The Fool

After entering the pub and paying the fee for leaving his jacket, Aidan follows Steve into a different bar where the karaoke machine is. As they go closer Aidan hears someone singing

“Our voices synchronize just
like falling in love and kissing
My heart is always here for you
But, oh! I wonder what your shining
eyes are looking for?
Oh my friends!
I’m going to run with you toward
the star where our dreams are
When we look at each other
everything will become real
My strong mind doesn’t
allow any tears on my face
I’m supposed to be able to bear any hardship
Lately, it makes me nervous
when he looks far away
Oh my friends”

When the song ends Aidan can´t believe who he sees standing on stage, wearing a pair of black jeans and a sleeveless t-shirt, when she starts to descend from the platform she was standing on the crowd is going wild with cheering
“One more time!!” can be heard from everyone in the room.
Mylene stands in the middle of the crowd, looking around, probably for her friends, but it seems like she can´t find her friends. Then she sees Aidan standing a bit further away
“Aidan!!” she yells and starts making her way trough the crowd.
Answering with a confused voice Aidan speaks: “Mylene? What are you doing here?”
“A couple of my classmates wanted us to celebrate a birthday so we had a girl’s night and then we went here since they wanted to hear me sing. But I can´t seem to find them in this crowd”
“Shall we look for them? Looking at the people around it doesn´t seem like any of them is happy with me standing here so I suppose none of them are your friends. Nice song by the way.”
“Well thank you; it makes me happy to hear you say that. But shall we go?”

“Excuse me for breaking up this little chitchat, but miss, do you want to sing another song? The crowd here is actually demanding it so could you do us the honours?”
Turning around it seems like something of a manager is standing behind Mylene. She takes a look at him and then speaks up.
“On one condition, that Aidan here sings a song after me and that you find my friends. If you can make these two things work then I wouldn’t mind singing another song”
“Searching for your friends may take a while but yes, we will look for them. Mr Aidan, could you do us the honour of singing after Miss Mylene?”
“I wouldn’t want to ruin Mylene’s singing. But if she asks me I can’t say no”
“Then it is settled then” Mylene jumps in.

Mylene once again stands up on the scene, chooses a song and starts singing
“The road of love is to long for me
There’s no way anyone could like you more than I do. Nope Nope!
It’s as if the world inside my dream is a completely different one
If I could just think straight then I would be able to say it.
I wear my favourite clothes everyday…
so that person will turn his gaze towards me.
“I like you!” If I could bring myself to say it out loud…
I would even be able to talk about love with you.
I want to be tucked into your heart
And I will do anything to fit snugly in there.
“I Love U!”
Those are the words I want to hear from you…
and my breath will quicken when we kiss.
I’m being like you so I can become the cutest there is. “

When she lowers the microphone the crowd is going wild, they scream, they applause and they try to get up on the stage. It seems like a riot is starting since the crowd of people up on stage want to get really close to Mylene, to touch her, to try and kiss her or just something, just really really close to her. Seeing Mylene´s eye becoming more and more frightened by this sudden move of the crowd Aidan starts to use his strong body to make his way trough the crowd and he doesn´t stop until he is standing in front of Mylene with a free zone around her, grabbing the microphone from her he turns around and then speaks up:
“I´ve never seen such idiotic behaviour in my whole life, I agree, she sings like an angel but why are you so stupid? One person sings a song, the rest of you listen. No rioting here please”
“Who the hell are you man? We don´t want to see your ugly face, let us come close to the girl so we can give her a personal thanks for singing such a good song” can be heard from someone in the crowd.
“Personally if you take a look at her, she doesn´t want any of you to come close to her. I thought you could see this but she´s really scared now, because of your behaviour, do you not feel any quilt?”

his last words seems to have some effect since the crowd calms down a little and no more people are trying to get on stage.
Turning around to face Mylene he can see that her eyes show less fear now than before.
“Sorry Aidan, I´m not really used to people charging up on stage like this”
“It´s ok to be scared. What isn´t ok is how low the security at this place is?”
“The owner can´t do much more than he has. The rest is up to the crowd”
“Well, it didn´t work tonight, that´s for sure”

Two bouncers walk up on stage and take Mylene with them to her friends. Aidan is having his back against the crowd as he looks how Mylene slowly walks to her friends. Then suddenly he feels a sharp pain in the back of his head and he can feel his sleeveless t-shirt getting wet. He can then hear a scream when the two bouncers drag someone towards the exit.
Grabbing his backhead he remembers that he´s still holding on to the microphone.
“As a ‘thank you’ for letting me have a free drink and by request of the lovely lady I´ll sing a song. But if you want to give me more free drinks I hope you´ll serve them in a better manner, anyway, a slow song to calm you all down”

Aidan stumbles backwards to the karaoke machine, asks one of the bartenders to press the correct buttons for him as he is a little unsteady on his feet. When the music starts it seems like he sobers up and starts singing with a sweet voice
“Can I find the words to tell you?
How I live between the walls of steel and stone
How I close my eyes to find some kind of rapture
In a world where you can feel so all alone

When you find love in your heart
Nothing can tear it apart
Not man of steel
Nothing is real except for love
If you believe in
Human Touch”

At first, the crowd isn´t to pleased with him singing, after half the song they start to look relaxed and happy with their environments. When Aidan stops singing the crowd gives him applauses and they look like a whole new group of people, calm, steady and satisfied.

Seeing that he succeded in calming the audience down Aidan starts to relax and immediately his vision starts to fade and turn black and he slowly starts to fall forwards…

End Chapter 10