Chapter 3: Lonely heart

I spaced around the entrance of the concert hall as my eyelashes fluttered, my phone on my hand and my lips moved quickly as I spoke to the person on the other side of the line, my heart was racing, no it was beating faster than normal.

“Oh Kate hurry up, else we would miss this show,” I told her quickly and my legs itching to go into the concert hall without her. This was the show I never missed for anything because my favourite person was in there, correction…the only man I admire was in there.

“I know… I will be there in five minutes.” I could tell Kate was running since I could hear her quick breathing from the other side of the line.

“Okay.” I hung up also knowing that my best friend Kate loves the show and wouldn’t be happy if she can’t watch it.

I live in the outskirts of town and he only comes here once in a while for the show. It was because of him that I changed my dream and chose to play music.

As a growing young kid, I have loved writing fairy tale novels where a prince comes to a castle and rescue his princess, I always love those kinds of stories but as I grew up I only thought of them as something childish, in the real world those things don’t happen and I am not like Cinderella or Rapunzel.

My life was a perfect one, I lived with both my parents and didn’t lack anything although we were not rich and I was always given my freedom, not locked away in a huge castle.

My mother and father run a cookie shop and the cookies always taste nice. Also I have my best friend Kate. I have known her forever and we both changed our dreams together, and we love each other so much.

“Ivana,” I heard my name and turned in the direction to see Kate run towards me as she paused to catch her breath. “Tell me I didn’t miss the show.” She exhaled softly, holding her waist and panting heavily.

Kate is a pretty lady, remember the song Lady in red, that was exactly who she looks like and surprisingly, red was her favourite dress and she always wears it to this show, saying it could attract her prince charming to her.

“No, we better hurry inside else we won’t find any space to sit,” I told her and she nodded as we went into the hall and just like I had thought, the hall was filled with crowd and honestly the look of the musician always pulled crowds.

“I am glad I arrived before it started,” Kate said as we both located a seat and sat down. “I can’t wait to see Hinn Carlos.” She looked at the stage as they were just about to announce his name.

“Me too…” I fixed my eyes on the stage. “Kate, it’s starting.” I beam and there the man of my dreams walks onto the stage and there is a big uproar.

You may think Hinn Carlos was a man in his thirties, but no, he should be in his early twenties, and to be specific since I have done a lot of research on him after laying eyes on him that blessed first day.

Hinn Carlos is a twenty-three-year-old handsome man with a brow nicely cut hair, long lashes and sharply pointed nose, his eyes were grey and he has a well built muscular body and his shape is superb fitting that of a model.

He attends a school in the city named Larry High, my dream school but it was way too expensive and I just have to shut my lips about it and attend the one I could. Anyways, Hinn is handsome and good at music and his voice was enchanting.

I looked around and could see the crowd of people whose eyes were on Hinn, he deserves this and I can’t wait to also be like him, stand on stage and touch many hearts with my music, I turn my eyes back at Hinn and I know that I was the only one admiring him from down here.

He couldn’t see me and am not sure if he would admire me as I admire him, I am just normal and not sure if someone like him would say hello to me if we cross paths.

I have fair skin, ugly blue eyes I didn’t find attractive even when Kate told me she loves my eyes, it looks so different from the eyes of those I see, then talk about my face, others are pleased with their looks but it was different from me, I look down at myself a lot, I was not like those princesses in fairytales, that was also one of the reasons I dropped those writing dreams and came back to reality.

I was in a lot of thoughts and didn’t know when the music finished and Kate called my attention. The moment I looked at her, the hall was already close to being empty.

“Has it ended already?” I looked at the stage and the instrumentalists were clearing the stage.

“Don’t tell me you were daydreaming again?” Kate told me and got up with a smile. I stood up and we made it out of the hall.

I can’t believe that Hinn music always makes me feel lost in thought. This was why I said his voice was enchanting. “I can’t wait to hear him sing again,” Kate said as she placed her guitar around her shoulder and I looked at her.

“I forgot to ask how your practice went.” I watch Kate groan as if I had reminded her of her worst nightmare.

“My fingers hurt.” She lifted it for me to see and I glanced at her sour finger. Playing guitar strings always gives fingers sour.

“We need to apply for medicine on it, come let’s go,” I told her and was about to take a step when she stopped me. “What?” I looked at Kate who was not glancing over my shoulder.

“Ivana, let’s go through this way,” she pointed in the opposite direction and I raised my eyebrow curiously, waiting for her to explain further. “Preshy is there, he is probably waiting for me.” She looked at me with pleading eyes and I chuckled.

