12

Azad eyeballed that guy, occupying the couch and filling the house with his stink. It would be nice if Matthew's face just melted off, here and then. But Amarna..? She casually let him in like that..

"Azad – this is Matthew," Amarna went, quickly stepping in-between. "He's one of my dance partners-"

"I know." It took all of Azad's energies just to not burst out in a tantrum. "I'm not an idiot, Amarna. Why's he here? What the fuck?"

"Oi, oi-" Matthew rose up from the couch, all of a sudden out of his stoner trance. "Chill, buddy. We're all good friends, right? Relax, I can give you a piece too.." He gave his joint to Azad, who promptly smacked it out of his hands, leaving ash all over the carpet.

Amarna's brow furled. She had about enough of Azad's drama. She grabbed his collar and smacked him across the face, and it was as if time had froze to a standstill, with Azad still recoiling from the shock, his ears ringing.

".. Amarna?" he whimpered.

"You come into my place and insult my friend?" It was like that winter's night, when he saw how plain her face looked without makeup. "Shame on you, Azad! Dios, you can be so rash.. say sorry to him!"

"Amarna.."

"Say sorry, or you're out."

Azad had little choice. He knew she meant it. So he looked at Matthew, whose meek face was almost smug in the way his thin lips pursed a smile, and said, "Sorry."

"For what?" Matthew went.

".. for hitting your cigarette and being mean."

And then Matthew's smile turned into a grin, and he went over and gave Azad a tap on the shoulder. "Well, apology accepted."

Amarna let out a breath of relief. She had not expected Azad to arrive, if at all, not when the thought of unfurling her stress had filled her mind, with the way Matthew had shown her – watching nature documentaries was so absorbing, and it was like magic how she had related with each and every one of the bonobos, doing their mating calls, and fighting one another to show their dominance and be worthy of the female.

Must she have to choose between cool Matthew and Azad's hot-headed acts, though? She had an idea – one that would make the best of both worlds..

"I haven't forgotten you Azad," Amarna went. "I just haven't had the time as it's the last of the rehearsals – you cannot expect me to show up, 24/7.."

"I thought you loved me.."

She weaved in-between the two guys, catlike. "Love, love. What is love between one person and another, if not a way for those joyous feelings to emerge? And who is to say love ought to be a bond of exclusion? It's a feeling you can share with several people, all at once.. Azad, I'm opening my heart up for the two of you."

"What is this?" Azad was flabbergasted.

"An open relationship," Amarna went. "I have my heart still with you, Azad, and yet I can't deny how I also feel for Matthew.." She touched Matthew's chest, teasing. "Is this alright with you..?"

Azad glared at the guy – he was already struggling to accept the idea of Matthew, being cut into this newfound 'love triangle,' as just another friend in Amarna's life who is as foreign to him as some guy from Mongolia. And why was this even happening? A stroke of luck; if only Azad was able to resist taking on university, and instead devote his time to what had brought him passion.. Amarna would still be there, in full, as a lover.

It felt wrong, this sort of indecent proposal. But even more wrong to leave Amarna behind, to abandon her, simply because she had her own mind made-up.

"It's fine," Azad said, hiding his repressed resentment. "I accept."

"Mucho bien-"

As Amarna went into the kitchen, fumbling for something, Azad had Matthew patting him on the shoulder, the smile false, like behind those thin, goateed lips was grangy breath to spout out more shit.

"Glad you're cool with this," Matthew went. "I'm sure we'll get along.. just fine, okay?"

"Tsch."

She emerged, a pamphlet for a Skyline 'dress-up club and ballroom,' with four silver tickets, gorgeously embossed, handing them out. They were tickets to the lively underworld.. where a party began.

It was like one of those Halloween dances, and since Azad didn't have a costume outright, he had to go shopping with Amarna to find one. It was a cheap costume shop, where Amarna suggested that he wear a court jester outfit, complete with a honkable clown nose.

("Whaat?" Azad went. "You're joking, right? I'm not putting that on, no way!")

("Ohh, yesss, you most definitely, absolutely, totally must wear it!" Alex goaded on, grinning devilishly.)

But as they had to hurry, since the venue was going to begin in a half-hour, and Azad wasn't able to spot something else he liked, he went along with the clown jester outfit – "It suits your personality very nicely," Amarna said.

