Thursday, March 5, 2015

Turning Tables

They arrived at Dragon Karaoke at 8:30. It was Sam’s favorite Karaoke Box and Billy was very nervous. He had a song to sing and he was going to do it. Most of the LARP group was there and as both Sam and Jake had said “Just make it a role, play the part, You’ll be fine.” 

So when they got their room Billy took the sword in his hand. He had to see it as a sword. The special jacket, a magic cloak, +3 protection from dispell. His lucky tee under the special, "man catcher" pink shirt; that special pink that girls won't wear. His shoes, he pulled them from the back of his closet and took them to the man on the corner to have them endued with a potion of traction. Now, into battle.

"Dude what number?" Jake asked

He knew the number. Came here, practiced for hours. The song was perfect. "Thirty three-twenty seven-one."

Holding the obnoxioulsy large remote Jake entered the number. The karaoke box got quiet and a strange video with elephants started on the screen. Quickly he grabbed and tossed back his potion of courage and waited for the familiar beat to start. 

This was it. He was going to conquer the creature keeping him from happiness. 

Woke up sweating from a dream
With a different kind of feeling, oh
All day long my heart was beating
Searching for the meaning, oh
Hazel eyes, I was so color blind
We were just wasting time, uh uh babe
For my whole life, we never crossed the line
Only friends in my mind, but now I realize
It was always you
Can't believe I could not see it all this time
All this time
It was always you
Now I know why my heart wasn't satisfied
Satisfied
It was always you, you
No more guessing who
Looking back now I know it was always you*

He looked right at Sam. He'd seen him as a squire, a servant. something not someone. This song by a group he'd always discredited, like he'd done to Sam, was speaking for him.  He sang it with all his heart. He knew how Sam felt — now. He realized how much he'd taken that guy for granted. He finally looked passed the surface and knew that he'd wasted so much time. 

Sam looked surprised. Something Billy never seen in his friend. All the years they LARPED, side by side Sam never flinched. When Billy said he was moving to Japan with Alex or at any other time Sam took everything in stride. This was strange. He made it to the middle of the song. Tears were running from both their eyes. 

The song almost over Sam grabbed the song book, flipped quickly through the pages. He erased the que and  punched in 12287. Adele Turning Tables. Billy looked back and forth from the screen to Sam. Sam had eyes wide and worried but a smile a cheshire would be proud of. 

The song ended and Sam jumped up gave Billy an awkward hug and grabbed the microphone away. 

Another awkward non sequitur video started, this one had floating fish. Every one laughed and Billy rubbed his eyes and began to sing.

Close enough to start a war
All that I have is on the floor
God only knows what we're fighting for
All that I say, you always say more
I can't keep up with your turning tables
Under your thumb, I can't breathe
So I won't let you close enough to hurt me
No, I won't ask you, you to just desert me
I can't give you what you think you gave me
It's time to say goodbye to turning tables
To turning tables
Under haunted skies I see you oh
Where love is lost, your ghost is found
I braved a hundred storms to leave you
As hard as you try, no, I will never be knocked down*

He finally broke. He put the microphone on the table and exited the room.

No one spoke. Jake made Billy stay and went after Sam. He came back about five minutes later. "He's not coming back." he said and looked right at Billy "You okay?”

Billy spent the rest of the night drinking potions of forgetfulness.

This adventure ended poorly. 

*actual lyrics. I copied them.



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