Page 116 of Starstruck
My brows pull together, but my smile grows. “What is it?”
She licks her lips before saying, “You should perform a song with me.”
My smile falters. That isnotwhat I was expecting her to say.
Noticing my expression, she clasps her hands together. “Please come out with me, Lenny.”
“Is, why would I do that? I’m not a singer.”
Icansing. But I’ve never been a real performer.
“Bitch, please.” She rolls her eyes. “You’re more talented than half the acts here today—don’t tell anyone I said that. Today has been for your parents, so why not end it doing the thing you shared with them?”
I roll my lips together. In the ten months since the accident, I haven’t thought much about how I haven’t been singing. It was always something I would do for fun—writing was always what I loved most.
But standing here now, with Isa begging me to join her for a song, I’m paralyzed by the fact that I haven’t sung since my parents’ funeral. I learned to sing before I ever started writing, all because of my parents. They’re the reason I love music the way I do, the reason singing and writing have always been such a large part of my life. They’re the ones who taught me to use my voice to sing when I couldn’t find it to speak.
Thinking about it, singing used to be my safe haven.
Now though, it might be my biggest fear.
I shake my head. “I don’t think I can, Is.”
Her smile falters. “Lenny, I know you’re scared. But there’s no better time for you to get back out there than now.” She waves her hands around as she does a spin. “Look around. Look what you did. This whole day is what it is because you made it such.”
She walks toward me again, her hands resting on my shoulders. “You’ve been saying for weeks now how you feel like something’s missing from today. And yes, your parents are—it sucks that theyaren’t here, but we both know today wouldn’t even exist if they were, so it isn’t them. It’s you, Lennon.Youare what’s missing.”
My eyes begin to well with tears as the weight of her words settles around me.
“Do you really think this is a good idea? I’m not ready. I don’t have a song prepared.”
“You know all of mine—we can just sing one of those. I think this is exactly what the day needs. And even more, I think it’s exactly what you need, too.”
I ponder her words for a moment longer before nodding.
Exhaling deeply, I say, “Okay then. Let’s do it.”
“DARE YOU TO MOVE” BY SWITCHFOOT
The rest of the day goes by quickly. Sadie’s finishing up her show now, and her performance has been as incredible as I knew it would be, which only confirms how right I was in asking her to extend her set. I have no doubt that every person at this show will leave knowing the name Sadie Armstrong, which will do wonders for her when she gets to Nashville next month.
She finishes her new song titled “somewhere somehow” and heads off the stage, the cheers from the crowd following her back. The smile on her face is brighter than I’ve ever seen as she wraps her arms around me.
“You were amazing! How was it?”
Her eyes shine as she grins at me. “It was incredible. Thank you so much for everything, Lennon. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you for what you’ve done for me.”
“Thank me by making it big in Nashville, okay?”
Her lips quirk up again, tears filling her eyes as she nods. “You’ve got it.”
She gives me one last hug before heading back to the makeshift green room. I grab my microphone and make my way onto the stage to introduce the penultimate act of the night, Isa.
She struts out from the side of the stage as the cheers from the crowd bellow around us. Tossing them her classic Isa smile, she says, in the flirtiest voice she can muster, “Well, Toronto. You sure do know how to make a girl feel wanted.” And then she winks, and I swear the crowd gets even louder.
I smile at her as she takes her place at centre stage before I turn to exit. We agreed I’d come on for her final song, which will be “When the Lights Go Down.” It’s a song off her first album, but it’s a perfect one to end her performance with.
I watch from my place at the side of the stage as she dances and laughs through her entire performance, looking every bit like the Isabella Cordova I know and love. Her dark curls bounce around her as she puts on the performance of her life, like I knew she would.
