Breathe Again

18: Everyone Is a Musical Guy at Heart

By the time evening comes around they're both far too tired to think about leaving the hostel. It's been a busy start to the week and two late nights/early mornings so they come to the agreement to have a quiet night in. Liam jokes that they're becoming an old married couple but Isaac chooses to ignore it.

"Have you heard from Daniel and Jonah?" Isaac asks around a mouthful of food, the two of them have ordered burgers from the hostel restaurant and are sat in a booth in the corner debating what to do with their quiet evening.

"Not much," Liam says, "I don't know if they're annoyed we're doing stuff without them."

"I guess it would be kind of fair."

"I mean the do stuff without them all the time."

"Yeah, but.... That's different." Isaac isn't sure how to explain how it's different but it definitely is, they are not Daniel and Jonah part 2.

"Is it?"

"It is," Isaac says. He tries to sound firm, sound certain but he's not quite sure he manages it.

"I'll take your word for it."

A beat of silence.

"I have an idea for tonight," Liam says.

Something about the tone of Liam's voice fills Isaac with trepidation. He feels that whatever Liam is thinking it might not be exactly the vibe he's going for.

"What is it?" Isaac asks suspiciously.

"A high school musical movie marathon."

"Is this a serious suggestion?"

"Of course!"

Part of Isaac wants to humour Liam, because he has a massive crush on him and apparently is willing to subject himself to anything in order to see the other boy smile. But he may have to draw the line here because Isaac is very much not a musical man, and of all of the ones on offer High School Musical is definitely not the one he's reaching towards first.

"Liam, you know I don't really do musicals."

"You mean like how I didn't really do the outdoors?" Liam says. "And yet I still went on a walk with you."

"An excellent point," Isaac replies, "but can we make a compromise."

This time it is Liam's turn to sound suspicious.

"Depends what the compromise is."

"I will watch a musical with you." The smile on Liam's face somehow seems to make this worth it and Isaac acknowledges that he is well and truly whipped. "But not High School Musical, can we watch something a bit more, I don't know, me."

Liam looks deep in thought for a second and something about that scares Isaac. He's never entirely understood the appeal of musicals but he knows Liam could probably list 200 of them off the top of his head. This is new territory for them though, while Isaac is happy to listen to Liam sing along to them slightly out of tune, this is the first time Isaac has been asked to venture into the world itself alongside Liam.

"I have the perfect one," Liam promises him.

"I'm not sure there's such a thing," Isaac replies, "but I'm willing to tolerate a single musical so pick well."

"Wow thanks for the added pressure Isaac."

"You're welcome."

The conversation is dropped and instead they talk about other things, swapping stories of their childhood (more Liam than Isaac), and explaining how the twilight baseball scene made cinematic history (more Isaac than Liam). It's a nice evening and Isaac feels as if this is the epitome of a perfect night, he doesn't need anything special just food and a friend and easy conversation.