He dragged me out of the school gates and to the staff parking lot. I was surprised to see that he owned a car. Most students didn’t own a vehicle and teachers didn’t usually approve of students driving. The school parking lot was filled with older cars and none of them stood out except for one – the silver Lamborghini. The car sparkled and it looked brand spanking new.
What did this kid do in his past life to be born into such a lucky life? Was he a famous war-hero that saved the whole world? I wondered if I would ever be able to afford a car like that. If I could, I’d probably spend my money on more important things. Not that having a Lamborghini isn’t nice. I just didn’t think it was the right thing to buy even with a million dollars.
Akira got into the driver seat while I stood there frozen, looking like a statue. He lowered the window in the passenger seat and called out, “Get in.” I shook the thoughts out of my head and hurried into the passenger seat. I put the seat belt on and watched as Akira turned on his car without a key. I’ve only ever been on the bus or subway and never in a personally owned vehicle.
Once we were on the road, I had no clue where we were headed. I could hardly see any buildings better yet any signs. The car was silent and the only thing I could hear was my own breathing. I awkwardly mentioned, “Should we listen to something on the radio? It’s kind of boring.” Akira agreed, “Right. What station?” I shrugged, “I don’t know. I don’t listen to radio much.”
He chuckled, “Seemed like it.” I wondered if Akira was judging me for being old fashioned or being poor. I hardly listened to the radio or any music at all, but that was because I never got the chance to. I couldn’t afford a phone and I didn’t even have a radio at home. I frowned when I heard his comment.
Akira noticed my expression and corrected himself, “I meant to say, it seems like you aren’t the type to listen to the radio. It’s so mainstream. I thought maybe you’d like something different. Maybe I’m wrong.” I told him the truth, “I don’t really listen to music much. I never really had the chance to.” I could hardly see his expression, so I had no clue of knowing if he was judging me or not.
I just assumed he was because the conversation soon grew silent. I turned the knob to higher the volume in his car. There was a famous pop singer belting her soul out on the radio. It was okay, but I didn’t really know what I liked anyway. I stared out the window in hopes that I would be able to see anything, but ultimately, I wasn’t able to. I sat there listening to music silently.
Akira turned the volume down a notch and suggested, “How about listening to some of my music. Would you be interested?” I shrugged, “Whatever you want.” Its not like I could force him to do anything. It was his car after all. If I told him I didn’t want to listen to his music, he could essentially become peeved and kick me out at the next light.
It would be best to be nice for now. I had no clue what this player wanted from me, but somehow it seemed that he had ulterior motives. I didn’t know what, but I’m sure I’ll find out sooner or later.
Akira grabbed his phone and played something from his phone. I assumed it was connected to his car because music started playing from the car stereo. The music started off with an acoustic guitar. The unknown guitarist skillfully plucked the strings to create a harmonious melody. I wasn’t really interested in music, but this song was really good. It was only 5 seconds into the song, and I already liked the intro.
After a while, Akira’s melodious voice joined the guitar so naturally. His voice was so smooth, and I wondered if he really had the voice of a human being. His voice was mystical and somewhat angelic. It wasn’t angelic in a feminine way, but it had its’ charm. I could understand why the girls on the subway were screaming about him. He had the type of voice and the visuals that could cause girls to go wild.
I had to admit that his music was good, but it wasn’t like I was going to instantly fall in love with him. I’m not into players. Once the music came to an end, I clapped. Akira cried, “Why are you clapping?” I said, “It deserved clapping.” He said, “Stop, you’re embarrassing me.” I lifted an eyebrow, “Embarrassed? Aren’t you a celebrity? I thought celebrities were the least embarrassed. Your entire life is being stalked by countless fans and magazines. I’m sure you’re used to it.”
He sighed, “Hey, I’m human too. Just because I’m a celebrity doesn’t mean I don’t get stage fright or feel embarrassed.” I felt bad for making him out to be inhumane. I changed the subject to a lighter note, “Your song was really good. I haven’t heard much music, but I could say that your song made me want to listen to more.”
He replied in excitement, “Really? You’ll listen to more of my music? That’s great.” He fiddled with his phone and turned on the next song. The next song started off slow. The piano melody was melancholic, and it brought out sad emotions for its listeners. I thought celebrities like him only knew how to sing upbeat pop songs, but I was wrong. His songs were heartfelt, and the lyrics seemed to resonate with his audience.
It made me want to listen to his music more often. I had no clue if he was a good person, but his music wasn’t half bad. If only I had enough money to afford a phone or a cd player. I know cd players are extremely outdated, but that was the only thing I could get with my limited funds. I instantly rejected the idea when I thought of the bus and subway tickets.
I shouldn’t be wasting my money on a cd player when I should be thinking about my traveling expenses. I hardly had any money left after paying school tuition. It was a struggle to get food. Why would I think of wasting it on a pointless thing? I sighed to myself.
Akira overheard me and asked, “What’s wrong? Is the song bad?” I shook my head fast, “No. It’s good. I was just thinking about something else.” He said, “Would you mind telling me about it?” I hesitated to tell him what I was thinking about. I didn’t want to be pitied by anybody, especially someone like him. He wouldn’t understand what I’m going through.
There were many times when I told someone my struggles and later it would come back to bite me in the butt. Most of my trusted friends turned their backs on me. They told everyone about my situation, and I was later bullied for it. I learned to never trust anyone. It wasn’t a smart idea to blab to him about my personal problems. I answered him in a calm way so he wouldn’t suspect anything, “It’s nothing. I was just thinking about something not important. So, are we almost there?”
Akira refocused on the road and answered, “Almost. We just need to pass the bridge and we should be there.” If he was talking about the bridge, it should be heading towards the city. What were they going to be doing downtown? I wonder how long we were out for. The teachers would be mad. It wouldn’t be a good idea to ditch the whole day.
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