Right In Front of Me (Finished)

Chapter 16: Karaoke Date

***Greyson's POV***

        I was hanging with Hallie in her room, and we were making out. Yes, again. It's not that she's a bad kisser or that I don't love kisses; it's just that I feel like this is all we do. Kiss. I pull away and tell her, "Hallie..." She looks at me with big eyes and a small smile. "Don't you think this is getting a little... boring?" She widens her eyes even more, as if that was possible, and I quickly say, "Nonono, I-I don't mean I wanna break up," I can't stand the tears forming in her eyes, "I just mean that all we do is kiss. It's like our whole relation ship is physical." She calms down. "Oh, thank goodness, you scared me. You see, I-I had a dream last night that you dumped me, so just now I was all like 'My dream was right!' But it wasn't... but I totally get what you mean. So... let's get to know each other." I sounded more like a question. "O-okay..." I say. There is a silence used to think of questions. I try to think of one with significance. I try to think deeply. But all that I say, and my voice cracks when I say this, is, "What's you favorite color?" She says, "Uhm, what?" No going back now. "Wha-what's your, uh, your favorite color...?" I say. She replies, "Peach. Sort of a salmon color, but more orange. You?" I smile. "Green."
***Avalon's POV***

        Okay, so, like, I am freaking out, because I am going on my first alone date with Hayden. I am also very excited! It's Saturday, and at 5:30, Hayden will pick me up, and we will go to this Karaoke place where you get to eat, too. When he shows up, I have just finished my makeup. The doorbell rings. I take one last glance at my outfit. Perfect. I strut to the door. Okay, maybe I shouldn't have done that. I open the door to an adorable-looking Hayden. "Hey. You ready to go?" He asks, and I nod. In the Jeep, I get a call from Yolanda. "Hey, Yolanda! What's up? ...Really?" I cover the mouthpiece and whisper to Hayden that she, Lana (Lah-na), Jackson and Taylor are all at Mercedes' house. "Oh, I can't. Yeah, I'm on a date with Hayden..." I answer, after she invited me over. Taylor, in the background tells, "Hi Hayden!" Hayden says, "Hey, Taylor!" Mercedes says, "Taylor, shut up!" Yolanda says that Jackson hits Mercedes with a pillow for telling his girlfriend to shut up. "Sounds like I'm missing a lot there." I say. Yolanda says, "Oh, you are. But It's all right, you have fun on your date, " She makes it sound like date has two syllables. Da-ate. "Alrighty then, Bye!" Yolanda says. "Let's keep it rated PG over there, all right Avalon?" Lana says, followed by a chorus of 'Shh'. I say bye, and hang up.
        "They are so funny. I kinda wish I was able to hang with them more. But I love spending time with you." I tell Hayden. He and I share a look. "Me too." He says, intertwining our fingers. We smile. He turns his gaze back to the road, and makes a right turn. I really hope this date goes well. A few minutes later, He pulls into a parking space, and announces, "We're here!" He gets out of the vehicle as I unbuckle. He appears outside my door, opens it offering me a hand. I take it, leaping out of the Jeep. I bring my hand, which is still holding on to Hayden's, between Hayden and I. I take a look at the place we are about to enter.
"This place looks really cool."
"Yeah, I've heard it is. I've never been here, but I think I will be glad I came."
I already am, I think to myself. But then he says, "Plus, they might even let us sing karaoke." He flashes a wide, hopeful smile.
Okay, now I really hope this date goes well.
I just fake a smile, and whisper a simple, "Yeah." We walk in.
        The whole place is way funky and modern. There are beads hanging in the doorway between the room after the front door and the restaurant/performance room. In that room, there are tables randomly placed everywhere, with four colorful chairs arranged around each one. There are cool decorations on the walls that are un-nameable shapes and blobs, that pop out in a 3-D effect. The lights shine on the floor making funky designs on the floor in all colors of the rainbow. Most importantly, There is a stage in the middle of the floor, with monitors hanging above them displaying lyrics of the song currently being sang by a girl who barely even opens her mouth and you can hardly hear her. Although, what you can hear of her voice is off-key. A group of guys near the back, sitting at a table yell, "BOO! You suck!" She flees the stage in tears, poor girl. The rowdy guys all high five each other, which I find quite rude. I glare at them as we sit down. "That was rude, don't you think, Hayden?" At the mention of his name, Hayden looks up from a menu, startled. "Huh? Wasn't what rude?" I roll my eyes. "Those guys. They just made a girl run, crying, off the stage."
