You Only Ever Who You Were

Our Song Is Popular

Mika’s POV

The next day, I said bye to Ariana after fifth period and ditched for the rest of the day. I headed off to the studio and checked in with the secretary. I had all my music on my iPhone. I recorded the music part so I could sing along with it for Jimmy. Jimmy came out a few minutes later with another girl. He smiles and says: Mika! How are ya kid? Here, this is Pricilla. Pricilla Renea. Mika Pricilla. Pricilla Mika. She shook my hand with her soft hands.

“Hi Mika.” she bats her eyelashes. I smile nervously.

“Hey.” I look at Jimmy giving him a confused look. He gestures for all of us to take a seat in his office then he starts to talk.

“So. I’ve met up with a few of my friends and they love you, Mika. They sent Pricilla because they’d really wanna see you guys collaborate. How does that sound? This could be your first single!” I look at Pricilla.

“Um, maybe but—“

“Oh Mika there aren’t any maybe’s in the music industry. Its yes or no.”

I thought about the opportunity. I didn’t want to let anybody down.

“Uh yah. I think that can work. I also brought my song, uh do you wanna hear?” I changed the subject. He leans back in his chair and waves for me to start. I sing Stardust perfectly. Pricilla is clapping.

“Oh yeah. I like him a lot.” she says to Jimmy. He nods and tells me to write a song.

“Make sure that it really speaks to you. Something that tells your story.” I went home and thought about what to write about. I opened a magazine and tried to get some inspiration. I saw an ad for the Broadway musical Wicked. Instantly my mind started singing the little riff that I loved so much.

‘To be popular

I'll help you be popular!

You'll hang with the right cohorts

You'll be good at sports

Know the slang you've got to know

So let's start

'Cause you've got an awfully long way to go’ Then I thought: why not put a twist on this song? Make it… ‘popular, I know about popular.’ hmm. I got straight to writing.

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Ariana came over soon after school ended for her. I told her all about the meeting with Jimmy. Except I left out the part about Pricilla. I don’t know why but I didn’t feel right collaborating with her instead of Ariana. Jimmy did say we sounded good together. Why wouldn’t he let us sing together? I sang the song I was half way done writing. She loved. We started singing it together. Harmonizing. It sounded perfect. I recorded and planned to show Jimmy next time I saw him.

Ariana’s POV(:

Mika’s song kept replaying in my head. Turns out we both love that musical.

“Popular! I know about popular! And all that you have to do, is be true to you! You only ever who you were!” Today is Saturday and I’ve finished writing my song. Of course, I wrote it for Mika. Well, most of it. Some was for Zayn actually. I know it’s kind of bad. But honestly I think I still like him. I rehearsed my song as I drove to the studio. I saw Jimmy and he reached out for a hug.

“Heyyy Ariana!” he said. “Have you got a new song for me?” I nodded excitedly. We went into the studio and I started singing.

“I love the way you make me feel

I love it, I love it

I love the way you make me feel

I love it, I love it” I vocalized as Jimmy messed with the buttons on the big ‘button board’ He smiled when I sang the higher notes.

“You give me that kind of something

Want it all the time, need it everyday

On a scale of one to ten I'm at a hundred

Never get enough, I can’t stay away

If you want it, I got it, I got it everyday

You can get whatever you need from me

Stay by your side, I’ll never leave you

And I ain’t going nowhere 'cause you’re a keeper

So don’t you worry, baby, you got me

I got a bad boy, I must admit it (hey)

You got my heart, don’t know how you did it (hey)

And I don’t care who sees it, babe

I don’t wanna hide the way I feel when you're next to me (hey)” He was standing clapping when I finished. I blushed and curtsied.  I came out and he showered me with comments. All good. I was so happy. My singing dream was finally coming true. We talked a little more.

“So Mika’s song that you asked for is really coming along great!” I mentioned to Jimmy to get some of his mind off of me.

“Oh yeah? That’s great! He’ll be singing with Pricilla. She’s very excited to be working with Mika.” Pricilla? Who’s Pricilla? Mika never told me about her.

“Um, and Pricilla is..?”

“Oh he didn’t mention her? She’s gonna be collaborating with him. He seemed to really like her. They met on Wednesday.” Oh.

“Um, I… have to go… I’ll see you Jimmy.” I walked straight out of there without talking. Why didn’t Mika tell me about her? I… I thought he was working on Popular for us. I didn’t know that he seemed ‘to really like her’. What if she tried to take him away from me? Popular described us. It described how.. even though we aren’t popular at school right now, everybody will end up liking us in the end. We would finally be popular. They’d be sitting in the front row of our concert. Cause our song was popular.