Chapter 13: concert night
She glanced at him. "You paid $200 for this."
"And what’s the problem?"
"For a campus concert? We could’ve bought a Chris Brown or Taylor Swift tickets for that amount."
"For a front row seat," he corrected.
"There’s a difference and Sheesh you talk too much just enjoy the moment."
She looked at him with the expression she wore when she was deciding whether to push further. She decided not to and turned back to watch the crowd fill in.
Good call, Xavier thought.
The energy was good. Live music warming up backstage, the crowd noise building, the particular electricity of a night event that had been anticipated.
Xavier was scanning the stage area when he heard Amira’s voice drop slightly.
"Incoming."
He followed her eyeline.
Femi was crossing toward their section with two other guys, phone out, looking for seats. He spotted Amira and his trajectory adjusted immediately the smooth, automatic rerouting of someone who had seen something they wanted.
Then he clocked the VIP section. The reserved table. Xavier sitting there with the particular stillness of someone who had nowhere more important to be.
Femi’s pace slowed.
He stopped at the section rope.
"Amira." He smiled at her with the practiced ease of someone who had decided charm was a universal key. "Didn’t know you’d be here. Plenty of room at our table if you want to—"
"She’s already seated," Xavier said. Not loud. Not aggressive. Just a statement of fact delivered to the air in front of him, eyes still on the stage.
Femi looked at him.
Xavier looked back calm and unhurried. The particular stillness of someone who had already decided this conversation wasn’t interesting.
In my previous life, he thought, I would have either said nothing or said too much. Both from the same place fear of conflict.
He held Femi’s gaze without any of that energy present. This isn’t a conflict. This is just clarity.
The silence lasted about four seconds.
Femi’s smile held — but something behind it didn’t. He glanced at Amira once more, then turned and walked back toward the general section with his friends.
Amira watched him go then turned back to Xavier.
"You didn’t even look at him properly," she said.
"Didn’t need to."
She was quiet for a moment. Then —
"Thank you."
"Don’t mention it." Then his notification window popped up.
[ SIDE QUEST COMPLETE ]
First Public Defence of Ally
Reward: +250 EXP
[ EXP: 3,900/5,000 ]
Getting very close, Xavier noted God really pays saints doing good.
The lights dimmed at 11PM.
The MC an Arts second year with genuine stage presence — warmed the crowd up properly before announcing the performers. Three acts before the headline. Xavier sat through them with patient attention, drinking his water, watching the crowd more than the stage.
Amira leaned slightly toward him during the third act. "You’re watching the audience."
"More interesting than the stage right now."
"What are you looking for?"
"How people react," he said. "What makes them stop checking their phones?" Damn, it seems she’s suspicious that I was prolly looking for someone.
She considered that. "And?"
"Nothing yet," he said. "Almost."
She leaned back. But she was watching the crowd now too.
Good, he thought. She picks things up fast.
The MC returned to the mic.
"Last performance of the night — and honestly the one everyone’s been waiting for. Arts faculty first year. Singer, spoken word artist, and apparently the reason half of you are here tonight" laughter from the crowd "Sarah Torres."
The applause started before she walked out.
Sarah came onto the stage and the crowd noise shifted without anyone deciding to shift it.
She wore white — a fitted dress that stopped just above the knee, clean and deliberate, nothing on it competing for attention because nothing needed to. Hair loose and falling past her shoulders, one side tucked back. No excessive jewellery.
A small hoop in each ear and nothing else.
Xavier watched her take the mic from the stand and look out at the crowd with that slight smile that said she knew exactly what she was doing.
She’s genuinely good at this, he thought, without resentment but even at that she’s a demon in human form.
She started with spoken word — a piece about growing up wanting things and not apologising for it. Her voice was controlled and warm, the kind that made people lean forward without realising they were leaning. The crowd had gone properly quiet.
Then she moved into the song.
Xavier couldn’t argue with the voice. It was real. Whatever else Sarah Torres was, she had something genuine when she stood in front of a microphone and meant it.
He sat completely still. Drink on the table. Arms relaxed. Expression neutral.
Around him people were visibly moved — phones out recording, couples leaning together, people mouthing the words.
Xavier just watched.
About halfway through the second verse Sarah did what performers do she scanned the crowd. The slow, deliberate sweep that connected her to the room. Front row, left side, centre.
She hit the VIP section.
Her eyes found him.
A man sitting completely still in the front section watching her with the calm, unmoved attention of someone listening to something instead of experiencing it.
She held it for exactly one second too long.
Transitioned to the next line a half beat behind where she’d been.
Nobody in the general crowd noticed. Xavier noticed. And from the slight recalibration in Sarah’s eyes as she moved her gaze along — she knew he’d noticed.
There it is, Xavier thought. First crack.
He picked up his drink and took a slow sip.
The applause at the end was genuine and loud. Sarah took her bow with the grace of someone born for this, looked out at the crowd one more time with that smile —
And found Xavier’s table again.
This time he was looking at Amira, saying something close to her ear so she could hear him over the noise.
He didn’t look back at the stage.
Twenty minutes after the performance ended they were still at the table when Amira nudged him with her elbow.
"Someone’s coming," she said quietly.
Xavier didn’t turn around immediately. He finished what he was saying, set his glass down, then looked up naturally.