Chapter 50: Semi-Finals (4)

<🎧 Song Recommendation: Señorita by Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello>

...

"Two incredible stories," Michael said in a poetic tone upon reaching the stage. "On one hand, we have a daughter’s love, a promise made in the silence of a hospital room to keep a father’s heart beating. On the other, we have a man who walks a lonely path, a student of the human mind who refuses to show his own hand. One sings for a life; the other sings for a dream he won’t let go."

He raised his hand toward the stage. "Please, welcome to the spotlight for the final duel of the night... Celine Smith and Von Varley!"

The arena went black and seconds passed before a spotlight fell on the far right of the stage.

Von was standing there, with a Spanish Cordobés hat on his head and a small sized guitar in his hands.

🎸 ♪ 🎸 ♪ 🎶

He struck the strings, playing the sharp, catchy intro beat of Señorita. He began to walk across the stage with a slow, rhythmic pace, his boots clicking against the floor.

Behind him, in the shadows, a group of professional dancers began to clap their hands in a sharp, flamenco-style harmony to match the beat he played.

Two seconds later, another spotlight came on, exposing Celine. She was standing at the opposite far end of the stage in her deep wine-red dress.

She looked stunning, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders as she began to walk toward Von, a handheld microphone in her hand.

🎶 🎤

I love it when you call me señorita~

I wish I could ignore how much I need ya~

But every touch is ooh, la-la-la

It’s deep, la-la-la

Ooh, I should be going

Ooh, you keep me turning for ya~

🎶 🎤

As soon as Celine hit the first note, the real show began. The stage lights fully flashed on, revealing the entire dance troupe. They were already moving in a flurry of red and black, delivering a sultry choreography that matched the heat of the song.

Von didn’t stop playing. He kept walking toward her, his fingers moving across the guitar strings with a speed and precision.

🎸 ♪

Back in Miami~

🎸 ♪

The crowd erupted in a deafening cheer at the Von’s first line.

🎸 ♪

The wind was heavy with the rain

Heat rising off me~

Before I even asked her name, la-la-la

It felt like ooh, la-la-la

Yeah, no

🎸 ♪

Von was now standing only inches away from Celine. He tilted his head, the brim of his hat still shadowing his eyes, but his gaze was locked onto hers. His [Emote] made him look like a man who was dangerously obsessed with the woman in front of him.

🎸 ♪

Moonlight in midnight

We stayed for hours through the night

Golden-hued sunrise

Her body’s perfect in my hands, la-la-la

It felt like ooh, la-la-la, yeah

🎸 ♪

Celine began her next verse. Internally, she was boiling with rage. Von’s singing was perfect. He had promised her he would perform badly. But looking at him now, he was far from doing so. She realized then that he had played her.

She tried to stay professional, her voice soaring through the arena, but she got a massive distraction. Suddenly, Von threw his guitar and his Spanish hat to the side. They landed perfectly in the wings of the stage.

Celine’s eyes widened as she sang. ’What is he doing? Is he quitting?’ But she was wrong. Von didn’t quit.

Instead, he pulled out a perfectly executed power slide, his knees hitting the stage as he glided ten feet across the floor with a smooth, sideways motion that left the audience in a state of shock.

He didn’t stop there. He stood up right in the middle of the dance troupe and took the lead. He began performing a complex, fast-paced choreography that was even more difficult than what the professionals were doing.

Celine could only curse him under her breath as she kept her voice steady. ’That bastard! He learned the dance behind my back!’

It had never been in their plan to dance. But Von was now the center of the entire Arena.

Celine ignored him, and continued singing the rest of the song to play her part. When she reached the outro, Von stepped back toward her. He didn’t give her a choice.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a synchronized spin, leading her through the final movements of the dance. Celine had to follow him, or she would have messed up the performance.

🎶 🎤

All along I’ve been coming for ya (for ya)

And I hope it meant something to ya (ooh)

Call my name, I’ll be coming for ya

(Coming for ya, coming for ya, coming for ya)

For ya

For ya (oh, she loves it when I call)

For ya

Ooh, I should be running

Ooh, you keep me coming for ya

🎶 🎤

They ended the song in perfect harmony, their voices blending into one final, soaring note. They froze in a pose, Von holding Celine in a slight dip, their faces only an inch apart as the background bongo drums gave one last tap and faded away.

The silence didn’t last as a roar of claps and screams flew from the crowd, appreciating the absolute cinema they had just witnessed. The night didn’t disappoint them any bit.

After the cheers finally subsided enough for a microphone to be heard, Michael stepped back onto the stage. He was grinning from ear to ear, looking between the two of them.

"Wow! I... I think I need a glass of cold water after that!" Michael joked, causing a wave of laughter to ripple through the crowd. "But seriously, that was smoking hot. The chemistry! The moves! Von, I didn’t know you had those legs!"

There were more laughs and claps from the audience.

"There you have it, guys. Give it up one more time for Von Varley and Celine Smith for that incredible performance of Señorita!"

The applause reigned for a long time before Michael continued.

"Now, oh great viewers, it is up to you. This is the moment that decides the very last person who will be moving on to the Grand Finale. Only one of these two can advance. It is a tough choice, a choice between heart and mystery, between a promise and a dream. The lines are open... go vote, now!"