Chapter 118: I Fell In Love Long Time Ago

Crystal was about to say something, but then the lights went out, and her attention was diverted to the front of the stadium. People began to cheer, and as they screamed their idol’s name, a bass guitar began to play the opening riff to the number one hit song, Smash You On The Flip-Side.

The stage lights came on as fireworks lit up behind the drum kit, and Louis walked on stage. He was wearing a black leather jacket and a pair of trousers, and he had a red guitar slung across his back like an old-timey gunslinger. When he got to the microphone, he grinned as he made the devil’s horns with his hands, and the crowd went wild. “Are you ready to rock?!?!” he shouted.

The drummer followed the bass line, and all of the lights converged to create a multi-colored spotlight and focused on Louis. The synthesizer joined the bass and the drums, and he began to sing: “I caught her on the side of the road. Her cheeks were cherry red. Her thumb was raised up in the air. I thought - I want her dead...” And so the song went.

Crystal was hypnotized. Without turning away, she said, “Nathan! He’s so hot! Don’t you think he’s hot?”

***

Nathan was slightly perturbed by what Crystal had said about Louis. Does she think he’s hotter than me? - he wondered. He was going to say something, but he was caught off guard by what was said next between Judy and Crystal. Judy pulled at Crystal’s hand. “Isn’t my boyfriend handsome?” she asked.

Crystal shrugged, but Judy wasn’t deterred. She assumed that everyone was jealous of her. She squeezed Crystal’s hand and said, “Hey, just admit it. I know you envy me, and I don’t mind. I could even help you get Louis and Chris’ signatures.”

Crystal wasn’t envious, though, and she said so. “I’m just here for the music,” she added. “As a person, Louis doesn’t interest me.”

Judy smirked and said, “That’s probably just as well. Guys like Chris and Louis aren’t interested in ordinary girls like you anyway.” She waved a fluorescent stick and laughed. “I just told Chris to pick your boyfriend to go up to the stage during the interactive session,” she continued. “He will get a prize!”

Crystal shrugged again. She knew that Judy was just showing off, and she didn’t want to give her any satisfaction. She worried, though, that the other woman might be setting Nathan up for a disaster. Is she hoping to make a fool of him? she wondered. Before she could warn him, though, the spotlight lit up his face.

Louis extended his hand in Nathan’s direction and said, “At this time, I’d like to invite my friend, Nathan Davis, to the stage.”

Crystal turned to Nathan. She put her hand on his arm and said, “This is boring. Just ignore him.”

Nathan was sitting elegantly in his chair with his legs crossed one over the other. His eyes were partially shut, but there was a faint smile on his face. From the expression on his face, Crystal had no way of knowing what he was thinking. Frantically, she turned to the stage and began to wave Louis away.

Unfortunately, Louis was not deterred. He looked out into the crowd and shouted, “My friend seems to be a little shy. Why don’t you give him some love? Let’s let him know that this is a safe place!”

The crowd began to clap and cheer and shout Nathan’s name: “Nathan! Nathan! Nathan!”

Crystal cried out, “Damn it! They are absolutely relentless.” She turned to Nathan and said, “Let’s just go home.”

“I don’t think so,” Nathan said. Slowly, he stood up.

Crystal gasped and pulled at his arm. “What are you doing?” she asked.

Nathan lowered his head and whispered seductively into her ear: “You can tell me later who’s the hottest.”

As Nathan made his way towards the aisle, someone shouted, “Wow! He’s so hot! He’s as handsome as Louis!”

Someone else yelled, “Why do I feel like he’s more good-looking than Louis?”

“Is he a new singer?” Someone asked. "Maybe he's one of Louis' protégées? Otherwise, why would Louis invite him on stage.”

“Aaaaah!” Someone shrieked. “Do you think he has a solo album out? If so, I’m going to be one of his fans!”

Nathan took to the stage with confidence, and everyone, including Louis, was impressed by him.

Suddenly, Louis’s agent hurried on stage and said to him, “Cancel the game.”

Louis frowned. What the hell is going on? - he wondered. His agent had looked afraid, and that scared him. Not knowing what else to do, he stepped back and waited for a cue from his agent telling him what to do next.

Nathan lifted his arms in the air, and the crowd went wild with excitement. Then he walked to the piano, sat down, and spoke softly into the microphone. “This is an original song,” he said. “It’s called, Fallen In Love With You Long Long Ago. It’s dedicated to my soul’s true beloved.” As he spoke, he teased the keys with his fingers until a beautiful melody emerged.

Crystal was shocked. She’d had no idea that he could play piano, and she was anxious to see if he could sing as well as he played. Luckily, she didn’t have to wait too long to find out. As soon as Nathan opened his mouth, the audience went crazy with excited delight. His voice was clear and powerful, and in a matter of minutes, he’d stolen the spotlight.

“Fallen in love with you, long long ago,” Nathan sang. “You’ve occupied my heart, and except for you, no one else can get in.” And by the time he’d reached the chorus, people were beginning to wonder if he had a record deal, if the song was available for download and if they’d be able to meet him and get his autograph. Not only that, but they were jealous of the object of his desire, and they asked each other, “Who is the girl that he fell in love with long, long ago?”

Crystal was in a daze. Through Nathan’s song, she felt like she was meeting him again for the first time. Through his music, he was showing her a side of himself that she’d never seen before, and she liked everything about it.

Thunderous applause shook the stadium at the end of the song, but Judy refused to acknowledge Nathan’s talent. She turned to Crystal and asked, “Does your boyfriend sing in bars?”

Suddenly, Crystal found that she’d run out of patience for her friend. She kept her eyes on the stage and her mouth shut.

“He’s an okay singer,” Judy continued. “If he wants, I could ask Chris to give him some lessons. Chris is with the same record company as Louis. It’s a very well-known company.”

Crystal: “Oh? What company?”