It was the first day of junior year, and the MC was already regretting it. The hallways were filled with the usual chaos, but they preferred to stay in the background, with a notebook in hand. Speaking? Nah, that was overrated.
"MC!"
The MC winced as Julian's voice broke through the noise. Julian was already in the middle of a dramatic monologue about the school talent show, gesturing wildly like they were auditioning for Broadway.
"I shall perform Hamlet in full costume!" Julian declared. "Who shall join me?"
The MC scribbled quickly in their notebook:
"You're already dramatic enough without the monologue."
Julian winked. "Ah, the silent treatment. I see how it is."
Just then, Lila walked in. The MC's heart did that weird fluttery thing it always did when they saw her, and suddenly, their notebook was the safest place on earth.
Lila waved at the teacher, smiling that effortless, warm smile that made everything feel just a little bit brighter. She caught the MC's eye for a second, and just like that, the world outside the notebook stopped existing.
The MC's pen paused. Focus, they told themselves.
Julian, still overly dramatic, had no intention of letting the MC get away without comment. "I'll be the star of the talent show, but I'm not above recruiting my friends. You in?"
The MC sighed and wrote:
"Nope. I can't perform. I can't even talk."
Julian waved a hand dramatically. "Details, details! You don't need to speak to perform. You could mime your way to greatness!"
Milo, ever the intellectual, piped up from the back, adjusting their glasses. "Talent shows originated in the 19th century, you know. They were held to find local talent for... vaudeville."
"Thanks, Milo," Julian said, eyes rolling. "I was just hoping to find a moral support team, not a history lesson."
"Whatever," Luca, the group's designated troublemaker, said with a shrug, appearing out of nowhere. "I'll hack the sound system and put on my own playlist during Julian's big moment. You know, for atmosphere."
The MC quickly scribbled:
"Please don't. Julian would cry."
Luca gave a mock salute. "Chaos is my middle name."
By the time the bell rang, the MC found themselves thinking about the talent show. Not because they wanted to perform, but maybe... just maybe... they could join in without speaking at all.
And if Lila was there too? Even better.