“The song is perfect!”Gabriella exclaimed when she stumbled upon it.
“Perfect?How so...”I remember questioning.
“Because it’s both hip-hop and country.I’m Nelly and you’ll be Tim.Perfect.”
I didn’t argue, and in some ways, the song was perfect.Nelly is the main voice on the song with Tim just hitting backup vocals.Plus, who doesn’t want to be Tim McGraw?We practiced line by line, combing through the song until the amount of yawns outweighed the lyrics.
“I think we should call it a night.”
“No, no, come on.We’ve got, like, four more run-throughs in us...”she says, yawning the last word.
I laugh.“You’re literally yawning right now.As much as I admire your determination, I’m calling it.”
She stands slowly, her movements like someone treading through water.As soon as she hangs the microphone in the holder, she turns abruptly.“What about your song?We didn’t even pick anything out.”
“Tomorrow’s problem,” I say, smiling as I hold the heavy door to the booth open.She grabs both of our mugs before walking through.
“Oh!Levi.”She sets them down again.“Let’s get a picture for socials.”
I must make a face because she quickly follows up with.“I know you hate social media, but since we’re counting on people voting for both of us, we need to sell it.”
I nod once before she pulls her phone out of nowhere, positions it horizontally, and snaps several pictures of us with the studio equipment as our backdrop.
“Good?”I ask, working to sound neutral.
Her head is tipped downward as she swipes through ten different pictures of me making the same half-smile.
“You should work on that.”Her fingernail bumps my closed-mouth grin.“Maybe a little teeth next time?”She grabs the cups and finally makes it through the door of the studio.
“Maybe!”I say, knowing there is literally no chance.I hit the lights and we both head back to the house.
After I say good night and she goes up to bed, I hang back.I can’t sleep, I feel too electric.I’m really proud of the work we did and think it will be a great show.I lock up the bottom floor before heading into the theater room.I sit back, allowing my whole body to sink into the couch before grabbing the master remote beside me, running through the on-demand library.A whole lot of nothing.Normally, my go-to is sports, sports highlights, or shows where they talk about sports, but tonight I’m in the mood for something else.The cursor falls on Matilda and I stop.My eyes track to the spot next to me, where the ghost of Tate sits in my mind.I can’t believe she’s here.Here to see me.Tina and I briefly glided over the topic, but one thing she said runs loops in my mind.“You need to be a whole before you can be someone’s half.”It’s one of those things that doesn’t make sense but totally makes sense.I want to be that for Tate, but I also want to be that for me, and you know what, I can’t remember the last time I had a panic attack.
My finger hits the up button to keep scrolling, and then something catches my eye.Grease.I drop back a couple lines and click on it.Whoever was watching it before me stopped it halfway through, but I’ve seen it so many times it doesn’t matter.They’re at the drive-in theatre to see The Blob.Without thinking, I grab my phone and text Tate.
Levi: Have you ever seen Grease?
I bite at the swell of my bottom lip, trying to focus on the movie.Then my phone vibrates.She texted back, she texted back!It cheers.I look down at my phone and instantly my mouth stretches into a smile that feels too big for my face.
Tate: Tell me about it, Stud.
I read it and read it and read it, along with the accompanying kissy-face emoji.Sure, she’s not actually calling me a stud, but it feels affectionate.
Levi: Wanna watch it with me?Like Matilda?
The three dots appear, and I remember I’m not supposed to know she’s here.
Levi: I mean, like a virtual watch party.Obviously, you can’t watch it with me.
My fingers trip over themselves as they rush to send.The dots disappear only to reappear moments later.
Tate: Netflix?
I hit pause to see exactly how far in I am.
Levi: I’m 48 minutes in.
I go back to watching the movie, happy that we’re talking.An hour later, my phone buzzes just as Danny appears in a cardigan to the other greasers at the carnival.I debate answering until the end because it’s the best part of the movie, but it’s Tate.I pick my phone up as the words from her text run across my screen.