“You are so funny Kate, are you scared of Preshy?” I asked her. Preshy has always pestered Kate ever since she turned sixteen and I could see that it was love in his eye, but she always finds him annoying and sidelines him.

“I am not scared of him, I can step on him with my feet, but just seeing him makes me angry and I don’t want to feel angry today.” She told me as she held my hands to go the other way. I smiled and turned to go with her when I caught a glimpse of Hinn.

He was holding his guitar and a girl was behind him and in the look of this she seems to be pestering him and it makes me furrow my brow, she was not even dressed like a girl, she was dressed like a tomboy and the most annoying aspect was that Hinn doesn’t want to talk to her but she was still being a nuisance to him.

“Kate,” I called out and she looked at me. “Hold on for a second, I will be right back.” I pulled my hand from her and made my way in the direction I had seen Hinn go.

“Hey, Hinn!” I heard the lady say in an informal and rude voice and I stopped behind the wall, she didn’t seem to call him in a rosy voice like other ladies would do if they get a chance to talk to him which made me curious.

“Oh Clara, please give me a break.” Hinn looked at her with a furrowed brow, pocketing his car key and glaring at her.

“Were you trying to sneak out on me?” Clara placed her hands on her waist and glared back, the air between them tense and I was waiting to see Hinn sideline her but his furrowed brow gradually relaxed and he opened his lips.

“No, not that,” He said softly and I just couldn't understand what was going on.

“I think you were,” Clara said in a loud voice and I can’t help but wonder why a girl could speak so rudely to a man like Hinn, a person everyone admires.

“Please no nagging, I did a very wonderful performance and I need to rest.” Hinn turned to open his car but she blocked his path.

“Rest you say?” Clara scoffed. “People are all cheering for you as if you are some kind of celebrity but they don’t know that you are a broke man who takes money from his cousin and runs away without paying back!” Clara raised her voice and I saw Hinn glance over his shoulder and then turn to her.

“Shhh… Someone might hear you…”

“I hope they do…” Clara said out loud again and I wanted to chuckle but put my hands on my lips to hold it back. It was funny to watch. I wonder if Kate would find Hinn adorable if she sees this, but I still find him cute. “Where is my 300 dollars?!” Clara stretched her hands and I blink, it was that kind of money she was making a fuss over.

“Huhu… I took 100 dollars, not 300 dollars.” Hinn glared at her and I sniggered where I stood, he was just so adorable.

“The interest is 200 dollars.” Clara retorts and I frowned at the place I stood, this was a high level of scam.

Hinn scoffed. “Are you trying to scam me?” He said the words I have in my head out loud and I nod at where I stood, she should be taught a lesson for trying to be a loan shark.

“You made a lot of money from selling your tickets, so 300 dollars wouldn’t be an issue, so hand it over.” Clara stretched out her hands again with her feet gently tapping the floor. 

“I will pay you back by tomorrow,” Hinn said softly and looked over his shoulder again to make sure no one was watching and I had to hide properly behind the wall. I wanted to talk to him but this wasn’t the right time, he would be embraced if I made my way over.

“I don’t trust your words whereas I need it now!” I heard Clara’s loud voice again and of truth, a girl shouldn’t speak so loudly, it was annoying. I could see Kate who had lost patience in waiting for me to come over to my direction.

I glance at Hinn just in time to see him open his wallet. “I just can’t escape you, can I?” He mutters and hands the money over to her. “Now get lost!” He told her coldly and I could tell from the look in his eyes that he finds his cousin so annoying.

“Yeah, I will, you too.” Clara smiles and pockets the money as she skips away joyfully. “See you in school tomorrow,” Clara called out without looking back at him.

I saw Hinn mumbles something under his breath with a stern look before getting into his car, he started his car and drove off.

“Ivana, what are you looking at?” 

Startled, I turned to look at Kate who was staring in the direction Hinn and Clara were standing not too long ago. “Umm… Nothing.” I held her hands. “We better leave now before this place becomes more deserted.

“I should be telling you that.” She frowned and I smiled as I linked arms with her and we both hurried away. First we had to stop by my mother’s cookie shop.

After the regular boring class at the small school, I attend close to my home, I stopped by a café to have a drink with Kate. I looked out of the window, it was snowing heavily and the place seemed so boring to me, there was nothing here for me.

It was always the usual waking up in the morning, eating the meal prepared by my parents and going to the most boring school where the classes would make you drool, familiar faces in class and school and no new student ever arrive, just the dummies.

The only thing that makes me love it here is whenever Hinn Carlos comes over for his shows and Kate, who had been with me, there was no dull moment with her, but the next thing that came out of her lips crushed my heart.

“Ivana, I am transferring.”