Love, Eliot

Stop Dragin' My Heart Around

The sidewalk glittered underneath the street lamps as we walked to the karaoke bar. Our stay at the restaurant stretched through the afternoon and ended with management kicking us out.

I checked my phone every few minutes but apparently, everyone, anonymous or not, didn't have time to talk.

Meanwhile, Rosemary practiced her best drug addict stripper impersonation with Connor while Stacy and I discussed our background roles.

"I try not to be bitter," Stacy stated while running her fingers through the bottom of her hair. "Really, I do. It's just that I know if I had more of a something... a wow-factor maybe I would be getting big parts."

I shrugged and pretended not to care either way, "It's just life."

She frowned at my lack of participation in the pity party, "Life sucks."

I refrained from making a sex joke so early in the evening.

Eliot would have enjoyed it though.

Before I had the time to fully miss him, Connor held the bar door open for us and ushered me inside.

Luckily, Stacy let the conversation die as we found seats next to the stage. Instead of the hipster bar we expected, the building looked more like my grandmother's garage.

Rusted license plates and newspaper clippings lined the walls.

I saw Josiah joking with his friends by the bar. The way that he smiled tied my stomach into knots. How long had it been since I felt like this?

I buffered, slowly, like a computer from the nineties, and then Britney Spears played from the speakers. Rosemary clapped and whistled like an over-enthusiastic football fan.

The intro blared over us and Stacy clutched the microphone for dear life. I missed the conversation when we decided to participate.

From that moment on, I couldn't agree with Stacy's argument about being plain. Everything stood out; rhinestone hairbands and bell-bottom jeans never failed to grab an audience's attention.

If no one noticed her before, they sure would after her semi-off-key version of Hit Me, Baby, One More Time. I personally would have chosen something more along the lines of Slave for You.

I chuckled at my own joke and considered telling it to Eliot later that night.

Meanwhile, Connor laughed and welcomed Stacy back to the table with a high-five. "Damn, haven't seen you do that since sixth grade."

"Oh, that's no fair," Rosemary said, "You had practice."

"Yeah, practice looking like an idiot." Stacy's cheeks burned but her eyes wandered over to Connor, challenging him. "Now it's your turn."

Connor jumped off his barstool, not hesitating for a second. "Watch and learn." The crowd parted to make way for him as he headed to the DJ.

I took the opportunity to check my phone and was disappointed by the silence, before tucking it away again.

Connor climbed the stage stairs, grabbed the microphone, and then in front of God, everyone sang a soulful rendition of I Want it that Way.

Halfway through he winked, maybe to no one in particular, and strolled around the stage as if he belonged there. How had I missed his audition in class? Was I too busy staring at Josiah?

I cursed myself for having a one-track mind and laughed through the remainder of the performance.

When he came back to the table, my ribs hurt, and he focused his attention on me. "What'd you think?" The smirk on his face widened the longer it took for me to respond.