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Part 2 : A lonely night

He tore and crumpled the page, again. He tried to throw it in the bin, but it missed the target and fell right next to it. It was already full anyway... David let out a long sigh. Nothing. Nothing good was coming, and it was infuriating. He had tried everything. Listening to his old songs, checking what was new and trendy, even his fandom's forum, no new idea was coming. He didn't even have a single line to write down. His manager was going to kill him...

He missed the old days when he could spend days writing in his room, flowing with ideas. Back when he was a teen, it was so easy. All he had to do was put all of his emotions on the paper, try to play a few notes on his guitar, and a song would flow into his brain. That's how all of his biggest hits were created, with emotions, and no pressure. His fans loved the relatable lyrics of a teenage boy trying to find his place in this world, the purity and simplicity coming out of his lyrics.

However, he was not a teenage boy anymore and he wasn't so relatable anymore either. Sitting alone in his penthouse, way too big for one guy, he just felt... empty. As empty as this place. It was decorated with some awards he had won, but that was it. Everything else was bare and lacked originality as if it had come out of a showroom. There were no pictures, no memories, no source of warmth like most people have in their homes. This place didn't felt like home. David had bought it because he had too much money to spend, and someone had advised him to get his own place. This only felt like a place to sleep in, though...

His phone rang. His manager, texting to ask if he had managed to come up with a new song yet. David sighed. He didn't even have one word written down... It was a horrible sensation, like sitting in front of a wall. He glanced outside. It was night, probably close to midnight? He checked his phone. The weather forecast wasn't announcing any rain for the next hour...

David didn't hesitate much longer. Grabbing a jacket and a branded cap, he left his home quickly. He needed some fresh air, and music in his ears. He put on some old jazz music. It was the perfect sound to wander around the empty streets at night... No one would recognize him at this hour, no one wandered around.

David smiled and took down the stairs to the Tube station. It reminded him of the old days. When he had nothing but his guitar and his voice to make a living. He never made much, but for a homeless boy, a few pounds were all he needed. He still remembered the best places to get a cheap sandwich and a hot cup of coffee to warm himself. It felt like centuries ago, actually. He hesitated a bit and got on the next train. He knew the full map by heart and didn't even think before getting off at the station he wanted, ten minutes later.

This was a different neighborhood from the one he currently lived in, more multi-cultural, less polished. Compared to his quiet and cold place, the streets here felt warmer, even empty. David smiled, and walked to the closest snack shop, ordering his favorite fried calamari snack, with lots of mayo. It was the kind of place that would stay open late in the night to feed the young people who got out of the bars half-drunk and were starving for a hot, filling sandwich.

David walked away, making sure to hide his face under his cap, and went to sit a bit further, on a bench where he could watch the quiet Thames. With his music in his ears, his hoodie on, he took time to enjoy his snack, reminiscing about the old times. Where had all of his inspiration gone? It felt like he had achieved all of his childhood dreams, leaving him with this emptiness inside. He felt bad for feeling like this when he had everything people usually envied. Money, fame, and fans... However, all those didn't mean much to him.

He finished his snack, but the inspiration he had been hoping for didn't come. David sighed and stood up, ready to leave. He should catch some sleep before whatever was on his schedule for the next morning...

Just as he was walking back to a different Tube station, something stopped him. On his left were several shops aligned and, among them, was a restaurant closing its doors. Or, more precisely, one woman was sitting alone at a table, on a computer, obviously working with a single light on. A smile appeared on David's face as he recognized that figure. He hesitated, and watched her for a while, before walking up to the restaurant and trying to open the door. Luckily, it was still open.

"...Chef Alyssa?"

The woman jumped, surprised to hear a voice out of the blue. She looked up from her computer, and her eyes fell on David who was walking up to her with a little smile. They hadn't seen each other since the show aired the previous week. David had looked up her information on social media, but there wasn't any information on how to get to her, and his schedule had been too packed for him to even try and check again until then...

"You... What are you doing here?" She asked, looking around.

"I was just hanging out," David said with a shrug. "Sorry for just barging in, I recognized you fro the outside... I hope I'm not... you know. Are you alone to close down?"

She nodded.

"It's fine, of course. And yes, we had a busy night... Fridays always are. Excuse me, but... Is it alright for you to be here by yourself?"

"Oh, my nanny is probably looking for me," said David with a cheeky smile.

Alyssa chuckled. Of course, they were both adults. The situation was a bit awkward, though, so Alyssa quickly thought of something to ask him, so he wouldn't feel unwelcomed. Her patron instincts taking over, she glanced towards her kitchen.

