The evening was magical.
The set, a gift from a fan, helped make it so. It depicted an enchanted, shadowy city of the future, and, illuminated by Lucas's expertly placed lights, it seemed real.
When the band appeared on stage, the roof of the stadium seemed about to explode from the roar that rose from the audience.
Belinda's heart was pounding with emotion, and she couldn't wait to get there and share in the magical atmosphere.
As expected, the boys gave it their all; Klaus even delivered a killer drum solo.
Naomi approached her sister and handed her the helmet with a smile, checking to make sure her lipstick wasn't smudged.
"Nervous?" she asked.
"No, excited!"
"Stop pursing your lips, or you'll ruin your lipstick."
"Oh, so sorry, my personal makeup artist!" she quipped, bowing slightly.
Naomi gave her a light spank.
"Pay attention to the lights, instead."
Belinda knew that her costume would reflect those peculiar lights and was eager to see the effect.
Don't get distracted! she urged. Follow the music and Bill's position!
The Heartbreaker base hovered in the air and the roar of the audience increased. The girls in the audience were ecstatic, and Belinda noticed that several of them were holding helmets similar to hers, which they put on, creating an alien, yet warm, population in the audience. Tears came to her eyes and she tried to hold them back.
She took a deep breath and at the right moment, she made her entrance.
Contrary to his usual practice of turning toward her only when she was already behind him, Bill continued singing while looking at her and held out his arms to signal his presence, urging the audience to welcome her.
Belinda approached and stopped in her usual spot. She couldn't help but let her eyes water again, overcome by the emotion of the moment and, above all, because Bill was smiling so sweetly at her, and she knew that smile was truly his.
Behind that sparkling image was the boy she adored, the dark shadow of the pop star who smiled only at her.
A tear rolled down her cheek, and the camera, which followed her punctually, filmed it. Belinda remained still, her eyes glowing brightly on the screen.
Bill approached her, his words of frustration barely seeming real, shouted in that moment. With an unexpected move, the boy reached out to wipe away the stray tear, nullifying the effect of the pain emanating from his words, transforming it into a subtle nostalgia.
At that gesture, the small electronic heart Lucas had inserted into the girl's costume lit up for an instant, creating the effect of a first glimmer of life in the little android.
The audience went wild, screaming and crying, and some girls climbed over the barrier, but security quickly stopped them.
Pursing her lips, she lowered her head as expected and, turning, returned backstage.
The wave from the audience was unstoppable, and as soon as she reached the safety of the backstage area, Belinda removed her helmet and burst into tears. Naomi was immediately at her side and hugged her tightly.
"You were magnificent!" she exclaimed, moved.
Belinda returned her sister's embrace. "I don't know what happened... but I can't stop crying."
The song ended, and after a long thank you, the band left the stage, without complying with requests for an encore.
The technicians were also ecstatic, and when the guys arrived backstage, a spontaneous round of applause erupted. They were smiling and happy, patting each other on the back, unable to contain themselves.
Lucas arrived shortly after and lifted Belinda into his arms, delighted.
"You were magical!" He put her down. "You're a fantastic performer. I've never worked with people so receptive and engaged on stage."
The girl was happy, unable to contain her emotion.
"Thank you, Lucas, but I wasn't supposed to cry. I couldn't hold back the tears because tonight I feel like I'm truly living a dream..."
"But it was appropriate, and when I saw you, I decided to use my heart," the man confided.
"My heart? What the…"
"Girl, leave it to Uncle Lucas!" He laughed, winking at her. "You'll see the tapes: Oscar-worthy stuff!"
"I didn't see it either!" Bill exclaimed.
"I wonder what or who you were watching?" Tom teased, winking at Belinda, who blushed.
"Actually, when Bel came in, I improvised and thought you'd yell at me," Bill continued, ignoring his brother.
"And yet I'm so sure you two work well on stage, I'm just watching the effect you're capable of creating!" Lucas commented.
There was a brief exchange of glances between Belinda and Bill, who decided to ignore the smiles and jokes and took her in his arms, closing a circle of emotions and leaving everyone else outside.
The next few moments were filled with pure enthusiasm; on the way back to the loft, they did nothing but comment on the performance and express their satisfaction.
*
Lucas was true to his word: the next day, he showed up after lunch with the recordings of the concert to play in the TV room. Everyone was curious and sat around him.
The images that followed were incredible: the stage, the lights, the audience, the magical glows cast by the shiny instruments, not to mention the reflections that the silver extensions in Bill's hair cast every time he moved on stage.
