5 Days of Summer

Chapter 6: Monday

Novie's P.O.V.

"So, uh..." I refused to look at Justin as he started making small conversation. We know each other since we were kids, his parents were both teachers in this school and a friend of my dad, we're also church mates, but that's it. We're not that close, we can't even be labeled as friends. "We heard you sing."

I stopped just for a second and adjusted the bag of the guitar on my shoulder. They heard.

Oh my gosh! What the fudge! This is embarrassing!

I can brag my skills when it comes to playing bass because I know I'm good at it, but singing?!

My voice isn't as good as my cousin's — hers is just amazing, her pitch is two octaves higher than mine, she can even whistle! — and I don't really sing a lot when she's around since it's our role: she sings while I accompany her with instruments, so my voice is kind of rusty.

"Yeah, and we were thinking if you could join our band." His friend who's carrying the amplifier said.

Good thing we reached dad's car so I have a reason not to respond for a while as I open the trunk. Honestly, I don't know what to say.

"You must've had mistaken me for a student here, but I'm not," I said politely.

"Oh, we know. Somebody recommended you." His friend said which made me look at Justin. He shook his head, saying it wasn't him. "How about not join the band permanently, but just a temporary replacement?"

"We just need someone to sing for the Summer Ball, our vocalist quitted and you're the only person we could ask," Justin added. His friend put the amplifier inside the trunk, I also placed the guitar inside along with the bass.

"What about other students? I'm pretty sure your vocalist isn't the only one who knows how to sing, right?" I reasoned. Isn't it much more comfortable for them to perform if it's their colleagues?

"C'mon Noob, help us out please," Justin said. He looked so cute with his hands folded like he's praying and his face showing desperation.

I want to help them, but at the same time, I can't. I sing, yes, but only when it's me or just backups. I don't have any experience being the lead, it's always duet or back-ups.

My dad went near me, probably to get his car keys. The boys greeted him good afternoon, before looking at me again.

"I see you've met Novie. What were you talking about?" Dad asked. It was Justin who answered.

"We're asking Novie if she could be at least our temporary replacement just for the Summer Ball. Line kind of kicked her out when she sort of quitted." His brows furrowed in confusion with what he just said. Their bandmate kicked their vocalist for quitting?

My father nodded in understanding. He faced me and I don't like where this is going. I was right because the two versus one just became three versus one.

"Dad, I'm not a good singer! I could've agreed if they're asking me to play bass for them." I reasoned. "It's singing, the spotlight will be on me."

In a band, it's the vocalist who is always on the limelight. If the guitarist and bassist would strum the wrong chord, they wouldn't notice that or they did notice but they'll let it go. If the drums lost its tempo, it could easily go back and they would just let it go. But if the singer hits the wrong note? Snickers and murmurs could be heard even up the stage.

"So? You've been exposed to crowds before." Dad will never understand it. Or he does, he's just overlooking it so that I'll get to agree and help Justin and his friend.

That's my dad, helpful and generous. I guess he is just very helpful that he even helped that woman raise her kids and neglecting me. And I guess he's too generous to give his heart to that woman knowing that he also gave his heart to my mother, and so my mom gave the other half of his heart to that woman.

"Come on. Just give it a try." He said, trying to convince me. I sighed and nodded. The guys high fived and smiled at me.

"Thanks, Noob," Justin said and hugged me, which caught me by surprise. If I still liked him until now I would've fainted due to giddiness. "We'll see you tomorrow."

I'm starting to regret this.

~▪︎~

Dad was narrating the story about how I will be singing in their event this Friday to that woman the whole time he was driving back to the house. He looked more excited than I. The woman, too, was all smiles as he told her. I wonder if that smile's fake.

The woman turned her head to me from the passenger's seat. She smiled at me like she was a proud mother.

"That sounds great! I can't wait to hear you sing." She said, I only rolled my eyes and peered at the window.

"Yeah, I can't wait for karma to strike too." I scoffed, her smile faded and was replaced with a pained expression.

"Novie." My dad warned. The car parked beside their house and I was the first one to go inside the house. The woman's kids were peeking behind the screen door.

"Good evening, Ate Novie." The girl greeted and smiled at me; I ignored her and went straight to the staircase.

"Novie Alexandra Ember!" My dad said, stopping me from my tracks. I glanced at him with a bored look and went upstairs. Call me disrespectful, but I really hate that woman.

Who would want to be in one place with the woman who broke my family? She is just my father's mistress, she hurt my mother by stealing my father so she doesn't have any right to be hurt. She is not to be considered a human anymore the moment she made that mistake.

I opened the door to my room and lied face-first on the soft bed. I took my phone from my back pocket when 5 Seconds of Summer's Voodoo Doll started to play.

I sat up and answered the phone.

"Hello, mom?"