10 TRACK 10

The crowd of spectators in front of her clapped and cheered. Holding the neck of her guitar, Dee took a bow and giggled as she waved at her first busking fans. When the crowd dispersed, she ran towards me and quickly placed her guitar bag on the grass next to where I was sitting.

"Did you see that, Lolo?" she exclaimed, her cheeks looking like they're about to pop from her wide smile.

I nodded. "Yes. That proves that the song is catchy. You're ready to win that battle."

She wrapped her arms around my waist and placed her cheek on my chest. "Thank you so much, Lolo." Again, warm sensation rose to my cheeks. "Don't cry. Jeez. Others might think I made you cry." I gently pushed her off of me.

She chuckled and then rubbed her one reddish eye. "I'm just... so happy. I wrote my first song and people loved it."

"I know your Ate Macy would be proud." I ruffled her hair. "Good job, kiddo."

With both of her eyes now glistening, she gave me a smile that almost melted off my heart. She turned to her left then gasped.

"Dee," a low voice called.

I turned to where Dee was looking and there stood, Enzo with a face that looked like he stained his favorite pastel skinny jeans.

"What are you doing here? I don't ever want to talk to you," Dee snapped at her.

"You were great back there," Mr. Skinny Jeans replied.

"You broke my Ukulele."

"Listen, I'm sorry." He stepped forward with an open palm out.

I stood up and patted my butt with my hand. "I'll leave you two in the meantime." I turned to Combo Jumbo. "Come here, Buddy." I whispered to Dee before leaving. "If he tries anything, I'm going to break his hands like how he broke your Ukulele."

"I'll be fine, Lolo. Thank you."

"Enzo." I nodded at him.

He nodded back.

They talked and I watched like a hawk but I didn't stare at them. That would be weird. Dee came back moments later.

"So?"

"He apologized for what he did."

"He should buy you a new one."

"He will."

"So, are you two okay, now?"

"Yeah. I guess so..."

I picked up Combo Jumbo and placed him on my shoulder. My eyes followed Enzo as he walked away. Was that it?

"I'm surprised he didn't cause any more problems this time," I said to Dee.

She wrinkled her nose and pouted her lips. "Maybe Papa already had a word with him."

I scoffed. "I don't trust him."

"That was already obvious the first time you've met."

"Yeah..." My voice trailed. "Oh well." I grabbed Dee's hand and started towards the park exit.

"Where are we going?" asked Dee.

"To call the cavalry. We're going to rock the country with your new song."

She let out the cutest giggle as her eyes nearly disappeared with her bubblegum smile.

Be still, my heart.

The next day, the gang and I headed out west to the coast of Manila Bay to record Scarlet Overdrive's first demo

The next day, the gang and I headed out west to the coast of Manila Bay to record Scarlet Overdrive's first demo. Otep knew a guy who could give us great quality recording for a great deal. Little did we know that this was going to be the catch - a flooded street during Tangos river's untimely high tide. For fear of stepping on sharp objects, we waded through the knee-deep flood water, risking messing up our shoes. Definitely not a great day for wearing Nike's.

"Why do we have to go all the way here, Kuya Otep?" asked Dee as she lugged a guitar bag over her shoulder.

"Because, this is the only studio we can afford," Otep replied while scratching the back of his head.

"Just quit your whining, Dee. You, kids are the ones who don't want to cough up the cash. Kuripot!" I snapped at Dee.

"You could've just sponsored us instead, Lolo! You're the one who's kuripot! - Yikes! What is that thing?!"

I whipped my head to where Dee was pointing.

"It's just a fish, dummy! You don't recognize Tilapia?"

"Not when it looks eewy - Yikes! Snake!"

Dee jumped on my back. "Umph!" I exclaimed. She wrapped her arms around my neck. Good thing Combo Jumbo was sitting safely inside my hoodie pocket.

"Can you please get off of me? You're not as light as you think," I exclaimed with a grimace.

"Lolo, my socks are wet."

"So are ours! Jeez! What's the matter with you?"

"But I'm the muse of this band."

"I thought you're one of the boys? Now is the perfect time to prove it."

"But Piggy Back rides are fun!"

"Kuya Otep, give us a ride too," Kyle, holding on to the straps of his guitar bag, called out to Otep.

"Try it. I'll throw you into the bay," Otep said with a sinister smile.

"I'll do the same thing to you, Margaux Dee. If you don't... get off... my... back," I told Dee as I bent over slightly with the weight on my back.

"You won't dare. You love me."

"Oooooh!" Johnny teased.

"As a... As a little sister. Shut up, Johnny!"

"Yeah, right," added Kyle.

"Shut up, Kylie!"

We burst out laughing as I moved closer to where the "snake" was. "That's no snake. It's just a piece of rope or tie-box." I prodded my foot at the thing.

It moved.

"Fudge! It's a snake!"

"I told you!" Dee shrieked as her clutch tightened around my neck.

A few minutes later of running, screaming, and splashing, we finally arrived at our destination. Otep nodded his head towards the direction of an old rickety house on stilts.

My mouth gaped open. "So... this is... the studio?"

I wiped beads of sweat on my forehead for the nth time now

I wiped beads of sweat on my forehead for the nth time now. I sat next to the half naked sound engineer laying down the tracks as Dee recorded the vocal part. Our four hour, one thousand peso recording session deal was almost up. Everyone was tired, drenched in sweat and cranky. I raised my hand to pause recording.

"Nope. Something's not right."

"What?"

"It feels over the top."

"But you said, 'more emotion'" Dee said with a twisted lip.

"I know but... It's too much. Too OA."

Dee grumbled. "You're OA!"

"Just take it from the top. You're the only one who's messing up. The boys all did their parts with single takes."

"Boy power!" Erwin shouted with a raised fist.

"Shut up, Win!" Dee snapped at him before turning to me. "How exactly do you want me to sing, Lolo?"

"Just feel the song, Dee. Don't worry about how you look when you sing. Let's look at the lyrics once more, a'ight?"

I stood up from my seat and joined Dee by the mic stand. I pointed my finger at each line while she nodded. She would take fleeting glances at me to let me know that she understood what I wanted to happen.

"Just sing it like you did last time. Like at the park. Try it with your eyes closed."

"Okay," she said while smiling with eyes closed and her head tilted to the side. I ruffled her hair as the warmth crept up to my chest once more.

I sat back down and nodded at the sound engineer to proceed. Dee took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Then the familiar sweet, vulnerable voice filled the humid air. I just had to close my eyes too as goosebumps crawled up my skin.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Otep. He held up a thumbs up.

"I think they're ready, Bro," he said in a low voice close to my ear.

"I say, they've improved a lot since the first time we heard them play," I replied.

"I know. That's what happens when you become true to your music."

"Amen to that, Brother.." We bumped fists.

"Told you, writing a song for her would work wonders."

Yeah. Somehow, it was kind of therapeutic, Tep."

Otep placed a hand on my shoulder. "It could be the music... or it could be that little ball of sunshine." He pointed at Dee who was singing the last chorus with so much power, that had her fists balled up while she sang.

I shook off Otep's hand. "Stop sniffing rugby, Tep."

"You're addiction to Dee is much worse, my brother."

As Dee finished the take, I put Otep in a headlock with my arms.