"This is real, this is me, this is where I'm supposed to be... na na na... na na..."
"Yup, I think this should do the trick."
"What trick?" John asked as he entered the basement, carrying a handful of snacks.
"It was a beautiful, sunny day—early spring, the perfect time for a fresh new start," Rose mused.
"I was preparing for a music competition," she added.
"Oh, really?" John asked, suddenly excited. "So that's why you wanted my basement!" He laughed so loudly that Rose almost thought he had discovered some grand secret.
"And just what are you thinking?" she asked, giving him a scornful look.
"Hey, no need to get all worked up. I was just kidding!" John grinned.
"You better be," a deep male voice cut into their conversation.
"Kevin!" John forced a smile, though deep down, he felt an urge to kick him.
Rose ignored the two of them and started eating the snacks John had brought into the basement. She was already dealing with a headache and didn't want to get involved in their antics.
"Kevin, who invited you here anyway?" John smacked him on the back.
"Oh, I just thought leaving you two alone wouldn't do me any good," Kevin replied with a smirk.
"Oh? So you're saying you're in love with Rose?" John teased.
"I've always loved her," Kevin admitted. "Besides, I just want her to be happy."
John was still staring at Kevin, his hand resting on his shoulder, when Sam suddenly joined the conversation.
"Oh, look at you two, making love—how cute," Sam said with a grin.
Rose nearly choked on her food. The comment was so unexpected that she burst into uncontrollable laughter. "You guys—hahaha—stop it! My tummy hurts!"
Sam, John, and Kevin couldn't help but laugh along with her.
"Hey, dude, are you making a pass at me?" Kevin asked, raising an eyebrow at John.
John blushed furiously and shoved Kevin with both hands. "Knock it off, Kevin!"
"Who knows? Maybe John will fall for Kevin soon," Sam teased. "What do you think, Rose?"
Rose burst out laughing. "Yeah, maybe!"
John groaned. "Come on, Rose, it's just a misunderstanding!"
The three of them nodded in unison, smiling mischievously at John as if they completely agreed.
Breaking the silence, Rose asked, "Do you think this song will do?"
The three boys turned to her, confused. "What song?"
Rose rolled her eyes. "I was asking John."
But John stayed silent for a moment before looking at her seriously. "I need to talk to you in private."
"Oh, that's never gonna happen," a voice chimed in.
Rose sighed. Oh god, I hope this doesn't end in chaos.
John turned with an annoyed look, only to see Sam grinning at him. Sam clasped a hand on his shoulder. "Alrighty, no need to get worked up. We're all friends. Well, except me, but I think it's good to discuss things openly rather than privately."
"So, you're saying we should discuss everything together? Anything at all?" John challenged.
"Well, not everything, but most of it. I just don't think it's something that needs to be private."
John paused, then narrowed his eyes at Sam. "You just want to know what Rose and I are talking about, don't you? How pathetic. Sam, the famous basketball player, sticking his nose where it doesn't belong."
Without another word, John walked out, his face burning red.
"Um… does anyone realize that this is his house, and he's actually leaving?" Kevin pointed out.
John stormed off, but Sam just smirked. "You big jerk."
"John, you lunatic," Sam called after him, laughing.
Rose and Kevin stood there, completely blank.
"I guess we're all lunatics," Rose muttered, and soon enough, they all burst into laughter until their stomachs ached.
---
It was noon, and Rose was carefully going through her emails, double-checking that she hadn't missed the invitation from Rock of Edge, a well-known band. She felt incredibly lucky to be selected.
Tring! Tring!
Her phone rang. She ignored it the first time, but when it rang again, she groaned and tried to pin her email—only for it to disappear!
Frustrated, she answered the call. "John! For god's sake, why did you call me? My email is gone!"
John went silent for a second before saying, "Forget about the email, Rose. I'm with Rock of Edge. Come to the stadium. Hurry!"
"What?!" Rose shouted, but before she could say anything else, John hung up, knowing she would definitely come.
---
Meanwhile, Kevin spoke with the Rock of Edge band.
"So, you're good at drums, huh?" Sam teased.
"Ugh, come on. It's not like you don't know how to play," Kevin shot back.
"Well, actually…"
"HEY!" Rose's voice rang out from a distance. She was panting as she approached them. "You guys! What are you doing here?"
Sam glanced at her, already dreading how she would react to what was coming next.
"Hello, Rose," said the lead singer of Rock of Edge. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Your team number is 11. Rock the stage—and good luck!" With that, he disappeared as quickly as he had arrived.
Rose blinked. "Team?!"
"Um… hi," John, Sam, and Kevin waved in unison.
"What?! You guys are my team?!"
"Yeah!" they chorused.
"Do you guys even know the song?" Rose asked skeptically.
"Don't worry about it," John assured her. "We've got it covered."
---
The crowd went wild as Rose started singing. It was a feeling she had never experienced before—pure energy, pure joy. She never thought she'd get the chance to perform with her friends, and that made her sing even louder. The night was filled with music, chaos, and excitement.
However, not everyone was cheering. A rival band, The Crown, began making jeers at Rose.
John wasted no time. He pinned one of the boys against the wall, his intense gaze sending a clear warning. The boy immediately backed off and ran.
Rose, completely unaware, turned to John. "What happened?"
John flashed her an easy smile. "Oh, nothing. He just had a bug on his shoulder, so I pinned him against the wall."
Rose squinted at him. "Oh, really? That doesn't sound convincing, but I'll try to believe you."
Meanwhile, the Rock of Edge band was preparing to announce the winners. Rose's heart pounded in her chest. She had prepared herself to lose, but what if she actually won?
The results were announced. They didn't win first place, but they secured third place—enough to give them a license to audition anywhere.
Excited, Rose high-fived John, then Sam and Kevin.
The three boys were thrilled to see her so happy. They silently made a promise—to stand by her and support her no matter what.
As Rose shook hands with the lead singer of Rock of Edge, Sam and Kevin clenched their fists.
They didn't like it. Not one bit.
It drove them crazy to see someone else even touching her hand.
But since he was the one who had supported them, they held back, swallowed their frustration, and stayed silent.
For now.
"He just needs to shut up. What's all the embarrassment about?" John muttered under his breath, his eyes following every move of the guy talking to Rose. His fists clenched. I'm going to kill him.
"You don't need to," Kevin whispered, nudging him. "Look, Rose is coming over, smiling at you."
John's anger eased as he saw her approach, but before he could react, Sam took the opportunity and wrapped both hands around Rose, flashing her a playful smile.
Rose's face turned red—part blushing, part furious. "I, um—"
"It's okay," Sam interrupted smoothly. "I won't let you go... or let you off that easily."
"HEY!" a voice boomed from behind.
John.
"It's not appropriate to hold her like that in front of us, you big goof!" he snapped.
Sam chuckled, unfazed. "She's going to be my wife someday. What's the issue, John?"
John's jaw tightened. "You can do whatever you want when you're alone. But not in front of us."
"Okay, okay." Sam smirked. "Looks like someone's getting jealous."
"What?! I'm not jealous!" John shot back defensively.
But Kevin, observing quietly, noticed something else. His gaze shifted to Rose—she was still blushing.
Looks like she's starting to fall for him again…
Kevin sighed. I hope John can take it easy. Or maybe not. I should probably tell him soon before it's too late.