Fix You ~Completed~

Act Eighteen

"You are performing without us? Eddie! You traitor!"

"It's just tonight. I have a song I wanna do and I've been practicing for a while!"

"Can you believe him, Lem?"

I smiled, sipping my latte happily. "It's absolute malarkey. He's right."

"First, you don't tell us you're part gay and now-"

"'Part gay?'" Eddie interrupted, covering his mouth as laughs escaped him. "Dear god, Gale, let it go! I'm sorry! Okay? I love you, not like that, but like a bro. I really should have told you sooner but I didn't, so sorry."

"I'm just so offended for ten different reasons. This is the last Karaoke Night before winter break and you're ditching us? Well, Lem, I guess we'll have to do our own awesome mix! Let's do "Fuck You" by Lily Allen!" My friend held up his middle finger for Eddie, a smirk fueled by only a little actual anger on his face.

Again, I loved these guys.

"Gale, you are such a drama queen. I get why you and Jim-Jam get along so well now!" Eddie sighed, taking a lingering drink of his latte.

It never occurred to me just how well the guys must know Jimmy; they always talked so familiarly and that nickname- Jim-Jam- had come up a few times. I guess I just assumed they had a casual customer/café-man relationship. Never caught on that they were actual, normal friends. I didn't usually see Gale or Eddie with anyone besides each other.

"Whatever, Han. What song are you doing?"

"You'll see."

"Are you declaring your undying love for Jesimae?"

"So help me, I will kill you, Gale."

Speak and the devil! Jesimae was just getting on stage with Barista Madison. They were doing a cover of Avril Lavigne's "Losing Grip," and doing a pretty good job of it too. It wasn't my favorite song of hers. It was a little too hard core for me. Honestly, it was more of Kyla's kind of song.

We're so different, I realized with a start. I blinked. How have we worked for so long? We barely have anything in common.

We worked because I loved Kyla and I believed Kyla loved me.

"Lem, what's your favorite song?" Gale turned to me, his smoothie straw dangling from his lips like one of Kyla's cigarettes.

"Um, I really like "Better Life" by Pink," I admitted sheepishly. "Either that or "My Funny Valentine." I've got a soft spot for jazz."

"Ooh, I love jazz! Chicago is my favorite musical, and all that jazz!" To add to the flair, Gale threw some jazz hands my way and I nearly lost it.

Eddie shook his head, informing me Gale's favorite musical was actually Grease. "He made me watch it four times in one day when we were in high school. That boy is a monster!" he chuckled, tossing a straw wrapper at Gale, who promptly stuck his tongue out in response.

Jesimae and Madison did a little bow once they finished and hopped off the stage merrily.

Eddie rose when the announcer, Alto, came up and called out his name. "Going solo, Eddie? Hmm," Alto teased good-naturedly, shaking his head.

I sat up in my chair as the blonde climbed onto the stage and selected a song. "What do you think he'll do?" I asked Gale, who admitted he had no clue. We waited in anticipation as the music started. It was a slow country waltz I remembered hearing once in Eddie's car.

"I can see you over there staring at your drink watching that ice sink all alone tonight and chances are you're sitting here in this bar 'cause he ain't gonna treat you right," Eddie sang into the microphone, his voice taking up every crevice in this place with a gentle pounding. As embarrassing as it was to admit it, his voice made me feel like a block of chocolate on the hottest day in July. I let myself fall forwards and rest my elbows against the table, my eyes never leaving my friend as he serenaded the audience with the most beautiful ballad I'd ever heard. "It's probably not my place but I'm gonna say it anyway 'cause you look like you haven't felt the fire, had a little fun, hadn't felt a smile in a little while. Baby, blue looks good on the sky, looks good on that neon buzzing on the wall, but darling it don't match your eyes. I'm telling you, you don't need that guy. It's so black and white. He's stealing your thunder. Baby, blue ain't your color."

In a flash, both Gale and I seemed to catch onto what was happening. I threw my hands over my mouth while the boy next to me simply guffawed. "Should have known," he sighed, elbowing me. "Have you ever been sang to before?"

"Uh, he's not..." I stammered, but it was hard to deny it.

The minute he finished, he'd be a dead man.

Okay, not really. I couldn't help how much I loved it. Nobody had ever done something like that before. He was absolutely crazy and just amazing and-

And I was not allowed to think like that, ever. If I did, I would be the dead man. I knew that much and I hated it.