Chapter 317

[Agnas|16 June-2018|Act 1|Scene 18Take 4]

Agnas took a deep breath. His heart was beating fast. He had just finished a performance on the stage and it was the first time he had sung in front of so many people.

Although Agnas loved music, he was also scared to perform in front of so many people. But he had pushed himself today as an effort to earn some money for her mother's hospital bills.

They found out that she had cancer early this year and needed money. A lot of money.

'Music is the only thing I know. I need to get over my anxiety to help my mother.'

He thought in his mind and calmed himself down. It was at that moment that the curtains opened up and two men walked in. One of them was wearing a cowboy hat and held a cigar in his mouth while the other was in a suit, prim and proper.

"Agnas, my boy, come here. Someone special is here to see you."

The cowboy hat wearing man said. He recognised him as the owner of the bar, Jim Button. His love for music and cowboy movies have made him open this bar in his retirement.

"I'm Gregory Jefferson . Nice to see you in person." The man in the suit introduced himself.

"Agnas Parker."

"You sing well. That song your original?"

"Yeah."

Agnas gave a short answer and the man named Gregory smiled. He glanced towards Jim who raised his hand with a smile and left, giving the two of them privacy.

Now that they were alone, Gregory took a chair and sat down, gesturing to Agnas to do the same.

"So, are you doing this as a hobby or what? You look young?"

The man had a hint of a Texas accent that had been straightened after coming to the city. Agnas hesitated a bit as he thought of an answer and replied.

"I do this because I need money."

"You sing for money?"

"One of the reasons. I want to sing for myself but I need money. So, I sing for others."

Gregory smiled like he liked his response. His hand went into his pocket and took out what looked like a business card.

"You seem like an interesting individual. Take this."

Agnas looked at the card and his eyes widened. The man was the owner of a record label. A manager.

He had heard that they lurk around bars, trying to recruit whoever they find talented but Agnas hadn't expected that he would meet one today.

"Tell me one thing, son. What do you crave?"

Agnas blinked his eyes hearing that.

"I, I don't understand."

"Why are you making music? For what reason? Where do you want to reach?" The man asked again, eyeing every change in Agnas' expressions.

"I make music because it makes me happy. It makes people who hear it happy."

Gregory didn't respond for a while as he took in the answer. Then, he smiled.

"Do you know what I crave?"

"What?" Agnas raised an eyebrow.

"Destiny. And if you want, I could make the path in which you could reach your destiny too."

After that, Gregory left and Agnas kept staring at the business card in his hand.

Until a voice broke his immersion.

"Cut! I think that's fine. Good take, everyone!"

***

Agnas' story started off like how every other musician started. Getting discovered in a bar, coming from an ordinary household and wanting to reach for destiny.

It was a common story.

Though, his mother's influence and the talk with the local musician made for great character moments for him as he tried not to chase fame but to make good music.

Music that didn't have any boundaries.

Though, what people never knew was that aside from being a great musician, Agnas was also a great actor. He faked a lot of his vibrant personality on the stage and used to become the personification of a superstar.

"It's still hard to believe his story."

Aiden muttered when they were rehearsing the next scene. Grant Mathews, an old actor who was playing the role of Gregory Jefferson smiled when he heard Aiden say that.

Their next scene was one of the most major scenes and they were rehearsing for it. Cameron, playing the role of Joseph, also perked his ears.

"Isn't it? It's one of the weirdest things I myself have come across. But it adds so much to Agnas. He was truly meant for the big stage." Grant said, laughing and Cameron opened his mouth.

"Yeah. My grandfather told me that before a big performance, Agnas used to spend time alone, muttering that he was a superstar. He made himself believe that he was one, so he was able to sing like one on stage even when he wasn't able to handle the pressure."

"He created an idea of a superstar in his mind and followed it. Becoming one for real but he lost himself in that ideal too."

Aiden muttered and thought of something.

When Agnas was on stage, it was almost like he was a superhero.

He believed in an ideal and followed it rigorously even when in real life, he was a very different person. He lost himself in that and in the end, that became the reason for his fall.

That's why this scene was important.

It was the scene in which Gregory would force Agnas to be on the stage despite him saying that he won't be able to do it. It was then he had thought of something his mother had told him.

'If a lie is told a lot of times, it becomes the truth.'

He thought and read through the scene again.

It was something he had seen while he had been connected to Agnas too, so he felt like he would be able to bring out the same energy in it.

***

[Agnas|16 June-2018|Act 1|Scene 18Take 4]

Splash! Splash!

Water hit his face as Agnas felt his emotions cooling down. He berated himself for accepting Gregory Jefferson's offer of performing on a big stage. There were so many people out there and he panicked seeing them.

It was something that was not meant for him. But he accepted it.

After all, he needed money. His mother needed money and there was no other way. If he managed to impress Gregory today, he promised to make him big enough that he would be swimming in money.

? But his nerves have given in.

"Agnas, what are you doing here? You should be on the stage."

Suddenly, the door burst open and Gregory Jefferson came in.

"Mr. Jefferson, I can't do it."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"It's… out of my range. The people, they are too many. My voice won't come out. I won't be able to perform."

Agnas said in a slow voice, every word reeking of anxiousness. His face looked out of breath like he was sick.

"You need to do it." Gregory suddenly grabbed his shoulder, pushing Agnas back by a step. "There's no option for you to refuse now. Look at me, son. The stage is set. You need to perform, understand?"

Agnas looked into the eye of the man. There was no backing out now. He knew Gregory wouldn't understand him.

If he didn't perform, the man was surely going to cause problems for him later on.

"Okay."

He said and Gregory sighed before patting his back.

"Have faith in you, son."

The man left after that, telling Agnas to go on the stage in a minute. Agnas looked at the mirror in the bathroom.

Wet black hair, a face that looked a bit sick and eyes that weren't ready for a challenge. He blinked his eyes and let out a deep breath.

"I need to do it. There's no other way. I need to believe in myself."

He muttered and got out of the bathroom.

He took slow steps to the stage, each step feeling like a challenge of its own. It was hard with the weight of the guitar in his back almost negligible.

Lots of thoughts travelled his mind. He didn't know which one to focus on but there was no time.

Reaching the stage, he heard the announcer call out his name.

"Now, from a small town in Mississippi, we have a young singer with dreams. Give a wild welcome to Agnas Parker."

Agnas looked down on the stage, and a lot of people were standing there. All looking like teenagers. He glanced on the side and Gregory was standing there.

The old man nodded at him, implying him to start.

"At least comb your hair properly, town boy."

A voice came from the crowd. A blonde guy made fun of him and a small laugh went in the crowd.

Agnas blinked again.

Just this time, a sentence that his mother had told him came to his mind.

'When you sing, you are like a superstar.'

'A superstar.'

Agnas muttered in his mind and took a deep breath. He suddenly took out his guitar and his hand danced on the strings of it.

The crowd silenced.

Wet hair, a smile on his face and the guitar in his hands. A legend began that day.

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