Contest Entries

My Song

"Can you take this to the back?" He said and hands her the two garbage bags he's holding. She quietly takes it from him and walks to the back of the bar, passing by the dish washing room. The back of the bar is where they place the trash. Eve goes out and puts the garbage bags in the bin. When she turns to go back inside, she notices someone staring at her. 

Caleb.

She stares at him, showing no emotion at all... but deep inside, Eve feels ecstatic. The person she really admires is just there in front of her! She doesn't want to react like a normal fan would, because she feels that it's a little bit inappropriate especially that it's not her thing. She's about to go inside and let go of the chance to talk personally with her favorite singer (she's getting ready to regret it later), but then his voice breaks into her reverie.

Eve looks back when she hears Caleb say 'hey' and gives him a bewildered look.

"Me?" She even points at herself, but then looks around and realizes that there are just the two of them out there, so she stands quietly and feels a little bit embarrassed about her acting stupid.

Caleb chuckles. "Yes, you. Can I ask you a favor?" He asks her and rubs his ear. He does this whenever he's nervous, though at this moment, he doesn't know why he's feeling that way. Eve gives him a nod. Caleb looks at her, then at the lit cigarette between his fingers, and then finally takes a deep breath. "Can you... Uh, stay for a while?"

Eve looks at the doorway that leads inside the bar. "But I still have work."

"Just for a sec," Caleb smiles at her. "Pretty please?"

She thought of it. She's not really needed inside yet because the customers are just in the verge of their party mood, and she's sure it will still take time before the customers decide to leave. Besides, the music inside is making her feel uneasy. She gazes at Caleb, who looks at her with pleading eyes. Eve isn't really charmed by his looks, but she has that urge to stay because every time she remembers his song, she just feels really happy.

"Okay then."

Caleb smiles at her reply. He throws the cigarette on the ground and steps on it afterwards. He puts his hands on his pockets. The nervousness still did not go away.

"I was watching you a while ago," he starts. "I was staring at your face when I was singing on stage. I know it's a little bit weird... but I just found your expression interesting. It was different from everyone else's."

Eve raises a brow. "What do you mean by 'different'?"

"You looked so passionate. You seemed like you were singing with me on stage, listening not only to my voice but also to the words of the lyrics. It appeared to me that you were looking through the soul of my song."

She just stares at him, so he goes on. "I've never seen anyone react like that to my song. Within the whole five years of my music career, I thought I already achieved everything... fame, wealth, honor... I thought that was the purpose of why am I singing. I enjoyed it since I was a teenager. It was a way of self-expression; whenever I feel like shit, I vent it all out on my compositions. That's where I let out all the anger, frustrations, disappointment, and the loneliness I've felt. For several years, it made me feel satisfied. There was a sense of contentment. But then as time passes by, as I progress, or as they would like to say at least, I no longer felt the same. The pressure of being the best got into me. I was too proud... and the music that completed me back then, now destroyed me. I realized that it doesn't make me feel happy and contented anymore."

Eve does not understand why Caleb is telling her all of this, but she listens attentively. She could feel his emotions building up on him as he speals. Eve, again, does not know how she would react: to either sympathize with him, or to argue.