Chapter 120 Holding Hands
I didn't expect Daniel to be waiting for me outside the apartment building.
When he saw me, his eyes lit up with surprise and joy.
Seeing him dressed all in black gave me another headache.
Us dressed like this, performing together, would definitely start some rumors.
If I had known, I would've worn something colorful. Better than me in all white and him in all black.
At eight, the performance kicked off.
The open-air plaza, packed with thousands, was buzzing.
Everyone looked thrilled.
The student council picked a male and female host. The guy wore a silver-gray tailcoat, tall and handsome. The girl had a knee-length red dress, delicate features, and a bright smile.
After a quick intro, with loud applause, a bunch of students hit the stage. With booming music, they danced passionately, really heating things up.
I sat in the waiting area, waving a glow stick, screaming with the kids, super excited.
After the dance, a junior with a bass guitar sang "You Are Not Alone."
The crowd sang along, and most of the teachers and students swayed to the music.
I stood up, singing loudly, almost waving my glow stick out of my hand.
Suddenly, I remembered that Christmas when Brad took me shopping and we watched a performance. It felt just like now.
Same excited crowd, same crazy audience, same childlike excitement in me, and the same sea of glow sticks.
That year, Brad pulled me through the crowd so I could see better. I still remember the nearby people's complaints.
But Brad wasn't here now.
My high spirits dropped, and I could barely wave my glow stick.
Luckily, the song I was going to sing was melancholic, and my mood helped me nail it.
My performance was towards the end.
Daniel and I stood on stage under the spotlight, which cast a perfect circle of light in front of me.
The sound system was great. The song, just over four minutes, flew by. I didn't know if it was because we sang so well or because our performance was unique compared to the previous ones. After we finished, there was a full thirty seconds of silence before the applause erupted.
After bowing repeatedly, the applause died down.
As I stepped off the stage, Daniel held my hand.
When our fingers touched, I reflexively pulled back. But Daniel tightened his grip, holding on.
I've known Daniel for twenty-two years, and this was the first time we really held hands, in front of thousands of people, with me resisting and him being forceful.
Eighteen-year-old Jane might have dreamed of this; it was her youthful fantasy.
Today's Jane, though, felt nothing but repulsion.
But with so many eyes on us, I couldn't make a scene.
If I pulled away, it would embarrass Daniel and spark all kinds of rumors.
So, I played it cool.
It was just a performance, nothing scandalous, so why made it a big deal?
Backstage, away from the crowd, I quickly pulled my hand back and awkwardly shook it off.
Daniel's smile vanished, replaced by a frosty, sinister look. "It's just holding hands, do you have to be so petty?"
He was always so self-righteous, thinking everything he did was fine. He never considered how his actions might trouble others or what consequences they might bring.
He was like this five years ago, and he hasn't changed.
Probably born this way, never changing for anyone.
After that, I had no interest in sticking around.
As I was leaving, I ran into Rachel.
Daniel was keeping a moderate distance behind me.
Rachel wouldn't let me leave, saying everyone had agreed to go out and celebrate the successful performance, to reward ourselves for the hard days of rehearsal.
Honestly, I only participated because I couldn't resist her persistent persuasion, and collaborating with Daniel was just an accident.
Being around Daniel made me uncomfortable. I couldn't explain why, but I just didn't want any interaction with him.
This collaboration forced us together, making me uneasy every day. More importantly, I dreaded Zoe causing trouble for me.
Now that the performance was over, our collaboration had ended, and there was no need to keep interacting.
As for the celebration, I had no intention of joining.
In recent years, I've avoided places where Daniel would be. Not out of fear or any ulterior motives; I just didn't want any contact with him or conflicts with Zoe because of him, affecting my mood.
I politely declined Rachel's invitation and headed back to the apartment alone with my guitar. Tonight, I'd rest, and tomorrow everything would go back to normal. I was my own person, and so was he, and we wouldn't interfere with each other.
I walked out of the venue, leaving the noise behind.
I adjusted the guitar on my shoulder and looked back at the lively party. Even though it was right there, it felt like a world away.
I thought I was more suited to quietness.
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