Chapter 18: Festival of Lights I

Los Sueños Strip would be the place that April and Haruka would throw down the gauntlet and make themselves known amongst the competitors of Summer Madness.

While some bands were performing at coffeehouses, clubs and the beach, April and Haruka were given a desolate strip on the edge of town. A place that no one had probably heard of because when Haruka’s fingers first touched upon the keys of her piano, there wasn’t a soul around. And before April’s voice filled the air, it was as quiet as a mouse. But within hours everything would change.

The world would change. Their world and mine.

I wasn’t quite sure how to put it. I couldn’t say what exactly was different about them that day but there was a strange energy about them. Something mythical. Something dangerous and electrifying. There was a strange power.

I thought I was the only that felt it at first but I looked around and saw that I wasn’t alone. People were gripping their chest as if they couldn’t breathe.  Shedding tears.  Dancing themselves into a frenzy as if they were on a high that refused to let them come down.

We felt like we were a part of history. Like we were witnessing the birth of some monstrosity that would soon take the world by storm.

“Who are they?!” A man beside me had shouted. And another. And another. And many more as #whoarethey and #Los Sueños Strip started to trend within the Twitter community of Starlight Shores.  As people from all over the city began to flock over, all I could think about was how distant I felt from them at the moment.

They seemed alien to me. Like people I had never met. I felt like if I told people I was a close friend of theirs, no one would believe me because of how extraordinary they were and how ordinary I was in comparison. I mean I knew the feeling of inferiority once before but never like this. Never this hard. Never this deep. I felt like I could paint for decades and never produce an art that would move a crowd like how April and Haruka had just moved me.  And especially not a novel.

When their performance had ended and the large crowds had dispersed, I sat alone with just my thoughts and emotions. I could still feel the trembles in my hands from their performance. I could still hear people gossiping about them as they passed by in the streets.  I looked down at my phone and stared at all of the missed calls and unanswered texts. I knew they were waiting on me. But I was too ashamed to face them.

I told them so many times that I was their number one fan. Their biggest supporter. I always told them to reach for the stars. And yet there I sat, wrapped up in feelings of jealously and envy. I was despicable.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding?”

Startled, I looked over my shoulder and saw April smiling with her hand on her hip. Haruka was beside her but her expression wasn’t as warm.

“You should be careful about ignoring Haru’s phone calls” April had said, “She can be very spiteful when you get on her bad side. She was just telling me-”

“Shut it, April. And you-” She shifted her anger towards me as her eyes flared “Do you know how long it took us to get away from all of the people asking us for autographs and pictures? I’ll tell you, A LONG TIME. Even when we ran, they tried to chase after us like a bunch of crazies. Where the hell were you, Mr. Manager? Aren’t you supposed to take care of things like this?”

“Aww Haru looks so cute when she’s angry. Why don’t you tell him the real reason why you’re so mad?”

“April, you-”

“She thinks you snuck out on our performance midway because we couldn’t see you in the crowd at a certain point. Not to mention you’ve been dodging our phone calls and we find you over here relaxing. Anything to say in your defense, Mr. Manager?”

I didn’t know what to say. I mean I was there for the whole performance but I couldn’t exactly tell them the reason why I was ignoring their phone calls. I scratched my head and quickly thought of a lie. I said “I was there for the whole thing. It’s just after it ended, I thought you guys might want to soak in your first taste of fame. You know, enjoy all of the attention.”

Haruka narrowed her eyes like she didn’t believe me. And neither did April who wagged her finger at me disapprovingly.  So I reached down and told them something genuine. I told them watching them perform reminded me of my fondest childhood memory.

I told them watching them perform was like watching a festival of lights.