With a deep breath, Bobby gave a small nod to the technician, signaling he was ready. The arena dimmed until only a single spotlight washed over him.
The music began—soft piano blooming through the space like a quiet sunrise.
Then Bobby sang.
🎶 You always said that I was replaceable,
Expandable and somehow disposable.
You saw no worth in me—
Made me question why I saw so much worth in you. 🎶
His tone was crystal clear, the kind of clarity that feels like it rinses out your soul. Soft, emotional, honest—like he'd ripped open his heart and handed it to the room.
As the pre-chorus swelled, more instruments joined in, lifting the song's intensity.
🎶 Heartbeat ringing in my ears,
Try as I might, it only fed my fears.
I gave you all I had, still you disappeared—
Left me in the quiet, sinking in the tears. 🎶
Tuesday started bobbing her head, her expression screaming, ohhhh this is kinda gooooooood.
Then the chorus hit like a punch right to the chest.
🎶 I tried and tried, but in the end
You left me gh-gh-ghosted.
Like I was nothing but thin air—
Did you ever even notice?
Heart shattering piece by piece,
Picking up the shards you left unspoken.
Guess you were blind to everything,
And that's why you ghosted…
Ghosted me. 🎶
The trainees looked like they'd been slapped by talent. No one expected this from quiet, smiley Bobby.
As he kept going, there was no denying it—Bobby was a force. This wasn't an evaluation anymore; this was an actual concert, and everyone knew it.
He soared through the second chorus, landed a clean, shining high note—and the room burst into applause, thinking it was over.
It wasn't.
Bobby smirked.
And then he started rapping.
Half the trainees shot to their feet like they'd been tasered.
🎶 Yeah, you vanished like a phantom in the night,
Left me scrolling through the silence, trying not to fight.
But He makes all things work together for my good—
So losing you? Yeah, it's better than I understood.
Now I rise, steady, on my own two feet,
Blessed steps forward to a brand-new beat.
You're the past—just static, just noise—
I'm the future, baby, watch me rejoice. 🎶
Every word glued the room together. Nobody dared blink.
Even Tuesday rose with one hand in the air like she'd just been baptized by the Holy Spirit of Pop. She wore the kind of stank face that only appears when something is so stupidly good it hurts.
And then—smooth as silk—Bobby slipped right back into soft vocals for the bridge.
🎶 Piece by piece, I glued my heart,
Still tender, yeah, but stronger where it scarred.
Funny thing, babe—by losing you I found me,
And that's a miracle I didn't know I'd need. 🎶
His voice was fragile in the most beautiful way, hitting straight into the softest part of the chest.
He carried that tenderness all the way into the final high note—clean, emotional, controlled.
The second the song ended, the arena detonated into applause.
A standing ovation.
All the trainees up on their feet.
Tuesday was fully standing.
Luca looked like he was about to fall off the edge of his seat.
And Foca—still seated, ever composed—clapped with a bright, proud smile that said everything.
Bobby Miller had arrived.
****
After a full minute of standing ovation—yes, a whole damn minute where the room forgot how to breathe—everyone finally sank back into their seats.
"You guys go first, because I'm still processing what just happened," Tuesday muttered as she slumped down, looking like greatness had physically punched the wind out of her.
"Well," Luca began, grinning like he already knew he was about to cause trouble, "you must've liked that other person very much for you to write a whole song about them."
The room erupted into chuckles.
Bobby shook his head quickly. "Um… actually, I didn't write it because of anything romantic." His voice wavered, but he pushed through. "It's about when I started auditioning for agencies, Broadway, West End… so many of them told me they'd 'be in touch.' They'd hype me up, keep my hopes up, and then—nothing. Just silence. Over and over again. That's why I titled the song Ghosted."
A tiny crack slipped into his voice, pain leaking through years of swallowed disappointment, but Bobby still kept a smile—soft, steady, stubborn.
"I don't know if this is appropriate," Luca said, already knowing damn well it probably wasn't, "but I'm gonna say it anyway. I'm glad they ghosted you. Because now you're here. Their loss shoved you straight into this room, and I am so, so glad I got to witness what you just did. That was greatness."
