𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐘 | 𝐦. 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

26

Marlon's POV

"No, I don't know what you're trying to say," I tell Michael, rubbing the back of my neck nervously.

Michael only grins, "I saw y'all the other night talking together! You thought I wasn't paying attention?"

I sigh in relief, and I don't think it went unnoticed by Tito. He very subtly raises an eyebrow at me yet doesn't say anything, but with him, I don't know if I'm grateful or afraid that he remained quiet.

"Oh, yeah, dude. We were just catching up on stuff," I explain to him, relaxing a little. I look over at Tonya, who looks just as relieved as I do.

"What do y'all need to catch up on? You guys hang out and talk every day," Jermaine suddenly joins in. I side-eye him.

"Come on, man," Tito sighs, "If Tonya was a boy, y'all wouldn't be trippin' about this."

I'm slightly thankful for Tito's defense, but it also makes me slightly worried. Could he know? He's way too observant, and his silence worries me sometimes because that means he's paying close attention to things.

"Uh- yeah, what T said," I agree, and I can see Tonya nodding, too.

"Yeah. Guys and girls can be friends, you know," Tonya chuckles.

"Just like I could've been friends with the little cutie at the hotel," Randy whines, resulting in Jermaine smacking him in the back of the head. "Ouch, man!" Randy exclaims, rubbing his head. I exhale a laugh.

I start to think about how things will go later. I mean, it's kind of been a silent exchange between Tonya and I after the whole kiss. We haven't really talked about it, and.. I want to, but I'm a little nervous.

I know, I know. A goofball like me shouldn't be nervous about anything, especially not talking to my best friend, but with these new feelings involved, I guess there's new fears in it, too.

I really want to be with Tonya, and I hope she wants to be with me, too. I'm worried that if we do get together, what'll Joseph think? I'd hope that mother would be fine with it, but Joseph got real mad last time Jermaine brought a girl home to introduce.

I wonder what Tonya's mother would think. I hope she'll trust me enough to be her daughter's, not only best friend, but possible boyfriend. I'm going to try my best not to think about it now, I don't want to get anxious and not be ready for the show.

I need to find a way to talk to Tonya about this, though, in private and before we get back home.

A few hours had passed and-

"I want to sing lead for 'Heartbreak Hotel'," Jermaine blurts out of nowhere. Me and Michael look at each other with blank faces and then soon burst out into laughter.

"Nigga, what?" Tito scoffed, his sudden use of the curse word making Michael and I laugh even harder.

"Stop, my stomach hurts!" I exclaimed, almost crying with laughter at this point. Me and Michael are practically holding onto each other, catching our breaths. Jermaine didn't seem amused.

"What the hell is so funny?"

"You," Jackie chuckles, putting his head into his hands.

"Listen, man. Let's be real. Michael was made for the lead in that song, so you can't sing it. Besides, you haven't even practiced it. You can't just go up there with zero prep, you'll look stupid," Tito explains to him, seeming to genuinely care about Jermaine possibly embarrassing himself.

Jermaine simply crosses his arms, stubborn, "I don't care. I can do it.".

Before I could even tell my brother why that was the most terrible idea ever, I noticed we were now approaching the huge stadium that we were performing at.

"You know what? Let's let him do it," Tito says, a subtle smirk on his face. Oh lord.

"Exactly, let me do it. I could be a whole solo artist if I wanted to, really," Jermaine added. Oh my god.

"Please don't," Tonya pleaded, shaking her head.

"What? He'll sound horrible up there," Randy's bluntness makes me want to laugh again but I hold it back.

Tito pushes up the sunglasses he's got on, "Nah, let him show off since he thinks he's that guy."

Well..

Here goes.. everything.