Starlight is for Always

Chapter 6: "It All Depends on the Moon I'm In"

Caught between a rock and hard place, Pilar slowly made her way up to the center of the room. Her body felt numb, ignoring all the party guests as she got in front of the mike. Jagger gave her a playful wink while Desiree stared daggers into her. Even the other members of The Rioters rolled their eyes in her presence.

It became clear that Pilar was out of place here.

Scanning the room around her, Pilar soaked in the atmosphere. Her Aunt Kimber and Uncle Sean cheered her on while Raya and Rapture applauded the loudest. Aja and Craig gestured toward her with a wave as Stormer smiled in support. However, it was her best friend Dee that hooted and hollered in with admiration of her talents. Clutching the microphone, she sighed before saying something.

"I guess I'll sing something simple," she announced to her audience. "This song is Starlight sung by grandmother, the late Jacqui Benton."

Jagger grinned and nodded. Strumming a few chords on his guitar, he played the introduction as Pilar opened her mouth.

However, something strange happened. As the melody played in the background, no words came out of her lips. Pilar stared out toward her audience who looked at her confused. She listened to her heart beating fast as she attempted to sing but no sound escaped her tongue. Tears filled her eyes as she stepped away from the microphone and ran into the kitchen. Dee raced after her.

Confused murmurs filled the room as Jagger got on the mike. Desiree and her bandmates grinned with wicked glee observing the poor girl sprinting away. Pushing her boyfriend from the microphone, the blonde teen spoke to the crowd.

"I suppose the poor girl isn't ready for the limelight," Desiree snorted. "Too bad. I am. This song is from my mother's former band, The Misfits. It's called I Am a Giant!"

The Rioters began playing the song with Desiree on lead vocals. The party guests grew mesmerized by the group as Jagger begrudgingly played his guitar while him mind drifted to Pilar. He hoped his group's set would finish soon.

In the kitchen, Pilar wept over the sink. Dee grabbed a kitchen towel and wiped her tears away. Hugging his best friend close, he embraced her tight to comfort her.

"There, there, sweetie," the Dee reassured her. "It's was wrong for Jagger to put you on the spot!"

Wiping her tears away, Pilar sniffed. "You see, Dee? I wasn't made to perform for crowds of people. A high school classroom? Yes. It's only my peers and there's no pressure. But we're talking Pop Factor, here. I can't be a singer who is expected to go on stage and perform! I'll choke every time!"

"It's okay, Pilar," Dee nodded. "You don't have to go through that again. Listen, the band and I will find a lead singer in time for the auditions. Maybe you can help us as a manager and handle the business aspects in the meantime?"

Pilar finished removing the last tear from her face. "You know I would do anything to help you guys out. If it's being your manager, then so be it. Just don't ask me to sing."

Dee smiled. "We won't."

The kitchen door swung open as Kimber, Raya, Aja, Craig, Sean, Stormer, and Rapture all proceeded into the small room. Seeing all their family members gathered in one place made Dee shake his head.

"What is this?" He rolled his eyes. "A family reunion?"

Stormer approached the upset teen and hugged her. "I'm sorry, Pilar. That was a terrible thing that my son did to put you in an awful position. There's no excuse for it. I'll make sure to talk to him."

Pilar shook her head. "It's okay. It's not Jagger's fault. He was trying to be helpful. I'm the one that choked on stage."

Kimber lifted her niece's chin. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Even my sister, Jerrica, got stage fright."