Bonnie's Arc

Chapter 6 of 7

Bonnie set up her speaker in the plaza and sang for two hours straight. Her voice echoed off the empty buildings. No one walked by. She checked the fountain's edge where she'd placed a small box labeled "Tips for the Future Star." It sat exactly as she'd left it—empty. Her smile wavered but didn't disappear. Maybe people were just busy today. She sang three more songs, mixing a commercial jingle with an opera aria. Still nobody came. The plaza stayed silent except for her voice. When the sun started to set, she picked up her speaker and the empty box. Her pocket felt heavy with the note from yesterday, but today had given her nothing. She walked back toward the theater, her steps slower than before. The next morning, Bonnie decided her performances needed better planning. Real stars listened to their audiences. She spent an hour building a wooden box with a slot on top. She carved the words "AUDIENCE FEEDBACK" into the surface with a nail. The letters came out crooked but readable. She carried it to the plaza and set it beside the fountain. Then she sang her entire set, imagining people would stop and share their thoughts. After three hours, she checked the box. Inside sat a crumpled napkin with one word scrawled across it: "STOP." Her hands shook as she read it again. Someone had listened and walked all the way over just to tell her to be quiet. She sat on the fountain's edge, the napkin clutched in her fist. The note from two days ago said she was good. This one said the opposite. Her throat felt tight. She packed up the speaker and both boxes, leaving the feedback box beside a trash bin on her way out.