Spotlight on Nobody

- 3 -

~ song: Blackbird by The Beatles ~

Parker and Ross are already on stage. Part of the deal with Leo was that he would allow our music industry and performing arts majors to set up all the staging, lighting and sound equipment. The two people in front of me are my best guy friends at school. Freshman year, they lived down the hall from Ella, Grace and I. One night, I couldn't sleep because they were playing guitar too loud down the hall. I marched over in my PJs and swung their door to yell at them, but then I heard Parker begin to strum the first chords to "Warning Sign," my all-time-favorite Coldplay song, so I just walked in, sat on the ground and sang it while they played, and the rest is history.

Parker is sitting at the drum set, testing each drum, and Ross is hooking up all the mics. Ross sees me first and lets out a low whistle.

"Damn Nell, you sure you aren't the main attraction tonight?"

Laughing, I pick up a guitar. "You haven't tuned these yet, right?" I start to tune a deep red classical guitar, with some sort of crystal inlay and an electric pickup. As Ross plugs it in, I start playing The Beatles' "Blackbird." My mom taught me this song. She used to play it when she tuned my guitar for me as a kid - told me that notes on a guitar are meant to be played together, and that's the only way to tell if it's really in tune.

"Do you sing as well?"

I whirl around, nearly whacking Leo Griffiths with his own guitar. Hastily I slip out from the strap and hand it over.

"Oh, no no," I say. Ross meets my eyes with a raised eyebrow. "I barely play either – it's just a fun hobby, I'm not that good," I stammer.

"I think it sounded beautiful," he smiles as he takes the guitar back. "My mom used to sing that to me when I couldn't sleep." Softly he plucks out the melody, humming breathily along with it. His Adam's apple bobs as he hums, his eyes closed, as if he's imagining a far-off place where he is just a regular boy falling asleep in the arms of his mother. As he finishes, he lets the last note linger and the moment is so personal, so private, I feel as though I'm intruding. When he opens his eyes, it takes a moment for him to recognize where he is.

"Help me tune the others?" He asks, motioning towards an array of stunning, and undoubtedly priceless, guitars.

"I wouldn't want to mess anything up. That's what Parker and Ross are here for."

"To mess things up?" Leo asks with a sly smile, which is met with a chorus of objections from the boys.

"No, no, no, they're wonderfully talented. They have it under control. Not that you don't but..." with each word, I can feel my face turning brighter and brighter red. Thankfully, Parker comes and picks me up, spinning me around.

"Don't mind our Nell," he says to Leo. Is that possessiveness I hear in his voice? "She's not used to meeting people who are better than her at anything."

"Hey! Not true! Put me down!" I yell between laughs, slapping his back. Lightly he places me on my feet and bows graciously.

"Don't let her fool you, she has the voice of an angel," Parker says, looking straight into my eyes. I can't help but duck my head as the heat rises to my cheeks. Boy, I am a blushing mess today.

"And with that embarrassing display, I'm out of here." Turning on my heels, I attempt to walk confidently (without tripping) backstage. At the last moment I turn.

"Leo, you're on at 8:00. Good luck!" He bows humbly and I find myself smiling all the way to the green room.