"Hey Logan, what time did you tell them to come over?"I ask as he sets the TV up for karaoke.

"Uhh, should be in a half hour."He says

"I see, okay."I say, getting snacks ready

I get some drinks prepared as well and he smiles, getting his guitar out.

"I'd like to see how well I improvise playing along to any songs they choose."He says

I smile wider.

"That would be interesting."I say

Then I hear a knock at the door. I go to answer the door, finding Kovo there.

"What is a karaoke night?"He asks

"It's where we have fun singing along to songs."I say

"Ah, so like the melidida ritual..."He mumbles

"You could've just texted that to me and I would've told you."I say

"What is texting?"He asks

"It's messaging on your phone."I say

"Ah, I see...Why did you invite me?"He asks

"You're Hugo's friend and seem nice. We don't want to exclude you."I reply

His blue eyes twinkle in surprise, seeming touched by that.

"Would you like to come inside? They'll be here in a few minutes."I say

He nods and I welcome him inside. Soon afterward, our friends arrived and Hugo seemed overjoyed to see Kovo joining us. We settle with snacks and drinks in the living room and Logan holds the controls with a grin while we all chat.

"So, we have solos and duets available on this app. Anybody want to go first?"He asks

"Can I look for one?"Flora asks

Logan nods, handing the remote and she scrolls through the songs. Hugo sits beside me with Kovo, both watching curiously and whispering to each other. She lands on a song called "Never Been in Love" by Will Jay and Logan claps excitedly.

"That's a good one! I like that one!"He says

"OOoo! That's one of my favorites!"Rosaline says

Logan smiles, preparing his guitar and trying to get the right notes.

"Wait a minute, isn't that the guitar I bought you?"Sloane asks

"You just noticed? He has carried that around for months!"Marc chuckles

"He loves tuning that thing."Kelvin says

"Wait, what happened?"Hugo asks as everyone laughs.

"Basically, Logan protected Flora once before high school and Sloane found out about it. She wasn't sure what his motives were and got protective quickly. So Sloane being Sloane, decided to solve this by cornering him and aggressively demanding her answers. He explains himself and gets spared her wrath. Then they meet each other in a music store and she bought him the guitar to make up for her assumptions and aggressive behavior."I explain

"Aww, that's nice!"Hugo says, Kovo nodding in agreement.

"Start whenever you're ready, Flora. I think I got the right notes ready."Logan says

She nods, selecting the song and starting to sing the lyrics. She sang quite softly, seeming a bit shy but still enjoying herself. I grin, knowing that this is her favorite song. Logan strums away with a grin, adjusting to the tempo of the music. We all listen intently since we've never heard Flora sing before. And honestly, her voice is so gentle and beautifully soft. This song has such a joyful, positive tune.

The song seems quite fitting for her as well. It's a confident declaration about how the singer hasn't been in love and is okay with that, which is good for her. She has never been in love and is happy without it. Not to mention all the trouble she has gotten for not growing flowers or having a soulmate. And she has never indicated any crushes or dates of any sort so it seems understandable why she would love this song so much. It's like a declaration for her against all who have given her trouble about love. Especially the lines about not "missing out" or "missing someone she never met" among other questions she has been given out of "concern".  All that considered, it's nice seeing a smile on her face and that she's enjoying herself.

"That was awesome! Great job, Flora!"Marc cheers after the song ends.

"That was some wonderful guitar, Logan!"Hugo praises

"Your voice was pretty, Flora."Kelvin compliments as our friends applaud them.

Flora and Logan shyly thank them before Flora hands the remote to Rosaline. She picks a song called "I'm Good". I smile, shaking my head. I know that's one of her favorite songs and she has played it so much that it got stuck in my head for the past week. She eagerly hits play and Logan starts strumming along. She bounces on her feet as she sings and we nod our heads to the song's beat.

Like with Flora, I also catch onto how the song fits Rosaline. It's like her declaration of individuality for her own happiness. She has never had any interest in love nor has she grown a romantic soulmate flower by her chest, yet people assume since she grew roses that she will fall in love and be a typical romance story. The fact that she grew roses was how she got her name after all. Her parents saw roses growing from her head and wrists, so they named her Rosaline and love telling that story since she was so adorable. I've heard classmates call her the "perfect romance candidate" or "soulmate dating material" yet they get annoyed or confused by her lack of actual dating to back their beliefs up. Why did they never see her walking around with a boy, never seen on dates or getting affectionate with anyone beyond hugs and high-fives? Why did she turn down every boy who asked her on a date and never join the rumors of those who had a crush? Why wouldn't she have or do these things since she seems as good as a rose for it? I have my own suspicions about the reason but I think she enjoys this song so much since it's a confirmation to herself and others that she is good without romance in her life. I snapped out of my thoughts hearing her finishes a few minutes later and we applaud her.

I've known this girl as my best friend for years. Not once has she indicated any sort of romantic interest. I guess it's easier when she doesn't have parents pressuring you along with classmates or other people making assumptions or expecting it. Her parents are really supportive and nice after all.

"Logan, how about you do a song?"She suggests

"Could you pick the song two spaces down then?"He asks

She nods, selecting "Stand Out, Fit In" before sitting down. I notice everyone focusing on him curiously and Kelvin is already smiling, giving Logan a thumbs up. Then Logan sings along to the lyrics as he strums away, quite well but quite soft still. I notice Sloane's gaze fixated on my brother, smiling as she nods her head to the song.

