“NEXT!” Yannick shouts from his table

A guy with long sleeves shirt complete with a tie on his neck enters the room with confidence. A black pair of sunglasses perch lopsided on his nose.

“What the fuck, man?? You didn’t wear pants?” Hobi yelps when notices he gets no garment on his legs beside his unmatched football socks.

“I wear swim pants” he informs ready to lift his shirt

“no! no! no! Jesus! we believe you!” Hobi almost jolts from his chair frantically

“alright bachelor let's see what you got?” Yannick scribbles his note and looks more serious than ever

“The thing guys I’m a terrible singer” the man admits with a smug face

“We expected,” Skylar snorts

“But I’m an amazing rapper”

“but we searching for-“ Adam ready to cuts the guy’s bragging before Yannick interjects

“Let us hear then” Yannick as the wise man he is won’t let someone who had been waiting in line for hours go home without doing something he already prepares

“check! check!” the guy testing his invisible mic “yo! Yo! It’s so hot in da club yo! I ain’t got no pants on. Wiggle wiggle wiggle” he even has the audacity to twerk his ass off.

“HOLY SHIT MY LORD!” Jasper jumps from his chair, immediately covering Galan’s eyes

Hobi jibber-jabber English curses anyone barely understands

“someone shows him the exit door before Galan got traumatised!” Jasper orders and Adam immediately does what he is told, while Skylar almost falls from the chair as he can't hold his maniacal laughter.

Yannick sighs loudly as pinches his nose bridge. “NEXT!”

“Are you guys sure informed them this is an audition for a vocalist, not for a fucking clown right?” Galan grumbles due to frustration.

“Galan, language!” Jasper nudges the younger ribcage.

“told you this is a bad idea” Skylar settles to his chair unamused

“please bear little guys. Someone told me he’ll come today, and I got faith in him, ” Adam informs, making everyone raises their eyebrows until suddenly someone knocks on the door.

“here he is” Adam whispers when Jaime enters the room with his simple white T, light blue jeans, and red beanie on his light brown lock

“well, this one looks normal” Yannick comments

“you can introduce yourself, Jaime,” Adam says with a soft voice to reassure him so he won’t nervous. Jaime only knows Adam and well, he can see Skylar with his stoic face staring at him intensely makes Jaime thinks maybe he shouldn’t be here.

“My name is Jaime Parker, philosophy major, first-year, ”

“you have any experience of singing?”

Jaime thinks about it. He used to be part of the choir in high school before his father dragged him out of the practice room because he thought that was the reason why his grade dropped. He even wasn’t got the opportunity in any competition yet “in my bathroom, yes” Jaime answers confidently.

There’s an audible snort that comes from Skylar “so what are you doing here if you aren’t big fans of singing?”

“I need the money” Jaime answers as confident as he can. There’s nothing wrong to admit he needs money. It’s better, to be honest, rather than stealing some wise quote, but nothing more than just bullshit.

“what do you think we are? Some charity event who raises funds?” He laughs mockingly, and it makes Jaime clench his jaw. He’s serious about this audition. 

Does Skylar think he stands in line for hours to joke around?

Jaime can’t understand the mint-haired boy. He thought, they already made up and cleared the thing, then why is Skylar seems still holding a grudge toward him?

“I know you are not. But I’ve been told, you get money from your gig” it’s true Adam told him before, they usually paid for the performance they did and actually, that’s the reason Jaime agreed to apply for this audition.

“You know what people usually said? They want to be part of us because they love music or start their musician career” Skylar leans in to rest his head on his palm on the table, his tone clearly mocking Jaime’s answer.

Jaime shrugs “Well if someone didn’t make me lose my job maybe I would have a better reason” he realises he sounds too harsh but he won’t change his statement because this motherfucker Skylar intimidates him. If Skylar still holds his grudge about that night, Jaime would do the same then.

Skylar chokes, his face flushed. He definitely looks angry. “are you even know what our band's name meaning is?”

