Chapter 20.2

When Rin gets into her room; Coconoko pops-up as a holograph. 

“So are you going to the gig tonight or not? I have prepared your outfit per your wishes.” Coconoko as he danced through the air. 

“I’m not sure!” as Rin jumps on her bed. 

“Why not! You’ve taken this much time out to prepare just to chicken out?” said Coconoko. 

“I’m not chickening out! I just don’t want make a fool of myself. That’s it.” said Rin objectively. 

Turn over on her side away from Coconoko.

“Well, I guess you don’t need these flowers then?” posed Coconoko. 

“Huh!” Rin grunted. 

“Who sent me these?” asked Rin. 

“I’m not sure but Rinko got them from the delivery man. Who supposedly said they were for Rinko.” said Coconoko.

Then Rin remembered what Santana said yesterday about having people around to help you achieve your goals. 

She then walks over to the vase of flowers and begins to smell them. She feels guilty that someone would give these to her for basically nothing.  She sits at her desk and looks at the flowers and imagines Santana giving them to her and congratulating her.

Once she realizes that won’t ever happen because she basically gave up. She stand up from her desk and says, “OK! You guys may be right about this not giving up thing!”

She walk into her closet and changes out of her clothes. 

Whilst she is doing this Coconoko says “Why the sudden change; literally. Hahaha!” 

“Don’t piss me off! I’m doing this because a wise person told me to. So yeah I’m going!” Rin said vehemently while she is putting on her performance costume.

She finally walks out of the closet with a white spandex body suit that covers all of her body. Her hands and feet are covered with a white and blue glove that has diamond like design over the top of the glove . Whilst her chest has a huge blue diamond design over her chest and pointing down past her navel. She has a shaggy blue wig tied up into a long ponytail. 

She walks out of the closet posing in her performance outfit. Stretching from left to right to break it in. 

“You actually don’t look like yourself. Which i can say is a good thing.” said Coconoko.

“You’re lucky I need you to help re-route my trip to the venue. If I didn’t I would put you in sleep mode.” said Rin. 

She walks downstairs and is looking for the thing that Santana gave to her yesterday. 

“I put it on the coffee table. Where could it have gone?” said Rin in confusion. 

That is, until she looked over towards the dining room table where she found it. However, it looked completely unrecognizable from how it looked previously. 

Rin in shock walks over towards the Dining room table with her hands over her mouth. 

“Wait, who could’ve done —“ she was going to ask until she remembered Rinko painting something when she first walked in. 

“RINKO!” she screamed. 

Rinko came running down the stairs in excitement. 

“Yeah Rin!” thinking she was going to get a treat. 

“Uhm. Can I ask you something?” asked Rin in a jovial tone. 

“Yeah!” answered an excited Rinko. 

“So umm—Why did you paint on my helmet there?” asked Rin smiling.

“Well! Remember mom told me to express my self through creating instead of getting into trouble. So I saw the helmet and thought it needed some more color.” Rinko answered with perkiness. 

“Oh!” Rin answered with a smile. 

They both look at each other with a jovial look for about 30 seconds. 

That is until Rin says “Your dead meat.”

Rinko not really following says “Huh?” with a smile still on her face. 

“I’m going kick you little BUTT!” she yells.

Then she begins to chase Rinko around the house with Rinko screaming “AHHHHH” in high pitched yell.

Coconoko then says; “Rin we don’t have time I just estimated that your shortest route will take about 45 minutes.”

“What?” shouts Rin. 

“Yeah the venue is little bit farther than expected with tram delays.” says Coconoko. 

Rin looks at the helmet and decides to just take it with her as she would feel incomplete without it. 

She then runs out the door hurriedly. Then she runs to the tram stop where the tram is about ready to pull off but the driver notices Rin for which he allows her to get on the tram. 

“You all right lil’ lady? “ asked the driver. 

 For which Rin responded “Yeah.”

She sits in the seat panting as she tries to catch her breath. 

“So are you one of those EV-Idol’s?” asked the driver. 

Rin confused as she didn’t realize she is dressed head to toe in EV-Idol garb before she got on. 

She then collects herself and responds with “Yeah!” in a very happy voice. 

“Oh that’s funny because most EV-Idols would’ve been able to catch my tram from farther than you were. You must be one of the slower models? Hahaha.” said the driver.

Rin continues to look on in bliss but inside she’s fuming.

She settles in her seat as the bus driver is no longer looking at her. She then calls Shishijima in order inform him that she decided to attend the gig. However, his phones keeps going to his voicemail message. 

Downtown at the Coalture Club Shishijima is backstage with Shanshira; prepping her for her performance. 

He’s starts to unplug her for the wall port and picks up an orange bottle full of a special liquid. 

