chap. 10

Chapter Ten

After finishing "You Are", Justin was laughing, and the crowd was yelling, he grinned, and let them carry on for awhile before announcing the next song.

"This is a favorite of mine. I find it, rather encouraging, mean, I sing it to myself when things start getting tough. I don't think I'll need to give you the name of it, because I hear it's pretty popular."

The lights dimmed, as he began to sing, "Keep Stayin' Strong".

You're beyond your boundaries, surrounded by your enemies, and trying to kill the memories, that are tearing at your heart,
Keep stayin' strong, it won't be long, keep hangin' on.
Keep hangin' on, it won't be long, keep stayin' strong...


The music was somewhat sad, yet it was powerful and happy at the same time. Justin was doing what he did best, bringing songs alive.

The rain is falling like a battle and the war is raging on, you fell and lost your step, and now have forgotten who you are,
Keep stayin' strong, it won't be long, keep hangin' on.
Keep hangin' on, it won't be long, keep stayin' strong...

After he had finished, the lights grew bright again, and Justin announced the next song. "Well, from what I've heard, this song is not 'Missing an Identity' with you guys!" "Missing Identity" was a very popular song from his first album.

Somewhere on the mark between insane and sanity, I lost myself inside of me.
Some people think it sad, maybe others think it funny.
But you truly don't know pain until you have no identity...

This, Ella knew, was Maria's favorite. She looked down at her sister, who was happily clapping her hands to the beat and singing along.

I don't know myself, or at least not any more,
One day, the me I knew, got up and walked out the door.
Am I dark, or am I light?
Do I love peace, or want to pick a fight?
Am I dumb or am I smart?
Do I love this world, or want to tear it all apart?

The next song, Justin said, would speak for itself. And, of course, it did. "Tell Me" was Ella's Mother's favorite. Sometimes, Ella would catch her singing it while she cleaned the house, but Ella's mother always denied doing so.

Speak a little louder, speak a little clearer, you know, your voice really matters, to me.
Say what's on your mind, whisper what's on your heart, this never ending silence is tearing our worlds apart...

Tell me, tell me,
Just one word,
Tell me, tell me,
Everything you've heard...

Tell me, tell me,
Just anything,
Tell me, tell me,
What you're dreaming...

What is hidden in your soul? What is written there?
Why do you never show the world any of your thoughts or cares?
Your silence is killing me, and I really want to know,
Who is that you love, what emotions do you grow?

*~*~*

Maria and Ella were jumping up and down. Both of them were out of breath, Ella couldn't imagine how Justin could hold the notes for so long, and sing so loud without passing out.

"Ella! Ella!" said Maria, tugging on Ella's shirt "I can see why you love him so much now!"

Ella just nodded, it would be too hard for her to talk.

Justin was amazing. He was indescribable.

Next Justin sang, "Life Ain't Easy", a favorite with a lot of people, especially Ella, these days.

Life ain't easy, no one said it was, cause' life has many burdens, yet it has a lot of loves.
That's what some one told me, when I was very young, and as the days pass by, it keeps proving true...

You gotta take the sweet with the sour, the blue with the gray, you got to try and make, the best of every day...

After that, came the heart-wrenching, "Ruined". This one always made Ella want to cry. The music for this one, unlike "Life Ain't Easy" which was bouncy and happy, was slow and deep and mournful. Yet, everyone had to agree, it was one of Justin's best songs ever.

You were all I ever had, and you were all I wanted,
And now that you have left,
Everything is ruined. Yeah, ruined.
Everything is ruined.

I wish I could take it all back, relive it all again,
Think before I spoke, and I give a thought before I act.
But history isn't something you can just rewind,
Once it's said and done, it's upon the scrolls of time...

Ella, along with the rest of the audience was captured, and silent. The stadium was dark, with only a single light down on Justin, and he didn't dance around the stage like he usually did.

I am just a man, and mortals make mistakes,
Some easy to undo, some harder to erase.
The scar I left on you, no doubt will show forever,
Leaving me to see the torture of my thoughtless error.

I never though it would cause so much pain,
That my heart would break in two,
Now I realize, that my world revolves around you.
Could you accept my apology?
Will you please forgive me?
Could you say, that it's alright, and you're coming back to see me?

Once done, the fans roared and Ella was close to crying. She was very easily sent into tears, especially by Justin Fairway. "Ruined" was followed by "Throw Me a Line" and a few others, all of them big hits. After they were finished, Justin held up his hands for silence.

"Alright. How was all of that?" he asked.

"Awesome!" yelled the fans.

"Ok, that's good, because I thought it all turned out pretty well too. Did you know you guys are the best fans I've ever sang for? And that's saying a lot!"

*~*~*

Justin knew he had to start ending the concert, though he didn't want to, he would have been happy to drag it out the whole night and sing every song he knew. But, he knew Mike would not approve, fun as it would be, so he took the microphone from the stand, and began to walk around the edge of the stage.

"So far, I've been very unfair tonight." he said, almost laughing "I've been singing only my favorites. That's not fair huh? Well, lets fix that then!" He stopped, and looked over the edge, into the mobs of screaming people. He was looking for someone in particular. Ella.

Where was she? Then he spotted her, with someone who appeared to be her little sister, right next to him, only inches away. He bent down.

"Hey you! What's your favorite song?"

The girl had stars in her eyes, as he gave her his hand, and pulled her up onto the stage under the bright lights.

"So, what's you name? And what do you want me to sing?" Asked Justin, acting as if he had never seen her before in his life.

"I'm Ella." she said, smiling and looked simply amazed.

"So, Ella. Give me a song to sing. The sky's the limit!"

Ella closed her eyes for a second. Then she flashed a grin.

"You still haven't sung on of your biggest hits, and one of my favorites, could you sing 'Dare'?"

"Well, of course, sweetie!" he said hugging her "That's one of my favorites to perform!" Justin pointed over the where the band was waiting to begin the song. "Now see the space right between the drummer and the base? You, get to stay right there, it's the best seat in the house, trust me."

*~*~*

Ella's heart was pounding so hard from excitement she though it might come out of her chest. She had been chosen! Was this really all happening? She had held Justin's hand, she got to chose his very last song to sing on tour, he had hugged, she was up on stage inches from him, and, he had called her "sweetie"!

This was beyond her wildest dreams. And Ella had some wild dreams.