The next GSA meeting had a lot going on.
We put out a bunch of snacks, including a bougie charcuterie board courtesy of Maggie McKenzie, and got the karaoke machine plugged in and ready to go.
Jake was mostly hanging out in the corner with Liv. He was, thankfully, being quiet and respectful; however, I noticed how close the two of them sat, occasionally "accidentally" brushing their legs against each other. Something sharp settled in the pit of my stomach and I quickly looked away.
As things got going, I spotted a new face lingering near the door. It was a younger kid who looked nervous and unsure of himself. He had a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes, and he kept glancing around as if he was worried someone would see him.
"Hey, you must be Grant," I said with a smile.
"Yeah, that's me," he replied timidly. I knew he must've been about 16, but he looked younger than that. He had large eyes that were opened wide as he came inside and looked around, his posture slouched with uneasiness.
"You're in good company," I reassured him.
Grant gave a small, hesitant smile as he took a few tentative steps into the room. I guided him towards the group.
Miles was playing around with the karaoke machine, trying to get it ready. Sky was beside him, offering unhelpful advice to get the microphones set up properly. Sky noticed us and smiled at Grant.
"Hey!" Miles grinned at Grant, showing off his dimples. "Welcome to the chaos."
"Hey, everyone, this is Grant," I announced, placing a hand on his shoulder briefly. "He's a sophomore at Clareview."
As the introductions continued, everyone gathered around. Janessa gave Grant a reassuring smile. Harper and Margot were discussing something animatedly but paused to welcome him as well.
We settled into our usual spots, some on the couch, others on the floor. I could see Grant slowly starting to relax, his posture less rigid, taking in the faces around him as everyone introduced themselves. Then, it was time for karaoke.
"Alright, who's going first?" Miles called out, holding up the microphone.
"Connor should go!" Liv exclaimed.
"Not happening," I replied quickly, feeling the familiar twist of nerves in my stomach.
"Seriously?" Liv raised an eyebrow at me.
"Don't worry, Harper and I can start us off," Miles said, getting up and grabbing the mics, passing one to Harper. "We're not afraid to look stupid in front of you cowards."
Harper grinned. "Alright, let's do this shit." As the music started, Harper began to sing "Black Sheep" by Metric.
Harper wasn't terrible; she did her best to try to hit the notes. Miles chimed in for the chorus, his voice pretty off-key.
I'll send you my love on a wire
Lift you up, every time, everyone, ooh, pulls away, ooh
From you.
Despite their lack of singing abilities, everyone who knew the lyrics got excited and sang or bobbed their heads along with the song. We cheered for them at the end. Miles and Harper grinned at each other and high-fived as if they nailed it.
Next, unfortunately, Jake and Liv were doing a duet, both of whom I knew had terrible singing voices. The intro to "Lgbt" by cupcakKe started blaring through the speakers. As soon as I realized what song they were doing, I started laughing.
Jake started rapping in his white-bro style, a faux serious look on his face as he belted out the lyrics. "Fuck out the way when you see me! I'm rollin' with the LGBT."
YOU ARE READING
Brutal
Teen Fiction"What did I want? I wanted to be someone else. Or I wanted to live in a world where I didn't have to want to be someone else." *** Connor Hill lives a life of routine: He goes to school, hangs out with his friends, pretends to be straight, rinse and...
