No Pills

Carnivorous

*Charlie's P.O.V*

"She is singing Creep," Noah says, coming to my side.

Puzzled, I frown, and he chuckles," The song is Creep. Classic Mia."

Judging from his response, either the song somehow suits her, or she is making a statement with it. Her voice is raspy in some parts of the song and sweet in others. I don't know anything about music, but it is pretty cool. I didn't realise her singing voice was so versatile till now. She sounds like an artist in the kind of genre Harry calls alternative indie.

Speaking of Harry, Noah asks me if I auditioned too, and I tell him I just came to support a friend.

"Oh, ok," Noah says, a little disappointed. "Well, thank you for asking of Mia and-" he cuts himself, laughing incredulously, " even going to find her yourself."

I shrug. It's nothing.

It's not like I had anything left to do once Harry finished performing. My friend got a call from his two pals, so he gave me a bike from his boot to go home with and then left. I realised I didn't see Mia around and put two and two together until I reckoned the African American guy from my first class must be her classmate. I didn't even struggle to ask him where she was. He said first, "Hey, your bike looks like mine!" The rest was history.

When she finally comes out through the curtains, she squeals frantically.
"AAAA!"

"You did it!!" Noah matches her energy. They jump as if the platform is not made of plywood. Then, she turns to me, composing herself.

"Thank you!" she pants.

I smile. "It's nothing. You're amazing."

*Mia's P.O.V *

It's the first school day since the music audition, yet there is no news. If this is an attempt to make students focus, it's not working in any of my classes. No one is paying attention to the teachers, and when the bell rings for closing, everyone is more than excited to ambush the music teacher.

"Miss Morrell!" I shuffle towards her hunched figure behind the school piano as the crowd clears. I must say, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, dear," she replies nonchalantly. Then, recognising me, she wipes out all signs of boredom with a pleasant grin. "Ah! It's you, incident girl."

"Urr ... ya?" I wince a little. Please, don't say it aloud.

"How was the audition?" She says instead, to my relief.

I tell her it's good because I have no clue what the judges were looking out for anyway; I just did my best.

She gives me her 'stop being modest' grin and almost says something when her call ringtone intrudes. I leave her to it.

Someone calls me as I enter the hallway. Turning, I see Anna's bouncy steps.

"Mia!" She halts upon catching up. I wait for her to recover her breath as she raps, "I know we barely talk to each other or do anything together, but I have an emergency. I have to do this project; it's so important to me, but Mr Stone won't give me extra time to do it well, so I need all the help I can get. Can you help?"

Before I know it, we are boarding the school bus. She plops onto the backseat and makes space for me beside her.

"I know what you're thinking," she says, "how's the mayor's daughter taking the school bus?"

No one cares; I see and think.

"Anyway, it's because my sweet ride got wrecked, and as punishment for letting that happen, my dad makes me work at Starbucks and take the bus home. It is what it is, though, right?"