The Teenage Monologues.

You, Me, and the Music: A Sophie Monologue.

liz

Milo yanked my arm down the street, not answering any of the questions I had for him. The violin case on my back hits against me every time Milo pulls my arm a little too far from where the rest of my body is.

“Milo,” I tried to call out for him again, but this time I made us stop. He turns around when he notices my hand is not in his anymore. “For the last time, where are we going?”

Milo smiled. “You’ll see,” Milo answered. “We’re a couple of blocks away, Scout.” He wasn’t wrong. A couple of minutes later, we stopped in front of a building, a storefront of some sort. I looked up at the sign that reads, “Castro Dance Academy”.

“Why are we here?” I asked MIlo as I looked at him. He rings the doorbell of the studio, and to my surprise, Mrs. Kamalani opens the front door.

“Hello,” Mrs. Kamalani smiled and greeted us. Milo walked into the studio without hesitation; I on the other hand was terrified at being in a dance studio with his step-mum alone.

“Hi, Mrs. Kamalani,” I greeted her, yet was so nervous that when I said hi, I bowed to her out of respect. I immediately turn red, realizing that doing so isn’t normal in American culture. I immediately shot up and corrected myself. “I mean, hi Pep.”

Mrs. Kamalani smiled as I greeted her. I looked over to Milo, whose face was even redder than mine.

“Hi, Sophie! I’m glad to see you and Milo here working on your assignments,” she said as she walked further into the studio. The studio was spacious and decorated to seem fit a dance studio. I stood in the middle of the dance studio, watching Milo come in and out of a small storage closet.

“So, we have to get busy, so…” Milo said to Mrs. Kamalani. She nodded.

“Gotcha, you want me out of your hair. Well, we have to leave by 4 since I have to pick up the girls from Grandma’s,” Mrs. Kamalani walked towards an office room and closed the door behind her. Milo turned around to look at me, smiling.

“You like the surprise?” Milo asked.

“I feel honored to practice in a real studio,” I answered, looking around the studio. Milo took the liberty to take my violin case off my back and set it down next to a folding chair next to a music stand. I blushed at the gesture.

“So do you have any idea what you want to play for this assignment?” Milo asked. I shrugged my shoulders before answering.

“I was going to play the piece I did for the audition,” I answered. Milo didn’t look amused.

“Scout,” Milo began. “Your audition piece was bomb, but that was middle-school Scout. She’s definitely a better player now than that audition.”

“And what were you thinking of doing for the assignment?” I asked back. Milo smiled his infamous “I got confidence” smile. I hope to one day have confidence in my craft the way Milo does.

“I was going to actually make a song,” Milo said. He took out his laptop and began to play a beat. He then took out his drum sticks, in which he began to play over the beat with his practice drum. I’ve heard Milo play in the past, but something about his music playing these days just feels different. I feel like I am sitting in front of a celebrity when I hear him play. It makes me smile to think that not many get the chance to be in a studio playing with Milo Kamalani: one of the school’s fewest dual majors. When he’s done, I clap like an audience member witnessing magic on the Carnegie Hall stage.

“That. Was. Amazing!” I said, really excited for Milo. “You make this assignment actually look like a piece of cake.”

“It is,” Milo stated. “And I know that you’re gonna make it look easy too.” My smile fades away, now having to think about what it is that my assignment will look like. I can’t lie; I still feel like I shouldn’t be in this band ensemble because of how many few girls are in it. I feel like the boys in the class look at me like I’m in the wrong classroom. There was a lot of talent in our band ensemble and sometimes, I feel more like a viewer than an actual participating member of the ensemble.

“I still don’t know what I should do for this assignment,” I said a little more defeated than I intended. Milo’s smile fades until he gets an idea.

“How about a cover of a modern song?” Milo suggested. I look at Milo as if he had five heads all speaking a different language.

“I’m sorry, what?” I asked. Milo goes into his bookbag and pulls out a book of sheet music. After bookbag has a small keyboard in it. I’m amazed at just how prepared he is. He flips through the book and stops at one song. He begins to play the keyboard to a song that plays on the radio. Naturally, I play the violin along. I didn’t know I was capable of just jumping into it. I was always taught that you should always have music to play to, and you should always follow it. Milo has time and time again shown me that it’s okay to break the rules.

“Now that was even better than bomb,” Milo complimented me. I smiled and shared a comfortable silence with him until my phone rang in my bookbag. I walked over to it to see who it could be; it was most likely my mom just asking when will I be home. I looked down at my phone screen to see a blocked number from the UK. Dad. I immediately mute my phone and put it back into my bookbag.

The "Something" Series: Season 2

Something Out of the Blue: A Monologue.

liz

Nothing but the radio and GPS play inside the car. I don’t know how car rides with Grace became a space where we share silence, but I guess we were always like that. Maybe that happened the night when Grace drove me back to my temporary apartment in New York; the night I was supposed to go back to Korea for the first time. I wish I spoke to her during that ride; I know she probably had a lot to say and instead, I avoided it just so I didn’t have to deal with Grace being hurt by my actions.

But I remember her face pretty well that night. She barely turned her head to look at me, and I learned early on in knowing Grace that she hates looking at people when she’s upset. She was a crybaby; I knew that since the very beginning of getting to know her, yet she didn’t want anyone to realize that she wasn’t always this strong, independent woman that she wanted to be. She was vulnerable when it came to the things that she cared about. I saw that as soon as I saw her with little bean; her daughter, Willow. It must hurt her knowing she’s 3,000 miles away from Willow.

I looked at Grace and all she did was look out the window, without saying anything.

“You know,” I started to say. Grace still didn’t turn her head. “You can always come to me if you ever need to talk things out or vent.”

“What makes you say that?” Grace said. I could see that she turned her head to face me from the corner of my eye.

“You seem like you have some stuff on your mind,” I answered. “I noticed back at the karaoke room and on the boardwalk. I didn’t want to say anything to ruin your night–“

“Everything’s fine, Jamie,” Grace said. She looked back towards the window. I looked at her briefly before I continued looking forward, driving.

“Nice try,” I answered back, throwing what she said to me on the boardwalk back to her. it’s finally when both Grace and I look at each other for the first time since getting into the car. “So what are you really thinking about?” Grace doesn’t say anything right away, and I didn’t expect her to say anything. Grace never did anything she didn’t want to do, and this time was no exception.

“Do you ever miss home when you’re away?” Grace randomly asked. I didn’t know what to think of it, and to be honest I didn’t know how to answer. Honestly? Truthfully?

“Home is what you make it,” I answered. “It’s how I see it whenever I’m away from Korea. Of course, Korea is where my home is, but wherever I am, I also make it my home. I guess it makes it easier.”

“Did you always feel that way or did that come with time?” Grace asked, now with her complete body facing me. I looked over at her briefly and back toward the road.

