Relax

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"If I Die Young, Say Something, Life Of The Party, I Was Made For Loving You, the two songs we did and then Iris." Ryan read the list he had in his hand out loud to John and Mika. "That good?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Mika replied and John gave a thumb up, it was 9 PM and she was in the cafe where the trio are working, she arrived 2 hours ago with a basket full of food. She had permission from her mother that she wants to bring the trio some proper dinner cause they work in a breakfast cafe and they explained to her that they eat breakfast for dinner most of the time.

"Alright." Ryan sighed as he stood up and went to keep the paper away, clearly very tired. Before Mika came here, they told her that a raccoon got in through the back door and made quite a mess. Perks of a cafe near a forest. Thankfully it didn't go in the dining area where two people occupying different seats on different tables. Now that the cafe was about to close, there was no one left in the cafe but them, occupying a corner by the window for themselves.

"Should we start practicing tomorrow?" Mika asked. Leaning back on the couch.

"The sooner the better." John muttered, with his head down, his voice muffled from his arm.

"Ryan! No! Stop!" The two heard JiJi yelled from the kitchen, Laughter and then bits of conversation was heard. Then a few minutes later, they saw JiJi emerged from the kitchen with a cup of coffee and a banana smoothie in both of her hands, Ryan following behind her with tea and a blueberry muffin.

"What happened? What did he do?" John asked, facing them but still had his head resting on his arms.

"He almost dumped salt in my coffee." JiJi laughed as she slid the banana smoothie to John who sat up properly but then slouched right after. "He was holding the jar that clearly said 'salt' and was about to pour a spoon full after I told him to put sugar while I went to get your smoothie."

Ryan tiredly laughed. "I'm tired, leave me alone." He placed the blueberry muffin in front of Mika who smiled at him and said a quiet thank you.

"We're all tired, that's why I got coffee." JiJi said as they sat down. "But I think I wouldn't be able to make one if it weren't for Mika bringing bomb-ass chicken curry fueling my energy a bit."

"Yeah, thanks for that dinner Mika." Ryan said. "You're lucky to have your mom, well, your mom."

Mika laughed. "Well, thank you. I'll be sure to let my mum know."

"Today is so tiring and I don't know whyyyyyy!" John whined as he placed his half empty glass to the side and dramatically sprawled his arms across the table but dodged the other objects occupying the table.

"Probably because we encountered Brittany." JiJi giggled.

"Really?" Mika asked.

"Yeah. We don't usually get this tired after school cause we know that we have work right after. Our bodies are kinda used to it, I guess. But since the first time we encountered Brittany, we have been shutting down ever since." Ryan laughed.

"The first time.. Was when you guys went to my house." Mika said quietly.

JiJi almost choked halfway drinking her coffee. "I have never slept that long ever in my life!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, we were dead beat after that long and tiring day." John laughed still sprawled across the table, voice muffled against the table. Mika looked at her best friends and realized that they didn't want to bring up what happened that night. She smiled sadly and enjoyed her time with the trio.

☆

"What should we practice first?" JiJi asked with her hands on her hips. It was their free time and they decided to spend it practicing for their first song. They were in the school's second music room, after seeing the list from the announcement board, they found out only seven bands were playing for the Music Festival. Everest High has seven music rooms, all placed far from the other classes to prevent disturbing them while someone decided to make some noise. They were given the key to the second music room for their own to practice. "And who should play what?"

"We're gonna follow our list here." Ryan took the said list out from his bag. "If I Die Young. Mika and I agreed that we should do Michael Henry and Justin Robinett's version, that one's cool."

"Oooh yes! They did a piano duet version of that song." JiJi squealed as Mika took the music sheets out from her bag.

"You can play the piano JiJi cause you're basically the only who knows how to play it." John said.

"John, it's a piano duet. D-U-E-T--."

"I know what a duet is and how to spell it, JiJi."

"Yes, good, and excuse me, you know how to play it!"

"Not as good as you! I stopped taking classes ever since my parents died in the fire!"

"I'll teach you. You can play the rhythm so you wouldn't have to complicate yourself with the harmonization." JiJi grinned. John glared at her and she gave him puppy eyes, pleading.

John rolled his eyes, facepalmed as he groaned. "Fine."

"Yes!" JiJi laughed. Mika handed them a music sheet and then JiJi grabbed John's arm and lead him to the piano.

"We should start on our own duet then." Ryan laughed. "Shall we?"

Mika blushed and took the sheet to a music stand. "Who's singing who?" She asked.

"I'll sing Justin and you sing Michael, since you have a higher voice range than I do." Ryan replied.

"Okay."

☆

Krrriiiinnnngg!!

"FINALLY!" JiJi exclaimed as she slammed her fingers against the piano, playing an out of key note. "You are one rusty spork, John."

"Hey!" John laughed. "Sporks can be stainless too you know!" The other three laughed with him.

"Alright, time to clean up." Mika said with a smile and started picking up papers. For some reasons, the room ended up having music sheets, notebooks, crumpled papers and pencils scattered everywhere. On the floor, the grand piano, and the tables. "We made quite a mess here."

"We did laze a lot in between the practices." Ryan laughed.

"Get off!" JiJi muttered, pushing John off from the piano seat. He was about to fall off but he smoothly went to pick up a stray paper near him and swiftly stood up. He looked back at JiJi and saw her sprawled on the bench, limbs hanging on the edges but her right hand was lazily reaching out for crumpled papers underneath the piano.

John rolled his eyes. "JiJi, you lazy ass."

"Leave me alone!" JiJi yelled.

"How bout you play something for us JiJi." Ryan suggested, handing a notebook to Mika who was stacking them in a small pile.

JiJi hit her head from under the piano before popping her head out, rubbing her head and smiling like a maniac. "And not clean?"

"You just hit your head. Are you alright?" Ryan asked with a laugh. Mika and John laughing as well.

"I'm fine." JiJi said.

"Then, yes and not clean." Ryan smirked.

"Yes!" JiJi cheered and positioned herself in front of the piano. She stopped. "What should I play?"

"Whatever you want." Ryan said. JiJi stared at her best friends for a moment with a blank face before perking up and started playing Ingenue.

"Aaww." John cooed, stopping midway in picking up a crumpled paper. "You always play that in the apartment if either Ryan and I are having trouble sleeping.

"What can I say?" JiJi commented with a smirk, still playing the piano. "I'm not only your best friend, I'm also your mom."

"Shut up." John laughed. JiJi played another loop of Ingenue before making an impressive transition to River Flows In You.

Mika looked up to JiJi, impressed. She looked at Ryan and John, who have their eyes closed and faces melting in satisfaction. She looked around the room to see it already clean. She looked back to JiJi and then out the window. The trees are swaying calmly outside with the wind and students were seen littered down below, eager to go home.

It's so peaceful.