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A small ping comes from Jamie's phone, prompting him to check. A little dot appears next to the sardonically-named group chat, "92-Minute Drink Run", with his roommates and his newest friends.
Tucking a stray hair behind his ear, Jamie reads, hello anyone not attending the open mic, please send 'i suck' in chat. He laughs a little; this type of message was a joking plea to show some support in face of their anxiety.
If there was one thing they had in common with Cam, they both thrived off of friendships and worried endlessly about being "too much". Assuredly, Jamie wouldn't spend time with them if he didn't appreciate their presences. Nonetheless, he taps on a single emoji in response.
hello translation what does a croissant mean, comes the immediate reply.
WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING THAT'S WHAT!!! Elio's enthusiasm practically permeates through the screen.
who's we
percy u know elio is gonna drag u if u don't show… or deja…
oh jesus nvm i know better than to mess w deja
Jamie, after promising his attendance (as cryptically as possible), sends another hieroglyphic message to them in support.
again hello translation why is there a chicken on my screen
Eggcellent.
THEN WHY DONT U JUST USE THE EGGGGGGGGGGGG
The sounds of knocking interrupt Jamie's conversation. The door cracks open a little, and Elio (or at least part of him) pops in. "Hey, Perce and I were gonna head out soon. You wanna come with?"
Jamie's eyes flicker from Elio, to his phone, and back to his roommate. He slowly nods. "Well, alright."
He stands up, unceremoniously, waiting for Percy at the door. Elio beams widely. "PJE rolling out!"
"What the hell is a PJE?" A certain dark-haired biology major slinks out of his room.
"Percy, Jamie, and Elio," Jamie says simply.
"But why am I first?" Percy furrows his eyebrows. His question goes unanswered as Elio swings open the front door.
Despite his taller frame, Jamie stays a few steps behind Percy and Elio on their way over to the student union.
"Where's the open mic being held, again?" Percy asks, sticking his hands in his pockets.
"I'm pretty sure it's the atrium. In we go." Elio tips his head towards aforementioned atrium.
The three of them (hereby dubbed PJE) wander into the student union until they reach a sea of foldable chairs, neatly lined up in rows in front of an elevated makeshift stage. Several people were already there, milling about, including two familiar faces.
Deja and Cameron turn towards their perceived movement, waving. "Hey, Jamie-oh!" Cameron greets him delightfully, while Deja smiles in recognition.
"Hey, Cam, Deja! You're here already." Elio's eyes glance at the stage and back to the two before asking aloud, "Hey, um, do you know what they're gonna be performing?"
Percy half-shrugs. "They ran a song by me, but I don't think it stuck."
Cameron turns around so fast, they may as well have given themself whiplash. "They asked you and not ME?"
Jamie raises a brow half-amusedly, thinking interrupted by a microphone whine echoing through the speakers.
All of them collectively turn toward the stage, quickly hopping into the nearest seats.
The presumably appointed emcee taps on the mic. "Welcome, everyone, to WMU's own open mic! Thank you for showing up today. We'll be starting shortly with our very first act!"
Cam looks at them all with wide eyes. "Does anyone know when they're going?" they loudly whisper, before jumping in surprise, scrambling to check their phone.
HELLOOOOO look to the right of the stage teehee
When he looks up, Jamie locks eyes with them from across the room. They give him a small wave accompanied by a shy smile before looking back down at their phone.
UR ALL HERE YIPPEEEEE
Deja exchanges looks with Cameron before tapping out a reply. Wouldn't miss it for the world!
Cameron spams the kissy face emoji. do u know when ur up?!?!?!?!
second? i didn't want to be first xd
LMAO
The first act goes by in a flash; all too quickly, they're confidently walking up on stage up to the mic stand. "I'd like to dedicate this to all of the international, first- and second-generation students," they say with a wink in Jamie's general direction, who shuffles to take out his phone to record. He sees Cameron giving him a thumbs up, thankful for the future keepsake.
The first few notes of the melancholic instrumental float out of the speakers as they adjust their posture in front of the mic. Their gaze falls on Jamie, who simply thinks of nothing of it, conveniently seated in the center of their little group.
They gently sway from side to side in time with the music as they begin to sing, voiced tinged with nostalgia,
Kinda wish I knew what I meant when I'd say, "I miss home"
Jamie blinks in surprise at their serene, melodious voice. He's very well acquainted with their charismatic side, the one that's bright and optimistic. But this side is mesmerizing, sentimental, almost magnetic.
Guess I'm forever caught between two worlds
Wish I were on either side of the foreign wall
They reach up to tenderly hold the mic, and Jamie is captivated by their performance. Their connection to the music is nearly ethereal, their eyes practically twinkling as they gaze into the audience. They bring their hand closer to their chest, pouring their soul into their voice.
And where I live, they believe you only have yourself
But where I'm from, you're taught to be somebody else
Jamie finds himself sitting up straighter at the edge of his seat, unwittingly enraptured. He doesn't know what to think of what he was watching, so at odds with their normal persona, but yet not at the same time. This performance was an extended invitation into who they really were, more than the surface level he had previously seen.
Before he knows it, the end of the song quickly approaches.
Always part of me missing, but no one sees a difference
'Cause I split them all
They dramatically flourish their hand in a slicing motion, to truly "split" the ending, then effortlessly transitions into an elegant bow.
Without even realizing, Jamie is standing up, phone forgotten in his lap. Percy and Elio quickly follow suit and begin cheering raucously, etiquette be damned.
They unconsciously shy away from the enthusiastic response before finding their group in the crowd once more. And Jamie realizes, they're beaming with contagious glee. Rosy cheeks paired with an eye smile leave a striking image in his mind.
He doesn't think he'll ever be able to forget it.