No. 7

No. 7







      "'Cause you know I'd walk 1,000 miles if I could just.... see you tonight..."






Inside Vecina, I was dizzy.
All of the buildings were short and stubby. They were all round with big domed roofs made of glass. It was all very beautiful don't get me wrong. But it was just like seeing one building after another.
I started to hum mindlessly. Which meant I wasn't doing good.

The streets were wide, yet they were full of people. People shouting and some were singing.
It was like a constant buzz, a constant headache, a constant.....
"hey are you Zaydie?"
I looked around and found that a twelve year old boy was talking to me.
"Um... who want's to know?" I asked.
The rest of the gang stopped and looked at him.
"Your the one that sang in Mr. Estra's club right?"
I nodded. "yeah. What of it?"
"Come with me please. My boss has a job for you."
The boy took my hand and started to pull me down the street.
I couldn't do anything but follow him.
The gang followed behind me. I could sense them all tensing. I was too.

The boy led me down into a back alley and into a large building.
We ran up several flights of stairs and into an office room.
The room was large and richly furnished. The left wall was made of glass and looked out into an amphitheater that had a large whole in the middle.
"What is that?" Quorra asked running over to the window/wall thing.
"That is my amphitheater. I'm glad you like it."
We all turned to see a woman lying on the couch.
She gracefully swung her long legs over the edge and stood up.
Se wore a tight red dress that flowed out at the bottom along with red high heels.
Her long red hair was pinned up with ringlets falling down her graceful neck, and she had pale skin and ruby red lips which turned into a pretty smile.

"Hello Zaydie. I'm Raquel. How are you doing?" She introduced, offering a hand. I shook it politely and smiled.
"I'm doing fine thank you ma'am. Um... may I ask why I'm here?"
She laughed.
"Of course my dear. You see my show for tonight canceled. And I need someone who's equally talented to take in his place. Would you do us the honors?"
My jaw dropped. I glanced at everyone else. Who were just as shocked.
"Um. How did you even find out about me?"
Again she laughed.
"Word travels fast on Dresher. Everyone's buzzing about you and how well you sang in Mr. Estra's club. So will  you?"
"Um... I guess."
"How much are you paying?" Matrix jumped in. Raquel turned to him and smiled.
"A pretty penny. See for yourself."
She walked over to her desk and opened a drawer. Pulling out a pouch, she handed it over to Matrix.
He opened it and his eyes grew wide.
"We'll do it."




 
                                                            ++++




The rest of the afternoon was spent practicing with the DJ machine, and figuring out who all would be singing.
It was narrowed down to me.
Great.
Quorra and Matrix would be back up dancers and singer. There were also going to be professional dancers there as well.
After we got all that settled, we practiced our dance moves.
Quorra and I were great when we were the ones coming up with the moves. But now?.... we just couldn't seem to get them down!

"Here you three can wear these. It'll show you what move to do next." One of the dancers said. "it's also attached to your mic." He handed over a set of headphones to each of us that were going to be on the stage.
They were white and blue with a mic piece coming down from it. And then also they had an eye piece that was clear glass.
I put them on and the music was blasting in the headphones. (it was just dance music. No words)
The eye piece came out from both headphones and came over my face like goggles. Clear goggles but goggles. haha.
"Ooh! These are deffinatly different." Quorra stated.
"Press the button on the side." The dancer ordered. All three of us pressed the button and suddenly stuff came flying across the glass.
I jumped and leaned back instinctivly.
"This will show you what move to make next. Just remember to sing as well." He explained.
A girl figure came up onto the screen outlined in blue on the left side of the goggles. She started to sway to the beat and then the words,
"Follow her."
Crossed the screen.
"Try it out. From the top!" The dancer said. Everyone got into position, and it the music started again.

The girl figure moved her left elbow out and then her right. The words
"Left, right" flashed across the screen.
I just followed the instructions.
Soon we were all dancing it out pretty well!
Even Matrix was doing great!
It took your breath out of you, and you got really tired afterwards but at least we got use to the goggles instructing us what to do!

We finished the routine and we all took a break.
"That was totally awesome!" Quorra shouted, I nodded.
"Yeah. I never knew I could dance like that." Matrix commented. We all laughed.
"Zaydie, Quorra, and Matrix!" We all looked down and saw a girl with a clip board calling us from the first row of seats. "Time to get dressed."
We glanced at each other and dashed to the edge of the stage.

The stage was much like the one in Mr. Estra's club. Only it was round and ten times bigger!
We took that daring first step of the edge and our feet met with stairs that led to the first row of seats.
We followed the girl behind the stage, and into a dressing room.
"These are your outfits, they all work together quiet nicely don't you think?" She asked, pointing to clothes that hung on a rack.
We all nodded our thanks and walked over to them.
They were white, with blue lining.
Matched our headphones.

We all quickly got changed in the dressing rooms and came out to admire each other in the floor length mirror.
Quorra and Matrix both had on white pants that flared out at the bottom with blue shoes, their long-sleeved shirt was white again, with a blue strip running down the left side, and also had blue cuffs.
My outfit was slightly different.
I had on a white skirt that had blue lining on the bottom. I wore a collared sleeveless shirt that had the same blue strip down the left side. Only then I had blue sleeves on each arm that was tied to my arm, yet not attached to the shirt. Those were kind of opposite of the rest of the outfit. Like I said, their blue, with white lining. The ends of the sleeves draped and it looked pretty cool.
I had on blue boots that came up to my knees with white laces on them.

"Oh...my word we look totally awesome!" Quorra exclaimed.
Then the girl with the clip board poked her head in.
"Oh good you all are dressed. Time for the hair!"
She then rushed us off to another room where we were forced into chairs and had our hair done.

