I hadn't been to this kind of karaoke before; I always thought they only existed in TV shows.
We had our own room, with microphones and a huge list of songs on the console. You could even adjust the autotune to improve your vocals and not sound like an idiot (words of Luz, not mine).
Oriol was singing a somewhat popular Bruno Mars song, hip-hop was his thing. I grabbed the tablet to pick a song since I had a turn coming up.
I started thinking about which one to choose. (DNCE… no, that song didn't grow well, that little "Naomi" part was awful).
I muttered to myself, "How about 'Creep' by Radiohead? (Nah, too mellow). 'Numb' by Linkin Park… (though I'd like to sing that one with Luz). I need something more upbeat."
Among the options, one caught my attention: Mr. Brightside by The Killers. Perfect for my vocal range, though the theme is a bit weird to sing with everyone…
Suddenly, I heard Hannah's voice behind me. "Let's go with something more fun."
I turned and saw her smiling, already holding the tablet. Her face was so close to mine that I could smell her perfume... sweet, like freshly baked cookies.
Before I could protest or react, she swiped and selected another song. "Done!, trust me."
I shrugged, amused and a little nervous with her so close. (Well, hopefully I know the song.)
Christina chuckled from her side, crossing her arms. "Trust Hannah, she always knows what to pick to liven things up."
Luz nodded. "Yeah, and this way Ren won't ruin the afternoon with his mental drama. Dude, you took forever," she said with a mischievous smile, making all of us laugh.
I stayed silent for a few seconds, staring at the screen as the song loaded. I made a small face at Luz for her comment, but she just raised a finger at me and laughed.
Hannah gave me a knowing look and winked. "Let it be, today you're with me." She took my hand and led me to the stage. I couldn't help but tense up and get nervous, my face turning red again.
Eduardo watched me and, as I passed by him, he gave me a thumbs-up. "Kudos, bro, seriously, teach me the guru art."
I grabbed the microphone, and with the volume still high, I muttered, "Idiot." Eduardo just leaned back in the chair and kept eating his fries.
I adjusted the volume, Hannah still holding my hand, whispered into my ear softly, "I haven't heard you ask me to let go," winking at me before releasing my hand.
I froze for a few seconds, unsure how to react to Hannah's comment. My face must have been completely red, and I felt all eyes on me. I tried to focus, but my thoughts were still scattered between Hannah and the heat on my cheeks.
The iconic guitar riff sounded, followed by the drums, and right at the ten-second mark, my mind cleared. Looking at Hannah smiling, we both started the vocals.
🎵*"Don't wanna be an American Idiot, Don't want a nation under the new mania...And can you hear the sound of hysteria? The subliminal mindfuck America"*🎵
Hannah smiled, looking me straight in the eyes. In one motion, she released her ponytail that she had made on the way in Luz's truck and began tossing her hair to the rhythm of the song.
🎵*"Welcome to a new kind of tension, All across the alienation, Where everything isn't meant to be okay... In television dreams of tomorrow, We're not the ones who're meant to follow, For that's enough to argue"*🎵
All my nerves vanished completely. The music filled me, and my voice synced naturally with the rhythm. Even Hannah kept pace with me, and by the look on her face, she seemed just as surprised and excited.
She came closer, took my face in her hand, pulled me toward her, then moved behind me as we continued singing.
🎵*"Well, maybe I'm the faggot, America, I'm not a part of a redneck agenda, Now everybody, do the propaganda, And sing along to the age of paranoia"*🎵
Luz raised her drink and joined in from her seat. Daniel, sitting next to her, also tried to follow the rhythm, though it was clear he didn't know the song.
🎵*"Welcome to a new kind of tension, All across the alienation, Where everything isn't meant to be okay... In television dreams of tomorrow, We're not the ones who're meant to follow, For that's enough to argue"*🎵
Hannah and I kept singing energetically. She looked so happy, her body moving with such lightness.
I loved watching her move, feeling the rhythm expand inside me, and I wanted to move like that too, to feel the song with that intensity.
As the drums played and we hit the main chorus, my feet began moving to Hannah's rhythm. She looked at me and started nodding her head to the beat, which I mimicked and followed.
🎵*"Don't wanna be an American idiot, One nation controlled by the media, Information age of hysteria, It's calling out to idiot America"*🎵
🎵*"Welcome to a new kind of tension, All across the alienation, Where everything isn't meant to be okay... In television dreams of tomorrow, We're not the ones who're meant to follow, For that's enough to argue"*🎵
At the end of the song, my chest was heaving up and down, Hannah took my mic and said, "I loved it, you're really good." She kissed me on the cheek, turned, and went to hand the microphone to Luz and Daniel.
I just stood there like an idiot, touching my cheek where I still felt the kiss and the cookie-like scent… Meanwhile, Eduardo and Oriol watched me, smiling in complicity.
The only one who didn't look so happy was Christina, seeing us together…
While I was distracted, I didn't notice a small window appear floating on the screen.
[Ability Unlocked: Melodic Pulse]
..........
Author Note.
Give me a comment, how about this type of work, have you seen anyhthing like this, please tell me, so I can read and expand my world.