I glance around as he continues to sing, noticing Marc numbly mouthing the lyrics as if he were lip-syncing along to the song with my brother. I notice him and Flora especially doing this at the chorus. I've never seen Marc like this. So drained of joyful energy and seeming so...somber. Especially in the first two chorus lines or lyrics about yelling...I glance over at Hugo, hearing him softly whisper along to the song in pieces. I also hear him emphasize the familiarity of being yelled at...

"Big boys don't cry...Stand out, fit in...Be you, dress right! Stand out, fit in. Stand out, fit in. Stand out, fit in. Stand out, fit in...Stand out, fit in!"He whispers, hardly heard with Logan's guitar and singing.

He looks saddened again while mumbling these lyrics...looking hurt and ready to crack as he listens. Does he relate personally to this song?  Why does our music always seem to cause him such conflicting emotions?

It goes quiet as the music slows down. Logan glances down to focus on his strumming. Then the song picks up again and it seems like all of their moods got lifted. Kovo wraps an arm around Hugo which he leans into with a smile. I guess Kovo knows stuff that I don't. Then again, they do know each other longer so he definitely knows how to comfort Hugo. 

The song ends and we all applaud Logan. I smile, seeing how proud he is of his skill. He has certainly gotten better at playing.

"Okay, how about you take a break now? You've been playing without breaks. Give those hands a break and enjoy some snacks!"Marc says

Logan nods, sitting on the floor in front of me and grabbing some chips to munch on. Marc scrolls through the options and picks I Won't by AJR. For once his skill for talking fast works for him. The lines went by quickly yet he was able to keep up. And it's a good song. He seemed to not worry about how good he sounded and was more focused on enjoying himself, which made it more fun for us as we listened. Soon enough, he finishes and hands the remote to Raiden. Raiden shakes his head, not much of a singer and tries to hand it to Kelvin, who goes to get a refill for his drink.

"Don't look at me. I'm not singing."Sloane says

Kovo shrugs.

"So who is next?"Marc asks

Nobody answers, eating food and drinks. He turns to Hugo and grins.

"How about you give it a go, Hugo?"He asks

"But I don't know that many songs on here..."Hugo replies

"The words are on the screen! Just choose whatever you'd like and have fun with it! Someone could join you if ya want!"Marc says

Logan nudges me with a grin, hinting me to go.

"Yea, we haven't tried the duet setting."I say with a shrug

"Ooo! Try that!"Marc says, switching to the duet setting and handing the remote to Hugo. 

Hugo scrolls through the options, stopping at the song "Something Just Like This". He glances at me for confirmation and I shrug, nodding. 

He clicks it and the song starts.

"I've been reading books of old. The legends and the myths. Achilles and his gold, Hercules and his gifts. Spider-Man's control, and Batman with his fists. And clearly, I don't see myself up on that list."He sings, hesitant at first.

"But she said where d'you wanna go? How much you wanna risk? I'm not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts. Some superhero, some fairytale bliss. Just something I can turn to, somebody I can kiss. I want something just like this."I sing, reading the lyrics highlighted for me

"Do do do do do do do~ Do do do do do do do~ Do do do do do do~ Oh I want something just like this. Do do do do do do~ Do do do do do do do~ Do do do do do do~ Oh I want something just like this! Oh, I want something just like this!"He sings, smiling a bit.

"I've been reading books of old. The legends and the myths. The testaments they told the moon and its eclipse. Superman unrolls a suit before he lifts. But I'm not the kind of person that it fits."I continue, seeing him just start staring at me.

"She said where d'you wanna go? How much you wanna risk? I'm not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts. Some superhero, some fairytale bliss. Just something I can turn to, somebody I can miss. Oh, I want something just like this!"He continues.

Do do do do do do~Do do do do do do do~Do do do do do do~Oh I want something just like this! Do do do do do do~Do do do do do do do~Do do do do do do~Oh I want something just like this! Oh, I want something just like this!"I sing, feeling his hand brush against my hand.

"Where d'you wanna go? How much you wanna risk? I'm not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts. Some superhero, some fairytale bliss. Just something I can turn to, somebody I can kiss."He finishes the last lines, focusing on the screen.

He smiles at me, then glances over to Raiden.

"Remind me what a fairytale is?"He asks

"It's a fictional story like myths and stuff. Usually includes mythical creatures like dragons or fairies and pirates or royal stories."He replies as we sit down again.

He nods.

"Interesting..."He says, then pauses as his body stiffens up.

I notice Kovo tenses up as well and they glance at the ceiling.

"Are you both okay?"I ask

They glance at each other, then at me, and nod.

How odd...

"Anything upstairs?"Kovo asks

"Just the attic. My dad put a lot of my mom's stuff up there but I still go up to explore it. Why? Is something wrong?"

"We...thought we heard something up there."

"Huh, well I'm sure it's nothing. I'll check later."I say

They nod.

"Are you enjoying your first karaoke night?"I ask them both.

They both nod.

"It's definitely a lot of fun!"Hugo says

"Mhm."Kovo says

"I call singing with Kovo next!"Marcellus laughs

"Who said I was singing?"

"Oh come on, it'll be fun! You can choose the song! You have to do something! I don't want you isolated from the rest of us as if you're just an observer! You're one of us now!"Marcellus says

"He does have good intentions..."Hugo says

"So, anybody wants more drinks before Marc gets fired up again?"Logan suggests

I smile, focusing on the rest of our friends as Hugo tries to reassure Kovo that it's alright. Many of my friends file into the kitchen to get drinks with Logan and smile wider. We've certainly gathered a wonderful group of friends to surround ourselves with. Marcellus is right. Kovo is one of us now and it'll be nice to have more in our wonderful group.

TBC