My long hair was pulled up into pony tails with blue holders and hair clips every where.
Quorra's was pulled away from her face and then braided down her back.
Matrix's was just brushed and they gave him a hat much like his last one he wears all the time.

Then the same girl with the clip board came back in and reported that it was five minutes till show time.
We were led away again and met up with Savrin on the stage. That was now lowered into the hole in middle of the amphitheater.
"Hey you guys - whoa!"
We all smiled and looked down at our new outfits.
"That's... very.... um..."
We all laughed.
"Ok just remember that the first one is mostly for dancing. With a little singing, just to get the crowd up and going. The next one is really where you get going Zaydie." Savrin reminded.
I nodded.
"Alrighty then, let's do it!" I said with a hand pump.
"yes!" Quorra and I exchanged high fives.
Then the music started and Savrin said good luck then ran off the stage and into the DJ's corner.
We put our headphones on as the music started, the headphones geared up.
"You got this kids!" Several of the dancers yelled. We gave them a thumbs up and moved to our starting positions. (very dramatic starting positions. The lights on the stage were off, and I stood there in the middle with my feet apart, my hands clasped in front of me with my head down. All of the professional dancers were in a semi-circle near the back of the stage, and Quorra and Matrix stood on either side of me, but again farther away. They all stood with their heads down to the left side, and their backs to me.)

Like Sav said. The first song was just to get the crowd into it.
And boy were they!
When the stage rose to the amphitheater and the lights turned on. Everyone was screaming as we moved across the stage.
It. Was. Insane!

I just followed the movements on the goggles, so it was pretty easy, and surprisingly! We all stayed in sync!
(which was my biggest fear that we wouldn't, and then we'd all stumble over each other!)
The song ended with a big bang, and I ended the routine with what they called a "triple spin" and landed with my hands on my hips.
Yes, yes I know. It's all very dramatic, but the crowd loved it so....

I took a deep breath and glanced over at Quorra.
She gave me a thumbs up and I shook the nervousness as the music to the second song started.
This one was much slower then the last, and it was mostly piano. (really pretty sounding piano!)

I looked up at the clear night sky.
Creator.... thank you so much for helping me through all this. Words can't express what I feel right now. Though I know you already know what I feel.
Then the music started and the singing came.

"Making my
Way
Downtown,
Walking
Fast

Faces past and
I'm homebound."

The crowd died down enough that they could hear me. I moved gently and gracefully, though mostly I stayed in the same place.

"Starring blankly
Ahead,
Just making my
Way,
Making a way through
The crowd..."

The crowd cheered as I rose and dropped my voice flawlessly. I smiled and closed my eyes.

"I need
You
And I miss
You
And now I
Wonder..."

I opened my eyes again and looked up at the sky.
Thinking of you.

"If I could
Fall,
Into the
Sky,
Do you think
Time
would pass me
By?

'Cause you
Know
I'd walk
1,000 miles
If I could
Just
See you...
Tonight."

Thoughts of you swarmed through my head as I faced the crowd. (who was now silent.)
I chose this song because it was all true. I was singing it from my heart.
I would  walk 1,000 miles if I could just see you again.
I moved to the piano's music, swaying back and forth with my eyes closed.

"It's always
Time
Like these,
When I
Think
Of you,
And I
Wonder...

If you ever
Think
Of me.

'Cause everything's so
Wrong,
And I don't
Belong
Living in your
Precious
Memory..."

Haha. Again I think that's all true. I've always caught myself thinking of you, then wonder if you're doing the same.

"'Cause I need
You
And I miss
You.
And now I
Wonder...

If I could
Fall,
Into the
Sky...
Do you think
Time,
Would pass
Me by?


'Cause you
Know
I'd walk
1,000 miles
If I could just
See you
Tonight..."

There was more piano music and the crowd started to cheer again, and sing along. I smiled as I swayed my hips to the music and looked up at the sky.

"I... I don't
Want
To let you
Know.

I... I drown in your
Memory.

I... I don't
Want
To let this
Go.

I... I don't.

Making my
Way
Downtown,
Walking
Fast

Faces past and
I'm homebound.

Staring blankly
Ahead,
Just making my
Way
Making a way through the
Crowd.

And I still need
You,
And I still miss
You.

And now I
Wonder..."

The melody started, the music died down a little, and my voice rose softly.

"If I could
Fall,
Into the
Sky,..

Do you think
Time,
Would pass
Us by?

'Cause you
Know
I'd walk
1.000 miles

If I could just
See you..."

Then I got into vocalizing a little, and I sang louder as the music rose higher.

"Oh, oh

If I could
Fall
Into the
Sky...

Do you think
Time
Would pass me
By?

'Cause you
Know
I'd walk
1,000 miles."

The music slowed down as it came to an end and I gazed up at the sky and found our stars.

"If I could just
See you...

If I could just
Hold you...

Tonight...."

I held the last note till the piano stopped playing and the lights died down slowly.
I looked down at the crowd and saw that I was clutching your medallion again.
I smiled and gave a curtsy as the stage lowered.
Back under the amphitheater, everyone who had worked behind the scenes. The hair dressers, the people who made the clothes, the girl with the clip board, and even Raquel were clapping loudly for us.

The dancers all gave us hugs and congratulated us. We smiled as we stepped off the stage.
Savrin came over and gave me a big hug, which lifted me off the ground. I laughed and hung on tight so he wouldn't choke me.
When he finally put me back down he was beaming from ear to ear.
"You were amazing!!" he shouted. I smiled and took the headphones off.
"Thanks."
Quorra came over and slung a hand around my shoulder.
"Yes you were. And I think I know who you dedicated the song to." She remarked.
I smiled and looked up at the sky.
"Yeah... I'm sure you do."