When they reached the final part, the shot of the audience wearing helmets similar to Belinda's created a peculiar effect: a sea of silver androids and painted human faces.
"It looks like the fusion of the alien race with the human race," Belinda murmured. "Better than a Spielberg film."
"I look like an emperor bringing peace between two worlds!" Bill echoed, looking at the perspective from behind her.
"Always modest!" Tom teased, but in truth, he was also impressed.
The optical effect of the silver helmets multiplied the flashes, and they were enraptured.
They saw Belinda advance on stage, and the shot immediately shifted to a close-up of Bill's face.
"And this shot?" the girl asked. "It looks like I took it..."
"Indeed..." Lucas chuckled. "There are microcameras in your costume."
"What?"
"You know, we needed to try different angles, but in the end we activated them all, and the edited shots create this effect!" he explained, gesturing.
Bill's face was captured up close and in all its expressions, from a smile to a desperate prayer.
Finally, the most anticipated moment arrived: the shot shifted to Belinda; her eyes shone under the spotlight, and a solitary tear fell slowly, stopping mid-cheek, like a pearl on her pale face.
The camera moved to the audience, who had raised their arms, as if to cheer that little hymn to life, and finally lingered on the two boys, immortalizing the robot surrendering to its cold fate and rigidly returning to its normal life.
Bill's face expressed loneliness and nostalgia for that cruel fate that was taking away the one he loved.
Amidst general applause, the show faded into a new shot of the scenery, of a city that, after shining for an endless day thanks to its peacemaking ruler, was hiding again in the darkness, ruled by cold machines.
Naomi sniffed, trying to wipe away a solitary tear and hide her emotion. Annalisa's head was bowed, feigning an unusual interest in her shoes.
The emotion was tangible, and to temper it, the band displayed a forced enthusiasm.
"It was such an intense emotion to see myself in this video, that I don't want to hide my feelings." Belinda rubbed her eyes. "And you four are clowns, trying to pretend it doesn't affect you."
Naomi smiled at her.
Lucas, visibly excited, tried to attract everyone's attention by waving his arms.
"Hold on tight: we've decided to release the DVD of this tour including the final stop in Dresden!"
Tom looked at him with interest. "What else do you have planned?"
"Given the events, I don't know what we could do better, other than have the heart in the costume flash... Maybe Bel can stop on stage and give both hands to Bill, finally accepting his love. What do you think?"
"Sounds like a nice ending!" Klaus agreed. "Right, guys?"
Everyone agreed, including the two protagonists, who exchanged a knowing look.
When Lucas left, Belinda slid onto the carpet, lying on her back, and closed her eyes.
She was thrilled because she couldn't believe that with just a few small gestures, she had created such touching scenes. She didn't dare hope for stronger emotions at that moment.
But you'll be leaving soon! a little voice in her mind reminded her.
I know, but it was really worth it! she consoled herself.
Bill sat next to her, leaning back against the sofa.
"Would you have ever believed it?" he asked, referring to what they had just seen.
"No! If they had told me to act like that, I don't think I could have done it."
"You were good," he admitted, looking at her. "Lucas is right: you really do have excellent expressive skills."
The girl opened her eyes and looked at him seriously. "Why do you say it that way? Does it bother you?"
"What?"
"That someone is stealing your scene?"
"You're welcome! You know, no one steals my show; if anything, they share it with me." His tone, however, wasn't very convincing.
"Stop it, you know what I mean."
"Don't be absurd, Bel. What should bother me? That the audience loves your little appearance? That the whole concert is centered on that one moment?" he snorted, narrowing his eyes.
"The event isn't centered on my brief appearance, but you seem angry as if…" Belinda stood up and sat next to him, taking his hand. "Look, I'd be annoyed too if I had to work so hard, giving up the most beautiful experiences of adolescence, to get what you have now and then see someone who, in a few seconds, stands out in everyone's eyes while just standing still on a stage."
"I'm not jealous of you, Bel!" he replied in an annoyed tone of voice.
"I wasn't talking about you, but about B.K."
Bill smiled amusedly. "But it's still me!"
"No, it's the part of you that feels betrayed."
She looked up at him and smiled.
"Stop it, Bel, don't ruin this moment with your unfounded paranoia!" he protested, squeezing her hand.
"I really hope they are." Belinda rested her head against his shoulder. "I don't want to take anything away from you, just give you my affection."
"And that's all I want from you, you know?"
He caressed her lightly, yet his gaze remained distant, thoughtful.
Belinda felt a pang in her heart, but she preferred to close her eyes and concentrate on that small moment of happiness.