Geraldine 

The Underground was packed. The lights were on and we were all set. Well, not really, if you can count my cold and clammy palms and my bloodshot eyes as ready. I couldn't sleep the night before thinking about what happened last night at our band practice for tonight. Most of last night was uneventful really, the first few hours were just about perfecting the songs and the blend of our instruments with Mirage's and Arielle's voice. It was when Szach picked up Arielle that things became interesting. It was stupid of me to think that Szach was there to see me. I started packing up my stuff and was gonna talk to Szach when Arielle beat me to him. She gushed about how great their "practice" was and how he didn't need to pick her up. I stopped midway and looked for an excuse to fiddle with my stuff, dropping them on purpose so that I didn't have to look at them, trying to fight the tears from falling.  

And then there was Mirage beside me, picking up my stuff and helping me out. He put his left arm on my shoulders and announced to everyone, "You guys have to help me out with something."  

I tried to shrug his arm off my shoulders but he kept me close. We have everyone's attention now. Chrissy sidled next to me and whispered, "What is he talking about?"  

I gave her a blank face in reply. I had no idea what Mirage was up to but I had a feeling... 

"I've been trying to convince our keyboardist here to make intimate melodies with me but she's making it a challenge." Mirage said. 

"WHAT?" That was everyone. 

I'm saying I've been trying to get Geraldine to say yes to being my girlfriend but she's making it a challenge." Mirage rephrased what he said ealier which brought a deluge of questions. 

"What? Since when?" Denz asked. 

"Have you been going out behind our backs?" Chrissy asked. 

"So Geraldine, should we help him out?" Ramone hollered. 

I stole a look at Szach and Arielle and noticed them holding hands. I looked at Mirage and replied to everyone, "Since a few weeks ago. No, we haven't gone out as a couple yet...and no, you don't have to help him out coz I'm saying Yes now."  

This prompted a couple of more questions. 

"When did- How come we never noticed- You guys are joking, right?" 

Mirage silenced them all when he swooped in for a kiss, which my body automatically responded to, having been through this the night before. He then whispered softly, "Tonight's the band, tomorrow, the world."  

And so there it was. We are officially the band's couple.  

I didn't get to ask him what he meant about tonight being the world because Chrissy wouldn't let me off and wanted all the details. I noticed Arielle and Szach saying goodbye and leaving by themselves and tried to think nothing of them. I busied myself with making up stories about me and Mirage and how it all started. Mirage just nodded along in agreement and theguys thought it was just him being shy as it was the first timehe broke his rule about going for a girl in a band, moreso, in our band. Little do they know, it's because he never did all the things I said. And boy, did I make a great romantic story. 

"So Mirage has been sending you love texts for the past few months and you thought it was from a stalker so you deleted them all?" Chrissy asked. 

"Uh huh. It was only a few weeks ago that I found out it was actually him." I added.  

"And he started sending you blue roses at home? Oh man! I didn't realize you were such a romantic, Mirage!" Denz exclaimed, playfully hitting Mirage's arm. 

"Yeah, neither did I." Mirage retorted as he threw dagger stares at me. I stuck my tongue at him. That's what you get for catching me off guard. 

"So are you like a couple now?" Ramone asked. 

"I guess so." I answered, looking at Mirage. 

"Not I guess so. I know so." He said, picking me up on the waist, like a groom carrying his bride on the threshhold. 

All the guys hooted and teased us and I couldn't say anything no more. Outside Chrissy's apartment, with the guys out of earshot, Mirage dropped me onto the ground and my backside hit the ground with a thud.  

"Ow!" I exclaimed, rubbing my bum. 

"You deserve that. Who told you to make me look sappy?" Mirage asked, obviously annoyed with the fake stories I've told. 

"Hey! You started it. I thought we were gonna tell them next week! Didn't we agree last night?" I shouted at him. 

"Yeah, but you looked like you were gonna cry in front of Szach and Arielle. You should thank me for rescuing you. " He shouted back. 

"I was Not!" I said, indignant. 

"Yeah you were." Mirage insisted. 

"Was not!" I yelled at him. 

"Lovers tiff so soon?" We turned our heads and saw Arielle... And Szach.holding hands. I leaned on Mirage as he automatically put his arms around my waist. I looked up to kiss his cheek. They weren't gonna beat us in this game. 

"That's just how we spice up our relationship." Mirage said, smiling. 

"Relationship?" Szach asked, looking at me. 

I looked back and replied without blinking, "Yes. Mirage and I are going out."  

"That's great coz Arielle and I are going out as well. Why don't we go out, the four of us together?" Mirage said as he pulled Arielle close to him. For a split second, Arielle looked a bit confused but didn't resist. 

I was about to say No when Mirage said, "Sure. Let's set up something next month. In the meantime, I'd like to have Geraldine to myself. I'm sure you understand, you don't wanna share Arielle just yet, right?" I snuck in a glare at Mirage's direction and he flashed me a grin. 

And with that, Mirage and I left the two dumbfounded as we went next door to his apartment. Inside, I collapsed on his sofa and realised I was trembling all over. I peeked through the window to check what Szach and Arielle were doing. They were talking but unfortunately, I couldn't catch what they were saying. 

"Ow!" I gasped as Mirage threw a pillow at me. No wonder they call these things "throw pillows". 

"What?!" I asked and glared at him, ready to retaliate with a bigger pillow. 

"You are soooo in llllove with Sza----" and the pillow went, followed by another which came back at me. Soon, we were in a fierce pillow fight and I forgot wjat we were fighting about, too engrossed with trying to avoid his hits. 

"Time out!" I cried in surrender. 

We both plopped on the sofa, catching our breaths. 

"Sorry I didn't do much for your image. I was annoyed coz you didnt stick to our plan." I said in a somber voice. 

"Sorry I didn't stick to the plan. I just felt it was the right timing, don't you?" Mirage said. 

I nodded. True, I didn't want to look pitiful in front of those two. "Thanks." I finally said as I got up and started for the door.  

"I've got to get home. Tomorrow's a big night for us." I said. 

"Yeah, it sure will be." Mirage said as he closed the door behind me.