"Are you... hungry? Or how about a coffee? I know it's late, but..."

"Do you have tea?"

She chuckled and got up to boil some water quickly. She was caught up in this damn paperwork and tabs and hadn't expected a late customer, so it felt like a nice little break. Well, he was more of a friendly acquaintance than a customer. She took out a cup and prepared some tea for him, while David was staring all-around at the restaurant.

Alyssa chuckled. She never thought she would ever have a world superstar casually walk in her establishment, especially this late at night... It was a funny situation, but after all, he was still a normal human being. He was free to go wherever he wanted, and she wasn't one to kick someone out. He looked much more casual than during the recording, too, with jeans and a brand sweatshirt.

"Your... comment made a lot of viewers laugh," she said.

"Oh, yes, I saw that. I hope you didn't get any bad ones..."

She shook her head and handed him the cup.

"It's fine, I really don't mind about the masses' opinion. I don't have much time to manage my own Social Media, to be honest, I only read the news when I have time."

"I wish I was that oblivious of the negative comments," sighed David. "Just one look at my Social Media stresses me out..."

"Do you have to look at it every day? Your manager could check it for you... For a week, for example. You know, as a detox?"

David smiled and nodded. He had never thought about it. His fans' reactions had dictated his whole life for years, it had become a habit to check almost every hour he was awake. It was always a bit harder to breathe when the numbers went down, and the comments got mean... Alyssa sighed, sitting against the table.

"I don't think I could handle having every one of my movements scrutinized," she said.

David nodded, and subtly glanced at her. She didn't have a celebrity aura, and, outside of the filming set, she was a normal young woman. She was still really pretty, but the kind of next door beauty that made one feel at ease. She didn't have hair extension, overly designed curls, or the heavy contouring makeup his female peers always had on. Alyssa wasn't camera-ready, she was life-ready. Her outfit was a bit classy today again, with black pants and a simple yet feminine top. She was wearing flat shoes and no jewelry except for a little bracelet. She really had nothing standing out, aside from being a natural beauty, and that charming smile. How could she still be so captivating?

"So... This is your restaurant?" He asked. "It's pretty cool."

The whole decor was rather simple, in the industrial and wood kind. There were a lot of plants scattered all around, too, and shiny white tables to contrast with the wooden floor and black counters. Definitely the kind of place where people would come just to take fancy pictures and be trendy.

"One of them, yes. This one opened a month ago, there's still a lot to do."

"I really liked your recipe, by the way! I think it was my first time trying this thing with the cabbage... What was it called again?"

"Okonomiyaki," she chuckled.

"Oh, right. Do you have it here?"

"Mh, not at the moment. I might add it to the menu, though, it became a trend after the show aired, people asked several times this week..."

David nodded again, feeling a bit excited.

"Well, let me know if you do because I really would like to eat that again!"

"I will," said Alyssa, with a smile and a slight blush.

They stayed there, a bit awkward for a few seconds, David sipping his tea. Alyssa closed her computer, deciding she was done for the day. She stared at him, the young man standing a few steps away, looking like any young adult, except maybe for his bleached hair and purple tips...

"Is it okay to ask why you were out so late?" She asked. "I don't mean to be intrusive, but..."

"No, it's fine. I just... needed some fresh air. I was hoping to find some inspiration. All my best songs were written when I was in the streets. I don't know, I guess I got nostalgic."

"Did it work?"

David shook his head, with a bit of a sad expression on.

"No... I guess the magic isn't the same after a few years."

"That's too bad," said Alyssa, feeling a bit sorry for him. "I hope you'll find some inspiration soon."

"Do you... listen to music?"

David had hesitated before asking. He would have asked if she liked his music, but then, he realized he was a bit afraid to hear an answer. Not everyone liked what he was doing nowadays, and his usual audience was younger than him. Alyssa was a bit older than he was, from what he had found about her. She was in her early thirties just as he had guessed, six years older than him.

"I do. We always have some music on in the restaurants, and I like to listen to it at home, too. Actually, I have one of your albums at home. I've listened to it a lot."

"Really? Which one?" Asked David, his heartbeat accelerating a bit.

"Night World, your first one... I really like it."

David smiled. His first album was his best, and his favorite as well. After a couple of videos of him singing in the streets had gone absolutely viral, he had taken some of his self-composed songs and followed the label's directions to create his own album. It only had ten songs, but they all had become instant hits.

