Chapter XII

Be aware of switching POV's.

Week of the Talent Show...

Andy’s POV

My ears thrummed with an erratic tune that bent and curved, swerving from high to low pitches with a constant pulsing beat; my eyes ambled across the clinging posters overhead as I laid on my bed, but my mind swarmed of a sky-eyed brunette.

Nico was busily clicking away on his computer, most likely on a video game.

I sigh contentedly and say loudly, “Elisa’s hair is yummy!”

Out of the corner of my eyes I can see him smirk at me as he responds, “And here I thought I was your one and only.”

I slide up and recline against the wall next to my bed.

“You’ll always be my number one, but Elisa will always be my number zero.”

There is a burst of laughter before he speaks again, “And what exactly does that mean?”

“Well, obviously a greater value ranks lower than a lesser value and you can’t get any lower than zero.”

Nico pauses before replying, “As your twin I should understand the gibberish that just came out of your mouth, but I don’t.”

I snicker and respond, “Seems like our telepathic connection has forsaken us.”

He shakes his head at me. I beam at him.

---

Five minutes before the showdown.

“Time to sparkle like a super model,” I root to my bandmates.

They all roll their eyes.

We enter onto the Talent Show stage to an almighty roar of squawking fans.

I grin. We were kind of famous.

Everyone waves to the crowd while I instead motion my arms up and down, amplifying the decibels. 

I, am awesome, I laugh to myself.

“Time to get this party going!” I yell, further upping the roars of delight.

Yeah, we were that loved.

I start up the beat.

---

We all bowed as the cheers thundered around us.

Success.

The club went offstage laughing. We had achieved an all time high; the best performance since the beginning of the whole shindig.

“Wow! We were AMAZING!” squeals Violet, giving the sisters a deadly hug.

“Thanks, but we couldn’t have done it without your idea to perform Faithfully,” compliments Elisa.

I sneakily move to her from behind for a surprise cuddle attack. Oops. Big sister caught me in the act. Mission fail.

I start whistling nonchalantly; Esteire raises her eyebrows at me and walks away. Or not...

I ambush her before she knew what was coming.

“WAH! Andy!” she protests, ensnared in my cuddle.

“Target secured,” I state commander like.

“What are you saying?” she gripes, fidgeting in my arms.

I pick up a lock of hair and hold it to my mouth murmuring, “I wonder if it’s as good as it looks.”

Her mouth opens and closes like a fish, “...wah...?”

I can see her warm ice-blue eyes. They’re so beautiful. Was the last thought that crossed my mind before I pressed my lips into hers.

Elisa’s POV

Andy was kissing me. And darn, he was good.

I wasn’t sure what to do; I had never been in this situation before.

I timidly kiss back. His mouth curls into a small smile as it intensifies, the lips running fervently over mine.

He has me by the waist with one hand, the other traveled through my hair, bringing his head even closer as if it wasn’t close enough.

Just as I was getting the hang of it, Eren stumbles upon us.

I back away immediately while Andy looks disappointed and then glares at him.

Abashed, Eren scrambles away.

Andy turns to me. “Now where were we?” he says, touching my face.

I gape at him.

This guy totally just shattered my initial image of him! Who knew he could be like this?!

Mikael’s POV

I towed Esteire away from the band and crowds. She just lagged in my grip, giving me a disgruntled stare as I shot daggers at anyone that approached us.

She sighs and then randomly wrenches free of my grasp and runs away from me.

“Wa-wa-WAIT! Where are you going?!!” I yell after her.

She winks mischievously at me from the exit. Why you...

I chase after her to the pavement outside.

“Why did you-” I start growling. 

Then, I see her face.

The moonlight coruscated across her raven hair as starlight swirled in her brilliant blue eyes; her mouth was a gentle smile.

She holds out her hand.

I clasp it, and she leads me away into the night.

We’re walking side by side, her hand still firmly in mine.

I didn’t care where she was taking me; at that moment I wouldn’t have minded if we walked off a cliff as long as she was with me.

After a couple minutes she stops in front of a forgotten park.

She lets go of my hand and walks to it.

Suddenly I’m hit with the thought that if she left now, she would leave me forever.

My arm shoots out almost reflexively and clutches her hand again.

Surprised, she turns her head around. 

Seeing my uneasy expression, she smiles softly.

I’m not going anywhere. She seemed to say.

I follow her through the grove of trees that lined the mossy stone pathway, watching the sparse light ripple across her lithe form.

She halts in the park centre, an overgrown pavilion with stone benches.

It was a quiet night; the only sound that could be heard was our own breathing.

I listen to her hushed breathing until I realize I wasn’t breathing myself. I inhale deeply; she glances over at me.

An idea develops in my head.

“Dance with me,” I breathe.

She slants her head to a side slightly, studying me before she takes my outstretched palm.

And then, we were dancing. Our bodies swaying to an unknown melody.

I hold her a little closer to my chest. I could hear my heart pounding as I reach up to stroke her face. As I caress her face, she gazes at me mystified, the stars still streaming in her eyes.

I bent down and ran my lips against the side of her face down to her neck and onto the other side. I kissed her forehead, then her cheek, and lastly, her lips.

I graze them across lightly at first, then deeper and deeper. I crush her body into mine, and let my feelings course through her; each kiss was more passionate than the last until, we were breathing them.

Esteire starts to pull away.

I look questioningly at her. She gives me a sad smile and brushes my face affectionately, “You make my heart so happy.”

“Then smile happier,” I whisper back.

She wraps her arms around me, her face out of my sight.

Then, she looks back up at me.

“Okay,” came her almost inaudible reply as she smiles breathtakingly at me.

“Now that’s better,” I say as my own mouth curved into one too.