I pulled at the strap of my guitar to rearrange it on my shoulder as I sat down on the stool at the center of the stage. I have been performing on this stage for months now, but tonight felt different. I didn't know why, but I was nervous tonight.
When the lights turned on and allowed everyone in the bar to see me, there were a few screams from the crowd. Since I started performing here, some people started to notice me and I gained a few fans. Even actually the first night that I performed, some of them approached me and asked for my name and for my twitter username so that they could follow me and some others even asked to take pictures with me. I didn't expect that kind of reaction, given that I have not performed much in front of other people. Only after a lot of performances did I start to kind of get used to the attention. But I am always still amazed with how much some of them really adore me. They were there to watch me in all the nights I performed here. There were also some new faces who excitedly waved their hands to greet me. I smiled and waved back at them.
I adjusted the microphone on its stand so that I can talk and sing comfortably on the stage. On this stage, I felt alive the most in my life. It gave me a kind of rush that makes me feel like I am vulnerable and confident at the same time. There were a lot of songs that I am very passionate about and I wanted to let others hear them too and feel how I feel about it.
I smiled before I spoke.
Alyssa: "Good evening everyone, are you all having a good night so far?"
This bar is not the kind of bar where people just get wasted, where they went to get laid, or to drown their broken hearts. It was the kind of bar where you go to chill, to feel, and to get to know people. Not to know them if they can dance well or if they can get you going all night, but to really know them. To talk. To connect. That is why I love it here.
The crowd responded to me warmly. Most of them said 'yeah' and 'great', and some whistled as a response, and one even shouted 'it's good now that you're here!'. I still blush at comments like that, and someone even said it was adorable. Made me blush harder than I already was, but hey, I am not complaining.
Alyssa: "What do you want me to sing for you tonight?"
There were a lot of words being said.. lots of suggestions floating in the air. I didn't have any song planned tonight, so I decided to just let it flow and I'll find the best song once I was here at the stage.
I was looking around waiting for someone to actually voice out their requests to me so that I can dedicate it to them.. and that's when I saw her.
I think I froze. Time stood still.
I thought it only happened in the movies.
But everything else was blurred out from my vision. It's like the world is in slow motion right now, and I also cannot hear all other noise aside from the beating of my heart.
I saw her on the other side of the room.. looking straight back at me.
And right at that moment, I thought of the perfect song to sing.
Without taking my eyes off her, I started to strum my guitar.
Alyssa: "I know what to sing now. Hope you all like this."
I closed my eyes and started to play the song. I know this song from the heart. I heard this once on the radio before and I knew that this song would mean so much to me in the future. Well the future is now. I know this song would express everything I want to tell her.
I opened my eyes and looked back at the crowd, not looking at anyone in particular. I just smiled before I started singing.
Now that she's back in the atmosphere
With drops of Jupiter in her hair
She acts like summer
And walks like rain
Reminds me that there's
Time to change
Since the return
From her stay on the moon
She listens like spring
And she talks like June
Hey, hey, hey