All I Hear // Calum Scott

Chapter 2

I didn't see him a lot during the Britain's Got Talent weeks, but since he was sent straight through to the Semi-Finals, he did have a bit of a mini vacation before his rehearsals for the live shows.

When he came back after his last interview, I had a chance to talk to Jade again. I asked her about her experience, and she was obviously very nervous, but she was showing so much pride in her older brother.

Calum and I also took some walks in the nearby park, where he was recognized by a bunch of people and commended too many times for his amazing, inhuman voice. While we talked he would reach for his guitar on his back and improvise riffs on the spot to impress me even more. People who passed by gave him cheerful looks; they could already tell from less than an eight count that he was talented. He told me he plays piano too, and I'm looking forward to hearing that.

~*~*

During this break I attended one of his gigs at Fuel. Thankfully, he performed during the earlier shift, but since he was performing, it wasn't the calmest night in the club. Usually tons of people show up during the later shifts, but on this particular day a flood of teenagers demanded at least too much to drink at the bar counter. It was hectic, and I heard that it lasted until the club was closed, at 3:00 in the morning.

The DJ lowered the music's volume, which caught my attention. I looked up from pouring into someone's personalized shot glass, accidentally overfilling it, earning an angry speech from the seemingly wasted customer. I cringed at my clumsy self and apologized tersely.

I turned away from the flood of teenagers to get myself together again and carry on with the drinks.

A Tequila over there, a Vodka over there, I thought. Every order, every direction ran through my head like a photo scanner reading an agenda in seconds, but with a dusty computer with continuous buffering. They just keep demanding more. I almost forgot to bring back someone's change.

"Hey, Kate. Break time. I got this," my boss Tiffany said, tapping on my shoulder. Thank God. She's a speedy server, a master at that craft. She'll deliver all those drinks faster than I ever will in no time.

This was one of my bad days. Despite being a highly adaptable worker, I am also a very inconsistent one. Sometimes there's too much going on around me, and it's hard for me to keep up. I think it's about time the world slows down...

I retied the string on my uniform and exited the gate of the bar, locking it once I was out. I leaned on the sturdy gray wall, amidst the purple lasers and yellow strobe lights and the twerkers and the grinders, exhausted.

That was when the crowds of people moved closer and closer to the stage, seeing that Calum was setting up. There were scattered "woo"'s and "Go, Calum"'s throughout the club. One girl in the front row gripped her hand forcefully on Calum's wrist, not wanting to let go. She let go after the longest time. For some reason, it seemed like Calum didn't notice.

Calum made one last adjustment to his microphone before he nodded at the DJ for the instrumental to start. It was only a few bars in, but the crowd screamed, recognizing the tune from his first audition.

When he started singing, I couldn't hear him. The club talked over him very loudly, and it was frustrating.

After a while, the crowd became silent shortly upon hearing Calum's voice, and they decided to sing - more like shout - the lyrics back to him. Calum had the biggest smile on his face. There were more scattered cheers among the crowd.

Then, I was sucked in. As the song carried on, the crowd disappeared, one person at a time. A cold wind, rushing through the doors from the outside, blew inside the club and brushed against my skin, giving me chills. Soon the club was empty, looking like a ghost town, except for Calum, who was alone on stage. Even the DJ wasn't there. I was now in the front row, right in front of the stage. His voice echoed and rang throughout the deserted club, filling my ears. His expression was serious but heartfelt. He noticed me standing in front of him, watching him, and our eyes locked. I could feel every word that he sang.