“It came with time,” I answered. I didn’t realize that it came with time, to be honest; I haven’t put much thought into it. Sure, the first time I left Korea with my Korean-English dictionary to vacation in California I was immensely homesick, and I don’t know how that changed so quickly by the time I was in America on business. It changed with time; knowing New York and being with Grace… it made it easier to make that out of a home.

It was my favorite home, to say the least. It’s the home where I experience being homesick the most.

Grace sighed and looked forward toward the road before we spoke.

“I miss my daughter,” Grace confessed. I didn’t say anything right away. This felt like a moment where Grace wasn’t just speaking to me and being honest; she was confessing to the universe, to herself. “Every day I feel like a terrible mother for leaving her in New York. She’s getting older and… she’s going to remember this; how her mom wasn’t there with her as she was.” I looked over to Grace; she still hasn’t moved her head away.

“Have you been back since being in California?” I gently asked. She softly shook her head no.

“I’m too scared to go back to New York. I don’t know if I ever will.” Grace admitted. A part of me feels extremely guilty for the way Grace feels. A part of me blames myself; how did I fuck up someone’s home to the point they are scared to return to it? I can’t help but feel so sad for Grace. At least I can go back to Korea without anything holding me back. Grace doesn’t have that.

Grace looks at me and faintly smiles; even when she’s going through a hard time, she always tries to be strong to those around her. At the red light, I stop and finally get a good look at Grace. I finally noticed the dry tears on her face. Aigoo.

“You don’t always have to be strong, Grace,” I said softly. “You’re allowed to be sad and scared and… vulnerable. You don’t need to put on a fake smile for anyone.” Grace’s smile immediately fades; it’s like she was holding all of this in for hours, days or months even. Because she starts to cry; the tears on her face roll down her cheeks immediately.

“I feel so lonely here, Jamie,” Grace spits out. “Skylar is never around and I literally have no one else here. So why am I here? Why am I trying so hard to make this city my home if I don’t feel like I have anything to make this my home?” The light turns green, but I don’t continue driving forward. I take a right turn into a gas station parking lot; it didn’t feel right driving and not giving Grace my undivided attention. I always stopped what I was doing for her.

I don’t say anything. I allow Grace to just talk because who’s to say she hasn’t kept this inside her soul for the time she’s been in California? She deserves someone to listen to her and comfort her. She deserves the entire fucking world.

“Why are you scared to go back to New York?” I finally answered once she stops speaking. She doesn’t answer right away; she wipes falling tears off of her face. I was scared to know the answer myself knowing it could possibly confirm why I feel like absolute shit.

“I’m afraid everyone has moved on. Like no one ever needed me,” Grace explained. I couldn’t help but scrunch my eyebrows together. Grace Ashmore, the woman that I met in New York, feels like her friends and family back home don’t need her anymore.

“I mean, I needed you,” I admitted. What are you doing, Jaemin-ah? “You’ve helped me get around the city my first time there, and,” I began to trail off. “Willow will always need you. You’re her mother no matter how far you are.” Grace looks down at her hands; she does that when she’s nervous and she rips her cuticles from her fingers as a distraction.

“Hey?” I called out for her. Grace finally looks back up at me. I don’t know where I was going with this, but all I wanted was for Grace to know she is always welcomed no matter where she goes. She’s allowed to go back home and not feel like she doesn’t belong anymore. “You should go and make a visit to New York. Seeing Willow in person will make you feel so much better. You shouldn’t be scared to go back.”

Grace faintly smiles and wipes the tears off her face with the palm of her hand. I reached into the glove department and handed Grace the tissues. She accepts the offer and cleans her face with the tissues. Before I restart the car to take Grace home, she speaks out loud again, something that I think she meant to ask herself instead of me.

“You never answered my question,” Grace says to me. I looked at her and leaned back into the seat. She blinked slowly before she spoke. “Do you ever miss home when you’re away?”

Korea; no. New York; every single goddamn day.

Misc., The Teenage Monologues.

One in the Same: A Milo Monologue.

liz

I reached into my bookbag to get out my notebook for band class, as well as my drumsticks. Huge drums surround me every 6th period, and I swear it makes me happier as the days pass. More of my bandmates come into the classroom, sitting in their assigned seats and taking out their instruments. As I tune the drums next to me, I hear a girl’s voice and immediately look up. It’s Sophie.

“Hey, Milo,” she greets me. I smile at her and give her a hug.

“Hey, Scout. Ready for class today?”

“Of course! I’m interested to finally see the piece we’ll be learning for the showcase,” Sophie answered excitedly. I smiled at her, but couldn’t help the other bandmates all look at Sophie as they passed by her. It annoys me that even a couple of days into school, they still can’t get over the fact that she’s one of the only girls in band class. Sophie looks at me and her smile fades; I guess she already knows what’s going on.

“Hey, don’t be down,” I reassured her. “Don’t let these boys make you feel like you don’t belong here. They don’t know your mad skills yet. She finally smiled again, which makes me happy.

“Thanks, Milo. You always know what to say,” Sophie said. Our faces were pretty close, and she didn’t move away from where she was standing. It was weird with Sophie; I never knew if she wanted to be more than friends, but I was always worried to scare her off if I told her I wanted to be more than friends. We haven’t spoken about any of the kisses we shared when we were in middle school. Sometimes I feel like she just wants to forget they even never happened. Me, I can’t stop thinking about them.

“Alright, alright; excuse me,” another voice is heard. I turn around and see Aaron standing there, trying to make his way towards the percussion area to his seat. Sophie steps back and walks back to her seat. I rolled my eyes at Aaron. Always ruining my mood somehow.

Our teacher, Mr. Harrison, comes in and quiets down the class.

“Hello, everyone,” Mr. Harrison greeted us and placed his briefcase on top of his desk. “Today we are going to talk about the assignment that is due on Monday. It is simply just a one-minute piece of what instrument you play and one of your favorite pieces to play. As these will be your bandmates for the next four years, it is important that we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses in order to become one ensemble.”

I look at Sophie from the strings section. She takes notes in her notebook while everyone around her just sits there and looks at Mr. Harrison. I guess that’s what makes Sophie the smartest girl in her classes; she’s always writing notes.

I look to my left and see Aaron taking notes in his notebook as well. Might as well take notes too.

…

I walk into vocal early and see my dad sitting at his desk. He looks up to see who’s walking into his classroom.

“Milo?” my dad said. I went to sit at my set and placed my bag on the ground.

“Hey,” I responded back. My dad leaned on the back of his chair and crossed his arms.

“What do you need from me, Milo?” he asked. My dad always knew that whenever I needed something from him, I would be extra good or actually be in my dad’s presence like I wanted to. I sighed, letting go of the persona.

“Do you think Jennifer can let me use the studio on Saturday?” I asked.