"Thank you, it's my favorite too..."

He didn't dare to ask why she didn't listen to the most recent ones, as he probably could guess the answer. His first and latest albums didn't have much in common... The first one had a melancholic, yet very raw output to it, with deep, meaningful lyrics that had come straight from his young teenage heart. The latest one was just one of those easy-made mixes of pop tracks. His image had grown to that of a sex symbol, a womanizer. David didn't like it, but changing the public's opinion was not an easy thing to do.

"Really? Don't singers usually promote... The latest albums?" Asked Alyssa, tilting her head.

David was a bit taken by surprise there. He nodded, a bit embarrassed.

"Yeah, well I don't want to lie when there are no cameras... My first one was such a big part of my life, it helped me leave the streets, make a breakthrough with my music. It's hard to top that."

"I understand," gently said Alyssa. "I mean... Your songs actually helped me in a hard part of my life, too. It was very relatable for a lot of people."

"Yeah, I guess I'm not that relatable anymore..."

An awkward silence took place, and David thought he was an idiot for saying that. What kind of person would complain about being a millionaire before his thirties! However, Alyssa nodded gently, not looking offended at all. It was a bit hard to continue after that. David tried to think of something to say, something to ask. He had a million questions for her, but none that could be formulated. He was afraid to be too intrusive or sounding boring. The girls he usually slept with were the ones to approach him, why was it so difficult to make the first step now? Alyssa was just a few steps away, alone and listening, and nothing smart was coming to mind.

He felt horribly powerless. He really had hoped to see her again, but now, his chance was flying away while he stood there like a complete idiot.

"Oh..."

He looked at her to see what was going on, but Alyssa was actually looking outside. While David was lost in his thoughts, he hadn't even realized a heavy rain had started falling outside.

"Oh, shit..." he said.

"It's okay," said Alyssa. "I have a couple of umbrellas in the back, I'll go grab them!"

She left quickly to go get them behind the counter, but David was not feeling any better. This was really heavy rain, and an umbrella wasn't going to be enough! He took out his phone and frenetically checked the forecast. What an idiot, he had been watching the wrong City! This rain had been announced for a while and, even worse, it wouldn't calm down until morning! David went white.

Alyssa returned, with two large umbrellas, and noticed his expression immediately.

"Are you okay? I have umbrellas, I can definitely lend you one..."

"I... I'm in trouble," muttered David. "I can't get wet."

Alyssa chuckled nervously, a bit confused.

"You can't get wet? I mean, if you use the umbrella, I'm sure you'll be okay..."

David turned to her, shaking his head.

"Ah, no thank you, I'll... I'll just try to call my manager to pick me up."

He grabbed his phone, trying to call his manager anxiously. Alyssa was a bit confused. He was afraid of this rain? He really looked panicked, and his phone call didn't seem to go through, either.

"Okay, okay," she said. "Where do you live?"

"About twenty minutes from here, Knightsbridge..."

Alyssa nodded and grabbed her bag.

"Alright, I can drive you there. Let me get my car, okay? I'll come to the front of the restaurant and you can come in directly."

"Okay, thanks."

Alyssa didn't really understand what was wrong with him, but everyone had their own circumstances, and the utter panic on his face couldn't be faked. She left the restaurant to get her car and park right in front of the restaurant's doors. The rain was still pouring heavily, but with the little porch and the umbrella, he should be fine, she supposed. There were just a few stairs to get down, cross the bike lane and that was it.

When she arrived in front, David was holding the umbrella nervously, and watching the sky. He walked out, holding his umbrella right above his head, and tried to hurry to the car. However, just as he had gotten down the stairs, someone who was riding their bike like crazy literally splashed him with water, yelling a sorry without stopping.

Alyssa saw the scene almost in slow motion. David's eyes fell on his soaked pants, opened wide in shock, and he suddenly fell backward, on the flooded bike lane. Panicked, Alyssa jumped out of her car to run to him.

"Oh my god, David! Are you okay?"

"Oh, no, no, no..." She heard him mutter.

She realized something was wrong with him. His shoes literally popped off his feet, and, instead of two human feet, she watched to big webbed legs, growing to look like round fishtails. Panicked, David tried to sit and grab his shoes back, but as he did, it was obvious his hands had changed, too, into webbed fingers with little claws. When he looked up at her, his face was turning white, not a white of fear but an iridescent, almost purple white with little scales appearing on his skin.

Their eyes met, and she saw nothing but fear in his.

"P... Please... help me," he said.

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