Soaring (Soaring Saga #1)

☆Chapter Nine~Maze Of Eye-Hurting Colours☆

     The snow never stopped. Ever. Mother Nature was so very obnoxious recently, wasn't she? The four of us just sat there, waiting for hours, sharing stories and talking. 

"So," Neil said after a while, "does anyone else think we should just walk if the storm won't pass?"

I thought for a minute. "Probably. That's our best option right now, since flying is pretty much impossible in this."

"I think so too..." Audra agreed.

"Same. Plus, the fire's practically dead, and I have no idea how we made the first one," Ari admitted.

"Should we go now?" Neil suggested.

I nodded. I began to pack up the blankets, Ari put out the fire, Neil packed the water and snacks, and Audra shoved back any stuff we pulled out. In no time, we were on the road again, but this time, a lot lower and colder road. 

    Man, I wish I'd brought gloves. After a little while my olive-toned hands had turned pinkish with cold and were drying. They stung.

Anyhow, we took our best guess at which way was northwest, and went with that. We walked for only twenty minutes in silence, and then Audra had a suggestion.

"So, to pass the boredom," She offered, "does anyone want to keep telling stories, or maybe sing? Something? I hate awkward silences..."

"Ooh, ooh! I have a song!" Ari called out. I'd probably regret this. Audra looked the same way, but she agreed. Ari took a deep breath, and began to sing in what I assumed was Portuguese. It was quite the song, to be honest. A very energetic, party-type song. I liked it, but I probably wasn't going to tell him that.

"Dude, that was good!" Neil told Ari, "You're a nice singer!"

"Well, thanks!" Ari replied, apparently not expecting that.

"Can I sing next? It's in English this time," Neil said, "Cirocco will know this one."

"As long as I'm allowed to sing along," I agreed, realizing what song he meant. He nodded. So we sang our song we planned for the talent show, timed right but slightly off key. I had fun, even if I wasn't much of a singer.

    Audra clapped. "You practiced that. You've got to have practiced that!"

"Yeah, we have," I explained, "On my first day, he found me listening to that at lunch. He invited me to sit with him, and noticing the song, explained how he loved that one too. We bonded over that simple song, and actually tried to sing it together at recess and on the walk back home. And after a week or so, we got it down packed, and plan to do it for the talent show!" Then I thought, "If we can go back, that is."

"Oh. Well I loved it, and I guess doing it for yourselves counts for something if you can't go back."

"Thanks. You want to go? You got a song?"

She hesitated for a second, then smiled. "I think I do. You might not know it though," She then closed her eyes and sang in the best hecking voice I've ever heard come from a thirteen year old.

     She continued the song, completely oblivious to the fact the rest of us were staring at her like wackos with our mouths open. Her voice was like, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Whitney Houston all mixed, and younger. I almost completely forgot we were smack in the middle of a blizzard.

"Wh-what?" She asked at the end of the song, realizing we were staring.

"Dude! Do you not hear yourself?" I asked.

"My god, woman!" Ari exclaimed, "Don't tell me you don't take lessons."

"That was amazing! Like, seriously!" Neil ranted, "You could be the Celine Dion of Argentum one day! Maybe now! You've got to teach us! Well, no offense Cirocco, but you'd need it more. Yeah I see your face, you know it's true. But still! We could help you write a song, or maybe even a whole album, and you could record and publish it, and you'd be famous and rich and all, and it would be so cool to say we heard you sing when you were twelve or thirteen! Can we keep singing? I absolutely love--"