The outfit was stuffed in a plastic bag, and Amarna paid for it, out of the generosity of her heart. By then, it was verging on dusk. Azad tumbled inside her partyvan, with Matthew in the passenger's seat.

"In 1.5km, turn right onto Rudolfplatz."

And soon, they were delving into uncharted territory. She drove the van across a bridge – into a giant tunnel, its opening in the form of a woman's gaping mouth.

This was Cologne's red light district; a place of neon delights - exotic strip clubs, casinos and buildings in the shapes of nude women; alluring in excess. Amarna was driving them into an area where Azad had never ventured before, and this was the city he'd lived in, growing up. Who knew? Azad's heart was beating as he honestly did not know what was laying in store.. while Alex beside him was too immersed in his Nintendo Switch, watching Etna signing the poor Prinnies up for a boxing match.

There were several wrong turns, one where they saw a line of male strippers, earning pennies from their campy improv - but they had arrived.

..

Ironically, the Skyline was not what Azad had expected. It was a multi-venue theatre, casino and hotel; the entrance outside had steps leading up to a ticket booth, and in the lineup, the dance troupe – all the dancers in their costumes.

Skyline - the way of the future AWAITS YOU!

"Amarna!"

She unrolled the van's windows, driving by, and one of the dancers (Michelle) was waving – dressed to resemble Cleopatra. Michelle was somewhat pudgy, but in her face you still saw a youthful coyness. She was accompanied by her husband Michael, who held her dearly to his side; a sort of Ken and Barbie combo if you'd ask me.

"Amarna," Michelle went, her voice carrying her chipper Afrikaans, "oh dear, you're late! How come you've not yet dressed up?"

"Got stuck in traffic," Amarna said. "Well, we had to get my dear Azad an outfit – I'm sure they'll have washrooms for us to do that in.."

"Oh yes? You'd better hurry, the place is filling up – and fast! It's not just us.. it's all the people, the press, the fans, they'll be devouring us to the bone!"

"¡Es una putada!" Amarna clenched the steering wheel while biting her lip. "Where is the parking?"

"Parking lot's down.." Michelle pointed a finger down the street. "Thataway."

It took a small while for Azad to grow used to wearing the clown jester outfit. The red-and-gold tights rode up to his crotch, the wig was scratchy, the big red nose was.. honky, and he felt like a total doofus in light of the troupe's professional costumes. He emerged from the lavatories all the same, a bit lost and alone. All he knew was he had to get himself dressed, that they had been in a rush.. and wherever Amarna was, he had to find her – show her his real party animal.

"Love pills, take your love pills here! No extra charge!" In the halls, someone who was dressed up like Satan was handing out small tablets, with partygoers unquestioningly taking some. "Love pills, wanna soak in the music and sex?"

Yes, of course Azad wanted to. He bumped his way past people – to meet the devil straight in the eyes.

"What are those pills, mate?" he went.

"Just a custom-blend of THC, ecstasy, cocaine, ginseng, aphrodisiacs – everything you'll ever want to make your night's dreams come alive! Time-tested formula! Only one will do, hurry while I still got some!"

Azad was pummeled on all sides by the people who were flooding into the venue – good god, Michelle wasn't kidding. He made a quick decision. Satan gave him a tablet; a white pill with a red heart embedded on top – "Stick it on yer tongue and let it dissolve."

Out on the dance floor, the host (in his white lapels) announced the special arrival of the Belladonna Lips – "Performing in a few months at the 2017 Bohemia festivals, we are blessed to present a preview of their routine.. as the saying goes, God is with us!"

The floor blackened. It grew chilly as a sudden breeze filled the void, of hushed murmurs.

Stooped on a balcony, amidst a phalanx of observers, Azad had to tiptoe and lean, just to get a view past the tallest dood in the world, and when the music began, and the steam was pouring out, he found his eyes in awe. And like in slow motion.. a streak of sparks – jetting across and outlining the forms of the dancers, waiting, until an artificial dawn rose and you saw them like a whole, arranged in a spiral, unwinding.