“Drink up!” said Shishijima as he gives Shanshira the orange bottle. 

She then takes orange bottle drinking it and place it on the table in front of her. 

After she starts to sing “Doooo Rreeeeee Miiii Faaaa SOOOO LAAAA Tiiii DOOOO!” with great accuracy. 

“You sound great!” said Shishijima.

“Thanks!” said Shanshira. 

They both look at each other in a sad and distant manner. 

“Well; it’s almost time! You go get ‘em’ tiger.”  said Shishijima. 

“I will.”  said Shanshira arising from her chair. 

Then walking towards the back of the stage where they announce her name with the applause cheering loudly afterwards. 

She stands in wait as the curtains raise revealing Shanshira’s silhouette. Then a brassy R&B inspired pop track slowly come in as she takes the mic and the lights slowly trickle on. 

“Is everybody feeling alright tonight!” Shanshira asks the crowd with vigor. 

They yell “Yeahh!” in response. 

She starts to sing in a sultry yet strong voice. “ So who wants to take me away to a placceee, take me somewhere where I ain’t complainin’.” the crowd claps along 

Where it is sunny and never rainin’. Can anybody find me somewhere like that?”  Shanshira sings. 

On the tram Rin gets to the. top before hers. When all of a sudden the tram’s power goes out. The entire radio car goes pitch black and then the red emergency lights come on. 

“What is going on!” says Rin to the driver. 

“Well lil’ lady the tram is experiencing a power outage. It’s most likely a simple fix; I will go out and try to fix it now.” says the driver. 

“Wait; how long will this take?” asked Rin inquisitively. 

“Well—30 minutes to an hour.”  said the driver. 

“Oh my god! I won’t make it in time!” says Rin to herself as the driver steps off the tram. 

“Coconoko! How long will it take to get to the venue on foot?” asked Rin. 

Coconoko responds with  “20 minutes.”

Rin says “Damn it! I hate to do this but—“

She then runs off of the tram and thanks the driver saying “Thank You Sir! I would not have made it this far without you stopping back there.”

She then puts on her helmet and then begins to run like the wind. 

“Wow! Maybe I was wrong she actually can run faster. Just not as fast as a EV-idol.” said the  driver looking on. 

Shanshira finishes her first song with a standing ovation.

The people in the venue are up on their feet clapping and yelling “Whoo-hoo.”

“Well for this next song I’ll be slowing it down a bit.” Shanshira says as she sit down on a stool that was placed by a stage hand. 

The air changes from static to calm as there is a sound of a piano being played over the sound of the thunderous applause.

Everyone in the audience begins to take a seat as the music begins to get louder. 

Shanshira crosses her legs and begins to sing, “Oh babbyyyy; how long it’s been.”

She begins to look around in the crowd at the people’s face as though she is singing to each and every one of them.  The lights begin to dim in the venue leaving only the spotlight over Shanshira’s head lit. 

She thing sings, “ You know I’ve missed you like my own twin. See we come together like fire and ice. 

Nothing goes better with each other like sugar and spice. We seemingly can ever be apart.

‘Cause you’re the one who ownnnnnnns myyyyyy heart.” 

Then a jazzy percussion section comes in and captures the audience in a state of awe. 

Rin is close the venue but somehow falls onto the ground. She gets back up immediately as for she is determined to make this performance. 

She begins to run even faster evading all the people in her path my like wild gazelle. 

“Don’t you ever keep ussssss apaaaaaarrtttt.” Shanshira sings as the back track ends signifying the end of the song. 

Everyone again rises from their seats to give a standing ovation to the incredible performance. 

The announcer then says “Wow! Everybody give it up for our sultry siren Shanshira!.” as he holds up her hand. 

“That was great one of the best performances of the night; if not the best!” says the announcer. 

“However, it’s time for us to meet a new performer who is making their debut tonight—“

As the announcer says that Rin walks into the dressing room area backstage. She looks completely disheveled as her costumes has dirt stains all over it and the helmet looks even worse as the paint hasn’t fully dried allowing for it to be smeared all over Rin’s face. 

She walks in completely tired as she just ran two blocks to get there. Shishijima sees her and automatically takes her hand. 

“You made it!” he said with tears in his eyes. 

He then gives her a hug but quickly stops when he notices that he’s getting paint all over himself. 

“Why is there paint all over your costume and helmet?” asked Shishijima. 

“There’s no time for me to explain.” said Rin.

“Well you are right they are calling you to the stage.” said a proud Shishijima. 

“Go and get ‘em’ tiger!” said Shishijima.

Rin nods her hair and walk out onto the stage. 

“Hello there! Can we get your name there wasn’t any on the set list.” asked the announcer. 

