Half an hour later she was in the restroom on the floor below. "You wait here. I'll go and see when they start. When they get in the booth, I will come to get you. Ok?" Lexi asked her.
"Ok! I'll wait here," Noelle replied as Lexi was stepping out to complete her mission.
"The things I go through for... what?" she muttered to her reflection in the mirror. Why was she hiding in the restroom? Why did she have to endure this awkwardness? She was trying to prove herself to Chloe, but in doing so, she was putting herself directly in the line of fire.
She knew it would be difficult. The moment he was to see her, he could go mental again.
If only she had selected a different thesis subject…
It was all her cousin's fault! Lucille and her words drove her to this madness. Back then, on the same day she had broken up with that last boyfriend of hers, she felt trapped in a world not meant for her. And her lovely cousin challenged her, as she loved to do so often.
"Go, do the first thing that comes to mind! Don't ask anyone who you will love or what master degree you will attend! Follow your heart! You're smart, you'll figure out everything else," Lucille had said.
And she did listen to her. She did challenge her mother.
And now she was hiding inside the toilets, to avoid the subject of her reasearch.
I should have listened to maman instead!
Life was moving on and she had to choose a side. She was betting all her money on Chloe now and hoped that everything would go smoothly.
Two and a half more months.... I can do it!
After a few minutes the door opened and Lexi appeared. "Come on! Time for you to get in."
They reached a shut, heavy door with a huge number two on its right side. Lexi pulled the door with all her strength, and they got in. The interior was spacious. As Noah had said, there was a couch on their right-hand side. A pair of headphones was lying there. Lexi swiftly pointed at them before going to sit in the chair at the control panel.
The control panel was huge. It had so many buttons, switches, lights, and indicators that she couldn't understand how anyone could remember what each one did. But then again, how did she ever learn all the equations in Economics theory? It just needed practice.
As she examined the space, she noticed the monitors. There were screens high on the walls, projecting what was going on inside the booth.
There he was; sitting on a highchair, across from a man who she guessed was Mr. Elliot, his instructor - as Lexi told her.
There he was, nodding kindly and smiling to the older man.
There he was, just meters away from her.
There he was, calm and approachable, not the man she had last seen, struggling with Isabella.
No, she should not confuse herself. This was not the real him.
Lexi put on her headset, and Noelle realized she had to do the same. She sat on the sofa and examined the window in front of the control panel. It was the booth window, and indeed, nobody inside could see her direction. She put on the headset, and the serene voice of Mr. Elliot reached her ears.
"Don't forget to practice every day. We have been working together for many years, and it pains me to see you losing even one percent of your potential. Do your warm-ups and all the exercises. I know you are not singing as much as you used to, but that doesn't mean you can give up on what we have accomplished. I was so glad when you called me two weeks ago and asked to start regular training again."
"I promise, I'm practicing every day now," Luca replied gently. "I'm also happy to start practicing with you again. I was so preoccupied this past year that I neglected what is important."
No, that is not the real him....
What a liar. Not only was he looking kind, he was also sounding kind.
"Enough with the talking; Lexi over there is expecting your performance," Mr. Elliot said. Lexi smiled widely at him.
Luca caught her eye. While Mr. Elliot was looking down at his papers, Luca bobbed his head from side to side, silently mimicking her serious expression with an exaggerated grimace.
Ha! There he is! That's the real Luca West!
He needed Mr. Elliot, that's why he pretended to be nice and obedient. But Lexi? He didn't care about her, so he was free to mock her. Like a kid. Why didn't this mischievousness annoy her that much? Lexi returned with an annoyed grimace.
Afterwards, the practice began. And then, Noelle soon forgot all her reflections on his true colors.
From the very warm-ups—the vocal runs and scales—his voice filled her ears. Her whole body pulsed with the rhythm of his voice. He was indeed gifted. He was able to create so many emotions just by using his lungs and his vocal cords. That was the way he had enchanted his fans at the beginning of his career, as the lead singer of Prime 5. If she hadn't been so rational, it would be easy to follow his fans into a place she wasn't supposed to go. A place she didn't want to go.
She looked at Lexi, who seemed far more indifferent to his singing than she was. Maybe Lexi had heard him so many times that it no longer affected her. But Noelle had also heard his songs before. And yet, he still affected her.
Now, sitting on the couch and wearing the headset that transmitted his voice, she permitted herself to indulge just a little bit. It was a private performance nonetheless - VIP privilege. Noelle closed her eyes and enjoyed the songs. For a whole hour, she allowed herself to be swept away by a sweet and strong voice that carried her to a calm and happy place. It was almost like she could forgive him.
Mr. Elliot's voice brought her back to reality: "You did very well. I think we are done for today."
She immediately realized it was her cue to disappear. She saw Luca standing up, and panic set in.
Lexi interfered to slow him down. "Hey, wait! I told you I want to take some photos!" she said, starting to adjust her phone and giving Noelle enough time to sneak out. She couldn't hear what Luca was saying, but she caught a glimpse of him mumbling some annoyed words.
When she exited the studio, her feet began moving fast. Without thinking, she climbed the stairs up to the office, practically running. She was fleeing. She wasn't ready for any confrontation. Out of breath, she paused on the staircase, and the memory of the first time she'd heard him live washed over her.
Because it wasn't the first time she heard him live.
It was around a year ago, when she had just arrived in Nova Bay. Of course, she had booked the tickets a couple of months in advance. The moment she heard he had a live concert—one of his rare appearances—scheduled for when she would be there, she took it as a sign from the universe that she was on the right path.
She had to monitor her test subject from the closest spot possible. She had to study the reactions of his fans in live action. Noelle instantly booked tickets; the closest to the stage she could afford. She was refreshing the ticket website until the sales opened, and she was lucky enough to get the seats she was hoping for.
The day of the concert, she arrived at the hall alone. She felt strange—being alone among all these fangirl groups. Noelle had booked a seat because she wasn't brave enough to go for the standing section right under the stage. The moment the lights turned down, she finally relaxed.
The opening act was a new rock band - the latest experiment of Legion Two. She didn't know them back then, but with some aggressive marketing, they became pretty popular during the next months.
However, the crowd wasn't there for them. They couldn't fill the hall. He could.
When their set was complete, a bass note hit the speakers, the giant screens lit up. That was the signal for the crowd to explode. The music of one of his most popular songs was heard, and the people went screaming. Luca West walked through the light exactly as a top-tier performer should do. He greeted the crowd with quick, easy confidence.
And he started singing.
The moment his voice filled the venue, the entire place shook — and she felt it in her chest before her brain even processed it.
People were singing along, bouncing, filming on their phone, screaming the whole time. She could feel the tension of the whole audience. Her estimation that watching his concert would help her research was correct.
For more than two hours, she watched him sing and perform, interacting with the audience and charming them. Noelle hadn't watched many live performances, none of that size, at least. She wasn't sure if what she was feeling was because of the spectacular staging or his talent.
Now, standing in the staircase, she was once again certain. He was talented beyond comparison.
If only he had a talent for empathy as well…