TJ's Playlist | Tyrus

I Can't Face the Music

Cyrus numbly watched everyone sing Happy Birthday to Andi. He didn't even record it. He half-smiled for a few photos with Andi and Buffy, and afterwards, he went to sit down. The whole world was moving around him, and his mind was stuck in place.

We almost kissed. Kissed. I almost kissed TJ Kippen. TJ almost kissed me.

I think.

Cyrus wasn't even sure what had happened in there. Everything just got even more confusing, and the only person with the answers was TJ. If Cece had walked in maybe just thirty seconds later, Cyrus would've gotten brave enough to do it.

He carried a "we're all going to die anyways" attitude on his shoulders when he decided to follow TJ up the stairs, and it carried through the entire time while they sat on the couch.

Then the door opened, and he realized that he had a couple of decades to go through before he died. When TJ ran out the door, him and Cece just stared at each other for a second. Cece closed the imaginary zipper on her lips before motioning her head out the door. Cyrus decided he liked Cece a lot more now.

Cyrus watched the party goers from the couch, and he saw Marty and Buffy talking in a corner, isolated from everyone. He saw Jonah off in his own corner with people he recognized from the Space Otters. Cyrus' eyes scanned for Andi, but his phone started ringing.

Incoming Call

TJ

Cyrus quickly answered, "Hello?"

"Cyrus?" TJ's voice was shaky. Something was wrong.

"TJ," Cyrus stood up, "are you okay?"

"Can you tell Amber to come back home. Like now, please," TJ told him, his voice breaking every other word. It sounded like he wanted to cry, and it was like an arrow to his heart. "Her phone is dead, and I don't know how else to reach her."

"Yeah," Cyrus replied, "we'll be on our way."

"No!" TJ yelled, startling Cyrus. He sounded frustrated as he said, "Just Amber. Please don't come, Cyrus." Another arrow.

"TJ," Cyrus softly spoke. They both didn't say anything, but Cyrus picked up the screaming in the background. Something bad was happening. "I'll go get Amber. Stay safe. Please." TJ hung up after the last word, and Cyrus didn't hesitate to start looking around. He pushed through crowds of kids on the dance floors, looking around for Andi's sequin headband. She was with Andi last.

He finally found Amber posing with Andi in the DIY photobooth him Celia and put together. It came out kind of cute even though he wanted to die 50% of the time they were making it.

"Hey, Cyrus," Amber reached out her arm with a huge grin. He had never seen her so happy. "Come take pictures with us."

"Amber," Cyrus frowned and stepped closer to her, confused expressions showing up on Andi and Amber's faces. "You have to go home."

"Home?" Amber's eyes shot wide open. "What? What's wrong."

"I don't know," Cyrus shook his head, "TJ sounds... scared kind of."

"Crap," Amber muttered under her breath. She turned to Andi and gave her a hug, "I'm sorry, Andi. I have to go. It's probably something with my family."

"Yeah," Andi, who was still confused, said, "thank you for coming." Andi raised an eyebrow at Cyrus during the hug, causing Cyrus to quickly look down at his shoes.

"Amber," Cyrus asked once the girls pulled apart, "can I go with you?"

"Are you sure?" Amber hesitated. "I'm running home, and it might be a disaster. I don't want you to have to see that."