Here, Under the Stars

CHAPTER 26

-- ASHI --

"I'd love to do a duet with Magui." I smiled at both of them.

"Ayun naman pala eh! I'll write that down." Riley excitedly updates the list. "Anong kakantahin niyo?" She asked.

"Pagiisipan pa namin." Magui answered her.

After finishing the sequence, we still haven't thought of a song yet. We started to plug our instruments and open the speakers so we can start practicing.

Magui told me to think of a song. I sat down on the floor as I watched her sing Sanctuary. Riley was there singing with her as if they were jamming. I rolled my eyes at them and continued searching for something. 

I found this song in our album that is quite underrated. Malia wrote this after crying a lot on a book she just finished and dedicated a whole ass song to it. I wanted to promote that song also so I hope Magui likes it.

"Ashi, you're up!" Riley called me.

I sat down in front of Jenna's keyboard and opened the note sheet of Hold On. I started pressing the keys before signing.

"Loving and fighting, accusing, denying
I can't imagine a world with you gone
The joy and the chaos, the demons we're made of
I'd be so lost if you left me alone"

"You locked yourself in the bathroom
Lying on the floor when I breakthrough
I pull you in to feel your heartbeat
Can you hear me screaming? Please don't leave me"

I started singing while staring at Magui. I don't know what's going on. One minute, we're happy. It's as if we weren't hurting. But now? She came back to the Magui I once knew. Cold and scary.

"Hold on, I still want you
Come back, I still need you
Let me take your hand, I'll make it right
I swear to love you all my life
Hold on, I still need you"

"That's the song that you want us to sing in my concert?" Magui raised a brow. "We're not gonna emote on that stage, Ashi. Change it."

"Maganda naman ah?" Riley interrupted. "You can act like you're fighting for each other's love. Maganda 'yon sa concert para hindi lang puro kanta at sayaw!"

"Hindi papayag ang management. Pinaghiwalay nga kami ni Ashi noon just because we posted pictures of each other. How much more to act in love on the stage?" Magui continued to decline.

I want to tell her that we don't need to act. If only we can be true to ourselves and act to whatever our heart wants us to. But we can't. We're only friends.

"I'll think of another song." I closed the keyboard and went back to my corner.

She didn't want to get emotional on stage so I was looking for hype songs that the fans would like.

An unfamiliar song started to play and Riley started singing. I stopped what I was doing to focus my attention on them.

[RILEY]
"I will march down an empty street like a ship into the storm
No surrender, no retreat
I will tear down every wall
Just to keep you warm
Just to bring you home"

Riley looked at Magui while singing.

[MAGUI]
"I will burn this city down for a diamond in the dust
I will keep you safe and sound when there's no one left to trust
Will you take my hand?
We can make our stand"