Virtual Attraction [COMPLETE]

24 | A Stripper Pole

Twenty minutes later, I was standing at the booze table, yet again, and surrounded by a group of drunk kids. Even though they'd introduced themselves to me, I couldn't remember any of their names.

Some of them might have been part of Elliot's group of friends, or just some random strangers who liked Blue Moon a lot. But since their faces were blurred under the dark lighting, I was unable to tell.

We all took turns cracking stupid jokes and laughing at nothing in particular, until some guy with long, dark hair and dark eyeliner spoke.

I tried to remember if he'd said his name was Marcellus. Or was it Marshall? Anyway, his words were slurred as he spoke, "There's some karaoke going on in the next room. Wanna watch?"

So I followed the gang into the second living room, where the DJ was shouting into the microphone, "Who wants to get up here next?".

The crowd was not very enthusiastic.

"Come on," he said, drawing out his vowels. "Don't be shy. Now's your chance to be a star!"

Beside me, the girl I'd talked to a couple of times raised her arm in my direction. "Bates does!"

"Who?" I whispered back to her.

"You, silly!" she replied, giggling.

"My name is Blaze," I corrected her, just as the announcer turned in my direction and yelled, "Come on down to the front, Bates!"

Besides me she said again, "Go on, Bates!", pushing me in the direction of the stage.

I'm still not sure know why I allowed myself to get up onto the stage. I wasn't a good singer and I knew it.

According to my fourth-grade teacher and eighth grade choir, my voice was "underdeveloped", which I knew was code-word for weak and croaky.

In kindergarten, I was the only kid in my class who couldn't figure out how to make sound on the recorder. It was safe to say that music was not my forte.

Yet, I pushed my cup into the girl's arms and said, "Hold my drink", just as Drake's song "Fake Love" began to blare through the speakers.

I headed towards the stage, tripping over my feet as I climbed up the stairs. That was another thing I'd forgotten about drinking. Alcohol made me extremely clumsy.

I also missed my cue to begin the first verse and hummed for the first minute, while the audience watched me expectantly.

When the chorus of the song came, I began loudly and off-key: "That's when they smile in my faaaaaaaaace." But the audience didn't seem to mind the missed notes and the sound of my voice cracking.

I could tell by the surprised faces and short bursts of laughter that they were enjoying my performance. "Whole time they wanna take my plaaaaaaace!"

Standing on the stage and singing for the crowd of people was almost as intoxicating as the alcohol I'd downed. Maybe more.

For once, I was the life of the party. No longer the stiff, boring person who Brooke, Payton and Khloe had no problem pushing aside. It wasn't even that I was back to my old self; this was the new and improved me.

Once I finished the song, I was met with a series of hoots, hollers and cheers. I thought I heard a few boo's too, but I decided I'd probably misheard them.

"Thank you very much," said the DJ. He was chuckling too, as though I'd said a funny joke.

When he started up the electronic house beats again, I knew it was my turn to leave the stage. But it had felt so good, I didn't want to go.