Family Friends: A Tyrus High School AU

26

Opening night approached and all of Cyrus' "entourage" filled the front row.

Cyrus was there: front and centre - stealing the show. He had nailed all of his dance routines and convinced the audience that he - compassionate, emotionally intelligent Cyrus Goodman - was a bad boy who disregarded the feelings of others.

The bullies that attempted to heckle him at the beginning of the show knew deep down that Cyrus was gifted.

He was still very much an introvert by nature but acting gave him a chance to be anything.

By the time the play was over, Cyrus had beads of sweat trickling down his forehead and his leather jacket stuck to him but he had never felt so free.

"Cyrus! You were incredible up there!" Andi exclaimed before congratulating herself on her incredible set design. 

"You looked like a trained dancer up there," Amber added, pinching Cyrus' cheeks.

His friends continued to shower him in compliments until they saw TJ standing in the doorway.

Buffy and Marty were the first to leave, hand in hand and the rest followed. Each gave TJ an identical knowing look before going back into the crowd.

TJ presented Cyrus with some balloon flowers and a muffin basket because he knew about Cyrus' raging hayfever.

All the petals that had been thrown on the stage had already made Cyrus' eyes turn bloodshot and puffy. But he was grinning broadly and his eyes smiled along with him.

"You were incredible. But you already know that," TJ chuckled and Cyrus nodded along in response. He knew that he was great - playing a character like Danny Zuko, any touch of insecurity is amplified.

"I think you should wear leather jackets more often," TJ remarked as Cyrus scoffed 2 muffins from the basket, his eyes lighting up more with each bite.

TJ brushed the crumbs off of Cyrus' face like he always did when they were younger.

"Teej, promise not to laugh at me," Cyrus said, after polishing off his muffins. TJ wrapped his pinky around Cyrus'.

"Before you came, I was cooking a meal that used rice. And I started bawling because I remembered that time we got 'married' when we were 8." Cyrus said and then gave a slight nod as permission for TJ to burst out in an ugly fit of laughing.

"You have one of those breathless wheezing laughs. I don't know whether to laugh along with you or get you an asthma pump," Cyrus said between giggles.

"Your's sounds like it should feature on an episode of Spongebob - you're one to talk," TJ fired back.

"I think I should go and see Ms Robinson about the performance," Cyrus said. He tiptoed to pat TJ on the head.