A Crowded Place

Chapter 18: The talent show

Throughout that day, I felt lighter than I had in weeks, as if a huge weight had been lifted off my chest.

I knew that I had made the right decision in talking to Aaron that morning.

Now the big worry plaguing my mind was the talent show, which would be happening in a few hours. I felt prepared, but the thought of all the things that could go wrong still made me feel panicked and suffocated.

At lunchtime I had a quick rehearsal with my accompanist for the piece I would be performing in the evening. It went well and I was overjoyed at how great it sounded. I was rushing out of the music center after I had finished, because Alana, Sophie, Henry and I had planned on going to the city for lunch. As I was approaching the door, I caught sight of Jacob walking into the foyer of the music center.

I groaned inwardly. It was him again.
'Hey,' Jacob called out, waving to me.

I was suddenly struck by how much Jacob's attitude had changed towards me. He went from being cocky and insensitive to being...well...normal. Actually, more than normal. Kind of charming.

Kind of romantic.

Now that Aaron and I had ended our relationship, I allowed myself the liberty to explore how I really felt toward Jacob. He had great looks, that was for sure. He had some of the same interests as me, especially in music. And he, along with my best friends, made me feel a part of something at Yale. I loved his witty sense of humour, and I noticed the way he gave me butterflies whenever he stepped close and whenever I felt his presence.

And I realised that I could never stop smiling when I was with him.

But doubts started to cloud my optimism. What if he was just a player, knowing that his good looks could get him any girl he wanted? What if he just saw me as a competitor, and wanted to throw me off guard so that he would win the talent show? What if he was merely treating me like a pesky freshman? What if-

I realised that I had been staring at him for a second too long. He raised an eyebrow questioningly. 'Cat's got your tongue, Garner?'

'No, no...' I shook my head, embarrassed. 'See you tonight.'
''K,' Jacob laughed, winking at me.

——

'That's so exciting, Liv!' Sophie exclaimed, as enthusiastic as ever.
'Shh - she's blushing,' Alana chided, slapping Sophie playfully on the shoulder. If I wasn't blushing before, I definitely was now.
'So, how do you feel about dating the "hottest guy on campus", huh?' Sophie continued, giggling. Everyone laughed, including Henry. He must've felt a little awkward surrounded by us gossiping girls, especially knowing what he did about the other day in the auditorium. He flashed me a knowing smile. My cheeks turned crimson.

'Stop! We're probably nowhere close to being in a relationship. We will never be,' I said, sipping my go-to matcha latte to hide my smile.
'Are you sure about that?' Alana leaned in close, putting on a cheeky smile. She smelled like lemon and honey. Sophie and Henry also chimed in with echoes of 'are you sure'.

I nodded vigorously, praying for this to be over soon.

'In other news,' Henry broke in, after we'd giggled for a minute straight, 'Let's wish Liv best of luck for her performance in the talent show tonight!'

We clinked our drinks, the sound reverberating throughout the cafe. I grinned. My friends made me feel so much more confident.

'We'll be cheering you on in the audience,' Sophie said with a bright smile.
'Make sure you wave to us after your performance!' Alana chimed in.
I sighed - we'd been through this many times before. 'Alana...I'll be as blind as a bat on that stage, with all those lights shining on me. You can't seriously expect me to see you guys-'
She burst into laughter. 'Fine, fine...just prepare yourself for an invasion of the stage and us bear-hugging the life out of you when you win the talent show.'
I shook my head, exasperated but grinning. 'I'll get ready to bolt the stage, then.'

My friends had made me feel so much better about my performance. If I did win (fingers crossed I would), I wouldn't be able to thank them enough.

——

6.38pm. I glanced at the clock in my practise room. Exactly 22 minutes until tonight's talent show. The Yale music center was already fully decorated, complete with colorful stringed lights and an eye-catching 'Annual Yale Music Talent Show' banner at the front entrance. Tables leading up to the auditorium were lined with snacks, and excited students and staff were already starting to file in.

From the program for the night, I saw that there were 31 competitors in total - I was the 26th, and Jacob was 14th.

I didn't know most of the participants - only a few were freshmen. But I was here to win - I had to do my friends proud and prove something to Jacob.

I warmed up, starting with scales and arpeggios. It was 7.13pm when I heard knocking at the door.

'I knew I'd find you warming up in here,' Jacob said, leaning against the doorframe. His muscular body filled up the whole space, and his piercing blue eyes scanned me up and down. Jacob had donned a crisp black suit, and his hair was slicked back. He had probably spent days planning and perfecting his every detail for the night.

'Well - I like to be prepared,' I replied, shrugging. 'Have you-'
'I like your dress. You look gorgeous.' Jacob blurted, cutting me off mid-sentence. I took in a sharp breath, unprepared for this compliment. I was wearing a long, flowing dress that cut diagonally and separated into two wings at my knees. It started in cobalt blue at my shoulder straps, and eventually faded into white at my ankles in an ombre effect. I had spent hours browsing through boutique stores in New Haven with Alana to find the "perfect dress to steal everyone's hearts at the show", as she had put it. I was over the moon when I had found this dress - we had both thought it looked great on me.

'T-thank you,' I smiled. 'You look great too.'
'Y'know, if I'm being honest here,' Jacob bent down to whisper into my ear, 'You're my biggest competitor tonight, and I'm yours. No one else can even compare with us; I've heard them play.' His breath tickled my ears, and I had to step back, stifling a giggle.
'Well, I guess you'll have to watch out then,' I smirked. 'I'm not going down without a win tonight.'

'Neither am I. I'll be up soon - see you on the battlefield,' he gave me a two-fingered salute, and turned away.
'I hope there won't be too much blood,' I replied. 'Good luck.'

I didn't know if he'd heard me. He had probably already strutted off, ready to use his charming face and mesmerising saxophone performance to win the audience's hearts.