---The night before---
"And I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice when I shout it out loud.."
Kiara's voice boomed throughout the hall , raising at a level of decibels people could only marvel at as the sound reverberated furiously, the deadly embrace of her song gradually pulling everyone inside its trance while most of her friends she'd met while still in highschool already started beating their bodies to the music. Maybe she did not have a great voice, she was far from talented in the art of singing, but it was her inner power, her confidence that lured people into the invisible vibration sent by the modulation of her tones. She had the skills, with all those tedious lessons of canto, she just did not have a natural talent, she needed to always work to perfect her voice.. What she did best was dancing, contorting her figure and levitating it with the music in a way that made the scene belong entirely to her, not the other way round. She was the scene, she was ruling it because she liked it, because she was passionate and most of all, because she enjoyed inputting an endless amount of energy in those around her. Two guys, not older than seventeen, touched the cords of their instruments in perfect synchronization's with Kiara's rhythm, and before they had time to realize the strange phenomenon, the karaoke restaurant caught the atmosphere of a night club, where everyone was allowed to release themselves into freedom and break all the rules.
The adults, people from the high society that enjoyed spending their time here, having been enthralled by the girl's performance, joined the youngsters in the dance, resuming to clap their hands above the head. Although they would have enjoyed nonetheless to break free, a sophisticated and polite person must keep himself composed in every circumstance, be it as entertaining and hypnotizing as this. After four minutes, or so, Kiara's show came to a dazzling end, her feet rising off the ground to do a high jump, one meter from the floor. She landed on her soles and bowed, clenching her hand at her heart. One man, whose face was only slightly familiar to her, came forth and helped the girl climb off the stage with a wicked smile.
"Good job my dear, although i suggest you stick with dancing. You have a strong and amazing voice, but we both know canto is not for you." He said, looking around to search for signs of approval, and frowned ever so slightly when everyone gave him the cold glare. He shrugged it off casually and dug his hands deep into the pockets of his trench coat as he made his way out of the building.
"Thank you sir." Kiara called after him in unconcealed delight. She was not bothered by the criticism, far from her to get frustrated over such a silly thing, but seemed to have gotten some enjoyment out of the fact that her skills in the musical area had been so openly questioned. That meant she, as the rest of the band, was envied, and with the risk of being selfish, she felt good in her skin. After all, who would have had the guts to step on the stage and do something he or she was perfectly aware that lacked the necessary quantity of talent for such an act, if not Kiara? That was how she was, always doing something new, always jumping recklessly when a challenge was put in front of her, and never strolling off of her path when all she got in return was disagreement. Her life had been difficult enough before, so there was absolutely nothing that could bring sadness onto this girl's expression from then on, absolutely nothing at all.
"Good job over there." Diane, one of her good friends and possibly the only one nearly as crazy as herself, pushed her way through the row of people and drew Kiara in a tight embrace, pulling her up and spinning her once in excitement. Then, realizing how weird it must have looked, released and gave a sheepish grin from ear to ear. "Remind me not to ever mess with you girl." She caroled and connected their hands together to go to a secluded room prepared exquisitely for Kiara and her friends .
Once there, she was greeted by a group of six people who pulled her from one side to another until they finally decided on how to sit. The tables were not as spacious as one may be led to believe, and without much acknowledgment, she found herself in the lap of her best friend, who happened to also be a guy. He insinuatingly jiggled her up and down, triggering a chorus of laughter that forced Kiara to join it. They were a bit noisy, although nobody could have heard them from where they were located. "So tell me.."She began, crossing her legs and draping her arm around Michael's shoulder. "When will you continue with those guitar lessons? I'm thinking about buying an electrical one instead of using yours." He stared at her as if she had told something in chinese, or spanish, or one of the other languages which sounded like barks to him, and poked her nose as an answer while he nuzzled her ear. "Tomorrow we'll go and buy you one, how does that sound?"He smiled artfully and popped a few fries in his mouth, attempting to be funny. Kiara needed no guitar, she had plenty in the studio, but she liked making him useful to keep him happy.
And he was, no matter what he did Michael was a funny guy, moreover with the purposeful exaggerated arch of his brows adding to the effect of his already clownish visage and with his aquiline nose that, when looked at from one side, was weirdly outlined by the light and had a quite hilarious aspect. Kiara loved him for this, because whenever people made fun of his nose, he simply lifted his chin and wiggled it playfully, showing that he could not care less of his physical appearance. However, except this particular flaw of his, he was in rest perfectly built, about six feet and three inches in height, with a mass of black spiky hair and a pair of emerald green eyes that nevertheless drew you in with each visual contact, not to mention his eternal doleful expression that made all the females want to protect him from the dangers lurking in the outside world.
"You're such a tease."Barracked Kiara as she assaulted his fried chicken, throwing a small piece of meat in her mouth whilst she snuggled more into him, like a child begging to be spoiled by her parents. And perhaps that was all there was to their relationship, he was protective of her, even though she had never asked for his presence, and would always try to make her laugh and smile. Since she herself had a sense of humor that provoked laughter even in not-at-all-funny situations, he managed to do it every time. People had already gotten used to hearing Kiara laughing, or singing, or seeing her in random places dancing to the music resonating from her headphones, but they still could not read past the facade of the happy girl she revealed.
It always occurred to them that inside this girl, something unusual slithered, and they were always half expectant whenever she got on the scene, as if in the next moment she would do a hocus pocus and summon the divine fire. However, despite the fact that she never really exposed something of the supernatural faction, they continued to regard her as an unique phenomenon, eternally looking forward to what she had to offer.
Diane, half jealous of her friend, since she privately fancied Michael, rose her shoulders and let them drop lazily with her eyes averted from the two. She loved Kiara, but seeing her with the guy she liked her unnerved her to amazing extents. She, personally, did not believe in friendship between a man and a woman, hence why it was utterly difficult for her to believe that between Kiara and Michael was nothing more, and it took her a great deal to pretend disinterest and ignorance. She sighed and drew her chair closer, patting the girl on her shoulder with a fake smile.
"Can we talk?" Inquired Diane, ignoring the sad look on Michael's face who had gotten probably too used to feeling someone in his lap. He gave a conspiratorial wink and stood up, letting Kiara sit down as he made his way next to one of his soccer mates. "What's the problem?" Continued Kiara, leaning in to not be overheard by those at the table.
"Think you can hook me up with him...?"
The statement contorted Kiara's features in disbelief, who, by no means, had she foreseen this and was, subsequently taken by surprise at the question in front of her. She bit her lip in dismay, cast a glance at her best friend, then, with a heavy sigh, pecked Diane's cheek and turned to her food.
"Consider it done."
---Time skip---
After a few hours, she was throwing her things aside in one corner of the room as she plopped in her bed and put her headphones on. The night had really been a tiring one, and she patiently waited for the rest of them to come out. Music rang loudly from her mp3 player, but she did not seem to think the volume dangerous for her ear drums and hummed along, closing her eyes while she lost herself to her own world of fantasy. Somehow, she could not get rid of the feeling that something big was coming her way, but she would nevertheless meet it with a smile, no matter what it may be.
They would be having a free day, and since Kiara had decided to take it a bit earlier than the rest, sneaking outside the house when everyone else was sleeping, now she felt the first signs of exhaustion crawling in. She took a shower, put on a new outfit and climbed down in the kitchen to get the lunch ready while, she supposed, her friends were still trying to find something to do. Kiara opened the fridge and peered in, closing the door with her foot after she found a small box with vanilla ice cream, her favorite. She plunged her spoon inside the cream and took a mouthful, tossing her head from one side to the other to the beat playing inside her head.