Rockin' Romeo and Jammin' Juliet

Rated M For Masturbation

Chapter 24: Rated M For Masturbation

((Playlist: Air Catcher by Twenty One Pilots))

"Okay, how does this sound: 'next up is Jonah Clement playing Trio op. 11 by Beethoven on clarinet. I tried playing clarinet once, but I couldn't REED the music." Lys gave a wide smile and looked around the cafeteria table expectantly. "Huh? How was that?"

"Hilarious, Lys," Mikayla grinned as she ate some chips.

"Thank you. I spent like ten minutes on that," Lys said proudly.

"How's your song coming along, Sophie?" Jonah asked.

Sophie swallowed a bite of salad. "Pretty well. We're just putting some finishing touches on the lyrics and bass parts, but it's done for the most part."

"What's the song about?" Mikayla asked curiously.

"Basically, a pretty girl who falls in love with an ugly boy. It sounds more poetic when we sing it," she added with a shrug.

"But can it beat my difficult clarinet concerto?" Jonah challenged with a grin.

"I dunno. Can your clarinet concerto beat the power of love?" Sophie asked with a competitive smile.

"We'll see about that," he laughed. "I could really use $500. I need a newer clarinet."

"That'll buy you, what, a quarter of a brand-new clarinet?" Mikayla laughed.

Jonah sighed. "Yeah. Those things are expensive."

"Have you gotten together your beatboxing poetry slam bongo thing yet?" Lys asked Mikayla with a slurp of her slushie.

"It's turned from that into more of a rap battle," Mikayla explained. "But Jamal doesn't want to do it- something about his dreams of being an infomercial announcer or something- so I'm doing it with Maksim instead."

"The Latvian exchange student?" Jonah doubtfully raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure he even speaks English."

"Sure he does," Mikayla said. "He just has a really heavy accent and you can't tell at all what he's saying when he raps."

Lys nodded slowly. "'Think of Latvian puns,'" she said as she wrote in her notebook.

"Are Latvian puns even a thing?" Sophie asked.

"If they aren't, they will be by the time I'm done," Lys said with a grin.

They chattered on for the rest of lunch, mainly about the upcoming talent show. In fact, it was what most of the school was talking about; with the $500 prize, how could they not?

They split to go separate ways - Lys and Mikayla to their Graphic Design class, Jonah to Biology, and Sophie to her dreaded Calculus class.

"Guys, we have to make sure this show goes perfectly," Mikayla said as she stood up, gathering her things. "Mr. Mirandez said he might make donations every year if it makes the show great again."

Jonah regarded her dubiously. "The talent show hasn't gone well for fifteen years."

"Stop being doubtful," Mikayla said, "everything will be fine."

Jonah opened his mouth to protest, but Lys spoke first.

"You're going to jinx it, you know." She reached up and smoothed his ruffled hair. "Have fun in Bio." Then she was off, slinging her bag over her shoulder and heading to class.

Sophie stifled a laugh as Jonah ran a hand through his hair, a confused expression on his face. The two walked together, since they were headed in roughly the same direction.