------------------~[ROSE'S POV]~---------------------
~THREE YEARS LATER, THIRD YEAR IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT~
I glance at the last assignment I have to do and yawn. The warm, tender, seductive arms of slumber are fast calling for my attention but I am not ready to give up. Not just yet. I yawn for what seems like the hundredth time and squeeze hard against my pen.
This is just so hard. I widen my eyes and rub it frantically, frustratedly. It's fruitless. I pick up my phone and check the time. It is just a few minutes past seven. Why the hell do I feel so sleepy at early hours nowadays?
I sigh and was about to drop my phone when a message notification popped up on the screen. I furrow my eyebrows and tap it. It is a message from my friend and coursemate, Brittany. Well, that seems to do a great job wiping every single ounce of fatigue from my eyes.
I settled down and read her message.
BRITTANY: Hello dear workaholic. Do you remember the Jake's show I told you about the other day?
I sigh and thought deeply. Yeah. I think I do. I type back.
ME: Yeah. What about it?
BRITTANY : it's about going live baby girl. At the freshers club. The club is going to be crowded. You have to hurry so we don't get to stand.
I chuckle at how fast that girl can be typing messages.
I glance at the last assignment I have to finish and sigh. Should I? I mean, this is a show I have craved for almost my entire life. I can't just let this opportunity pass me by because of some crappy chemistry assignment.
I look back at my phone and type back to her.
ME: I'm in. I'll be out in a jiffy.
I hurriedly arrange my books and stack them in their rightful positions before heading straight to my wardrobe.
"What in the name of the spirits I'm I going to wear?" I mutter as I open the large wardrobe and glance at the multiple luxurious clothing aligned in hangers. This is just about one of the things that frustrates my life. Picking clothes!!!!!!
Few minutes later, I am finally done after settling down for blue denim pants and a sleeveless red blouse. I wore a red jacket with a hoodie above it all and zip it up. That's me for you. I'm just so cursed with the color red. Maybe because my hair is actually red or....well. I don't know. I just love red.
I sprint out of my hostel room and lock the door making sure the key is tucked in safely in the inner pocket of my jacket. I walk briskly out of the hostel towards the large gate of the hostel compound. The gate is still open so I guess I am lucky for now. If only I can make it back before it gets locked and the guards disappear.
The club isn't that far from the hostel so it seems like a possible mission to accomplish. I get to the club in no time and I am shocked to see the heavy amount of crowd gathered there already. Not like I am shocked seeing them. I just didn't expect them to be this early. I mean, the show is supposed to start by 9pm according to the poster I saw. But the time is just 7:15 and it's already crowded this way?
Well, who doesn't want to see the illustrious C.Jakes. New York's No3 rising music star artist. Someone suddenly grabs my arm and I turn to see Brittany pulling me through the thick layer of crowd.
"Peep peep peep. Coming through." She says as we walk by to clear the space. We finally get to a long row of seats. She pulls me through the midst and sits me down on an empty seat.
"Pheew." I blow out a deep breath of relief and she laughs. I glance at her. " That was brain stressful." I mutter.
" Isn't it? The crowd honestly made me go nuts. You should have seen the struggle when the club was opened. Boy it was a stampede. I didn't expect this many people." She said,
" Me neither."
" Hey hello Rose." Someone says and I look around to see Brittany's boyfriend at her other side.
I beam and wave. "Hey hello Mike."
Brittany chuckles. "Mike helped to keep the seats for us." She says, "It's an advantage that he works here." She mutters and sighs deeply.
I feel Mike casting me a side glance and turn to him. He winks at me and I swallow. I hurriedly look away.
Mike and I have a long history that goes way back to the time I first came to the university. I fell foolishly in love with him but he was just a player and wanted nothing more than to get into my skirt. I refused him and he ended the relationship before it had the chance to build.
I met Brittany later and the next thing I know, he and Brittany were dating already. It felt quite unfair to me because whenever Brittany narrates her experience with him, she never mentioned anything about all that he did to me. It seems Brittany is his soul mate and they have been together for three years now. He still throws occasional winks and air kisses at me but I take it as nothing.
Even though it still hurts, I can't do anything to make Brittany detest me. She's my best friend.
I look away from him and take a deep breath to calm my throbbing nerves, glancing at the crowd gathered around. A strange awkward feeling courses over me and I shiver. I can't be blamed. I am not so used to being in the clubs. All my nights are always spent in my hostel solving chemistry equations and the likes.
The only thing that sent me running here like some crazy girl is this silly show that won't start immediately. My slumber battle had long ended and it shocked me to remember how sleepy I was back in the hostel.
After several hours of waiting, the club is finally in order and the show begins. Many other aspiring artists hit the stage first and nearly bore me to sleep.
Brittany kept laughing at my reactions whenever the other musicians sang. I feel like I should return back to my hostel but won't my coming here be a waste? The main reason I am here is yet to come.
Well, it took a while, but not forever, the moment finally arrived and an uproar ensued the moment C.Jakes is called to the stage.
Oh goodness me.....I have to admit. I now see why all the girls keep drooling over him. He is far cuter than the pictures I've seen of him. He's......I don't even know how to begin to describe him. He handles the microphone in such a perfect way that will let you know he owns the stage. He looks like a god. I gulp down hard, completely lost in his beauty.
If not for the loudspeakers in the club, I probably wouldn't have heard a thing because the entire club is filled with screams and squeals of lots of girls as expected.
I watch him with deep admiration as he sings with that heavenly melodic voice of his pulling excess attention from his fans. Damn. He's pulling my heart well.
In a way,.I envy him. There he is
, doing what makes him happy and he's making a lot from it. But me, I keep stressing my brain over some frustrating, brain draining chemistry textbooks.
Brittany nudges me and grins. "Isn't he cute? I bet he has a space in your heart already. "
I roll my eyes and scoff. " Stop dreaming Brittany. "
" No. I should be the one telling you to stop dreaming because you have been staring at him for a long while now like he's some vanilla milkshake. "
I chuckle and bite my lip. This girl is a bitch.
The moment C. Jake's is done singing, he bows and leaves the stage. That exact moment, every single girl dash towards the entrance out of the club in order to catch him and get his autograph.
Damn, the stampede is too much and violent. I just sit at a place and cover my ears hoping and praying that I won't get crushed as the majority of them are even jumping over chairs to get out.
Brittany too almost surprised me by joining in the stampede. She urges me to come along but I refused.
I remain where I am till the stampede ends.