14_ The Rap.

14

When Emma and the other trainees got to GY building they walked inside the reception area where the dinner table was set . Emma carefully glanced around the room while bowing and greeting her seniors but couldn't find any of SHAKE members there. She was disappointed and surprised by her discovery.

She walked towards the direction of her members with a smile on her face and her head held high.

"You look exceptionally beautiful tonight, Emma." Nene commented upon seeing Emma. Emma smiled and glanced down at her outfit for the uptenth time that night.

"Thank you, Senior." Emma said and sat down.

"Now where is your man and his members, Kandy? We don't have the whole night." Nene asked the same question that was going through Emma's mind.

Emma glanced at Kandy, waiting for her response to Nene's question but just as Kandy wanted to respond, SHAKE members walked in.

They all stood up and bowed their heads in greetings to SHAKE members and they also reciprocated the gestures.

"Thought y'all would bail on us, I was planning to come and scream down your mansion until I get dragged away." Nene said and glanced around the room until her eyes met that of Hardin's.

She coughed nervously and quickly looked away from him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Babe." Scott said and winked at her before going to sit down beside Emma while Hardin sat down beside Kandy as expected.

Emma bit her lower lip and glared at her laps that were covered with an handkerchief.

He didn't even looked at her. She was dressed up for nothing.

"You look beautiful tonight, Emma. How old are you again?" Scott queried.

"I am 18 years old." Emma replied and his eyes widened. "I guess I'm the youngest here."

Emma nervously glanced at Hardin's direction and caught him staring at her. She looked away from him and few seconds later she chanced another glance to see him still watching her.

She felt giddy.

Butterflies danced at the pit of her stomach. She bit her bottom lip to supress her smile and looked down at her thigh again.

"Being young means nothing. A lot of people are praying to stay young." Scott said and pushed a strand of Emma's jet black hair away from her face. "The fact that you dressed your age is very good. Some girls dress like a 30 years old woman when they're just teenagers. I love you more for this."

Emma giggled and nodded her head.

"What do you mean by she dresses her age? Yoke skirt and turtle neck are for everyone irrespective of the age." Kandy scoffed, "Let's eat dinner before everything goes cold."

Emma bit her lower lips and stared down at the content on the table.

She loved it when she got Hardin's attention but she suddenly hated it after Kandy's crass statement.

As they were eating and discussing Emma was quiet. She listened as Hardin tells a story to them and she watched in awe.

It was the first time she'd be hearing Hardin speak for three minutes straight and he was even smiling.

"Girl, you're being obvious." Sandra whispered into Emma's ear and her eyes widened. She glanced around the table and smiled nervously.

She was so carried away by his smiles that she forgot that she was not alone.

"I heard that SHAKE are your ultimate boy group." SHAKES Manager said and Emma nodded her head. "Why don't you sing your favorite song of them for us?"

Emma's heart was beating furiously against her chest. She nearly jumped out of her chair out of excitement and nervousness.

Hardin bashed her voice the first time he heard her sing, she wouldn't want that to happen again, especially not in front of Kandy.

"Yes, I remember seeing you in our concert once." Scott said and sipped on his drink. "I would like to hear you sing again. I'm sure you've improved since last time."

Emma closed her eyes and Sandra placed her hand on top of hers under the table, physically cheering for her.

Emma swallowed the lump in her throat and took in a deep breath then started singing.

Her voice going in the perfect low note range and then slowly rise to a high note when she sang Scott's part.

She was also rapping Hardin's verse passionately as if she was the one that owns the verse.

When the song ended everyone started clapping, including Hardin. He might just being polite.

"That was awesome, you rapped Hardin's verse flawlessly. You will make a good rapper." Matteo compliments.

"True. She'd make a good rapper. She only needs a good mentor. Being able to sing and rap at the same time is a crazy talent on it's own." Scott said and Emma nodded her head.

She was so happy for the sweet compliments she was getting.

***

The next day Emma spent the whole day inside the studio and then back to the practice room.

While she was leaving she noticed that someone was inside SHAKE'S practice room.

She walked up to the door and opened it only to find Hardin writing down something on a note.

Might be lyrics to a new song he is working on.

"You can come in or you can get out." Hardin said calmly, startling Emma.

She stepped further inside the room and closed the door behind her.

She didn't know where she got the courage from but she was able to walk up to him without falling face down on the floor.

"Are you writing a new song?" Emma asked as she got close to him. Hardin covered the book and dropped the pen on top of it.

"How old were you when you first heard 'Never really yours'?" Hardin asked him.

Never really yours was the song that Emma sang at the dinner the other day.

"Hmmm, I think I was ten years old when I first heard it. Why?"

"Do you want to rap?" Hardin asked all of a sudden.

Emma couldn't believe her ears.

"Rap?" She asked and Hardin kept staring at her. "Of course, yes. I would love to."

There was something that attracted Emma to Hardin.

She was versatile.

Talent.

In one word, talent.

Talent was what made him want to coach her.