I Can't Perform

In the dressing room of the Monument City Amphitheatre, Lynn Minmei was finishing putting on her makeup and lipstick. Lynn Kyle opened the door angrily and stormed into the dressing room.

"You're late! Where the Hell have you been?"

"Sorry." Minmei said absentmindedly, not telling Kyle that she stopped at a bar just inside Monument City. She drank so much, that Minmei's chauffeur, Jimmy was afraid that she would be too drunk to sing. He made the bartender give Minmei black coffee to try to sober her up. It had taken over 5 cups of coffee to at least sober her up a bit. Along the way to the amphitheatre, he had to stop the limo several times so Minmei can throw up along the side of the road. She's going to have one terrible hangover in the morning.

"Just finish getting dressed and get out on stage!" Kyle growled.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of Monument City. Congratulations on your autonomy from the central government. Tonight, in celebration of that event, we have a special treat in store. Minmei has graciously agreed to come and sing for you. Let's all hang our hopes for a bright future on her songs. And so, let's have a warm welcome for a great talent…Lynn Minmei!

The small audience filled with humans, micronized Zentraedi and Zentraedi giants, began clapping as the orchestra struck up the opening chords of "Stage Fright". The curtain opened and Minmei was standing in the center of stage with her head bowed and the microphone dangling down loosely in her hand. The orchestra kept on playing waiting for Minmei to start singing. Kyle, standing off stage to the side was getting concerned. "That was your cue Minmei." When she didn't started singing, he was getting mad. "Quit fooling around! Are you all right?"

She meekly looked over to Kyle, nodded her head and said weakly said "Yes." The orchestra stopped playing and the audience began mumbling among themselves, thinking that maybe this was part of a new act from Minmei. Then they started clapping and chanting "Minmei! Minmei! Minmei!"

"What's the problem? The audience loves you Minmei! Show them that you love them! Sing!" Kyle hissed.

Then Minmei sighed, looked out at the audience and with tears in her eyes yelled, "I'm sorry! I can't perform!"

The cheering from the crowd stopped as they sat in shock at what Minmei had just said..

"I won't sing! I can't perform when my heart is breaking!" Minmei then dropped the microphone and ran off stage.

The curtain suddenly dropped and the crowd who came to see Minmei sing, sat in stunned silence.