“What’s wrong with the one downstairs?”

“It’s at the house,” I answered, looking at my dad like he wasn’t understanding.

“Milo, it’s still a studio place where you can practice,” my dad tried to convince me, but I didn’t want to change my mind.

“Please, dad? Sophie and I have an assignment due next week and–” Before I could finish my sentence, my dad smiles and laughs to himself before looking at me.

“Is this more about impressing Sophie than the assignment?” my dad asked as he crossed his arms. To be quite honest, it was totally about impressing Sophie, but my dad didn’t need to know that.

“No! It’s just,” I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to say. “It’s just… that at home, everyone’s gonna be home! Jennifer, Micah, and the twins; I just want to have quiet space to work on this music assignment.” I don’t know if my dad bought it, and I guess I’ll find out since the bell for last period rings and the first person in class besides me is Aaron.

“Good Afternoon, Mr. Serrano,” my dad greets Aaron as he takes his seat. My dad looks at me before continuing. “You can take a seat, Mr. Kamalani.” I rolled my eyes and went back to my seat. More and more students come into the class and then my dad clears his throat to start today’s class.

“Alright, guys; I would like for you all to prepare a song for next week’s class. You will be performing it in front of the class! Please choose a song that you believe best fits your vocal range as this assignment will determine your specific section in this choir,” my dad walked to the blackboard and wrote a couple of words down before turning around towards us again. “This choir will have 8 sections: first and second for sopranos, altos, and tenors while finishing it off with baritone and bass. Please do not come into this class on Monday singing Mariah Carey notes if you know your voice can only go as high as a first alto or second soprano.” My dad stopped talking and pointed to someone at the other end of the classroom, I look in the direction he is pointing at.

“Question, Mr. Serrano?” My dad asked.

“Can it be an original song that we wrote?” Aaron asks. I feel Mollie nudge my right arm.

“Look at Mr. Over-Achiever,” Mollie teases. I don’t answer back, I just watch my dad and Aaron talk back and forth with each other.

“Of course! I’m not sure how many of you are dual majors,” my dad started. I roll my eyes at even the sound of my dad mentioning the dual majors. Yes, I am one myself, but I would never flaunt it to the other students who were lucky enough to get into one program. Aaron seems to find the opportunity to share his status no matter where he is.

“But if you are one,” my dad continued. “We would love to see any other talents you may have in this assignment. The more we know about you, the better the teamwork will become once we start learning music.”

“Might as well just share that you’re a dual major,” I whispered to Mollie, who laughs in her seat. I couldn’t help but mimic how fucking bratty that guy sounds. It makes Mollie laugh even more.

“Excuse me, Ms. Castro and Mr. Kamalani,” my dad looked over at us. “Please stop disrupting the class. This is your first warning.” When he looks away from us, I roll my eyes. It’s bad enough I get scolded by my dad whenever I get into trouble at home; it sucks I gotta get it from him as my goddamn vocal teacher. My dad kept teaching and I did nothing but hide my face with my hair, waiting for the class to be finally over.

The "Something" Series: Season 2

Something To Keep You Going: A Monologue.

liz

I forgot what it was like to be in a noraebang– I mean, a karaoke room.

The last time was for Grace’s 26th birthday. It was my first time being in New York, and I had only known Grace for a couple of months at the time. It was also my first time ever wearing something so casual; she specifically requested for me to wear something that wasn’t something along the lines of “slacks and a button-down shirt”. To come and think of it, I’ve had many firsts back in New York with Grace.

I wonder if any of her firsts were also with me, back in New York.

“Jamie?” Grace snapped her fingers in my face. I looked down at her, immediately coming back to the present, gathering my surroundings. Grace was standing there with her hair tied up in a bun, wearing a floral, red summer dress.

“Huh? Sorry, what was that?” I asked. Grace rolled her eyes at me.

“1 hour or 2 hours for the karaoke room?” Grace asked. I couldn’t pinpoint what was bothering Grace, but Grace felt a little lost in thought tonight. I don’t know if coming out tonight was the best decision to make.

“1 hour is fine,” I answered. “We can grab something to eat afterward if you’re hungry.” Grace nodded her head and let the person in the front counter. The woman looked up from the computer to look at us both.

“Would you like a room with the mini-bar in it?” the woman asked. “It’s quite popular these days when people come to the karaoke room–“

“No alcohol please,” I quickly answered. “Uhm, a regular room is fine.” The woman nodded her head and gave us one of the keys to the karaoke room. I felt my face getting red. We thanked the woman and proceeded to walk to our karaoke room.

Once we got into the room, the LED lights were blinking and shining all throughout the little space. It reminded me so much of noraebang and how the guys and I would drink rounds of soju before coming to one of these rooms. It’s times like this when I get sort of homesick.

But then Grace turns around and smiles; all teeth and gums. I can’t help but smile back. She picked up one of the microphones on the table and held it up in the air.

“Okay, I’m ready,” Grace confidently said. I grabbed the tablet from the table and started looking through the song selections.

“Okay, so… whistle notes and high notes?” I teased. Grace widened her eyes and laughed.

“Jamie,” Grace called out my name. This time, the way she called out my name felt like comfort. It was the way she would emphasize the ‘e’ in my name, like a little child not getting what they wanted. But she knew that when she said my name like that, she always would win. She knew she had that affect on me, even if she didn’t realize it.

“Okay, okay!” I caved in. Aigoo. I looked through the song selections and come across a song I was actually familiar with. I pressed play, and the screen went black. Grace looked at the screen until the title of the song came up. She immediately laughed.

“Dreams by Fleetwood Mac?” Grace turned around and asked.

“It’s the only song I recognized,” I answered. Grace started laughing, but immediately turned around to start singing the song. Her voice is soft; completely different from her actual speaking voice. It was sweet and gentle; traits of Grace that I wished she was more comfortable in showing to the world.

Grace is wearing a “Birthday Girl” sash and crown on her head, singing the lyrics and dancing around the small karaoke room.

“Oh, thunder only happens when it’s raining!” Grace sang into the microphone. I clap along to the beat, with a huge smile on my face. Grace turns to me and grabs my arm to stand up and dance along with her.

“Players only love you when they’re playing!” we both sing into our microphones, completely off the original key. The lights circled around us all night.

“Thunder only happens when it’s raining,” Grace sways side-to-side as she sings, concentrating on the lyrics on the screen. I grab the other microphone from the table and stand up, grabbing Grace’s arm to make her dance. She looks at me, first confused at what I’m doing.

“Players only love you when they’re playing!” I sing, completely off-key, which makes Grace laugh.

“What are you–” I pointed towards the screen and cut her off.

“The lyrics!” I said, in which Grace faced forward and continued to singing the song. I watched her sing the song; I couldn’t stop staring at her like it’s something– the only thing– that’ll keep me going.