The glitter fell, the troupe danced, ever alluringly in their kaleidoscopic carnival. And amidst them, was Amarna.

angel
hold onto me

love is
all around me

She was so, so beautiful. A true lioness. Azad trembled.. his gaze spellbound. He remembered her catlike grace, like she would always land on her feet, and he saw her in full display, as she zigzagged around, having her tail waver in sync – when she stood by someone in knightly armour, she teased the chestplate with a swipe of her paw. There was Alex, who circled around everyone like a fairy in his glittering winged outfit.

Was this the kind of magic he had once partaken in? Now, he was just another person in the audience, left out, a melancholy in his heart.

Then the dance got more hectic, the music burlesque, as Tania stepped to the centre in a salsa dress, and told everyone to join in the fun – and it was as though the entire floor was trembling as the onlookers danced an entire party up, with waves of people bopping up and down; some tangoing with the first partner they could find, others launching themselves off the balconies in hopes of being caught by the people below, like rockers surfing the mosh pit.

Someone's sleeve whipped into Azad's face, stinging his cheekbones as he saw some people clambering onto centre stage. He had to get down there. He had to join the dance, where he belonged, to be with Amarna again.

He felt his chest heaving with all the mixed emotions, as everything in his vision stuck out vividly to his mind, as he felt how humid and charged and sweaty the entire dance floor became.

"Outta my way, niggas!" he yelled, as he overcame the frenzied people, arrived at the balcony's balustrade, and saw below him the dive he had to make – he never realised how low he had to fall to arrive. A vertigo entered him, and he felt dizzy just at the thought of climbing over, to expect anyone below to catch him. Even when the cocktail of dope was taking its effect, he wasn't that foolish.

Now the cocaine – a rush of clarity, with manic thinking and a gust of burning anger, and the idea popped in Azad's head where he'd thrust his way down the halls, get onto the first floor.

Without thinking, he pushed and shoved his way aside, all while the electro-jazz music was still thumping, only to be shoved onto the floor ("Watch it, clown!"), where he saw how there was a bunch of spilled beer and popcorn. He tried getting up, but the bodily movements sent him tripping down again, face flat, his nose honking like a siren, hee-hee. At the same time, Azad felt how much of an erection he was having – the tights he had on were barely able to contain it, and he got back up, resisting the urge to just take the prettiest girls nearby to the back for a good shag.

By the time he got to the bottom, he heard the final musical "Ooommph!" and a huge, uncontrolled cheer that was so contageous, even the people who couldn't see what was going on was infected by the troupe's energy.

"Thank you, Skyline!" he heard Tania say, her voice muffled but still booming from the stage speakers. "We'll be premiering this July at the Bohemia.."

Azad was near the stage. He looked beat-up, but he saw Amarna and Alex, and all the people he had danced with – he was the knight who had adventured, fought and struggled to reach the princess..

"Amarna!" he shouted, jumping up and down and waving like some giddy 16-year old British boy. It was hard for her to hear him, since so many others were all vying for her attention - whistling, chanting; besides, he looked like a clown, and who would recognise Azad, the one who used to dance with Amarna amidst the stars? Oh wait.. he took off his wig and nose, broadcasting his real and naked face.

The dance troupe was bowing, looking upon the massive audience they've enticed, but Azad was looking up at the elevated central floor, where Amarna stood while that knight (Matthew) held her by the waist.

He gazed upward at where the stars shone, and when Amarna looked down and caught his eye – Azad froze. He wanted to let her know so much, with all his heart, that she was beautiful, and that out of all these bozos, he was proud to have gotten to know the real her.

Never knew
I could feel like this
it's like I've never seen
the sky
before

She looked at him, and in that one instant she gave a gentle smile, her eyes sincere and glowing - and he trembled with so much happiness, his heart would swell, threatening to burst and send him fainting.

"You feeling alright there, bud?"

Azad turned around; it was some random-ass girl. "More than alright.." he went, "I feel.. fine! Heeehee. I'm the luckiest..!"

By then, the drugs were flooding his system entirely, and he was losing control of his motor functions - as if some giddy ghost were taking over, and he was just going along with it.

"Hey, hey-!" The girl held onto Azad, as it seemed like he was swirling, bumping into others. "You must have dosed hard on those love pills.. I'll help you out."