Getting up, Peter walked toward the stage where there were several musical instruments.
Going up the stairs, he took the microphone and gave a short speech.
"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, teachers, young women, and young men.
Today we gather here on this momentous day, where each of us takes another step toward fulfilling the dreams and goals we have set for ourselves over the years.
I am happy to say that each and every one of you, my dear friends, classmates, and colleagues, is here with me, celebrating this day we have all longed for.
Today we are here to celebrate the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. I believe I speak for everyone when I say that this day seemed like it would never come.
Some of you may even think you are dreaming, but I must tell you, this is pure reality. I would like to offer each of you some advice: do not waste time, because time is limited and it is the most precious thing we each have. Live your lives savoring and enjoying every moment.
From a simple glass of water to the sweetest kiss, make the most of it, because it is what we have the least of these days. The last thing I have to say is never lose hope, because hope is the most beautiful thing that exists, hope is the last thing to be lost.
Without further ado, I would like to give a heartfelt round of applause to all those who are present here."
The applause was warm and genuine.
As he left the stage, several people congratulated him on his speech.
For a couple of hours, they enjoyed each other's company. During that short time, he saw Flash and several of his friends pouring what appeared to be alcohol into the punch and some other drinks.
Seeing this, he told his group to drink the punch and some of the other drinks in moderation because of what they contained.
He could not scold Flash for what he did because this place seemed a bit boring and depressing. It felt like one of those typical rich kids' parties where you had to behave in moderation instead of being yourself and doing something memorable.
"Is it just me, or does this place look like a funeral?" he said, making the girls smile slightly at his comparison.
"Yes. Why do you not make it a little more exciting, Peter?" Missy suggested.
Mary, Susan, and Gwen all nodded. Gwen and her parents had ended up sitting next to them, which the girls had taken advantage of to start a conversation.
At first it was a little awkward talking to George, but then the atmosphere had lightened considerably.
He raised an eyebrow at the request and could not help but wonder what his sexy girlfriend had in mind.
"What do you have planned?"
"I want a sonata," she demanded, accompanied by the girls. Mery and Gwen along with their families raised an eyebrow at the request.
For a few seconds he remained silent, pondering the request, before nodding in affirmation, making the girls smile.
"You are lucky I never leave the house without my patches," he said as he pulled a couple of high-tech patches from his inner suit pocket. "I do not want any more attention than I am going to get in a few days."
Applying the patches to his temples and the back of his neck, he stood up and momentarily hid behind a pillar to press a button on his watch.
His face changed, and when he stepped out from behind the pillar, he saw everyone's astonishment at his transformation.
Approaching the table, Missy touched his cheek, triggering a small glitch.
These patches, unlike the ones he used as Jason, were less effective because he had glitched them deliberately, making them seem sufficient so that no one would want to take them or ask him for some.
And if someone did steal them, he had a self-destruct mechanism. It never hurts to have extra insurance.
"I recommend you get up and come to the front. The sonatas have dedications," he said as he moved toward the stage.
Once he was up there, he spoke for a few seconds with the singer, who bowed to him and stepped back off the stage.
He nodded his thanks and, approaching the musicians, spoke in a low voice.
They already looked constrained and eager for something different. This action did not go unnoticed by the people, and he could see several confused expressions.
In front of everyone, he could see the girls.
He was not using a modulator. He was just making his voice a little deeper.
"Hello, everyone. I am Connor Kent, and tonight I will be the substitute singer. I would like each of you to take a partner and come to the front, please. Thank you."
He turned to the musicians and nodded, and the melody began.
He played a slow, warm classic, the kind of song that invites people to move together rather than just listen.
A dance song with marimba at its heart and a gentle sway that pulled couples onto the floor almost involuntarily.
{When marimba rhythms start to play
Dance with me, make me sway
Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore
Hold me close, sway me more....}
He sang it with the ease of someone who had lived with music for a long time, and as he did, he could see many people take their partners and start dancing.
Missy had taken May, Mary had taken Gwen, and surprisingly, Liz had taken Susan. He looked for Flash and saw him flirting with a random girl.
He shook his head in disappointment and went back to the music.
May noticed his gaze mid-dance and gave him a beautiful smile with a perfect blush, which provoked Missy's immediate mockery.
When the song ended, many applauded.
He could see some of them recording with their phones. Shrugging, he decided to put on a show and liven up the night. He wanted this day to be unforgettable for many, including his girls.
