MELODY

MELODY 33

┏ 𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜┐

Bryan and Jackson were outside of the convenience store where small tables and plastic chairs were placed at the side of the shop for people to sit. The road was less busy and the night had started to be accompanied by chirping crickets as they revelled in the silence. The guitarist was busy eating his instant noodles in a cup while the shorter man looked at the sky.

"What if it backfires?" he asked Jackson.

The taller man looked up from his food before he swallowed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Bryan couldn't help but to grab the tissue paper provided and leaned forward to wipe his lips. The guitarist stared at his face before he touched his hand, halting his movement. His heart skipped a beat as he pulled away from the warm touch, watching Jackson wiping his mouth before he tossed the paper next to the half-empty cup of noodles.

"If it backfires," Jackson said. "Then we've tried."

Bryan hummed. He supposed that was what they could do. There was nothing else they could do besides this. He just couldn't help but wish the best for his best friend.

"You mentioned a competition," he said, catching the guitarist's attention. "This is the first I'm hearing about it."

"We've just recently got accepted into it," Jackson said. "We auditioned for it back in July. We only received news we're in last week."

Bryan placed his arms on the table. "What's the competition?"

"A music competition with the prize of being able to open for Fright," Jackson said. "And that means going on tour with them."

"Tour," Bryan said, impressed and awed at such a thing.

"And signed to a record label if we impress them on tour," the guitarist said with a shrug. "But that's just a dream for now. We need to win first." He huffed a breath. "Which we aren't if your friend and Tay keep acting like that."

Bryan winced at that. "Right." Deciding to change the subject, he said, "What do you have to do?"

"Perform on stage in front of a few judges. It's going to take a few days when the competition starts with elimination rounds," Jackson said. "But it's also when semester break comes around so the timing fits."

"How the hell do you even keep up with music and your school work?" Bryan blinked, unable to imagine himself in that shoe. It was then he realised that... he had no idea what Jackson studied. "What do you even study?"

Jackson snorted, one corner of his lips curled upwards. "Business."

"Business?" Bryan placed his chin on the palm of his hand, leaning against the small table.

Jackson being a business student didn't seem to fit the image he had of him. Maybe the disbelief coloured his face a bit too clearly because the guitarist simply rolled his eyes and went back to eating his instant noodles, occasionally slurping the broth.

"Stop looking at me like I'm an alien," Jackson said after a brief few seconds of silence.

"Sorry." Bryan cleared his throat as he dropped his hand on the cool table. "Didn't realise you were a business student."

"I'm surprised," Jackson said, his voice tinted in slight amusement. "You've stalked my profile for how long now and you couldn't find out which major I'm in?"

Face heating up at the accusation, he resisted the urge to kick Jackson's shin like he usually did to his friends whenever he was flustered. Sighing, he aimed an unamused look instead, narrowing his gaze at the arrogant guitarist in front of him.