy metal didn't fit the crowd, especially whatever they were "singing". The next lady did okay, but destroyed her voice trying to hit an extremely high note.
Finally, I stepped up. I took a deep breath. My eyes caught his. I began to sing. It was my favorite song by John legend, "Tonight (best you've ever had)". I sang towards Aidon, trying to get my message across. When I finished, he was wearing a true smile. I saw how pure white his teeth really were. I saw the joy in his eyes. I saw the look I had been dreaming about since I met him. The audience was going crazy.
"Well, well" the announcer boomed " we have a clear second runner-up. It's time for the challenge piece for a winner. The song is... 'I will always love you'!"
The manager girl smiled, but it wasn't a friendly smile. It looked too much like a snarl. I shook it off. I liked the challenge song. Apparently, my opponent did too. This would be a challenge. She chose to go first. She hit every note and every word. She was better than she had first appeared. She sounded like she was actually trying to win now. I was worth her real talent. I decided to take it as a compliment.
I walked up to the microphone. The girl passed with a smug smile. I zeroed in on Aidon, and sang. Like last time, the crowd vanished. I sang to him and him alone. I gave my heart to him through music. I didn't even know how long I was singing. It felt so quick. The crowd agreed. Many were screaming for more. The announcer guy was trying to get the huge mass under some form of uniform. I bowed a little, causing them to give a final burst of applause and cheering.
"It looks like we don't need to take a vote" boomed the announcer " we have a definite clear winner..."
He grasped my forearm and raised my arm into the sky. My name was lost to the crowd. Aidon came from the crowd and presented the prize: a single album deal, and a faux golden wall album, 'vocalist of the year' on the album-and-song plate. The other contestants came out and congratulated me.
Except for the manager girl. She had snuck off somewhere. I was actually glad she did. Something about her made me uncomfortable. Almost like how Kayah acted around Cinos and Aidon.
Me and Aidon walked around a little after we left the amphitheater. I held on to the folder with my album and record deal. I immediately noticed a difference in the atmosphere of the park. People acted however they wanted without restriction. There were no kids to be easily "impressionalized" by adult debauchery. A place for fun and freedom.
"This is the most relaxed I've ever been around people" I admitted "normally there would be kids everywhere. Everyone would be trying not to be so open about themselves."
"Exactly what I thought" Aidon quipped "even adults need time to be adults without pressure to act overly civilized."
We saw Cinos a couple of times as we walked around. Each time with a new girl on his arm. This guy moved way too fast! His muscule and long hair didn't make it easy for these girls to say no to. Once they heard his voice, they were stuck.
"You don't need to keep staring him down" Aidon cut through my train of thought.
I turned and saw his matter-of-factly look. I rolled my eyes at it and started towards a cheesy fries stand. I didn't get far. I ran into Cinos' path with his latest catch. The manager girl!