…

“That was really fun,” Grace said as she took a sip of her cola on the boardwalk bench. I smiled at her.

“Sorry we couldn’t find something to eat earlier,” I said, in which Grace shook her head.

“That’s what the boardwalk’s for; you can find anything open on the boardwalk,” Grace reassured. I don’t say anything back, I just watch Grace eat a slice of pizza with a can of cola. I don’t remember the last time I saw Grace eat as much as I have the last couple of times we’ve spent time together. It’s relieving, to say the least, that I don’t have to worry if Grace is starving herself and lying about it. I instantly become sad thinking about that time in our lives, and I guess Grace notices it as she turns around. I immediately throw a smile on my face.

“Whatcha thinking about?” Grace asked. Grace knew I couldn’t hide anything from her, yet alone lie to her. But I had to, just this time, because this is the most time I’ve spent with Grace since she left New York, and I don’t want to scare her away. Not again.

“How beautiful the water looks at night,” I pointed out towards the beach. The moon was reflecting on the water, making the dark water almost look like a deep, dark purple. Grace looks out towards the water, taking a moment to see it.

“It’s beautiful, but nice try,” Grace said as she turns her head back towards me. “Tell me what’s really on your mind.”

“Dreams,” I answered. “The song from the karaoke room. I remember the song from the last time we went to karaoke, back in New York.”

“Really?” Grace seemed genuinely shocked that I remembered. I was sort of shocked that she didn’t remember. I nodded my head to answer her. Grace laughed and took a sip of her cola once more.

“You are the only person I know that remembers the little things,” Grace stated. “I can’t even remember what I had for dinner last night.”

I laughed and looked at her while she looked out towards the ocean again. I only remember the little things because they are important to me, and sometimes it’s those things that keep me going.

The Teenage Monologues.

Double-Life Teenager: A Sophie Monologue.

liz

“Soojin-ah!”

I squeezed my eyes shut; shoot. I close the front door behind me and directly walk to the kitchen. I see my mother drying up dishes and putting them in the cabinets above her. She turned around to face me.

“Where were you?” my mom asked in Korean. My mother still speaks to me in Korean and calls me by my Korean name since she’s afraid that I would become too “Americanized” and forget my Korean; which I found contradicting considering we lived in the UK, an English-speaking region in Europe.

“I was with Milo,” I answered her. She sighed and turned back around to keep drying the dishes and put them away. “I was at his grandparent’s house in the treehouse.”

“Did his parents know where he was?” my mom asked. My mom knew that Milo rarely checked in with his parents whenever he would hang out with me. I didn’t believe my mother when she told me that, but I started to notice it when Milo and I would hang out.

“Yes, mom. I reminded him to tell his mom,” I answered, walking towards the fridge to grab a water bottle. My mother didn’t say anything after that, but if I knew her well, I know she had more to say.

…

“Soojin-ah,” my mom softly said as she was brushing my hair one night. We sat on my bedroom floor in our pajamas. I made a noise to my mom to let her know I was listening to her. “You start high school in a couple of weeks, and I need to have this conversation with you.”

I took in a deep breath, already knowing where this was going.

“Yes, mom?” I responded.

“I know you and Milo are friends,” she began. I wanted nothing more than to disappear from my room. Was I about to have this womanly talk with my mom on a warm summer night while she detangled my long hair? “It’s okay that you are friends with a boy, but in high school… things can be different…”

“Mom,” I had to stop her before she proceeded with this conversation. “I can reassure you that Milo and I are just friends.”

“That’s great, but… things can change,” my mom still continued with her conversation. “High school is when teens experience new and different things, like dating and–“

“Mom,” I had to stop her once again. “I am solely focused on my studies. Being one of the very few girls in band class, I have to work extra hard to prove myself. I’m not going to have time to do the things you are thinking of.”

“Soojin,” my mom stopped brushing my hair to look at me. “I see the way that boy looks at you. I don’t want him to sidetrack you on your studies.” I got up from the floor and walked to my vanity. I looked at myself in the mirror, and my mom quickly showed up behind me, looking at me through the mirror.

“Mom, I will be okay. We are just friends,” I continued to reassure her. She doesn’t say anything right away, but she looked like she was trying to form the right sentence before speaking it out loud.

“Let’s keep it that way for a while,” she simply said. She kissed the top of my head and walked out of my bedroom. When she left, I let out the breath I was holding in for the past 10 minutes.

…

“Your father called looking for you today,” my mom randomly said. I freeze in place, not really knowing what to do or say at that moment. “I told him you were at school and to try calling again during the weekend.” I looked at my mom, and I knew my mom was looking at me, waiting for a response.

“How is he doing?” I asked.

“You can ask him yourself when you speak to him this weekend,” my mom sternly stated. My mother hated the fact that I never speak to my father whenever he tries to call. The truth is that I don’t feel comfortable talking to him. I try to not hold resentment for choosing what he did over his family, but that’s just something I can’t understand; at least not now in life. “Really Soojin, he just wants to see how you’re doing.”

“You can’t tell him for me?” I complained. My mother looked annoyed at my question.

“He’s your father,” she said. “He wants to at least talk to his daughter. He sacrificed a lot for us to be where we are now.”

Yeah, he sacrificed so much that he got himself deported from America and can’t live with his family for the next 5 years.

“Are you listening to me, Soojin?” my mom said in a louder tone. I nodded my head, just wanting this conversation to be over.

…

milolani: We should totally rent a studio space for our first band assignment!

I cocked my eyebrow up and responded back to Milo’s text message.

leesophie: We don't have money to rent a studio though.
milolani: ...scout

My bedroom door opens and I quickly put my phone in my desk drawer where one of my scarves lives. The fabric on the scarf lessens the vibration of the phone whenever I get notifications, which are most likely text messages from Milo.

“You’re working on your homework?” my mom asked. I quickly nodded my head. She smiles back at me and closes my bedroom door. I quickly take out my phone to read the messages Milo sent me.

milolani: my mom owns a studio
milolani: we could use it to work on our assignment
milolani: so i guess i meant to say is
milolani: hey scout! we got a studio for our band assignment!
milolani: does Saturday work?

I smiled at my phone before returning his message.

leesophie: Saturday's perfect. See you in school tomorrow! ^.^
The "Something" Series: Season 2

Something Back in New York: A Scene.

liz

Jamie takes a sip of water from his water bottle as Grace flips through a book of songs. LED lights flicker around the dark room with only the light of the TV screen making things visible to them. Jamie picks up one of the microphones from the table and walks toward Grace.

Jamie: Did you pick a song yet?

Grace: I’m trying to pick a good one…

Jamie: *sighs* Grace, it’s not that hard to pick a song.

Grace: It is when you’re picking the song for another person!

