Chapter 23: Her Time to Shine

Once Shane arrived backstage of the talent show, he was surrounded by dozens of other contestants. He could see some of them biting their nails with how nervous they were, while others were laughing and chatting with one another.

Everyone had a slightly different demeanour. Shane was part of the group who were quite nervous since he saw the huge turnout of people earlier in the crowd. He just hoped that he wouldn’t make a fool of himself when he performed on stage.

It wasn’t usually a problem for him to perform in front of a large audience, since he always had Andrew who would watch his back, but now he was all alone. This was a path that he had to walk on his lonesome if he wanted to become a man.

“Fancy meeting you here,” a voice said. The voice sounded very familiar so Shane was pleasantly surprised when he saw Melissa calling out to him. She had a huge grin on her face as she looked at him. Shane relaxed a bit when he saw her face. There was just something about her presence that made him feel at ease.

“What are you doing here? Are you also going to perform?” he asked her. Melissa blushed slightly as she nodded her head. Shane noticed her eyes avoiding his, but he didn’t think too much of it. Shane was the last person she expected to see there, so she felt kind of flustered when she noticed him. However, she scraped together some courage to walk up to him when she saw him.

The guitar he had on his back was the first thing she noticed. She didn’t even know that Shane could play an instrument. It seemed like there were more to him than she thought.

“Can I ask a favour of you? I know that you might be busy with your own act, but please give me advice on where you think I can improve,” Shane asked of Melissa. She was eager to hear just how good Shane was at the guitar. It was even more delightful for her, since he asked her to give feedback on his performance. Who knew that she would get her own show before the real thing started.

Shane and Melissa walked to a quiet corner, while the rest of the other performers kept themselves busy. Shane sat down comfortably and took his guitar in his hands. Before he started, he asked Melissa to be as harsh in her criticism as she could be. After all, he didn’t want to make a fool of himself on stage. Melissa gave him her word that she would be impartial and objective in her criticism of his playing.

Shane tuned the guitar and started to play the intro of ‘Hotel California’ by ‘The Eagles’. The song was well known, so Melissa was surprised that he chose that song specifically to play for her.

His fingers flowed like water over the rocks as he caressed the strings. Just as she was lost in his playing, Shane started to sing the lyrics. His deep voice enchanted her. It felt like he held her hostage as he played and sang at the same time.

Shane played flawlessly and he sang even better. When he played the guitar solo, Melissa’s eyes widened in shock. Who knew that Shane was that talented. The performance he put up for her, would even put the original artist to shame. While he was playing, Shane’s eyes were shut tightly as let the music carry him away. When he finished, he opened his eyes and saw that he was surrounded by all the contestants who were also in line to perform. All of them were shell shock. Who would have thought there was such a talented person among them.

Melissa was the first one to break the awkward silence when she started clapping. At that moment she realised that Shane really was an enigma. He was someone who could exceed any expectation that she had of him. What other talent was he hiding?

The other performers also joined in on the applause. Shane suddenly felt more conscious about that and blushed slightly. He really didn’t think that the other performers would join in on his and Melissa’s private show. He looked at her, and for a second, he was sure that he saw a star sparkling in her eye. Melissa quickly looked away. She didn’t want him to notice the amount of admiration she had for him.

“Now let’s see you try and replicate that on the stage. However, I’m warning you, my performance is going to put you to shame,” she said resolutely. Shane was surprised to hear her say that. Who would have thought that she was that competitive.

One by one, the performers were called out on stage to perform their items. Each and every single time applause rang throughout the auditorium. As his turn grew closer, Shane felt even more nervous than he did a moment earlier. He suddenly heard the announcer call out Melissa’s name. She stood up bravely and barely looked at him. However, Shane could clearly feel the confidence that she was exuding.

While he didn’t bother to see the other performers’ acts, he knew that he couldn’t miss what Melissa was about to do.

The whole auditorium grew quiet as they focused their gaze on Melissa. She took a deep breath while her eyes were closed. She never performed in front such a huge crowd, since she was always afraid of having so many eyes focused on her. The other reason was the fact that she didn't have to do anything too spectacular, since her sister always outclassed her in everything she tried.

Right at that moment, she felt an amount of confidence that she never felt before. She didn't know where it was coming from, but she knew that she had to make the most of the moment. She grabbed the microphone tightly in her hands as she started to recite a poem she wrote a while back. She emptied her heart in front the huge crowd and she knew that the moment the performance was over, she would be stripped naked in front of them. She already made up her mind. There was no going back...

“Lunar dim filling the evening skies.

Just like its shape, you changed before my eyes.

Dark and insignificant without the sun’s rays.

How could you escape my eagle’s gaze.”

Melissa didn’t stop for a second as she continued. Her voice was clear and it resonated with the audience. Shane listened attentively as she completed the poem she was presenting.

“Although you appear nothing more than a spec in the night.

Even then, you pierce the dark with light.

To them it didn’t matter, but to me it shone so bright.

Your gravity brought in the ocean’s tide.

“Some say you’re a myth, some say you’re made of cheese.

Caught in your embrace, weakness buckled my knees.

Your presence may never light up a room, but even then

You light my darkest nights like the brightest moon.”

"How could an inconsequential existence such as mine

ever cross a mind as developed as yours.

So I am just going to hide in the shadows,

As your light illuminate me forever more..."

When she finished her recital, there was a deafening silence that overwhelmed the crowd for a moment. Everyone of the audience members waited for a few seconds. Waited, almost as if the words were like water that needed to be absorbed completely by a sponge. The poem that she just presented was an original that she wrote roughly three months ago, right after Shane saved her when she was attacked by a group of men.

Shane was speechless when he heard the words that she said. He could tell that everything she said came from the heart and that each and every word was written with experience behind it.

Who would have ever thought that she was that talented?

The audience erupted into praise and applause for her performance. Shane couldn't even stand up and applaud her. He felt like her words had such a longing feeling behind it. It resonated with him completely, because he understood what she said perfectly. It was the exact same feeling he felt whenever he thought about Maddison Grey. 

There were two more contestants who performed, before it was his turn to make his appearance. However, when his name was called out, Shane's legs gave way under him. He suddenly felt weak. It felt like something was keeping him back from performing on stage. He knew that he couldn't give up now. He already came that far, and after steeling his resolve, he knew that he had to see it through. 

So he gritted his teeth and clenched his hand tightly around his guitar. He struggled to take a single step, but once he got going, he knew that he couldn't look back again. It was finally the day that he was going to perform the song he wrote so dearly. A song that would expose his heart to the world. It was the song that was going to make Maddy finally take notice of him.