"Seriously?" He asks, offended at their lack of class. I nod.
He says, irritated, "Man, people these days. It took her serious guts to get up there and try. I'd like to hear them try and sing half as good as she did." He pauses, then says, "On second thought, I don't want to hear them sing. They're probably terrible."
We laugh.
Still laughing, he says, "Really, though. It takes guts."
I nod in agreement. Then, as if realizing something, he gasps and smiles. "I bet we have just the guts and talent to do it without being 'booed' off the stage."
I roll my eyes and start to argue, "I don't kno-"
"C'mon, Avalon! Please! It's no secret that you love to sing."
I blush. "That may be true, but-"
"But nothing. Let's see what you can do."
I pause, thinking. Hayden sneaks in one last argument. "If the crowd likes us we get a free appetizer..." He says in a taunting voice.
That sells me. "All right, but just so you kn-"
"Yay! Let's go." He pulls me toward the guy next to the stage, with the speakers and a binder of songs. His name tag says Randbert. What kind of name is 'Randbert'?
"It was my dad's name. And his dad's name. And his dad's name." Randbert says. "D-did I say that out loud?" I ask. "Yeah. You did. Now what'ya want?" He demands. Hayden steps up and says, "We wanna sing." Randbert sighs, "Go ahead." He pauses. "Oh, did you mean onstage?" Hayden and I look at each other, than back at him. "Uh, Yeah." Duh. "What song d'ya wanna sing?" We flip through the pages in the binder until I find a song. "Uh, Hayden, I'm not sure if you know this one, but maybe we can sing this."
"What song is it?"
"'Lead Me On' by Gloriana. If you don't-"
"I love that song!"
Randbert breaks into the conversation saying, "'Lead Me On' it is?" We nod.
        Randbert runs onto the stage to announce us. "Hey everyone! We have ourselves another performance here. Are you pumped?!" The crowd answers, "We're pumped!" He laughs, turning away from the mic, then back toward it, saying, "Alright alright alright, so their names are..." He looks at us. I yell, "Avalon!" Hayden yells, "And Hayden!" Randbert looks to the crowd and repeats, "Avalon and Hayden!" He pushes the button on a small remote in his hand to turn on our music. He runs offstage and we walk on. We sit down on two stools and listen to the music until we could start singing. I am supposed to sing first, so I gaze toward the monitor with my lyrics, even though I have the lyrics memorized by heart. I hold the microphone near my mouth, swallowed,  and began the song by singing, "There you go in all your beautiful glory. Messin' with my head like you always did..."
Hayden sings, "I'm thinkin' things I don't wanna say, and I can't breathe. What do I have to tell you, girl, so you don't leave?"
        We sing the chorus together in harmony, "Tell me what I wanna hear. I don't care if you're lyin' baby, I just wanna feel you touch me right now. Go ahead and call it love. Tomorrow you can deny it, baby. Kiss me again, let me pretend that it's not wrong. Baby, Lead Me On."
We finish the song without error. At the end, We are sitting face to face. Closely. Then, we kiss. The cheering starts, and it is really loud. Hello free appetizer, I think. We disconnect and smile, stand up and hold hands. We raise our arms up, bow, and stand back up. We look at Randbert, who says into a mic that we get a free appetizer. The rest of the evening ran just as smoothly as our performance.

        When I get home, Greyson is pacing in my room. "Hey..." I say, "Where have you been?" He demands. "On a date with Hayden and this awesome karaoke place, and guess what? We were voted 'Most talented'" I hold up a small plastic trophy. "We also won a free appetizer, but I don't wanna brag..." I flip some hair over my shoulder. "You could've told me. I was bored." Greyson says. "Didn't Hallie come over?" I ask. His shoulders slump as he says, "Yeah. We decided that our relationship was too physical, so we tried to get to know each other, but it got too awkward. So we looked for you, and when we found out you weren't here, she faked a phone call from her mom and left. So I was all alone." I pout. "I'm sorry. But I think it's good you tried to get to know each other. Look, I'm really tired. I'm gonna go to bed."
"Oh, I-I had planned that when you got home, we would play 'Guess that food'. I had blind folds and everything." He pulls two blind folds out of his pocket. "Oh, well I am just stuffed from dinner with Hayden." I reply. I side smile and shrug. "Well, do you wanna sleep on the bridge?" He asks.
"I don't wanna mess up my hair sleeping outside, since Hayden and I may hang tomorrow." I answer. He says goodnight and leave, and I curl up in bed.