Surprise

Chapter 9

Mandy's POV

Today was the talent day. I have been looking to this day since I found out Lilly was going to be preforming. "Why are we here," Magnus groaned softly, clearly hung over if the sunglasses were any indication. "I thought we didn't do the talent portion to keep us getting our asses handed to us by Esmerelda." "Look around idiot," Toya told him. "Lilly isn't with us." "What is she doing," Blake asked me. I shrugged, "I don't know." I knew she was playing the piano, but I didn't know what her performance was going to be like. 

"Let's hope its worth coming here hung over," Magnus muttered. "You wouldn't be hung over if you didn't drink so much," Nelson pointed out to him. "I drank to rid myself of the pain from the blow to the ribs you gave me during the brawl last night," Magnus told him. "It was the easiest painkiller to find." 

Nelson rolled his eyes as he shook his head. We stopped talking once the event started. Each performance was better than the last. Esmeralda blew away the crowds with her performance like she did every year. I was on the edge of my seat when the arena darkened, as if it was a concert hall, despite it was opened and sunny. "Woah," Beck whispered. A single light shined down on Lilly from where she sat behind a grand piano. At the single press of a key, an illusion lit up the arena. It was like it was a scene painted in water colors, the people were simple silhouettes. Then she began to sing, with a voice that was too pure for this world.

She sung in an old language, but her illusion painted the story of the song for us all to see. I felt my eyes burn as I lost myself to her performance. The story was of a young couple, the man going off to join a war, leaving his wife at home. She counted the days waiting for him to arrive. Then the battle that changed her life happened, killing her husband. She had hoped to welcome him home with their new born son. Though her husband forever gone, she sees a piece of him in their son, who she will look after until it was time for her to be reunited with her love once more.

The emotion Lilly put into her performance, was what really brought sold the story. Everything she did, blew away everyone in the arena. By the end of it, tears were falling down my cheeks. As she ended the song, the darkness and the illusion, faded, allowing our eyes to slowly adjust to the sun so we weren't suddenly blinded. Once she was finished, the whole arena was silent, processing the the beauty we heard and saw. She stood and did a curtsey. It was Magnus, Nelson, and Blake who ended the silence by standing and cheering for her. Soon the crowd was giving her a well deserved standing ovation, including me.

She smiled and left the arena, and came back to us. She was wearing a strapless baby pink gown that sparkled in the sunlight. I hugged her, "You bitch, you made me cry." She laughed softly as she hugged me, "I'm sorry. That wasn't my intent." "Camie would have been so proud of you," I whispered to her. Her hug tightened slightly before she let me go. She smiled, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

We then sat down to watch the rest of the performances. None of them could ever come close to Lilly's performance though. At the end of the talent performance, the King declared Lilly as the winner this year. "We can win the cup this year," Toya said in shocked realization. "Hells yeah," Blake said with a smile.

When we made our walk back to the guild hall I looped my arm with hers. "I can see it now, piles and piles of fan letters are just going to pour in for you," I said to her. Her cheeks became pink, "I hope that doesn't happen." "We all get fan mail after the games," Toya said with a smile. "We also get a lot of hate mail too," Magnus said. "And the dick pictures," Toya threw in next. Lilly cringed, "That's so gross." I nodded in agreement, "It is. The year I broke off things with Misty, I gave all of the ones I received to her, while telling her she could make better use of them since I didn't swing that way." Lilly shook her head with a soft smile.

"I use them as black mail since the guys who send them tend to add their phone numbers and name," Toya said. "The impressive ones, I did hit up."

"I think I will just burn any I get," Lilly said. "Since I'm not really into guys." "If you get any that become really crude or even any that threaten you, let me know," I said to her. "It'll be fine," she assured me, but I knew from personal experience how bad these letters can really get.

Later that night I was need of a good soak in the large bath tub we have in the bathing room we women share, when I saw Lilly was sitting on one of the seats in her robe, putting up her hair. She gave me a bright smile and I noticed her robe was white with little hearts all over it. She truly was the picture of innocent girl next door. My eyes went to the diamond on her forehead and I was so happy that she wasn't hiding it anymore. I stripped off my clothes and went to one of the shower heads to wash. I heard her sigh softly as she got in the large hot bath. I finished washing and tied up my hair before joining.

"You ready for tomorrow," I asked her. She smiled, "Of course I am. Tomorrow is going to be the easiest day." I nodded, "This is true. Are you ready for the huge ass party we're going to have?" "Ready for the fights that break out once you guys have too much to drink? Totally," she said light heartedly. I laughed, "We're not that bad." She raised an eyebrow at me, not believing me.

We both laughed then. She had a point. It can get a little crazy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. We were soaking peacefully until Misty came in. "I see you two are getting close," Misty commented as she looked us over. Then her eyes settled on Lilly, "Are those even real? After all, you can copy anyone's magic ability, who's to say you didn't copy someone's ability to change their size." I went to say something but Lilly's reply was better than mine.

"I'm sorry you're in need of that ability, but I can assure you, mine are one hundred percent genuine," Lilly told her. Misty's face became red in embarrassment and she tried to give a come back, but Lilly and I decided to get out and dry off. I threw on my sports bra and pajama bottoms while she wore gray pajama bottoms that had black paw prints, and a shirt that said 'Sleepy kitten' on it with a black cat curled up, little Z's floating above it's head. She then put on her robe. We left the bathing room.

I sighed, "I'm really sorry about her." "You don't have anything to be sorry for Mandy," she told me with a soft smile. "You can't control the actions of another. Besides it's clear she still has feelings for you. She's only a bitch because she's mad at herself, and shes taking it out on others." I nodded, "I guess you have a point. Do me a favor." "Sure what is it," she asked curiously. "Don't cuss," I told her and she looked confused. "You're better than us. It's rare you do so I'm not used to hearing you say such crude things. It makes me uncomfortable when you do. I dont mean that in a bad way, it's just that you're such a good person you shouldn't use language that those of us who aren't good, use."

She then flicked my forehead, "You are good silly. But because you asked me, I won't." I rubbed my forehead, "What the fuck was that for?" "For saying you weren't good silly," she said as she rolled her eyes. "But I'm not," I told her. She flicked me again and I whined as I rubbed the spot, "Stop it." "Stop telling lies," she said with a smile. I huffed in defeat, knowing this would be an argument that she wouldn't back down from.

"I'll see you in the morning Mandy," she said to me before going into her room. I gave her a small nod then went to my own for the rest of the night.