Jamie laughs and rubs the nap of his neck; nervous.

Jamie: I feel like I’m auditioning or something.

Grace: You are; for me!

Jamie shakes his head and looks at the screen light up. He reads the song on the TV and his widen instantly widen.

Jamie: Grace, this is a song made for a woman to sing!

Grace: Just sing it!

The song starts to play and Jamie instantly starts to sing the song. Grace claps her hands along to the beat. Jamie tries his hardest to hit the high notes in the same octave as the original artist. He cracks here and there, which makes Grace laugh. Jamie doesn’t mind; he laughs with her.

…

Shawn: Did you pick a day yet?

Jamie closes the fridge and walks toward the island. He looks at Shawn.

Jamie: A day for what?

Shawn: A double date? Skylar wants to do something with the four of us.

Jamie tilts his head; unsure.

Jamie: It can’t be a double date if two of the people aren’t dating. Besides, you and Skylar should spend more time together; just you two.

Shawn rolls his eyes as Kevin walks into the kitchen. He looks distraught, which Jamie notices right away.

Jamie: You’re okay, Kevin?

He doesn’t answer right away.

Jamie: Kevin?

Kevin: Huh? Yeah, I’m fine.

Kevin grabs a water bottle from the fridge and walks out of the kitchen. Nothing is said between Jamie and Shawn.

Shawn: Come on, Jamie; you know you want to see Grace again.

Jamie doesn’t answer, he simply scrolls through his phone. His eyebrows scrunch together when he sees what’s on his phone. He shows his phone to Shawn.

Jamie: Did you see this?

Shawn looks at the screen, and then back at Jamie.

…

Grace wipes the sweat from her forehead with her arm; it’s particularly hot this afternoon. She stops what she’s doing to tie up her hair. The other dancers in the studio take a break during their practice. Grace sits in front of the mirror and looks at herself; little strands of curly hair stick out from her ponytail. Grace attempts to tie it up once again.

Morgan, the dance instructor, walks toward Grace.

Morgan: Hey, can I speak to you for a moment?

Grace looks at the instructor through the mirror and nods her head. The instructor walks away towards another room outside of the dance studio room. Grace sighs before she gets up from the floor.

Grace walks into the common room of the studio where her instructor is talking to one of the other choreographers. Once Morgan notices grace, she excuses herself to speak to Grace. They both walk into Morgan’s office.

Grace: Everything alright?

Morgan doesn’t say anything until she sits at her desk.

Morgan: How are you holding up? Everything’s okay?

Grace: *confused* Uhm, yeah; everything’s okay…

Morgan: That’s good!

Morgan shuffles through some of the papers on her desk until she finds the folder she was looking for. She takes it and then looks at Grace.

Morgan: So, you know the showcase is coming up, and typically a showcase here is more for our dancers potentially getting scouted for job opportunities.

Grace: I know.

Morgan: Are you looking forward to it?

Grace: *laughs* I’m simply here to dance, Morgan. With all due respect, there are other dancers in that studio who want it more than me–

Morgan: But none of them dance like you.

Grace doesn’t say anything. Morgan leans forward on her desk.

Morgan: I know this industry looks for younger dancers, but you are definitely the type of exception many people make in the business. You simply can’t dance the way you do just “to dance”.

Morgan flips through some papers and hands Grace a flyer.

Morgan: They are looking for dancers for their overseas competition. They are currently scouting dancers around the country to put together their US team. The competition is held in Ulsan, believe that’s in–

Grace: *shocked* South Korea?

Morgan: Yeah. Have you been there?

Grace shakes her head and shuts her eyes before speaking.

Grace: Why are you telling me this?

Morgan: Because I think you’d be the perfect fit for their team. Candice, the woman that scouts the team together… we studied in the same academy for years. We keep in touch and she had asked me if I had anyone in the academy that ticked off these tiny little boxes in what she was looking for in a dancer and, well, you came to mind. I don’t have to tell you this– I think a part of you already believes this– but, you’re no doubt one of the best dancers in the academy.

Grace takes in what Morgan is telling her. She doesn’t say anything back. Morgan sighs and looks at Grace.

Morgan: The audition is in New York, and–

Grace’s eyes widen and immediately shakes her head.

Grace: No. No! I-I can’t go to New York, I–

Morgan: Grace. If I didn’t think you could do this, I wouldn’t have brought it up.

Grace: Morgan, you’re asking me to go back to New York for some dumb audition that I might not even get? My life is here in California–

Morgan: Is it really?

Grace doesn’t say anything.

Morgan: I’ve known you for about six months now. I remember the day you walked through that front door with literally nothing but a tiny gym bag and some ballet shoes. You spend hours at the studio, even after practice is over and everyone has gone home for the night. I don’t know much about your personal life, but something tells me you came to Cali as an escape.

Grace gets annoyed by Morgan’s comment.

Grace: You’re right.

Grace gets up from the chair.

Grace: You don’t know me.

Grace begins to walk out of the office and heads for the door.

Morgan: Think about what I said, Grace.

The door closes behind Grace.

…

A cell phone rings on a coffee table. Someone is heard walking toward the table and picks up the phone from the table.

Jamie: Hello?

Grace: Hey, Jamie.

Jamie’s eyes widen and looks at the phone. He puts it back toward his ear.

Jamie: Hey, Grace. Everything alright?

Grace: Yeah, everything’s great! Uhm…

Jamie doesn’t say anything, but he senses something is wrong.

Jamie: I’ve been meaning to ask you when are you available for karaoke.

There is a moment of silence.

Grace: Oh! I was just about to ask you the same thing… Is tonight okay with you?

Jamie: Yeah. Tonight works.

Misc., The Teenage Monologues.

That’s High-School, Sweetheart: A Mollie Monologue.

liz

“Well, that’s fucking lame.”

I lay on my bed, talking to Ronnie on the phone. It sucks that I only get to see Ronnie in a couple of my classes, but even on the first day, we had so much to talk about.

“I know, right? Like I wish I was able to be in a class where there isn’t anyone from Beverly,” Ronnie said. Ronnie is like the girl version of my best friend. She’s really cool, and we got to meet when we were paired up for a project back in junior high school. She’s a band major at Waverly now, blowing the saxophone like she’s some Jazz musician. I’m forever making fun of the fact that she could probably serenade a boy with some smooth Jazz of his favorite rap song.

“Oh my God, seriously! Like Laurie is in my vocal class and I have no idea when or how she even passed the Waverly audition. Do you believe that bitch laughed at me during my introduction?” I vented out.

“Dude, she’s still caught up in the past. Like, let that bad energy go, sis,” Ronnie responded. I look towards my bedroom door, which opens slowly. I get annoyed when it does.

“I’m on the phone, Mom,” I quickly said before she could say anything to me. My mom smiled and looked down at my phone on the bed.

