"Hey goober, you ready to go?" Carter stood before Zac wearing her performance outfit. She decided against the fuzzy purple shirt. She went a whole new route. Black vinyl pants, a tight tye dyed, purple and yellow tanktop that showed her navel, and Zac's yellow boots were made the perfect ensemble.
"Mom won't let me go." Zac slumped down onto the chair in the living room and put on his pouting face. He yawned and stretched out his arms. "She's convinced that I'm too sore to go."
"Well are you?"
"Yeah."
Carter laughed. "Well I'm not going then. I'm gonna stay here with you." She jumped onto the couch and leaned on Zac's shoulder.
"You can't stay here for me! This is your first night singing an actual show. You have to go. You can tell me all about it when you get back."
"But..."
"Just go, Carter. You're gonna be late."
Carter smiled and kissed Zac on the cheek. "Ok I'll be back around eleven. If you're asleep I'll wake you up to tell you."
Zac laughed. "I know you will."
Carter ran outside and hopped into the car with Taylor. She wasn't nervous at all. Carter was never nervous about anything. Performing was what she was meant to do. She had no fear, and she was the most outspoken person anybody ever knew. What else was there for her to do besides singing?
They arrived at the cafe just in time. Brad smiled from the stage and announced her. "Our next act is a girl who has only been on this stage one time before. Her name is Carter and she's hot as hell. Put down your Mocha Chinno and clap for this chick!"
Carter laughed as she approached the stage, guitar in hand. She gave Taylor a quick smile before strumming the opening chords to "Ice Cream" By Sarah Mclachlan. The audience cheered half-heartedly and Carter frowned. Taylor shrugged and made a motion for her to move on. She smiled and started to play "Falling in Love". The audience seemed to like that song much better.
Carter was really psyched for her next song. It was what Zac had called unexpected. She had written this song especially for this night. Zac had helped. She only wished he was there.
Carter grinned. "I actually wrote a song all by myself."
The audeience laughed.
"No really. I did." She smiled, living the whole experience up. She looked down at her guitar for a brief moment and then glanced back at the table where Taylor was. Zac was sitting next to him.
"HEY!" She shrieked into the microphone. "When did you get here?"
"A couple minutes ago. Did I miss your song?"
Carter grinned and shook her head. "Ok guys, I wrote this song and that guy down there helped me a little bit. He's my best friend in the world and his name is Zac. And that other one next to him is my boyfriend Taylor. Everybody say 'hi'." Carter laughed. "Ok I'm gonna sing now."
Zac looked on as Carter sang like a pro. It was as if she was made for singing. The stage was her home, and the audience was her followers.
"I wandered through the snow.
The night, it makes me cold.
Remembering today,
My world, it floated away.
A whisper in the wind.
It whirls to touch my soul.
With a chill that fogs my mind.
It makes me feel so cold.
I know there's only hope.
As a cry escapes my throat.
There's nothing left to do,
I whisper to my heart.
A whisper in the wind.
It whirled to touch my soul.
That chill, it fogged my mind.
It made me feel so cold.
Oh, Listen to the wind as it takes you anywhere.
As lonely as the wind, the world, it never ends.
Whirling through the trees, whistling in my ears.
Lonliness never lasts,
Even a whisper can fill your heart.
A whisper in the wind.
It whirled and touched my soul.
With a warmth that filled my mind.
And carried my back home."***
Carter whispered the last of the lyrics, as if she was really proud to sing them. She looked opened her eyes and looked into the audience, her cheeks flushed and hot. All was still. "Ok so what'd you think?" She laughed.
The audienced clapped and a few college boys in the front whistled at her. Zac smiled and gave her his thumbs up sign.
Carter tried to speak, but the cafe wouldn't quiet down. She laughed and tapped the microphone. "Ok ok Shut up already."
"PLAY SOMETHING ELSE!" A tall boy with thick black hair screamed at her.
"I don't know what else to play!"
Zac jumped up from his seat and ran up to her. He leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Angel Standing By". It was a song that she sang quietly in her room everynight before she fell asleep. She didn't even know that Zac had ever heard her. Damn those walkie talkies.
Carter sang her encore beautifully, once again with her eyes closed.
When she got back home, laying on her back on Zac's bed, she couldn't help but smile.
"Those people loved you."
"They did, didn't they?" She laughed and rolled over on her side so that she could look at him. "I'm glad you came."
"Only did it for you. I wanted to hear that song."
"Only cause you helped write it."
Zac laughed. "No, really. I just had to see you tonight. Cause it was your debut and all. I mean, you know what I mean."
"Why the hell are you babbling?"
Zac shrugged his shoulders quickly. "I don't babble."
"Yeah you do."
"Well, ok. But I..."
"Why are you acting so weird?" Carter sat up so that she was staring right at him.
"Must be the brainfog."
Carter laughed and wrapped her arms around Zac. "Thanks for coming tonight. I really appreciate it."
Zac looked up and stared into her bright blue eyes. He swallowed hard before lightly brushing his lips against hers. They had kissed before, cheeks, foreheads, testing out with tongues, but nothing was like this. Nothing was like the electricity that shot through Carter's body as Zac's lips touched hers.
Carter put her hand behind his neck and kissed him again, still ever so lightly. She pulled away and blushed furiously.
"I'm... sorry." Zac whispered as he looked down at his yellow bedspread.
"I uhm... Don't worry about it. Zac...."
"What?" He asked, bluntly, the word flying from his mouth.
"Uhm...What am I going to do about Tay?"
Zac's eyes widened. "Whoa. It was just a kiss. That doesn't mean you have to break up with Tay."
Carter laughed and shook her head. "No... it's not that. I mean... I don't know if I really... like Tay the way he likes me. Zac nobody makes me feel the way you do."
Zac blushed. "What do you mean?"
"Wanted. Nobody makes me feel wanted."
"But...Tay doesn't make you feel wanted?"
"He makes me feel like... he wants... to make out."
"Well why don't you tell him that?"
"I don't know." Carter yawned.
"You wanna stay here tonight?"
"Yeah." Carter smiled and laid down on her side. Zac laid down next to her and yawned.
"Wake me up when you get up."
"I will. Nite, Zac."
"Nite Car. Love you."
Carter yawned. "Love... you too, Zac."
***I really did write this song today. It's called Whisper in the Wind. I wrote it in chemistry class. Lol