Fireworks 1 and 2

Chapter Three

    The boys were excited. OVOFest always made them this way, extra buoyant. Bouncing off the walls, hooting and hollering. Drake had adopted the nickname King of Toronto, but during OVOFest, he truly felt like the King of Toronto. He hosted this event annually, brought out some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, and as a result, he brought people to his city. Some of these people were people who wouldn't have visited the city otherwise. He brought money, enjoyment, and epic nights that would always be remembered to Toronto. It was the least he could do for a city that had helped raise him.

    He lounged backstage, sipping champagne while his crew paced the length of the room, shouting and chanting. He loved these nights. Throughout all the tough times, it was nights like these that helped make it worth it.

    "Do you hear that, baby?" one of his crew shouted, responding to the roar of the audience. "That's us, baby!"

    Drake smiled and set his champagne glass on the table beside the couch he was sitting on. He closed his eyes and listened to the screams from the crowd. He wouldn't be performing tonight. Tonight, he hosted the event and served as the emcee for the evening, introducing artists and helping to keep the energy up. As if his fans needed help keeping their energy up; they were the most energetic people he knew.

    While his crew continued to get hype, Drake's thoughts trailed off to the girl he'd met earlier today. What was her name? Mia, he thought to himself. He chuckled at the thought of a fan running up to ask for her autograph instead of his. It was rare that anything threw him off these days, but that had. When he'd first seen her, a jolt of electricity had run through him. He didn't know how else to describe the feeling. Only one word came to mind: fireworks.

    "You're quiet," Niko observed. He sat on the couch beside his longtime friend. "Quieter than I am."

    "Just thinking, man." Drake reached over and swirled the remaining champagne in the glass.

    Niko grinned. "About the girl?"

    Drake laughed and shook his head. His friends knew him way too well. He downed the rest of the drink and set the glass back on the table. "One thing that can't be denied," he said. "You definitely know me."

    "She was a cute little thing, and definitely your type. I knew she'd stick with you."

    "She's definitely doing that," Drake admitted, remembering her medium brown skin, innocent eyes, and full lips. Her shape had also been memorable. Her body came with a CAUTION: Dangerous Curves sign, and he wanted to throw caution to the wind. He listened to the acts performing, but she dominated his thoughts. He couldn't wait to see her later that evening.

                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    "That show was amazing!" Bri screamed out into the night. She twirled around in the parking lot with her arms outstretched.

    "It still won't compare to Drake performing tomorrow night," Desirae said with a grin on her face.

    "Drake, who we get to see tonight." Bri linked arms with Mia as they walked towards their car rental. "Are you excited?"

    Nervous is more like it, Mia thought. Aloud, she said, "Yeah, I'm excited."

    "You don't sound excited," Desirae muttered. "Mamacita if he had looked at me the way he looked at you, I would have climbed him like a tree right there in front of everyone."

    "He probably looked at a lot of girls that way," Mia said with a wave of her hand. "He's naturally flirty."

    "Then he needs to be naturally flirty with me, honey chile," Bri said dramatically with a snap of her fingers, "because I could show him a thing or two."