Stars' Song: Clef

Chapter 22 : Battle of the Bands II

22-1

After the interlude with my incongruous parents, they wished Pollux good luck before making their way to the audience. Amber, Cyril, Keith, Ronin, and I spent our minutes inside the classroom. We prepared and arranged our instruments, similar to warriors sharpening their swords for war. Amber, who was unarmed, fixated on an empty space. Her leg shook, the high heels tapping on the floor.

"Amber," I called. I couldn't find a better method of getting her attention without surprising her.

"Yes?" Her body jerked, the clacking coming to a cease.

"Are you alright? Are you nervous?"

"Mm. I'm okay," she answered, "After seeing Chloe perform, I've grown a little confident." Her thumbs massaged one another. "Although the part where she stumbled for a second..."

"Yeah... I have no idea what caused it..."

Ruby will be serving as our background music for a few more seconds. Their second performance was approaching its conclusion as the vocals sparkled, its zest proliferating all the way from here. However, I was the only one who could detect the condemnation beneath her melodies. She blamed herself on that stage—if I had watched a little longer, I might have lost my composure.

"Let's talk to her about it once all of this is over. For now, let's get ready." The construction of my words could have been softened, but it was too late; my anxiety had infected my sentence.

"I guess so..."

Observing the tuner clamped on the headstock, I tuned the acoustic guitar. Amber listened to the occasional ringing of the strings in silence. I went over each steel strand, turning the appropriate peg. Once I was confident of the proper tuning, Amber spoke.

"June, what do you think would make a performance better?"

Her question was not typical of the sort. It felt more like a test, which increased my uneasiness.

"For me, the band's synergy is a major principle." I rested the back of the guitar on my lap. "Not to be too pragmatic, but I'm sure one's ability is also a crucial factor." Amber nodded to my syllables as I relayed.

"I see. I agree with everything you said." Her gaze locked onto the stringed instrument. "I realized something during my time with all of you."

"What is it?"

"For me, I think your performance becomes significant if it was meant for someone," Amber stated, "If you sing for someone you love, you will reach a whole other level without being aware of it. You let out all of your emotions and infuse it into the lyrics."

There was no hint of hesitation in her speech. I absorbed her thoughts, all the while enthralled by her brilliance.

"You don't just sing with your voice; you sing with your feelings. That is why when you're playing music, you should always keep someone in mind. 'I wish they could hear me' or 'I wish they could appreciate my efforts'—If you hope for something along those lines, then... you will perform well."

I was drowned in rapture, hit by gigantic waves of euphoria. It took me several seconds before I could realize what had occurred. For the first time, I felt like Amber opened up to me. I had a tiny peek into her mind, and this fleeting moment was enough to fill me with ebullience.

The speck of light resting on my palm was warm and heavy. It made me think her words had a more significant meaning behind them than what they appeared to be. Therefore, my stubborn yearning developed. I desired to know what caused the density of this pleasant light. Possibly, I wanted it to grow heavier and brighter.