From Season 4: Dancing in the Moonlight

I tried to hide it as just a simple class presentation, but my friends knew me pretty well. Almost all my closest friends went with me to the class to see me serenade a woman (or perhaps to watch me make a fool of myself). I gave the excuse that i was doing it for the grade and that I wanted to impress the professor.

Who was I kidding? I only wanted to impress one girl.

“This is it,” I told myself, knees shaking and heart pounding like war drums, as I was called to present on the stage. I glanced at all my friends if they were ready. Unlike the other students, mine had a whole production crew. One was on the cd player, Mark was on the guitar, there was someone holding the lyrics at the back and another dimmed the lights. None of them were students in the class.

“Riffraff, street rat, I don’t buy that. If only they’d look closer…” I started singing a Capella.

The music started to play after the short verse. I went to the crowd of students and reached my hand out to her as I sang, “I can show you the world…”

I brought her to the stage, placed her on an imaginary carpet and sat beside her while singing the popular song. The students never knew she was part of the act until they heard the beauty  of her singing voice.

To her and to some students who were enjoying the creativity of the presentation, maybe it seemed like a simple act. But I knew, at that moment, we were already being defined by that song.

The song was about to end… and it was the cue for me to bring out the rose.

She was surprised that the presentation wasn’t over when the music blended with the chords of Minnie Riperton’s “Loving you”. As the performer that I tried to be, I made it look funny to receive applause and to hide my true intent. In falsetto and with a red rose in one hand, I serenaded her in front of 40 people.

“No one else can make me feel the colors that you bring. Stay with me while we grow old and we will live each day in the springtime.”

Underneath the laughter and ear-shattering high notes, I was giving a public declaration to love her for the rest of my life. Heck, if you listen carefully to the lyrics, i was also saying I wanted to sleep with her. Also true.

It was the start of a magic carpet ride that would last for years… a fantastic tour that would take her to a whole new world she has never been to.

But we all know that Aladdin is not really a prince and princesses will once again go back to their castles… With their strict dads, grumpy tigers, ruthless soldiers and a Real but ugly prince.

And the song that meant the world to this street rat will never be sung again.