Chapter 4 THE PHOENIX

• (Author’s note: The names of cities and villages are imaginary).
• Getting ready, pretty, is something I haven’t done in a while. Wearing makeup, straightening my hair, feeling their silk in between my fingers. Brown eyes, definitely not from my mother as she used to have these beautiful green eyes. Sometimes mine will become a light brown, but this is as far as they get.
• I feel anxious for tonight. This is the night where I will go out, for the first time after so many years. Lily bugged me all week for this day. She is excited and I like that, but I’m not sure if I want to follow.
• You see, I’ve been holding onto this card all these days and haven't called the number yet. What am I supposed to say? I don’t even know his name. What if I get rejected? I’m not ready for that.
• Whatever, I’ll just stuff it in my small bag, that should do.
• I grab a tie and I create a low ponytail. Gee, my eyeliner game is still good! I look at myself in the mirror, wearing a black tight dress that Lily gave to me. It’s a bit tight on me, as she is smaller than me in size. I think I can’t breathe.
• My phone rings and I jump from the scare it gave me. “Hello?”.
• “Are you ready?!”, I hear Lily’s voice of excitement.
• “Yes”.
• “Good, I’m coming to pick you up!”. Right, Lily can drive and has a car, while I have none of the two. I sigh once more, since my misery has no limit.
• I look at myself in the mirror once more, trying to reconcile with the fact that I have grown and I look different from what I used to.
• I hear the horn of her car and I know this is my cue. I open the door and I see the small SEAT in front of me. I open the glitchy door and I know what she is going to say.
• “I’m going to fix it”.
• “I’m sure you will”, I tease her.
• We travel to the city of lights, the place of everyone’s dream; Queenstown. Even though it isn’t the capital, it’s still one of the biggest cities in the country, with lots of parties and festivals. Most singers make their living here.
• But at the same time, it’s the most dangerous. Drugs, alcohol, guns and the mafia are what I am referring to. My mom used to live there, you see she was a big singer. I guess you can say that I got her talent, but fate had other plans for me I guess. She decided to become an addict and hide while I lost the only thing I was good at.
• “Don’t zone out, we are almost there”, Lily draws my attention.
• “I know”, I answer, noticing the White Bridge we pass through. I can see the sun setting just behind the waves on our right; so mesmerizing.
• “Aren’t you excited?”.
• “I am”.
• “You don’t convince me”.
• “Come on”.
• “Is it because you never called the number?”, she sees through me.
• “Let’s not talk about this, I wanna enjoy this night”.
• “You got it sis!”.
• ***
• “So many people”, I comment as we enter the city’s famous club, Phoenix. Everyone dreams of entering this place, as it is known around the globe. Big singers get to perform, dancers, everything you need you will find here. And of course, that goes to say about drugs.
• We are waiting in the line and Lily is going up and down in a frenzy. She raises her hand, waving at someone in the distance. This is her friend, Nana, the woman that is working here at the reception and got us the tickets. Or else, it is too expensive to get here.
• But then again, I do have enough money to buy more than one ticket if I wanted. I guess the perks of having a rich father.
• We are next in line and I can see a big scary bodyguard standing on the entrance.
• “Pass?”, he asks with his deep voice.
• “Nick, they are with me”, Nana tells him. She then approaches us and hugs Lily. “It’s so good you are here!”.
• “Me? What about you? How did you even make it to work in this place!”.
• “I have my ways, you know me”, she answers in a playful tone and I can see that something sexual comes out of this statement.
• “So, here are your passes. This will get you into a lot of places inside, enjoy your night”, she winks at us and hands us the tags. Different from some other ones I’ve seen, instead of a yellow line it has a purple one; more privileges I guess.
• Once more, Lily hugs Nana, who by the way didn’t even greet me. All she gave me was half-hearted gazes.
• She grabs my hand and Nick opens the big door so we can enter. Yes, that is definitely something that I have never witnessed.
• Neon lights hovering, a ceiling that reflects the night stars, people being everywhere you look. The waiters are half naked, men showing off their fit bodies while women wear mini skirts that you can see their underwear.
• A waiter with long hair and a big smile approaches us, placing us at the bar.
• “Drinks?”, he asks.
• “Sure, what is your recommendation?”, Lily plays along with his flirty nature.
• “I’ll bring some strong yet sweet cocktails for the ladies”, he says and leaves.
• “Everyone is so handsome here! Look at them, it’s like there’s a realm full of Gods. I wonder what this pass can unlock”, Lily says in a teasing tone.
• “You have a boyfriend”, I say to her.
• “Yes, that has been ignoring me. Come on, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity”. True, this isn’t something she will get to do again. And it’s better to satisfy the repressed lust than leave it untouched.
• “Alright, lets have some fun”.
• “Have I told you how good these black long earrings look on you?”, she compliments me and I blush.
• “Have you seen how beautiful your breasts look in that top?”, I requite.
• “Well, you have them natural, I need to push them up”, she says and we both laugh. The waiter comes back, bringing with him two large cocktails.
• “Here you are”, and he places them in front of us.
• “How are they called?”, I ask.
• “Dragon’s breath”.
• Seriously? Dragon’s? The memory of my dream kicks in and I feel a shiver down my spine. I guess that mythical creature is haunting me.
• I take a good sip and truly, I feel the burn down my throat. “Gee, this is strong”, Lily’s statement agrees with my face. I feel my cheeks become red and I can see the same on her too.
• “But it does leave a sweet flavor in the end”, I comment, as the waiter didn’t lie.
• As we drink, I can hear a magical voice coming from within. I stand up and I try to see who is the person that has such an amazing skill.
• “This is live?”, I ask her.
• “Yes, you are aware that big names get to come here and perform, right?”.
• “Of course”, I answer. I was actually afraid if Liam were to show up, singing one of the songs we have written together. Oh yes, he has used several of our creations as his own, thinking I wouldn’t mind or I would be dead enough to care.
• “This is Ornella. She is the new star of our country. This I think is her first time performing here. Oh, there she is!”.
• The platform that she is on starts levitating in the air and I can finally see her clearly. A tall woman with black wavy hair down to her back, wearing a long white dress. She truly looks like a serene Goddess and her voice fits her so well.
• “She looks like a fairy”, I comment in awe.
• “Yes, she definitely is”, Lily completely agrees with me. I swear that for a moment, our eyes met. Her mesmerizing look has me captivated and this only reminds me of the dream I could never have.
• I continue drinking, gulping my drink down with no remorse. The waiter immediately brings more and more drinks which we never fail to devour.
• “I’m going to use the bathroom”, I say to Lily and slowly I get to my destination. I’m on the stool, scrolling through my phone. I sigh, thinking of things that I shouldn’t. No, tonight I need to relax.
• I go out, washing my hands. I look at the back of my phone and realize I have put my father’s card there, inside the case. I grab it, deciding to remove the card. I’m about to throw it till I find myself typing the number. I hit the dial quickly and I put it in my ear. It rings and rings and I’m about to abandon the mission and end the call.
• “Hello?”, I hear an old man’s voice through the speaker. I freeze, I think I just lost the ground beneath my feet. I can’t speak and quickly I end this call, feeling my heart racing without end.