“Tell Veronica that you have to eat dinner and you can talk to her later,” my mom responded. I rolled my eyes explaining the situation.

“I’ll text you, Ronnie,” I said before hanging up the phone. I got out of bed and walked out of my bedroom in the attic. My mom followed me downstairs.

“Mom, why do you always have to ruin my conversations with Ronnie?” I complained.

“You know dinner is at the same time every single day, Mol,” my mom answered. “You just saw Ronnie at school a couple of hours ago; what is there to possibly talk about?”

“Everything, mom,” I honestly answered.

We both sit in the kitchen where my step-dad, Alex, is serving food on dinner plates.

“I hope my favorite girls are hungry,” Alex said while putting a plate of food in front of me. I look at it. It has a strange smell to it.

“What the hell is it?” I asked while looking at the bubbling plate.

“Chicken cacciatore,” he answered.

“Chicken catch-a-who?” I looked up and looked at Alex. My mom and Alex met each other when my mom was in culinary classes for her catering business. They got married not long after that and have been together ever since. Alex was cool, chill; not demanding like how most step-parents are in those old TV movies. He’s always cooking something either really delicious or really questioning.

“It’s chicken in red sauce,” my mom explained. “You love chicken.”

“Yeah, when it’s either fried or covered in barbecue sauce,” I said, eating around the chicken. My mom looked annoyed at me, but I can’t help it; I’m a picky eater. Alex sat down next to my mom as we all began to eat dinner.

“So, how was your first day of high school?” my mom asked.

“It was cool, nothing special,” I said before I remembered what happened in vocal. “Our vocal teacher is Milo’s dad. Milo was trying to run for his life in that class,” I explained.

“Well, Milo knew that his dad was going to be the teacher for that class,” my mom responded. “I hope no one gives him a hard time in that class.”

“Milo just needs to stick up for himself, not let anyone give him any shit–“

“Language, Mollie.” my mom corrected me. I hated when she did that. Like I’m about to be 15 in a couple of months, yet my mom treats me like I’m 5.

“But yeah,” I continued. “Laurie Warren is also in my vocal class and she laughed at me after my introduction. I was ready to slap her so hard–“

“Mollie,” my mom interrupted. “You can’t be fighting in high school, especially not at a place like Waverly. You’ll get kicked out and expelled.”

“So what am I supposed to do? Just let a bully keep bullying me?” I asked, annoyed that my mother would even give me this talk after telling her what happened.

“You tell a teacher and they would handle it,” Alex chimed in. I looked at him like he had about 500 heads. What does he think this is? The old high school days?

“I do that, and the whole school laughs at me! Seriously is that what you want me to do?

“That’s high school, sweetheart,” my mom said, passing me the salad bowl. “You’re going to have to learn to handle situations in a mature, young lady-like manner.”

“Fuck that noise,” I said. My mother looked at me, angry at my response. “I’m sorry,” I sighed. I got up from my seat and left the dinner table.

“Mollie, you barely touched your dinner,” my mom called out. I didn’t even turn around to answer her.

“I’m not hungry,” I said while walking back upstairs to my room.

…

I slam my door shut and sit at my desk. I was so annoyed and angry that no matter what I shared, my mom always had to make it this big thing where I felt like I was always being scolded for something I said. That’s high school, sweetheart. No, it’s not! It’s the time of your life when you identify yourself as a person, and it can either make you or break you. I’m not going to let someone like Laurie Warren break me and my identity in high school. I will be remembered as one of the toughest and coolest kids in Waverly! I’m going to be the popular kid with the hot talented boyfriend and no one is going to bully me or tease me or laugh at me ever again!

…

“So, what’s the one thing you want to accomplish in high school that you didn’t in middle school?” I asked Milo. We sat on his front steps, eating ice cream cones on this hot, summer day.

“Passing my classes,” Milo began. I couldn’t help but laugh at his answer. “What?”

“Milo, I mean… don’t you want to do anything fun while you’re in high school? Go to a pep rally, perform somewhere awesome and famous, be popular or something?!” I asked.

“Popularity is a social construct,” Milo answered. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.

“Only losers would answer a popularity question like that,” I stated, which made Milo suck his teeth.

“Whatever,” Milo replied. “I just want to go through the next four years without no major drama or bad memories. Beverly gave me enough to last me a lifetime.”

“Drama will always be around you,” I said. It’s true; even if he tries to stay out of the drama, he’s friends with the drama. I tolerate his new friend, Sophie, but I don’t trust her motives. Who’s to say she’s not secretly going back to Laurie and laughing about all the weird things he did or said to her? “Plus, Beverly’s drama is past us. That was immature drama. Waverly isn’t a place where drama like that would happen.”

“You say that now, but watch something happen where you feel the need to be the biggest and toughest girl in our grade,” Milo admitted to me. “You always have to prove yourself at a new school.”

“So what?” I responded back quickly. “No one is going to fuck with me in Waverly. I’m not scared of anyone that’s more popular, older; whatever than me! I’m going to make Waverly the years where everyone knows the name, Mollie Castro!”

“Okay, Mol,” Milo dismissed the conversation. I was annoyed he still didn’t have faith in me and didn’t support my goals. He’s too caught up being around Sophie Lee’s finger.

…

I look outside my window, annoyed at this day as a whole, and want nothing more than to sleep and start a new day. I look at the calendar on my desk and realized I have therapy tomorrow after school. I rolled my eyes, so tired of doing the same things that middle school Mollie was doing. I just want to become a whole new me. And I will because high school isn’t just high school! It’s where I’ll finally shine.

And like I said before: Fuck. That. Noise.

The "Something" Series: Season 2

A Little Something Crispy: A Scene.

liz

Jamie stands in front of the bathroom mirror and looks at his red, sunburnt skin. He winces every time he touches it to apply aloe vera gel on it. Shawn walks past the bathroom and returns to see what Jamie is doing.

Shawn: *confused* Hyung?

Jamie looks at Shawn through the mirror.

Jamie: What?

Shawn: What happened to your skin? You look like a tomato!

Jamie turns around to physically face Shawn, who is now laughing at Jamie’s appearance. Jamie takes the aloe gel and exits the bathroom door. Shawn follows Jamie to his room.

Shawn: Seriously; what happened to you?

Jamie: I went to the beach and… didn’t apply enough sunblock on.

Shawn: Are you sure you put any on?

Jamie rolls his eyes and proceeds to apply the gel to his skin.

Jamie: I wanted to experience what it was like to get a tan–

Shawn: *laughs* Hyung, that is not a tan!

Jamie: Listen, it will! Grace told me it will eventually…

Shawn’s eyes widen as he crosses his arms, leaning on the doorframe.

Shawn: Grace, huh? So you went to the beach today with Grace?