He clapped again, louder, and the room followed.
"I second that—one hundred percent," Tuesday added, passion sparking in her eyes. "When I heard your rap, I literally went 'Hallelujah, amen.' God took every one of those dead-end opportunities and flipped them for your good. Be grateful for them, because they made you resilient. It wasn't your time then. But right now?" Her hands hit the table for emphasis. "Right now, it sure as hell is. Amazing job."
Then all eyes slid to Foca.
"This is only the first evaluation," he said, genuine excitement coloring his voice, "and you're already making me look forward to the next ones. The lyrics—you poured your whole heart into them. Bobby, you have a true gift for writing."
"Thank you," Bobby whispered, fighting back overwhelmed tears.
"And may I add," Foca continued, "the production was stellar. Did you produce it too?"
"No," Bobby said with a soft laugh. "My nan actually started the base on piano. Then my best mate in uni helped me finish the production. He's… well, a total social butterfly. He got help from different student orgs and clubs. Honestly, without all of them, the song wouldn't exist."
Foca's expression softened into something warm. "Who would've thought unity among uni students could create something this excellent? I sincerely congratulate you—and everyone behind you—for a stellar job."
And then he stood.
The moment Foca rose, the room followed—another standing ovation crashing like a wave. Bobby let out a shaky laugh and bowed deeply, gratitude spilling out of him.
"Bobby," Cat said with a gentle smile, "I think the evaluators have covered everything that needed to be said. Congratulations, sweetheart."
With trembling hands but a proud little glow in his eyes, Bobby walked offstage and returned to his seat.
****
PS - You can listen to "Ghosted" in full at YouTube (@FocacciaBread-Music), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ecDiwv85yqoktTR4h569L?si=5_a95JMJQX-4tNvVXLgbKw) or other digital streaming platforms.Â
****
Full Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
You always said that I was replaceable,
Expand-able and somehow disposable.
You saw no worth in me—
Made me question why I saw so much worth in you.
Patient and understanding, yeah, that's all I've ever been,
But I never thought the one I loved
Never actually saw me in the end.
[Pre-Chorus]
Heartbeat ringing in my ears,
Try as I might, it only fed my fears.
I gave you all I had, still you disappeared—
Left me in the quiet, sinking in the tears.
[Chorus]
I tried and tried, but in the end
You left me gh-gh-ghosted.
Like I was nothing but thin air—
Did you ever even notice?
Heart shattering piece by piece,
Picking up the shards you left unspoken.
Guess you were blind to everything,
And that's why you ghosted…
Ghosted me.
[Verse 2]
You know, I thought I was worth nothing—
But maybe you're the one seeing nothing
By seeing nothing.
I'll take a breather, shed my tears,
But when the storm is done, I look in the mirror—
And damn, I've grown through all these years.
Thank you, ghost of my past,
Cuz now I'm walking on, blessed at last.
[Chorus]
I tried and tried, but in the end
You left me gh-gh-ghosted.
And when you did, I smiled a bit—
Chuckled, "Guess it wasn't meant to be."
Heart shattering piece by piece,
But every crack is finally closing.
You lost the best you'll never meet—
All 'cause you ghosted…
Ghosted me.
[Rap]
Yeah, you vanished like a phantom in the night,
Left me scrolling through the silence, trying not to fight.
But He makes all things work together for my good—
So losing you? Yeah, it's better than I understood.
Now I rise, steady, on my own two feet,
Blessed steps forward to a brand-new beat.
You're the past—just static, just noise—
I'm the future, baby, watch me rejoice.
[Bridge]
Piece by piece, I glued my heart,
Still tender, yeah, but stronger where it scarred.
Funny thing, babe—by losing you I found me,
And that's a miracle I didn't know I'd need.
[Final Chorus]
I tried and tried, but in the end
You left me gh-gh-ghosted.
But I'm done looking back at shadows—
Your silence? I've outgrown it.
Heart rebuilt from broken glass,
Every shard now shining softly.
I'm moving on, I'm walking blessed—
While you're the one who's haunted…
Haunted by ghosting me.