beyond the monotonous city

seven

Lauren was surprised when someone tapped her back after class, as she kept to herself.

She was face-to-face with the caramel skinned girl, Dinah. She had a toothy grin on her face. "Hey Lauren, do you sing?"

Lauren felt her heart skip a beat. Then she calmed down, realizing that it was a question. "Uh I used to, but I don't really do it anymore."

Dinah nodded. "'Cause I was offered to sing for my younger sister's school event. I thought I needed help and you know a second opinion when it comes to singing."

"Oh, well alright. I'd love to see you perform." Lauren said, relieved she wasn't the one to be singing.

"Great! I'm practicing right now since classes are over, care to come with me?" Dinah seemed really shy to ask and Lauren could sense it. She obliged and followed the taller girl as they arrived at the back of their school. It had a view of their football field, Dinah made her way to the concrete steps and tossed her bag down. Lauren did the same and saw there was a guy already there, holding a guitar.

"Oh yeah," Dinah moved aside and put a hand on the guy's shoulder. "Lauren, meet Shawn. He's my friend, really talented." He was tall, a brunette, his shoulders and frame were really big but he seemed really sweet and wholesome, a typical boy-next-door kind of guy. In short, he was the kind of guy that wouldn't fit in Lauren's type.

"Nice to meet you," Shawn greeted, smiling to which Lauren smiled back. Dinah explained that she usually ate lunch with Shawn.

Dinah sat down and Lauren followed suit. She turned to Shawn. "So I was planning to do a sort of mashup of two songs. One is definitely a song by Beyonce."

Shawn nodded, doing some sample riffs in the guitar. Lauren just watched as Dinah sampled some Beyonce lines as Shawn played along. Lauren admitted that Dinah had a good voice but she messed up with some techniques especially when it came to breath control. But with runs and adlibs, she was a master.

"1+1 is good." Shawn remarked after Dinah sang.

Dinah turned to Lauren. "What do you think, Laur?"

She barely knew Dinah and she was giving her nicknames but Lauren thought it was sort of endearing. "Maybe you should breathe after singing "If I ain't got nothing", that way you don't have to breathe in between words in the next line."

"Like this?" Dinah sang the same lines, but she made the same mistake and Lauren shook her head.

"More like," Lauren opened her mouth just to sing softly, didn't bother making it sound nice. After she sang the part, Dinah's jaw dropped.

"Holy-Lauren that was so good." she said shaking Lauren's shoulder. "She's so good, right Shawn?" To which Shawn nodded in agreement.

Lauren shook her head. "I haven't sang in a long time. I'm really rusty. But anyway, that's what I meant."

Dinah practiced the same part over and over until she got what Lauren meant and Dinah was so happy that she hugged Lauren, who felt crushed under the bigger girl's arms. "Ow, Dinah."

"Oops sorry. Shawn and I hit the gym sometimes, you should join us Lauren." Dinah said.

"How did you guys become friends?" Lauren asked, the question bugging her ever since she got there.

Shawn scratched at his head, and Dinah looked like she was caught off guard with the question. "Um well I knew Dinah because of my long time ex-girlfriend. She and Dinah were such best friends. But that was way back. Dinah and her got into a fight, and then I found out she was seeing someone else. Then Dinah and I got close, the rest is history."