Well... Jaime wasn’t doing his research for this

Skylar raises his eyebrows waiting for answers. There’s smugness on his face as he thought he’s a win because Jaime doesn’t know the answer and Jaime hates that. He hates how cocky Skylar seems.

What it could be? What does this question have something to do to become a new vocalist anyway?

Jaime is trying to think of something plausible. Rock-pop genre. Badass outfit. And Skylar’s annoying Cheshire’s smirk.

Band-Aid band. A bit cheesy but memorable.

Jaime shrugs, why he should answer this annoying jerk’s question seriously while he must be still loathing him for whatever Jaime’s answer is. So he holds Skylar’s cocky gaze firmly and answers “Well, maybe this band is supposed to mend your hurting ego or something”

There’s a pregnant pause for a second before everyone bursts in to laugh. Jaime doesn’t know what’s so funny, but he laughs nonetheless, partly because Skylar looks annoyed.

“Hell yeah! I like this guy!” The drummer guy, Jasper declares excitedly.

“let’s hear your singing, shall we?” Yannick suggests. Jaime bit nervous but he is pretty confident with his voice. He might be not that phenomenal and it’s been a long time since he properly sings in front of other people but he can’t deny an exciting feeling bubbles up in him like thousands of butterflies will burst out from his stomach, there are fireflies of hopes flying around him drawing warmth and comfort even his sweats of nervous lingers on his forehead.

He got this.

This is it.

” alright”

Jaime wipes his sweaty palms to his jeans and takes a deep breath to calm his psyche. Straighten his shoulder. He always believes confidence is the key. But sometimes confidence comes after hours of practice and tons of experiences. Something that Jaime lacks. But maybe it’s okay to feel shy and nervous sometimes, vulnerability is not always a bad thing to be shown of.

So with his heart stuttering in his chest, Jaime opens his mouth….

And sing…

At the innocent age of 7 years old child from a small neighbourhood on the edge of town, Skylar meets his piece of heaven

Skylar has never considered himself a religious person since he was a child. His parent would bring him to the church with them every Sunday morning, as like their obligatory routine everyone in his household should clear their schedule for morning church. Skylar never questioned that, maybe because he was still a child and the dynamic had been running for a very long time as long as he remembered. Either way, Skylar enjoyed that a lot. Morning church means they’ll drive with their old Volvo together, laughing and telling each other stories that happened that week, and when they went home, they ate in their favourite restaurant.

Part of his childhood memories that he cherished a lot…

On the first week of December, a few weeks before Christmas, their family agreed to take church service in a church in the city centre. It’s a big church with classic European architecture with two pillars towering over the sky. They sat in the first front when many people stood up in line on the stage. They all wear white gowns with a shade of gold on the edge. He had never seen something like that before at his usual church. A man sat in front of his grand piano at the corner of the stage. They all waited patiently with blithesome faces.

A harmonious voice echoed in the air and sent a prickle of goosebumps to Skylar’s nape. As thrilling as birds chirping in early morning spring, as sweet as his grandmother’s pumpkin pie for Christmas treat, and as comforting as drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows in front of the fireplace in the middle of a snowstorm. Back then he didn’t know what happened to him, his first awakened to the enchanted world – Music.

If someone can fall in love only by their voice, maybe that’s what happens to Skylar right now when Jaime sings – just like what happened when he was 7. He closes his eyes tight, everything is just black, and he can’t see anything. Not a beautiful boy with cheeks as a blush as cherry blossom on spring or lips as tempting as freshly picked ripe cherry in front of him. He only hears his voice yet his heart thumping madly like the drum of war.

He thought he won’t hear something as enchanted as what he experienced thirteen years ago. But here he is, frozen and dazed by Jaime’s delicate voice. No matter how sceptical he is by Jaime’s reason to join the band but he can’t deny – his soft and high-pitched voice is just exactly what their band needed.