You Drive Me Crazy || Sam Evans

38. Asian F

"My heart will go on and on," Sugar screeched the final line of the iconic ballad, her voice straining to hit the high note.

Melanie and Ms. Cochran grimaced in unison, though Ms. Cochran was polite enough to mask her reaction with a tight smile. Melanie, on the other hand, subtly covered her ears, leaning her elbows on the edge of the piano for support.

"Killed it," Sugar muttered confidently, nodding to herself with pride as she grabbed her purse.

Ms. Cochran hesitated, clearly at a loss for constructive feedback. She glanced at Melanie, silently asking for help.

Melanie forced a smile, scrambling for a diplomatic response. "Um... I can honestly say I've never heard a rendition quite like that before."

Ms. Cochran nodded in agreement. "Yes, agreed."

Sugar beamed, entirely missing the subtext, and strutted out of the rehearsal space. Once Sugar was out of earshot, Melanie exhaled, muttering under her breath, "And I hope I never have to hear it again."

The comment earned a soft chuckle from Ms. Cochran, who began stacking her papers into neat piles. "You know," she said casually, her tone light, "you're really good."

Melanie blinked, caught off guard. "Oh, uh... thank you?"

"Seriously," Ms. Cochran pressed, her eyes warm with sincerity. "Have you thought about pursuing music after high school?"

Melanie shifted uncomfortably, her hands fidgeting in her lap. "I... don't really know," she admitted, her voice tight. "I haven't figured out what I want to do yet."

"You should consider it," Ms. Cochran encouraged with a kind smile. "You have an amazing voice."

Melanie nodded, offering a small, awkward smile as Ms. Cochran left the room. Alone now, Melanie sat at the piano, her fingers lazily brushing over the keys. A quiet tune emerged, but her thoughts drowned it out.

Melanie stayed behind, plunking lazily on the keys as her mind wandered. Part of her felt a little swell of pride. She had worked hard to get more comfortable with her voice, and hearing genuine praise felt... nice. But another part of her couldn't ignore the familiar gnaw of anxiety that settled low in her stomach whenever she thought about her future. She didn't have an answer, and it made her stomach twist.

A soft knock at the door pulled her from her spiral. She looked up to see Tina leaning casually in the doorway.

"Hey," Tina greeted, crossing the room to sit next to Melanie on the piano bench.

"Hi," Melanie replied, her smile brighter now.

"How's it going in the new glee club?" Tina asked, resting her elbows on her knees as she turned to face her friend.

Melanie tilted her head thoughtfully. "Great... good... okay," she said, her tone wavering. "It's just me and Sugar right now, but it's early. More people will join, I'm sure. And, hey, if nothing else, I haven't had to hear Rachel talk about herself in a whole 24 hours, so that's a win."

Tina laughed, her shoulders shaking. "How's the other Glee club?" Melanie asked, her tone casual but curious.

"Good. Rachel's still Rachel. Oh, and she and Mercedes are about to go head-to-head for Maria—they both got callbacks. Boot camp's intense, though," Tina explained before adding, "Everyone misses you."

Melanie raised her brows, giving Tina a knowing look. "I miss every one too." Melanie said sincerely "But I'm not going back, T."

Tina sighed dramatically. "It's just not the same. First you leave, now Mike's talking about leaving too."