"I hope your warm-up paid off because tonight is going to be lively from now on," he said, making some of them shout with joy. "Can you keep up?" He asked the musicians, who looked offended.
"Hey, that is an insult to me."
"Do not disrespect us, kid."
"If I am with my friends...."
"Great." Taking his phone, he hacked the lights and arranged two in front of him toward a wall, and a third one to illuminate them.
"Look ahead. That will help you with the next song."
Taking a guitar that was behind the musicians, standing near the microphone, he fiddled with his phone and sheet music appeared on the wall thanks to a projector.
Before starting, he sent Missy a message to video call Yuri. "Look at the sheet music and follow me."
He saw the musicians shrug and start playing their instruments.
Staring at Missy, he started playing the guitar and winked at her, which made her smile.
He played something with energy this time, a song that felt alive and slightly reckless, the kind that makes you feel like you could walk off a rooftop and land perfectly.
{I wanna follow where she goes
I think about her and she knows it
I want to let her take control
'Cause every time that she gets close, yeah....}
He sang it with a sharpness that matched the guitar, and through the verses he kept his eyes on Missy, who was watching him through the phone screen she had angled toward Yuri so she could watch too.
He could see Missy laugh at something Yuri said on the other end.
Looking at Mary during a bridge, he caught her eye and smiled mockingly.
She raised an eyebrow in confusion.
In response, he changed tempo entirely. Another score appeared on the wall and the musicians began to follow.
{All my friends are heathens, take it slowWait for them to ask you who you knowPlease don't make any sudden movesYou don't know the half of the abuse...}
When he started singing, he could see Mary's face go from confused to resembling a little Christmas tree. It was difficult to guess what kind of music the redhead liked, but apparently this one landed.
When it ended, he did not stop there.
He looked at Gwen while the musicians caught their breath, and when their eyes met he started something new, softer and more sincere, the kind of song that says without performing that the person you are looking at matters to you, that you are not going anywhere, that distance and difficulty are not the deciding factors.
{When life leaves you high and dryI'll be at your door tonightIf you need help, if you need helpI'll shut down the city lightsI'll lie, cheat, I'll beg and bribeTo make you well, to make you well....}
Gwen gave him a beautiful smile and then blew him a kiss across the room, which amused him.
He winked back.
He watched everyone start to move to the rhythm of the music, with Missy, Mary, and Gwen dancing with the most enthusiasm.
"The next song," he said between breaths, "is for a special person who is not here today."
He glanced at Missy's phone.
{Baby, I'm preying on you tonightHunt you down eat you aliveJust like animalsAnimalsLike animals-mals.....}
The song he chose was wild and honest about desire, the kind of song that does not pretend anything and does not apologize for it either.
He sang it looking at the phone screen where Yuri was watching, and from the expression he could see on the small screen, it landed exactly as intended.
"Unfortunately, I will sing only two more songs, my dear," he said when that one ended. The audience started to boo, but he gave the musicians the go-ahead to take a brief break before the final stretch.
{Let's go somewhere far awayYou know, make a great escapeThis room's getting crowed and I want toExplore where we wanna goLet's just fly.....}
He played the second-to-last song for Susan, keeping it warm and relatively gentle, the kind of song about wanting to go somewhere far away with someone and being happy about it, about the inadequacy of words in any language to fully say what you feel.
After the second verse, he could see Susan covering her face because she was blushing deeply, and several of the girls started teasing her, which only made her blush even more.
"Ready?" he called to the room when that one ended.
"YEAH!!!!!"
"HAHAHAHA. Let us give them what they want," he said to the musicians, who smiled and nodded.
He finished on something that felt like a declaration.
{Birds flying high
You know how I feel
Sun in the sky
You know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by .....}
A song about feeling good in the most fundamental sense, about mornings that feel like beginnings rather than repetitions, about the world being new again not because anything has changed but because the person experiencing it has.
He sang it with everything he had left, and by the end of it the room had stopped being a funeral and started being a party.
When the song ended, many applauded him, and he could see some of them still recording. He bowed slightly, thanked the musicians, and stepped off the stage.
When he got to the girls, several congratulated him on his performance.
For a couple of hours, they enjoyed each other's company. At some point during the evening, he saw Flash and several of his friends pouring what appeared to be alcohol into the punch.
Seeing this, he had already warned his group earlier. The evening wrapped itself up the way good evenings do, slowly and without anyone wanting it to end.
Outside afterward, the limousine waited with Cogman-Wick standing patiently by the door.
It had been a good night.