Jamie: Ya, it’s not even like that. You took her cousin away from her today; I guess she was bored and I was the last best thing…

Shawn: More like the first best thing. *teases* So you’re trying to impress her with a tan?

Jamie sighs as Shawn is heard laughing at his own jokes. Jamie tries to get the conversation off of him.

Jamie: What did you and Skylar do today?

Shawn: We went to the Promenade and explored the shops before we ate at a Japanese restaurant.

Jamie: *confused* Japanese?

Shawn nodded as he began to read the words on the aloe gel bottle. Jamie chuckled.

Jamie: Skylar knows you’re Korean, right?

Shawn: *confused* Why wouldn’t she?

Jamie shakes his head and proceeds to put a tank top on.

Jamie: You and Skylar should try a margarita when you go out again. Apparently, it’s a fruit-like alcohol beverage.

Shawn: How is it?

Jamie: I don’t know; I didn’t try it.

Shawn hands Jamie back to aloe gel bottle.

Shawn: Then how do you know about it?

Jamie: I saw it on this menu and it sounds good, but I didn’t get one because Gr– I had to drive Grace back home.

Shawn: *laughs* I bet you Grace had one then!

Jamie doesn’t answer. Both Jamie and Shawn hear the front door open downstairs. They both look down toward the front door and see Kevin walk in. Kevin is seen dropping all of his equipment near the door; out of control.

Shawn: Did you die on your hike?

Kevin looks up at Shawn. He rolls his eyes.

Kevin: I can’t feel my legs; I need to soak in a bath…

Kevin walks up the stairs and stops at the sight of Jamie.

Kevin: Hyung, what the hell happened to your skin?

Shawn starts to laugh all over again.

Jamie: Nothing, Kevin. I went to the beach today–

Kevin: Did you apply cooking oil on your skin instead of sunblock? Really though, you look like crispy fried chicken–

Shawn laughs hard enough to the point he begins to cough.

Jamie: Ya~ that’s enough.

Shawn: He went to the beach with Grace today…

Kevin: *shocked* Why did you go to the beach with Grace?

Jamie: Because Shawn was with Skylar and she was probably bored. I didn’t have anything to do, so I just went.

Kevin: And that’s all you went for? Just to keep her company?

Jamie nodded his head. Shawn watches the interaction. Kevin walks past the two men to go toward the bathroom.

Kevin: I mean I guess that’s okay since Shawn was out with her cousin.

Once Kevin closes the bathroom door behind him, Shawn slaps Jamie on his arm, causing Jamie to wince in pain.

Jamie: Ya! What was that for?

Shawn: Why are you lying to Kevin? You know you wanted to go and see Grace again.

Jamie: *annoyed* You don’t know that. I went to keep her company, and that’s all I did.

Shawn: Keep telling yourself that. Isn’t that how you first fell in love with her back in New York?

Jamie walks toward his bedroom, wanting to end the conversation.

Jamie: This time is different.

Shawn: Again, keep telling yourself that!

Jamie’s bedroom door closes shut. Jamie takes in a deep breath and sits on the edge of his bed. He hears his phone vibrate on the nightstand next to his bed. He looks back at it and reaches for it. He reads the notification on his lock screen.

Grace: You still owe me kpop idol jamie in a karaoke bar! >:]

Jamie smiles at the message. He unlocks his screen and responds back to her.

Jamie: Just pick the time and place, jagiya--

Jamie quickly backspaces the message and corrects himself.

Jamie: Just pick the time and place, Grace 🙂

The Teenage Monologues.

After-School Ritual: A Milo Monologue.

liz

“Can you pass the red pepper?” Mollie asked. I passed her the red pepper shaker and watched her cover her entire slice of pizza with it. She looks up at me staring. “May I help you?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Even though my day was absolute shit, Mollie always knew what to do to make it not that shitty. I pointed at her slice of pizza covered in red pepper flakes.

“You might as well just buy a jar of red pepper flakes,” I teased. Mollie wasn’t even phased by my joke.

“How long have we’ve ate pizza after-school, Milo?” Mollie said as she took a bite of her slice of pizza. “For years,” she answered herself with a mouthful of pizza. I handed her a napkin to clean her mouth.

“I guess old habits die hard,” I answered Mollie.

“You gotta stop hanging out with your dad and Jennifer. Your jokes are so 1990’s,” Mollie stated. I rolled my eyes, sipping my soda. Mollie puts her slice back down on her plate and wipes her hands with her napkin.

“So, our vocal class is… interesting,” Mollie started.

“Our vocal class is just Beverly Junior High all over again,” I said, annoyed at the subject. “Like, how the hell am I suppose to go through that class with everyone knowing that the vocal teacher is also my dad?”

“People will get over it,” Mollie responded. “We have four years to get over it.”

“I barely could get through it today, Mol!” I complained. Mollie started to laugh and continue eating her pizza. I was annoyed that she found my pain funny. “How would you feel if one of your sisters or your parents were your teacher and everyone found out?”

“Milo,” Mollie began. “This is high school. You don’t have to be the middle school Milo version anymore. Fight them! Beat them up! Establish yourself as a tough guy in Waverly! That’s what I would’ve done.”

“I’m not you, Mollie,” I said, feeling defeated. Sometimes Mollie forgot that not everyone handles problems the way she does. It’s times like this that make our friendship not the easiest to handle.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I took it out and read the notification on my screen.

leesophie: After-school ritual?

I smiled at my phone, and I guess Mollie noticed.

“Is that your girlfriend-that’s-not-really-your-girlfriend?” Mollie said. I looked up at her and rolled my eyes.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” I stated, which was probably the 100th time since Mollie found out that Sophie and are still friends even after middle school. Mollie wasn’t happy when she first found out. For a while, Mollie and I argued about it since she kept saying I was replacing her with Sophie. First of all, I can’t not be Mollie’s best friend; we are practically family… well we are family since my dad married her older sister, Jennifer. I try not to think about the fact that Mollie is technically my aunt… “best friend” is the better title.

Secondly, Sophie’s friendship is so different than Mollie’s. With Sophie, we can talk about different things for hours, go around the neighborhood and always find something fascinating about it. I like hanging out with Mollie, but I enjoy hanging out with Sophie every time we do.

I began to get money out of my bookbag and place it on the table. Mollie rolls her eyes. I sighed, knowing I needed to make sure Mollie was okay.

“Mol, you know we’re best friends for life, right?” I said. Mollie doesn’t answer. I tried again. “And even if you wanted to escape me, you can’t. We’re bonded for life.”

I guess what I said makes Mollie smile and laugh. She sighs before she said anything.

“Just remember that I’m your best man at your wedding with Sophie,” Mollie teased. I threw my paper ball from my plastic straw at Mollie, who then laughs. I put out my fist, in which Mollie gave me a fist pound back.

