It was now 9 and I had just made it back to the venue for the event. I was standing at the door collecting tickets and money with Chris. "So how does this live music night work?"
I was confused by his question. "What do you mean?"
"Is this like Apollo?"
"No it's just a music showcase for aspiring musicians in the area."
"Like a concert?" He asked.
"Yes dummy." I swear he was so stupid sometimes.
"But these people aren't even famous and you have people paying to see them."
I ignored him and continued collecting tickets from the people in attendance.
After the venue was packed, I decided to go and watch the rest of the show. I could hear from where I was at but I wanted to see the acts left. Everyone was on point and it made me happy to see that my live music night was a complete success. On the second to last act was when I had lost my mind.
The whole world stopped around me and my breath got caught in my chest. Quan was sitting on the stage with a guitar in his lap.
I forgot how to blink and I definitely forgot how to breathe. What in the hell was he doing here? I had definitely seen every act before they had signed up to perform and he was not one of them.
I was really trying to figure out what the hell he was going to perform. From what I knew he wasn't a musically inclined person so I hoped and prayed that he was not about to make a fool of himself.
"How's everyone doing tonight?" he asked the crowd. After receiving applause, he continued. "so, I've been playing the guitar and singing for as long as I can remember but it was always done in private. This is my first time ever performing for people and I hope that you all bear with me."
My body was still frozen because he was here. In my presence and a part of me wanted to drag him off of that stage while the other part of me just wanted to run up there and kiss him.
"The song that I will be performing was something that I wrote about four years ago and it's in dedication to my first love. I heard she's in the building and if she is here, I hope that she's listening. I also want her to know that I'm going to love her until the whole world ends."
The crowd awed and he began strumming his guitar. When he opened his mouth, I was shocked that he could actually sing.
There she's goes
She is the one for me
We got the kind of love
That a blind man can see
She is my all and all
And she's my everything
She's my seasons
And my reasons
She's my summer
She's my winter
She's my spring as well
I'm in love with my best friend
I'm gone love her
Till the whole worlds ends
I'm in love, I'm in love
I'm in love... yeah
Imma love her
Till the whole world ends
Halfway through the song Chris leaned over to me and said, "I want you to know that I had nothing to do with this. I didn't even know this nigga really left the south let alone that he could sing."
I nodded my head still unable to say anything. I could only really just pay attention to the stage. Once he was finished, he opened his eyes and made direct contact with mine. That's when my body began to function.
I turned and started pushing past people to leave the building. I couldn't face him especially after he just sang a song in my honor when I did nothing but do him wrong the entire time that I knew him.
Once I was finally out of the building was when it began to rain. I cursed myself for even running out because Chris had my car keys and I had no other way to escape before he came out here. I began waving my hands in hopes that a cab would pass by and stop.
"Siani!" There goes that voice, I knew it like the back of my hand. It was still the same but just a bit deeper.
A taxi finally pulled over and I fumbled to open the door. Once I had finally got the door open, it shut just as fast making the driver pull off. I knew who had done it and I knew that he was standing over me. I cursed myself once more for allowing myself not to move fast enough.
I kept my back toward him because I just wasn't able to look at him again.
"Can you please turn around?" He begged.
I couldn't.
I couldn't face him. Flashbacks of all that he and I had ever been through played in my head from giving him my virginity to the abortion to us never speaking and then becoming friends again. By the time the last memory that I had with him crossed, I was crying like a newborn baby.
Pure crocodile tears were leaving my eyes and the tears were being masked by the rain. I finally mustered up the courage to face him and he pulled me into a hug. I tried to fight against it but he was stronger and had won the silent fight.
"Come, let's go inside."
"No. I don't want to go back in." I shook my head. "Can you please go and get Chris for me? I want to go home."
Quan looked as if he wanted to go against my request but he turned and went back inside to do what I had asked.
I remained outside until Chris came and he drove us back to my house. On the way I had managed to text Kiana and let her know that I had left and would see her when I saw her.
Once we had entered my apartment, I had showered and towel dried my hair. I sat on my bed and looked over at Chris.
"Some night huh?" he said.
I shrugged my shoulders and played with my fingers. "What should I do?"
"Talk to him," He said. "I mean like what else is there to do? It's been years and you need to get that closure or whatever it is that you need from him. It's clear that you two are still in love with each other. Fix it."
"I hear you. I'm putting pieces together and he's the one who got Juju the doll and he's also the man who was at Shy's house. Shy told him about my live music night and that's probably how he got into it. And your mind wasn't playing any tricks on you when you said that you saw someone who looked like him." I shook my head. "I don't know. My head hurts so I'm going to sleep."
My phone buzzed as soon as I lay my head on the pillow. One look at the unsaved number and I knew who it was.
412-685-2332: Can we please meet up tomorrow?
I guess
412-685-2332: Miss Tootsie's?
Sounds like a plan
I hoped this meet up went smooth for the both of us.
