Adrenaline

49 | the show goes on pt. ii

"I thought you didn't do karaoke?"

        Brendon watches as I finish connecting the machine to the TV. It takes considerable effort since I've drunk my weight in booze. Now that we've all eaten, most of us are lounging around, not in the mood to even move an inch. Naturally, I'm in the mood to sing even though no one has asked for this.

        I take a sip of Swamp Water. "I am a changed woman."

        "Drunk," Jun corrects. "She means drunk woman."

        Everleigh eyes my dwindling drink. "I don't think Stevie's ever been drunk in her life."

        Maverick stares. "You're one to talk."

        "I've never been drunk either."

        "You just made me walk you to the bathroom."

        "Women do that all the time," I say, turning around. "Doesn't mean we're drunk."

        Everleigh holds her drink in the air. I'm sure it's just juice. "Thank you, lovely."

        After checking to make sure everything is hooked up properly and working, I walk back to the couch with the mic. "We have the Shrek soundtrack on here."

        "Incredible," Maverick remarks.

        "Who wants to go first—" I spin back and forth, pretending like I am looking over my choices. There can only ever be one. "Oh, thanks for volunteering, Maverick!"

        He doesn't move from his spot next to Everleigh, arm thrown over the back of the sofa. "I'm on walk-to-the-bathroom duty, so sorry."

        "That's okay, Jun can take over for now."

        "Yeah, that's fine," Jun says.

        He might be preoccupied with playing with Lauren's hair while she hums, but it doesn't mean he won't jump up at a moment's notice for the friend that gave him a Capri Sun in the middle of the Grammys. If Everleigh thought she was getting away from any of us any time soon, she's mistaken. The gift was comparable to giving him her kidney.

        Maverick sighs before slowly sitting up. "Yeah, fine." He stands after swiping Everleigh's drink—met with a whimper from her because rude—before walking over to grab the mic. "What song are you picking?"

       "Hmmm...." I scroll through the options and quickly end up in the Disney songs section. It's a no-brainer from there. "Perfect."

        The screen turns blue with snowflakes and icicles around the border. The unmistakable piano intro of Do You Want to Build A Snowman from Frozen drifts into the air like a flurry in New York City.

        "Out of every song available to you."

        "Please give it everything you've got." I return to my spot between Brendon and Everleigh. "Phil Collins on the Tarzan soundtrack power level."

        Maverick gives an embellished bow. "As you wish."

        It should come as no surprise that even when we're completely shit-faced, Maverick still stuns the crowd His rendition of Do You Want to Build A Snowman damn near brings me tears, but that might also be because I can be an emotional drunk sometimes. By the time he walks back to his seat, we're all clapping wildly for him. Maverick takes a well-earned bow.

        "Incredible," I tell him. "You should be on Disney Channel."

        "I hope you voice a Disney princess one day," he replies.