“I’ll text you later,” I said before leaving the pizzeria.

…

I finally arrive on the block that my grandparents live on. I saw my grandma water the flowers in her front yard. She stops when she sees me walking closer to her house.

“Milo,” my grandma happily said, kissing me on the forehead. I tried to quickly step back, just in case anyone would see me. “It’s not Thursday; what are you doing here?”

“My friend and I are going to hang out in the treehouse,” I answered. My grandma didn’t say anything back; she just raised an eyebrow. “My friend Sophie.”

“I know which friend,” she said. She started to water the flowers again. “Does your dad know you’re here?” I don’t say anything back. Technically, I’m still with Mollie. My grandma sighs.

“Please tell your father you’re here,” she demanded. I nodded my head as I began to climb the treehouse.

I don’t tell my dad.

The "Something" Series: Season 2

Somewhere Sunny, Something Tasty: A Scene.

liz

Grace: *laughs* Are you okay?

Jamie winces in pain as he slowly sits in the chair at a boardwalk restaurant. He looks up when he finally sits down.

Jamie: This is nothing!

Grace pokes Jamie’s arm, where his skin is so pink from the sun, Grace’s input turns that one spot white. Jamie reacts to the touch.

Jamie: Aigoo, okay you’ve proven your point.

Grace laughs; Jamie smiles at the sound. They both flip open the menus in front of them.

Grace: The food is to die for here; I’m even lucky if I could grab something during my breaks at work.

Jamie: Really?

Grace nods her head. They continue to look at their menus, deciding what to eat.

Jamie: *points at a page* We can start drinks if you’d like.

Grace: What did you have in mind?

Jamie: *scans menu page* Well, if you’re up for a… *looks at menu closer* mal-ga-li-ta”—wow, that looks good— we can have that.

Grace: *laughs* It’s a margarita, and it has alcohol in it.

Jamie’s eyes widen.

Jamie: Oh! I mean, if you’d like one, you can order it. I’m driving you back home, so–

Grace shakes her head to interrupt Jamie’s sentence.

Grace: No no, it’s okay…

Grace fidgets in her seat for a moment. Jamie notices and looks up at Grace. She also takes notice of him looking at her.

Grace: I’m… actually sober.

Jamie: Oh! I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have assumed you did!

Grace: It’s completely fine, Jamie, really… If you want a drink, it’s cool; I can drive us back if you want.

Jamie: *shakes head* No, it’s alright; I don’t wanna… drink with… you.

Grace tilts her head to the side; Jamie gets flustered.

Jamie: I don’t mean it like that! I just don’t want to drink while you are sober, and–

Grace giggles at Jamie’s flushed appearance.

Grace: It’s okay, Jamie. You can still enjoy a drink around me if you want it.

Jamie nods, taking note. Before switching the subject, Grace begins to speak.

Grace: I haven’t had alcohol in about 4 months now. It’ll be 5 on June 26th.

Jamie: That’s great, Grace. Congratulations on your sobriety.

Grace: Thanks, Jamie.

Jamie: *without any self-aware* So what made you quit altogether?

Grace looks at Jamie with slight annoyance. He quickly picks it up and backtracks.

Jamie: That was inappropriate of me. I’m sorry–

Grace: *stern* I was an alcoholic. I needed to stop drinking, so I did.

Jamie’s face flashes red in embarrassment. He’s relieved when the waitress comes by to get their choice of food and drinks. Jamie ends up ordering an Iced Americano as a drink; Grace ends up getting a cola.

When the waitress walks away from the table, Grace notices Jamie lost in thought. She bites the inner corner of her cheek and sighs.

Grace: It’s okay, Jamie. You didn’t know, and I didn’t expect you to know.

Grace crosses her arms and leans on the tabletop.

Grace: Just how I should’ve expected you ordering an Iced Americano. Still drinking that nasty expresso coffee?

Jamie laughs, looking more comfortable than before.

Jamie: Iced Americanos are what get me through the day.

Grace: It’s 1:30 in the afternoon.

Jamie: *confused* You say that as if it’s a bad thing.

Grace shakes her head and laughs. The tension that was between them vanishes. Jamie smiles, then sighs when the silence gets to be too much for him.

Jamie: You mentioned that you’re still dancing; how’s it going?

Grace: Good! Next weekend I have intense practices for an event that’s coming up.

Jamie: Your company is having an event?

Grace: No, no; the studio I dance for is having an event. Well, a showcase… some of the dancers in that academy are looking to get scouted, so the company has this showcase every season to either scout new dancers or send their dancers off for professional jobs.

Jamie raises his eyebrows in shock; he’s curious about the dancer side of Grace.

Jamie: Are you looking to get picked for a professional job?

Grace: As great as that is, I’m already “too old” to be considered for a professional job. I’m just in the academy to dance, stay local; y’know?

Jamie: Too old? Aren’t you turning 30 in October?

Grace looks at Jamie. She surprised that Jamie still remembers minor details such as her age and birthday.

Grace: I am.

Jamie: Is that not ideal for a dancer?

Grace: The younger, the better. in the division I dance for, 21 to 24 is the age most professional dancers are. *laughs* I was too busy in college and law school at that age.

Jamie: You were simply fulfilling another passion of yours.

Grace scoffs, then sighs. The drinks are served with their food, and Jamie immediately takes a sip of his Iced Americano.

Grace: Did you want to do anything else beside be a lawyer when you were younger?

Jamie’s face turns red; it grabs Grace’s attention.

Grace: Oh God, is it embarrassing?

Jamie: No, no… it’s just that it’s silly thinking back at it now…

Grace: *eager* Oh my God, what was it?

Jamie: *sighs* I wanted to be an idol in Korea.

Grace laughs out loud, but immediately stops to maintain her composure.

Grace: Oh, wow, that’s…

Jamie: Silly?

Grace: No! It’s… something I wouldn’t guess you out of all people would want to become.

Jamie: There’s a lot you don’t know about me yet.

Grace and Jamie look at each other; nothing is said between them. They continue to enjoy the meal in silence until Jamie looks up at Grace. She doesn’t notice he’s looking at her.

Jamie: How about we go to a karaoke bar the next time?

Grace looks up from her plate.

Grace: Karaoke?

Jamie: Yeah! So I can show you that I really could sing… a little.

Grace: You want to go to a karaoke bar? With me?

Jamie: Why not? We did it years ago back in New York. I just didn’t sing the last time we did.

Grace: *recalls* Oh, right! For my birthday! Holy shit, that had to have been like… 3, 4 years ago?!

Jamie nods; Grace is visibly still in shock.

Jamie: So, are you up for it the next time we hang out?

Grace is taken back by the assertiveness. She didn’t know there would ever be a next time, but smiles at the thought of there being one.

Grace: We can do that.

Jamie smiles and Grace returns one back.