Rin looks out into the crowd with eyes as big as saucers. She closes them as says “My name is Otha Worlda.”

You hear that folks here is Otha Worlda with her debuts “Sparks”. 

The lights dim and a nu-disco beat begins to play. The bass is rather heavy but is accentuated by the light synths on the top of the beat. 

Rin closes her eyes and begins to sing; “Sh-shooting out my veins th-there’s something that I can’t think of. 

It’s gives me the strength to make it through the day. So get up out of my way to do — What I need to do! 

You can’t keep on living in this world that’s closed off. You got to keep no matter what because — you’ve got the Sp-Spar-Spark. To carry on!”

Then Rin walks around the stage with her eyes peering out at the crowd. People are slowing bobbing their heads. 

Which gives her a little confidence to continue of with the performance.

“Whenever you feel like you can’t maintain. Just look inside of yourself and think. What would life be like if you blink and everything has passed you byyyyyy. 

So come on and live like there there is nothing else’s no inhibitions and no strife. You know why? because you’re alive.” she sings as the crowd is getting more used to her. 

However, she begins to crack when trying to sing adlibs to her song. She stops singing but least continues to smile with vigor as she knows if she lets them know she’s messed up they will tune out of the performance. 

However, out of nowhere a strong voice comes from backstage. Lo and behold it’s Shanshira doing the adlibs that Rin was attempting to do. 

Rin looks in complete shock but she decides to go with it saying “Please welcome my special guest Shanshira.”

The crowd’s excitement is still lingering from Shanshira’s set so they become a little bit louder and more interactive. 

Which prompted to Rin to hit a big note “SPARRRRRRKSSSS” which prompted Shanshira too with “SpARRRRRRRRRRKS”

Rin the follows up with “You can’t keep on living in this world that’s closed off. You got to keep no matter what because — you’ve got the Sp-Spar-Spark. To carry on!” 

Then the song ends with both of them posing back to back. 

Rin is trying to keep herself from panting as it will give away that she is tired. 

However, nobody can really hear it anyway  because there is so much applause to drowned out the sound in the room. 

They both hug each other and walk back to backstage. There Rin falls to her knees and starts to shake.

Shanshira picks her up from off the ground and says “Are you alright?”

Rin responds with a “Yeah! I’m fine; I just need a breath”

“Well! You did rather well for your debut!” a voice says to Rin. She turns around to see the gentleman on the tram from earlier. 

“Uhh! What are you doing here? Umm I mean it’s nice to meet you!” Rin says chuckling. 

“Hi! nice to meet you my name is Ramon Coal! I was the one who mentioned to Shishijima that I had an additional slot at the club.” said the gentleman. 

“Wait how do you know Mr. Shishijima?” asked Rin. 

“Oh well let’s just say my and Shishijima go way back!” he laughed. 

“Well—look forward to seeing you again! I have to be off now; there are things I have to attend to. Ciao!” he says giving her a handshake then waving goodbye. 

Shishijima maybe two seconds earlier comes from the opposite direction walking towards Rin. 

“Wow! You did a great job! However, there are some things we need to fix but for right now. Let’s just enjoy this small victory! Wooh!” Shishijima said as he patted Rin on the shoulder. 

“Oh why thanks!” Rin said chuckling.

“Ok but seriously why does your outfit look like that?” asked Shishijima. 

“WHY THE HELL DO YOU KEEP ASKING ME THAT?” said Rin annoyed. 

“Well, I actually was going to return it to the store for a refund.” said Shishijima smiling with his hand behind his head. 

“WHAT! YOU WERE JUST GOING TO RETURN IT AFTER ALL OF THIS!” screamed Rin. 

“Well; what else am I going to do with a $100+ outfit. Wear it around the house?”

“Well I mean I could keep it!” said Rin. 

“Yeah! But I won’t get my money back!” said Shishijima. 

“Wow! I can’t believe you!” said Rin. 

They start to bicker while Shanshira is in the back look at the blue light slowly flicker on her wrist. 

Mr. Coal can be seen outside smoking and is on the phone with someone. 

He says to the person on the other side; “So so did what you told me to do. Now can I get my pay?” 

“Well yeah! I suppose you’ve done your job. However, if you are looking to make this worth your while. I need you to do more.” says the person on the phone. 

The person on the phone hangs up the phone and tells their driver to send some to Mr.Coal. 

The driver responds with “I’m already on it, Miss.”

The driver opens a partition the folds open to expose that it’s the woman from the muse contest that Rin was apart of. 

“Looks like we may have a new prospect.” said the woman sitting back and drinking from a glass. 

“That’s great Miss.” responds the driver. 

She gives him her cards and he swipes it and pulls up Mr. Coal’s information from the national registry and presses the “PAY” option.