Invisible

Chapter 12

"Would you please remind me again, why do I need to wear a dress?" I asked my mom and Parry who was on Skype. "I'm like just going to sing for like a mere 4 minutes or something."

The days were a blur, and now was exactly the day of the competition. Since morning, I was bugged by my mother and best friend to wear a dress. I don't know what's with them that they have to push me to wear a dress when all I have to do was step up on stage and sing for everybody who would be watching. Oh, and have I forgotten that Darren and I's bet is effective today?

"Because," Parry started to speak, her blue eyes sparkling with a little hint of anger. "This is a freaking contest. And besides, you wear dresses once in a blue moon. Don't you remember when Darren used to complain because he only seen you in a dress like twice."

"Gee, it's because I like jeans, shirts and converse." I defended my fashion sense.

"You know, just wear the dress that Parry brought you. Don't make this look like a big deal." Mom intervened.

I looked at mom and Parry's face on the computer screen and grumbled. There's no escape. "Fine."

-

"Okay," Brian, the organizer of the show, said when I stepped on stage. "Of course you will stand in the middle. I suggest to--"

"Make contact with the judges and the audience." I finished his sentence.

He smiles. "You're a natural. But, the good type of natural."

"What do you mean?"

He sighes and walks over to me. He points somewhere and I follow my gaze to his hand. "That girl, is named Athena." He points to the girl who looks a lot like me, only she seems to be older. "Don't let her name fool you. I mean, her name resembles the goddess of wisdom, but fuck, she lacks wisdom."

I laughed. "You surely hate her, don't you?"

"She' so... I don't know, bitchy." He seemed to try to think of a different insult to throw, but had no luck. "Beat her right in the ass by winning this. That'll wound her."

I laughed. "I'll do my best."

He nods and helps me to descend the stair steps that would lead me to solid ground. As I stepped on the floor, a hand assisted me. "Hey,"

I smiled. "Nice to see you!" I told him with a smile. "I thought you were joking when you said that you were joining the contest."

JK rolls his eyes. "I was not joking around," we walked through the small space. "Hell, I was dead serious."

"You don't seem to be the singer type to me."

"Well if you get to know me better, and have the chance to listen to my singing, you might as well fall in love with me." He says and I rolled my eyes over how arrogant he could be. "No staring. You might fall in love right at this second."

"I wss not staring at you." I said, "And so what if you were cute or hot? I wouldn't fall for you."

"Did you just call ne cute and hot?" He winked.

My cheeks burnt. "I did not!"

"Sure you did." He chuckles. "You know, you're cute when you're annoyed. You turn pink." He teases, "So, who are you with?"

"She's with me." A familiar masculine voice spoke somewhere. "Do I... know you from somewhere?"

JK smiles. "I assume we haven't met yet." He extends his hand, offering a shake to Darren. "The name's Juan Karlos. JK for short."

"He's my best friend." I whispered to JK.

Darren shakes his hand. "Darren," he says with a ghost smile. "Why are you with him?"

"Um... he found me." I told him slowly, my eyes failing to make contact with his eyes. One disadvantage about having Darren as your beat friend? His eyes are secretive in a way that it makes it so hard to read what he's thinking or feeling.

JK looks at me. "I think I should go ahead." He excused himself. "Good luck on the contest, guys."

When he was out of earshot, I snapped at Darren. "You scared him off in purpose, didn't you?"

"No," he scoffed, "I was asking him questions, is all."

"Yeah, well it came out rude." I told him, not caring if the other contestants seemed to think that our fight is interesting. "First, to the guy in the wedding--Ivan. Now to JK?"

"Is it bad to drive you away from men?"

My eyes widened. "Why would you drive me away from boys? Am I not allowed to talk?"

"Nicole," he says my name firmly and I got worried. He never calls me that way, always 'Nic'. He looked down on the floor. "I was..."

"You were what, Darren?" I asked him, my worry being buried by anger. If I wasn't in a dress, I could have strangled Darren there and then out of annoyance. He's being irrational and it's irritating me. "WHAT?!"

"Damn!" He exclaims angrily and made me flinch backwards slightly. "I was damn jealous, okay?!"

He curses a few profanities as his hands fumbled with each other, an action I am completely familiar with. "I am so damn jealous." He repeats, narrowing his eyes to me.

With that, he walks away and I was left dumbfounded on the spot as I felt myself froze. He was damn jealous...

---

Not much but again... My net's a beach. sorry guys! I'm working on it, and I may post the next one after New Year.
Happy New Year!